the image is that of a young thriving vine planted by a
fountain and thus well supplied with water, whose tendrils
extend over the wall.—a fruitful bough] Or 'A young fruit-tree':
lit. 'son of a fruitful [tree' or 'vine']. There is
probably an etymological allusion to Ephraim ((
Hebrew characters) = (Hebrew characters):
We.).—23, 24. The figure is abruptly changed: Joseph is
now represented as beset by troops of archers, whose attack
he repels.—dealt bitterly . . .] The following word (Hebrew characters) requires
some amendment of text (v.i.).—24. abode unmoved]
or 'constant.' Taken with the next line, this suggests a
fine picture: the bow held steadily in position, while the
hand that discharges the arrows in quick succession moves
nimbly to and fro (Gu.). The expressions, however, are
peculiar, and a different reading of the second line given in
'fruitful' (Is. 176 3212, Ezk. 1910, Ps. 1283), or (Hebrew characters), with archaic fem.
termination. (Hebrew characters), 'bough' (Ezk. 176 315. 6), might be thought of, but
would be hardly suitable as gen. after (Hebrew characters).—Down to (Hebrew characters) the Vns. have
substantially the same text.—(Hebrew characters)] defies explanation. Lit.
filiæ discurrerunt super murum (V). But (Hebrew characters) = 'tendrils,' has no analogy;
(Hebrew characters) means 'march' or 'stride,' but not 'extend'; and the discord of
number is harsh (notwithstanding G-K. § 145 k). The Vns. reveal
early corruption of the text, without suggesting anything better. G υἱός μου νεώτατος
(= [E] (Hebrew characters)) πρὸς μὲ ἀνάστρεψον (= (Hebrew characters)). S (Syriac characters)
(? (Hebrew characters)).—Zimmern's zodiacal
theory, which identifies Joseph with the sign Taurus, finds two tempting
points of contact in the consonantal text: reading (Hebrew characters) = (Hebrew characters), 'juvenca,'
at the beginning, and (Hebrew characters), 'ox,' at the end. But the reconstruction of
the text on these lines, with the help of Dt. 3317 (see ZA, vii. 164 ff.;
ATLO2, 399), has no title to respect: against it see Ba. p. 116.—23.
(Hebrew characters)] From √ (Hebrew characters), a by-form of (Hebrew characters),[1] 'shoot,' with intrans, pf. (G-K.
§ 67 m). The simple pf. between two consec. impfs. being suspicious,
the least change demanded is (Hebrew characters). [E]G (ἐλοιδόρουν) and V (jurgati sunt) read (Hebrew characters), 'strove with him.' Parallelism suggests a noun
as subj. to (Hebrew characters); we might read (Hebrew characters), 'bowmen' (Jer. 5029), or (since
the line is too short) (Hebrew characters) (2120)—24a. G καὶ συνετρίβη μετὰ κράτους τὰ τόξα αὐτῶν
[= (Hebrew characters).—(Hebrew characters)] S (Syriac characters) = (Hebrew characters). The
sense 'abide' for (Hebrew characters) is justified by Lv. 124, 1 Ki. 221, Ps. 1251,
and nothing is gained by departing from MT.—(Hebrew characters)] Lit. 'as a
permanent one' ((Hebrew characters) essentiæ).—(Hebrew characters)] 2 Sa. 616†. G καὶ ἐξελύθη, S
(Syriac characters) may represent (Hebrew characters) (see Ba.).—[G (Hebrew characters)] (Hebrew characters)] is a hard
- ↑ But see above on 2120.
