 | Vezot HaBerachah |  |
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| | 33:17 |
His glory is like a first-born ox, and his horns are the horns of the aurochs. With both of them he shall gore nations to the end of the earth. They are the myriads of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.
Bechor shoro hadar lo vekarney re'em karnav bahem amim yenagach yachdav afsey arets vehem rivevot Efrayim vehem alfey Menasheh. |
| 33:18 |
Fourth Reading
To Zebulun he said: Rejoice Zebulun in your excursions, and Issachar in your tents.
Veli-Zvulun amar smach Zvulun betsetecha veYisachar be'ohaleycha. |
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Commentary:
glory
(Targum; Saadia; Ralbag; Septuagint). Hadar in Hebrew. Or, 'given' (Rashi), or, 'multitude' (Ibn Ezra).
| first-born
Or, 'ruler' (Rashi).
| ox
Shor in Hebrew. Or, 'fitting' (Targum Yonathan). See Genesis 49:6. In general, denoting a powerful person (cf. Ramban), or a ruler (Radak, Sherashim). Thus, 'His glory is as a first-born bull' (Septuagint); 'His firstling ox-like leader shall have the glory of royalty' (Ramban); 'The firstling of his bull will have glory' (Hirsch); 'There will be glory to the one who will rule his firstling bull' (Saadia); 'His bull-like king is given to him' (Rashi); 'the advantage of birthright is glory to him' (Paaneach Razah; cf. Targum Yonathan); or, 'His first-born ruler is a glory to him.'
| aurochs
Re'em. See Numbers 23:22.
| They
The two horns (Ramban; Chizzkuni). Or, '[Those nations] are the myriads [killed by] Ephraim ...' (Targum Yonathan; Sifri; Rashi; cf. 1 Samuel 18:7).
| excursions
Doing business by the sea (Ramban; cf. Genesis 49:13). Or, to war (Ibn Ezra; Ralbag).
| in your tents
Since their land is so fertile, no work is needed (Paaneach Razah), cf. Genesis 49:15 (Ibn Ezra). Or in tents of study, supported by Zebulun (Rashi).
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