but also delicious and excellent fruits, fit to | Whereby is signified that this tribe would be be presented to a king. See Deut. xxxiii. great lovers of liberty. 24, 25. Ged.-Asher, fat shall be his fare; dain- Which denotes their address (as we now ties for kings he shall afford. Booth. Asher, of the best kind shall be his food; Rosen.-Ex Aschere pinguis panis ejus, i. e., ex tribu Ascher erit panis optimus; erit ejus terra pinguis et opima. Nom. D quod alias est mascul., hic feminine capitur, ut et alia nomina (Dipp, s, n) sunt utriusque generis. Alludit ad nomen, beatitudo, felicitas., et ipse dabit delicias regis, ita eximium panem proferet ejus sors, ut etiam in deliciis regum esse queat. Moses quoque Deut. xxxiii. 24. Ascherem pedes oleo intincturum promittit. chritudo (cfr. Gesenii diss., p. 57), vel ut Hebr. pi, tuba buccina (sic reddidit Commentar. Samaritano-Arab. in cap. Gen. xlix. ed. a C. F. Schnurrero in Repert. Bibl. et Or., p. xvi. p. 185). Cfr. etiam Wineri diss. de vers. Sam., p. 28, ubi eam , redemptionis, legisse probabile redditur.-Schum. Νεφθαλὶ στέλεχος ἀνειμένον ἐπιδιδοὺς ἐν τῷ γεννήματι κάλος. He giveth goodly (or pleasing) words.] speak), charming language, and affability, to win the favour of others; and thereby preserve their peace and liberty. Mercer makes this verse to signify their speed and swiftness in despatch of business; and their smoothness in the management of it; which might render them acceptable to all men. There are no instances, indeed, in Scripture to make out this character; for Barak, who was of this tribe, was very slow in undertaking the deliverance of Israel. Nor do we read they were more zealous assertors of liberty than others. But yet this will not warrant us to alter the punctuation of the words (as Bochart doth, par. i. Hierozoic., lib. iii. cap. 18) to make a quite different sense, which is this: "Naphtali is a wellspread tree, which puts out beautiful branches.” [This sense of the text seems to be preferred by Pool.] For we do not find that they were either more beautiful or numerous than other tribes: but we find, quite contrary, that Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, and Dan, were all more numerous than they, when Moses took an account of them (Numb. i. 23, 27, 29, 31, 39). Besides, this interpretation makes this verse, in a manner, the very same with the next concerning Joseph. Therefore, though the LXX. agree to Bochart's version, we had better stick to our own; which makes a sense clear and proper enough. Ged., Booth. Naphtali is a spreading turpentine-tree, Naphtali is a spreading oak, Bp. Horsley.-, "the evergreen oak," "ilex." The participle, which applied to a hind, might properly render or Au. Ver.-21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: "let loose;" applied to a tree, expresses the he giveth goodly words. circumstance of its extending its branches in This sense of the text seems to be pre-all directions. ferred by Patrick, Rosen., Gesen., Lee, and Schum. is the t אמיר extreme "Graceful shoots." shoot" at the top of a growing tree; and Bp. Patrick.-Naphtali is a hind let seems to be used here in the same sense, loose.] As he had compared Judah to a if indeed the true reading be not. lion, and Issachar to an ass, and Dan to a The poetry of any language will hardly serpent; so he compares this son to a hind, afford a more pleasing image of strength which is not confined within pales or walls; and vigour, than an ilex with an ample but runs at large, whither it pleaseth. head, still putting forth fresh shoots. Bochart was, I believe, the first who thought | schiessende Terebinthe, die schöne Wipfel of this interpretation of this distich. Gesen.-Naphtali is a slender hind; he utters goodly words. Since Bochart (Hieroz., i. p. 895), this verse is mostly read with the vowels differently placed, and, and translated, Naphtali is a slender firtree, which puts forth handsome tops. Prof. Lee.