JACOB'S BLESSING UPON THE TRIBES First in dignity and strength, "Boiling over like water, thou shalt not be first, 5Simeon and Levi are akin,h Weapons of violence are their swords, I will divide them in Jacob Judah, thy brothers praise thee!m Thy hand is on the neck of thy enemies." From the prey, my son, thou hast gone up;o 10 The sceptre shall not pass from Judah, And his ass's colt to the choice vine," He hath washed his garments in wine, 493 Lit., pre-eminence. 1493 Lit., native strength. The Gk. interpretation followed above apparently represents the original thought. 8494 Cf. the crime of Reuben recorded in Gen. 3522, that of incest. h495 Lit., brothers, they are of the same type as well as blood kin. i496 Lit., liver, according to ancient Semites a seat of the feelings. So Gk. and the original Heb., supported by the context. 1496 Or unite, i. e., do not join. 496 So Gk., which correctly interprets the Heb., man, as generic, equal to mankind. 1496 The most heinous of crimes in the ancient nomadic life, that of hocking an ox. It recalls the summary punishment meted out in the pioneer periods to horse thieves. The historical reference probably is to the treachery of the Reubenites and Levites in breaking their covenant and slaying the Shechemites as recorded in Gen. 34. m498 The Heb., as frequently in this ancient poem, has a play on the proper name Jehudah— jódúkā. n498 I. e., as conqueror. 0499 I. e., sated with prey slain by his irresistible blow. P4910 The picture is that of a king sitting on his throne with the end of his sceptre resting between his feet. 44910 If the line, which follows in the Heb., is original, it probably is to be interpreted As long as one goes to Shiloh. Cf. the corresponding expression in the early Judean prophetic narrative of Judg. 1831, So they set up Micah's graven image... as long as the hand of God was in Shiloh, Sam., Gk., Sym., Theod., and Targ. Onkelos, however, give the messianic rendering, Until that one comes to whom it belongs, but it can hardly be original, for this interpretation assumes a Heb. word found only in the latest O.T. writings. Furthermore, the line interrupts the context. It was apparently suggested to a late scribe who lived after the fall of the Judean house and who looked, in common with the men of his day, for the re-establishment of the Davidic messianic rule. 4911 Symbolic of the abundance and fertility of the vineyards of Judah. Simeon and Levi violent and treacherous Judah, the ruling tribe, victo rious and prosper ous 4916 Another play on the proper name Dan-yadin. The reference is probably to the historic fact that the little tribe of Dan, in its remote home at the foot of Mount Hermon, ruled itself bravely and effectively, waging its battles with the larger foes about. Cf. Dt. 3322. 24918 Possibly a later addition, yet not inappropriate in the present context, for only with the help of the divine deliverer could the little tribe hope to emerge triumphantly from the unequal conflict. 4919 Another play on the proper name, Gad gědûd yěgûděnnû. An allusion to the constant attacks of the Ammonites and Arabians to which the Gadites, because of their exposed situation, were subject. Cf. Dt. 3320, 21 b4919 The final letter of this line has, through a copyist's error, been prefixed to the next line. The Gk. has preserved the original reading. 4921 The translation of this vs. is doubtful. The usual translation is: Naphtali is a hind set free, That gives forth pleasant words. The above reading, however, is based upon the Heb. consonantal text and on the whole gives a clearer and more intelligible picture. Dt. 33 1This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the JehoIsraelites before his death, and he said: vah's revela Jehovah came from Sinai, He beamed from Seir in their behalf," d4922 This rendering is doubtful. e4924 Lit., in strength. 14924 Lit., arms of his hands. 84924 Or steer of Jacob. The phrase may go back to the days when Jehovah was worshipped under the symbol of a steer. b4924 Following a slightly different vowel pointing, which is supported by the Syr. The current translations make little sense. 14924 The Heb. adds stone, but this is not supported by the Gk. versions nor by the context. The reference is to the stone of Bethel. Cf. Is. 3029. 14925 So Sam., Gk., and Syr. Cf. Gen. 171 and Vol. I, § 16, note t. k4928 So Gk., supported by the context. The Heb. is evidently corrupt. Possibly it originally read with blessings on father and man and child. 14926 So Gk. and slightly restored Heb. text. m4928 Lit., that which is desirable; Gk., blessings. n4928 Lit., crown of the head. 04926 Lit., a Nazirite. $11 This song is a later and widely variant version of the so-called blessing of Jacob in Gen. 49. Both refer to the geographical position, character, and experiences of the different tribes. The description of Joseph is in many lines verbally identical in both, showing that one poet was familiar with the work of the other. Dt. 33, however, is a more perfect unit, being provided with a noble and deeply religious prologue and epilogue. The style also is much more finished and the tone eulogistic. The conquest is only a distant memory of the past, 27, 28, The tribe of Simeon has disappeared entirely. Reuben is few in numbers and in danger of becoming extinct and the Levites have become an honored caste of priests. Judah, instead of ruling over all the tribes, as in Gen. 498-10, is apart by itself and in danger of being overwhelmed by its adversaries. Joseph, represented by the powerful tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, is the object of the poet's pride. Clearly the poem was written after the division of David's empire in 937 and before the P332 Gk., Luc., and Targ., for us. tion as deliv erer, guide, and ruler of Israel Prayer for Reuben's preser vation For restora tion of Judah to Israel He shone forth from Mount Paran, And approached from Meribath-Kadesh;a From his right hand fire