Being so benevolently human and so infinitely divine: True image of the Father, whether throned For Adam and his chosen sons, whom thou, A Saviour, art come down to re-instal, Where they shall dwell secure, when time shall be, But thou, infernal Serpent! shalt not long Or lightning, thou shalt fall from heaven, trod down Now enter, and begin to save mankind. CHAPTER XI. Jacob's benedictions on his sons. On Reuben. Exposition and analysis, critical and poetical. WE come now to the blessings pronounced by the patriarch Jacob upon his sons, immediately before his death. The chapter* in which these blessings occur, to the twenty-eighth verse, contains a succession of most important predictions relative to the future condition of the twelve tribes. These predictions were signally fulfilled in the progress of ages, and their gradual accomplishment has rendered intelligible the language of the prophecies, which else would have been utterly inscrutable. Notwithstanding, however, their extreme obscurity in some parts, they are full of the noblest poetical embellishment, as I hope to make appear. There is a grandeur, a massive force, a sublime eloquence, pervading the whole series we are about to examine, that elevates them to the first rank of poetical inspirations, in which human genius is vastly enhanced by those divine communications that at once exalt the spirit, refine the understanding, and purify the heart. There can be no doubt that the divine afflatus had the effect of developing those in * Genesis xlix. tellectual powers, which would never probably have been in any prominent degree manifested but for its operation. Many bright and beautiful things would have been thus lost to the world, which, apart from their inspiration, are calculated to provide for the man of taste so much exquisite literary enjoyment, in addition to that spiritual edification which they were especially designed to convey. We shall see, as we proceed, that these ancient compositions are unrivalled as displaying the highest attributes of poetry. They abound in strong metaphors, bold images, abrupt transitions, startling figures, and other peculiarities, which place them entirely out of the pale of prose. The first four lines, which form a sort of preface to the subsequent prophecies, are eminently expressive, exhibiting the usual gradational parallelism, of which they present a favourable specimen, gradually rising in fervour, of glowing tenderness and eloquent declamation. The whole series of predictions commences with an affectionate appeal by Jacob to his sons to assemble in a meeting of brotherly love, and come before him that he may bestow his benedictions upon them. Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you That which shall befal you in the last days: Gather yourselves together and hear, ye sons of Jacob, In the two latter verses the gradational paral lelism is observable. 66 Hear" and "hearken" are the first pair of parallel terms, and the re petition, if it have no other effect, considerably heightens the euphony of the sentence; but it does more than this, it vastly strengthens the sense, which is positively advanced in force by this reciprocal duplication of the phrases. "Hear" signifies simply to listen, but "hearken" implies the superlative of the same act-that is, to listen with deep attention. The next pair of parallels, immediately following the first pair, are, "ye sons of Jacob" and “Israel, your father." It will be perceived that the venerable man does not merely bid his sons attend to what he is about to say, but throws additional impressiveness into the command by what succeeds-"hearken unto Israel, your father." As if he had said hearken unto him whom God has especially favoured (which the name Israel implies), and who is your earthly parent.' The concluding word "father," being the natural correlative to "sons," in the preceding clause, is placed in immediate opposition to it in that which follows, and thus communicates a tone of natural tenderness to this simple but affecting exordium. The latter half of the third line and the whole of the fourth, are so similar in point of construction as to impart, even in our common version, where it was evidently not designed, but arises solely from the arrangement of the Hebrew phrases, a harmony of cadence so nearly allied to verse as almost to beguile the ear into the illusion of a perfect metrical arrangement. The reader will observe how the terms correspond in emphasis, as marked thus: And hear, ye sons of Jacob, And hearken unto Israel, your father! I need scarcely point out further that the construction in both these clauses is precisely similar, there being three emphatic words in each clause, which have an exact correspondency of emphasis. The only difference exists in the emphatic words in the latter clause having more syllables than those in the former, nevertheless, the rhythm in each clause is almost exactly correspondent. Herder has some interesting remarks upon these benedictions, which are well worthy of attention.* "When Jacob predicted to his sons their destiny, he scarcely conceived that they must conquer with the edge of the sword the land which he had promised them. He had quietly traversed it, and looked upon it as his father-land, where even in death his bones longed to find rest. This he divided to his sons, according to the traits of their several characters, as a land for herdsmen. Of a bloody conquest no trace of a conception is found in his benediction. He looked with horror upon the deed of Simeon and Levi in destroying a Canaanitish town and family, who yet had insulted his race. He probably supposed that his sons would soon range over the country again, and establish themselves here and there, as he had pointed out to them. But it was destined to be otherwise. Four hundred years the nation lingered in Egypt, and had no national leader. It sank under See Spirit of Hebrew Poetry, vol. ii. pp. 138–141. |