he Hebrew accents, since he represents
that they are of no authority in deciding the question between him
and me, and because I think he will therefore not deny, that
disregarding their authority, the passage will bear the rendering I
have given it.

I shall therefore proceed to establish the interpretation I have
given of the passage in Genesis, 1st. by endeavouring to show,
that Mr. Everett's interpretation would convict the prophecy, of
falsehood; and 2dly. by showing that the interpretation I have
given, is confirmed by the express declaration of God himself.

This prophecy was delivered by Jacob before there was any king
in Judah. The sceptre did depart from Judah, and with a
vengeance too, at the dethronement and captivity of Zedekiah,
and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans: consequently,
if the sceptre was not to depart from Judah till Shilo came, the
Messiah ought to have appeared before the dethronement of
Zedekiah; as he certainly did not appear before that event, the
prophecy, according to Mr. Everett's sensible interpretation, would
be falsified.

2. The sceptre never has been restored to Judah since the
dethronement of Zedekiah; because the tribe of Judah, since that
period, have been in subjection to the Babylonians, the Persians,
the Syrians, the Romans, and all the world. Mr. Everett maintains
that the sceptre of Judah was in the hands of that tribe during the
time that it was held by the Romans[fn42] who were of the tribe of
Levi and the Herods who were Idumaeans. This idea appears to
me absurd, but I shall not give myself the trouble to oppose it by
argument, as it can be set aside by the express declaration of
God, as reported by Ezekiel, ch. xxi. 26. Speaking of Zedekiah
and his dethronement, the prophet represented the Deity, as
saying, "thus saith the Lord God, remove the diadem, take off the
crown; this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase
him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, (i. e. the
crown or sceptre of Judah,) and it shall be no more until he comes
whose right it is, and I will give it him."

Here the Deity expressly declares, that from the dethronement of
Zedekiah; the crown of Judah should be no more till the coming of
the Messiah to whom he would give it. The Asmonaeans and the
Herods cannot therefore be considered as having held it, as Mr.
Everett supposes.[fn41]

But this is not all, the original Hebrew of this emphatic declaratio