T Chron: 4: 33+ and 5: 1,7, 17: and 7: 7, 9, 49: and 9: 1: 22: and Ezr8 2: 62; and 8; 1, 3: Nehem. 7; 5, 64 The Jews indeed have
4
GENESIS.
of Affi.Qtion.
: there 1s nothing propheſied of Judsh, but Honour, and Dov-inion,
! -
another device to avoid the force of this Text. They ſry, Shebe# ſigniftes a Red, ro wit, a Rod of CorreQion, as the word is taken, Prov, 22:15: And fo they fay the fenſe is, ' The Tyrannical Scep- rer, or the Rod of the Oppreflor ſhall nor ceaſe or depart from _ 1ſrael, till the Meſſiah come, who ſhall ſave th:m from all their Op- prefſorsand Enemies. But this is a vain and frivolous conceit, for 1- the following Sentence, which expounds the former, as It is uſual in Scripture, plainly ſhews that this Sh:ber or Rod, is ſuch as 1s proper to th: Law-giver, and therefore isa Rcd of Authority, or a Scepter, which is called alſo a Rea, Ezek. 19. 14. andnot a Rod 2. This is contrary to the whole-Contexr, wherein
and Victory, and Safety, 3. There was no reaſon why the Rod of Afflition ſhould be appropriated ro Judah, which was common ro all the Tribes, and came foon»r, and fell heavier, and abode longer upon the other Tiives than upon Judsh. 4. This Inererpretation is coynfuted by tae Event or Hiſtery, both becauſe the Red of Corre- in did depart from Jada, and from them more than from the other Tribes, for ngaity Generations before the coming of the Meſ-- fiah; and becauſe rh: 4 15 not removed from them, bur hath cont nued longer and more dreadful'y upon them fince the coming of th: Meſſias, than ever before ; which one confideration hath been the occaſion of the Converſion of many Jews. 5. Howſoever the mod:rn Jews pervert this Word and Text out of Enmity ro Chriſt and Chriſtians ; it is certain that the Ancient Jews, the LXX. and tae Chaldee Paraphraft, with many others, tak: the word as we do, as the Learned have proved out of their own Writings. See my Latin Synopſis. e Sothe Hebrew word ſignifies, as here, ſo alſo Numb. 21: 18: Deut, 33: 21: Pal. 60. 7; and 108.8: 7ai. 33: 22. And the Verb, from whence this word comes, ſignifies 79 make Laws, as Prov. . 8. 15, &c. and the Hebrew word, Chok, which comes from the ſame root, conſtantly ſignifies a Law or Statute. Some render it, the S-ribe, and tiat either the Civil Scribe, who belongs to the Ruler ; or tae Eccleſiaſtical Scribe, the Interpreter of rhe Law ; and ſo it igyifies, that both che Civil and che Ecclefiattical Power ſhould continue in Judah til Chriſt came, and then ſhcu'd be rakea away borh which the Event did verify. Bur indeed the H:brew word for Scribe 1s Sopher, nut Mechskek, which never is ſo uſed in Scripture, but always for a Lawgive-r, as I: have ſhewed, and fa Kimchi and Aben Ezra, two Jate and learned Jzws, with others, ex pound it. f From his Poſteriry, or f:om rhote that come from berween his Feet, 5. e. that are begoct-n xvd borh of trhar Tribe. Aad thus K-c,z7, and the Chaldee Paraphraft,- and other Ancient ws underft.cd this p'ace. And the trurn of this Iaterprecation may* appear, by comparing this with other Texrs of Scripture, as Deut.\ 28: 57: where the young one d-ſcribed to be one that cemeth from berween h.r (the Womans ) Fret ; and Ezek. 16. 25. and with thoſe. places where the word Feet is uſed for the Secret Parts, as 1/aisb 7. 20: the hair of the feet, not properly ſo called, for Hair ie!dony grows there ; and 2 Kings 18: 27: Iſaiah 35: 12: where the Water, which comes from the tecret parts is called the Water of the Feet. And poſſibly that phraſe of covering ge Feet applied ro them that eaſed rheir Bellies, may note ſo much, becauſe the care of the Jews in that ation was nor to hide their Feet preperly ſo called, bur their Secret Parts, which without due care might be diſcovered vpon that occaſiun. f (z. e.) The Meſizs., Which we need nor ſtand to prove, becauſe it is ſo expounyed by all the three Chaldee Para phraſts, and by the Jewiſb Talmud, and by divers. of the latter Jews themſelves. And the word fignifies, either 4 Peace-maker or Savie our ; Or as Others, her Son, or One that came our of ths Womans Womb, or out of thar Skin in which th- Child in the Womb is «rapped, which this word, or. one near a kin to it ſignifies. So it notes, that the Mas ſhould be born cf a Womin, though without
and to be ſent, And this Sigaification may ſeem to be w-rranted by compariiig John 9g. 7. with thoſe plzces of the N:w T:ſtament, in which the M ſas is deſcribed by thar Periphraſi. of one ſeus Or £09 be Jent, as Joh» 3. 39, &c. And the Phiaſe here uſed is remarkable, til the Shiloh come, for the Shiloh or M-ſjiah oft goeth unter the Name of him that was ts c:me, as Maith. 2124: Like 7. 20: and 133 35: And hence the Kingdom of the Mrſiah is called the World, or Kingdom 0 come, 1. e.of him who was to come, Heb, 2: 5: and 6: 5. £ They ſhall be gather d together, or united both among theme ſelves, and with rhe Jews, under him as their Head. Others, the
they that are gathered to him, dc a'to Reverence, Obey, and Worthip him. The H:br-w word is uſed only here,and Prov 30.17. h(5.e.) The Genizles; as the Jews thzmſclves underſtand it. And fo it is a | plain Prophely of the Converiion of rhe Gentiles by and under the