Difference between revisions of "Meroz"

<p> ("asylum".) &nbsp;Judges 5:23, "curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty" (rather among Israel's mighty ones). They gave asylum to the fleeing [[Canaanites]] accursed of God, whereas [[Jael]] who slew their general is "blessed" (&nbsp;Judges 5:24). Bather their sin was omission ''(Faint-Heartedness, Neutrality Where There Can Be No [[Real]] Neutrality: '' &nbsp;Matthew 12:30 ''; '' &nbsp;Matthew 25:30 '')'' , they neglected the duty of coming to Israel's help in the struggle against God's foes. If [[Meroz]] be Merasas or Murussus, a ruin four miles N.W. of Beisan on the southern slopes of the hills continuing "little Hermon," they had command of the pass and might have prevented the escape m that quarter of any of Sisera's host. Bather Kerr Musr on the S. of [[Tabor]] (Raumer). The Angel of [[Jehovah]] who fought for [[Israel]] at [[Megiddo]] pronounces, through Deborah, Meroz' curse. </p>

<p> [[Meroz]] ( ''Mç'Rŏz'' ), ''Refuge.'' A place in the northern part of Palestine, the inhabitants of which were accursed for not having taken the field with Barak against Sisera. &nbsp;Judges 5:23. </p>

<p> (Hebrews Meroz', '''''מֵרוֹז''''' , perh., as suggested by Gesenius, for '''''מֶארֵוֹז''''' , from the Arabic, [[Refuge]] ; but Furst disapproves of this etymology; Sept. '''''Μηρώζ''''' , V ulg. ''Terra Meroz'' ), a place in the northern part of Palestine, the inhabitants of which were severely reprehended (&nbsp;Judges 5:23) for not having taken the field with Barak against [[Sisera]] (comp. &nbsp;Judges 21:8-10; &nbsp;1 Samuel 11:7). It would seem as if they had had an opportunity of rendering some particular and important service to the public cause which they neglected (see Dr. Robinson's note in the ''Bib. Repos'' . 1831, p. 606). The tradition of its site was lost as early as the time of [[Procopius]] of Gaza, who had attempted in vain to recover it (Reland, ''Palaest'' . p. 896). Possibly the city was utterly destroyed in consequence of the curse. In the [[Jewish]] traditions preserved in the [[Commentary]] on the Song of Deborah attributed to Jerome, Meroz, which may be interpreted as [[Secret]] ,, is made to signify the. evil angels who led on the Canaanites, and are cursed by Michael, the angel of Jehovah, the leader of the Israelites. [[Eusebius]] and [[Jerome]] ( ''Onomast'' . s.v. Merrus) fix it twelve Roman miles from Sebaste, on the road to Dothaim; but this position would place it south of the field of battle, and therefore scarcely agrees with the history. Schwarz ( ''Palest'' . p. 36) says it is mentioned in the [[Talmud]] under the name of Marchesheth or Maresheth, and locates it (ib. p. 168) at the village, of Murussus, two or three miles north or north-west of Bethshan, on the line of hills separating the basin of Tayibeh from the valley of [[Jezreel]] (Robinson's Researches, new ed. 3:339). The town must have commanded the Pass, and if any of Sisera's people attempted, as the [[Midianites]] did when routed by Gideon, to escape in that direction, its inhabitants might no doubt have prevented their doing so, and have slaughtered them. Furst (Lex. s.v.) suggests that it was a locality in a district of [[Galilee]] partly inhabited-by [[Gentiles]] (&nbsp;1 Kings 9:11), not far from Kedesh-Naphtali, and consequently in the neighborhood of the Lake Merom, perhaps the locality (reading '''''מֵרוֹם''''' , [[High Place]] ) which gave name to the lake itself. Wilson ( ''Lands Of The Bible'' , 2:89) identifies it with the Kefr-Mesr, on the southern slope of Mount Tabor, and this [[Van]] de Velde approves (Memoir, p. 334). Thomson thinks it may be the present Meiron, a famous Jewish cemetery six miles west of Safed; this would be between Barak's residence and Tabor (&nbsp;Judges 4:12), and therefore render the inhabitants liable to a summons to arms by the [[Hebrew]] general ( ''Land And Book'' , 1:424). This last place is possibly the [[Meroth]] , strongly fortified by [[Josephus]] ([[Life]] , p. 37; [[War]] , 2:20, 6; 3:3, 1). </p>