observes, why the tribe of Levi might have his relations or his disciples, but such only no inheritance in the land, that, being free as do the will of God: for this seems the from the trouble of ploughing and sowing, meaning of these two verses, which in our &c., they might wholly attend to the study of the law, and be able to teach Israel God's judgments (More Nevochim, par. iii., cap. 39). 11 Bless, Lord, his substance.] The word we here translate substance, is translated wealth, viii. 17, 18, which consisted most in cattle (they having no land to till), which he prays God to increase, that they might have sufficient sustenance for themselves and their family. present version are unintelligible, and stand thus: "8 And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; 9 Who said unto his father, and to his mother, I have not seen him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor know his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant." It must now be carefully observed, that he, who was proved at Massah, and was tempted at Meribah, is here called thy Holy One; and that this Holy One (whom St. Paul affirms to have been Christ) must be also he, who said unto, or spake of, his relations what here follows. And what here follows is wonderfully confirmed by the event. For we read "While Jesus talked to the people; behold his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he said, Who is my mother? and who are my bre Ken.-8-10 The prediction of Messiah by Moses does by no means end with him (in ver. 5) as an universal King; because the same person seems clearly meant in ver. 7, bring him unto his people, i. e., bring unto his people, in thy good time, him, the king, the Shiloh, of the tribe of Judah.* And let what is here mentioned, in ver. 7, as to this descendant from Judah—and in ver. 11, as to this superior of Levi-be compared with Psalm cx. For this extraordinary person was also to be a priest; to whom even the high priest, in the tribe of Levi, was to surrender up his Urim and Thummim. For, this Holy One of God, who was tempted thren? And he stretched forth his hand at Massah and Meribah, is affirmed to be Christ: see 1 Cor. x. 9. But verses 9 and 10 here still more clearly describe the Messiah, as acknowledging none to be either The following are some of Houbigant's per tinent remarks:-"In ver. 7-In Christum unum 6 toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother, and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my father, which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."-Matt. xii. 46-50: add Mark iii. 32; Luke ii. 48; viii. 21 ; and also Mal. 8 And of Levi he said: Thy Thummim and thy Urim be to the Whom thou didst prove at Massah, 9 Who said of his father and his mother, I hæc aptari possunt, Adduc eum ad populum i. 11; and iii. 3; with Heb. xiii. 15. The suum.' In ver. 8-Non fuit is status tribus following version is now submitted to the Levi, nec ea indoles, ut filii parentes suos non learned reader: agnoscerent, &c. Hæ, neque minimæ, difficultates attentum lectorem tanquam manu ducunt, et fere cogunt sic sentire, in hac de Levi benedictione opponi sacerdotium Levi sacerdotio Messiæ futuro; sic dicere igitur Mosen: Thumim tuum, et tuum Urim, viri sancti tui est; quem tu tentâsti: i. e., perfectio illa et doctrina, quam præ se ferunt tui sacerdotes, erit propria sancti ejus; quem Dominus non dabit videre corruptionem-quem tu tentâsti, eundem de quo Paulus, neque tentemus Christum-qui dicturus est patri et matri, non novi; idem qui sic aiebat, 'Quæ est mater mea, et qui fratres? qui facit voluntatem patris mei, hic meus est frater, et soror, et mater,' In eam sententiam recte dicitur, Filios suos non novit, nisi eos qui custodient verbum tuum.' Post addimus C, sine quâ particulâ oratio pugnantia loquitur: loquitur enim de illis, quos sanctus agnoscet ut suos, qui evangelii legem promulgaturi sunt, et sacrificium Deo acceptum oblaturi." 