witnesses against him laid their hands upon him (a custom which originated from Levit. 24. 14), and then acted as executioners. (Deut. 17.7; Acts 7. 58,59.) But previously to his being put to death, a cup of wine, mingled with incense, was given to stupefy his senses and blunt the feeling of pain; which custom is alluded to in Proverbs 31. 6: "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish." This explains why the cup of wine mingled with myrrh was offered to Christ at his crucifixion, (Mark 15. 23,) and refused by him, that he might suffer to the utmost, and make his sacrifice perfect.

Capital convicts were said to be put to death for their own sins, (Deut. 24. 16; 2Kings 14.6;) they died a violent death for their own sin, not a natural death for Adam's sin. The Talmudists say it was not lawful to execute a capital sentence on a holy day, (Matt. 25. 4,5;) but they said there was an exception to this law in the case of the contumacious and refractory person who set at nought the decrees of the judicature, (Deut. 17. 12,13,) whom Rabbi Akkiba says was to be kept in custody till the next great festival (of Pentecost or Passover), when all the males of the nation would be assembled, and then to be executed as a public example, "that all the people might hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously." But Rabbi Jehuda says the execution was not delayed; but letters announcing it, and the cause of it, were sent about among all the tribes, to make it public.

The meaning of the sentence of "cutting off from his people," frequently used in Scripture, has been disputed. The Jewish doctors generally agree that it means punishment inflicted by God himself; but of what kind they are divided among themselves. Some say it was the I shortening of the criminal's life; others that it was making him childless, so that his name and family were cut off from the nation; Maimonides affirms that it was annihilation, extinction of soul and body; Abarbinel, that it was forfeiture of salvation.

The meaning may, however, be gathered from the context in the places where it occurs. The cutting off of the uncircumcised child, (Gen. 27,) is obviously by natural death; as in Exodus 41. 36, that "the land perish not through famine," is in the Hebrew, "be not cut off through famine." In Exodus 31. 14, the Sabbathbreaker is to be "cut off from his people," and verse 15 explains" to be put to death."

Numbers 15. 30,31, "That soul shall be utterly cut off because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment." "That soul shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him." These words indicate a higher degree of penalty for great profaneness and wilful sin. "His iniquity shall be upon him," enforces the idea of some great crime; and the utterly cutting off, something more than death, probably extinction of posterity, whereby the offender's name and lineage, as well as life, were extinguished. "He who defiles the Tabernacle of the Lord is to be cut off from Israel," (Numb. 19. 13,) which is explained, (Numb. 18. 32,) "Neither shall ye pollute the holy things of Israel, lest ye die." This also explains the cutting off from his people him who should make any sacrilegious use of the holy oil, (Exod. 30. 33,38;) and the cutting off for eating the peace-offering in a state of uncleanness, (Levit. 7. 20;) offering sacrilegious sacrifices, and eating blood, because blood was the sprinkling for atonement. (Levit. 17. 4,10.) Cutting off from the people for unclean sins, is explained to be death. (Levit. 20.) In Leviticus 22. 3, the sentence pronounced against any of the priesthood who should pollute the holy things is, "That soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am

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| the Lord;" which indicates a most fearful doom, extending to soul as well as body. The sentence of bodily death alone was denounced against any of the people who polluted the holy things, (Numb. 18. 19;) but in the priesthood the greater penalty is denounced, because the crime was greater in them to profane these holy things, for whose sacred preservation they were especially consecrated. It was a breach of a holy trust, and treason against the divine Majesty. Thus the sentence for immorality in a priest's daughter was burning, the highest capital penalty; in any layman's daughter it was a less grievous mode of death, viz., stoning.

Thus we have seen the different degrees of cutting off: 1, cutting off from the people, or from Israel, death; 2, utterly cutting off, both personal death and extinction of name and lineage, (a severe penalty among the Jews); 3, cutting off from the presence of the Lord; a fearful doom to soul and body. When a sentence of judicial death is implied by cutting off, and the offence came under the cognizance of the judge, we may infer that he pronounced sentence of simple death, or death and excommunication; but where the offence was concealed from the knowledge of man, we are to understand that God would execute judgment himself.

