just touch upon the essential point in
the peculiar relation of Jehovah to the descendants of Shem--the
Israelites, he should have made use of the general name of Elohim, as
in the case of Japheth. The subject--Jehovah--could not in this case
have been omitted before [Hebrew: iwkN]. _Further_,--By such an
interpretation we are involved in inextricable difficulties as regards
the last clause of the verse. The words, "And Canaan shall be a servant
to them," can neither be referred to Shem alone--for, in that case,
they would be an useless repetition, as in ver. 25 Canaan had been
doomed to be a servant to _his brethren_--nor can they be referred to
Shem and Japheth at the same time; the analogy of the [Hebrew: lmv] in
the preceding verse, where the plural referred to the plurality
represented by the one Shem, forbids this. If, then, the last clause
can refer to Japheth only, the clause in which the dwelling in the
tents of Shem is spoken of, must likewise be referred to Japheth. To
these arguments we may _further_ add, that there is something
altogether strange in the expression: "God shall dwell in the tents of
Shem." There is, in Holy Scripture, frequent mention of God's dwelling
in His tabernacle, on His holy hill, in Zion, in the midst of the
children of Israel. Believers also are said to dwell in the tabernacle
or temple of God; but nowhere is [Pg 48] God spoken of as dwelling in
the tents of Israel. _Further_,--If we refer the second clause to Shem,
the first, in its detached position, would be too general, too
indefinite, and too loose to admit of the blessing of Japheth being
concluded with it. We must not, moreover, lose sight of the
consideration, that when we refer the second clause also to Japheth,
there springs up a beautiful connection between the relation of Shem
and Japheth to each other in the present, and during their future
progress. As the reaction against the corruption of Ham had originated
with Shem, and Japheth had only joined him in it; so in future also,
the real home of piety and salvation will be with Shem, to whom
Japheth, in the felt need of salvation, shall come near.
_Finally_,--The analogy of the promise made to the Patriarch, according
to which all the nations of the earth shall be blessed by the seed of
Abraham, is in favour of our referring the second clause to Japheth.
And if the Lord, alluding to our passage, says, in Luke xvi. 9, "Make
to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteo