separate and independent jurisdiction which was vested in Dan, and in all the other tribes b. Nor does the term " law- giver" mean a person who should enact laws; but rather, one who should execute and enforce them. Moses was the only lawgiver of the Jews; and even the kings were required to write a copy of his law, and to obey it in all things. Now it was here foretold, that this particular power should remain with Judah after that the other tribes should have been de- prived of theirs ; and that it should continue vested in persons belonging to that tribe till the Messiah should come. The precise import of the term " Shiloh" is not certainly known; but it is thought by most to mean, The Peacemaker. All however are agreed that it is a name for the Messiah, whose advent was to precede the dissolution of the Jewish polity.]
The event exactly corresponded with the prediction —
[The ten tribes were spoiled of their power when they were carried captive to Assyria. But the tribe of Judah re- tained both their ecclesiastical and civil polity even in Babylon. If they did not exercise it to the same extent as before, they had by no means wholly lost it. As they had possessed it in Egypt, and retained it the whole time of their Egyptian bondage", so they still nominated their chiefs and elders, yea and appointed fasts and feasts, while they were oppressed with the Chaldean yoked. Their bondage in Babylon was indeed, on the whole, exceeding heavy; but many of them were suffered to build houses and plant gardens, and to live rather as a colony than as slaves e. On their return from Babylon, their own chiefs and elders were appointed to super- intend the execution of Cyrus' decree f; and, after that period, they continued to enjoy their privileges till the time of our Lord's advent. Soon after that, they were reduced to the state of a Roman province; but still exercised the same powers, only in a more limited manner8. But, forty years after the death of Christ, when his Gospel had been fully preached, and people of all nations had been gathered to him, their city and temple were utterly destroyed ; and they themselves were dis- persed into all lands. From that time their sceptre has utterly departed from them; nor can the smallest vestige of their former power be traced. They are therefore living proofs throughout the whole world that their Messiah is indeed come.]
t> ver. 16. c Exod. xxxiv. 31, 32.
d Moses and Aaron were sent to the elders of the people, Exod. iii. 16. and iv. 29; and these were heads of houses, Exod. vi. 14; and rulers of the congregation, Exod. xvi. 22. Compare Numb. i. 3, 16. See Sherlock's third Dissertation, pp. 342, 346, 6th edition.
e Jer. xxix. 5, 7. f Ezra i. 5, 8.
e Compare John xviii. 3, and 31.