In cases of offences that were not capital, the sentence, in many respects, lay at the discretion of the judges, either as to the nature and quantum of the punishment to be inflicted. In every case where a prohibition is made, but no penalty named, the judge could choose the punishment; as in the case of scandalous and libellous words spoken against people in authority, (Exod. 22. 28;) scandalous reports, (Exod. 23. 1;) ordinary cases of false witness, weights and measures. (Deut. 25.) of the punishment is named, as in amount undefined, the latter was left to the judge's discretion.

(Exod. 23;) false When the nature fines, &c., but the

nidda, to separate, as a thing unclean. The sentence of niddui or niddai caused the offender to be looked upon as polluted; he was not allowed to approach any one within four cubits; he might stand in the synagogue, separated that space from the rest, and hear the reading and the expositions, but not join in the prayer. To this Our Lord alludes, (Luke 6. 22,) "Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, for the Son of man's sake." This sentence continued in force for thirty days, unless shortened by repentance.

The second degree of excommunication was called on cherem, anathema, from cherem, to curse, devote to destruction. This prevented the criminal from entering the synagogue at all, and denied him all religious rites. To this Jesus alludes, (John 16. 2,) “They shall put you out of the synagogues;" it is also called casting out of the synagogues, in other places. (John 9. 34,35.) The highest sentence of excommunication pronounced against the incorrigible was that called sham-atha, or more commonly maran-atha, a Syriac phrase, meaning "the Lord comes." This signified that the offender being cut off from society, from religious service and communion, and held detestable, was deserving of the highest punishment that it was in the power of man to inflict, and therefore his further doom was now left to the day of judgment, or the Lord's coming, when he had nothing but perdition to expect. To this St. Paul refers, (1 Cor. 16. 22,) "If any man

alone, of all the tribes, were abettors of the dissatisfied Levites, of the family of Kohath, which may be accounted for by the tribe encamping on the south side of the tabernacle next to the Kohathites. Rabbi Solomon Jarchi observes on this, "Woe to the wicked, and woe to his neighbour." The Reubenites are commended as men of valour, (1Chron. 5. 18;) yet did they shun to go with Deborah and Barak against Sisera, apparently both on account of divisions among their councils, and on account of their being devoted to the care of their cattle, which is lamented in the Song of Deborah and Barak. (Judges 5. 15,16.)

Reuben's tribe was placed on Mount Ebal, (Deut. 27. 13,) along with the four sons of the handmaids, and Zebulon, the youngest son of Leah, (who by their birth were inferior to Reuben, as the first-born, had he not lost his privileges,) to pronounce the curses of the Law, a less honourable office than that of reciting the blessings on Mount Gerizim.

Reuben's portion in Canaan, when the tribes received their inheritance, was beyond Jordan, having the brook of Arnon south, that of Jazer north, the mountains of Gilead on the east, and the Jordan on the west.

The Reubenites, with the Gadites, Manassites, and Naphthalites, were the first carried away into captivity by the Assyrians. (1Chron. 5. 26.)

II. O Simeon, second son of Jacob and Leah. His name signifies "hearing;" because Leah said that the Lord heard she was hated. Born 1758 B.C. Tradition represents him as a man of an intrepid, but severe and inflexible, temper; and as having been the most cruel to Joseph, and most anxious to slay him when he fell into the power of his brethren, (Gen. 37.,) which was the reason that Joseph treated him with greater severity than the rest in Egypt, (Gen. 43. 24,) and put him in prison.

Simeon associated himself with Levi in the cruel slaughter of the Shechemites, (Gen. 34.,) wherefore Jacob said, "Simeon and Levi are brethren,” (Gen. 49. 5,) not merely in blood, but in disposition; wherefore the patriarch denounced on them, "I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel;" which was fulfilled in Simeon receiving no regular and distinct inheritance in the Holy Land, but only a district dismembered out of Judah, (Josh. 19. 1-9;) wherefore Judah and Simeon (the tribes) mutually aided each other afterwards to enlarge their borders. (Judges 1. 3-17.) And a company of them removed a long way from their brethren, and settled in Mount Seir. (1Chron. 4. 42.) It is a tradition of the Rabbins, and some of the ancient Christian Fathers, that the Simeonites were scattered about among the other tribes in the capacity of school

masters.

