[21] _She_ saw: Pesh. This may be right. And the Traitress, her sister Judah, _saw it: yea, saw that even because the Turncoat Israel had committed adultery, I put her away.... And yet the Traitress Judah, her sister, was not afraid, etc._ [22] 1 Kings ii. 4, בֶּאֱמֶת = בּכָל־לְבָבָם [23] As if "Turn back, back-turning Israel!" _i.e._ Thou that turnedst thy back upon Iahvah, and, therefore, upon His pleasant land. [24] Cf. also the Arabic [Arabic: **] _pravus_, [Arabic: **] _pravitas_, with the Hebrew term. IV. _THE SCYTHIANS AS THE SCOURGE OF GOD._ JEREMIAH iv. 3-vi. 30. If we would understand what is written here and elsewhere in the pages of prophecy, two things would seem to be requisite. We must prepare ourselves with some knowledge of the circumstances of the time, and we must form some general conception of the ideas and aims of the inspired writer, both in themselves, and in their relation to passing events. Of the former, a partial and fragmentary knowledge may suffice, provided it be true so far as it goes; minuteness of detail is not necessary to general accuracy. Of the latter, a very full and complete conception may be gathered from a careful study of the prophetic discourses. The chapters before us were obviously composed in the presence of a grave national danger; and what that danger was is not left uncertain, as the discourse proceeds. An invasion of the country appeared to be imminent; the rumour of approaching war had already made itself heard in the capital; and all classes were terror-stricken at the tidings. As usual in such times of peril, the country people were already abandoning the uncalled towns and villages, to seek refuge in the strong places of the land, and, above all, in Jerusalem, which was at once the capital and the principal fortress of the kingdom. The evil news had spread far and near; the trumpet-signal of alarm was heard everywhere; the cry was, _Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fenced cities!_ (iv. 5).