It required that centuries should
pass away before he grew up to be a lion, a full-grown lion. By the
long period which thus intervened between the promise and its
fulfilment, the divine election is the more strikingly manifested.
(Several interpreters have been of opinion that there is no difference
between the young lion, the lion, and the full-grown lion. But it is
shown by Ezek. xix. 3--"And she brought up one of her [Hebrew: gvriM],
and it became a [Hebrew: kpir], and it learnt to tear prey,"--that
[Hebrew: gvr arih] is a young lion not yet able to catch prey.[2]) In
the words, "From the prey, my son, thou art gone up," the _prey_ is the
_terminus a quo_: for [Hebrew: elh] with [Hebrew: mN] is always used of
the place from which it is gone up (see Josh. iv. 17, x. 9; Song of
Sol. iv. 2): the _terminus ad quem_ is the usual abode, as is shown by
what follows. The residence of the conqueror and ruler is conceived of
as being _elevated_. Joseph, according to Gen. xlvi. 31, goes up to
Pharaoh, and in ver. 29 of the same chapter he goes up to meet his
father. The expression "to go up" is commonly used of those who come
from [Pg 63] other countries to Canaan. But the "going up" in the
passage under review implies also the "going down" into the lower
regions to seek for prey, just as in Ps. lxviii. 19, where it is said
of the Lord, after He had fought for His people, and had been
victorious, "Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity
captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious
also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." "_To dwell_" means
there, that, after having accomplished all this, thou mayest dwell
gloriously, and be inaccessible to the vengeance of the conquered, in
thy usual place of abode. The sense is the same in the passage before
us. Luther is therefore wrong in explaining it thus: "Thou hast risen
high, my son, by great victories,"--as are others also who translate
it, "From the prey thou growest up." Such a view of this clause would,
moreover, break up the connection, and all that follows would appear
without preparation.[3]

The words, "He stoopeth down, he croucheth as a lion, and as a
full-grown lion; who shall rouse him up?" contain a transition and
allusion to what we are subsequently told concerning Shiloh. Even here
we are presented with a picture of peace,--a peace, however, which is
not to the prejudice of victorious power, as in the case of Issachar
(vers. 14