Simeon is not mentioned by Moses in his prophecy of the tribes. (Deut. 33.) But some copies of the Greek Version join him to Reuben, at the outset. "Let Reuben live and not die, and let Simeon be many in number."

The Simeonites are mentioned as men of valour. (1Chron. 11. 25.) Of this tribe was Zimri, who was ringleader in the sin concerning the Midianitish women. (Numb. 25. 14.) Judith, the courageous widow of Bethulia, was likewise of this tribe. (Judith 9. 2.) The portion of Simeon had the tribe of Dan to the north, Arabia Petrea to the south, the Mediterranean to the west, and Judah to the east.

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wherefore he was included in the penalty of Jacob, "I will divide them in Israel, and scatter them in Jacob." Levi obtained no separate inheritance in Canaan, but received cities amongst the other tribes, and was dedicated to the priesthood. The name of Levi is not engraven on the stones of the high-priest's breast-plate, because Levi was represented by the high-priest himself.

Moses, in his prophetic blessing of the tribes, says of Levi: "Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy Holy One, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah." The Chaldee Paraphrase renders this: "Urim and Thummim (the mysteries of lights and perfections in the high-priest's breast-plate) thou didst put on the man (Levi) that was found holy before thee, whom thou temptest with temptation, and he was found perfect; thou provedst him at the waters of contention, and he was found faithful." For the Levites, as Rabbi Solomon Jarchi observes, did not murmur with the rest of the Israelites. Wherefore, in Malachi 2. 5, the Lord says of Levi: "My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name."

And Moses continues: "Who said unto his father and his mother, I have not seen him: neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children." Because the Levites were zealous for the Lord in the idolatry of the golden calf, (Exod. 21.,) and slew every man his brother, and his companion, and his neighbour. Also, the high-priest was not permitted to make himself unclean by mourning for his father, mother, brethren, or children.

Moses blesses the tribe of Levi, saying that they shall teach Jacob judgments, and Israel the Law; and offer incense and burnt-offering; which was all fulfilled in the Levitical priesthood, as were the succeeding blessings in ver. 11 of Deuteronomy 33.

Thus

The prophecies had a literal fulfilment in the Jewish, and a spiritual in the Christian dispensation. after the literal fulfilment, Levi had a spiritual one in being a type of Christ. He was the holy one, (Deut. 23. 8,) so called in Psalm 16. 10, and Acts 13. 35, on whom were the lights and perfections, (Urim and Thummim,) which the Levitical priesthood lost in the Babylonish captivity, but which Christ restored in the Gospel. Christ was the almighty power contended against by the Israelites in the wilderness, (1 Cor. 10. 9,) and Christ acknowledged for his kindred only those who did the will of God, saying, (Matt. 12. 46,50,) "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Christ teaches his people judgments and law; offered himself up as a sacrifice for sin, and now liveth to make intercession for us, (Heb. 7. 35,) which intercession was typified by the burning of incense. Wherefore God has accepted the work of his hands (his ministry), and smitten his enemies. (Deut. 33. 9.)

The tribe of Levi had the privilege of intermarrying with the noble and royal tribe of Judah, as well as with any of the other tribes. There was a tradition that the Messiah should descend from Levi as well as from Judah; and it was an opinion among the ancient Christians that the Virgin Mary descended by her mother from Levi. We know from Scripture that she was cousin to Elizabeth, (mother of John the Baptist), who was of the tribe of Levi. (This tribe gave rise to many eminent and remarkable persons, and amongst others, the Maccabees.)

