성경 주석서

And he saw that rest [was] good, and the land that [it was] pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

And he saw that rest was good. — He submitted to any burdens and hard conditions for a quiet life. This was a low poor spirit; and his posterity were, for the general, very unworthy and vile. For Issachar’s lot fell in Galilee. Joshua 19:18 , … Now, doth "any good come out of Galilee?" The best that we read of them was that they "had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do," 1 Chronicles 12:32 and were therefore in great account with David. But for action, it seems they were heavy-spirited, dull-mettled men; much like those "potters," mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:23 , "that dwelt among plants and hedges"; the base brood of their degenerated forefathers in Babylon. "He, he, come forth, and flee from the land of the north," said the Lord unto them. Zechariah 2:6 Cyrus also had proclaimed liberty to all that would, to return to Jerusalem. But these dull drones, because they got a poor living by making pots for the king of Babylon, thought themselves well as they were, and chose rather to stay under the hedges of Babylon. These are res obsoletae, so Junius renders the text there; things worn out and forgotten; and indeed they deserve to be forgotten.

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Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

Dan shall judge. — Here is an allusion to his name in the original; q.d., the Judger shall judge. This is a high honour, to sit in the seat of judicature, and no less a burden: Fructus honos oneris, fructus honoris onus. They that are called to this office must neither spare the great for might, nor the mean for misery; as they must have nothing to lose, so nothing to get neither; they must be above all price or sale; and straining out all self-affections, see to it that "justice, justice" - as Moses speaks, Deuteronomy 16:20 , marg.; that is, pure justice, without mud - run down as a mighty torrent.

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Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

Dan shall be a serpent by the way. — He shall subtly set upon his enemies, and suddenly surprise them: as they did the men of Laish; and as Samson, of this tribe, did the Philistines. Moses saith, "Dan is a lion’s whelp." Deuteronomy 33:22 But when his lion’s hide would not serve his turn, he could piece it out with his fox skin or serpent’s slough; Leoninae pelli vulpinam assuere. he could, if not outfight his enemies, outwit them: and -

“ … dolus, an virtus, quis in hoste requirat?” - Virg.

Of Decebalus, king of Dacians, it is reported, to his singular commendation, that he could, optime insidias facere, proelium committere, optime uti victoria, et acceptam cladem ferre moderate. καλως μεν νικη χρησασθαι, καλως δε και ητταν διαθειναι - Dio, in Vita Domit. All which were the parts and points of an excellent warrior.

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I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.

I have waited for thy salvation. — A sudden and sweet ejaculation; either, as, feeling himself faint and spent with speaking, he desires to be dissolved, and so to be freed from all infirmities; or else, foreseeing the defection of this tribe to idolatry, and their many miseries thereupon, he darts up this holy desire to God for them, and himself in them. Good Nehemiah is much in these heavenly ejaculation: and the ancient Christians of Egypt were wont to use very short and frequent prayers, saith Augustine; Ne per moras evanesceret et hebetaretur oratio. - Aug. lest, in longer, their fervour of affection should suffer diminution. "Why criest thou unto me?" saith God to Moses. Exodus 14:15 This was but a sudden desire darted up.

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Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.

Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but. — This is every good Christian’s case in the spiritual warfare; he conquers, John 16:33 but comes to it through many conflicts and counter buffs. He "made war upon the saints, and overcame them": Revelation 13:7 for a season it may be, according to human conceit howsoever. But "they conquered and overcame him," according to the truth of the thing, "by the blood of the Lamb," Revelation 12:11 in whom they do overcome, and "are more than conquerors." Romans 8:37 This was fulfilled in the tribe of Gad. 1 Chronicles 5:18-20

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Out of Asher his bread [shall be] fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

Out of Asher his bread shall be fat. — The "heart of the wheat," as the psalmist hath it. Psalms 81:16 Or, choicest bread corn. Moses expoundeth this; Asher shall "dip his foot in oil." Deuteronomy 33:24 That is, he shall dwell in "the horn of the son of oil," as the expression is. Isaiah 5:1 , marg. Or in a very fruitful corn country, which was a singular blessing, according to his name, which signifieth bliss and happiness.

