The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

VERS. XXXV.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.

To the dispersed among the Gentiles, &c.

I Confess 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Apostles writings does very frequently denote the Gentiles; to which that of the Rabbins agrees well enough, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the wisdom of the Greeks, i. e. the wisdom of the Gentiles. But here I would take 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in its proper significati∣on for the Greeks. It is doubtful indeed whether the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ought to be under∣stood the dispersed Greeks, or the Jews dispersed amongst the Greeks. There was no Nation under Heaven so dispers'd and diffus'd throughout the world as these, both Greeks and Jews were.

o 1.1 In mediis Barbarorum regionibus Graecae urbes: Inter Indos Persas{que} Macedonicus sermo, &c. In the very heart of all the barbarous Nations, the Greeks had their Cities, and their lan∣guage spoken amongst the Indians and Persians, &c.

And into what Countries the Jews were scatter'd, the writings both Sacred and Pro∣fane do frequently instance. So that if the words are to be taken strictly of the Greeks, they bear this sense with them, Is he going here and there amongst the Greeks, so widely and remotely dispersed in the world?

If of the Jews (which is most generally accounted by Expositors) then would I suppose the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 set in distinction to the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. That di∣stinction between the Hebrews and the Hellenists explains the thing. The Jews of the first dispersion, viz. into Babylon, Assyria, and the Countries adjacent are called Hebrews, be∣cause they used the Hebrew, or Transeuphratensian language. How they came to be dispers'd into those Countries we all know well enough, viz. that they were led away captive by the Babylonians and Persians. But those that were scatter'd amongst the Greeks used the Greek Tongue, and were called Hellenists. It is not easie to tell upon what account, or by what accident they came to be dispers'd amongst the Greeks, or other Nations about. Those that liv'd in Palestine, they were Hebrews indeed as to their language, but they were not of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the dispersion, either to one place or another, because they dwelt in their own proper Country. The Babylonish dispersion was esteem'd by the Jews the more noble, the more famous, and the more holy of any other. The land of Babylon is in the same degree of purity with the land of Israel p 1.2. The Jewish off-spring in Babylon is more valuable than that among the Greeks, even purer than that in Judea it self q 1.3. Whence for a Palestine-Jew to go to the Babylonish dispersion was to go to a people and Country

equal if not superior to his own. But to go to the dispersion among the Greeks, was to go into unclean regions, where the very dust of the land defiled them; it was to go to an inferior race of Jews stain'd in their blood; it was to go into Nations most hea∣theniz'd.

Notes

• o 1.1

  Senec. in Con∣solat. ad Helve∣an, cap. 6.
• p 1.2

  R. Salom. in Gittin. so. 26. 1.
• q 1.3

  Kiddush. fol. 69. 2.