of the persecution of Joseph, Judah proposed selling him to the Midianites, in order to save his life, which he saw the brethren were intent upon taking. Judah appears, in all that is related of him, to have been a man of courage, sense, and eloquence, and one of the best of Jacob's sons. When Benjamin was detained a prisoner by the management of Joseph, Judah pleaded for him in a speech which has always been admired for its natural pathos, (Gen. 45,) and offered to become himself a bondsman for Benjamin. And it is to be remarked throughout all the Old Testament history how closely the tribes of Judah and Benjamin stood together in all circumstances, except on the occasion of the Benjamites' sin, (Judges 20,) remaining associated in the kingdom of Judah, when all the other tribes revolted to Jeroboam; and being now the only visible and acknowledged survivors of the wreck of the Hebrew nation. Jacob's blessing on Judah commences, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee." (Gen. 49.) The tribe of Judah performed the most illustrious acts of any of the tribes. After Joshua's death it was foremost to fight for Israel; the first to offer gifts at the dedication of the altar, (Numb. 7,) and of it came the royal family of David. Jerusalem Targum paraphrases the above verse, "Judah, to thee shall thy brethren confess, and all Jews shall be called by thy name."

The

The hand of the tribe of Judah was in the neck of his enemies, for it was a victorious tribe; and David says, (Psalm 18. 41,) "Thou hast given me the necks of my enemies." His brethren bowed down before him, that tribe being the kingly one. In the next verse Judah is called a lion by three denominations, a young lion, or whelp, gone up from the prey; a lion, (8) an adult lion, couching to rest; an old lion (15), having young ones, dangerous to be roused, alluding to the different stages of Judah's valour; of which he gave early indications, as did David, the chief representative of Judah, who made a prey of Goliath, when but a lad.

When the tribe of Judah became mature, it rested, like the couching lion, under Solomon; and even in its latter days, was courageous and fierce as the lion that has whelps to defend. "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, till Shiloh come." The rule and the legislative functions abode in Judah till the coming of Christ; for though the house of David was not actually on the throne, still Judah was the superior and ruling tribe, existing over the wrecks of the captivities; and their Sanhedrim, or grand legislative council, was in being, and consisted principally of the members of the tribe of Judah, (though formerly Levites had preponderated.)

The prophecies concerning Judah are considered by the Jews themselves as relating to the Messiah. They have observed that Judah was the fourth of Jacob's sons, and that on the fourth day of creation the great lights were made, wherefore it is written of the Messiah, in Psalm 89. 36,37,"His throne shall be as the sun before me; it shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven."

And the Jerusalem Targum upon the verse, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah," &c., says, "Kings shall not cease from Judah, nor teachers of the law from his children, till the time that King Christ come, whose the kingdom is, and whom the people shall obey." On the next verses of Jacob's prophecy, "Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine. His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk," the Jews comment as follow: the Bereshith Rabba says, "When

Christ shall come to save Israel, he shall make ready an ass, and ride upon him, and come to Israel with poverty." (Compare with John 12. 14,15; Matt. 21. 2,5,7.) The vine to which he binds his ass is a type of the Church.

Washing his garments in the blood of grapes is the type of victory, by which his raiment should be red like wine with the blood of his enemies. (Compare Isaiah 63. 2,3; Rev. 19. 13; 20. 14.)

On, " His eyes shall be red with wine," &c., the Jerusalem Targum says, “How beautiful are the eyes of King Christ; more than refined wine; they do not behold sins; His teeth are exercised in the Law, so that he eateth not iniquities; His mountains shall be red with vineyards, and His hills white with wheat and flocks." This prophecy obtained a literal fulfilment to Judah in the great fertility of that tribe's portion. In Christ has been fulfilled the prophecy to Judah that his father's children should bow before him, as at the name of Christ every knee bows. (Phil. 2. 10.) His hand has been on the neck of his enemies, and as a lion couching after his prey. He hath ascended to his rest after his work on earth was done. He is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. (Rev. 5. 5.) In Moses' prophecy of Judah, (Deut. 33. 7) he says: "Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah," (which God did, both the voice of David, and of Christ on earth, (John 11. 41,42) "and bring him unto his people," which is plainly a prayer for the coming of the Messiah, who it was known was to proceed from Judah; the remainder of the verse is prophetic of victory, fulfilled in David and in Christ.

