Hos. xiv. 8. Targum, [panwn Sonn pan] ;—“They shall sit under the shadow of their Messiah.” See Cant. ii. 3.
47. Mic. iv. 8, “And thou, O tower of the flock,” ete. Targum, xmadi spiny 75 ys sNDID DT DAP yo WoT Sse Nw ANNI ;—“And thou, Messiah nf Israel, who art hid because of the sins of ‘the con- gregation of Zion, to thee the kingdom shall come.” This gloss, I confess, draws upon the lees of Talmudical rabbinism ; for they fancy that their Messiah was long since born, even at the appointed time, but is kept hid, they know not where, because of the sins of Israel.
48. Mic. v. 2, “ But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come
SECT. 45-48. ] MESSIAH VINDICATED. 213
forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel ; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Targum, Tay nnd smw pre» “Ip JID Sau» Sy mobw;—* Out of thee shall the Messiah come forth before me, to exercise rule over Israel.’ This prophecy was famous among the Jews of old, as designing the place where the Messiah was to be born, which alone is done here; and its signal accomplishment is recorded, Matt. ii. 1, 5, 6; Luke ii. 4, 6, 7. And unto this day they generally acknowledge that it is the Messiah alone who is intended. And yet this consent of all the Jews, ancient and modern, with the application of it unto the true Messiah in the Gospel, manifesting the catholic consent of both churches, Judaical and Christian, about the sense of this place, hinders not one from interpreting this place of Zerubbabel, whose goings forth, as he supposeth, are said to be “of old, from everlasting,’ because he came of the ancient kingly house of David: whereas not one word of the prophecy ever had any tolerable appearance of accomplishment in him; for neither was he born at Bethlehem, nor was he the ruler over the Israel of God,—much less had he the least share or interest in those eternal goings forth which are expressed-in the close of the verse. The words are an express description of the person of the Messiah; who, though he was to be born in the fulness of time at Bethlehem, yet the existence of his divine nature was “ from of old, from everlasting.” And the Jews know not how to evade this testimony. Rashi adds, in the interpretation of the words, only that of Ps. lxxii. 17, wInw 25° jw ji3.; which we have rendered, “ His name shall be continued, as long as the sun,’—not reaching the sense of the place. WUD? is rendered by the Targum, xwow nd otp1,—“ And before the sun was;”—an expression of eternity; as Prov. vii. 23. Kimchi and Aben Ezra would have the words respect that long season that was to be between David and the Messiah. “ Bethlehem,” saith Kimchi, “that is, David, who was born there.” And, 399 p12: 35 jor w mwon 70 p2,—“ There is a long time between David and the Messiah.” But this gloss is forced, and hath nothing in the words to give countenance unto it. It is the Messiah that is said to be born at Bethlehem, and not David, as shall afterwards be evinced; and _ NID denotes some acts or actings of him that is spoken of, and not bis relation unto another not spoken of at all. Neither do these words, priy 2D DIPD, denote “a long time,” but directly that which is before all times. See Prov. viii. 22. He yet proceeds to answer them who say the Messiah is God from this place, because of this description of him: and he first rejects the Lord Christ from being here intended, as supposing an objection to be made with re- ference unto him, though he expresses it not; for saith he, pmby w» mawn, “This is an answer unto them, ax dsqw2 Sw xb son tn v2 wn on;”—* He ruled not over Israel, but they ruled over him;”
214 PROMISES OF THE MESSIAH VINDICATED. [EXERC. IX.
where it is evident that some sentence written by him is left out of the copies printed among Christians. But, poor, blind, blas- phemous wretch! this boast hath cost him and his associates in infidelity full dear. It is true, their progenitors did unto him what- ever the counsel of God had determined ; but notwithstanding all their rage, he was exalted to the right hand of God, and made a Prince and a Saviour, having ruled ever since over the whole Israel of God by his word and Spirit, and over them, his stubborn enemies, with a rod of iron. He adds, that it is false that these words are ap- plicable unto the eternity of God: for saith he, m7 ndyy no’ onp dsm, —‘“God was before the days of everlasting ;” as though in the same sense God were not expressly said to be O71), as here, see Hab. i. 12, and to be “ from everlasting.” And this place is well expounded by Prov. viii. 22, 28, as some of the rabbins acknowledge; so that we have in it an eminent testimony given unto the person of the Messiah, as well as unto the place of his nativity, of which we shall treat afterwards.