ed in the territory of Benjamin, and
that Beth-Haezel, which is identical with Azal in Zech. xiv. 5, was
situated in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem. Hence, we cannot suppose
that Zaanan here is identical with Zenan, which is situated in the
south of Jerusalem, Josh. xv. 37, nor Saphir with Samir.

The question still arises, In what event did the threatening of
punishment, contained in chap. i., find its fulfilment? _Theodoret_,
_Cyril_, _Tarnovius_, _Marckius_, _Jahn_, and others, refer it to the
Assyrian invasion. _Jerome_ referred it to the Babylonish captivity:
"The same sin," he says, "yea, the same punishment of sin which shall
overturn Samaria, is to extend to Judah, yea, even unto the gates of my
city of Jerusalem. For, as Samaria was overturned by the Assyrians, so
Judah and Jerusalem shall be overturned by the Chaldeans." This opinion
was adopted by _Michaelis_ and others.

At first sight, it would appear as if the circumstance, that the
judgment upon Judah is brought into immediate connection with that upon
Israel, favoured the first view. But this argument loses its weight
when we remark, that the events appear to the prophet in inward vision,
and, therefore, quite irrespective of their relation in time; that the
continuity of the punitive judgment upon Israel and Judah only, points
out distinctly the truth, that both proceed from the same cause, viz.,
the relation of divine justice to the sin of the Covenant-people. It is
this truth alone which forms the essence and soul of the prophetic
threatenings; and with reference to that, the difference in point of
time, which is merely accidental, is altogether kept out of view.
Another argument in favour of the Assyrian invasion might be derived
from the expression, "_to_ Jerusalem," in ver. 9, inasmuch as the
Chaldean invasion visited Jerusalem itself. But, because the calamity
was not by any means to stop at Judah, but to overflow even it, it is
shown by the preceding expression, "unto Judah," that [Hebrew: ed]
(compare on this word, _Dissertations on the Genuineness of Daniel_, p.
55 seq.) must, in both cases, be explained from a tacit antithesis with
the expectation, [Pg 432] that the judgment would either stop at the
boundary of Judah, or, although this should not be the case, would at
least spare the metropolis. The prophet contents himself with
representing that this opinion was erroneous. Although this passage
itself asserts nothing upon the point as to whe