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THE

TARGUM,« OR CHALDEE PARAPHRASE,

ON THE

SONG OF SONGS.

CHAPTER I.

Verse 1. The song of songs, &c.] The songs and hymns which Solomon the prophet, king of Israel, delivered by the (b) spirit of prophecy, before Jehovah, the Lord of the whole world. Ten songs are sung in this world; but this is the most excellent of them all. The first song Adam sang, at the time when his sins were forgiven him; and when the sabbath-day came, he put a covering upon his lips, and sang (c) a psalm or song for the sabbath-day. The second song sang Moses with the children of Israel, at the time when the Lord of the world divided the Red Sea for them; then they all of them opened their mouths, and sang as one song, as it is written (d), "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel." The third song the children of Israel sang at the time that the well of water was given to them, as it is written (e), "Then sang Israel." The fourth song Moses the prophet sang, when his time was come to (ƒ) depart out of the world, and in which he reproved the people of the house of Israel, as it is written (g), "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak." The fifth song Joshua the son of Nun sang, when he fought in Gibeon, and the sun and moon stood still for him (h) thirty and six hours: when they ceased from singing, he himself

(a) The word

signifies an exposition, or interpretation, or a translation of one language into another; and here of the Hebrew text into the Chaldee language with an explanation. The first use of these translations was after the return of the Jews from Babylon, where they had almost lost the Hebrew language; and, therefore, were necessary for the understanding the law and the prophets. The translation of the five books of Moses was done by Onkelos, and that of the prophets by Jonathan Ben Uzziel, the former of whom lived a little after Christ, and the latter a little before him: but the translation of the Hagiographa, among which is this book of Canticles, is generally thought to be done by R. Joseph Cæcus. The paraphrase on this book could not have been written till after the finishing of the Talmud, seeing express mention is made of it there. (b) Which is the Holy Spirit, as it is afterwards explained. What the Targum says of this book is the mind of Jewish writers in general. Vide Mishna, Tract. Yadaim, c. 3. s. 5. Shirhashirim Rabba, in ver. 1. Midrash Koheleth, in ver. 1. Zohar, in Exod. fol. 59. 3. Jarchi and Aben Ezra, in Præfat. in Cant. Kimchi in 1 Reg. 11. 41.

(c) Ps. xcii., which psalm many Jewish writers think was made by the first man Adam; so Targum in Ps. xcii. Zohar in Gen. fol. 43. 2. Vajikra Rabba, Parash. 10. But in Shemoth

opened his mouth, and sang this song, as it is written (i), "Then sang Joshua before the Lord." The sixth song Barak and Deborah sang, in the day that the Lord delivered Sisera and his army into the hands of the children of Israel, as it is written (k), “Then sang Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam." The seventh song Hannah sang, at the time when a son was given her by the Lord, as it is written (1), "And Hannah prayed by the spirit of prophecy, and said." The eighth song David the king of Israel sang, on the account of all the wonders which the Lord did for him. He opened his mouth, and sang this song, as it is written (m), "And David sang by the spirit of prophecy before the Lord." The ninth song Solomon the king of Israel sang by the Holy Spirit before Jehovah, the Lord of the whole world. And the tenth song the children of the captivity shall sing at the time when they shall come out of captivity; as it is written and explained by Isaiah the prophet (n), This song shall be unto you for joy in the night, that the feast of the passover is kept holy, and gladness of heart; as when the people go to appear before the Lord, three times in the year, with all kinds of music, and sound of the pipe, when they go up to the mountain of the

Rabba, Parash. 23, it is said that Adam never composed any song: and that the song which Moses and the children of Israel sangat the Red Sea, was the first that ever was sung in the world; and, indeed, it is the first that is mentioned in Scripture. (d) Exod. xv. 1 (e) Numb. xxi. 17.

(f) A phrase expressive of aeath. See Phil. i. 23. (g) Deut. xxxii. 1.

