SHEMITIC LANGUAGES
660
SHEMOXEH ESREH
advancement in the science of the Indo-European lan- guages has shown that there is no connection wliatever between tliese two languages; ami even Delitzscli's en- deavor has not been able to prove the contrary, al- though it must be admitted that he was the first to bring about (in his JefiD-tin sire Is'it/nt/r in (Irammati- cum et Lexicii(/r(ii)hinm Linf/tue Ilehniicm [(Jrimma', 1838] 'l some system and method in the comparison of these languages. Of still less value is the endeavor of E. ileier. who, in his Jhhr. W'uizela-iirlerbiic/i (]Maini- heim, 1845), seeks to trace back the Shemitic triliteral stems to monosyllabic biliteral roots, and from their fundamental meanings to derive the meanings of our Heljrew words in their various nioditications. " This," as Bleek remarks, "is an attempt which merits atten- tion, although he certainly brings forward many things which are uncertain, and even improbable." Without enlarging any further upon this (juestion, which is to this very day a matter of dispute, we will only mention those who made the subject a matter of investigation. Among those who believe in a relation between the Shemitic and Indo-European languages we mention Ewald {A Its/. Le/irb. dcr hebr. .^ipnicfie [8th ed. 1870], p. 31, Olshauscn {Lehrb. der hebr. Sjwache, 1861, p. 6 sq.) , Lassen {Indische AUerthuinxkinuk' [^d ed.], i, 637 sq.) ; Lepsnis. Schwartze, Benfey, and Bunsen, who, with the help of the Egyptian, tried to bring ai)out the re- sult, M. Miillcr and Steintlial, who believe not only in the possiliility. Iiut also in the probabdity. of such con- nection , Eugene Burnoufand Pictet, who admit it with Some reserve. To these we may add the names of As- coli, R. V. Kaumer, Renan, and more especially that of Friedrich Delitzsch, who, in his work (the latest, so far as we know) Stiidien iiber indo(jermanisch - semilische Wurzelvenoandtschaft (Leips. 1873), has not only given a resvme of the labors of his predecessors and a list of their works, but has also taken up the subject of re- lationship. Whether his researches will bring more light into the chaos of opinions, and prove themselves more acceptable, is yet to be seen. See Philology.
VI. Literalnre. — See, besides the articles "Shemitic Languages" in Kitto's Cyclop, and Smith's Dictiimary of the Bible, the introductions of Bleek, Keil, and IlKver- nick: Renan, llistoire Generale et Systeme Compare des I.itiif/iien tSeinitiqne.'i (4th ed. Paris, 1863); the literature as given in Delitzsch's Studien,' the introductions to the Hebrew grammars of (Jesenius, Biittcher, Preiswerk, and Bickell (Engl, transl. by Curtiss [Leips. 1877]). The lit- erature on the different languages is foiuid under their respective heads in this Cyclopfedia and supplemented in this article. The more recent will be found in Friederici's Bibliotheca Orientalis (London, 1876-78). (B. P.)
Sliemoneh Esreh (nnrr nsi^O) is a collec- tion of eighteen benedictions, called Tephilltih, or prayer KUT t^o\i]v, which every Israelite is bound to say every day. They constitute a very important part of the .lewish liturgy, and in their present form must have originated about A.l). 100, although many parts Ijelong to tlie aiitc-Christian period. In the pres- ent form there are nineteen instead of eighteen, one having been added by Samuel the Little ((j. v.) against the Sadducees. the so-called C^pnsn Pi-ia or C^;"-n r3"i2, i. e. the prayer against the Minim, a name applied to Christians. These benedictions are as follows :
1. (^113) " Blessed art thoii, O Lord our God, and the God of our fathers, the God of Ahuihiim, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the great God ! i)owerfiil and tremendous, the most high God I bountifully dis- ncusinLT henefllf, the Creator of all thinf;»; who, reinein- oering the i)iety of the fathers, wilt send a redeemer to their posterity for his mime's sake in love. Hemeinber ns unto lifi!, b Kiii^'l thou who delitrhlest in life, and write us in the hook of life for thy sake, O God of life. O Kins:, thou art our .Supporter, Siiviour, and Protector. Blessed art thou, O Lord ! the shield of Abraham."
2. (ni3S nrS) "Thon, O Lord ! art forever powerful; thou restorest life to the dead, and art mighty to save; sustaining by thy beuevcdence the livint;, and by thine ahunibint mercies auiniatiug the dead ; tiupporting those that fall, healing the sick, seitin;: at lil)erty tliose thai are in bonds; and perforuiest ihy failliful words unto those that sleep in Ilie dust? Who is like unto thee, O Lord ! most nii-rhty? or who may be conipnred with thee, the King who killeth and agidu restorelh life, and canseth salvation to tloiiiish ? Who is like unto thee, most merci- ful Father ! who renieinberesi thy creatures to life. Thou art also faithful to revive the dead. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who revivest the dead."
3. (Cnp nnX) " Thou art holy, and holy is thy name, and the saints praise thee daily. Selah. Blessed art thou, O Lord, holy God! We will sanctify thy name in the world, as thy sancliliers in the heavens above ; as it is written by the hands of thy prophet. And one called unto another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, O Lord of Hosts ! the whole earth is full of his glory. And against each other with blessings they say, Blessed be the glory of the Lord, from his place. And in thy holy word thou hast written, saying, the Lord shall reign forever, thy God in Zion, from generation to generiition. Praise ye the Lord. Unto all generations we will declare thy greatness, and to all eter- iiily we will snnctify thy holiness; and thy praise, O our God ! shall not depart from our mouths, for ever and ever : for thou art Almighty, great and holy Kiug ! blessed art thou, O Lord, the God most holy !"