Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/626

Messianic tradition is quite conceivable, it is probable that it is here already applied to the Davidic monarchy. (3) It seems to me, therefore, that justice is done to the terms and the tenor of the oracle if we regard it as a prophecy of David and his dynasty,—a vaticinium ex eventu, like all the other oracles in the chapter. The meaning would be that Judah shall retain its tribal independence (see on ^10a) against all adversaries until its great hero makes it the centre of a powerful kingdom, and imposes his sovereignty on the neighbouring peoples. As for the enigmatic (Hebrew characters), we may, of course, adopt the reading (Hebrew characters), which is as appropriate on this view as on the directly Messianic interpretation. But if the oracle rests on an early eschatological tradition, it is just possible that (Hebrew characters) is a cryptic designation of the expected Ruler, which was applied by the poet to the person of David. Bennett (p. 397) calls attention to the resemblance with (Hebrew characters) in ch. 38; and it is a wonder that those who recognise mythical elements in the story of Judah and Tamar have not thought of identifying the (Hebrew characters) of our passage with Judah's third son, of whose destiny the story leaves us in ignorance. Is it possible that this connexion was in the minds of the Jewish authorities (v.i.), who render (Hebrew characters) 'his youngest son'? (see Posnanski, 36³).

11, 12. As usually understood, the vv. give a highly coloured picture of Judæan life after the conquest, in a land where vines are so common that they are used for tethering the ass, and wine so abundant that garments are washed in it. As a description of the vine-culture for which Judah was famous, the hyperbole is perhaps extreme; and Gressmann (l.c. 287) takes the subject to be not the personified tribe, but the Ruler of v.¹⁰, the vv. being a prediction of the ideal felicity to be introduced by his reign. Whether this be the original sense of the passage or not is hard to decide; but Gr. is doubtless right in thinking that it supplied the imagery for the well-known picture of the Messianic king in Zec. 9⁹.—12. GV take the adjs. as comparatives: 'brighter than wine (v.i.) . . . whiter than milk': but this is less natural.

11. (Hebrew characters)] with archaic case-ending: cf. (Hebrew characters) below, and perhaps (Hebrew characters) in v.¹².—(Hebrew characters)] (Greek characters) = (Hebrew characters), Is. 5², Jer. 2²¹ [(Hebrew characters), Is. 16⁸]; probably from the red colour of the best grapes.—(Hebrew characters)] [E] (Hebrew characters), 'covering' (Ex. 21¹⁰ etc.). (Hebrew characters) ([root] (Hebrew characters) ?) does not occur elsewhere.—12. (Hebrew characters)] In Pr. 23²⁹ (Hebrew characters) means 'dulness of eyes,' the effect of excessive drinking. This is the only sense justified by etymology (Ass. akâlu, 'be gloomy'; Ar. ḥakala, IV, 'be confused': see BDB, s.v. (Hebrew characters)), and must be retained here, although, of course, it does not imply reproach, any more than (Hebrew characters) in 43³⁴. G (Greek characters), 'glad-eyed'; and similarly VS.