성경 주석서

Cursed [be] their anger, for [it was] fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

Cursed be their anger. — Of the mischief of rash anger, and means to repress it. See Trapp on " Genesis 34:7 " See my "Commonplace of Anger."

I will divide them in Jacob. — A punishment suitable to their sin: they conspired to do mischief, and are therefore divided in Jacob. Of Simeon, Judas Iscariot is said to have come; who tumbled as a stone till he came to his place. Levi had his habitation among the other tribes; and this curse was afterwards turned to a blessing, when they were consecrated as priests, to preserve and present knowledge to their brethren, to "teach Jacob God’s judgments, and Israel his laws." Deuteronomy 33:9-10

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Judah, thou [art he] whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand [shall be] in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren. — All this is chiefly verified in Christ, and of him to be understood. In him is beauty, bounty, goodness, greatness, and whatsoever else is praiseworthy. He goeth forth riding on his white horse, "conquering and to conquer." Revelation 6:2 St Paul, his chief herald, proclaims his victory with a world of solemnity and triumph, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 and calls upon all his brethren to bow down before him, Philippians 2:10 as they do, Revelation 12:10 casting down their crowns at his feet, Revelation 4:10 and setting the crown upon his head, - as the manner was among the Romans, that the saved should crown their saviours, and honour them as their fathers all their lives long, being wholly at their service. Apud Romam siqui servati essent, solebant Servatorem suum coronare. Sεβεται δε τουτον, και παπα ολον τον βιον ο σωθεις ως πατερα και παντα δει τουτω ποιειν ως τω γονει . - Polyb., lib. vi. It was not without mystery that David did reverence to his son Solomon, when he was newly crowned; what would he have done, think we, to his Lord, as he calls Christ, Psalms 110:1 had he been there in his royalty?

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Judah [is] a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

Judah is a lion’s whelp. — Many lionlike Lysimachusses came of this tribe, that, as Samson and David, first fought with lions, and then with their enemies; all which were types of that "Lion of the tribe of Judah," Revelation 5:5 . The devil is a roaring lion, Leo ωρυομενος , lies in wait In insidiis. for the Church: but Christ, her invincible champion, is ever at hand for her help, In subsidiis. who is also Leo ο ρυομενος , as St Paul hath it, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, "that delivereth us from the wrath to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:10 And when this lion roareth, all creatures tremble. Amos 3:8 St Ambrose tells us that when the lion puts forth his voice, many creatures that could outrun him are so astonished at the terror of his roars, that they are not able to stir from the place. And Isidore writeth, that the lion’s whelp, for the first three days after it comes into the world, lieth as it were asleep, and is afterwards roused and raised by the old lions’ roaring, which makes the very den to shake. Christ, at the last day, shall come with the voice of the archangel, and trump of God, … And then shall they "that sleep in the dust of death awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting horror and amazement." Daniel 12:2

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The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be].

Until Shiloh come. — Shiloh is by some expounded, the son of his secundines. Usque dum venturae erunt secundinae eius, id est, Iudae, ut masculinum genus in Heb. ostendit. The Hebrew word implies His son, and, Her son; that is, the son of the Virgin, that came of the line Judah. Secundines are proper to women. He therefore, whom Secundines alone brought forth, without help of man, is Christ alone, the promised seed. Others render Shiloh, Tranquillator, Salvator, the Safe maker, the Peace maker, the Prosperer. A themate Shalah, unde Shaluah, tranquillitas; unde Lat. Salvere, Salvus, salvare. - Amama. This Prince of Peace was born in a time of peace, Sub Augusto cuncta atque continua totius generis humani aut pax fuit, aut pactio. - Flor., Hist., lib. iv. not long after that Pompey had subdued Judea to the Roman government, and reduced it into a province. Then was the sceptre newly departed from Judah; and Herod, an Edomite, made king of the country.

And unto him shall the gathering of the people be. — As unto the standard bearer, Song of Solomon 5:10 , marg. the carcass, Matthew 24:28 the desire of all nations (Haggai 2:7 , with Hebrews 12:25 ). Totus ipse desideria, saith the Church. Song of Solomon 5:16 And, "When I am lifted up," saith he, "I will draw all men after me." John 12:32 They follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth; as the hop and the heliotrope do the sun.

