ants of those Jews who slew him shall be touched with the deepest compunction for the guilt of their forefathers. Joel iii. 2, "The valley of Jehoshaphat." As the term Jehoshaphat signifies in Hebrew "the judgment of God," it is very probable that the valley here mentioned is symbolical, and means, the valley of the divine judgment, wherever that might be. For it is said, "I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will plead with them there. In this sense the Chaldee paraphrase understands it, and renders it "the valley of the division of judgment." And Theodotion, "into the place of judgment;" and in verse 14, it is called "the valley of decision." From these passages, the Jews and some Christians have been of opinion, that the last Judgment will be solemnized in the valley of Jehoshaphat. If we understand the words in this sense, the valley of Jehoshaphat will denote no particular place in the country of Judea, but only some place where God would execute his vengeance on the enemies of the Jews, which, as Grotius on the place remarks, may be called a valley, from the manner of human judgments-the judges sitting in a more exalted place, and the criminals standing in a lower. VEIL, a covering worn by females in token of modesty and subjection. It was also used as an ornamental part of dress, richly embroidered and transparent, in very early ages. Homer describes, in his Iliad, a beautiful one offered by the Trojan matrons at the altar of Minerva. And Penelope's is thus described in Pope's Odyssey, 66 "A veil translucent, o'er her brow display'd, Her beauty seems, and only seems, to shade." Ceres is said to have worn a black veil by the Grecian poets, either as a sign of sorrow for the loss of Proserpine or to conceal her grief from observation. We find Rebecca makes use of one, on being informed that Isaac was approaching to meet her; Gen. xxiv. 65. When Judah meets Thamar, she is described as covering herself with a veil. This phrase is rather remarkable, as Judah, on that account possibly, sup posed her to be a courtezan; Gen. xxxviii. 14. And it is said that slaves formerly in Greece wore larger veils than other people. Euripides makes Andromache complain, in his play of that name, "I was conducted from my husband's bed to the strand, my face covered with the veil of a captive." It is well known that the veils of female slaves in the Levant, at present, cover the whole body, and that the Greeks have been more tenacious of their old customs than most other nations. That the Jewish ladies, in Isaiah's time, wore veils is plain from ch. iii. 19. Virgil describes Helen as veiled, Æn. 1, v. 654, "Et circumtextum croceo velamen acantho, The veil, as a mark of subjection, seems to be referred to by the apostle, in 1 Cor. xi. 10, where women are required to have on their head xoiav, i. e. λνμμ¤ a veil, to shew that they are subject to their husbands, who exercise or power over them. And to this may be referred Gen. xx. 16, where the veil of Sarah is adverted to. Euripides, speaking of Hecuba, says, Hecub. v. 486, "she lies wrapped in veils;" which he explains, v. 495, by "She lies like a servant, or subject, on the earth." The veil was worn by suppliants and unhappy persons of either sex; see 2 Sam. xv. 30; xix. 4; Esther vi. 12; Jer. xiv. 3, 4, to which may be referred Mark xiv. 72, where the term ßaλv is applied to Peter as a penitent. But see Parkhurst on the term. The veil is employed as the symbol of ignorance. Thus, Isa. xxv. 7, "And on this mountain shall he destroy The covering that covered the face of all people, See also 2 Cor. iii. 14, &c. where Paul alludes to the veil of Moses, and says, when the Jews shall attend to and receive the doctrine of Christ, the veil that is over their hearts, in the reading of the Old Testament, shall be taken away. See Origen against Celsus, b. 5, p. 271. VESSEL. Used to represent the human body or person, 1 Thess. iv. 4; 1 Sam. xxi. 5. Cicero has a similar phrase," Corpus quidem quasi vas est aut aliquod animi receptaculum." See also Lucret. 1. 3, v. 441, and v. 553. Earthen vessels, or vessels of shell, 2 Cor. iv. 7, the ministers of the Gospel. The weaker vessel, 1 Peter iii. 7, the wife, as compared with her husband. 476 VESSEL...VINE AND VINEYARD...VIRGIN. Vessels of wrath, or of mercy, Rom. ix. 22, 23, such nations or communities as are objects of God's favour or displeasure, in allusion to the comparison of the potter, v. 21. A chosen vessel unto me, Acts ix. 15, i. e. a most choice instrument. Neither, says Grotius, did Polybius, speaking of Damocles, use the word xevos, a vessel, in another sense; for this man was a most profitable vessel for service, and most fit for business. Compare 2 Tim. ii. 20, 21. VINE and VINEYARD. A well-known emblem of the church of God, whether under the old or new dispensation. See a beautiful allegory under this image in Ps. lxxx. 15, &c.; in Isa. v. 1, where, at v. 7, it is said, "The vineyard of Jehovah is the house of Israel." And the same image is frequently employed by our Lord, as in Matt. xx. 1; xxi. 28; Luke xiii. 6. See also John xv. 1; Jer. ii. 21; Ezek. xix. 10; Hosea x. 1. 66 Vineyards were usually the scenes of joy, especially at the time of vintage. Hence, when God threatens by Amos, v. 17, " And in all vineyards shall be wailing," it was reversing the customary merriment, and a mark of indignation. VIRGIN. This term is often used to denote a people, city, or nation. Thus, Isa. xlvii. 1," Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon!" Jer. xiv. 17; xxxi. 4, 21; xlvi. 11; Lam. ii. 13; Amos v. 2. It is sometimes used as the symbol of purity, 2 Cor. xi. 2, "That I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." It is also employed to represent freedom from idolatrous defilement and corruption, as in Rev. xiv. 4, "These are they who are not defiled with women, for they are virgins." VOICE. The voice of a person, according to the Indian Interpreter, ch. 50, denotes his fame and reputation among the people. A voice to a person from behind, when the word behind is not used to denote symbolically a thing future, signifies, that the person to whom it is directed is gone out of the way, and requires to be recalled, which implies repentance. Thus, in Isa. xxx. 21, "And thine ears shall hear a voice prompting thee behind, Saying, This is the way, walk ye in it; Turn not aside, to the right or to the left." Agreeably to this, a voice to a person from behind, in order to direct him to behold a vision behind him, will denote that the vision relates to something past or existent, and to be observed as well backwards towards the time past, as forwards towards that which is to come. In Gen. iv. 10, the voice of Abel's blood is said to cry unto God, a very singular expression, importing that God is the spectator and avenger of all murderous transactions, according to the dying words of Zechariah, when slain by Joash, 2 Chron. xxiv. 22, “The Lord look upon it and require it." There being no successor to Abel to avenge his death, his cause and punishes the fratricide. God takes up Thus, as Paul remarks, whether we live, we live by the Lord, and whether we die, we die by the Lord; living and dying we are the Lord's; Rom. xiv. 8. |