[Facts] Re: Hebrew Phrase...? (yasha` na')
by Shai (guest)
9/13/2015, 7:51 AM
I think it’s open to interpretation. Indeed, Shiloh is personified in several expositions of the text. I believe the confusion stems from the way in which the passage is constructed. In the following translation, the ambiguity becomes more apparent…
10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.
Because the phrase “and unto him…” follows immediately after the name Shiloh, it’s natural for some to interpret the name as belonging to a person. The Christian belief system commonly views people as coming to Jesus, so this would naturally tend to reinforce that interpretation. On the other hand, the phrase “…as long as men come to Shiloh” leads one initially to think of the location known by that name – in which case, “him” would refer to Judah, the tribe that is the subject of this portion of the text.
Another way to look at the word in this context is that it may not relate to a proper name at all, whether that of a person or of a place, but that it speaks to a state of being related in some way to peace.
This is likely my last posting on this topic. I will not be able to access this site for a while.
Be well.