18. .4 thing is named in pai't, but comprises the whole
(b:n am3 xini niip^a tsxs-li: in-i). Thus in
Exod. xxii, 30 it is forbidden to eat. flesh "torn of beasts in the field ;" and in Lev. xxii, 8. it is said, " That which is torn he shall not eat," here also forbidding that which is torn in the city. The use of the expression field in the first passage is owing to the fact that beasts are far more frequently torn in it than in the city ; and the Scriptures mention the common and not the uncom- mon occurrences. Hence in the expression _/i>^(Z every- thing is comprised — city, country, forest, mountain, val- ley, etc.
19. The respectice predicates of two subjects in the same passages may refer to both alike (TM'2 "ItDNSO "131 IT^anb il"m). Thus, "Light is sown for the right- eous, and gladness for the upright in heart" (Psa. xcvii, 11), does not imply that the former is without gladness and the latter without light, but what is predicated of one also belongs to the other (comp. Taanith, 15 a).
20. The predicate of a subject may not refer to it at all, but to the one next to it (IS'^NI nn 112X21:3 "121 llisnb -pD^' Xim "3 -pSS). Thus the remark, "This to Judali" (Deut. xxxiii, 7), does not refer to Judah, since it is said further on, "And he said, Hear, Lord, the voice of Judab," but to Simeon, whom Moses hereby blesses after Reuben.
21. When a subject is compared loith two things, it is to receive thebest attributes of both (^nab CpifTJ ini
',ni^a::a ns-^n n= ib -jnis nnxi nn-a). Thus,
"The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; he shall grow up like a cedar in Lebanon" (Psa, xcii, 12) —
the comparison is with the best qualities of both (comp. Taanith. 25 a).
22. The first clause explains by its parallelism the second, to lohich it refers (1"'^" tliDl^ llinii; 121). Thus, "A gift in secret pacifieth anger," in the first hemistich signifying the anger of God, shows that- " and a reward in the bosom strong wrath" (Prov. xxi, 14), in the second hemistich, refers to the strong wrath of God (comp. Baba Bathra, 9 b).
23. The second clause in parallelism explains the first hemistich, to lohich it refers (niDl^a X'^.lnU 121 ll'^an). Thus, "The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness ; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh" (Psa. xxix, 8). Here Kadesh, though comprised in the expression wilderness of the first clause, is used in the second clause to heighten the strength of the first hem- istich, by showing that the wilderness must have been shaken exceedingly, since Kadesh, the great wilder- ness, was shaken (comp. Deut. i, 16).
24. A subject included in a general description is ex- cepted from it to convey a special lesson (H'^tl'IJ 121
x::i 'i?3:j" h:! irib, hhzti -p n:s"'1 bb=2). Thus,
" Joshua, the son of Nun, sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and Jericho" (Josh, ii, 1). Here Jericho is superfluous, since it is comprised in the general term land, but it is especially mentioned to indicate that Jericho by itself was equal in power and strength to the whole country. Hence that which is excepted teaches something special about itself.
25. A subject included in a general description is ex- cepted f-om it to teach something special about another
subject (b^ 1-cbb, bb:n 'i^ xa^i bb22 nirr:: i2i
11"'2n). Thus the command, "Ye shall take no re- demption-price for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death" (Numb, xxxv, 31), is entirely superfluous, since it is included in the declaration already made — "As he hath done, so shall it be done to him" (Lev. xxiv, 19). It is, however, mentioned especially to be a guide for other punishments, since it is concluded from it that it is only for murderers that no redemption-price is to be taken, but that satisfaction may be taken in case of one knocking out his neighbor's tooth or eye (comp. Kethuboth, sfh, 38 a).
26. Parable (bu^). Thus, "The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them, and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us" (Judg. ix, 8), where it is the Israelites and not the trees who said to Othniel, son of Kenaz, Deborah and Gideon reign over us. So also the remark, "And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city" (Deut. xxii, 17), is parabolic, meaning that they should make their testi- mony as clear as the cloth (comp. Kethuboth, 46 a).
27. The preceding often explains what follows ("pl^ ni:n2 b"?:^ 'iirill-i'). Thus, "And the Lord said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well, executing that which is right in mine ej'es . . . thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel" (2 Kings X, 30), is to be explained by what precedes. Because Jehu destroyed four generations of the house of Ahab — viz. Omri, Ahab, Joram, and his sons, as is stated (comp. ver. 13) — therefore shall four generations of his house remain on the throne.
28. Antithetic sentences often explain each other by their parallelism (ni:n2 1521: 'iCIIIU: "pi^). Thus in Isa. XXX, 16, " But ye said, No ; for w,e will flee upon horses ; therefore shall ye flee, and ride upon rapid run- ners ; therefore shall your pursuers run ;" the words wherewith they have sinned are put in parallelism with the words of punishment, couched in the same language and in similar expressions.