(h) In Josh. x. 13, it is said, that "the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down on 012, “ about a whole day," or a complete day, which, if we understand of an artificial day, was but twelve hours; and if of a natural day, twenty-four hours. Kimchi, on Josh. x. 13, says that this miracle was wrought in the summer solstice, and on the longest day in the year, which in the land of Canaan consists but of fourteen hours; whereas the Targum here says, the sun stood still thirty-sixt hours, which makes three artificial days, or one natural day and a half. Vide Ecclus. xlvi. 5.

(2) So the Targum on Josh. x. 12.
(k) Judg. v. 1.

(4) So the Targum on 1 Sam. ii. 1.
(m) So the Targum on 2 Sam. xxii. 1.

(n) Much to the same purpose is the Targum on Isai. 151.9

The Targum, or Chaldee paraphrase, on the Song of Songs.

Lord, to worship before the Lord, the mighty one of tabernacle; therefore the shechinah of the Lord dwelt Israel. among them and Moses, their master, went up into the (w) firmament, and made peace between them and their King.

Verse 2. Let him kiss me, &c.] Solomon the prophet said, "Blessed be the name of the Lord," who hath given us the law by the hands of Moses, (o) the great scribe, written upon two tables of stone, and the six parts of the (p) Mishna and Talmud (q) to study in; and he was speaking to us face to face, as a man kisseth his friend, because of the greatness of the love with which he loved us more than (r) the seventy nations.

Verse 3. Because of the savour, &c.] At the report of thy wonders and of thy power, which thou wroughtest for thy people the house of Israel. All the nations trembled who heard of the fame of thy greatness, and of thy favours; and thy holy name was heard in all the earth, which is more excellent than the anointing oil that was poured upon the heads of the kings and priests; and, therefore, the righteous love to walk in thy good way, that they may possess (s) this world, and the world to come.

Verse 4. Draw me, &c.] When the people of the house of Israel came out of Egypt, the sicchinan of the Lord of the world went before them (t) in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. The righteous of that generation said, Lord of all the world, draw us after thee, and we will run in thy good way; and bring us to the foot of Mount Sinai, and give us the law out of thy treasure house, the firmament; and we will rejoice and be glad, in the (u) twenty-two letters with which it is written; and we will remember them, and love thy deity; and will withdraw ourselves from the idols of the nations; and all the righteous which do what is right before thee shall fear thee, and love thy commandments.

Verse 5. I am black, &c.] When the house of Israel made the calf, their faces became black, like the sons of Cush (v), which dwell in the tents of Kedar: but when they returned by repentance, and were forgiven, the brightness of the glory of their faces was increased, like the angels', because they made curtains for the

(0) So Ezra is called a "scribe of the law of the God of heaven," Ezra vii. 11, 12.

(p) The Mishna, which consists of six parts, is a collection of the traditions of the Jews, or their oral law, compiled by R. Judah about the year of Christ 150.

(q) Or the Gemara, as it is read in Targum Triplex, printed with the Pentateuch. Of this Gemara, or Talmud, there are two sorts; the one is called the Jerusalem Talmud, which R. Jochanan collected together, about the year of Christ 230; the other is called the Babylonian Talmud, which was begun by R. Ase, in the year 367, who was succeeded in it by Maremar, in the year 427, and at last was finished by Avina, in the year 500. The former was written for the use of the Jerusalem Jews; the latter, for those in Babylon and other parts, and is most esteemed. It contains the disputations and decisions of the Jewish doctors upon the Mishna. Vide Buxtorf. Biblioth. Rab. p.425.

(r) It is a generally received opinion among the Jews that seventy angels descended and confounded the language at Babel, from which time the earth was divided into seventy different nations, speaking seventy different languages. Vide Targam Jon. in Gen. xi. 7, 9.

(s) A like phrase see in Eph. i. 21. Matt. xii. 32. (1) Vide Exod. xiii. 21, 22.

Verse 6. Look not upon me, &c.] The congregation of Israel said before the nations, Do not despise me, because I am blacker than you, for I have done according to your works, and have (a) worshipped the sun and moon; for false prophets have been the cause that the fierce anger of the Lord hath come down upon me; and they taught me to worship your idols, and to walk in your laws: but the Lord of the world, who is my God, I have not served, nor walked in his commandments, nor have I kept his statutes and his

law.

