pare 2 Chron. xx. 3, 13), there was entire abstinence from food until evening; sackcloth, coarse garments, see Notes; compare Joel i. 13, 14; from the greatest. to the least, all, both old and young. (Keil.) (6.) his robe, a large upper garment, decorated with great magnificence; coarse hair-cloth took the place of his royal robes; sat in ashes, in token of the deepest sorrow and humiliation. Compare Job ii. 8. (7.) herd nor flock, oxen and sheep; feed, be driven to pasture. (8.) beast be covered, it was an Asiatic custom to put mourning on beasts as well as men; they would share in the woe if the city was destroyed; compare Joel i. 14-20; Job xxxviii. 41; violence, for which sin Nineveh was noted, see Nahum ii. 11, 12; iii. 19; Hosea v. 13; x. 6; in their hands, used for grasping. II. Questions.-State how the Ninevites showed their grief. v. 5. The action of the king. How did he change his clothing? Where sit? What proclamation make? How widely was the fast to be observed? the sackcloth put on? the cry made to God? How were they to show their repentance?

III. GOD'S JUDGMENT STAYED. (9.) who can tell, who knoweth; fierce anger, glow of anger. (10.) repented, changed his method of dealing with them when they repented; his threats are conditional as well as his promises.

THE DEATH OF ELISHA.-2 Kings xiii. 14–21. [About 839 B. C.

14

RECITE VS. 14, 20, 21.

Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of 15 Israel, and the horsemen thereof. | And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow 16 and arrows. | And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put 17 his hands upon the king's hands. | And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the 18 Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. | And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and 19 stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

20

And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at 21 the coming in of the year. | And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

CONNECTED HISTORY.-The Syrians during the reign of Jehu (about 856 B. C.) took from Israel most of the territory east of the Jordan; they retained it in great part during the reign of Jehoalaz, who had but fifty horsemen and ten chariots left to him. Joash visited Elisha during his last sickness, and was promised victory over the Syrians. After Elisha's burial a dead man was raised to life by touching his bones.

ORDER OF EVENTS.-(92.) The Syrians conquer Israel. (93.) Jehoahaz reigns. (94.) Elisha promises victory to Joash, and dies.

TO THE SCHOLAR.-Note how a feeble old man was strong in faith, while a vigorous young man was weak in faith.

NOTES.-Jo'-ash or Je-ho'-ash (v. 10), son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu; reigned over Israel 16 years (840-825 B. C.); 3 times defeated the Syrians (v. 25); conquered Amaziah king of Judah and plundered Jerusalem (2 Kings xiv. 8-14); not to be confounded with Joash king of Judah.-Bow and arrows, used very early (Gen. xxi. 20); arrows carried in a quiver (Gen. xxvii, 3); sometimes poisoned. (Job vi. 4.) War was declared by the discharge of an arrow into the enemy's country.-Win'-dows, simple apertures closed in with lattice-work, which might be opened. Compare Acts xx. 9.-A'-phek, a place 6 miles east of the Sea of Galilee, where the Israelites had previously gained a great victory (1 Kings xx. 26-29); identified with the modern Fik, on the eastern high-road from Damascus to Jerusalem.-Mo'-ab-ites, descendants of Lot (Gen. xix. 37); occupied the territory east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea to the south of Gilead; gained their living largely by plunder, and often invaded Israel.-Sep'-ul-chre. The Jews buried their dead in caves or tombs cut in the side of a rock, the mouth being covered with a heavy stone. The bodies were not put in coffins, but simply wrapped in grave-clothes; hence the dead man might touch "the bones of Elisha."

EXPLANATIONS AND QUESTIONS.

Lesson Topics.-(I.) ELISHA'S LAST SICKNESS._(II.) HIS PROMISE TO JOASH. (III.) HIS BONES RAISE A DEAD MAN.

