Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/351

Rh in the country of Ashdod, and among the Philistines. And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Meunim. And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he waxed exceeding strong. Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the

it became for a while the chief centre of Jewish intellectual and religious activities. Its ruins are to be seen about 10 miles south of Jaffa (Joppa) on the coast. The modern Yebna is a few miles inland. Bädeker, Pal.$5$, p. 122.

Ashdod] Cp. 1 Sam. v. 1 ff.; Is. xx. 1; Zeph. ii. 4; Neh. iv. 7, xiii. 23; Acts viii, 40. Ashdod (modern Esdūd) was situated between Gaza and Joppa, some three miles from the sea.

in the country of Ashdod] (lit. "in Ashdod"). Perhaps the name has been repeated through an early scribal error and we should read simply "and built cities among the Philistines."

7. against the Philistines, and against the Arabians] "Conditions in the comparatively small and half-desert land of Judah depended essentially on its relations with the Edomite and Arabian tribes on the south-east and with the Philistines on the west": note how this comes out in the traditions of the period as narrated in Chron. Jehoshaphat dominated both Philistines and Arabians (Edomites) (xvii. 11); but Libnah (near Lachish) and Edom revolted successfully against his son Jehoram (xxi. 10). After the reigns of Ahaziah and Joash, Amaziah found himself able to assail Edom and gained a great victory (xxv. 11, 12). Later in his reign Amaziah suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Joash of Israel, and it is reasonable to suppose that Edom would seize the opportunity to reassert its independence, though Chron. is silent on the point. It is therefore in harmony with the sequence of events as narrated by the Chronicler, when in the present verse (cp. ver. 2) we are told that Amaziah's successor, Uzziah, reestablished the Judean power over Edom, and that later, against Ahaz, Edom and the Philistine cities gained the upper hand (xxviii. 17, 18).

Gur-baal] An unidentified place; a "Gur" is mentioned in 2 Kin. ix. 27. A slight correction of the Heb. would give "in Gerar (cp. Gen. xx. 1) and against the Meunim."

Meunim] Cp. xx. 1 (note).

8. gave gifts] i.e. tribute. Cp. 1 Chr. xviii. 2 (note).

9. towers in Jerusalem, etc.] The Chronicler is evidently fond of recording such traditions; cp. xxxii. 30, xxxiii. 14; and the Introd. § 7, p. xlviii.

the corner gate] At the north-west corner of the walls. Cp. xxv. 23 (note).

the valley gate] Neh. ii. 13, iii. 13. Probably near the south-west corner of the walls.