Speak, ye that ride on white asses
Though in some countries, as in ours, it is reckoned disgraceful
to ride on asses; so Leo Africanus F2 makes mention of a
preacher in Africa, who was called the ass rider; because he was
continually, sitting on an ass; yet in Judea, where there were no
horses, or very few, it was accounted honourable; so it was in
the time of our Lord; for his riding on an ass to Jerusalem was
not mean and disgraceful, but honourable and glorious: and so it
certainly was in those early times of the judges; for we read of
the sons of two of them, which were very numerous, that rode on
asses' colts, ( Judges 10:4 ) (
12:14
) , and it seems that white asses were the most valuable, and
chiefly used by great personages. The ass in the Hebrew language
has its name from redness, that being the usual colour of them in
those parts; and hence they were hateful to the Egyptians,
because that their Typhon was of that colour F3; but
there were some that were white, as there are wild ones now of
that colour. A traveller
ye that sit
in judgment;
which seems to describe judges upon the bench, sitting to hear
and try causes, and pass righteous judgment; these are also
exhorted to give thanks to the Lord, that they were now restored
to their seats of judgment, from which they were driven; or where
they could not peaceably exercise their office, which they now
might and did: Cocceius renders the word "on measures", as if
these were persons that presided over measures, and took care
that they were just and right. Though Kimchi and Ben Melech say,
that Middin, which we render "in judgment", is either the name of
a city in the book of Joshua, (See Gill on Joshua
15:61), or the name of a way F6 well known, in which
they were afraid to go because of the enemy, but now went in it
with safety, and therefore had reason to speak well of God, and
praise his name; but this is rather intended in the next
clause:
and walk by
the way;
the common people that travelled from place to place on business,
who before were obliged to leave the public roads, and go in
byways, ( Judges 5:6 ) but now
could travel in the common road without fear, and therefore ought
to be thankful.
F2 Descriptio Africae, l. 5. p. 574.
F3 Plutarch. de Iside.
F4 Cartwright's Preacher's Travels, p.
106.
F5 Ludolph. Ethiop. Hist. l. 1. c. 10.
Vid. Philostorg. Eccles. Hist. l. 3. c. 11.
F6 Vid. David de Pomis Lexic. fol. 19.
3.