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CHAPTER 1 
INTRODUCTION
TO THE
PENTATEUCH AND HISTORICAL BOOKS
by ROBERT JAMIESON
The Pentateuch, the name by
which the first five books of the Bible are designated,
is derived from two Greek words, pente, "five,"
and teuchos, a "volume," thus signifying the
fivefold volume. Originally these books formed one
continuous work, as in the Hebrew manuscripts they are
still connected in one unbroken roll. At what time they
were divided into five portions, each having a separate
title, is not known, but it is certain that the
distinction dates at or before the time of the
Septuagint translation. The names they bear in
our English version are borrowed from the
Septuagint, and they were applied by those Greek
translators as descriptive of the principal
subjects--the leading contents of the respective books.
In the later Scriptures they are frequently comprehended
under the general designation, The Law, The Book of
the Law, since, to give a detailed account of the
preparations for, and the delivery of, the divine code,
with all the civil and sacred institutions that were
peculiar to the ancient economy, is the object to which
they are exclusively devoted. They have always been
placed at the beginning of the Bible, not only on
account of their priority in point of time, but as
forming an appropriate and indispensable introduction to
the rest of the sacred books. The numerous and
oft-recurring references made in the later Scriptures to
the events, the ritual, and the doctrines of the ancient
Church would have not only lost much of their point and
significance, but have been absolutely unintelligible
without the information which these five books contain.
They constitute the groundwork or basis on which the
whole fabric of revelation rests, and a knowledge of the
authority and importance that is thus attached to them
will sufficiently account for the determined assaults
that infidels have made on these books, as well as for
the zeal and earnestness which the friends of the truth
have displayed in their defense.
The Mosaic origin of the
Pentateuch is established by the concurring voices both
of Jewish and Christian tradition; and their unanimous
testimony is supported by the internal character and
statements of the work itself. That Moses did keep a
written record of the important transactions relative to
the Israelites is attested by his own express
affirmation. For in relating the victory over the
Amalekites, which he was commanded by divine authority
to record, the language employed, "write this for a
memorial in a book" [Hebrew, the book], (Exodus
17:14), shows that that narrative was to form part
of a register already in progress, and various
circumstances combine to prove that this register was a
continuous history of the special goodness and care of
divine providence in the choice, protection, and
guidance of the Hebrew nation. First, there are the
repeated assertions of Moses himself that the events
which checkered the experience of that people were
written down as they occurred (see Exodus
24:4-7; 34:27;
Numbers
33:2). Secondly, there are the testimonies borne in
various parts of the later historical books to the
Pentateuch as a work well known, and familiar to all the
people (see Joshua
1:8; 23:6;
24:26;
1
Kings 2:3, &c.) Thirdly, frequent references are
made in the works of the prophets to the facts recorded
in the books of Moses (compare Isaiah
1:9 with Genesis
19:1; Isaiah
12:2 with Exodus
15:2; Isaiah
51:2 with Genesis
12:2; Isaiah
54:9 with Genesis
8:21,22; compare Hosea
9:10 with Numbers
25:3; Hosea
11:8 with Genesis
19:24; Hosea
12:4 with Genesis
32:24,25; Hosea
12:12 with Genesis
28:5; 29:20;
compare Joel
1:9 with Numbers
15:4-7; 28:7-14;
Deuteronomy
12:6, 7; 16:10,11;
compare Amos
2:9 with Numbers
21:21; Amos
4:4 with Numbers
28:3; Amos
4:11 with Genesis
19:24; Amos
9:13 with Leviticus
26:5; compare Micah
6:5 with Numbers
22:25; Micah
6:6 with Leviticus
9:2; Micah
6:15 with Leviticus
26:16, &c.) Fourthly, the testimony of Christ
and the Apostles is repeatedly borne to the books of
Moses (Matthew
19:7; Luke
16:29; 24:27;
John
1:17; 7:19;
Acts
3:22; 28:23;
Romans
10:5). Indeed the references are so numerous, and
the testimonies so distinctly borne to the existence of
the Mosaic books throughout the whole history of the
Jewish nation, and the unity of character, design, and
style pervading these books is so clearly perceptible,
notwithstanding the rationalistic assertions of their
forming a series of separate and unconnected fragments,
that it may with all safety be said, there is immensely
stronger and more varied evidence in proof of their
being the authorship of Moses than of any of the Greek
or Roman classics being the productions of the authors
whose names they bear. But admitting that the Pentateuch
was written by Moses, an important question arises, as
to whether the books which compose it have reached us in
