Tool; Vulg. splendidiores; Syri :

Au. Ver. And his border (shall be) unto Zidon.

Ged., Booth.-And unto Sidon shall his

splenduit, purpuravit; Samaritani:,
rutilantiores, transtulit: hilares oculi ipsius border extend.
præ vino. Idem non male de hac re com-
parat Arabum convivia et compotationes.
Sic esset potius imago lætitiæ. Deinde
Iuda albus dentibus præ lacte depingitur,
quasi lac de dentibus destillet.

Haven. So Horsley, Ged., Booth.
The ancient interpreters, Michael, Rosen.,
Schum., Gesen., Lee.-Shore.

Sebulon ad littus maris habitabit. non est portus, uti plures recentiorum, Hebræos sequuti, vertunt; sed littus maris. Ita etiam verterunt veteres omnes. Porrigebantur tribus Sebulonis agri a lacu Tiberiadis usque ad mare mediterraneum, vid. Jos. xix. 10, sqq.-Rosen.

Gesen.-, m. Shore, coast. Gen. xlix. 13; Deut. i. 7; Josh. ix. 1. (Arabic

, border, shore).

Pool. His border shall be unto Zidon; or, his side or coast, to wit, that which is upon the Mediterranean Sea, is near Zidon, understanding not the city, but the territory belonging to it, unto which that tribe reached upon the sea-coast; for though Asher might seem to intercept them, yet he did not reach to the sea. Or, his coast looks towar Zidon, hath it in view, and lies commodiously for commerce with that great city, which then was the mart of the nations.

Bp. Patrick. His border shall be unto Zidon.] He doth not mean the city of Zidon ;

for the tribe of Zebulon did not extend themselves beyond Mount Carmel, which is forty miles at least from thence, but the country of Zidon, i.e., Phoenicia (as Bochart observes in his Phaleg., lib. iv. cap. 34), which the Zebulonites touched. For as the Phoenicians were called Syrians from Sur, i.e., Tyre: so they were called Sidonians from Sidon, as Hesychius tells us, who interprets Eidóvioi, by poivikes. Whence the LXX. have Phoenicians for Sidonians (Deut. iii. 9), and Phoenice for Sidon (Isa. xxiii. 2).

Rosen. Et latus ejus ad Sidonem, Sidonem usque urbem inclytam pertinget. Tyri non meminit, quæ ei vicina fuit, forsan quod Ged.-Zebulon by a haven of the sea nondum esset condita. Latera regionum shall dwell; a haven fit for ships.

*I consider in the former comma to be the relative to the former, and not to , so that the comma might be rendered "and that haven shall be a haven (or harbour) for ships.-Ged.

Booth.

dicuntur earum fines, cf. Jud. xix. 19; Jer. vi. 22. Situm terræ hujus tribus tantum describit, quod commodissimus sit futurus maris vicinia ad importandum et exportandum merces, unde et negotiationi maxime addictam fuisse hanc tribum tradunt Hebræi. Transit ad duos reliquos filios Leæ (cf. ad xlvi. 8), ita tamen ut Issacharem Sebuloni postponat. Aben-Esra censet situs terræ illius rationem habitam, quia tribus Issachar medium locum tenuit inter Sebulonem et Danem.

Zebulon, by a haven of the sea shall dwell; Yea, he shall dwell by a haven fit for ships. Rosen.-Et erit ipse ad littus navium, i.e., habitabit ad littus semper navibus frequens. Schum.-Antiqui interpretes prius ad unum omnes recte intelligunt de littore, Schum.-Varr. Lectt.-13] viii. codd. sed alterum in statione navium interpretatur pr. iv. nunc vi.; Sam., LXX., Syr., Vulg., Hieronymus (cfr. LXX.). Quod idem alii Ion., Gr., Ven., Ar., Sam., Onkel. in xii. (v. c. Dathe) significare censent portam, ut codd. et ix. editt. antiqq. Cum antiquis vertere queant: appellent ad eum naves. interpretibus recentiores explicant Atvero parallelismus docet ad Sebulonis (latus eius, i.e., fines eius) ad Sidonem usque situm esse referendum hoc modo: habitavit pertinget (vidd. Dathe, Rosenmueller, Schott ad littus navium, i.e., ripam incolet, ad al.). Verum cave, ne super, prope, ud, quam naves appellent, sive navibus fre- cum usque ad permutes. Etenim poëta quentem. sibi vult hoc: Sebulonis tribus Sidoniis

finitima erit, Sidonem adiacebit. Cfr. Deut. quod maris magni littora esset possessurus,

xxxiii. 19.

Ver. 14.

