BECHOR-SHOR, JOSEPH, also called, by way of abbreviation, llarbash, the Rabbi Bechor-Shor, flourished about A.D. i170, and was the last representative of the Germano French school of biblical commentators founded by the celebrated Rashi. His commentary on the Pentateuch shows that he was a sound exponent of scripture, and a worthy disciple of his school. Its chief merit consists in its setting forth, in a very striking manner, the connection, and evolving the meaning of this important portion of the Old Testament without entering into verbal criticism. As in all the exegetical productions of this famous school, we sometimes meet, in the commentary of Bechor-Shor, beautiful and rational explanations side by side with some Hagadic and puerile re marks. A few specimens Al suffice to shew its value. Gen. iv. 4, 5 is explained according to the Hagada, that the acceptance of Abel's sacrifice and the rejection of Cain's were indicated by fire com ing down from heaven consuming the one and leaving the other. This interpretation is also adopted by Rashi, and accounts for Theodotion's rendering, and St. Jerome's explanation of this passage. The Words (Gen. iv. 26), which have caused so much difficulty to commentators, he explains :—` Seth's goodness is here shewn in naming his son Enosh, z.e., frail man (comp. Ps. viii. 4), although in his generation
men began to name themselves by the name of the Almighty, mixing up God's name with theirs, as for instance, Mehujael (Gen. iv. IS). i. e., the smitten of God ; Mahalaleel (Gen. V. 12), i.e., the praise of God.' Upon in Nyn r-m, but Noah found favour (Gen. vi. 3), Bechor-Shor beautifully re marks There is frequently a play upon words in the Hebrew by transposing the letters of the name of a good man to his advantage, and of a had man to his disadvantage. Thus it is said ' Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked' (Gen. xxxviii. 7), where wicked (111) is obtained by a transposition of the letters Er (ny); so also here we have grace, by a transposition of the letters in the name II), Noah.' Bechor-Shor's style is very clear, simple, and easy, and his commentary will be understood even by tyros in Hebrew. The commentary was pub lished in 152o, Constantinople, but has become so very scarce that very few persons have known any thing about it. The laborious Dr. Adolph Jel linek, to whom biblical literature is so much in debted for bringing to light many mediaeval productions, is republishing it from a MS. in the Munich library, and the first part, containing Genesis and Exodus has already appeared in Leip zig, 1856.—C. D. G.