-, antelope, or gazelle. wirft; Ilgen: Es gleichet Naphtali der schlanken Terebinthe, die eine schöne Wipfel treibt). Tali interpretationi licet conveniat usus loquendi, quippe quod Ps. lxxx. 12; Ez. xvii. 6; Ier. xvii. 8, de arboribus crescentibus adhibetur, et Ies. xvii. 6, 9, ramum significat, itemque hoc, quod ea sententiæ concinnius cohærere videntur : min, who giveth pleasant words. difficiliorem tamen lectionem ex nota CriIn Leo's translation of Gesenius, "which ticorum regula faciliori præferendam iudibrings forth pretty young ones!" Ges. camus, eoque magis, quod poëtam homines "(und) redet schöne worte."-A very pretty animalibus neque plantis comparantem translation surely! vidimus, atque heroes ob velocitatem et Rosen.-Naphtali cerva emissa, dimissa, mulier ob venustatem capreis seu cervis laxata, qui, sc. Naphtali dat, profert verba in V. T. conferuntur (vid. 2 Sam. ii. 18; pulchritudinis. Sensus perquam obscurus, 1 Chron. xii. 8; Ps. xviii. 34; Cant. ii. 9, 17; de quo jam veteres vehementer inter se dis- Prov. v. 19). Accedit quod, cerva senserunt. Hebræorum nonnulli terram emissa sive excitata (eine aufgescheuchte indicari opinantur, quæ celeriter proferat Hirschkuh) optimum sensum fundunt, si ea fructus suos maturos, similitudine desumta de velocitate, qua Naphtalitæ ut cervæ loca acervæ celeritate. Verba pulchra vero in- montana, Libanum, incolentes libertatem telligunt illi de laude, qua Nephtalitæ suæ suam adserant, exponis. Cfr. Iud. iv., s. et sortis præstantiam sint prædicaturi. Quæ Friedrich ad h. 1. Hæc tamen iam antiqui quam sint coacta, quisque sentiet ipse. interpretes vario sensu explicarunt. Syr.: Rectius alii simpliciter ad totam tribum hoc, enunciatum pertinere statuunt, notarique, i.e., Naphtali est putant incredibilem ejus celeritatem simul- nuntius velox; Ephraim Syr. in comment. que gratiam in rebus agendis et negotiis conficiendis. , נַפְתָּלִי עֶזְבַּד קָלִיל דְמֵי לְאֵילָא : .cervus emissus; Ion in Gen. 12, bona est eius terra; Schum.-21 Hoc comma, quod est ob- Onk.: 8 hp, Naphtali, in terra scurius, si textus mas. lectionem tueris, in- bona cadet sors eius; Vulgat: Naphtali, terpretibus multum offensionis habuit. LXX. enim, quorum verba Hieron. reddit: Naphtali est nuntius velox, similis cervo (qui Nephtali virgultum resolutum, Grabe: pro- curret per scopulos montium). Hieronymus pagines emittens (vid. eius animadverss. critt. in Quæstt. transfert: ager irriguus; sed in Repertor., p. iv. p. 30), Pearsonius etiam cervus emissus reddi posse censet, (Præf. in LXX.) et Schleusner (Lex. in propter temporaneas fruges velocitatem terræ LXX., p. v. p. 95): truncus, ex quo vir uberioris ostendens. Non male Luther. in gulta prodeunt, pro aut aut coll. Commentar. ad h. 1. Iudæi, inquit, nihil Ier. xvii. 8, ubi per σréλexos trans- aliud, afferunt, quam Naphtali esse cervam ferunt, permutatis gutturalibus, red-celerem, h.e., sicut cervus est velocissimum diderunt iidemque pro haud dubie animal, ita terram Naphtali celerrime prolegerunt, ramos, qui de arbore commode ferre fructus, qui offeruntur in templo, ubi yévvnua dici possunt. Similia habet teste laudatur deus eloquiis pulcherrimis. Mihi Bocharto, 1. 1. unus Arabum MSS. in Suecia: magis placet, velocitatem cervæ referri ad venationem et liberationem, sire ad teneritatem, نفتلي شجرة منعمة تعطي ثمرة حسنة et formam elegantiorem, q.d., hanc tribum i.e., Naphthali, arbor egregia, quæ bonum fore nobilissimam et tenerrimam, qualis esse fructum affert. Hos secutus Bochartus cerva aut hinnulus solet, item quia proxima legendum præcepit: nb, i.e., arbor fuit tribus Naphtali Syriæ ad Damascum et surculi sive surculosa, et, rami Libanon montem sita, ideo fuit exposita pulchritudinis, i.e., rami egregii, speciosi, ut iniuriis et violentiis vicinorum, sicut cerva adeo Naphtali propter fœcunditatem ramosæ venationi obnoxia est. Clericus putat, Iaet surculosæ arbori similis esse dicatur cobum Naphtalim cervæ vagæ comparare, (Herder transfert: Naphtali ist eine quia in eo tractu Cananææ, qui inter Libanum אָבִיךְ גָּבְרוּ עַל־בִּרְכֹת