Mofaic œconomy, feveral ages before the birth of our Saviour.

Jacob, as we have feen, received a double bleffing, temporal and fpiritual, the promise of the land of Canaan, and the promife of the feed in which all the nations of the earth fhould be bleffed; which promises were first made to Abraham, and then repeated to Ifaac, and then confirmed to Jacob; and Jacob a little before his death bequeaths the fame to his children. The temporal bleffing or inheritance of the land of Canaan might be fhared and divided among all his fons, but the bleffed feed could defcend only from one: and Jacob accordingly affigns to each a portion in the promised land, but limits the descent of the bleffed feed to the tribe of Judah, and at the fame time fketches out the characters and fortunes of all the tribes.

He adopts the two fons of Jofeph, Manaffeh and Ephraim, for his own, but foretels that the younger fhould be the greater of the two: (Gen. XLVIII. 19.) and hath not the prediction been fully juftified by the event? The tribe of Ephraim grew to be fo numerous and powerful, that it is fometimes put for all the ten tribes of Ifrael.Of Reuben it is faid, (Gen. XLIX. 4.) Unflable as water, thou shalt not excel: and what is recorded great or excellent of the tribe of Reuben? In ́ number (Numb. I.) and power they were inferior to feveral other tribes. Of Simeon and Levi it is faid, (ver. 7.) I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Ifrael: and was not this eminently fulfilled in the tribe of Levi, who had no portion or inheritance of their own, but were difperfed among the other tribes? Neither had the tribe of Simeon any inheritance properly of their own, but only a portion in the midft of the tribe of Judah (Joh. XIX. 1–9.) from whence feveral of them afterwards went in queft of new habitations, (1 Chron. IV. 39, &c.) and fo were divided from the reft of their brethren. A conftant tradition too (9) hath

(9) Tradunt quoque Hebræi, feribas, padotribas, pædagogos, et doctores puerorum fere omnes ex tribu Schimeon fuiffe, qui, ut haberent

unde viverent, fparfim et oppidatim pueros informare cogebantur. Cui fententiæ adftipulatur et Thargum Hieros, &c, Fagius.

prevailed

prevailed among the Jews (which is alfo confirmed by the Jerufalem Targum) that the tribe of Simeon were fo ftraitened in their fituation and circumftances, that great numbers were neceflitated to feek a fubfiftence among the other tribes, by teaching and inftructing their children. Of Zebulun it is faid, (ver. 13.) He fhall dwell at the haven of the fea, and fhall be for an haven of Ships and accordingly the tribe of Zebulun extended from the fea of Galilee to the Mediterranean, (Jofh. XIX. 10, &c.) where they had commodious havens for fhipping. And how could Jacob have foretold the fituation of any tribe, which was determined 200 years afterwards by cafting of lots, unless he had been directed by that divine Spirit, who difpofeth of all events?—Of Benjamin it is faid, (ver. 27.) He fhall ravin as a wolf: and was not that a fierce and warlike tribe, as appears in feveral inftances, and particularly in the cafe of the Levite's wife, (Judg. XX.) when they alone waged war againft all the other tribes, and overcame them in two battles?

In this manner he characterizes thefe and the other tribes, and foretels their temporal condition, and that of Judah as well as the reft: Binding his fole unto the vine, and his affes colt unto the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes fhall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk: (ver. 11, 12.) and not to mention the valley of Efhcol and other fruitful places, the mountains about Jerufalem, by the accounts of the best travelers, were particularly fitted for the cultivation of the vine, and for the feeding of cattle. "The bleffing, fays (1) Dr. Shaw, that was given to Judah, was not of the fame kind, with the bleffing "of Ather or of Iffachar that his bread fhould be fat, or "his land fhould be pleasant, but that his eyes fhould be red "with wine, and his teeth should be white with milk.” farther obferves that "the mountains of the country "abound with fhrubs and a delicate fhort grafs, both " which the cattle are more fond of, than of fuch plants as are common to fallow grounds and meadows, Nei

46

(1) Shaw's Travels, p. 366, 367.

E 3

He

"ther

ther was this method of grazing peculiar to this country; inafmuch as it is still practifed all over mount Libanus, the Caftravan mountains and Barbary; in all which places the higher grounds are fet apart for "this ufe, and the plains and valleys for tillage. For befides, the good management and economy, there

is this farther advantage, that the milk of cattle fed in "this manner is far more rich and delicious, as their "fleth is more fweet and nourishing.-It may be pre"fumed likewife, that the vine was not neglected, in a "foil and expofition fo proper for it to thrive in." Hẹ mentions particularly "the many tokens which are to "be met with, of the ancient vineyards about Jerufa"lem and Hebron," and "the great quantity of grapes "and raifins, which are from thence brought daily to "the markets of Jerufalem, and fent yearly to Egypt.

