創世記 49:14

14 以 薩 迦 是 個 強 壯 的 驢 , 臥 在 羊 圈 之 中 。

創世記 49:14 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 49:14

Issachar is a strong ass
Or as one, the note of similitude being wanting, as Ben Melech observes; "a bony" F5 one, as the word signifies; not one that is lean, and nothing but skin and bones, as some interpret it, but that is strong and robust, able to carry burdens; and this tribe is compared to an ass, not for stupidity and sluggishness, but for its strength, and its use in husbandry, in which this tribe was chiefly occupied: the Targums of Jonathan and Jarchi interpret this figuratively, of his being strong to bear the yoke of the law: and it is a notion of the Jews, that this tribe were skilful in the doctrines of the law, and the intercalation of years, &c. from ( 1 Chronicles 12:32 ) couching down between two burdens: one hanging on one side, and another on the other; which Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret of bales of goods; and may as well be understood of sacks of corn, or anything else, carried by these creatures, which, when they come into a good pasture, and for the sake of that and ease, will lie down with their burdens on them, and rise up again with them: the Targums of Onkelos and Jerusalem paraphrase it, "between two borders" {f}, or the borders of his brethren, as Jonathan, Zebulun and Dan, between which this tribe lay; and this is the reason Aben Ezra gives why Issachar, who was older than Zebulun, is mentioned after him, and between him and Dan, because his land lay between them; and so it may be observed, that in the division of the land in Joshua's time, Issachar's lot came up after Zebulun's, ( Joshua 19:10-23 ) but Doctor Lightfoot thinks F7 it refers to the two kingdoms, between which it lay, that of Phoenicia on one side, and that of Samaria on the other.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 (Mrg rmx) "Asinus osseus", Montanus, Tigurine version, Munster, Vatablus, Drusius, Piscator, Cartwright.
F6 (Mytpvmh Nyb) "inter terminos", V. L. "inter terminos duos", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Cartwright; so Ainsworth, "inter duos finos", Tigurine version.
F7 Works, vol. 1. p. 698.

創世記 49:14 In-Context

12 他 的 眼 睛 必 因 酒 紅 潤 ; 他 的 牙 齒 必 因 奶 白 亮 。
13 西 布 倫 必 住 在 海 口 , 必 成 為 停 船 的 海 口 ; 他 的 境 界 必 延 到 西 頓 。
14 以 薩 迦 是 個 強 壯 的 驢 , 臥 在 羊 圈 之 中 。
15 他 以 安 靜 為 佳 , 以 肥 地 為 美 , 便 低 肩 背 重 , 成 為 服 苦 的 僕 人 。
16 但 必 判 斷 他 的 民 , 作 以 色 列 支 派 之 一 。
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