m-jephatukah_, "If sinners entice thee."
There is no need of more examples, for the word occurs frequently, and
I have no doubt that it is derived from the Greek word _peitho_, for
it has the same meaning.

211. But let us turn to the question: Why have all translators made it
read, "God enlarge Japheth," while it is not the word _pathach_, which
means "to enlarge" or "to open", but rather the word _pathah_? I have
no doubt that the translators were influenced by the harsh expression.
Since this is a promise, it seemed too harsh to state that Noah had
said, "God deceive Japheth." This would appear to be a word of
cursing, not of blessing. Hence they chose a milder term, though it
violated the rules of language. And since there is but a slight
difference between _pathach_, and _pathah_, they used one for the
other. They meant to preserve the important fact that this is a
promise.

212. But there is no need for us to alter the text in this manner, and
to violate its grammatical construction, since the word _pathah_,
offers a most suitable meaning. Being a word of double meaning, as the
word _suadere_ in Latin, it may be accepted either in a bad or in a
good sense. Hence, it is not irreverent to apply this word to God. We
find it clearly so used in Hosea 2, 14, where the Lord says:
"Therefore, behold, I will (_mephateha_) allure her (or, entice her by
coaxing), and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably
unto her." I will suckle her, speak sweetly unto her, and thus will I
deceive her, as it were, so that she may agree with me, so that the
Church will join herself to me, etc.

In this sense the word may here rightly be taken to mean "allure,"
"persuade," "coax by means of friendly words and flattery." God
suckle, persuade, deceive Japheth by persuasion, so that Japheth
himself, being allured, as his name signifies, may be invited in a
friendly way and thus be beguiled.

213. But you say, what will be the meaning of this? or why should
there be need for Japheth to be beguiled or persuaded, and that by God
himself? I answer: Noah makes the names to serve his purpose in this
prophecy. He gives thanks to God that he establishes them to stand
like a firm root from which Christ was to spring. For the verb _sum_,
signifies "to place," "to put in position," "to establish."

214. For Japheth, however, he prays that he may become a true Japheth.
Since he was the oldest son, who ordinarily should have been given th