Sidonem quoque et reliquas Phoenicis urbes contingeret; nunc ad mediterraneam provinciam redit, et Issachar, quia juxta Neph

talim pulcherrimam in Galilæa regionem possessurus est, benedictione sua habitatorem facit. Asinum autem osseum vocat et hu

Ἰσσάχαρ τὸ καλὸν ἐπεθύμησεν, ἀναπαυό- merum ad portandum deditum (vs. sq.), quia μενος ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν κλήρων.

in labore terræ et vehendis ad mare oneribus

Au. Ver.-14 Issachar is a strong ass quæ in suis finibus nascebantur, plurimum couching down between two burdens. laboraret."

Two burdens. This sense of the word is preferred by Horsley, Patrick, and Prof. Lee.

Pool. A strong ass, Heb. an ass of bone, i.e., of great bulk and bones, and strength of body, but of little spirit and courage, Bp. Horsley., "two panniers." couching down between two burdens, which I refer this root to the word, which are laid upon his back, and which he is signifies "to stick up," or "to be prominent." contented to bear. Or, lying down, i.e., Hence the substantive n may signify any enjoying his ease and rest, between the gibbosity, or prominence. And the panniers borders, to wit, of the other tribes, with of the laden ass form prominences, sticking which he was encompassed and secured up on each side above the back of the from foreign enemies, which made him more animal, when he is pleased to lie down upon secure and slothful. Or, between the borders his belly; which is the posture here de- or folds of cattle; as a word very near akin scribed. Possibly some oblique allusion to it, and proceeding from the same root, may be intended, in this word, to the moun- signifies, Judg. v. 16, to the feeding and tains, which on two sides, on the north and minding whereof he wholly gave himself, on the south, bounded the fair valley of neglecting more generous things. Jesrael, in which Issachar had his portion.

Ged., Rosen., Booth.-Boundaries.

Gesen., dual. Gen. xlix. 14; Judg. v. 16, and D, Ps. lxviii. 14, proThe tribe of Issachar inhabited the fine bably, hurdles, or folds for cattle, particuvale of Jezreel, which was separated by larly the open summer stalls in which the two natural boundaries, or barriers of moun- cattle in the warmer climates pass the whole tains, from the tribe of Zebulon and the of the summer, derived from ny, to place, half-tribe of Manasseh, on the north and as stabula, (comp. Virg. Georg. iii. 223, and south; and on the east from the tribe of the note of Voss. on the passage,) from Gad, by the river Jordan; and to this stare. Commonly rendered water-troughs, situation the benediction evidently alludes. for watering cattle, derived from For the rest, I have elsewhere shown that y denotes not couching under a burden, but lying at ease, as the Issacharites might do between their boundaries, where they cultivated a fertile soil, undisturbed by their neighbours; and led not a roving life, like the inhabitants of the mountains, who were often obliged to remove from place to place to find pasturage for their flocks.-Geddes.

(see J. D. Michaelis, Epimetr. ad Lowth.
Prælect. xxvii., p. 563), but the Arab.
does not signify to drink generally; it only
refers to that drinking which gives no satis-
faction and nourishment, but always in-
creases the thirst. Others have proposed,
according to the same derivation from,
to set up (the pot), the signification chytropus.
The use of the form dual is not clear.

Schum.-14 Quemadmodum supra v. 6, Schechem princeps cum bove et Iuda v. 9, cum leone comparatur, ita hic cum asino osseo, i.e., robusto lissachar, ut eius posteri metaphorice tales depingantur, qui oneribus ferendis maxime idonei laboriosam acturi

Rosen. Recubans inter terminos, sc. terræ suæ. Aptum est huic comparationi cum jumento verbum, quod proprie de animali complicatis pedibus cubante et requiescente dici constat. DD signif. terminos, ap, posuit, unde nomen duale binos terminos designat, quibus una agri portio a confinibus utrinque disterminatur. sint vitam eamque rusticam, servilem multisCf. ad Ps. lxviii. 14. Hieronymus in Quæstt. que obnoxiam periculis. "Asinum autem ad h. 1.: "Quia supra de Zabulon dixerat, osseum, dicit Hieronymus in Quæstt., vocat

et humerum ad portandum deditum, quia in zwischen zwo Höhen sick niederlegt). Sed labore terræ et vehendis ad mare oneribus, quamquam hoc possit non male derivari a quæ in suis finibus nascebantur, plurimum, imagini tamen ab asino recubante laboraret." Cfr. Gesneri diss. de antiqua depromtæ convenientius est intelligere stahonestate asinorum (in Commentatt. Gotting., bula. Alii denique intelligunt nescio quibus t. ii., p. 32). Sic etiam Hom. Iliad., xi. 557 argumentis ducti sarcinas aut lapides focarios -562. Aiacem heroëm cum asino com- sive chytropodes, ut servitus et ignavia parat. Verba, asinus ossis, LXX. innuantur, id quod commemorasse sat est. reddiderunt: τὸ καλὸν ἐπεθύμησεν; quare

Gesen.- compelled service, soccage. Prof. Lee.-Tribute. See their respective lexicons under this word.