He shall yield dainties for a king. — Kings use to feed of the finest. Newlander’s Cure, by Sir Edward Vaughan. Camd., Elisab. Sabellic. Aenead., ii. Plures pereunt gula quam gladio, lancibus quam lanceis, crapula quam capulo, … - Heidfeld. Bauson., lib. iii. cap. 1. Yet of Augustus we read, that he was never elaborate in his diet; but content with ordinary and common food. He never drank but thrice at one meal, and lived near fourscore years. Queen Elizabeth of England did seldom eat but one sort of meat, rose ever with an appetite, and lived about seventy years: King Edward VI called her by no other name than his "sweet sister Temperance." Contrarily, Sulla the Roman dictator, by surfeiting and banqueting, at last got a most miserable disease, and died full of lice. Surfeiters either dig their graves with their own teeth (the Grecians called the intemperate, ασωτους quasi ασωστους , as wanting health), or else they come to some untimely end, by the just judgment of God; as those monstrous epicures, Caligula, Heliogabalus, Geta the Emperor, who was served in with dainties by the alphabet. One while he would have anserem, anatem, aprum; another time he would have phasianum, farra, ficus; sometime again, pullum, pavonem, perdicem, porcellum, piscem, perham, … This was one of those Caesars who got nothing by their honour, but ut citius interficerentur.

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Naphtali [is] a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

Naphtali is a hind let loose. — Swift of foot; and which, when it flieth, looketh behind it, saith the Chaldee Paraphrast on Song of Solomon 8:14 . This was fulfilled in Barak of this tribe, who "went up on his feet" against Sisera’s iron chariots, Judges 4:6 ; Judges 4:10 ; Judges 4:15-16 which were first a terror, and afterwards a scorn, as Vegetius Veget., lib. i. cap. 24. saith of chariots, armed with scythes and hooks. Origen observes, that in all the victories God gave his people in Canaan, he never used the help of horses. The adversaries, both Egyptians and Canaanites, had chariots and horses: not so Israel. A horse is a warlike creature, full of terror, Job 39:19 Proverbs 21:31 so swift, that the Persians, as Pausanias ωαπερ ταχιστον τω ταχυρατω θεων . - Paus. hath it, dedicates him to their god the sun; as the swiftest creature, to the swiftest god. But what saith David? "A horse is a vain thing for safety." Psalms 33:17 And to the same purpose, Solomon: "A horse is prepared for the day of battle; but," when all is done, "salvation is of the Lord." Proverbs 21:31 This, Barak, with his friend Deborah, found, and celebrated in that famous song. Judges 5:1-31

He giveth goodly words. — In the aforesaid song, Christ also began to utter his words of grace in the land of Naphtali. Matthew 4:13 And this is the reason, that as, of the children by Leah’s side, Judah obtained the first place among those that were sealed, Revelation 7:5 because Christ sprang of him; so, of those on Rachel’s side, Naphtali is first named, because there he dwelt at Capernaum where he had hired a house and preached, ut ubique superemineat Christi praerogativa, saith a learned interpreter, Medes, in Apocalyps. Compare with this text Deuteronomy 33:23 , and then observe, that good words do ingratiate with God and men.

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Joseph [is] a fruitful bough, [even] a fruitful bough by a well; [whose] branches run over the wall:

Joseph is a fruitful bough. — Of the vine, saith the Chaldee Paraphrast. But it may be, Jacob meant it of the Egyptian fig tree, whereof Solinus reporteth that it beareth fruit seven times in the year; pull one fig, and another presently puts forth, saith he. Uno anno septies fructus sufficit. Unde pomum decerpseris, alterum sine mora protuberat. - Solin.

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