would swell to such a pitch as to exceed all imaginable authority, so as to reach the stars, according to Obadiah, v. 4, or to ascend into heaven above the stars, and to exalt his throne, like the king of Babylon, in Isaiah xiv. 13. And in 2d Maccabees ix. 10, Antiochus is described as the man who thought he could reach to the stars of heaven,

The language that follows in this verse is, by an usual and familiar metaphor in Scripture, applicable to the Jews, or the then true church of God. Isa. xxiv. 21, "the host of the high ones that are on high" is explained by Vitringa of the Jewish rulers and people. God's people have their citizenship in heaven, and shine 'ws Ownges, as lights or luminaries in the world. See ch. xii. 3, and Rev. i. 20, where the angels or governors of the churches are called stars. The priests and Levites, like the angels, were also continually waiting on the service of the King of Heaven in the temple, as of old in the tabernacle ; see Num. viii. 24; and these were that part of the host, or, the holy people, or people of the holy God, as at v. 24, that were thrown down and trampled on.

Spencer, in his Treatise de legibus Heb. 1. 1, c. 4, p. 202, takes notice, that the Scripture often borrows expressions from military affairs, to accommodate itself to the use of the tabernacle, and hence is the frequent use of the term "host." The host of heaven, and the prince of the host, he thinks must refer to the body of the priests, who exercised the offices of their warfare under the standards of the Deity. Now, Antiochus overthrew some of the most celebrated luminaries amongst the leaders of the Jewish people, nd reduced them to the lowest disgrace,

But this prophecy is thought, after all, to receive its fulfilment, not by Antiochus, but by the Roman state, which arose in the north-west part of those nations which composed the body of the Goat, and was very small in the beginning, but became very great afterwards.

See Wintle on Daniel, Mede's Works, Zouch on the Prophecies, Bishop Newton, and others.

Host of heaven, Gen. ii. 1, signifies the sun, moon, and stars, under the symbol of an army; in which the sun is considered as the king, the moon as his vicegerent or prime-minister in dignity, the stars and planets as their attendants, and the constellations as the battalions and squadrons of the army drawn up in order, that they may concur with their leaders to execute the designs and commands of the sovereign.

And thus, according to this notion, it is said in the song of Deborah, Judges v. 20, "the stars in their courses fought against Sisera."

HOUSE is often used in Scripture for the family, children, and servants.

Gen. vii. 1, "Enter thou and all thy house (family) into the ark."

Exod. i. 21, "And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses," i. e. he prospered their families.

And so in 1 Sam. ii. 35; 2 Sam. vii. 27; 1 Kings xi. 38.

And so in Euripides, Bacch. 389, "Wisdom is immoveable, and keeps together an house," an expression similar to that used by Solomon, Prov. ix. 1,

"Wisdom hath builded her house;

She hath hewn out her seven pillars."

And, therefore, in the symbolical language, houses, palaces, and sons, mutually explain each other.

Thus, according to the Persian and Egyptian interpreters, ch. 148, “ If a king dreams that he orders a new palace to be built for his habitation, and it be finished, it denotes that he shall beget a son and heir” —children, or rather sons, being the settlement of a house or family.

2 Sam. vii. 11, "Also the Lord telleth thee, that he will make thee an house ;” i. e. he will give thee offspring, who may receive and may preserve the royal dignity.

Ps. xlix. 12, “ Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever;" i. e. that their posterity shall always flourish. But Durell has remarked, that all the ancient versions read otherwise; they read keberem, instead of kerebem, and then the sense is,

"Their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever;

Their dwelling-place to all generations.”

Gen. xliii. 16, "Joseph said to the ruler of his house," i. e. to the manager of his domestic concerns. Isa. xxxvi. 3, "Eliakin, who was over the house, or household ;" i. e. his steward.

Gen. xxx. 30, "When shall I provide for mine own house also ?" i. e. get wealth to maintain my family. See 1 Tim. v. 8.

HUNGER and THIRST are the symbols of affliction.

Thus, in Deut. viii. 3, it is said, "He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger," where the latter is the instrument of the former.

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So Deut. xxxii. 24, " They shall be burnt with hunger;" i. e. they shall be tormented or afflicted.

So to fast is often called to afflict one's soul, as in Lev. xvi. 29–31, Isa. Iviii. 5.

In Aristophanes (Aves), hunger is proverbially used for great misery. See 1 Cor. iv. 11, 2 Cor. xi. 27, Phil. iv. 12.

By several expressions of our Saviour, to hunger and thirst signifies to be in want of hearing God's word; that is, to be hindered by persecution from worshipping God in peace. See Ps. 23; Eccles. xxiv. 19; John iv. 13, 14, vi. 35; Amos viii. 11; Ezek. vii. 26.

HYSSOP, an herb of detersive and cleansing qualities, used in sprinkling the blood of the paschal lamb; Exod. xii. 22.

In cleansing the leprosy; Lev. xiv. 4-6, &c.

In composing the water of the purification; Num. xix. 6; and sprinkling it, verse 18. It was a type or emblem of the purifying virtue of the bitter sufferings of Jesus Christ.

Pliny often mentions its virtues: "Calidum in spongia appositum, adjecto-aut hyssopi fasciculo, medetur sedis vitiis." Nat. Hist. 1. 23, c. 1, and in other places.

INCENSE is the symbol of prayer, as mentioned in Rev. v. 8, and viii. 4, in both which passages, as in many others, the language is borrowed from the Old Testament ritual. So in Mal. i. 11, where there is a prophecy of the conversion of the Gentiles, it is given under Jewish images :

"My name shall be great among the nations,

And in every place shall incense be brought unto my name, And a pure offering."

On which passage, see Mede's Christian Sacrifice, ch. 6.

The same is the case in Zech xiv. 16, where the prophet speaks according to Jewish ideas. On this Michaelis observes : "Non quidem Levitice, sed in spiritu et veritate, perinde ac festum Paschatos et Pentecostes." 1 Cor. v. 7, 8, “Sub exitum anni gratiæ, seu finem mundi-uberrimam tunc habituri messem donorum gratiæ et Spiritus Sancti." Bib. Halæ, 1720. See Newcome.

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This Jewish mode of speaking is observable in another place. The smoke of incense, like all other smokes, was said to ascend. So, speaking of Cornelius, Acts x. 4, the angel says, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." In Rev. v. 8, golden bowls full of incense are mentioned, fit representations, as Lowman observes, of the prayers of the Church, and expressive of the most solemn worship. Thus the Psalmist, Ps. cxli. 2, "Let my prayer be set before thee as incense." In Rev. viii. 4, the smoke of the incense is said to ascend up before God out of the angel's hand; an allusion to the constant offering of incense in the temple, and to God's gracious acceptance of their worship.

Things thus represented in heaven, prefigure things here on earth, says Dr Henry More, and these ceremonies of the temple, the devotions of the Christians, whose prayers are here represented as coming up in remembrance before God.

In the Oneirocritics, incense is the symbol of favour and good fame.

To incense men with a censer, signifies, according