Verse 7. Tell me, O thou, &c.] When the time of Moses the prophet was come, to (y) depart out of the world, he said before the Lord, It is revealed unto me that this people will sin, and go into captivity; now show me how they shall be governed and dwell among the nations, whose decrees are grievous as the heat, and as the scorchings of the sun at zoon, in the (2) summer solstice; and wherefore it is that they shall wander among the flocks of the sons of Esau and Ishmael, who join to thee their idols, for companions.

Verse 8. If thou know not, &c.] The holy blessed God said to Moses the prophet, It is their desire to smite the captivity of the congregation of Israel, which is like to a fair damsel: but my soul loveth her, therefore let her walk in the ways of the righteous, and let her order her prayer according to the direction of her governors, and let her lead her posterity, and teach her children, which are like to the kids of the goats, to go to the synagogue, and the school; and by that righteousness they shall be governed in the captivity, until the time that I send the king Messiah, and he shall lead them quietly to their habitations; yea, he shall bring them to the house of the sanctuary, which David and Solomon, the shepherds of Israel, built for them.

(u) The number of Hebrew letters in the alphabet. R. Isaac, in Shirhashirim Rabba in loc., gives the same sense of the words. which he collects from the word 72 bach, in thee, beth standing numerically for two, and 7 caph, for twenty.

(") The Ethiopians. Shirhashirim Rabba in loc. explains the words by Amos ix. 7: "Are ye not as the children of the Ethiopians unto me," &c.

(w) It is a received opinion among the Jews that Moses went up into the firmament of heaven; though the Scriptures only signify that he went up into Mount Sinai, and was in the midst of the cloud with God there. So the Targum on ver. 11, 12, 14; and on Ps. Ixviii. 18.

(x) So it is explained in Shirhashirim Rabba in loc. See Deut. xvii. 3. Job xxxi. 26, 27. 2 Kings xxiii. 5, 11. Ezek. viii. 16 (y) See note on ver. 1.

(z) The Jews, as here and elsewhere, call it non pr tekuphath Tumnuz, “the revolution of Tammuz.” The sun is so called Ezek. viii. 14, which was worshipped under this name; it, answers in part to our June, when the sun enters into the tropic of Cancer, and is what is meant by this revolution, Maimon. Hilch. Kiddush Hachodesh, c. 9, s. 2. Vide Targum, Jon. in Gen. viii. 22.

The Targum, or Chaldee paraphrase, on the Song of Songs.

Israel.

Verse 12. While the king sitteth, &c.] Whilst Moses their master was in the firmament, to receive the two tables of stone, and the law, and the commandments, the wicked of that generation, and the mixed multitude that was among them, rose up and made a golden calf, and caused their works to stink; and there went out an evil report of them in the world, for before this time a fragrant odour of them was diffused in the world: but afterwards they stant like (e) nard, whose smell is very bad; and the plague of leprosy came down upon their flesh.

Verse 9. To a company of horses, &c.] When | in them (d), forty-nine ways; and they shall be Israel went out of Egypt, Pharaoh and his host pur- given by thine hand unto the people of the house of sued after them with chariots and horsemen, and their way was shut up on the four sides of them; on the right hand and on the left were wildernesses full of fiery serpents, and behind them was wicked Pharaoh and his army, and before them was the Red Sea. What did the holy blessed God do? He was manifested in the power of his might upon the Red Sea, and dried the sea up; but the mud he did not dry up. The wicked and the mixed multitude, and the strangers which were among them, said, The waters of the sea he is able to dry up; but the mud he is not able to dry up. In that very hour the fierce anger of the Lord came upon them; and he sought to drown them in the waters of the sea, as Pharaoh and his army, his chariots, and his horsemen, and his horses, were drowned; had it not been for Moses, the prophet, who spread his hands in prayer before the Lord, and turned away the anger of the Lord from them. Then he and the righteous of that generation opened their mouths, and sang a song, and passed through the Red Sea on dry land, because of the righteousness of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the

beloved of the Lord.

