herefore, it was not surprising,
either that they fell into the cavity, or that Moses should know this
would be their fate. Eichhorn held that the three offenders, with their
property, were burned by the order of Moses. Dinter explained Jacob's
struggle with an angel by relating a recent dream. His brother having
lately died, Dinter dreamed soon after that a man, with a little
peep-show, presented to his view all sorts of pictures, and at length
showed him his dead brother. The vision said, "To show you that I am
really your brother, I will print a blue mark on your finger." The
dreamer awoke and found not a blue mark but a pain which lasted some
days. This profound exegete then asks, "Could not something similar have
happened in Jacob's case? Even the less lively occidentalist sometimes
relates as real what only happened in his mind. Why should we be
surprised at a similar occurrence in the warmer fancy of the Eastern
man?"

But of all the critics of miracles we must give the palm to Paulus. Let
us hear how he accounts for the tribute-money in the mouth of the fish.
"What sort of a miracle," he asks, "is that we find here? I will not say
a miracle of about sixteen or twenty groschen, for the greatness of the
value does not make the greatness of the miracle. But it may be
observed, that, as Jesus generally received support from many persons,
in the same way as the Rabbis frequently lived from such donations; as
so many pious women provided for the wants of Jesus; and as the claim
did not occur at any remote place, but at Capernaum, where Christ had
friends; a miracle for about a thaler would certainly have been
superfluous. But it would not only have been superfluous and paltry,--it
would have taught this principle; that Peter, even when he could have
remedied his necessities easily in other ways, might and ought to reckon
on a miraculous interference of the Deity,--a notion which would
entirely contradict the fundamental principle of Jesus, or the
interference of the Deity. There is nothing of a miraculous appearance
in this narrative, nor was there to Peter himself. Had there been, the
fiery Peter would not have been cold-blooded at such a miracle, but
would have expressed himself as in Luke v. 8. There is nothing more
meant here, than that Christ designed to give a moral lesson; namely,
that we should not give offence to our brethren, if we can avoid it by
trifling circumstances. Hence, Christ said to him in substanc