Amongst the illustrious persons whom this tribe produced, besides the royal family, we may remember Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the faithful spy: and Othniel, the first judge who rose up to deliver Israel from the Philistines. (Judges 3.) The inheritance of Judah was bounded on the north by the portion of Benjamin; south by Edom; east by the Dead Sea; west by Dan and Simeon.

V. Dan, first son of Jacob by Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, born in the same year as Judah. His name signifies, Judging, because Rachel said that God had judged her cause, in giving her (who was barren) a son by her handmaid, which by ancient custom was accounted the son of the mistress.

Jacob prophesies of Dan, that "He shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel." Dan, though accounted a low tribe, was not to be deprived of all privilege, for the sake of Rachel; therefore of Dan came Samson, in the time of the Judges; and to him the Targums refer the next verse: "Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse's heels so that his rider shall fall backward;" which they explain by the sudden and unexpected overthrow of the Philistines, by the serpent-like subtilty of Samson, when he pulled down the Temple of Dagon. (Judges 16.) The next verse is an apostrophe of Jacob's, "I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord!" which shows that the patriarch expected some other and better deliverer of Israel. The Targums explain it: "I expect not the salvation of Gideon, which is a temporary salvation; nor the salvation of Samson, which is a transitory salvation, but the salvation of Christ the Son of David, who shall bring to himself the sons of Israel, whose salvation my soul desireth." Moses (Deut. 33. 22) likens Dan to a lion's whelp leaping from Bashan, on account of the conquest made by Dan of Laish, (Judges 18,) and of Leshem. (Josh. 19.)

Dan is omitted in the seventh chapter of Revelations, when all the rest of the tribes (types of the Christian Church) are represented as sealed, and this is generally understood to be because Dan was particularly addicted

to unfaithfulness in religion. The later Jews say that Antichrist will come from Dan.

The portion of Dan in Canaan was bounded on the north by Ephraim; south by Simeon; west by the Mediterrannean; and east by Judah.

VI. Naphtali, second son of Jacob and Bilhah, born 1754 B.C.; his name signifies "wrestling." In Jacob's prophecy it is said: "Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words." Most of the Rabbins explain this to mean Barak of the tribe of Naphtali, who at first showed the timidity of a hind in refusing to go against Sisera, without the prophetess Deborah; but after wards displayed his fleetness in pursuit of the enemies; and his eloquence and goodly words, in the song of thanksgiving he sang with Deborah for the victory. (Judges 4 and 5.) The prophecy was spiritually fulfilled in the Apostles, who preached much in the land of Naphtali, and gave goodly words; and the Gospel promulgated by them, was as a hind let loose in its speedy circulation. Moses says, (Deut. 33. 23,) "Naphtali satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Loid." For the inheritance of Naphtali was a fertile and delightful woody country. It was also full of the blessing of the Lord when Christ and his disciples dwelt and taught so much within its borders, along the Lake of Gennesareth. As is said in Matthew 4.14-16, then was fulfilled the saying of Isaiah, "The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim (Naphtali), by the way of the sea; the people which sat in darkness saw a great light."

Naphtali's portion extended into Upper and Lower Galilee; having Lebanon north; Issachar south; Jordan east; Asher and Zebulon west.

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VII. ◄ Gad, first son of Jacob and Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, whom she gave to Jacob, when she herself had apparently ceased child-bearing. His name means a troop," alluding to the troop of sons of which Leah saw herself now at the head. Born about 1754. Jacob says, "A troop shall overcome him; but he shall overcome at last." Gad's portion being a frontier country was much exposed to the invasions of the Ammonites and Moabites, but who were overcome by Jephthah, (Judges 11;) also the tribe of Gad overcame the Hagarites and dwelt in their land. (1Chron. 5.) To this Moses alludes "Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad, he dwelleth as a lion;" explained by 1Chronicles 12. 8, where the Gadites who gathered to David in the wilderness are called men of war, with faces like lions. "He teareth the arm with the crown of the head,” is explained by the Targum of Onkelos, as the men of strength (typified by the arm), and the chief rulers (the crown of the head), overcome by Gad. "He provided the first part for himself," explained by Rabbi Solomon Jarchi; he received his portion in the lands of Sihon and Og, which was the first fruits of subduing the land. "He came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the Lord." The Gadites, with Reuben and Manassch, headed the tribes on entering Canaan, execute the Lord's judgments on the wicked inha

bitants.

