* I will promote.
24:11 De 16:9 Es 5:11 7:9 Mt 4:8,9 16:26
* and I will do.
23:2,3,29,30 Mt 14:7
* come.
6
* curse me.
An erroneous opinion prevailed, both in those days and in
after ages, that some men had the power, by the help of their
gods, to devote, not only particular persons, but cities and
whole armies, to destruction. This they are said to have done
sometimes by words of imprecation; of which there was a set
form among some people, which (9273)chines calls [diorizomenen
aran ,] "the determinate curse." Macrobius has a whole
chapter on this subject. He gives us two of the ancient forms
used in reference to the destruction of Carthage; the first,
which was only pronounced by the dictator, or general, was to
call over the protecting deities to their side, and the other
to devote the city to destruction, which they were supposed to
have abandoned. The Romans held, that no city would be taken
till its tutelary god had forsaken it; or if it could be
taken, it would be unlawful, as it would be sacrilege to lead
the gods into captivity. Virgil intimates, that Troy was
destroyed because {Excessere omnes adytis, arisque relictis
dii, quibus imperium hoc steterat,} "All the gods, by whose
assistance the empire had hitherto been preserved, forsook
their altars and temples." See more on this subject in Dr. A.
Clarke, Bp. Patrick, and Burder's Oriental Customs, No. 734.
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