^ This view is set forth in a specially attractive form by Herder. We see Judah, the honoured of his brethren, victorious after battle, marching in triumphal progress to the national sanctuary (1 Sam. i.-iv.), and there laying down the emblem of authority in order to enjoy the fruits of peace, while the nations round bow submissive to his sway. It is, however, very doubtful whether it can be sustained ; and in spite of the names that can be quoted for it, it has not been viewed with favour by recent scholars. Thus it is historically doubtful whether Judah really enjoyed that early pre-eminence in a united Israel, which this interpretation postulates for it: Judah had no particular con- nexion with Shiloh (which was in the tribe of Ephraim) \ and it seems natural to think of shebet in verse 10 as suggesting "sovereignty," rather than merely tribal or military pre- eminence.^
3. The rendering '* until that which is his shall come," pro- posed as the second alternative in the margin of the Revised Version, is grammatically quite legitimate. It is more legitimate on the whole, than the third alternative, " till he come whose it is." But this last rendering seems to give the best sense. The " it " would refer to the kingdom, and the meaning would be that the government shall not depart from Judah till He comes to whom of right belongs all authority and power. Ezekiel almost certainly is thinking of this early prophecy when in a Messianic passage he says, " And thou, 0 deadly wounded wicked one, the
^ S. R. DtiT«T.
252 SHILOH
prince of Israel whose day is come . . . thus saith the Lord, Remove the mitre and take off the crown : this shall be no more the same : exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it : this also shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it to him" (Ezek. xxi. 25-27).
^ We obtain a prophecy, in flowing, parallelistic rhythm, of that ideal, Messianic king, whom Isaiah saw in prophetic vision, and of whom he said that " His rule should be ample " (ix. 7), and that " unto him should the nations seek " (xi. 10).
Bender therefore —
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the staff (of authority) from between his feet,
Until he come for whom it (i.e. the dominion) is appointed,
And to him be the obedience of peoples,
the meaning of which will be, " The dominion granted to Judah shall give place only to a far wider monarchy, viz. that of the Messiah." *
m.
Christ.
L The Comingf.
1. Now turn from questions of exegesis, with their necessary limitations and Jewish colouring, to the thought of Messianic prophecy and its fulfilment from a purely Christian standpoint. St. Paul says, " When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son" (Gal. iv. 4). This is the light in which the New Testament writers view all Old Testament prophecy. It is certain that God's revelation of His plan was gradual, but how gradual, and when men were first permitted to participate in the unfolding of His plan, it is impossible for us to know. The advent of the Messiah has been compared to the growth of a plant ; we cannot discern its beginning, but we can watch it through succes- sive stages until it comes to the perfect bloom. So with the approach to the " fulness of the time " of which St. Paul speaks. One "Anointed One" after another succeeded to the throne ol Judah, but the long-expected Messiah tarried. And yet through all these darker ages may be traced the growth and development
> T. K. Ghajuo.
GENESIS xLix. lo 253
in the unfolding of God's plan until it reached the full fruition ^ in the Messiah Jesus. " The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." But "He came unto His own and His own received Him not."
For as warm love falls wholly unperceived
Into our hearts Amid the careless riot of our days,
So came He then. And at the sweetness of His infant smile
The hallow'd earth Thro' all her being thrilled with pulse of spring
Each little bulb Hid in the dark recesses of her heart,
And ev'ry seed And root, felt it and trembled, and they said,
"Now is He come That knows and loves us all." And on fields,
And on the hills Around, there shone the glory of the Lord;
And no one knew.^
2. Do we say that there is a great leap between the teaching of the Old Testament and that of the New ? Perhaps this is true, but the leap is not unprepared for. No one can read the Book of Wisdom without being struck with the many points of similarity between its teaching and the theology of the Apostle Paul There can be little doubt that it was one of the most important sources from which he drew the materials out of which he con- structed his philosophy of the Christian religion. In this book there is a wonderful passage about the Divine Word which, though figurative in language, and set in the midst of Jewish thought, seems to transport us into Christian Theology and the language of St. John. It bridges the gulf between the Old Testa- ment and the New : " For while peaceful silence enwrapped all things, and night in her own swiftness was in mid course, thine all-powerful Word leaped down from heaven out of the royal throne " (Wisd. xviii. 14, 15).