an authentic form; whether they exist genuine and entire
as they came from the hands of their author. In answer
to this question, it might be sufficient to state that,
in the public and periodical rehearsals of the law in
the solemn religious assemblies of the people, implying
the existence of numerous copies, provision was made for
preserving the integrity of "The Book of the Law." But
besides this, two remarkable facts, the one of which
occurred before and the other after the captivity,
afford conclusive evidence of the genuineness and
authenticity of the Pentateuch. The first is the
discovery in the reign of Josiah of the autograph copy
which was deposited by Moses in the ark of the
testimony, and the second is the schism of the
Samaritans, who erected a temple on Mount Gerizim, and
who, appealing to the Mosaic law as the standard of
their faith and worship equally with the Jews, watched
with jealous care over every circumstance that could
affect the purity of the Mosaic record. There is the
strongest reason, then, for believing that the
Pentateuch, as it exists now, is substantially the same
as it came from the hands of Moses. The appearance of a
later hand, it is true, is traceable in the narrative of
the death of Moses at the close of Deuteronomy, and some
few interpolations, such as inserting the altered names
of places, may have been made by Ezra, who revised and
corrected the version of the ancient Scriptures. But,
substantially, the Pentateuch is the genuine work of
Moses, and many, who once impugned its claims to that
character, and looked upon it as the production of a
later age, have found themselves compelled, after a full
and unprejudiced investigation of the subject, to
proclaim their conviction that its authenticity is to be
fully relied on.
The genuineness and authenticity
of the Pentateuch being admitted, the inspiration and
canonical authority of the work follow as a necessary
consequence. The admission of Moses to the privilege of
frequent and direct communion with God (Exodus
25:22; 33:3;
Numbers
7:89; 9:8);
his repeated and solemn declarations that he spoke and
wrote by command of God; the submissive reverence that
was paid to the authority of his precepts by all classes
of the Jewish people, including the king himself (Deuteronomy
17:18; 27:3);
and the acknowledgment of the divine mission of Moses by
the writers of the New Testament, all prove the inspired
character and authority of his books. The Pentateuch
possessed the strongest claims on the attention of the
Jewish people, as forming the standard of their faith,
the rule of their obedience, the record of their whole
civil and religious polity. But it is interesting and
important to all mankind, inasmuch as besides revealing
the origin and early development of the divine plan of
grace, it is the source of all authentic knowledge,
giving the true philosophy, history, geography, and
chronology of the ancient world. Finally, the Pentateuch
"is indispensable to the whole revelation contained in
the Bible; for Genesis being the legitimate preface to
the law; the law being the natural introduction to the
Old Testament; and the whole a prelude to the gospel
revelation, it could not have been omitted. What the
four Gospels are in the New, the five books of Moses are
in the Old Testament."
GENESIS,
the book of the origin or production of all things,
consists of two parts: the first, comprehended in the
first through eleventh chapters, gives a general
history; the second, contained in the subsequent
chapters, gives a special history. The two parts are
essentially connected; the one, which sets out with an
account of the descent of the human race from a single
pair, the introduction of sin into the world, and the
announcement of the scheme of divine mercy for repairing
the ruins of the fall, was necessary to pave the way for
relating the other, namely, the call of Abraham, and the
selection of his posterity for carrying out the gracious
purpose of God. An evident unity of method, therefore,
pervades this book, and the information contained in it
was of the greatest importance to the Hebrew people, as
without it they could not have understood the frequent
references made in their law to the purposes and
promises of God regarding themselves. The arguments that
have been already adduced as establishing the Mosaic
origin of the Pentateuch prove of course that Moses was
the author of Genesis. The few passages on which the
rationalists grounded their assertions that it was the
composition of a later age have been successfully shown
to warrant no such conclusion; the use of Egyptian words
and the minute acquaintance with Egyptian life and
manners, displayed in the history of Joseph, harmonize
with the education of Moses, and whether he received his
information by immediate revelation, from tradition, or
from written documents, it comes to us as the authentic
work of an author who wrote as he was inspired by the
Holy Ghost (2
Peter 1:21).