10 And who does not acknowledge, as his brethren; And who does not own, as his children; Those, who teach Jacob thy judgments; Those, who put incense before thee, And a perfect oblation upon thine altar. Bp. Horsley.—7 And bring him.] Dr. Ken They shall place incense at thy nostrils, Bless, O Jehovah, his persevering virtue, Smite the loins of them that rise against him, And of them that hate him, that they rise no more. See 9 To him who saith of his father, &c. Matt. xii. 46-50; Mark iii. 32; Luke ii. 48, and viii. 21. . Passages, I believe, may be produced, in which the mention of the Messiah is first introduced by a pronoun, carrying an emphasis like that of the Greek and Latin pronoun, ékeivos, or iste, when they demonstrate some very remarkable personage not mentioned before. But then this emphatical reference of the pronoun must be made evident, by a construction of the sentence, which shall exclude the reference of it to any person or thing expressly named. In eos qui verbum tuum custodient." But the this case, the pronominal suffix of the verb emendation is quite unnecessary. The force in naturally rehearses Judah, mentioned in the preceding line. [But saith] Let them observe, &c. Houbigant would insert N after, and he connects this with what precedes, thus ;— "ille filios suos non alios cognoscet, quam of here is imperative or hortatory, and might be rendered in Latin by scilicet, or nempe. A full stop should be placed at "", at the end of the preceding line; and 1987, at the beginning of the verse, is to be understood again at the beginning of this verse, before". But there will be no necessity for this unnatural reference of the pronominal suffix, or for any mystic exposition of the proper name of the tribe, by which the tribe itself, as the declared subject of the blessing, must be intended here, when the second verse is 10 They shall teach. They who shall delivered from the obscurity with which the have observed God's word, and kept his Masoretic points have covered it. There covenant, and shall accordingly be acknowthe Messiah is mentioned under an appella- ledged by Christ as his brethren and his tion that most properly belongs to him, sons, they shall teach, &c., they shall be which the Masorites have turned into a pre-employed by him in the propagation of his position. 7 Hear, O Jehovah, the voice of Judah, religion, and called even to the priest's office. 11 His persevering virtue. See Cocceius, and Parkhurst, . ואל עמו תביאנו אל עמו bring thou unto himn תביאנו And י Dr. A. Clarke.-7 And this is the bless the mighty one [so Ezek. xxxi. 11]|ing of Judah.] Though the word blessing of his people; Great for himself shall be his power, Verses 8-11. 8 And unto Levi he said, is not in the text, yet it may be implied from ver. 1; but probably the words, he spake, are those which should be supplied: And this he spake of Judah, Lord, hear the voice of Judah; that is, says the Targum, receive his prayer when he goes out to Thy Thummim and thy Urim belong to battle, and let him be brought back in the Man, thy Holy One, Whom thou didst prove at Massah, safety to his own people. Thy holy one.] Aaron primarily, who was And with whom thou didst contend at anointed the high-priest of God, and whose the waters of Meribah. office was the most holy that man could be Therefore Aaron was called God's holy one, and the more especially so as he was the type of the MOST HOLY and blessed Jesus, from whom the Urim-all 9 To him who saith of his father and his invested with. mother, I have never seen him, Who owneth not his brethren, And his sons he acknowledgeth not, [But saith] Let them observe thy word,light and wisdom, and Thummim-all excelAnd let them keep thy covenant. lence, completion, and perfection, are de 10 They shall teach thy judgments unto rived. Jacob, And thy law unto Israel. Whom thou didst prove, &c.] God contended with Aaron as well as with Moses at the waters of Meribah, and excluded him | Thummim and Urim remain with thy PIOUS from the promised land because he did not sanctify the Lord before the people. ONE; whom thou provedst at Massa; whom thou strovedst with at the waters of Meriba! From the words of St. Paul, 1 Cor. x. 8- 19 Who said of his father and mother: "I 12, it is evident that these words, at least in heed them not:" who regarded not his own a secondary sense, belong to Christ. He is brothers: who acknowledged not his own the Holy One who was tempted by them at sons: but observed thy commands, and kept Massah, who suffered their manners in the thy covenant. 