1 For the Hebrew see Appendix I. ↑

2 The Hebrew ‏נביא‎ as well as the Greek προφητης “prophet,” signifies “speaker” or “preacher.” ↑

3 i.e., that the war with the Canaanite tribes was to be carried on as a holy war, in fulfilment of God’s command, and not for the purpose of spoil and plunder. ↑

4 King Amaziah of Judah challenged Joash, king of Israel, to fight with him. Joash considered this challenge as an arrogance to be compared to the arrogance of the thistle in the above fable. ↑

5 The faith of Israel in the Omnipotence of God, who can do wonders for the salvation of His people, is figuratively represented as a child, called “The Almighty, &c., deviseth wonders,” &c. ↑

6 Comp. p. 83. ↑

7 i.e., he who is truthful in ordinary conversation is also a trustworthy witness in a court of justice; those who are accustomed to say falsehood cannot be trusted in important matters. ↑

8 It seems that the author copied the dream as Daniel had written it down, but the interpretation was handed down by tradition. ↑

9 The Israelites. Comp. Exod. xix. 6.—Part of this vision refers to the time of the Maccabees, part to the Messianic period. ↑

10 Some are of opinion that the term “weeks” is not to be taken literally, but in the sense of “year,” or “a period of seven years.” There is, however, no proof for such interpretation. The many attempts to explain the seventy year-weeks have without exception proved a failure. ↑

11 See p. 121. ↑

12 It is, however, possible that ‏דברי‎, lit. “words,” means here “history.” ↑

13 The Talmud is also called ‏ש״ס‎ (Shass), the initials of ‏ששה סדרים‎. ↑

14 The word ‏יד‎ is intended to indicate the number 14, the work being divided into 14 books. ↑

15 According to Rashi, Rabbi Hillel meant to say that the Jews would not be redeemed by any Messiah, but by God Himself. Comp. Haggadah for Seder-evening, “And I will pass through the land of Egypt; I myself, and not an angel.” ↑

16 Comp. supra, p. 122. ↑

17 See Essays on the Writings of Ibn Ezra, by M. Friedländer, p. 7 note 1. ↑

18 The Piel of a verb has frequently this meaning, e.g., ‏קדש‎ “to be holy;” Pi., “to declare as holy;” ‏טהר‎ “to be pure;” Pi., “to declare as pure;” so ‏כלה‎ “to be at an end;” Pi., “to declare as being finished.” ↑

19 Die Religions-Philosophie der Juden, by S. Hirsch. p. 445 ff. ↑

20 The phrase ‏עיון תפלה‎ is also used in the sense of “devotion during prayer.” ↑

21 I.e., the name or God consisting of four letters (‏י‎, ‏ה‎, ‏ו‎ and ‏ה‎). The correct pronunciation of the word not being known, adonai, “Lord,” is substituted for it. ↑

22 The “second day” (Neh. viii. 13), as a day of devotion and meditation on the Word of God, is probably the Day of Atonement. ↑

23 It is here assumed that the Torah was not intended to be written in a chronological order, and that this commandment was given after the Blessing of Moses was written. ↑

24 Maimonides accepts for this verse the Midrashic explanation: nothing of the Torah has remained in heaven for later revelations. ↑

25 ‏את צמח דוד עבדך‎. ↑

26 He is probably called Elijah on account of the zeal which he will display in bringing men back to the service of God. ↑

27 Mishnah Eduyoth viii. 7. ↑