Ambushes

ארב מאר בהAMBUSHES, Ambuscades, Insidiæ. To lay in ambush. Insidiari. These words are not always taken in their proper signification, for laying ambushes for any one, attacking him in secret, laying snares for him. They sometimes signify no more than attacking a man who has no distrust of such a thing; attacking one behind, concealing ones self in some particular place in order to surprize any one. See the book of Judges, ch. ix. 25, 32, 34, 35. Abimelech, who lay lurking with his people in the heights of Sichem, so however as to rob and treat those who passed that way very ill, came and attacked the City of Sichem with his troops divided into three bodies: Tetendit insidias juxta Sichimam in quatuor locis. Literally according to the Hebrew, They prepared Ambuscades against Sichem in four Heads or Companies. And a little farther, ver. 43. Abimelech being informed that the Sichemites were marched, took his Army and divided it into three Bodies, and laid wait for them in the field. It seems certain, that in these passages Ambushes, properly so called, were not the things in question. In the first Book of Samuel, Saul complains that David laid אחלמה Achalma. 70. Ἀμέθυστος. 1 Sam. xxii. 8,13.Ambuscades for him; Insidiator usque hodie permanens. Now nothing could be worse grounded than this accusation, if we understand the word insidiari in its proper signification; but he might say, tho’ unjustly, that David was his secret enemy. And 2 Chron. xx. 22.in the Chronicles it is said that God turned the Ambushes laid by the enemies of Israel upon themselves; that is to say, their endeavours, their malice, their arms, he turned against themselves; for the enemies there mentioned came not in private, or by stratagem; they marched openly in arms against Israel.

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