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Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

Binding his foal unto the vine. — Vines shall be so plentiful, that as countrymen tie their asses to briers and shrubs, so shall Judah to the vines, that shall grow thick everywhere. Where Christ is set up in the power and purity of his ordinances, there is usually a confluence of all inward and outward comforts and contentments. He is the Cornucopia of both to his Church and chosen.

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His eyes [shall be] red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

His eyes shall be red, … — Wine and milk are used to signify plenty of spiritual blessings in heavenly things. Isaiah 55:1 ; Isaiah 25:6

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Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he [shall be] for an haven of ships; and his border [shall be] unto Zidon.

Zebulun shall dwell, … — It is God that "appoints us the bounds of our habitations." Acts 17:26 Be content therefore; and although we have not all things to our minds, yet having God for our portion, let us cry out with David, "The lines are fallen unto me in a fair place," … Zebulun is placed by the sea side. Now shoremen are said to be horridi, immanes, latrociniis dediti, omnium denique pessimi. Hence the proverb, Maritimi mores. And hence, haply, that rash and harsh character, that Scaliger Scal., De Re Poet., cap. 16. gives of us, Angli perfidi, inflati, feri, contemptores, stolidi, amentes, inertes, inhospitales, immanes. His bolt, you see, saith one, Heyl., Geog., p. 468. is soon shot; and so you may haply guess at the quality of the archer. Be it that our ancestors were such, yet the gospel hath civilised us at least, whatever the more be. Christ left Nazareth, and came and dwelt at Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. Ever since which, "the people which sat in darkness have seen a great light," … Matthew 4:13 ; Matthew 4:16 And when "Gilead abode beyond Jordan," and "came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty," Reuben was busy about his sheep, Dan about his "ships," Asher about "his breaches," … Zebulun and Naphtali are much commended for "a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field," Judges 5:16-18 that studied and promoted the public, more than their own particular interests. Oh, it is a brave thing to be of a public spirit, and to study God’s ends more than our own. Surely if God saw us to be such, we might have what we would, and God even think himseff beholden to us. Shall a heathen say, Non nobis solum nati sumus? … Cicero, Lael. And again, Mihi non minoris curae est, qualis resp. post meam mortem futura sit, quam qualis hodie sit? And shall Christians be all for themselves, looking only to their own things, and not to the things of one another, the common good of all especially? St Chrysostom upon those words "Not seeking mine own profit," …, 1 Corinthians 10:33 saith, that to seek the public good of the Church, and to prefer the salvation of others before his own safety and commodity, is the most perfect canon of Christianity, the highest pitch of perfection, the very top gallant of religion. τουτο κανων χριστιανισμου του τελειοτατου, τουτο ορος ηκριβωμενος, αυτη η κορυφη η ανωτατη, το τα κοινη συμφεροντα ξητειν . And, I could not but love the man, saith Theodosius the Emperor concerning Ambrose, who, when he died, Magis de Ecclesiarum statu, quam de suis periculis angebater, was more troubled for the Church’s troubles than for his own dangers. This made the same good emperor say that he knew none that deserved to be called a bishop but Ambrose. Aμβροσιον οιδα μονον επισκοπον αξιως καλουμενον . - Paulin. Nolan., in Vita Amb. He was called "the walls of Italy," whilst he lived: as when he died, Stilico the earl said, that his death did threaten the destruction of that whole country.

At the haven of the sea. — Zebulun and Issachar dwelling so conveniently for the purpose, and being for a haven of ships, as it here followeth, did "call the people" (foreigners) "to the mountain" of God. Deuteronomy 33:18-19 So, one of the Sibyls, Augustine De Civit. Dei, lib. xviii, cap. 23. hopeth, might belong to the city of God: and so might direct others thither.

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Issachar [is] a strong ass couching down between two burdens:

Issachar is a strong ass, … — He so commends his strength, that, with it, he condemns his dulness. This Christ can so little abide, that he said even to Judas, "That thou doest, do quickly." God utterly refused an ass in sacrifice. The firstling of an ass must either be redeemed, or have his neck broke. Bellarmine gives the reason, and it is a very good one, quia tardum et pigrum animal, because it is a slow sluggish creature, segnis quasi seignls, without fire; slow to action, which God, who is himself a pure act [spirit?], cannot abide.

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