these features, as, in the former
description of the judgment upon Israel, the plague of the locusts lies
at the foundation, and as the contents of the following verse have
likewise their prototype in those events. Compare Exod. x. 21: "And the
Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward the heaven, and let
there be darkness over the land of Egypt." That it is not real blood
which is here meant, but that only which, by its blood-red colour,
reminds of blood (comp. _e.g._, "Waters red as blood," 2 Kings iii.
22), is shown by the fundamental passage, Exod. vii. 17, where the
water which had become red is called simply blood; compare my
work on _Egypt and the Books of Moses_, p. 106. Blood brings into
view the shedding of blood; the fiery phenomena announce that
the fire of the anger of God, and the fire of war, will be enkindled;
compare remarks on i. 19, 20.--The word [Hebrew: timrvt] requires a
renewed investigation. Interpreters [Pg 340] uniformly explain it by
"pillars,"--a signification which is altogether destitute of any
foundation; for the Chaldee [Hebrew: tmrh], to which they refer, is
not found with the signification "pillar." Such a meaning is quite
inappropriate in the single passage quoted by _Buxtorf_; the
signification "smoke," or "cloud of smoke," is necessarily required in
that place. As little are we at liberty to appeal to [Hebrew: tmr],
"palm," with which [Hebrew: timrh] has nothing at all to do. The
[Hebrew: i], which would be without any analogy if derived from
[Hebrew: tmr] (compare _Ewald_ on _Song of Sol._ iii. 6), requires the
derivation from [Hebrew: imr]. The word [Hebrew: timrh] is a noun
formed from the 3d pers. _fem. Fut._ of this verb with [Hebrew: h]
affixed (compare, on these nouns, the remarks on Hos. ii. 14, and my
work on _Balaam_, p. 434), and, as to its form, it corresponds
exactly with [Hebrew: tmvrh], derived from the 3d _fem. Fut._ of the
verb [Hebrew: mvr]. There cannot now be any doubt regarding the
signification of [Hebrew: imr]. Is. lxi. 6, and Jer. ii. 11, where
[Hebrew: hmir] and [Hebrew: himir] occur in the same verse, show that
it corresponds entirely with [Hebrew: mvr]. Hence _Ewald_ (l. c.) is
wrong in identifying it with [Hebrew: amr], the alleged meaning of
which is "to be high." Now in Hebrew, [Hebrew: mvr] and [Hebrew: imr]
occur only in the derived signification of "to transform," "to change,"
"to exchange;" but the primary signification is furnished by the