: What the true import of the word lawgiver is in this place, cannot be determined but by reference to the government or conftitution intended. When we know the form of government, we can easily determine what lawgiver fignifies; but we cannot from the word lawgiver determine the form of government intended the reafon is, because there are as many kinds of lawgivers as there are forms of government in the world. The fenfe of the word lawgiver in this place must neceffarily therefore be governed by the sense of the word fceptre. If fceptre fignifies here the authority and power over a tribe only, the word lawgiver joined with it must neceffarily be confined. to mean fuch lawgivers only as fingle tribes had within themselves: consequently, what has been said to fix the meaning of the word fceptre, ferves equally to fix the sense of lawgiver. The Seventy interpreters have rendered the word fchevet by apxwx, and mechokek by youμevos. Mr. Ioncourt suspects that they were led by a kind of national pride and vanity to make choice of these terms, that carry in them fuch grand ideas of royal and princely power. But, before the paffing of this cenfure, he ought to have examined whether the Seventy do conftantly or usually employ these terms to fignify so much power as he fuppofes. Αρχοντες and ἄρχων are ufed by the Seventy above an hundred times, at least, to fignify ↑ Prevenus de toute la pompe de la fupériorité et des grandeurs dont je viens de parler, ils ont cru que fcbevet, qui fignifie communément verge, doit être en cet endroit une verge de commandement; c'eft pourquoi entrainez de ce beau côté, ils ont traduit hardiment le prince ne fera point été à Juda. Lettres Critiques, p. 163. the head or heads of the tribes of Ifrael. There are twelve inftances of this use of the word in one chapter of the Book of Numbers ', and about fixteen in another. The inftances indeed are so many, that it is quite needless to produce any; the Concordance will furnish authorities to every inquirer. The cafe is the fame as to the word youμevos. In 2 Chron. v. 2. we meet with both these words together in the fame fenfe: Solomon affembled all the elders of Ifrael, καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν φυλῶν, τοὺς ἡγουμένους πατριῶν Twv viwv 'Iogańa. So again, 1 Chron. vii. 40. All these were the children of Aher, "Αρχοντες οἴκου πατριῶν ἡγούμενοι τῶν ἀρχόντων τῶν γενεαλογηθέντων ἐν τῇ στάσει το Toλémov. Thus the fons of Efau, who were no other than heads of tribes, are called nyeμóves, Gen. xxxvi. and the fons of Ishmael, who were princes of the fame fort, are styled, Gen. xxv. pxoUTES. What reason is there now to fufpect the Seventy of vanity, prejudice, or artifice; or to fuppofe, that they mean any higher degree of power by the words in this place, than they do in many other places where they make use of them? A lawgiver from between his feet. There is no interpretation of these words, but what suits with the expofition of the prophecy now proposed; and therefore I may refer myself in this to the reader's choice, among the several interpretations given of this phrase. The words may be conftrued two ways: for we may either read thus, A lawgiver from between his feet Shall not depart from Judah; or thus, A lawgiver Shall not depart from between the feet of Judah, In • Numb. ii. Numb. iv. the first way of reading, the meaning probably is, That the lawgivers of Judah fhould be of his own defcendants; and so they were. In the second reading, the meaning is, That the tribe of Judah fhould have a lawgiver of their own to the very laft times. This is Wagenfeil's fense of the words; and it is the fenfe of Onkelos. : t But suppose the original word to be rightly rendered in this place lawgiver, it will afford a strong objection against any interpretation which extends he powers here mentioned over all the people of Ifrael for the tribe of Judah never had a legislative authority over all the tribes; no, not even in the days of David and Solomon. When the people defired a king, they expreffed their meaning very clearly, to have a judge, and one to go out before them to fight their battles". And when Samuel rehearses to them the manner of their king, there is no appearance that he was to be a lawgiver. And Mofes, who was the only lawgiver of the people of Ifrael, had excluded all kings from this power; They were to have a copy of the law, and not to. turn afide from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left. And the ordinances made by David, relating to the service of the temple, were established by authority and consent of the princes and rulers of tribes : fo little appearance is there that Judah was ever lawgiver to all the tribes of Jacob. Nor indeed could this power in a proper fense belong to fingle tribes; for though they Carminis Lipmanni Confutatio, p. 293. "I Sam. viii. 20. * Deut. xvii. 18, &c, y Ezra viii. 20. might, and did make fuch rules as we commonly call bye-laws, yet the law of Mofes was their unalterable law, both for civil and ecclefiaftical affairs. And therefore I rather choose to understand judge (for fo the word in the original may be understood) than lawgiver in this place; and this agrees beft to the paffage referred to before, Dan fhall JUDGE his people, as one of the tribes of Ifrael. As to the word Shiloh, I have nothing to add to the expofitions of the learned. They who are defirous to see the several ways of accounting for the fignification of this word, may confult the authors referred to by Wagenfeil, Le Clerca, and Saurin 3. If by this word we understand pacificus, the peacemaker, or reftorer of peace; whom can it defign but him, in whose time there was to be abundance of peace, and righteoufnefs for evermore? If we understand by it, mittendus, the perfon to be fent; who can that be but the fame, of whom fo many promises and prophecies had been given; even the bleed feed? If we choose rather to interpret filius ejus, his Son; who is this peculiar Son of. Judah, but the bleffed feed; the promise of which was fettled on Judah? If we take the verfion of the Seventy for our guide, and render the word, with them, rà άroxɛímeva auтw, of y TÓTα, the fame perfon ftill is pointed out; the bleffed feed was the great treasure in referve for Judah; the blessed feed was he for whom all things were reserved, whofe the kingdom was to be. If, laftly, we Carm. Lipm. Conf. p. 294. a In locum. Difcourfe xli. p. 519, &c. follow Mr. Le Clerc, and render the word finis, the end; what end can be intended but the end of the fettlement and establishment made by Jacob at this time; or, in other words, the end of God's prefent covenant, in virtue of which the divifion of the land of Canaan was made among the twelve tribes of Jacob; and which was to be fucceeded by the covenant of better hopes? In all views the prophecy muft terminate in Chrift; and a continuance of the power now fettled in the house of Judah is promised till the Meffiah comes. This agrees with the fenfe of all ancient expofitors, both Jews and Chriftians; as may be seen in the authors already mentioned. All these expofitions depend upon the interpretation of the word Shiloh. And if we confider the context, it will carry us to the fame point. Judah is the only one who received two bleffings from his father; viz. the promise of the bleffed feed, and a portion in the land of Canaan; for the maintenance of which a government was established in his family. This prophecy promises a longer continuance of the government in the houfe of Judah than other tribes were to expect, and fixes a term for the duration of Judah's fceptre. What could make this diftinction, but the peculiar bleffing given to Judah? And, taking both his bleffings together, is it not natural to think, that the continuance of his temporal dominion and inheritance is affured to him to laft till the commencement of his better promife? This is according to the analogy of all the prophecies from Abraham's time; in all which the land of Canaan is infeparably annexed to the promise of the bleffed feed. Whoever had the one promife, had the other; whoever |
