90 Dr Scot on the Deror of' the Hebrew Scriptures^ 



and of the sparrow in particular; and the cry of quadrupeds and 

 birds is a principal source from which they get their names in 

 the Hebrew scriptures. 



It may be the wish of one that utters a causeless curse, that it 

 may come as rapidly upon him, against whom it is uttered, as 

 the flight of a deror, or the wandering of a zippor ; but while 

 the providence of God directs, it shall not come, if it come at 

 all, in that manner. 



As to the word deror, occurring in both passages, whatever 

 it may signify^ it is evident, that our translators have fixed upon 

 swallow as its meaning in the last passage, because they found 

 it convenient so to translate it in the first ; and, before we can 

 determine any thing about deror, we must ascertain the real 

 meaning of the first passage, which interpreters have found or 

 made difficult. 



Now, it must be confessed that the way in which Psalm 

 Ixxxiv. 3. is rendered in the English Bible, as quoted above, very 

 much countenances the idea, that swallow is meant by deror. 



As the sparrow frequents houses, and builds its nest about 

 the eaves ; so also two species of swallow frequent houses, one 

 of which builds its nest in windows, and the other in chimneys ; 

 and, in this passage, if the sparrow be the one bird, as we are 

 not disposed to question, may not the swallow be the other, as 

 it resorts to the dwellings of men, and in these makes its house 

 and builds its nest ? 



At first sight, then, the translation of this passage in the 

 English Bible seems unexceptionable ; but, when carefully ex- 

 amined, it will be clearly discerned that some other translation 

 is absolutely necessary, though it may not so much favour the 

 idea that deror is a swallow. 



First, it is perfectly certain, that, if the translation of the 

 English Bible be retained, altars cannot be taken in a literal sense. 

 There were two altars used by the Jews in their worship of 

 God, the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt-offerings. The 

 altar of incense stood at the side of the veil, before the holy of 

 holies ; whether within or without, is disputed ; and was always 

 under cover. No swallow could get access to it, however anxious 

 to build upon it a nest, more than the sparrow, if it wished to 

 make it a house. 