Verse 10. Thy cheeks are comely, &c.] When they went out into the wilderness, the Lord said to Moses, How fair is this people; that the words of the law should be given unto them; and they shall be as bridles in their jaws, that they may not depart out of the good way, as a horse turneth not aside that has a bridle in his jaw; and how fair is their neck to bear (a) the yoke of my commandments; and it shall be upon them as a yoke upon the neck of a bullock, which plougheth in the field, and feeds both itself and its master!

Verse 11. We will make thee borders of gold, &c.] Then was it said to Moses, Go up into the firmament, and I will give thee the two tables of stone, hewed out of the (b) sapphire of the throne of my glory, shining as the best gold, disposed in rows, written with my finger, in which are engraven the (c) ten words, purer than silver that is purified seven times seven, which is the number of the things explained

(a) It is very common in Jewish writings to compare the law to a yoke; so Targum, in Lam. iii. 27. Mishna, Tract. Berac. c. 2, s. 2. Pirk. Aboth. c. 3, s. 5. Midrash Echa Rabbati, fol. 56, 3. Bereshith Rabba, Parash. 98. Bemidbar Rabba, Parash. 13. See Matt. xi. 29, and Acts xv. 10.

(b) So Targ. Jon. in Exod. xxxi. 18. Zohar in Exod., fol. 35, 1. Jarchi in Exod. xxxiv. 1. See Exod. xxiv. 10, and Ezek. i. 26.

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(c) The decalogue or ten commandments. (d) In Ps. xii. 6, the place here referred to, the "words of the Lord" are said to be "as silver purified seven times;" where by yaw shibathayim some of the Jewish rabbins, agreeably to the Targum here, understand seven times seven, which makes forty-nine; and so many ways they say the law is capable of being interpreted, and that he is a wise man who is acquainted with them. Midrash Agada in Jarchi, in Ps. xii. 6. Midrash Kohelet, in c. 8, v. 1. Vajikra Rabba, Parash. 26, and Yade Mose, in ib. Bemidbar Rabba, Parash. 19.

(e) In Buxtorf's Bible it is read 7 kegida, "like wormwood," which, indeed, well agrees with what is said of it;

Verse 13. A bundle of myrrh, &c.] At that time the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, for the people have corrupted themselves; desist from speaking to me, and I will destroy them. Then Moses returned and asked mercy of the Lord; and the Lord remembered for them the (ƒ) binding of Isaac, whom his father bound on (g) Mount Moriah, upon the altar; and the Lord turned from his fierce anger, and caused his shechinah to dwell among them as before.

Verse 14. A cluster of camphire, &c.] Lo, then went Moses down with the two tables of stone in his hands; and because of the sins of Israel his hands grew heavy, and they fell and were broken. Then went Moses, and ground (h) the calf to powder, and scattered the dust of it upon the river, and made the children of Israel drink it, and slew all that deserved to die, and went up a second time into the firmament, and prayed before the Lord, and made atonement for the children of Israel; then was he commanded to make a tabernacle and an ark. Immediately Moses hastened, and made the tabernacle, and all its furniture, and the ark; and he put in the ark the two other tables, and appointed the sons of Aaron the priests to offer the offerings upon the altar, and to pour the wine upon the offerings: but from whence had they wine to pour? For in the wilderness they had no proper place for sowing, neither had they fig-trees, nor vines, nor pomegranates; but they went to the vineyards of En-gedi, and took clusters of grapes from thence, and pressed wine out of them,

though Matthiolus says of nard, that when it has lost its sweet smell it stinks exceedingly. His words are these: Plerumque accidit dum per Indicum et Arabicum mare in Alexandriam defertur, et unde Venetias, ut ascito sibi maris humore d namque facile sit quod nardus sit siccissima) vel situm contrahat, vel supputrescat: unde postea amissa suaveolentia, graviter oleat.-Matthiolus in Dioscor. l. 1, c. 6.

