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and elevated language, the triumplis of her countr}' anti her 

 religion, and Avhieh is also valuable as aft'ording a just idea 

 of the state of the federal republic of Israel, and a picture 

 of the earlier manners of the neighbouring nations. But we 

 are at present onl}' interested in it, in an historical point of 

 view, and as atibrding what 1 conceive to be forcible evi- 

 dence in su[)port of our tlieory. Contrasting the flourishing- 

 state of her country, after the victory of Barak, with the 

 effects of a foreign domination, she says, (chap. 5. v. 6. 7- 8.) 

 " In the days of Sharagar, son of Anath, in the days of 

 Jael, the high-ways were unoccupied ; the travellers walked 

 through by-wa_ys; the inhabitants of the villages ceased; they 

 chose new gods. Was there a shield or spear seen among 

 forty thousand in Israel .''" We behold here, Deborah expli- 

 citly acknowledging Shamgar as a Judge, or deliverer, of the 

 people; she recognizes his succession to Ehud, and thereby 

 establishes the observations which I have made before on the 

 subject of his jurisdiction. Bishop Patrick, in his com- 

 mentary on this passage, would read, " From the days of 

 Shamgar, &c." which undoubtedly appears to be the just 

 construction, since the text itself, (c.3. 31.) informs us, " and 

 he also delivered Israel," which is not very compatible with 

 the description of the state of the country, during his juris- 

 diction, afforded in the hymn of Deborah. Adopting, thtMi, 

 the correction of the learned bishop, we find that the country 

 was disarmed (v. 8.) by the policy of the o])pre£sors, (of which 

 policy we may remark other examples, (1 Sam. 13. v. 19.20. 21.) 



after 



