fied with simply guessing at their meaning, or supposing, that they either confirm or desert, what he may have been led to regard as the sense of the original; but must be practically acquainted with the established usage obtaining in each Version, and the particular character of their different renderings.

The Rabbinical Lexicons and Commentaries furnish the next source of Hebrew interpretation. Not that this source is to be admitted as a principium cognoscendi, or an infallible criterion, by which to judge of the true signification of Hebrew words; but, considering that the Rabbins of the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries, whose works alone are here taken into account, possessed a knowledge of the Arabic as their vernacular language, or in which, at least, they were well versed; that they were familiar with the traditional interpretation of the synagogue, as contained in the Talmud and other ancient Jewish writings, or transmitted through the medium of oral communication; and, that they were mostly men of great learning, who rose superior to the trammels of tradition, and did not scruple to give their own views respecting the meaning of certain words and phrases in opposition to the voice of antiquity; it must be conceded, that no small degree of philological aid may reasonably be expected from their writings.

The last means consists in a proper use of the cognate dialects. These are the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic, Samaritan, Phenician, and the Talmudical Hebrew. All these dialects possess, to a great extent, in common with the Hebrew, the same radical words, the same derivatives, the same mode of derivation, the same forms, the same grammatical N. S. No. 37.

structure, the same phrases, or modes of expression, and the same, or nearly the same signification of words. They chiefly differ in regard to accentuation, the use of the vowels, the transmutation of consonants of the same class, the extent of signification in which certain words are used, and the peculiar appropriation of certain words, significations, and modes of speech, which are exhibited in one dialect to the exclusion of the rest.

These languages, when judi-ciously applied to the illustration of the Hebrew Scriptures are useful in many ways. They confirm the precise signification of words, both radicals and derivatives, already ascertained and adopted from other sources. They discover many roots or primitives, the derivatives only of which occur in the Hebrew Bible. They are of eminent service in helping to a knowledge of such words as occur but once, or at least, but seldom in the sacred writings, and they throw much light on the meaning of phrases, or idiomatical combinations of words-such combinations being natural to them all as branches of the same stock, or, to some of them in common, in consequence of certain more remote affinities.

It is to the superiority, which the school of Halle has attained in the combined application of these different means to the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, that we are indebted for the valuable Lexicon, to which we would now particularly solicit the atten-tion of our readers. Dr. Gesenius, the author of the German works, from which this Lexicon has been edited, is Professor of Divinity at the University of Halle, and has, by the improvements which he has introduced into Hebrew philology, brought about a new

F

era in this department-an era in which, it is probable, a more radical and extensive knowledge of the language will be attained than has been possessed since it ceased to be vernacular. In the years 1810-12, he published a Hebrew and German Lexicon in two large octavo volumes, and in 1815, an abridgment, in one volume, for the more convenient use of students, of which a second edition, greatly improved and enlarged, appeared in 1823. From these, and from the large grammar published in 1817, and the richly Critical Commentary on Isaiah, published in 1820-1, Mr. Gibbs, one of the tutors of the Theological Seminary at Andover, in America, has prepared the work, a new edition of which is now offered to the English public. It is, in fact, properly a translation of the abridgment, or smaller Lexicon, with additions and corrections from the later philological works of Gesenius, just mentioned.

Unlike the plan pursued in the construction of former Hebrew Lexicons, the order of the words in this is not etymological, but strictly alphabetical, in accordance with the arrangement long adopted in other languages: an arrangement, which, while it relieves the beginner from the numerous perplexities to which he would otherwise be subjected in endeavouring to find out the roots, does not exclude them from the attention they demand; since, under each derivative, the root from which it springs is distinctly marked. On the other hand, all the derivatives, which do not immediately follow in the order of the Lexicon, are given under each root.

Particular attention has been paid, in the articles containing the verbs, to the exhibition of the various connexions and construc

tions in which a verb occurs, especially in regard to the different prepositions and particlesan exact knowledge of which is, perhaps, in no language so indispensable as in the Semitic dialects. The different phrases and idioms, which, no less than single words, belong to the formative part of a language, have been carefully collected, and perspicuously classified; the peculiarities of certain classes of writers, and also of single writers have been definitely marked; and the difference by which the poetic style is removed from the prose of common historic narrative clearly pointed out. Reference is also made to the distinction, which some have observed between the more ancient and more recent Hebrew of the Old Testament; and an account is furnished of those words which are defective in some of their forms, and are therefore borrowed from some other words, like the anomalous Greek verbs.

In arranging the different significations of a word, Gesenius has been peculiarly happy. Seizing hold of the primary physical acceptation, he places it first, and the other significations in the order in which they might be supposed to be derived from the primary. Each signification, and each construction is supported by pertinent citations in the original Hebrew, accompanied with a close English translation; and each article that required it, is broken into paragraphs, in imitation of the British editions of Schleusner's Greek Lexicons.

The introduction of geographical names, and the names of persons, supplies an important defect hitherto felt in our Hebrew Lexicons. These articles are necessarily, in general, very brief; but they will be found to contain the result of the most recent

the flock under his charge, Ps. 95: 7. Comp. also 2 Sam. 18: 2. Num.31: 49. (d.) before, in conspectu, i. q. p, év xepoí. 1 Sam. 21:14 he feigned himself mad before them. Job 15: 23

"7. part. Dan. 12: 7. Plur. 7 1 K. 11:7 D it and the two (third) parts among you. Gen. 47: 24 h the four (fifth) parts. Neh. 11: 1. The same sense is also expressed in other

day of darkness is prepared for, i. e. threatens, him. (e.) because of. Job 8: 4. Is. 64: 6. (2.) TD, TP from or ont of the hand or hands of, also simply from, out of; after verbs of requiring, freeing, receiving. Gen. 9: 5. 32: 12. 33: 19. Num. 5:25. 24:24. 35: 25. Job 5:20. 1 Sam. 17: 37. (3.) Ty, T by (a) into the hand or hands of any one, after verbs of delivering up, committing. 1 K.14: 27. 2 K. 10:24. 12: 12. 22:5, 9. Ezra 18. Hence, under the oversight or direction, 1 Chr. 25: 2, 3, 6

under the direction of their father. (b) through. Jer. 18:21. Ps. 63: 11. "Dual. DT hands (of the human body).

vices, Dan. 1: 20. Gen. 43: 33. 2 Sam.

19:44.

a monument, trophy, i. q. D. 1 Sam. 15: 12. 2 Sam. 18: 18."—pp. 230, 231.

To these extracts we shall only add one more, which will furnish a specimen of the valuable criticisms that abound throughout the Lexicon, though few of them, perhaps, are carried to the same extent. It relates to the celebrated prophecy respecting the Messiah, Gen. xlix. 10.

עַד כִּי 49:10 .found only Gen שילה »

maritan MSS. and the ancient versions appear to have so read it. A few MSS.

שלו and שִׁילוֹ only have

All these various readings may be.

explained, if we regard it as one word, whether a proper name or an appellative. The following are the most plausible explanations; (1.) as a proper name, i. q. Shiloh, in the following article. According to this, the clause might be rendered, till they come to: Shiloh, i. e. to the land of Canaan; or so long as they go to Shiloh, (comp.. quamdiu Cant. 1: 12.) i. e. for ever. (This form actually has the meaning to Shiloh, Judg. 21: 20.1 Sam. 4: 4.) (2.) as an appellative, pacificus, the bringer of peace, the prince of peace, (comp. Is. 9:6.) from, after the form

.כִּישׁוֹר