EXODUS, a
"going forth," derives its name from its being occupied
principally with a relation of the departure of the
Israelites from Egypt, and the incidents that
immediately preceded as well as followed that memorable
migration. Its authorship by Moses is distinctly
asserted by himself (Exodus
24:4), as well as by our Lord (Mark
12:26; Luke
20:37). Besides, the thorough knowledge it exhibits
of the institutions and usages of the ancient Egyptians
and the minute geographical details of the journey to
Sinai, establish in the clearest manner the authenticity
of this book.
LEVITICUS.
NUMBERS.
This book is so called because it contains an account of
the enumeration and arrangement of the Israelites. The
early part of it, from the first through the tenth
chapters, appears to be a supplement to Leviticus, being
occupied with relating the appointment of the Levites to
the sacred offices. The journal of the march through the
wilderness is then given as far as Numbers
21:20; after which the early incidents of the
invasion are narrated. One direct quotation only from
this book (Numbers
16:5) is made in the New Testament (2
Timothy 2:19); but indirect references to it by the
later sacred writers are very numerous.
DEUTERONOMY, the second law, a
title which plainly shows what is the object of this
book, namely, a recapitulation of the law. It was given
in the form of public addresses to the people; and as
Moses spoke in the prospect of his speedy removal, he
enforced obedience to it by many forcible appeals to the
Israelites, concerning their long and varied experience
both of the mercies and the judgments of God. The minute
notices of the heathen people with whom they had come in
contact, but who afterward disappeared from the pages of
history, as well as the accounts of the fertility and
products of Canaan, and the counsels respecting the
conquest of that country, fix the date of this book and
the time of its composition by the hand of Moses. The
close, however, must have been added by another; and,
indeed, it is supposed by some to have formed the
original preface to the Book of Joshua.
JOSHUA. The
title of this book is derived from the pious and valiant
leader whose achievements it relates and who is commonly
supposed to have been its author. The objections to this
idea are founded chiefly on the clause, "unto this day,"
which occurs several times (Joshua
4:9; 6:25;
8:28).
But this, at least in the case of Rahab, is no valid
reason for rejecting the idea of his authorship; for
assuming what is most probable, that this book was
composed toward the close of Joshua's long career, or
compiled from written documents left by him, Rahab might
have been still alive. A more simple and satisfactory
way of accounting for the frequent insertion of the
clause, "unto this day," is the opinion that it was a
comment introduced by Ezra, when revising the sacred
canon; and this difficulty being removed, the direct
proofs of the book having been produced by a witness of
the transactions related in it, the strong and vivid
descriptions of the passing scenes, and the use of the
words "we" and "us," (Joshua
5:1-6), viewed in connection with the fact, that,
after his farewell address to the people, Joshua "wrote
these words in the book of the law of God" (Joshua
24:26)--all afford strong presumptive proof that the
entire book was the work of that eminent individual. Its
inspiration and canonical authority are fully
established by the repeated testimonies of other
Scripture writers (compare Joshua
6:26 with 1
Kings 16:34; compare Joshua
10:13 with Habakkuk
3:11; Joshua
3:14 with Acts
7:45; Joshua
6:17-23 with Hebrews
11:30; Joshua
2:1-24 with James
2:25; Psalm
44:2; 68:12-14;
78:54-55).
As a narrative of God's faithfulness in giving the
Israelites possession of the promised land, this history
is most valuable, and bears the same character as a
sequel to the Pentateuch, that the Acts of the Apostles
do to the Gospels.
