HILLEL, and 3 in the article ISHMAEL B. ELISA of this ix. Brachylogy (nivp Tr). The Scriptures sometimes express themselves briefly, and words must be supplied. Thus, e.g., ill where it ought to be 111 1r11, and David's soul was consumed, tfr.lea being omitted ; again r Chron. xvii.
5, where pwnm i'lr1N), ought to be pe,n5 IntmEn 5nItt 5t4 5rntei iSnno rrint..t1, and I went from tent to tent, and from tabernacle to tabernacle,' the words *Tin * and being omitted.
x. Repetition (13V to tv ini). The Scriptures repeat a thing in order to indicate thereby some thing special. Thus, it is said in Jer. vii. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord ;' the last phrase is repeated three times, to indicate that though his people Israel celebrate feasts in the temple three times in the year, the Lord will not regard it because they do not amend their ways.
xi. The separation and order of the verses rn-ID p5Mty) are designed to convey some explanation. Thus, verses IS and 19 of 2 Chron. xxx. ought to be differently placed (comp. Bashi, in loco).
xii. A subject often explains itself whilst it im parts information on other subjects (tCLI N'20)1 In9). Thus, ' Its cry, it shall arise like that of a serpent' (Jer. xlvi. 22), indicates that the serpent must have raised a tremendous cry after the curse which the Lord pronounced against it, since we are nowhere else told that there was any occasion on which it cried ; and that Egypt raises an equally loud cry—thus serving to give information upon another subject, and at the same time explaining itself (comp. Sota, 9 b).
xiii. A general statement is made first, and is followed by a single remark, which is simply to par ticularise the general. This rule is called PK" 5v 1U1D t..6ti nvy* 141rINVI and is illustrated by Gen. i. 27, where the creation of man is recorded in general terms, male and female created he them;' whilst ii. 7, which describes the creation of Adam, and ii. 2I, which speaks of the creation of Eve, are simply the particulars of i. 27,
and not another record or contradiction.
xiv. A great and incomprehensible thing is re presented by something small to render it intelligible.
This rule is called w1t776 lopz r15113e1 113 111 11001t-, WM' 1117 rritln, and is illustrated by Dent. xxxii. 2, My doctrine shall drop as the min ;' where the great doctrines of revelation are compared with the less significant rain, in order to make them comprehensible to man ; and by Amos ill. 8, When the lion roareth, who doth not fear! the Lord speaketh,' etc., where the lion is corn pared with the Deity, to give man an intelligible idea of the power of God., xv. When Iwo Scriptures seem to contradict each other, a third Scripture will reconcile them zin:n NTV.) 1y nt nN nt nN npnznn trz)n Thus, it is said in 2 Sam.
xxiv. 9, There were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men,' in contradiction to r Chron. xxi. 5, where a thousand times thousand and a hundred thousand men, that drew the sword'— three hundred thousand more are said to have been among all Israel. The apparent contradiction is reconciled by xxvii. where it is said, the chil dren of Israel after their number ; to wit, the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers who served the king in all matters of the courses, who came in and went out, was, month by month, through all the months of the year, twenty-four thousand in each course.' From this it is evident that the number of these servants for twelve months amounted to two hundred and eighty eight thousand, and as the chief fathers of Israel consisted of twelve thousand, we obtain the three hundred thousand who were noted in the registers of the king, and therefore are not mentioned in 2 Sam. xxiv. 9. Thus, the two apparently contra dictory Scriptures are reconciled by a third Scrip ture. It deserves to be noticed, that this ancient interpretation is now generally followed, and that it is espoused by Dr. Davidson, Sacred Hermeneu tics, Edinburgh 1843, p. 546, etc.