tations, generally speaking, of the later commentators.*

Without, however, excluding the idea of a distinct tribeship (which indeed, in any view of it, the blesssing supposes), it will scarcely be denied that the impression conveyed by the terms of the prophecy to a reader unprejudiced by any theory as to the fulfilment (a way of judging of the import of a prophecy, it may be remarked, by no means so uncertain or unsafe as they would represent it who maintain that all prophecy is unintelligible until explained by the event)-is, that a greater distinction than this is here conferred on Judah; and that "the sceptre" would be most naturally understood in its primary signification as the emblem of a kingdom, were it not for the insurmountable difficulty supposed to be presented by the history of this tribe. [Appendix M.] I say supposed; for it is a fact overlooked by these interpreters that a sceptre in this strictest sense was given in trust to and held by Judah from the first establishment of the tribes in the land (previous to which, it is evident, none of the blessings in this chapter were to be realized); not indeed the sceptre of a temporalor earthly kingdom, but of a king

*So, e. g. the learned Mede long before,-"The meaning, therefore, is, not that Judah should never cease from having a king, or being a kingdom: but, that it should not cease from being a state, a body politic, or commonwealth, having a power of government and jurisdiction within itself, until Messiah come."-(Works in one vol. folio, Discourse viii., on this Prophecy.)

dom notwithstanding, and of a far more exalted nature, and far more worthy to be the subject of a blessing dictated by Divine inspiration,-even that which our Lord recognised as still with Israel when, in the application of His parable of the vineyard, He said, "the kingdom of God shall be taken from you" (Matt. xxi. 43). This was from the beginning their great distinction and privilege as a nation, to which their separation from the other nations, and the whole of their political constitution, was subservient, as told them by the Lord on their Exodus from Egypt (Exod. xix. 3), "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS and an holy nation." And among them this was Judah's great preeminence, that, while the whole nation was thus the Lord's kingdom, the seat of government was with this tribe. There was the House of the Lord, and the place among all the tribes where He vouchsafed "to put His Name." There was the Mount Zion, "beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth," of which it is written, The Lord hath chosen Zion for Himself, He hath desired it for His habitation: saying, This is my rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein." There was Jerusalem, "the city of THE GREAT KING." There "the place of His THRONE," where He was present

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in glory, dwelling between the cherubims. And though particular periods may be fixed on when this kingdom of God was more fairly exhibited than at others, the sceptre of it was with Judah under all forms of the nation's political constitution, yea, and in their extremest subjection, so long as the Jews were the exclusive depositories of the Divine will.

2. Which is also the plain sense of the parallel clause, "Nor a Lawgiver from between his feet;" that is, "of his race." Here Bishop Newton well observes," The sense of the word 'sceptre' will help us to fix and determine the meaning of the other word which we translate 'a Lawgiver;' for if they are not synonymous, they are not very different. Such as the government is, such is the Lawgiver."† Though he immediately adds, following up his de

So the words "between his feet" are generally explained, with reference to Deut. xxviii. 57, &c. The Septuagint has ex τŵv μηpŵv aùτov, which is a paraphrase to make the idiom identical with that in ch. xlvi. 26, and elsewhere frequently. A more probable solution is afforded by a fact mentioned by Herder, that On the monuments of Persepolis the princes are represented in a sitting posture, their feet resting on a stool, with a long staff between them.' (See a New Translation of Genesis, with Notes, critical and explanatory, by certain Ministers of the Jewish Synagogue: London, Bagster and Sons, 1844.)

† So again Mede,—' The next word I consider is “Lawgiver,' which it will not be hard to understand, if we mark well what is implied by "Sceptre." The word here translated lawgiver signifies not only a maker of laws, but he that exerciseth jurisdiction; and so differs not much from the former, if they be not altogether synonymous.'

finition of the sceptre, "The government was only of a single tribe, and the Lawgiver could be of no more!" But, on the other hand, if the government be the Kingdom of God, the Lawgiver is the administrator of the Law of God, governing and "exercising jurisdiction" by it: in which view, accordingly, Judah is styled the "Lawgiver" of the other tribes in the passages which he quotes (Ps. lx. 7, and cviii. 8), inasmuch as there also was "the seat of judgment" (compare Deut. xvii. 8, and 2 Chr. xix. 8). And thus the definition of "the sceptre" in the preceding clause is confirmed. While—

3. Again. Both terms derive an important illustration from the fact (which indeed determines their meaning), that the authority and office denoted by each was to be the Shiloh's when He should come, however this title be explained: whether, with some ancient versions, we render it "the Peacemaker," equivalent to "the Prince of Peace" of Isaiah; or, with another, "He who is to be sent,"† equivalent to "the Messiah;" or, with the Septuagint and others, consider it to be a compound word, denoting "He for whom it is reserved;" "He whose it is ;"§ i. e. the sceptre and dominion. Whichever sense we adopt

*So the Samaritan.

†The Vulgate," Qui mittendus est,” as if reading i for nib, i. q. Siloam, in John ix. 7.

* τά ἀποκείμενα αὐτῷ.

§ ȧTÓKEITαι.-Sym. as though written, and compounded of which, and to him; "Messiah whose is the kingdom." -Targum of Onkelos.

(which is not very material), all interpreters, as aforesaid, of any consideration, ancient and modern, agree that the Messiah is intended; but if so, the sense of "the sceptre" and "the Lawgiver" is also decided that both denote the rule of the Kingdom of God upon earth; as in no other sense could Judah's "sceptre" be held for Christ, or Judah's "Lawgiver" find in Him his antetype.

4. "And unto Him shall the gathering of the people be;" or, literally, "the peoples;" i. e. "the Gentiles" or "nations" whom, in contradistinction to "the people" (Israel), the plural form of the word designates; as, again, the readings of the ancient versions and interpreters generally agree, confirmed by other places of Scripture where the word occurs. With which important addition, then, the import of the whole prophecy may be thus stated in brief:— That to Judah-the chosen tribe from which the promised Messiah was to spring-should be given, as it were in trust, the sceptre of His kingdom; in which tribe it should remain until His coming, when it should pass into His hands and its rule be greatly extended, so as to embrace not the one nation of Israel only, as heretofore, but all the nations of the earth. And we now proceed to notice—

II. In the second place, the Fulfilment.

1. As, then, "the seed of the woman," "the Son of Man" and "seed of Abraham," so "the Shiloh" has appeared, and in the character here predicted. The rightful owner of Judah's sceptre has appeared