is quite analogous, when
Zechariah represents the horses as being in future adorned by the Lord
with the symbol of holiness, which formerly the High-priest only wore;
compare remarks on Zech. xiv. 20. This one argument might be brought
forward against the explanation which we have given, viz., that we
cannot well imagine that this was the destination of [Pg 458] the
valley of Hinnom, because, according to the Law, the ashes of the
sacrifices were to be carried to a _clean_ place; because that which
once stood in connection with that which is most holy and pure,
although, in itself, it may be unclean, must not be mingled with that
which is absolutely and constantly unclean. But in opposition to this
we remark, that it was not this whole valley that was unclean, but only
the place Tophet in it; and that if sometimes the whole is designated
as unclean, it is only because it included this most unclean among
all unclean places; comp. chap. vii. 31, xxxii. 35; 2 Kings xxiii.
10.--There cannot be any doubt that "the [Hebrew: wrmvt] unto the brook
Kidron" are identical with the fields of Kidron, [Hebrew: wdmvt qdrvN],
mentioned in 2 Kings xxiii.; but much to be doubted is the correctness
of the common supposition (after the example of _Kuypers_, _ad varia V.
T. loca_, in the _Syll. Dissert. sub praes. Schultens, et Schroederi_,
t. 1. p. 537), that [Hebrew: wrmvt] is identical with [Hebrew: wdmvt].
If that were the case, we could not see why Jeremiah should have
exchanged the common word for an uncommon one, which elsewhere does not
occur. Jeremiah is fond of exchanging words of similar sounds, and
especially words differing from one another merely by one letter, and
especially by [Hebrew: d] and [Hebrew: r]; but these exchanges are
always significant. (Compare _Kueper_. Jerem. p. xiv. and 43, and
_History of Balaam_, p. 447 f.) Although we cannot, with certainty, fix
the meaning of [Hebrew: wrmvt], yet so much seems to be sure, that this
word was one which more accurately designated the nature of those
places than the current _nomen proprium_, inasmuch as it would be
absurd to substitute for it another name, if there had not been deeper
reasons. One need only compare the [Hebrew: hr hmwHit] itself which, in
the simple historical prose, is used of the Mount of Olives, 2 Kings
xxiii. 13. The most simple and natural supposition is the following.
All the significations of the verbs [Arabic: **], [Arabic: **],
[Arabic: **] in Arabic