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| The Decalogue. J-J Tissot |
Les temps de la loy écrite commencent. Elle fut donnée à Moïse 430 ans aprés la vocation d’Abraham, 856 ans aprés le deluge, et la mesme année que le peuple hebreu sortit d’Egypte. Cette date est remarquable, parce qu’on s’en sert pour désigner tout le temps qui s’écoule [p. 18] depuis Moïse jusqu’à Jesus-Christ. Tout ce temps est appellé le temps de la loy écrite, pour le distinguer du temps précedent qu’on appelle le temps de la loy de nature, où les hommes n’avoient pour se gouverner que la raison naturelle et les traditions de leurs ancestres.
God then having set His people free from the tyranny of the Egyptians, in order to conduct them into the land where he will be served, and before He settles them in it, sets forth to them the law by which they are to live. He writes with His own hand upon two tables, which He gives to Moses on the top of Mount Sinai, the foundation of that law, that is, the decalogue, or 10 commandments, and of human society.
Dieu donc ayant affranchi son peuple de la tyrannie des egyptiens pour le conduire en la terre où il veut estre servi; avant que de l’y établir, luy propose la loy selon laquelle il y doit vivre. Il écrit de sa propre main sur deux tables qu’il donne à Moïse au haut du mont Sinaï le fondement de cette loy, c’est à dire, le décalogue, ou les dix commandemens qui contiennent les premiers principes du culte de Dieu et de la societé humaine.
To the same Moses He dictates the other precepts, by which he appoints the tabernacle, the figure of time to come; the arc, where God manifested Himself by His oracles, and wherein the tables of the law were deposited; the promotion of Aaron the brother of Moses; the high-priesthood, or pontificate, a dignity solely appropriated to him and his sons; the ceremonies of their consecration, and the fashion of their mysterious habits; the functions of the priests, sons of Aaron; those of the Levites, with other religious rites; and what is still more excellent, the rules of good manners, the polity and government of His chosen people, to whom He willed himself be law giver. This is what is signified by the epoch of the written law. Then we see the journey continued in the wilderness; the revolts, idolatries, chastisement, and consolations of the people of God, whom that almighty law-giver gradually forms by this means; 1452 BC the consecration of Eleazar the high-priest, and the death of his father Aaron; the zeal of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, and the priesthood confirmed to his descendants by a particular promise.
Il dicte au mesme Moïse les autres préceptes, par lesquels il établit le tabernacle, figure du temps futur; l’arche où Dieu se montroit present par ses oracles, et où les tables de la loy estoient renfermées; l’élevation d’Aaron frere de Moïse ; le souverain sacerdoce, ou le pontificat, dignité unique donnée à luy et à ses enfans; les céremonies de leur sacre, et la forme de leurs habits mysterieux ; les fonctions des prestres, enfans d’Aaron; celles des levites, avec les autres observances de la religion; et, ce qu’il y a de plus beau, les regles des bonnes moeurs, la police, et le gouvernement de son peuple éleû dont il veut estre luy-mesme le legislateur. Voilà ce qui est marqué [p. 19] par l’epoque de la loy écrite. Aprés, on voit le voyage continué dans le desert; les révoltes, les idolatries, les chastimens, les consolations du peuple de Dieu, que ce legislateur tout-puissant forme peu à peu par ce moyen; le sacre d’Eléazar souverain pontife, et la mort de son pere Aaron; le zele de
Phinées fils d’Eléazar, et le sacerdoce asseûré à ses descendans par une promesse particuliere.
During these times the Egyptians continue settling their colonies in different parts, particularly in Greece where Danaus,[1] an Egyptian, makes himself King of Argos, and dispossesses the ancient Kings of Inachus's[2] line. 1451 BC Towards the end of the journeyings of the people of God in the wilderness, we see the beginning of the wars which the prayers of Moses render successful. He dies, and leaves the Israelites their whole history, which he had carefully digested from the origin of the world down to the time of his death. That history is continued by the command of Joshua, and his successors. It was afterwards divided into several blocks, which are handed down to us under the titles of Joshua, Judges, and the four books of Kings. The history which Moses had written, and wherein the whole law was contained, was also parted into five books, called the Pentateuch, which are the foundations of religion.