Became a servant unto tribute; willingly name of Dan, which signifies judging, i.e., paying whatsoever tributes were imposed ruling and governing. A great many follow upon him, either by the neighbouring tribes, Onkelos, who expounds it thus; "a man or by foreign powers, rather than to forfeit shall arise out of the tribe of Dan, in whose his pleasant and fruitful country, and his days the people shall be delivered," &c. sweet repose. And accordingly we read that Samson, who was of this tribe, judged Israel twenty years. So the meaning is, the tribe of Dan shall have the honour to produce a judge, as well Schum.- plerique reddunt quietem as other tribes. But there is this exception cum LXX., Vulg., et Saadia, sed ob paral- to this interpretation, that all the tribes did lelismum præstat intelligere cum Clerico not produce judges; and all Israel (whom locum quietis, qualem intellexit Onkelos the judges governed) cannot be said to be suam, Syrus: Dan's people. But by his people (whom he is said here to judge) are properly meant those of his tribe. And therefore Jacob's

vertens:

partem חוּלָקָא

meaning is, that though he were the son of a concubine, yet his posterity should be governed by a head of their own tribe: as the other tribes of Israel were. So by this he took away all distinction between the sons of his concubines (of whom Dan was the first) and those which he had by Leah and Rachel. So Pool.

a, habitationem suam. (Vid. Num. x. 35; Deut. xiii. 9.) Michaelem et Schulzium, qui regionem reddidere, satis refutavit Stange Theol. Symmikta., p. iii. No. 1, Halæ, 1805. eritque obnoxius servitiis demensis, i.e., servilem deget vitam, alii aliter interpretati sunt: Vulg. quocum conveniunt Syrus et Saadias: factusque est tributus serviens; Onkelos inepte mentem pervertit sic et subiiciet provincias popu- Schumann supposes that the meaning of lorum, et disperdet incolas earum, et qui this verse is, Dan shall judge his people relicti fuerint in iis, ei servient tributis ob- (i.e., all Israel, not merely the tribe of Dan) noxii; LXX. op de servitiis in agris præ- as the first of the tribes of Israel, and that standis et de agris colendis intellexisse, the prophecy relates to the time of Samson. nemo non videt. Alii 2 primaria notione Geographica ratione haud dubie ductus liquefactio sumunt ideoque vertunt: fietque pergit vates de Dane, uno ex filiis Bilhæ, hydria serviens, (Herder: und fröhnt dem Wasserschlauch.) Contra ea observa, quæ doceant 1 Reg. ix. 21; Ex. i. 11; 2 Chron. viii. 8, et parallelismus membrorum.

Δὰν κρινεῖ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ὡσεὶ καὶ μία φυλὴ ἐν Ἰσραήλ.

Au. Ver.-16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. So Rosen.

Dan judicabit, i.e., reget populum suum. Paronomasia est in et, quod verbum hic imperium exercere denotat, ut Ps. lxxii. 2. Sicut una tribuum Israel, i.e., æque ac ceteræ tribus, nec erit aliis tribubus Israeliticis inferior.-Rosen.

Ged. Dan shall assert the rights of his people, like any other sceptred chief of Israel.

canere. De quo primum per paronomasiam dicit: Dan iudicabit populum suum sicut una tribuum Israëlitarum, i.e., Dan tribus, quamquam exigua, imperium tamen exercebit quondam in populum suum tanquam princeps tribuum. vulgo interpretantur de Danis tribu (vidd. Clericus et Rosenmueller), ut ea rerum suarum moderatores non aliunde arcessivisse dicatur, et reliquis tribubus non reperiatur inferior. Atsi reputas, ea, quæ de Dane nuntiantur, optime indicare tempora Simsonis, qui Philistæos, quibus Israëlitæ subiecti erant, astutia pessum dedisse (vid. Iud. xiv. 12—19; xv. 4–8; xvi. 23— 26), et Israëlitas per viginti annos iudicasse fertur (vid. Iud. xv. 20; xvi. 31): non dubito de Israëlitis interpretari, eoque magis, quod Danitæ illo tempore provinciam suam nondum occupaverunt (cfr. Iud. xv. 9, ss. et xviii. 1, ss.). Eadem de causa

non explicanda censeo : sicut alia כְּאַחַר שִׁבְטֵי

Booth.Dan shall administer justice to his people,quævis tribuum (vidd. Herder, Vater, et As one of the sceptred chiefs of Israel. Schott), vel: nec erit aliis tribubus IsraëlBp. Patrick.-Dan shall judge his people, iticis inferior (vidd. Dathe et Rosenmueller); &c.] In the word judge he alludes to the sed potius: sicut prima tribuum, i.e., Dan