JUDGES is
the title given to the next book, from its containing
the history of those non-regal rulers who governed the
Hebrews from the time of Joshua to that of Eli, and
whose functions in time of peace consisted chiefly in
the administration of justice, although they
occasionally led the people in their wars against their
public enemies. The date and authorship of this book are
not precisely known. It is certain, however, that it
preceded the Second Book of Samuel (compare Judges
9:35 with 2
Samuel 11:21), as well as the conquest of Jerusalem
by David (compare Judges
1:21 with 2
Samuel 5:6). Its author was in all probability
Samuel, the last of the judges (see Judges
19:1 21:25), and the date of the first part of it is
fixed in the reign of Saul, while the five chapters at
the close might not have been written till after'
David's establishment as king in Israel (see Judges
18:31). It is a fragmentary history, being a
collection of important facts and signal deliverances at
different times and in various parts of the land, during
the intermediate period of three hundred years between
Joshua and the establishment of the monarchy. The
inspired character of this book is confirmed by
allusions to it in many passages of Scripture (compare
Judges
4:2; 6:14
with 1
Samuel 12:9-12; Judges
9:53 with 2
Samuel 11:21; Judges
7:25 with Psalms
83:11; compare Judges
5:4,5 with Psalms
7:5; Judges
13:5; 16:17
with Matthew
2:13-23; Acts
13:20; Hebrews
11:32).
RUTH is
properly a supplement to the preceding book, to which,
in fact, it was appended in the ancient Jewish canon.
Although it relates an episode belonging to the time of
the Judges, its precise date is unknown. It appears
certain, however, that it could not have been written
prior to the time of Samuel (see Ruth
4:17-22), who is generally supposed to have been its
author; and this opinion, in addition to other reasons
on which it rests, is confirmed by Ruth
4:7, where it is evident that the history was not
compiled till long after the transactions recorded. The
inspiration and canonical authority of the book is
attested by the fact of Ruth's name being inserted by
Matthew in the Saviour's genealogy [Matthew
1:5].
THE FIRST AND SECOND
BOOKS OF SAMUEL. The two were, by the ancient Jews,
conjoined so as to make one book, and in that form could
be called the Book of Samuel with more propriety than
now, the second being wholly occupied with the relation
of transactions that did not take place till after the
death of that eminent judge. Accordingly, in the
Septuagint and the Vulgate, it is called
the First and Second Books of Kings. The early portion
of the First Book, down to the end of the twenty-fourth
chapter, was probably written by Samuel; while the rest
of it and the whole of the Second, are commonly ascribed
to Nathan and Gad, founding the opinion on 1Chronicles
29:29. Commentators, however, are divided about
this, some supposing that the statements in 1
Samuel 2:26; 3:1,
indicate the hand of the judge himself, or a
contemporary; while some think, from 1
Samuel 6:18; 12:5;
27:6,
that its composition must be referred to a later age. It
is probable, however, that these supposed marks of an
after-period were interpolations of Ezra. This
uncertainty, however, as to the authorship does not
affect the inspired authority of the book, which is
indisputable, being quoted in the New Testament (1
Samuel 13:14 in Acts
13:22, and 2
Samuel 7:14 in Hebrews
1:5), as well as in many of the Psalms.
THE FIRST AND SECOND
BOOKS OF KINGS, in the ancient copies of the
Hebrew Bible, constitute one book. Various titles
have been given them; in the Septuagint and the
Vulgate they are called the Third and Fourth
Books of Kings. The authorship of these books is
unknown; but the prevailing opinion is that they were
compiled by Ezra, or one of the later prophets, from the
ancient documents that are so frequently referred to in
the course of the history as of public and established
authority. Their inspired character was acknowledged by
the Jewish Church, which ranked them in the sacred
canon; and, besides, it is attested by our Lord, who
frequently quotes from them (compare 1
Kings 17:9; 2
Kings 5:14 with Luke
4:24-27; 1
Kings 10:1 with Matthew
12:42).
