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the days of his power. 20. These are the names and the orders and the subordinate leaders of those heads of the thousands: Gédaél and Kéél and Héél, and the name of the head of a Cuap. 76. This and the following chapter treat of the winds and speak of some geographical matters, and may be regarded as a continuation of chap. 34-36, as the twelve portals for the winds there spoken of are here treated in detail—2. The points of the compass here given are taken from the position of a man standing with his face to the east, although the writer says west, or literally the descent, instead of back. This method of designating the four directions is frequently found in the Old Testament.—3. The first three, beginning in counting them from the east, the place where the sun rises; cf. vs. 4, 7,etc.—4. Through four of these portals, ie. through the middle one of the three in each direction, come winds of blessing, while the outer twoin each group produce winds of injury.—5. The first wind described comes from the portal in the south-east, i.e. the south-east wind. Its character is destructive.—6. Like all those winds from the middle portal of a group, the east wind has the right mixture, i.e. is neither too warm nor too cold, too wet nor too dry. Peace; Dillmann, Wohlsein; Hoffmann, Heil. The north-east wind brings coldness and dryness.—7. The south-east-south wind produces heat.—8. But from the middle portal of this group comes a good wind, and brings with it proofs of the sweet vegetation in the south; cf. chap. 24 and 25.—9, 10. South-west-south and north-east-north winds. After northerly the translator adds whose name is the sea. The Palestine writer had northerly winds; but to him the Mediterranean Sea was in the west, while it was in the north for the Ethiopian—11. The symmetry of his description demands that even the north wind should be a good one; but the north-west-north wind is again injurious. On the rains cf. Prov. xxv. 23.—12. The western group, and first the north-west wind.—13. The west and the south-west winds —14. Methuselah. It is a peculiarity of these parts that they are entrusted to Enoch’s son Methuselah; cf. 79:1; 82:1. It is manifestly the object of the writer to explain how these mysteries, already made known by Enoch, were preserved so many years. This is especially shown by 82:1. Cuap. 77. This presents a clear proof that the author wrote Hebrew or Aramaic. The first wind is called eastern, i.e. HTR east because it is the first, ice. HTR—The second is the southern, the GTR or HTR, because either the Holy One descends there, HTR, or because he abides there HTR cf. 25:3.—2. The west wind is the diminishing. The Hebrew probably had HTR and the Greek GTR, hence GTR—4. Of course these seven hills are not those of 18:6; 24:2; 32:1. The use of the word seven is based on its sacred character.—5. Great sea is the Mediterranean Sea; cf. Num. xxxiv. 6, 7. West, probably a corruption for south; cf. Dillmann on Ethiop. Ex. xxiv. 20. The river here meant is the Nile-—6. These two rivers are the Tigris and the Euphrates.—7. The first two are the Indus and Ganges, and the last two possibly the Oxus and Jaxartes. The author evidently pictured the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian seas as one. But others, says the translator (not the author, for these words are evidently interpolated), claim that these last two empty into the desert —8. What islands he means must remain uncertain. Cuap. 78. Names of the sun. To give these was suggested by his giving the names of the winds above. Orjares is HTR, the latter word being used for sun already, Judg. viii. 13, 14, 18. Tomas is probably HTR used of the sun, Isa. xxiv. 23. He has thus the three names used for the sun in the Old Testament HTR, HTR, and HTR.—2. Names of the moon. Asonja is uncertain. Dillmann thinks it contains a remnant of HTR known as the name of the moon (in Heb. Aram). Ebla may be corrupted from Lebna, i-e. HTR; Eccl. vi. 10; Isa. xxx. 26. Benaze is explained by Hoffmann as HTR, i.e. son of the half, i.e. the half moon; but Dillmann thinks of HTR. Erae is the ordinary HTR. 4. Cf. 72:37; 73:3. This portion of light the moon receives gradually.—5. Cf. 72:5.—6. On the topic commenced here and continued to verse 17, cf. 73:4-74:2. On the first day the moon receives the one half of the one seventh part of the light of the sun.—7. But it happens that it takes the moon fifteen days to become full, and in this case she receives three times five portions, i.e. fifteen fourteenths, of light.—8. In this case, in the decrease she decreases on the first day from fifteen portions to fourteen, etc.—9. Evidently flatly contradicts plain statements made elsewhere. The verse is probably an interpolation —10. This second, or other, law refers to the relative positions of sun and moon.—11. The full moon.—12. The thousand, which is added to them, Asfaél; and completed are the days of his power.