So that his rider shall fall backward.
Ged., Booth., Rosen.-And backward
falleth his rider.

tribus aliquamdiu in Israëlitas imperium | the poison of these serpents is chiefly felt in
exercebit, utpote qui esset princeps reli- the thighs and hams of those they bite.
quorum. Tidem nonnunquam valere Which perfectly agrees with what Jacob
quod fi primus, doceant Gen. i. 5; viii. saith in the following words.
5; Ex. xii. 18. Ceterum nemo erit, qui
Michaelis versionem; Dan rependet populo
suo, par pari referet (coll. Arab. l),
i.e., ulla tribu Israëlitica non inferior erit
factis fortiter gerendis, reliquis præferendam
iudicet. Alii hæc omnino referunt ad bella,
quæ Dan tribus cum Philistæis gesserit.
Vidd. Gesenius ad Ies. xiv. 29. Staehel.,
p. 21, s.-Schum.

Ver. 17.

Bp. Patrick. So that his rider shall fall backward.] The horse not being able to stand, when the venom works in his legs, the rider must needs fall with him. All this some make to be a description of Samson, who led no armies against his enemies, but overthrew them by subtlety and craft.

But

it rather belongs to all the Danites (as what
was said before to all the Zebulonites and

,Issacharians) who Jacob foresaw would אָרַח הַנִּשֶׁךְ עִקְבִי־סוּס וַיִּכָּל לִכְבוֹ

אָחוֹר :

καὶ γενηθήτω Δὲν ὄφις ἐφ ̓ ὁδοῦ, ἐγκαθήμενος ἐπὶ τρίβου, δάκνων πτέρναν ἵππου. καὶ πεσεῖται ὁ ἱππεὺς εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω.

Au. Ver.-17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder [Heb., an arrow-snake] in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

An adder.

astu potius, quam aperto marte rem gerere,
manage their wars rather by cunning and
craft, than by open hostility,” as Bochart
speaks. An example of which we have in
Judg. xviii. 27.

τὴν σωτηρίαν περιμένων κυρίου.
Au. Ver.-18 I have waited for thy sal-

Ged., Booth., Rosen., Schum., Gesen.-Avation, O Lord. [Heb., Booth., Jehovah.]

cerastes.

im. Gen. xlix. 17, a species of serpent; according to Jerome the horned serpent, or cerastes, so called from its two feelers which it hides in the sand, and stretches out after its prey. (Arab.

Lew

a spotted serpent, like to the Cerastes hæmorrhous). See Bocharti Hieroz., ii. p. 416, &c.-Gesen.

Ged. [O Lord! from thee I wait for salvation.]

Pool. I do earnestly wait, and hope, and pray for thy helping hand to save me and my posterity from the manifold temporal calamities which I foresee will come upon them, and especially from spiritual and eternal mischiefs, by that Messiah which thou hast promised. Jacob in the midst of his great work doth take a little breathing; Bp. Patrick. Dan shall be a serpent by and finding himself weakened by his speech the way.] The next words show, what kind to his children, and drawing nearer death, of serpent he should be like, an adder in he opens his arms to receive it, as the thing the path. The Hebrew word shephiphon for which he had long waited, as the only some take for a basilisk; others for an asp, effectual remedy and mean of salvation or or a viper; others a snake, or adder, &c. deliverance from all his pains and miseries, The Vulg. translates it cerastes, which is a and particularly from his present horrors, kind of viper: and Bochartus (in his Hie- upon the contemplation of the future state And this pathetical explarozoicon, par. ii. lib. iii. cap. 12) hath con- of his children. firmed this translation, by showing how well nation may look either, 1. Backward, to the it agrees to the characters which authors state of the tribe of Dan, which he foresaw give of it; that it lies in sand, and in the would be deplorable, both for its great ruts which cart-wheels make in the high-straits and pressures, of which see Josh. way and so is ready to bite travellers or xix. 47; Judg. i. 34, and especially for that their horses. Which is the harder to be idolatry which that tribe would introduce avoided, because it is of a sandy colour; so and promote, Judg. xviii. 30; 1 Kings xii. that of wool ȧyvooûvтes tatovσ, "many 29, whereby they would ruin themselves, tread upon it unawares :" and Nicander says, and most of the other tribes with them. Or,