(f) The Jews suppose the binding of Isaac to be very meritorious, and that by virtue of it their sins are expiated, and many blessings procured for them; and therefore in the beginning of the year they pray to God, that in mercy to Israel be would remember the binding of Isaac. Seder Tephillot, föl. 282, 1, 2. Edit. Basil. 1578. See Targum and Jarchi on Mic. vii. 20. Shirhashirim Rabba in c. 1, 14. Jarchi in Exod xxxii. 13. Shemoth Rabba, Parash. 44.

(g) The Jews say, that in this same place Adam, Cain, Abel, and Noah built altars, and sacrificed. Maimon. Hilch. Beth. Habbechira, c. 2, s. 2. Targum Jon. in Gen. viii. 20, and xxii. 9. Here Solomon afterwards built the temple, 2 Chron. in. 1. (h) Exod. xxxii. 20.

The Targum, or Chaldee paraphrase, on the Song of Songs.

and poured it upon the altar, the fourth part of an hin to one lamb.

Verse 15. Behold, thou art fair, &c.] When the children of Israel performed the will of their King, he (i) himself praised them, in the (k) family of the holy angels, and said, How fair are thy works, my daughter, my beloved, O congregation of Israel, in the time that thou doest my will, and studiest in the words of my law; and how well ordered are thy works and thy affairs, as young doves that are fit to be offered up upon the altar!

Verse 16. Behold, thou art fair, &c.] The congregation of Israel answered before the Lord of the world, and thus she said, How fair is the shechinah

(1) Ch. ** bemeymreyh, “by his word."

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of thy holiness, when thou dwellest among us, and receivest our prayers with acceptance, and when thou dwellest in our beloved bed, and our children are multiplied in the world, and we increase and multiply like a tree that is planted by a fountain of water, whose leaf is fair, and whose fruit is plenteous! Verse 17. The beams of our house, &c.] Solomon the prophet said, How beautiful is the house of the sanctuary of the Lord, which is built by my hands of wood of (1) Gulmish: but far more beautiful will be the house of the sanctuary, which shall be built (m) in the days of the king Messiah, whose beams will be of the cedars of the garden of Eden, and whose rafters will be of brutine, fir, and box.

(k) The Latin word familia is here used by the paraphrast; of the Messiah. See R. Abendan. not. in Miclol Yophi, and compare with this Eph. iii. 15, Luke xii. 8.

(4) A kind of cedar, see Eliæ Levitæ Methurgeman in voce. Targum Jon. in Numb. xix. 6, and Ketoreth Hassammim, in ib.

(m) The Jews expect a third temple to be built in the days Abarbinel in Hagg. ii. 9. R. Isaac Chizuk Emun. par. 1, c. 34. Bemidbar Rabba, Parash. 14.

CHAPTER II.

his commandments I took upon me in love, and said, All that the Lord commandeth I will do, and will obey.

Verse 1. I am the rose of Sharon, &c.] The con- | mouth of Moses the great scribe; and the banner of gregation of Israel said, When the Lord of the world causes his (a) shechinah to dwell in the midst of me, I am like the green daffodil of the garden of Eden, and my works are fair as the rose which is in the plain of the garden of Eden.

Verse 2. As the lily among thorns, &c.] But when I turn aside out of the way that is right before me, and he removes the shechinah of his holiness from me, I am like to a rose which flourishes among thorns, by which its leaves are pricked through and torn: even so am I pricked through and torn with wicked edicts, in the captivity among the (b) kings of the nations.

Verse 3. As the apple-tree among the trees, &c.] As the pomecitron-tree is beautiful, and to be praised among the unfruitful trees, and all the world knows it; so the Lord of the world was praised among the angels, when he was revealed on Mount Sinai, and gave the law unto his people; in that very hour I desired to sit under the shadow of his shechinah, and the words of his law were (c) fixed upon the roof of my mouth, and the reward of his commands is reserved for me in the world to come.

