conclusion from mine in regard to any of the passages hereafter quoted, I can at least

assure him that mine is the result of the most careful and candid study I could give to the

consideration of each passage. With these prefatory remarks I proceed to give the list of

Old Testament passages Messianically applied in ancient Rabbinic writings.

In Gen. i. 2, the expression, 'Spirit o f God,' is explained of 'the Spirit of the King

Messiah,' with reference to Is. xi. 2, and the 'moving on the face of the deep' of

'repentance,' according to Lam. ii. 19. So in Ber. R. 2, and in regard to the first point also

in Ber. R. 8, in Vayyik. R. 14, and in other places.

Gen. ii. 4: 'These are the generations - τωδλωτ - of the heavens and of the earth,' taken in

connection with Gen. iii. 15 and Ruth iv . 18. Here we note one of the most curious

Messianic interpretations in Ber. R. 12 (ed. Warsh. p. 24 b). It is noted that the word

'generations' (τωδλωτ) is always written in the Bible without the ω which is the

equivalent for the numeral 6, except in Gen. ii. 4 and Ruth iv. 18. This to indicate that

subsequent to Gen. ii. 4 the Fall took place, in whic h Adam lost ω - six - things: his

glorious sheen (Job xiv. 20); life (Gen. iii. 19)); his stature (Gen. iii. 8 - either by 100, by

200, by 300, or even by 900 cubits); the fruit of the ground; the fruits of the trees (Gen.

iii. 17); and the heavenly lights. We have now seen why in Gen. ii. 4 - that is, previous to

the Fall - the ω is still in τωδλωτ, since at that time these six things were not yet lost. But

the ω reappears in the word τωδλωτ in Ruth iv. 18, because these six things are to be

restored to ma n by 'the son of Pharez' - or the Messiah (comp. for each of these six

things: Judg. v. 31 b; Is. lxviii. 22; Lev. xxvi. 13; Zech. viii. 12; Is. xxx. 26). It is added

that although - according to the literal rendering of Ps. xlix. 12 (in Heb. ver. 13) - man did

not remain unfallen one single night, yet, for the sake of the Sabbath, the heavenly lights

were not extinguished till after the close of the Sabbath. When Adam saw the darkness, it

is added, he was greatly afraid, saying: Perhaps he, of whom it is written, 'he shall bruise

thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel,' cometh to molest and attack me, and he said,

'Surely the darkness shall cover me.' This curious extract at least shown in what context

the Synagogue applied Gen. iii. 15. The same occurs substantially in Shem. R. 30.

Gen iii. 15. This well-known passage is paraphrased, with express reference to the

Messiah, in the Targum Pseudo Jonathan and the so-called Jerusalem Targum. Schöttgen

conjectures that the Talmudic designation of 'heels of the Messiah' (Sot. 49 b, line 2 from

top) in reference to the near Advent of the Messiah in the description of the troubles of

those days (comp. St. Matt. x. 35, 36) may have been chosen partly with a view to this

Gen. iv . 25. The language of Eve at the birth of Seth: 'another seed,' is explained as

meaning 'seed which comes from another place,' and referred to the Messiah in Ber. R. 23

(ed. Warsh. p. 45 b, lines 8, 7 from the bottom). The same explanation occurs twice in the

Midrash on Ruth iv. 19 (in the genealogy of David, ed. Warsh. p. 46 b ), the second time

in connection with Ps. xl. 8 ('in the volume of the book it is written of me' - bim'gillath

sepher - Ruth belonging to the class τλγµ).