10 They shall teach Jacob wilderness, who slew 23,000 of the most thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they incorrigible transgressors, and who brought them into the promised land by his deputy, Joshua, whose name and that of Jesus have the same signification. shall place incense before thee, and lay 7 8 And he said [so Ged.] this of Judah, Hear, O Jehovah, the voice of Judah, And bring him back safe to his people; Let his own hand be sufficient for him, And be thou his help against his enemies. And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and Urim be with Whom thou didst prove at Massah, 9 Who said of his father and mother, brethren; not his own Who had no respect to his own children; covenant. 10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, 9 Who said unto his father, &c.] There are several difficulties in this and the following verses. Some think they are spoken of the tribe of Levi; others, of all the tribes; others, of the Messiah, &c.; but several of the interpretations founded on these suppositions are too recondite, and should not be resorted to till a plain literal sense is made out. I suppose the whole to be primarily spoken of Aaron and the tribe of Levi. Let us examine the words in this way, Who said unto his father, &c. The law had strictly enjoined that if the father, mother, brother, or child of the high-priest should die, he must not mourn for them, but act as if they were not his kindred; see Leviticus xxi. 11, 12. Neither must Aaron mourn for his sons Nadab and Abihu, &c., though not only their death, but the circumstances of it, were the most afflicting that could possibly affect a parent's heart. Besides, the high-priest was forbidden, on pain of death, to go out from the door of the tabernacle, Lev. x. 2-7, for God would have them more to regard their function (as good Mr. Ainsworth observes) and duty in his service, than any natural affection whatever. And herein Christ was figured, who, when he was told that his mother and brethren stood without, and wished to speak with him, said: "Who is my mother, and who are my Rosen.-7 Audi, o Jova! vocem Judæ, brethren? whosoever shall do the will of my i. e., auxilium ei præsta cum ad debellandos father who is in heaven, the same is my hostes egreditur, ut Aben-Esra exponit; brother, and sister, and mother." (Matt. anteibat enim Juda ceteras tribus in expexii. 46-50.) It is likely, also, that Moses ditionibus bellicis; vid. ad Gen. xlix. 8. may refer here to the fact of the Levites, Et ad populum suum ducas eum, i. e., salvum according to the command of Moses, killing et incolumem eum reducas e bello ad suos. every man his brother, friend, neighbour, Saadias recte addit: e prælio suo. Sed and even son, who had sinned in worship- Hoffmannus hoc votum spectare existimat ping the golden calf, Exod. xxxii. 26; and miseram tribus Judæ conditionem ætate in this way the Chaldee paraphrast under- Jojachini," 'qua rex Hierosolymis expugstands the words. natus cum magna populi parte, decem millibus scilicet, omnibus principibus et militi Geddes.-8 Of Levi he said, Let thy And make known thy law to Israel: And favour the works of their hands; no more. : hoc dicant וּמֶיךָ וְאוֹרֶיךָ לְאִישׁ חֲסִידֶךְ Arabs Erpenii: manus ejus verba .vid. Ex תְּמִים et אורים bus, a Nebucadnezaro, captus et Babylonem, quum et alia hujus structuræ exempla ductus est (2 Reg. xxiv. 10, sqq. Jer. xxvii. occurrant, vid. Gesenii Lehrgeb., p. 714. 