Judges 8:33

Verse 33. After. This is the most solid proof of Gedeon’s piety, since he kept the people in awe, and faithful to the Lord during his life.—God. Hebrew “and appointed Baal Berith their god,” or goddess; for Berith, “of the covenant,” is feminine. In the temple of this idol, the citizens of Sichem kept money. Calmet. 9:4. The pagans had many gods who presided over treaties; and the parties were, it seems, at liberty to choose whom they thought proper. They commonly pitched upon Jupiter, who is, therefore, styled Zeus orkios, or Dius fidius, or Fistius Jupiter. Laert. in Pythag. Halicar. iv. A statue “of Jupiter for oaths,” was seen at Olympus, holding the thunderbolts in his hands, ready to hurl against those who proved faithless. Pausan. Eliac. Philo of Byblos speaks of the Phœnician god Eliun, “the High,” and ( Calmet.) of the goddess “Beruth,” which last has a visible connection with Berith. The former title is sometimes given to the true God in Scripture. The city of Berytus was so called, probably in honour of the latter. Nonnus seems to have styled her Beroe. Bochart. Chanaan ii. 17.—Pliny (xxxi. 1.) mentions the god Briaze, at the foot of whose temple runs the river Olachas, the waters of which are said to burn those who are guilty of perjury. The Chaldee reads, “they chose Beel-kiam for their error.” Amos (5:26) speaks of the images of Chiun. May he not be the same as Berith or Kiam? Spencer says, that Chiun was Saturn: but Vossius thinks it was the moon. Idol. ii. 23. Calmet.