overcome at the laſt «. | : ; p 2 (75. e. ) Trows of Enemies ſhall frequently invade his Countrey,
and for atime conquer and ſpoil 1t- And fo it came to paſs,becauſe the Inherirance of that Tribe lay beyond Jordan,near to the Amme- nites and Meabites, two inveterate Enemies of Iſrael, and to other hoſtile Nations, on the Eaſt. « Or, afterward, This was fulfilled x Chron: 5; 18, &c. He ſhews thatthe Events of the Wars ſhould be various, but Gad ſhould one time or other ſpoil his ſpoilers, See Dext: 33. 20.
20 Out of Aſher 6, his bread ſhell befat c, and he
ield royal dainties 4. __ 4 e. ) os of the land of 4ſh!r. Or, 4s for or concerning Aſher, c His bread-corn ſhall be fuller and fweeter and better than ordina- ry. « Not only Oyl for Oyntments, bur alſo delicious and excel- lent Fruits, firto be preſented to a King. See Deut: 33: 24, 25.
21 Naphtali is a hind let looſe e: he giveth goodly
words fo | DEE e Not purſued by hunters, nor ſhut up.in ſome little incloſure,
but wholly left to its own freedom, to-feed upon the beſt Paſtures; See Deut: 33: 23- Or, free from the yoke which they rogether with the other Tribes did bear in Egypt ; free from its former reſtrainrs, which make it run away more ſwiftly. So it may note their nim- bleneſs and expedition either in ercountering enemies, or 1n avoid- ing dangers. See Judg: 4: 6, 10: and 5: 18. Oc like a tame hind, left to its liberty, in which the Owner takes delight, as Prov, 5:19: For he ſeems to be commended rather for Arts of Peace than War. And this may note that his temper and converſation was civil, obli- ging, and anvable ; which ſenſe the next words favour. f His ſpeeches and diſcourſes with others are fair, and friendly, and Wwin*- ning. Ir is not ſtrange that this Tribe was generally of a ſweerer diſpoſition than others, ſeing it is commonly obſerved that thereis a great difference in the tempers of people of divers Provinces or Ci- Ties bordering one upon another, But this verſe may be otherwiſe rendred according to the opinion of a late Learned Writer ; Naph- zali is a tree (fo the Hebrew ward ſignifies, on!y jod 1s inſerted here,as it is in the ſame word, Iſs: 1: 29: and 61: 3. ) ſhot forth,or ſpread forth, ( into many branches; for the Hebrew Verb Shalach 15 oft uſed con: cerning Trees, and: their thooting forth of Branches, as Pſal 80. 11: Ezek: 17: 6: and 31: 5: ) ſending forth goodly branchs: 3 the word imre, which 1s by others rendred words, here ſignifying branches, as either the ſame word, or one coming from the ſame root,and conſiſting of the ſame radical Letters, is raken 1/a: 17: 6,9. And it is uſual in the Hebrew Language for two words coming from the fame root, to exchange their ſignificarions. And this Interpreration 1s favoured by theAncient I'\t-rpreters,the LXX,and one of the Arabick Manulcripts, which mak2s Naphtali here to be compared to a goodiy Tree bring=- ing forth excellent Fruit.
2: Joſeph is a fruitful bongh g, even a fruitfu] bough by a well +4, whoſe t branches run over the
wa'l ;
g I: regard of thoſe two numerous Tribes which preceeded from his two ſons. h Or, fountain, or watzr-courle, which fitution doth much further the growth of trees. See Pſal: 1: 3: and Exzek. 39; io 7 ( 1: e. )Which is planted by a wall, whoſe heat furchers its growth no leſs than rhe moiftore of the water doth. :
22 The archers & have ſorely grieved him /,and ſhor
at him, and hated him :
þ ( 7, e. ) His adverſaries, as well his own Brethren, »s his Maſter and Miſtreſs. 1 With their ſcoff., ad {landers, and injuries, which in Scripture are oft compnred to Arrows.
24 But * his bow / abode in lirength, and the arms of his hands were made ftrong, by the hands of the mighty God of iacob w, from thence is the Shepherd,
tne ftone of Iſrael ». I Waerewirh he oppoſed his enemies, which was no military Bow,
rue, his Innocence,his Patience, his Temperance, his Faith and Hope in Go, whereby he reſiſted and vinquithed all che Temptations and D:fficulties which hz mer wath,ſfo thar all his Enemies cou'd neither-/ defiie nor deſtroy kim. w(# e: ) Ot my God ; the noun for the pro- noun, which is frequent. When men forſook and perſecured him, my God and his God ſtood by him. He thewed thar it was no: Jo- ſeph's Witdom or Courage, but God's gracious Afſiſtance thar mae hun Conqueror. = Either 1. From that grear deliverance vouch- ſafed by God to Joſeph it is,that 1/rael or Jacob hath a Shepherd te feed him, a Srone to lay his head upon, as once hedid, Gen: 28: 11;0r a rock of refuge tofly ro in his great diftrefles, or a foundation-Stone, or corner-Srone, or Pillar to ſuſtain or preſc:rve Jacob's Houſe. Or rather 2. fromthe hands of the mighty God of Jacob, laſt mentioned. Or from the God of his father, as it follows che next verſe. So rhe ſenſe is this, Though Jeſeph wis a bleſſed Inſtrument in this wonderfu work, yet the God of Jacob was the chief Authorof ir,by whoſe wiſe and merciful Providence it was ſo ordered that Joſeph ſhouid be firſt ſold, and afterwards advanced, and ailin order to this end, that his Iſrael, with whom h- hath been pleaſed to make a gracious and ever- Iafting Covenant, ſhould have a Shepherd to feed him in tie time of - Famine, and a Stoe or Rock to ſupport him. >
25 Even by the God of thy father o who. ſhall help thee, and by the Almighty, who ſhall bleſs thee with b.cflings of heaven abovep, bleflings ot the deep that liech _—_ 7, bleſſings of the breafts, and of the womb r,
0 Here he explains and d:termines that doubtful expreſſion from thence, by adding, even by ( or rather jrom,zs this Particle Mem pro-
hath cholen and loved tny Father, and made a leagae' with him, an:
bleſſed him wick all manner of bleſſings. » ( i:e: z The ſweet and powerful influences of the heavenly Bodies, and rhe Dews and Rains | which fall from Heaven, whereby the fruars of rhe Earti are produc-
.ed in great plenry. See Levis: 25 4+ Deur. 28: £2: ainu 335 14-q(ie) | PCECPiC.
Or that great Sea of vvarers borh abour the Earth, and in tae Earta,
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'G E N ESTIS "I | > | Chap' XX.