APPENDIX. OF INTERPRETATION.

MANY of the preceding arguments rest on the interpre

tation of the Scripture passages cited. The interpretation sometimes requires remarks in justification. These remarks are now presented in the form of an Appendix, as briefly as possible, and in the order of the Biblical Books, as being the most convenient to the reader.

I. GENESIS III. 14, 15.

These verses are generally regarded as containing the first promise of redemption, and are important as exhibiting the nature of the promised deliverance. The English translation gives the sense as received by the Jews. 'Bruise' is the very best word that can be chosen here to express the Hebrew. The original word occurs in the same sense in Chaldee, as is legitimately observed by Rashi in his Commentary, and by Fürst in his Concordance; and by Gesenius in his German Manual of 1823, where he also compares the Talmudic use of the word in the same sense. The Vulgate has conteret.' The Syriac gives the same sense. The Syriac gives the same sense,

.ܬܡܚܐ and

The LXX has here τngnos, as the Vulgate has the second time insidiaberis;' but in Job ix. 17, it gives the other sense, exrpin. It is hardly necessary to say that the Vulgate ipsa' has no foundation in the Hebrew. Tis masculine, so, therefore, must the

The verb

be, as the

LXX and the Syriac render it. Not the woman, but the seed of the woman, is to bruise the serpent's head.

With respect to the interpretation, whether this third chapter of Genesis be regarded as an allegorical account of the fall of man and the introduction of evil, or a real history, these verses, 14, 15, must be interpreted as a promise of deliverance. In both points of view the serpent is a tempter-the yielding to temptation a sin followed by actual calamity. The promise of bruising the serpent's head must therefore signify deliverance, both from the moral and physical evil. I myself believe that the chapter contains a real history, narrated in all simplicity, as the facts appeared to our first parents, and probably handed down from themselves.

1. The book of Genesis is evidently a narrative of facts. The call of Abraham, the deluge, the wickedness of the Antediluvians, the birth of Seth, the murder of Abel, the birth of him and Cain, are all related as real history: these things are immediately connected with what precedes as part of the same narrative. There can, therefore, be no reason for making the preceding part an allegory.

2. The great majority of Jews and Jewish interpreters receive it and treat it as real history.

3. Our Lord, Matt. xix. 5, 6, refers to the creation of Eve as to real history. St. Paul, Rom. v. 12, 2 Cor. xi. 3, 1 Tim. ii. 13, 14, speaks of the temptation and fall in such a manner as to preclude the possibility of allegoric interpretation by any one who believes that St. Paul was inspired. The facts as related, then, are these. Eve was tempted by Both transgressed the

the serpent win, Adam by Eve. command of God, and incurred the penalty. They passed from the immortal state into the state of physical mortality, from innocence to a consciousness of guilt. Great and dreadful was the change both in body and mind. In this

state of suffering God mercifully entered into judgment, and promised that the head of the Tempter should be bruised by the seed of the woman. The promise was very general: perhaps obscure. As to the person of the Redeemer it may not have been as fully understood as by us (though of that we know nothing certain). As to the promise of future deliverance, I doubt not that it was better understood than it ever has been by any child of Adam. None of the human race but Adam and Eve were ever conscious of the happy state of innocence, immortality, and similitude to God. None, then, can comprehend as they did the awfulness of the fall into a state of guilt, sin, and physical mortality; and, therefore, none know the want of deliverance, or appreciate the particular nature of the deliverance required. Some writers are fond of talking of Adam and Eve as knowing nothing, and having only dim glimmerings of future salvation. I am persuaded that none of the readers of the New Testament ever understood the nature of ruin and redemption like that unhappy pair, who had actual experience of both states.

As to the person of the Tempter, we are not told whether they knew that it was Satan, and therefore can assert nothing about it. The narrative leads us to believe that he made use of the body of a serpent. The traditions of the Jews,* and the plain declarations of the New Testament, assure us that the real Tempter was the devil. We, therefore, can know that the promise of deliverance includes redemption from the powers of the devil, and all his works. The fact that it was given to Adam proves that the OldTestament doctrine of redemption refers not to the national

* See Eisenmenger's entdecktes Judenthum, I. p. 822; Breithaupt's Rashi, t. Gen. iii. 1, note 7; Moreh Nevochim, part ii. c. 30, in Buxtorf's translation, p. 280.

↑ John viii. 44; Rom. xv. 20; Rev. xii. 9.

restoration of the Jews, but to the deliverance of the human race from the evils of the fall. It becomes, therefore, the key to the promises which follow, and to the nature of Messiah's work; and at the very outset refutes all the rationalist assertions about the national particularism of the Jewish Scriptures.

II. GENESIS XLIX. 10.

'The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come.'

The English version gives the general sense correctly— 10 with following, signifies to cease.' Compare 1 Sam. vi. 3; 2 Sam. xii. 10, vii. 15; Zech. x. 11.

Da Sceptre' might be more accurately rendered 'Tribal Staff,' significant of the government of the tribe. Thus, verse sixteen of this chapter, Judges v. 14, Ps. xlv. 7, Amos i. 5, 8, Isaiah xiv. 5. Some Jews would interpret it of 'the rod of correction;' but this is refuted, first, by the parallelism. must have some meaning correlative to ppp 'Lawgiver:' second, by the general consent of the Jews. Onkelos has 19, LXX pxwv; and so Dr. Solomon of Hamburg, and Dr. Zunz, in their versions have 'Scepter' and 'Herscherstab.'

ppp 'Lawgiver' or 'Judge.' general meaning of this word. xxxiii. 22, Ps. lx. 9, Prov. viii. 15.

All are agreed as to the
See Judges v. 14, Isaiah
The last passage seems

to imply that ppp signifies a subordinate magistrate. The meaning then would be, 'Judah shall never want a chief or subordinate magistrates until, &c.'

'From between his feet.' See Deut. xxviii. 57, and Gen. xlvi. 26. Abarbanel takes it in the sense of sitting at the feet of a Rabbi to learn; but the true sense is conveyed by the passages referred to. Instead of the Samaritan has "Ty 'until.' Some Jews separate these words,