1445 BC After the death of the man of God, we find the wars of Joshua, the conquest and division of the holy land, and the rebellions of the people, who are at various times chastised raised and re-established.
[1] Danaus (Ancient Greek: Δαναός Danaós) was the king of Libya. His myth is a foundation legend (or re-foundation legend) of Argos, one of the foremost Mycenaean cities of the Peloponnesus. In Homer's Iliad, "Danaans" ("tribe of Danaus") and "Argives" commonly designate the Greek forces opposed to the Trojans.
[2] In Greek mythology, Inăchus, Inachos or Inakhos (Ancient Greek: Ἴναχος) was the first king of Argos. Inachus is the most ancient god or hero of Argos. According to Robert Graves, he was a descendant of Iapetus. Argos is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world
Durant ces temps les egyptiens continuënt l’établissement de leurs colonies en divers endroits, principalement dans la Grece, où Danaus egyptien se fait roy d’Argos, et dépossede les anciens rois venus d’Inachus. Vers la fin des voyages du peuple de Dieu dans le desert, on voit commencer les combats, que les prieres de Moïse rendent heureux. Il meurt, et laisse aux
israëlites toute leur histoire, qu’il avoit soigneusement digerée dés l’origine du monde jusques au temps de sa mort. Cette histoire est continuée par l’ordre de Josué, et de ses successeurs. On la divisa depuis en plusieurs livres; et c’est de-là
que nous sont venus le livre de Josué, le livre des juges, et les quatre livres des rois. L’histoire que Moïse avoit écrite, et où toute la loy estoit renfermée, fut aussi partagée en cinq livres qu’on appelle pentateuque, et qui sont le fondement de la religion. Aprés la mort de l’homme de Dieu, on trouve les guerres de Josué, la conqueste et le partage de la terre sainte, et les rebellions du [p. 20] peuple chastié et rétabli à diverses fois.
1405 BC Here are to be seen the victories of Othniel,[1] who delivers them from the tyranny of Chushan,[2] King of Mesopotamia, and fourscore years after, that of Ehud[3]over Eglon, King of Moab. 1325 BC About this time Phrygian Pelops,[3] son of Tantalus, reigns in the Peloponnese, and gives his name to that famous country. Belus, King of the Chaldeans, receives divine honours from that people. 1305 BC The ungrateful Israelites fall again into servitude. And Jabin, King of Canaan, subjects them; but Deborah the prophetess, who judged the people, and Barak, the son of Abinoam, defeat Sisera the general of that King's armies. 30 years after, Gideon, victorious without fighting, pursues and overthrows the Midianites.[5] Abimelech his son usurps the foreign power by murdering his brothers, exercises it tyrannically, and loses it at last with his life. Jephthah stains his victory by a sacrifice, which cannot be executed but by a secret command from God, of which he has not been pleased to communicate anything to us. During this age there happened to some very considerable events among the Gentiles; 1267 BC for if we follow the computation of Herodotus,[6] which seems the most exact, we must place in these times, 514 years before Rome, and in the time of Deborah, Ninus[7] the son of Belarus, and the foundation of the first empire of the Assyrians.
[1] Othniel: the first of the Biblical judges.: people who served roles as military leaders in times of crisis, in the period before an Israelite monarchy was established.
[2] Chushan: king of Northwest Mesopotamia, and the first oppressor of the Israelites after their settlement in Canaan. In the Book of Judges, God delivers the Israelites into his hand for eight years (Judges 3:8) as a punishment for polytheism. However, when the people of Israel "cried out to the Lord", He saved them through Othniel, son of Kenaz (Judges 3:9)
[3] Ehud: a judge who was sent by God to deliver the Israelites from Moabite domination, killing Eglon their king.
[4] Pelops was one of the most important founding-kings of myth. His descendants included Herakles, Eurystheus, Theseus, Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaus.