הוֹרֵי עַד תַּאֲוַת et Carmelum sit et cuius partem insederint Nephtalitæ, ingens fuerit cervorum copia teste Æliano, lib. v. sub finem. Cum Mer cero autem Rosenmueller hoc enunciatum (coll. Syr. D , agnus, et et , agna, et , בני צעירי [בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה LXX. probante credibile fit. Itaque Naphtali dicitur edere nomen matris Iosephi, ovis alludatur, LXX. 24], K. vii. codd. et Sam. probante Michaele (Bibl. Or., p. ix. p. 232) et interpretante: sparsa e manibus eius (tela). Dyp] DD, K. ii. codd., R. v. codd., ex pr. manu. p, Syr. et Onk. probantib. Tellero in nott. critt., p. 47; Michaele ad 25], K. 84, 150; R. 766, 807, pr. 903, 988, 1031. ii. codd. habent lectionem 26 : ns. LXX., Syr., Vulg., Saad. Hanc lec .Sie etiam reddiderunt Sam. Vers אל Keri בִּרְכֶת שָׁמַיִם מֵעַל בִּרְכֶת תְּהוֹם רֹבֶצֶת tionem, quam Vaterus et Iustius probant, ἔσονται ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν Ἰωσὴφ, καὶ ἐπὶ κορυφῆς potissimum commendat antecedens, vynoato ådeλ¶ŵv. קָמֶץ בְּזָקָב [מֵעָל ,quocum copula Vav coheret .notant Mass קטן , ממעל ▲ K. 80. Pers. Sam. Varr. Lectt.-22 viòs nỷ§nμévos 1.] ▲ V. .codd | [ תְּהוֹם – A μου 1.] μοι iv. codd. a i. vii. g. ; xxviii. codd. Compl., Ald., Alex., Cat., 23 ἐλοιδόρουν] † καὶ ἐδικάσαντο 135. 24 σvverpiẞn] fuerunt, qui coniicerent, legendum esse dierpiẞn velσvverpiẞns. Vid. Simon. Hist. Crit. V. T., lib. ii. c. 6. xeupòs] ▲ 16, 59. Xeɩpŵv i. vii.; xxxvi. codd. Ald., Alex., Cat., Nic. 24. Ἰσραὴλ] † σε Alex. 25. οὐρανοῦ] ἀπ ̓ οὐρ. x. codd. Cat., Nic. - éívekev] évekev xi. xii. codd. Compl., Alex., Cat., Nic. 26, Sam., LXX., Vers. Sam., Nic. † υἱός μου 75. Ald. νεώτατος] ] hanc lectionem pro vulgari | veάrepos ix. codd. Compl. masorethica, in textum recepimus a) parallelesmi membrorum causa qui ea restituitur; b) ob locos parallelos, qui deprehenduntur Deut. xxxiii. 15 (cfr. Num. xxiii. 7); Hab. iii. 6; c) auctoritate LXX., Sam. Vers., Sam., et viii. codd., Kennicotti freti, qui legerunt; d) perspicuitatis causa, quæ sic facili negotio atque exigua mutatione efficitur; e) quod nobis usu venit, Masorethas in gratiam perversæ interpretationis nonnunquam puncta vocalia adiecisse. 26. ὑπερίσχυσεν] ὑπερισχύσας vii. codd. Vid. v. 22. Eandem consensu comprobarunt - ὑπὲρ εὐλογίας] ἐπ ̓ εὐλογίαις i. ii. vii. x. ; I. D. Michaelis in Bibl. Or., t. ix. p. 233; xv. codd., Ald., Alex. ὀρέων] & iii. ; 75, Suppl., p. 572; Ilgen, 1. 1, p. 322; Dathe 120. Alex. in char. min. ἐπ ̓ εὐλογίαις] ad h. 1.; Vater et Iusti ad h. 1.; Gesenius ènì evλoyías v. codd., Compl., Cat., Nic. in diss. de Pent. Sam., p. 33, et in historia linguæ Hebr., p. 219; Schott ad h. 1.; Hirzel diss. de Pent. Syr., p. 32; Winer in Lex., p. 264. Non male coniecit Vater, i ortum esse ex quod Deut. xxxiii. 14, plane responderet. Quodsi tibi probatur, lege sicut Hab. iii. 6, habet obsoletam formam pluralis, quam Ier. xvii. 3, reperisse opinatur. Hæc autem redoleret Syriasmum sive statum constructum, Syrorum more formatum (vid. Gesenii Lehrg., p. 543; Hoffmanni Gr. Syr., p. 259). Nos quidem obsoletiorem formam tuendam iudicamus ex regula criticæ inferioris satis nota, quæ summam cautionem in talibus vocibus mutandis adhibendam docet, ut adeo הוֹרֵי Iusti sit forma antiquior pro 7, servata illa in nomine proprio montis . Cfr. Gesenii Lex. de hac voce.-Schum. LXX.-22 viòs nůέnμévos 'Iwond, viòs ηυξημένος μου ζηλωτός, υἱός μου νεώτατος. πρός με ἀνάστρεψον. 23 εἰς ὃν διαβουλευόμενοι ἐλοιδόρουν, καὶ ἐνεῖχον αὐτῷ κύριοι τοξευμάτων. 24 καὶ συνετρίβη μετὰ κράτους τὰ τόξα αὐτῶν. καὶ ἐξελύθη τὰ νεῦρα βραχιόνων χειρὸς αὐτῶν, διὰ χεῖρα δυνάστου Ιακώβ. ἐκεῖθεν ὁ κατισχύσας Ἰσραὴλ παρὰ θεοῦ τοῦ πατρός σου. 25 καὶ ἐβοήθησέ σοι ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἐμός. καὶ εὐλόγησέ σε εὐλογίαν οὐρανοῦ ἄνωθεν, καὶ εὐλογίαν γῆς ἐχούσης πάντα. εἵνεκεν εὐλογίας μαστῶν καὶ μήτρας. 