people who dwelt westward of the Dead Sea, and extended
themselves pretty far into Arabia Petræa; for Jethro, the priest of
Midian, and father-in-law to Moses, was a Kenite, Judges i, 16; 1 Chron.
ii, 55; 1 Sam. xv, 6. When Saul was sent to destroy the Amalekites, the
Kenites, who had joined them, perhaps by compulsion, were ordered to
depart from them, that they might not share in their fate; and the
reason assigned was, that they “showed kindness to the children of
Israel when they came up out of Egypt,” 1 Sam. xv, 6. Which, according
to the margin of our Bible, is to be understood of the father-in-law of
Moses and his family. From the story of Jethro, who is expressly said to
be a Midianite, they appear to have retained the worship of the true God
among them; for which, and their kindness to the Israelites when passing
their country, they were spared in the general destruction of the
nations bordering on Canaan. Of these Kenites were the Rechabites, the
Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites, mentioned in 1 Chron.
ii, 55, whose chief office was that of scribes. (See _Rechabites_.)
Balaam, when invited by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel, stood upon
a mountain, whence he addressed the Kenites, and said, “Strong is thy
dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock; nevertheless, the
Kenite shall be wasted until Ashur shall carry thee away captive,” Num.
xxiv, 21, 22. The Kenites dwelt in mountains and rocks almost
inaccessible. They were conquered and carried into captivity by
Nebuchadnezzar. After Saul the Kenites are not mentioned; but they
subsisted, being mingled among the Edomites and other nations of Arabia
Petræa.
themselves pretty far into Arabia Petræa; for Jethro, the priest of
Midian, and father-in-law to Moses, was a Kenite, Judges i, 16; 1 Chron.
ii, 55; 1 Sam. xv, 6. When Saul was sent to destroy the Amalekites, the
Kenites, who had joined them, perhaps by compulsion, were ordered to
depart from them, that they might not share in their fate; and the
reason assigned was, that they “showed kindness to the children of
Israel when they came up out of Egypt,” 1 Sam. xv, 6. Which, according
to the margin of our Bible, is to be understood of the father-in-law of
Moses and his family. From the story of Jethro, who is expressly said to
be a Midianite, they appear to have retained the worship of the true God
among them; for which, and their kindness to the Israelites when passing
their country, they were spared in the general destruction of the
nations bordering on Canaan. Of these Kenites were the Rechabites, the
Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites, mentioned in 1 Chron.
ii, 55, whose chief office was that of scribes. (See _Rechabites_.)
Balaam, when invited by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel, stood upon
a mountain, whence he addressed the Kenites, and said, “Strong is thy
dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock; nevertheless, the
Kenite shall be wasted until Ashur shall carry thee away captive,” Num.
xxiv, 21, 22. The Kenites dwelt in mountains and rocks almost
inaccessible. They were conquered and carried into captivity by
Nebuchadnezzar. After Saul the Kenites are not mentioned; but they
subsisted, being mingled among the Edomites and other nations of Arabia
Petræa.