ough it appears, from other
passages, that he distinctly knew that Asshur must, long ere that time,
have disappeared from the scene of history.

The Messianic character of the prophecy being thus established, it will
be impossible to misunderstand the internal relation between the star
of Balaam and the star of the wise men from the East. The star of
Balaam is the emblem of the kingdom which will rise in Israel. The star
of the Magi is the symbol of the Ruler in whom the kingly power appears
concentrated. The appearance of the star embodying the image of the
prophet, indicates that the last and highest fulfilment of his
prophecies is now to take place.

[Pg 104]

MOSES' PROMISE OF THE PROPHET.
(Deut. xviii. 15-19.)

Ver. 15. "_A prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like
unto me, Jehovah thy God will raise up: unto him ye shall hearken._
Ver. 16. _According to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in
Horeb, in the day of the assembly, when thou didst say, I will not hear
any farther the voice of Jehovah my God, and will not see this great
fire any more, that I die not._ Ver. 17. _Then Jehovah said unto me.
They have well spoken._ Ver. 18. _A prophet I will raise them up from
among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put My words into his
mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him._ Ver.
19. _And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My
words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him._"

If we leave out of view the unfortunate attempts of those who would
understand by the prophet here promised, either Joshua--as is done
by _Abenezra_, _Bechai_, and _von Ammon_ (_Christol_. S. 29)--or
Jeremiah--as is the case in _Baal Hatturim_ and _Jalkut_ out of the
book _Pesikta_, and in _Abarbanel_--we may reduce the expositions of
this passage to three classes. 1. Several consider the "prophet" as
a collective noun, and understand thereby the prophets of all times.
Such was the opinion of _Origen_ (_c. Celsum_ i. 9, Sec. 5, _Mosh._),
of the Arabic translator, and of most of the modern Jewish
interpreters,--especially _Kimchi_, _Alshech_, and _Lipman_ (_Nizachon_
137); while _Abenezra_ and _Bechai_ conjoin this view with that
according to which Jeremiah is meant. Among recent expositors, it is
defended by _Rosenmueller_, _Vater_, _Baumgarten-Crusius_ (_Bibl.
Theol._ S. 369), and others. 2. Some see