[5] Midianites: Abraham had six sons by Keturah, his wife after the death of Sarah, including Midian (Genesis 25:2). For seven years, “Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help” (verse 6). God answered their cries and raised up Gideon as a deliverer.
[6] Herodotus: c. 484 - c. 425 BC) was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus in the Persian Empire (modern-day Bodrum, Turkey)
[7] Ninus: the eponymous founder of Nineveh (also called Νίνου πόλις "city of Ninus" in Greek), ancient capital of Assyria.
Là se voyent les victoires d’Othoniel, qui le delivre de la tyrannie de Chusan roy de Mesopotamie, et 80 ans aprés celle
d’Aod sur Eglon roy de Moab. Environ ce temps Pelops phrygien fils de Tantale regne dans le Peloponnese, et donne son nom à cette fameuse contrée. Bel roy des chaldéens reçoit de ces peuples les honneurs divins. Les israëlites ingrats
retombent dans la servitude. Jabin roy de Chanaan les assujetit; mais Débora la prophetesse qui jugeoit le peuple, et Barac fils d’Abinoem défont Sisara général des armées de ce roy. Trente ans aprés Gédeon victorieux sans combatre poursuit et abbat les madianites. Abimelec son fils usurpe l’autorité par le meurtre de ses freres, l’exerce tyranniquement, et la perd enfin avec la vie. Jephté ensanglante sa victoire par un sacrifice qui ne peut estre excusé que par un ordre secret de Dieu, sur lequel il ne luy a pas plû de nous rien faire connoistre. Durant ce siecle, il arrive des choses tres-considerables parmi les gentils. Car en suivant la supputation d’Herodote qui paroist la plus exacte, il faut placer en ces temps 514 ans devant Rome, et du temps de Débora, Ninus fils de Bel, et la fondation du premier empire des assyriens.
The feat of it, was established at Nineveh, an ancient and already famous city, but beautified and adorned by Ninus. Those who give 1300 years to the first Assyrians, go upon the antiquity of the city; and Herodotus, who allows him but 500, speaks only of the duration of the empire, which they had begun under Ninus, son of Belus, to extend into upper Asia. A little after, and during that conqueror's reign, ought to be placed 1252 BC the foundation or rebuilding of the ancient city of Tyre, so celebrated for its navigation and colonies. Some time after Abimelech, we find the famous combats of Hercules, son of Amphitryo, and those of Theseus, King of Athens, who made but one city of the 12 boroughs of Cecrops, and gave a better form of government to the Athenians. In the days of Jephthah, while Semiramis, widow of Ninus, and Guardian of Ninyas, enlarged the empire of the Assyrians by her conquests, the celebrated city of Troy, already taken once by the Greeks under Laomedon, its third King, was again reduced to ashes by the Greeks, under Priam, son of Laomedon, after a siege of 10 years. 1184 BC
Le siége en fut établi à Ninive ville ancienne et déja célebre, mais ornée et illustrée par Ninus. Ceux qui donnent 1300 ans aux premiers assyriens ont leur [p. 21] fondement dans l’antiquité de la ville ; et Herodote qui ne leur en donne que 500 ne parle que de la durée de l’empire qu’ils ont commencé sous Ninus fils de Bel à étendre dans la haute Asie. Un peu aprés, et durant le regne de ce conquerant, on doit mettre la fondation, ou le renouvellement de l’ancienne ville de Tyr, que la navigation et ses colonies rendent si célebre. Dans la suite, et quelque temps aprés Abimelec, on trouve les fameux combats d’Hercule fils d’Amphitryon, et ceux de Thesée roy d’Athenes, qui ne fit qu’une seule ville des douze bourgs de Cecrops, et donna une meilleure forme au gouvernement des atheniens. Durant le temps de Jephté, pendant que Semiramis veuve de
Ninus, et tutrice de Ninyas, augmentoit l’empire des assyriens par ses conquestes, la célebre ville de Troye déja prise une fois par les grecs sous Laomédon son troisiéme roy, fut réduite en cendre, encore par les grecs, sous Priam fils de Laomédon aprés un siége de dix ans.
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