Verse 4. He brought me, &c.] The congregation of Israel said, The Lord brought me to the school which is in (d) Sinai, to learn the law from the

(a) The word shechinah comes from w shachan, which signifies to dwell, and Elias Levita, in his Methurgeman, says that their wise men called the Holy Spirit so, because it dwelt upon the prophets; though perhaps, he says, there may be another sense of it among the Cabalistic doctors, of which he declares himself ignorant. It seems to intend the glorious majesty and presence of God with his church and people, and is the same with St. John's orŋvŋ τov Oɛov, tabernacle or habitation of God, which is said to be with men, Rev. xxi. 3; and may very well be applied to the Messiah, Jesus, who was made flesh, kai tokŋvwoev, and dwelt among us, John i. 14. (b) In Buxtorf's Bible it is read 55 pilkey, "the provinces of the nations."

Verse 5. Stay me with flagons, &c.] But when I heard his voice, which spake out of the midst of the flame of fire, I trembled, and went backwards because of fear. Then I drew near to Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, Receive ye the voice of the words of the Lord, out of the midst of the fire, and bring me to the school, and sustain me with the words of the law on which the world is founded, and put veils upon my neck; for the interpretation of the holy words, which are sweet to my palate, are as the apples of the garden of Eden, and I will study in them: perhaps I may be healed by them, for I am sick of love.

Verse 6. His left hand is under my head, &c.] When the people of the house of Israel were travelling in the wilderness, they had (e) four clouds of glory at the four winds of the world round about them, that the (ƒ) evil eye might not rule over them. There was one above them, that the heat and sun, as also the rain and hail, might not have power over them; and one below them, which carried them as a nurse carrieth her sucking child in her bosom; and another ran before them, at the distance of three days' journey, (g) to level the mountains, and to

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The Targum, or Chaldee paraphrase, on the Song of Songs.

elevate the plains; and it slew all the fiery serpents and scorpions which were in the wilderness; and it spied out a convenient place for them to lodge in, that they might study in the doctrine of the law, which was given them by the right hand of the Lord.

Verse 7. I charge you, O ye daughters, &c.] After that it was commanded Moses, by the spirit of prophecy from the Lord, to send spies to spy the land, and when they returned from spying it, they brought an evil report upon the land of Israel, wherefore they tarried forty years in the wilderness. Moses opened his mouth, and thus he said, I adjure you, O congregation of Israel, by the Lord of hosts, and by the fortresses of the land of Israel, that ye presume not to go up to the land of Canaan until it is the will of the Lord; lest the whole generation of warlike men perish from the camp, even as your brethren, the children of Ephraim (h), who went out thirty years from Egypt, before the time came, and they fell into the hand of the Philistines, which dwell in Gath, and they slew them: but tarry ye unto the end of forty years, and your children shall go up and inherit it.

Verse 8. The voice of my beloved, &c.] Solomon the king said, When the people of the house of Israel dwelt in Egypt, their cry went up to the highest heavens. Lo! then was the glory of the Lord revealed to Moses on Mount Horeb; and he sent him into Egypt to deliver them, and to bring them out of the oppression of the tyranny of Egypt; and he leaped over the appointed season through the righteousness of their fathers, who are like to mountains; and he skipped over the time of an hundred and ninety years' (i) servitude, through the righteousness of their mothers, who are like to hills.

Verse 9. My beloved is like a roe, &c.] The congregation of Israel said, When the glory of the Lord was revealed in Egypt, in the night of the passover, and slew all the first-born, he rode upon a swift

(h) The same story is reported in Targum Jon. in Exod. xiii. 7, where it is said that the number of the slain in this expedition was two hundred thousand mighty men, and that these are the dry bones Ezekiel saw in the valley, which upon his prophesying lived, and became an exceeding great army, Ezek. xxxvii. Something of this story is also hinted at in Shirhashirim Rabba, and Aben Ezra in loc. Vide 1 Chron. vii. 21, 22, and Kimchi, in ibid.