20); meliorem enim partem tunc a reliquo, Et auxilium, auxiliator, ab populo divulsam ut Deus, ad populum hostibus suis, s. contra hostes suos, tu sis, o suum, i. e., in patriam reducat, vates sup- Deus! Cf. Ps. lx. 13. plex precatur." In verbis 7" explicandis 8-11 Ad Aben-Esra notat, præfixum in duas potissimum partes discedunt interpp., hic non esse Dativi notam, sed valere aliis voc. ad rad. 17, multus, copiosus, propter, de, ut Gen. xx. 13. magnus fuit, aliis ad 1, contendit referen- dic de me: frater meus est. Quod videtur tibus. Illi verba hæc sic capiunt. manus ideo monuisse, ne quis forte suffixa proejus satis ei sint, quomodo 7 supra i. 6 nomina 2 pers. ad TT ad Levin readerat. Ita interpres Persicus: manus ejus ferat, quæ sane ad Jovam sunt referenda, ut ei sufficiant. magnæ sint ei. Et Græcus Venetus: ai Urim et Thummim tua, o Jova! sunt viro Xeipes avτov äрxwv avт@. His accensendus erga te pio, ei illa gestanda tradidisti, conAben-Esra, qui hunc in modum exponit: credidisti. De sufficient ei manus suæ, nec alio, qui ipsum xxviii. 30, Patet, verbis illis significari Aaroaljuvet, opus habebit, nisi auxilio divino solo. nem et sacerdotium ipsi ejusque posteris colSed quo minus hic obvium ad 7 refe- latum; vid. Ex. xxviii. 36, sqq. Quem tenramus, vetat Camez literæ subscriptum, tasti in Massa, quocum contendisti ad aquas quod arguit, esse illud præter. vel particip. Meriba. Respiciunt hæc ea, quæ Ex. xvii. verbi . Legitur quidem 17, multum cum 4-7 et Num. xx. 1-13 narrantur. Tentavit Camez 2 Chr. xxviii. 8. (275, præda Deus Aaronem, i. e., fiduciam, quam in ipso multa); sed ibi accentus distinctivus major poneret, explorare voluit, dum jussit eum Tiphcha poscit vocalem longam Camez. petram alloqui, contendit cum eo, diffidenAttamen hoc nostro loco in codd. pluribus tiam, quam ea occasione prodidit, repreolim 22, cum Patach, extitisse, non tantum hendendo; vid. ad Num. xx. 12, 21. innuit nota Masorethica huic voci adscripta:, Prosperet Jova opes ejus. hic yop, i.e., literæ Resch apponendum esse opes, facultates denotat, ut viii. 18; Gen. Camez, unde colligi potest, fuisse codices, xxiv. 29; Ps. lxii. 11. Et opus manuum in quibus aliter, videlicet 1, scriptum esset, ejus adprobet, gratum habeat. Conquassa verum et certum est inde, quod etiamnum quoad lumbos adversarios ejus. ? est supersint codd., qui 7 exhibent, ut tres accusativus, sive casus adverbialis, quem Erfurtenses, a J. H. Michaëlis in Nott. loquendi usum pluribus illustravit Gesenius Critt. ad Biblia Halensia ad h. 1. et com- Lehrgeb., p. 685, 687. plures alii a De Rossio in Scholiis Critt. ad h. 1. laudati, et inter hos quidem Hispanici Ver. 12. nonnulli, et cod. Hillelianus numero 413 ab 19 TT ÉS E עָלָיו חֹסֵף עָלָיו כָּל־הַיּוֹם וּבֵין כְּתֵפָיו -eo signatus. Alterum autem, 1, quo ad scito verba ita sunt vertenda: manus sua contendat, i. e., pugnet pro se, graviores et ἠγαπημένος ὑπὸ antiquiores pro se habet testes, videlicet καὶ τῷ Βενιαμὶν εἶπεν. textum Samar., qui 2 m exhibet (unde κυρίου κατασκηνώσει πεποιθὼς, καὶ ὁ θεὸς interpres Samaritanus my san m, manus σκιάζει ἐπ ̓ αὐτῷ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, καὶ ἀναejus contendet pro eo), LXX, διακρίνουσιν μέσον τῶν ὤμων αὐτοῦ κατέπαυσε. avto, Aquilam, dikáσovтai, Symmachum, Au. Ver.-12 And of Benjamin he said, ineрμаxhσovσw, Vulgatum, pugnabunt pro The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in eo, Onkelosum, manus ejus ultionem ei safety by him; and the LORD shall cover facient de inimicis suis, quod sequutus Jarchi him all the day long, and he shall dwell verba sic exposuit: suscipiant causam ejus et between his shoulders. ulciscantur ultionem ejus. Saadias: redde, o Deus, manus ejus defendentes jus suum pro se. His accensendus et Syrus, qui secundum Dr. A. Clarke.-Some object to our transcod. Usserianum 1 habet, contendent lation of the Hebrew by the term pro eo. Ceterum nihil difficultatis habet, beloved, and think the original should be quod nomini duali " jungitur verbum sing. divided as it is in the Samaritan, TT, the The beloved of the Lord. So most commentators. hand, even the hand of the Lord shall dwell for safety or protection,, upon him. This makes a good sense, and the reader may choose. And the Lord shall cover him all the day long. Bp. Horsley.