His glory [is like] the firstling of his
bullock
Such as were in Bashan, a country possessed by the posterity of
Joseph, see ( Psalms 22:12
) ( Amos 4:1 )
; and so might be called "his" bullock, or a young bull, was
reckoned both comely and majestic; so Menis or Mnevis, king of
Egypt, preferred a bull above all animals to be worshipped,
because the most beautiful of all, as Aelianus F23
relates; and Astarte, according to Sanchoniatho F24, put a
bull's head upon her own, as a sign of royalty or kingly power.
The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem refer this to the
birthright which belonged to Reuben, and was taken from him, and
given to Joseph, see ( 1 Chronicles
5:2 ) . Some will have Joshua intended by the firstling of
his bullock, so Jarchi; who was of the tribe of Ephraim, and so
famous for his strength and courage, his warlike exploits and
victories, and the glory, honour, and renown he obtained; and who
was a type of Christ, the first and only begotten Son of God, the
brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his
person; this is applied to the Messiah in some ancient Jewish
writings F25:
and his horns [are like] the horns of unicorns;
of the monoceros or rhinoceros; and as the strength of these
creatures, as of others, lies in their horns, these are figures
of the power and strength of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh,
the sons of Joseph; see ( Numbers
23:22 ) ;
with them he shall push the people together to the ends of
the earth;
not to the ends of the world, as if the posterity of Joseph
should carry their conquests and spread their dominion over all
people to the ends of the world, as the Targum of Jonathan
suggests; but to the ends of the land of Canaan, which was done
by Joshua, when he smote the thirty one kings of that country.
The word "push" is used in allusion to the horns of creatures,
with which they push, drive away from them, or hurt and destroy
those that annoy them:
and they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they [are]
the
thousands of Manasseh;
though Manasseh was the eldest son of Joseph, fewer are ascribed
to him than to Ephraim the younger, according to Jacob's
prediction, ( Genesis
48:19 ) . This has been in a spiritual sense verified in
Christ, the antitype of Joseph, the horn of salvation, who by his
great strength has vanquished all his, and the enemies of his
people, and even spoiled principalities and powers.