n the
latter be intended." (There then follows a quotation of several
passages treating of the exalted Messiah.)

That it was nevertheless difficult for the carnally-minded among the
Jews to reject the tradition, is seen from the paraphrase of
_Jonathan_. This forms a middle link between the ancient
interpretation--which was retained, even at a later period, by the
better portion of the nation--and the recent interpretation. _Jonathan_
(see his paraphrase, among others, in _Lowth's_ comment, edited by
_Koppe_, on the passage; and in _Hulsii Theol. Judaica_) acknowledges
the tradition, in so far, that he refers the whole prophecy to the
Messiah. On the other hand, he endeavours to satisfy his repugnance to
the doctrine of a suffering and expiating Messiah, by referring,
through the most violent perversions and most arbitrary interpolations,
to the state of glory, every thing which is here said of the state of
humiliation. A trace of the right interpretation may yet perhaps be
found in ver. 12, where _Jonathan_ says that the Messiah will give
_His_ soul unto death; but it may be that thereby he understands
merely the intrepid courage with which the Messiah will expose himself
to all [Pg 317] dangers, in the conflict with the enemies of the
covenant-people.

This mode of dealing with the text, however, could satisfy only a few.
They, therefore, went farther, and sought for an entirely different
subject of the prophecy. How very little they were themselves convinced
of the soundness of their interpretation, and satisfied with its
results, may be seen from the example of _Abarbanel_, who advances two
explanations which differ totally, viz., one referring it to the Jewish
people, and the other to king Josiah, and then allows his readers to
make their choice betwixt the two. It is in truth only, that there is
unanimity and certainty; error is always accompanied by disagreement
and uncertainty. This will appear from the following enumeration of the
various interpretations of this passage, which, at a subsequent period,
were current among the Jews. (The principal non-Messianic
interpretations of this passage are found in the Rabbinical Bibles, and
also in _Hulsius_, _l.c._, p. 339, both in the original and
translation.) The interpreters may be divided into two main classes: 1.
Those who by [Hebrew: ebd ihvh] understand some collective body; and,
2. Those who refer the prophecy to a single individual. The first class
again fal