Genesis 49:21
Naphtali is a hind let loose
Onkelos applies it to the tribe itself, and to the goodness of
its land,
``as for Naphtali, his lot fell in a good land, and his
inheritance a fruit bearing one,''
as it was; for in it was the most fruitful country of Gennesaret,
which gave name to a sea or lake by it, and which abounded with
gardens, with palm trees, fig trees, and olive trees; and which,
Josephus says
F14 one might call the ambition of
nature; and Strabo
F15, an Heathen writer, says of it, that
it was an happy blessed country, and bearing all sorts of good
things; and Jarchi on the place observes, this is the vale of
Gennesaret, which is as quick to bring forth fruit, as a hind is
swift to run. Some will have this prophecy to be fulfilled in
Barak, as Ben Gersom, Abendana, and others, who was of this tribe,
and who at first was fearful like the hind, and backward to go out
to war when called, but afterwards readily went out with Deborah,
and at last gave goodly words in the song they both sung: but it
better describes the genius, disposition, and manners of the tribe,
who were kind and loving, swift and expeditious in their affairs;
lovers of liberty, well spoken persons, humane, affable, courteous,
of a good address and pleasing language, as follows:
he
giveth goodly words;
to those he converses with; and it may be applied, particularly to
Christ and his disciples, and to the inhabitants of this tribe in
his time, among whom they much were, see (
Matthew 4:13 ) (
9:1 ) he himself
is compared to the hind of the morning, (
Psalms 22:1 ) in the
title, and to a roe or a young hart, (
Song of
Solomon 2:9 Song of
Solomon 2:17 ) (
Song of
Solomon 8:14 ) for his amiableness and loveliness in himself,
and for his lovingness to his people, and for his swiftness to do
the will and work of his father, being sent out
F16, as the
word here used signifies, by him into this world, on the business
of man's salvation: and so his disciples, who were Galilaeans, were
swift to obey his call, and left all and followed him, and were
sent out by him to preach his Gospel; and both he and they may be
said to "give goodly words", as the doctrines of the Gospel are,
words of grace, truth, and life; wholesome, comfortable, pleasant
and delightful; good tidings of good things, of peace, pardon,
righteousness, salvation and eternal life by Christ: and the
inhabitants of this country in Christ's time were swift to run
after him, and hear him; panted after him as the hart after the
water brooks, and both received and gave out the goodly words of
the Gospel, and were made free thereby, and so like an hind let
loose. Bochart gives a different version of these words, which is
countenanced by the Septuagint version, Naphtali is a tree full of
shoots, or "a tree shot out, sprouting out beautiful branches"; but
as this is contrary to the points, and coincides with the next
verse, it is rejected by many learned men.