paraphrases the six measures of barley as referring to six righteous ones, of which the last

was the Messiah, and who were each to have six special blessings.

Ruth iv. 18. The Messiah is called 'the son of Pharez,' who restores what had been lost to

humanity through the fall of Adam. See our remarks on Gen. ii. 4.

The Messianic interpretation of Ruth iv. 20 has already been given under Gen. iv. 25.

1 Sam. ii. 10. The latter clause of this promise is understood by the Targum (and also is

some of the Medrashim) as applying to the Kingdom of the Messiah.

2 Sam. xxii. 28. In a Talmudic passage (Sanh. 98 a, line 19, &c., from the bottom), which

contains many references to the coming of the Messiah, His advent is predicted in

connection with this passage.

2 Sam. xxiii. 1 is applied by the Targum to the prophecy of David concerning the latter

Messianic days.

2 Sam. xxiii. 3. The 'ruling in the fear of God' is referred in the Targum to the future

raising up of the Messiah.

In 2 Sam. xxiii. 4 the morning light at sunrise is explained in the Midrash on the passage

(par. 29, ed. Lemberg, p, 56 b, lines 7-9 from the top), as applying to the appearance of

the Messiah.

The expression, 1 Kings iv. 33, that Solomon spoke of trees, is referred in the Targum to

his prophecy concerning kings that were to reign in this age, and in that of the Messiah.

On the name 'Anani,' in 1 Chr. iii. 24, the Targum remarks that this is the Messiah, the

interpretation be ing that the word anani is connected with the word similarly written (not

punctuated) in Deut. vii. 13, and there translated 'clouds,' of which the explanation is

given in Tanchuma (Par. Toledoth 14, p. 27 b).

Ps. ii. as might be expected, is treated as full of Messianic references. To begin with, Ps.

ii. 1 is applied to the wars of Gog and Magog in the Talmud (Berach. 7 b and Abhod.

Zarah 3 b ), and also in the Midrash on Ps. ii. Similarly, verse 2 is applied to the Messiah

in Abhod. Zach, u. s., in the Midrash on Ps. xcii. 11 (ed. Warsh. p. 70 b, line 8 from the

top); in Pirqué de R. Eliez. c. 28 (ed. Lemberg, p. 33 b, line 9 from top). In Yalkut (vol.

ii. par. 620, p. 90 a, line 12 from the bottom), we have the following remarkable simile

on the words, 'a gainst God, and His Messiah,' likening them to a robber who stands

defiantly behind the palace of the king, and says, If I shall find the son of the king, I shall

lay hold on him, and crucify him, and kill him with a cruel death. But the Holy Spirit

mocks at him, 'He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh.' On the same verse the

Midrashon Ps. ii. has a curious conceit, intended to show that each who rose against God

and His people thought he was wiser than he who had preceded him. If Cain had killed