'prescriber [of laws]' (GVTOJ al.); but (
Hebrew characters) is never so
used, and parallelism requires that (Hebrew characters) should be understood
of the commander's staff (Nu. 2118, Ps. 609 = 1089).—from between his feet] The chieftain is conceived as seated
with his wand of office held upright in front of him. The
Bedouin sheikhs and headmen of villages are said still to
carry such insignia of authority.
The question arises whether the emblems denote (a) kingly authority,
or (b) military leadership of the other tribes, or merely (c) tribal autonomy.
Dri. (JPh. xiv. 26) decides for (a), because (1) (Hebrew characters), without
qualification, suggests a royal sceptre; (2) the last phrase presents the
picture of a king seated on a throne; (3) the word (Hebrew characters) in 8b most
naturally expresses the homage due to a king (cf. 377). But in favour
of (c) it might be urged (1) that (Hebrew characters) never has this meaning, and (2)
that (Hebrew characters) is the word for 'tribe' (e.g. vv.16. 28), and, if the passage be
early, is likely to be used as the symbol of tribal independence. The
idea of military hegemony (b) is in no way suggested, apart from the
connexion with v.8, which is dubious. The point has an important
bearing on the exegesis of the next cl. If (a) be right, the Davidic
monarchy is presupposed, and 10b assigns a term to its continuance;
whereas, if (c) be right, 10b is possibly (not necessarily) a prophecy
of David and his dynasty. See, further, the note at the end of this
verse.
10b. The logical relation of the two halves of the v. is
clear: the state of things described by 10a shall endure until
thighs'; and hence TO 'from his sons' sons,' TJ 'from his seed.'—10b.
(Hebrew characters)—(Hebrew characters)] GΘ. (Greek characters) [vars. (Greek characters) . . .,
(Greek characters) . . . etc.]; S (Syriac characters); V donec veniat qui mittendus est (reading (Hebrew characters): cf. (Greek characters) ((Greek characters)),
Jn. 97); TO (Hebrew characters); TJ (Hebrew characters).
This last curious rendering ('the youngest of his
sons') is followed by Kimchi and others; and apparently rests on a
misunderstanding of (Hebrew characters) ('afterbirth') in Dt. 2857 (TO (Hebrew characters)).—(Hebrew characters)]
Only here with impf. With pf. (2618 4149, 2 Sa. 2310) it always marks a
limit in the past ('until'); but (Hebrew characters) alone sometimes means 'while,' both
with pf. and impf. (1 Sa. 1419, Ps. 14110), and so (Hebrew characters) (Ca. 112), (Hebrew characters) (Pr.
826), and (Hebrew characters) (Ec. 121. 2. 6): see BDB, p. 725 a. The transl. 'as long
as' is thus perhaps not altogether impossible, though very improbable.—(Hebrew characters)]
MSS and [E] (Hebrew characters), probably the original text. The scriptio plena may
have no better foundation than the common Jewish interpretation (Hebrew characters),
'his son,'—an impossible etymology, since there is no such word as (Hebrew characters)
in Heb., and the two forms which appear to have suggested it (viz., NH
(Hebrew characters) = 'fœtus' and (Hebrew characters) = 'afterbirth' [Dt. 2857† ]) are obviously superficial
and fallacious analogies. The Mass. vocalisation is therefore