I. ELISHA'S LAST SICKNESS. (14.) sickness whereof he died, the sickness of which he was to die; wept over his face, bending over the sick man as he lay; chariot of Israel, etc.-i. e., the true defence of Israel, which had few horsemen and chariots at this time. v. 7; compare 2 Kings ii. 12.

I. Questions.-State what befell Elisha. Who visited him? How did the king show his grief? What did he say? Why should he call Elisha "father"? The meaning of his exclamation? Who had uttered a similar one? How many chariots and horsemen had Israel at this time? v. 7. What part of its territory had been conquered by the Syrians? 2 Kings x. 33. II. HIS PROMISE TO JOASH. (15.) take bow and arrows, symbols of war; he was to fight for the promised victory. (16.) hand upon the bow, to string it; Elisha put . . . hands, etc., showing that the power came through the prophet from the Lord. (17.) window, see Notes; eastward, toward the country beyond the Jordan, which the Syrians had taken. (17.) arrow of the Lord's deliverance, the deliverance was to come from God; Aphek, see Notes. (18.) take the arrows, all that are left in the quiver; smite upon the ground, "shoot the arrows to the ground” (Keil);

smote, shot; stayed, stopped shooting. (19.) was wroth, at Joash's lack of zeal and faith; thrice, for the fulfilment of this promise, see y. 25.

II. Questions.-What did Elisha bid Joash take? What do? Where did the prophet put his hands? What did he thus show? Describe an Oriental window. How was it opened? Why "eastward" in this case? What did the shooting signify? What was the king bidden to do with the rest of the arrows? How many times did he shoot? What spirit did this show in the king? How did it affect Elisha? What ought the king to have done? How many times should he smite the Syrians? Show the fulfilment of this prophecy. v. 25.

III. HIS BONES RAISE A DEAD MAN. (20.) Elisha died, probably at the age of between 80 and 90 years; they buried him, Josephus says with a magnificent funeral, Jerome says near Samaria; Moabites, see Notes; coming in of the year, in the spring, when the Jewish year commenced; at that time the crops were ripe. (21.) spied a band, of Arab plunderers; they cast the man, put him in hastily, for fear of being captured; sepulchre, see Notes; let down, etc.-i. e., as soon as he came and touched.

III. Questions.-At about what age did Elisha die? How and where is he said to have been buried? Describe the Jewish sepulchre and mode of burial. Who invaded the land? At what season? Why then? How was a funeral interrupted? Where did they put the body? Why in haste? Describe what followed? Give Ezekiel's illustration of dry bones quickened by the Spirit. See Ezekiel xxxvii. 1-14.

JUNE 3.]

LESSON XXII.

THE LAMENTATION OF AMOS.-Amos v. 1-15. [About 787 B. C.

1

RECITE VS. 4-8.

Hear ye this word which I take up against you, Even a lamentation, O house of Israel.

2 The virgin of Israel is fallen-she shall no more rise:

She is forsaken upon her land-there is none to raise her up. 3 For thus saith the LORD God;

4

The city that went out by a thousand-shall leave a hundred, And that which went forth by a hundred-shall leave ten,-to the house of Israel.

For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel,-Seek ye me, and ye shall live:

5 But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal,—and pass not to Beer-sheba:

For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,—and Beth-el shall come to naught.

6 Seek the Lord, and ye shall live;-lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,

And devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.

7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood,—and leave off righteousness in the earth,

8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, And turneth the shadow of death into the morning,

And maketh the day dark with night:—that calleth for the waters of the sea,

and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: -the Lord is his name:

9 That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong,

10

So that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
They hate him that rebuketh in the gate,
And they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor,
And ye take from him burdens of wheat:

Ye have built houses of hewn stone-but ye shall not dwell in them:

Ye have planted pleasant vineyards-but ye shall not drink wine of them.

12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: They afflict the just, they take a bribe,

And they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.

13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time;-for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live:

And so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you,-as ye have spoken.