THE FIRST AND SECOND
BOOKS OF CHRONICLES were also considered as one by
the ancient Jews, who called them "words of days," that
is, diaries or journals, being probably compiled from
those registers that were kept by the king's
historiographers of passing occurrences. In the
Septuagint the title given them is
Paraleipomenon, "of things omitted," that is, the
books are supplementary because many things unnoticed in
the former books are here recorded; and not only the
omissions are supplied, but some narratives extended
while others are added. The authorship is commonly
ascribed to Ezra, whose leading object seems to have
been to show the division of families, possessions,
&c., before the captivity, with a view to the exact
restoration of the same order after the return from
Babylon. Although many things are restated and others
are exact repetitions of what is contained in Kings,
there is so much new and important information that, as
JEROME has well said, the
Chronicles furnish the means of comprehending parts of
the New Testament, which must have been unintelligible
without them. They are frequently referred to by Christ
and the Apostles as forming part of "the Word of God"
(see the genealogies in Matthew
1:1-16; Luke
3:23-38; compare 2
Chronicles 19:7 with 1
Peter 1:17; 2
Chronicles 24:19-21 with Matthew
23:32-35).
EZRA was,
along with Nehemiah, reckoned one book by the ancient
Jews, who called them the First and Second Books of
Ezra, and they are still designated by Roman Catholic
writers the First and Second Books of Esdras. This book
naturally divides itself into two parts or sections, the
one contained in the first six chapters, and which
relates the circumstances connected with the return of
the first detachment of Babylonish exiles under
Zerubbabel with the consequent rebuilding of the temple
and the re-establishment of the divine service. The
other part, embraced in the four concluding chapters,
narrates the journey of a second caravan of returning
captives under the conduct of Ezra himself, who was
invested with powers to restore, in all its splendor,
the entire system of the Jewish ritual. The general
opinion of the Church in every succeeding age has been
that Ezra was the author of this book. The chief
objection is founded on Ezra
5:4, where the words, "Then said we unto them after
this manner, What are the names of the men that make
this building?" have occasioned a surmise that the first
portion of the book was not written by Ezra, who did not
go to Jerusalem for many years after. But a little
attention will show the futility of this objection, as
the words in question did not refer to the writer, but
were used by Tatnai and his associates (Ezra
5:3). The style and unity of object in the book
clearly prove it to have been the production of but one
author. The canonical authority of this book is well
established; but another under the name of Ezra is
rejected as apocryphal.
NEHEMIAH
appears to have been the author of this book, from his
usually writing in his own name, and indeed, except in
those parts which are unmistakably later editions or
borrowed from public documents, he usually employs the
first person. The major portion of the book is occupied
with a history of Nehemiah's twelve years'
administration in Jerusalem, after which he returned to
his duties in Shushan. At a later period he returned
with new powers and commenced new and vigorous measures
of reform, which are detailed in the later chapters of
the book.
ESTHER
derives its name from the Jewess, who, having become
wife of the king of Persia, employed her royal influence
to effect a memorable deliverance for the persecuted
Church of God. Various opinions are embraced and
supported as to the authorship of this book, some
ascribing it to Ezra, to Nehemiah, or to Mordecai. The
preponderance of authorities is in favor of the last.
The historical character of the book is undoubted,
since, besides many internal evidences, its authenticity
is proved by the strong testimony of the feast of Purim,
the celebration of which can be traced up to the events
which are described in this book. Its claim, however, to
canonical authority has been questioned on the ground
that the name of God does not once occur in it. But the
uniform tradition both of the Jewish and the Christian
Churches supports this claim, which nothing in the book
tends to shake; while it is a record of the
superintending care of divine providence over his chosen
people, with which it is of the utmost importance the
Church should be furnished. The name of God is strangely
enough omitted, but the presence of God is felt
throughout the history; and the whole tone and tendency
of the book is so decidedly subservient to the honor of
God and the cause of true religion that it has been
generally received by the Church in all ages into the
sacred canon.
CHAPTER 1
Esther
1:1-22. AHASUERUS MAKES ROYAL FEASTS.
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Verse
1. Ahasuerus--It is now
generally agreed among learned men that the Ahasuerus
mentioned in this episode is the Xerxes who figures in
Grecian history.
