- 56-
26:6). The general policy seems wisely to have been not to destroy nor depopulate the
Philistine cities, but to render them harmless by breaking down their fortifications, and
founding by their side throughout the Philistine territory, cities, inhabited no doubt by
Juda~an colonists. And from Philistia the expedition naturally extended to, and reduced
to submission, the Arab tribe to the south "in Gur-baal" and "the Meunim" (or
Meunites).*
- On this tribe and the confederacy generally, compare Vol. 6. It seems to me likely, that
even if Gur-Baal is not identical with Gerar, about three hours to the south-west of Gaza
(see the Targ.), it must be sought in that neighborhood. From Philistia in the S.W.
evidently a line of defense is drawn to the extreme S.E. - the territory of Ammon. Near
Gerar - the localization of which is not, however, absolutely certain, opens the wady
which, starting from Hebron, stretches down to Beersheba.
We have now probably reached the period when either luxury and corruption had so
demoralized Israel as to render it incapable of resisting the extending power of Judah, or
else the government of Jeroboam II. had become paralyzed. For although the subdual of
the Philistines and the other tribes to the south and south-east explains the statement that
"the name" - here, presumably, the authority - of Uzziah "went to the going down into
Egypt," more is implied in the notice that "the Ammonites gave gifts." This tribute
imposed on Ammon evidently presupposes the occupation by Uzziah of the intervening
trans-Jordanic territory belonging to Israel.*
- Possibly Hosea 5:10 may contain an allusion to this, although perhaps more likely to
events in the reign of Jotham (comp. 2 Chronicles 27:5).
And its possession seems implied in the further notice (2 Chronicles 26:10), that the
herds of Uzziah pastured "in the low country," that is, on the rich Philistine downs by the
Mediterranean (1 Chronicles 27:28), and "in the plain," that is, on the wide grazing lands
east of Jordan, in the ancient possession of Reuben (Deuteronomy 3:10; 4:43; and Joshua
13.).
But by far the most important undertaking of the reign of Uzziah was the restoration and
the fortification of the northern wall of Jerusalem, which had been broken down in the
time of Amaziah (2 Chronicles 25:23). Drawing an almost straight line along the north of
the ancient city, Uzziah built three towers: "at the lower gate," in the north-western comer
of the city, whence the wall slopes slightly southwards, and towards the west; at "the
valley-gate," the present Jaffa gate; and lastly, at the opposite extremity of the northern
wall (and again slightly south), to protect the so- called "horse gate" (Nehemiah 3:28;
Jeremiah 31:40), where the northern wall forms to the east "a turning" or angle, whence it
runs southwards (comp. Nehemiah 3:19, 20, 24, 25). Thus, as the "upper city" had,
besides that just mentioned, not any other gate towards the west, nor yet any to the south,
the entrance into the city was defended on the north, west, south, and at its north-eastern
(^)