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cloud, and ran like a roe or a young hart, and protected the houses in which we were, and stood behind our wall, and looked out of the windows, and beheld through the lattices, and saw the blood of the sacrifice of the passover, and the blood of circumcision which was fixed upon our gates; and he hastened from the highest heavens, and saw his people, who eat of the sacrifice of the feast which was roasted with fire, with (k) Tamca and Ulshin, and unleavened bread; and he spared us, and did not give power to the destroying angel to destroy us.

Verse 10. My beloved spake, and said unto me, &c.] And in the morning my beloved answered, and said unto me, Arise, O congregation of Israel, my love, who wast so of old, and who art fair in good works; go, get thee out from the bondage of the Egyptians.

Verse 11. For lo, the winter is past, &c.] For behold, the time of bondage, which is like to winter, is ceased; and the years (1) which I spake of to Abraham between the pieces are at an end; and the tyranny of the Egyptians, which is like to a violent rain, is over and gone; neither shall ye see them any more for ever.

Verse 12. The flowers appear on the earth, &c.] And Moses and Aaron, (m) who are like to branches of palm-trees, appeared to do wonders in the land of Egypt; and the time of cutting the first-fruits is come, and the voice of the Holy Spirit of redemption, which I spake of to Abraham your father. Now ye hear what I said unto him; yea, the people whom ye shall serve I will judge, and after that ye shall come forth with great substance; and now it is my pleasure to do what I sware to him by my word.

Verse 13. The fig-tree putteth forth, &c.] The congregation of Israel, which is like to the first-fruits of figs, opened her mouth, and sang a song at the Red Sea; yea, the babes and sucklings praised the Lord of the world with their tongues. Immediately the Lord of the world said unto them, Arise, O corgregation of Israel, my love, and my fair one, and go

years may be reckoned after this manner: From the birth of Isaac to the birth of Jacob sixty years, Gen. xxv. 26; from thence to the coming of Jacob into Egypt one hundred and thirty years, Gen. xlvii, 9; and from thence to the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt two hundred and ten years; which completes the number. And if we begin the date from Abraham's going out from Ur of the Chaldees, and allow five years for his dwelling in Haran, as the Jews do, see Abea (2) The Jews unanimously agree, that from the time of Jacob's Ezra in Exod. xii. 40; from whose departure from thence to going down to Egypt to the coming up of the Israelites from the birth of Isaac were twenty-five years, Gen. xii. 4, and xxi. 5; thence were just two hundred and ten years; Targum Jon. in which thirty years, being added to the above-said four hundred, Exod. xii. 40. Shirhashirim Rabba, in c. 2, ver. 11, 17. She-make up the number given by Moses, Exod. xii. 40, and by the moth Rabba, Parash. 18. Jarchi in Gen. xv. 13, and in Exod. apostle Paul, Gal. iii, 17. xii. 40; which some of them collect from the word 177 redu, 'get you down," used by Jacob, Gen. xlii. 2, when he ordered his sons to go down to Egypt, and buy corn, the letters of which word numerically make up 210. Bemidbar Rabba, Parash. 13. Jarchi in Gen. xlii. 2. R. Abendana not. in Miclol Yophi in Exod. xii. 40; to which two hundred and ten years if we add the one hundred and ninety, which the Targumist here says were skipped over in order to hasten the deliverance of the Israelites from their bondage, there will be just the four hundred years God spake of to Abraham, Gen. xv. 13, and mentioned by Stephen, Acts vii. 6, in which his seed should be a stranger, serve, be afflicted and evilly intreated; which four hundred

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(k) The names of the bitter herbs with which the paschal lamb was eaten, Exod. xii. 8. The same are mentioned in Targum Jon. in Exod. xii. 8; and in some of their writings three other herbs are mentioned, the names of which are Che zareth, Charcabina, and Meror, by which they intend borehound, endive, wild lettuce, cichory, and such like herbs; for they themselves do not seem very well to understand them. See Misna Tract. Pesach. c. 2, s. 6. Jarchi ib., and Mainon Tract. Chametz. Umetza, c. 7, s. 13.

(7) So it is explained in Shirhashirim Rabba, and by Jarch in loc.

(m) So Shirbashirim Rabba, and Jarchi in loc.

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