The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 522

xiv. 26). Decause of tl,oir 1.eolous devotion things of heaven above;" and this reading, to tho olaima and service of the Lord, the some critirs of eminence adopt. Probably, dignity of the priesthood hnd been conferred however, this is only a correction, to brina on this tribo; aud to thorn belonged the this pC\ssage into accordance with Gen~ high office of being instructors of the people xlix. 25. Tho TMgnms and tho Peshito in Divine things, nnd of presenting the combine both readings. Instead of "for the sncrillcos of the peoplo to tho Lord. For precious things," it is better to rea<l "with," those entrusted with such an office, nothing etc., and so throughout vere. 13-16. wns moro to be desirP.d than tha.t thoy Literally, it is from, etc.; ii,qq, the o ex- should be blessed with power rightly to pressing the instrumental cause of the bless- disohargo the duties of their office, that ing, of which the Lord is the efficient their service should be accepted with favour, cause. The noun i;,o,, literally, excellency, and that their enemies and haters should preciousness, occurs only here and in Cant. be foilecl and rendered impotent; and for iv. 13, 16 and vii. 13, where it is rendered this Moses prays on their behalf. by '' pleasant." The precious fruit of the Ver. 12.-Benja.min, the beloved of his heavens is the dew, which, with the waters father, is also the beloved of the Lord, and stored up in the recesses of the earth, fur- would be ea.red for anrl protected by him. thers the growth of the earth's produce, Shall dwell in safety by him; Bhall dwell ripened by tbe influences of sun and moon. aecurely upon him, i.e. resting on him. Shall Aud for the chief things of the ancient moun- aover him. The word rendered "cover" tains; literally, and from the head of the (~~IJ) occurs only here; construed with ~~. mountaina of old. The precious things of upon, it conveys the idea. of sheltering: he the mountains and hills ore the vines and continually is sheltering him. And he shall olive trees with which the lower slopes are dwell between his shoulders. " To be adorned, and the forests that crown the between the shoulders" is to be carried on loftier. The good will of him that dwelt in the back (cf. I Sam. xvii. 6); and as a the bnsh. The reforence is to the ap- father might thus bea.r his child, so should pearance of Jehovah to Moses in the bush Benjamin be borne of the Lord. There can at Horeb (Exod. iii.), when he manifested be no doubt that Benjamin is the subject of himself as the Deliverer of Israel, whose this clause; to understand it of Jehovah good pleasure it wo.s that they should be dwelling on the shoulders of Benjamin, in redeemed from bondage and favoured with the sense of having the temple, the pince of blessing. That was sepa.rated from his his rest, within the tenitory of Benjamin, is brethren; separated in the sense of con- too violent and far-fetched an intc1·pretation secrated, or distinguished (i•;~, from '!~• to to be admitted. In the chnnge of subject consecrate), from among his brethren. His in the three clauses of this verse, there is glory is like the firstling of his bnllook ; nothing strange, since such a change re- rather, the firstborn of his oxen, majesty is peatedly occurs, and is found ernn in prose, to him. 'l'he singular, ,;~, is here used as e.g. 2 Sam. xi. 13. "To dwell upon God, collectively, as in eh. xv. 19. The oxen are and between his shoulders, means as much Joseph's sons, all of whom were strong, but as to lean upon him; the similitude being the firstborn excelled the rest, and was en- taken from fathers who cnrry their sons dowed with majesty. It is Ephraim that while yet small and tender" (Calvin). is referred to, whom Jacob raised to tbe Vers. 13-17.-The blessing on Joseph position of the firstborn (Gen. xlviii. 8, etc.). by Moses closely resembles that pronounced His horns are like the horns of llllicorns : by Jacob on his favourite son; he solicits litero.lly, and horns of a rei!m are his horns for him the utmost abundance of temporal The reem is supposed to be the aurochs, au blessing, aud the l'iches of the Divine C\nimul of the bovine species, allied to the favour. Thew is this dilference, however, buffalo, now extinct, but which the As- between the two blessings, that in that of syrian bas-reliefs show to have beeu the pa.tl'io.rch it is the growth of the tribe in formerly huuted in that region (cf. Job power and might tho.t is chiefly contem- xxxix. 9, eto.; Ps. xxii. 22; Ra.w linson' Anc. plated; whilst in that of Moses it is the Mon,' i. 284). By bis strong power, Ephrnim o.dvance of the tribe in wenlth, prosperity, shoulcl thrust dowu nations, even the most and infiuenoo t.ho.t is chiefly imlico.ted. distant. And they are the ten thousands o1 "Ja.cob doscribml the growth of Joseph Eph.raim; and these are, etc.; i.e. in such under the figure of £\ lnxnrinnt brnnch or a might will the myriads of Epl.raim coma fruit tree plo.nted by the water; whilst forth. To Ephraim, as the chief, the myriads Moses fixes his eye prirnnrily upon the fond aro assigned; to Manasseh only the thousands. of Jose11h, and desirns for him the richest pro- Vers. lfl, 19.-Zebulun and Issucho.r, tl.1,i ductions" (Keil). For the preoious things of two lust sons of Leah, are takeu together by heaven, for the dew. Several codices, for Seo, Moses ; nnd Zebulun, though the younger "for dew," read ~)1!:l, above-" the precious son, is plo.ced first, in accordance with Gen,  'l'HE BOOK OJ<' DEU'l'ERONOMY. [on. ltltxttr. 1-29.