But Jacob bequeaths to Judah particularly the fpiritual bleffing, and delivers it in much the fame form of words that it was delivered to him. Ifaac had faid to Jacob, (Gen. XXVII. 29.) Let people ferve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's fons bow down to thee: and here Jacob faith to Judah, (ver. 8.) Thou art he whom thy brethren fhall praife; thy hand fhall be in the neck of thy enemies; thy father's children fhall bow down before thee. And for greater certainty it is added (ver. 10.) The fcepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him fhall the gathering of the people be. I will not trouble the reader or myself with a detail of the various interpretations which have been put upon this paffage, but will only offer that which appears to me the plaineft, eafieft, and beft; I will firft explain the words and meaning of the prophecy, and then how the full and exact completion of it. They who are curious to know the various interpretations of the learned, may find an account of them in (2) Huetius and (3) Le Clerc: but no one hath treated the fubject in a more masterly manner than the prefent (4), Lord

(2) Demonftratio Evangelica Prop. 9. Cap. 4. (3) Comment. in lecum.

(4) See the 3d Differtation in Bifhop Sherlock's Difcourfes of the Ufe and Intent of Prophecy.

Bishop

Bishop of London; and we fhall principally tread in his footsteps, as we cannot follow a better Guide.

I. The fcepter fhall not depart from Judah. The word Da fhebet, which we tranflate a fcepter, fignifies a rod or ftaff of any kind; and particularly the rod or staff which (5) belonged to each tribe as an enfign of their authority; and thence it is transferred to fignify a tribe, as being united under one rod or ftaff of government, or a ruler of a tribe; and in this fenfe it is used twice in this very chapter, (ver. 16.) Dan fhall judge his people as one of the tribes or rulers of Ifrael; and again (ver. 28.) All these are the twelve tribes or rulers of Ifrael. It hath the fame fignification in 2 Sam. VII. 7. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Ifrael, fpake I a word with any of the tribes or rulers of Ifrael (in the parallel place of Chronicles, 1 Chron. XVII. 6. it is judges of Ifrael) whom I commanded to feed my people Ifrael, faying, Why build ye not me an houfe of cedar? The word doth indeed fometimes fignify a fcepter, but that is apt to convey an idea of kingly authority, which was not the thing intended here: and the (6) Seventy tranflate it agxov a ruler, which anfwers better to a law-giver in the following claufe. It could not with any fort of propriety be faid, that the Scepter should not depart from Judah, when Judah had no fcepter, nor was to have any for many generations afterwards: but Judah had a rod or ftaff of a tribe, for he was then conftituted a tribe as well as the rest of his brethren. The very fame expreffion occurs in Zechariah, (X. 11.) and the feepter of Egypt fhall depart away, which implies that Egypt had a fcepter, and that that feepter fhould be taken away: but no grammar or language could juftify the faying that Judah's fcepter should depart or be taken away, before Judah was in poffeffion of any feepter. Would it not therefore be better, to fubítitute the word staff or

(5) Bifhop Sherlock hath cited to this puprpofe Menochius de Repub. Heb. Lib. 1. Cap. 4. Traductum vero nomen eft ad fignificandum tribum-quod unaquæque tribus fuam peculiarem virgam haberet, nomine fuo infcriptam, quam tribuum principes-manu geftare confueverant.

E 4

Cum Dominus Aaronem his verbis alloquitur, fed et fratres tuos de tribu Levi, et fceptrum patris tui fume tecum, intellige fceptrum ipfum, et totam tribum quæ fceptro fignificabatur, et regebatur.

(6) Ουκ εκλειψε αρχων εξ Ιεδα. ruler

Sept.

ruler instead of scepter, unless we restrain the meaning of a fcepter to a rod or staff of a tribe, which is all that is here intended? The staff or ruler fhall not depart from Judah. The tribeship shall not depart from Judah. Such authority as Judah had then, was to remain with his pofterity. It is not faid or meant, that he should not ceafe from being a king or having a kingdom, for he was then no king, and had no kingdom; but only that he fhould not ceafe from being a tribe or body politic, having rulers and governors of his own, till a certain period here foretold.

Nor a lawgiver from between his feet. The fenfe of the word Scepter will help us to fix and determin the meaning of the other word pp mechokek, which we translate a lawgiver. For if they are not fynonimous, they are not very different. Such as the government is, fuch must be the lawgiver. The government was only of a single tribe, and the lawgiver could be of no more., Nor had the tribe of Judah at any time a legislative authority over all the other tribes, no, not even in the reigns of David and Solomon. When David appointed the officers_for the service of the temple; (1 Chron. XXV. 1. Ezrą VIII. 20.) and when Solomon was appointed king, and Zadok prieft; (1 Chron. XXIX. 22.) these things were done with the confent and approbation of the princes and rulers of Ifrael. Indeed the whole nation had but one law, and one lawgiver in the ftrict fenfe of the word. The king himself was not properly a lawgiver; he was only to have a copy of the law, to read therein, and to turn not afide from the commandment, to the right hand or to the left. (Deut, XVII. 18, &c.) Mofes was truly, as he is ftiled, the lawgiver: (Numb. XXI, 18. Deut. XXXIII. 21.) and when the word is applied to any other perfon or perfons, as Judah is twice called by the Pfalmift (Pfal. LX. 7. CVIII. 8.) my lawgiver, it is ufed in a lower fignification. For it fignifies not only a lawgiver, but a judge: not only one who maketh laws, but likewise one who exercifeth jurifdiction: and in the (7) Greek it is

(7) και ήγεμενον εκ των μήξων αυτό. Sept.

tranflated