flamed in their behalf." Its holy onest were each under thy care," "Hey decreed for us a law, A possession for the assembly of Jacob, When the heads of the people were assembled, "Let Reuben live and not die, But let his men be few in number. "And this is the blessing of Judah; and he said: And bring thou Judah to his people; a With thy hands contend thou for him, And be thou a help from his adversaries.b armies of Assyria, in 736 B.C., brought disaster to the northern tribes. The days of Jeroboam I have been suggested as the background, but they were overshadowed by the act of disruption and the invasion of Shishak. The only entirely satisfactory setting is the middle of the prosperous reign of Jeroboam II. Victories over the Arameans and a strongly centralized government gave northern Israel, about the middle of the eighth century, its brilliant but brief Indian summer. A poet in the court of Jeroboam II is probably the author of this majestic poem, which voices the popular hopes and national pride that are the background of Amos's stern prophecies. About 750 B.C. may with assurance be accepted as the date of the tribal oracles in 6-25; possibly the prologue, 1-5, with its late words, may be an exilic or post-exilic addition. This is certainly true of the superscription, which probably came from the editor who introduced it into the book of Dt. and attributed the whole to the traditional author of this late prophetic book. Except that both begin with Reuben, the order of the tribes in the two poems is essentially different: in Gen. 49 it is Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin; in Dt. 33, Reuben, Judah, Levi, Benjamin, Joseph, Zebulun, Issachar, Gad, Dan, Naphtali, and Asher. The metre, as in Gen. 49, is the regular three-beat measure. The 4332 The traditional punctuation of the Heb. gives the obscure reading from the ten thousands of my holy ones. But this makes no clear sense and is not supported by the context. other reading of the Heb., which is followed above, gives a clear parallel to the preceding lines. Kadesh is mentioned in 146 and 3251 and was apparently the centre of the religious life of the Israelites during their residence in the wilderness. The Sam., Syr., Lat., and Targ. connect the Heb. verb with another root and read and with him were holy myriads. Luc. and Gk., however, have, with myriads of Kadesh. 332 The text is evidently corrupt. The Gk. and Luc. appear to have only guessed at the meaning and read from his right angels were with him. A slight correction of the Heb. gives the above reading, which is closely paralleled in the corresponding theophanies, Hab. 34, Ex. 2018, Ps. 503. Possibly the word sometimes translated law is a gloss. It is found only in Ezra, Esther, and Dan. and is of Persian origin. 333 Following the superior reading of the Gk. and Luc. Heb., peoples, i. e., heathen nations, but this is out of harmony with the context, and especially the next line. +333 I. e., Israel's. The references to Israel as a holy nation are many, e. g., 76, 142, 21, 2619. u 333 Luc. has in his lands; Lat., in his hand; Heb., in thy hand. 333 The Heb. verb in this line is hopelessly corrupt. The above is based upon the plausible reading of the Syr. w333 Following the Lam. and a large number of MSS. in translating feet instead of the Heb., foot. For the idiom, cf. Gen. 3033, 3314; the meaning is, closely attended. x333 The antecedent must be found in the first line of the vs. 33 Heb., Moses, but the context indicates that Jehovah is the one in the mind of the poet. 337 Transferring Judah to the second line of the couplet, as the measure requires. 337 Probably written from the point of view of a northern Israelite and after the division of the kingdom, following the death of Solomon. b377 Possibly a reference to Shishak's invasion soon after the division or to later attacks upon Judah. MOSES' BLESSING UPON THE TRIBES And of Levi he said: Thy Thummim and thy Urim are for thy holy one, Whom thou didst prove at Massah. With whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah,d 10 They show Jacob thy judgments, And Israel thy instructions, O Jehovah. They bring to thy nostrils the savor of sacrifice, "Bless, O Jehovah, his might.' And be pleased with the work of his hands. 13 Andh of Benjamin he said: The beloved of Jehovah dwells securely,i 13 And of Joseph he said: Blessed of Jehovah be his land, With the choice fruits from heaven above,1 14 And with the choice fruits which the sun bringeth forth, 15And from the tops of the ancient mountains, 16 And with the choice fruits of the earth and its fullness, Upon the brow of the one crowned among his brothers." 338 The allusion apparently is to some event not recorded in the Pent. d338 Cf. Ex. 1728, 7, Nu. 203a, 13 e339 The reference probably is to the zeal of the Levites recorded in Ex. 3227-29, when they did not hesitate to slay even their apostate kinsmen. Cf. Jesus' words in Mt. 1037, Lk. 1426. 13311 The Heb. word means possessions or else, as here, efficiency in the discharge of responsibility. 83311 So Sam. and Gk. Heb., smote through in the loins. h3312 So Sam. and Gk. The Heb. has lost the and. 13312 The Sam., Gk., and Syr. omit, but the present Heb. adds the awkward and obscure, beside him. 13312 With Luc. we require the Lord to make the meaning clear. k3312 I. e., in his temple at Jerusalem, situated on the sloping hills which, according to Josh. 158, 1816, lay within the bounds of Benjamin. 13313 Heb., from the dew, but the parallelism supports and demands the slight emendation which gives the above reading. Cf. the same idiom, Gen. 2739. In 49% this vs., in the same original form, is also found. m3316 Probably reference to Jehovah's revelation to Moses through the burning bush, recorded in Ex. 32-4. A slight change in the text gives the possible reading who dwelt in Sinai. 3316 Cf. 4925 Jehovah's oracles intrusted to the devoted and faithful Levites Jehovah's pres ence in his and Manas seh |