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Verse
3. made a feast unto all his
princes and his servants--Banquets on so grand a
scale, and extending over so great a period, have been
frequently provided by the luxurious monarchs of Eastern
countries, both in ancient and modern times. The early
portion of this festive season, however, seems to have
been dedicated to amusement, particularly an exhibition
of the magnificence and treasures of the court, and it
was closed by a special feast of seven days'
continuance, given within the gardens of the royal
palace. The ancient palace of Susa has been recently
disinterred from an incumbent mass of earth and ruins;
and in that palace, which is, beyond all doubt, the
actual edifice referred to in this passage, there is a
great hall of marble pillars. "The position of the great
colonnade corresponds with the account here given. It
stands on an elevation in the center of the mound, the
remainder of which we may well imagine to have been
occupied, after the Persian fashion, with a garden and
fountains. Thus the colonnade would represent the 'court
of the garden of the king's palace' with its 'pillars of
marble.' I am even inclined to believe the expression,
'Shushan the palace,' applies especially to this portion
of the existing ruins, in contradistinction to the
citadel and the city of Shushan" [LOFTUS, Chaldaea and Susiana].
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Verse
6. Where were white, green,
and blue hangings, &c.--The fashion, in the
houses of the great, on festive occasions, was to
decorate the chambers from the middle of the wall
downward with damask or velvet hangings of variegated
colors suspended on hooks, or taken down at pleasure.
the beds were of gold and
silver--that is, the couches on which, according to
Oriental fashion, the guests reclined, and which were
either formed entirely of gold and silver or inlaid with
ornaments of those costly metals, stood on an elevated
floor of parti-colored marble.
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Verse
7. they gave them drink in
vessels of gold--There is reason to believe from
this account, as well as from Es
5:6; 7:2, 7, 8, where the drinking of wine occupies
by far the most prominent place in the description, that
this was a banquet rather than a feast.
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Verse
9. Also Vashti the queen made
a feast for the women--The celebration was double;
for, as according to the Oriental fashion, the sexes do
not intermingle in society, the court ladies were
entertained in a separate apartment by the queen.
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Verse
10-12. On the seventh day,
when the heart of the king was merry with wine--As
the feast days advanced, the drinking was more freely
indulged in, so that the close was usually marked by
great excesses of revelry.
he commanded . . . the seven
chamberlains--These were the eunuchs who had charge
of the royal harem. The refusal of Vashti to obey an
order which required her to make an indecent exposure of
herself before a company of drunken revellers, was
becoming both the modesty of her sex and her rank as
queen; for, according to Persian customs, the queen,
even more than the wives of other men, was secluded from
the public gaze. Had not the king's blood been heated
with wine, or his reason overpowered by force of
offended pride, he would have perceived that his own
honor, as well as hers, was consulted by her dignified
conduct.
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Verse
13-19. Then the king said to
the wise men--These were probably the magi, without
whose advice as to the proper time of doing a thing the
Persian kings never did take any step whatever; and the
persons named in Es
1:14 were the "seven counsellors" (compare Ezr
7:14) who formed the state ministry. The combined
wisdom of all, it seems, was enlisted to consult with
the king what course should be taken after so
unprecedented an occurrence as Vashti's disobedience of
the royal summons. It is scarcely possible for us to
imagine the astonishment produced by such a refusal in a
country and a court where the will of the sovereign was
absolute. The assembled grandees were petrified with
horror at the daring affront. Alarm for the consequences
that might ensue to each of them in his own household
next seized on their minds; and the sounds of
bacchanalian revelry were hushed into deep and anxious
consultation what punishment to inflict on the
refractory queen. But a purpose was to be served by the
flattery of the king and the enslavement of all women.
The counsellors were too intoxicated or obsequious to
oppose the courtly advice of Memucan was unanimously
resolved, with a wise regard to the public interests of
the nation, that the punishment of Vashti could be
nothing short of degradation from her royal dignity. The
doom was accordingly pronounced and made known in all
parts of the empire.
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Copyright Statement
These files are a derivative of an electronic
edition prepared from text scanned by Woodside Bible
Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-Brown
Commentary is in the public domain and may be freely
used and distributed.
Bibliography
Information
Jamieson, Robert,
D.D. "Commentary on Esther 1". "Commentary Critical and
Explanatory
on the Whole Bible".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/jfb/view.cgi?book=es&chapter=001>.
1871.
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