His portion had Manasseh north; Reuben south; Ammon east; Jordan west.

VIII. N Asher, second son of Jacob and Zilpah, born about 1753 B.C. The name signifies "happy," for Leah said, 66 Happy am I," at his birth. Jacob said of him, "Out of Asher shall his bread be fat; and he shall yield royal dainties," alluding to the fertility of his country, especially about Carmel. Moses adds, "He shall dip his foot in oil," which was proverbial of prosperity, (Job 29. 6,) and "his shoes shall be iron and brass," because in his country were mines, also, it is said

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as a figure of strength to tread down his enemies, as Christ's feet (Rev. 1. 15,) are said to be like fine brass.

Asher's portion was a maritime country; having the Mediterranean on the west; Galilee or Naphtali, on the east; Lebanon, north; and Mount Carmel, south.

"

IX. Issachar, fifth son of Jacob and Leah, born about 1752, B.C. The name means "hire." Jacob likens him to a strong ass, because this tribe was laborious in rustic employments, and "he saw that rest was good." It has been observed, that when Tola, of the tribe of Issachar, judged Israel, (Judges 10,) the land had rest. Bishop Patrick explains the words, "he became a servant unto tribute," to mean, that this tribe being devoted to agriculture, preferred paying taxes of redemption for their services, to leaving their pleasant land and going to war.

The portion of Issachar had, Zebulon, north; halftribe of Manasseh, south; Jordan, east; part of Asher, west.

X. a Zebulon, sixth son of Jacob and Leah, born about 1751, B.C. The name means "dwelling." Jacob prophesies of him as a maritime tribe; and his portion lay on the Mediterranean. Moses says of Zebulon, "Rejoice in thy going out," which alludes to the going out of the Gospel within his boundaries, as prophesied in Isaiah 9. 1,2, in conjunction with Naphtali, (see NAPHTALI supra,) and further, that they shall call the people to the mountain and offer the sacrifices of righteousness, i. e., to the mount of the Lord's house. (Isai. 2. 23.)

The "abundance of the seas" is understood literally of the merchandise of this maritime tribe, and “the treasures hid in the sand," of the glass, which was anciently made of the sand of the river Belus, which was in this tribe. Figuratively, it meuns the admission of the Gentiles into the church. (Isai. 9. 5,16.)

Zebulon had Naphtali, north; Issachar, south; the Sea of Gennesareth, east; and the Mediterranean, west. XI. Joseph, eldest son of Jacob and Rachel, born 1745, B.C. The name means “addition,” because Rachel said, that God had added to her a son. The words uttered by Jacob, of Joseph, related to the past literal history of Joseph, and afterwards were fulfilled in Christ. The archers, (his brethren,) shot at him and hated him; but God made his arms strong to abide; and blessed him with great and mighty blessings in Egypt. So Christ was hated and put to death, by his brethren according to the flesh, the Jews; but he was helped and blessed by the Almighty God, and the blessings were on the crown of him that was separate from his brethren," which is a plain allusion to Christ, who was a Nazarene, or separated person. (Matt. 2. 23; Isai. 9. 1.) The allusion is made still more plain by the words of Jacob, "from thence is the Shepherd, the stone of Israel." For Christ is always known as the "good Shepherd," and the stone which became the head of the

corner.

The benediction of Moses on Joseph, is in the same strain; prophetic of every precious blessing, and adding "the good will of Him who dwelt in the bush," (God who appeared to Moses in the burning bush;) İlim, who declared of Christ in a voice from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

12. Benjamin, the youngest of all Jacob's sons, the second son of Rachel, born about seven years after his brother Joseph. He was the only one of Jacob's sons born on the borders of Canaan; and his mother died in giving him birth. The Rabbins consider that she died prematurely, in consequence of Jacob's prophetic imprecation on the head of the person (to him unknown,) who had stolen Laban's teraphim, "With