-Read, son mix. Booth. 12 And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of Jehovah shall dwell in The Most High shall ever protect him, "The Most High shall overshadow him all, comp. ; hence, to protect, Deut. the day, And rest between his shoulders." -See Houbigant's excellent note. xxxiii. 12. Rosen.-12 Dilectus Jove habitabit secure apud eum, Jovam. Dicitur Benjaminis Houbigant.-12 Benjamin autem dixit; tribus secure apud Jovam habitatura, quod dilectus Domini securum habebit habita- eum secum habebat in templo et habitaculo culum; Allissimus obumbrabit ei; totam suo. Nimirum non tantum urbs Hierosodiem super humeros ejus imminebit. Sunt lymitana in hac tribu sita erat, Jos. xviii. 28; in hoc versu tria membra, cum suo cujusque verum etiam potissima Sanctuarii pars. Perverbo. Priori membro inest p, habitabil tinebat autem pars aliqua ad tribum Juda, (confidenter) quod de Benjamin efferri omnes Ps. lxxviii. 68, atque ideo etiam illi accenvident. Sed alterum verbum, protegit, setur urbs Jos. xv. 63. p, Protegens in Deum unum aptari potest. Tertium, cum, Benjaminem, erit Deus. hoc solo palii de Benjamin, alii de Deo efferunt. loco obvium, significatu non differt a cognato Soli Græci Intt. hunc versum commodè , obtexit. Verba tegendi vero nomini legunt et interpretantur, hoc modo: dilectus rei, quæ tegenda dicitur, præmissa particula Domini habitabit confidenter, Deus obum-jungi solent, vid. e. c. 12, 2 Reg. xx. 6. brabit ei omnem diem, et inter humeros ejus Bp. Patrick. He shall dwell between his requiescit. Pro priori legunt, Altis-shoulders.] For the Divine Majesty (saith simus, vel Deus; sic ut de Deo dicatur, Onkelos) shall dwell in his country. It quomodò et tertium verbum . Nimirum being in the temple, and the temple in the comparatur Deus aquila ab alto delapsæ, tribe of Benjamin, where it stood upon humeris Benjamin imminenti, atque eum suis alis protegenti. In quà nos et scripturâ et sententiâ acquiescimus, quam etiam exsequebantur Syrus et Arabs, Deo tamen omisso, et quam Chaldæus eatenùs, ut verbump ultimum de Deo enuntiet, quod verbum incommodè attribuitur Benjamin, etsi ita, post vulgatum, plerique Recentiores; qui quidem inducunt orationem desultorium et inconstantem, dum prius verbum Benjamin tribuunt, alterum Deo, tertium Benjamin. Infelicissimè omnium Clericus, qui sic quem diligit, Jehovah, is apud eum habitabit, quasi in portu erit apud eum totâ die, atque inter colles ejus manebit. Nam verbum Kal, quasi in portu esse, sine the reader with any other. exemplo est; ac penè ridiculè colles terræ Chanaan sic habentur ut humeri ejus (Dei). Sam. Codex omittit prius quo ex omisso, nihil perit sententiæ. Tamen melius legitur Josuæ, ubi de divisione terræ agitur, freaddito, quia facilius omittitur a Scribis quenter de latere, tractu, urbis vel regionis littera una, eademque antecedenti similis usurpatur, vid. xv. 8, 10, 11; xviii. 12, 13, quam totum verbum. 16, 18, 19. And Mount Moriah, as the head of a man upon his shoulders; as Dr. Lightfoot glosses in his Temple Service, p. 145, edit. 1. Or the word we translate here shoulders may signify, as it is translated in other places, sides (Numbers xxxiv. 11), or borders. nothing is more certain, than that the Divine habitation was in the borders of Benjamin, whose lot touched Judah's at Jerusalem; and was so united to it, that when the rest fell off from Judah, the tribe of Benjamin always adhered to it. This being the sense which the ancient interpreters give of this verse, and very agreeable to the words, I shall not trouble Rosen.--Et inter humeros, i. e., latera, tractus ejus habitabit Jova, quod templum suum in hac tribu habet. Ver. 13-17. in libro כָּהֵף Ged.-12 And of Benjamin he said: "May the beloved of the Lord rest in security may the SUPREME continually 8 min, napbp nên apiba protect him, and dwell," &c. 13 |