26 εὐλογίας πατρός σου καὶ μητρός σου. ὑπερίσχυσεν ὑπὲρ εὐλογίαις ὀρέων μονίμων, καὶ ἐπ ̓ εὐλογίαις θινῶν ἀενάων, émiovμías iii. codd. θινῶν] θηνῶν 71, 83, Ald. βούνων 15, 135. Aquila. deváwv] alwvíwv i. vii. x.; xxxvi. codd., Compl., Ald., Cat., Nic. ἔσονται] αἱ čσovraι vi. codd., Ald. 26 κεφαλὴν] κεφαλῆς Alex. Schumann. Au. Ver.-22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches [Heb., daughters] run over the wall: 23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel :) 25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of thy progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. Ged., Booth. 22 A fruitful stem is Joseph, A fruitful stem by a fountain; 23 Though the archers greatly [Ged., Though skilled archers] aggrieved him, Contended with him, and harassed him; 24 Yet his bow retained its force, And strong were his arms and his hands; [Ged. And his arms their strength] Through the name of the Shepherd-the 25 Through the God of thy father, who helped thee; Through the Almighty, who blessed thee. The blessings of the low-lying deep, 26 The blessings of thy father and thy mother [Sam., LXX., Pers.], With the blessings of the eternal mountains, Over the blessings of the eternal mountains. And the desirable things of the everlasting hills, These shall be on the head of Joseph, And on his crown who was separated from his brethren. [For he reads: see the various readings above.] 22 Au. Ver.-Joseph is a fruitful bough, &c. So Pool, Patrick, Rosen. Gesen., a set, slip, of plants; or sprig of a tree, as it were, the son of the tree, comp. (p, in Latin pullus and pullulare). It is used in the fem. gend. as neuter, in order to denote inanimate things, Gen. xlix. 20 m, probably a fruitful set or sprig. According to some also in Ps. lxxx. 16. Pool.-A fruitful bough, in regard of those two numerous tribes which proceeded from his two sons. By a well or fountain, or water-course, which situation doth much The desirable things of the everlasting further the growth of trees. See Psal. i. 3; hills, Abound and rest [Ged., accumulate] on wall, i.e., which is planted by a wall, whose the head of Joseph Ezek. xix. 10. Whose branches run over the On the crown of the chief [Ged., the Distinguished] among his brethren ! Dr. A. Clarke. heat furthers its growth no less than the moisture of the water doth. Bp. Patrick.-22 Joseph is a fruitful bough,] Or young plant. It is an allusion to his name, which imports growth and increase; and may well be understood of the great dignity to which he was risen in The daughters (branches) shoot over the Egypt. Unto which he was advanced in a 22 The son of a fruitful (vine) is Joseph; The son of a fruitful (vine) by the fountain: wall. short time, after Pharaoh took notice of 23 They sorely afflicted him, and contended him; like a bough or young plant, which with him; The chief archers had him in hatred. 24 But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hand were made strong, By the hand of the mighty one of By the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. shoots up apace; and thence compared in the next words to A fruitful bough by a well;] Or spring of water; which in those dry countries made the plants which were set near them to grow the faster, and to a greater height (Ps. i. 3), and therefore signifies his extraordinary advancement. Whose branches run over the wall.] Cover 25 By the God of thy father, for he helped the wall that surrounds the spring; or the thee. And God All-sufficient,* he blessed thee. The blessings of the heavens from above, And the blessings lying in the beneath; The blessings of the breasts, and of womb, vailed deep the wall against which the tree is planted. Which seems to denote the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, which sprang from him, and were very flourishing; as appears from Josh. xvii. 14, 17, where they tell him, they were a great people, whom the Lord had blessed hitherto." And Joshua there acknowledges as much, saying, "Thou art a 26 The blessings of thy father have pre-great people, and hast great power: " and therefore assigns them a larger portion |