the example of the Chaldee ([Hebrew: warhvN]), by
"remnant;" and others, by "lowest of the people." We must here enter
into a closer examination of the significations of this word. It is
commonly supposed (compare _Gesenius_ and _Winer_) that, primarily and
properly, it signifies "the last and extreme part," and then "the end."
But that which is supposed to be the derived signification is rather
the original and proper one. The form of the word cannot furnish any
reason why this should not be the case, as is evident from what has
been remarked by _Ewald_: "As the feminine termination, in general,
forms abstract nouns, so also, not unfrequently, abstract nouns are
derived from other nouns, by means of the termination [Hebrew: -it];
very frequently there is no [Pg 373] masculine in [Hebrew: -i] at all
at the foundation, but [Hebrew: -it] serves, in general, only as the
sign of derivation." The following reasons prove that the signification
"end" is the primary and proper one. 1. If the contrary were the case,
the masculine [Hebrew: -i] would also occur, and the feminine would be
met with as an adjective also. 2. [Hebrew: rawit] forms the constant
antithesis to [Hebrew: ahrit]; but it is universally admitted that the
former is, originally and properly, an abstract noun, and signifies
"beginning." The signification "end" must then be retained here also.
The word never has another signification (compare my work on Balaam, p.
465 ff.); it means only "end" in Its various relations. But the
posterity cannot here be thought of as the end; for the whole action is
concentrated in one point of time. Nor is the word ever used in the
sense of "posterity." With as little propriety can "end" mean "the
lowest of the people;" for one cannot see why just these should be
given up to the sword. "End," here, rather denotes "remnant,"--all
those who, at the overthrow of the temple, might escape. These, the
Lord will pursue with the sword. They who were buried under the temple
are the beginning, [Hebrew: rawit]; the latter are the [Hebrew: ahrit],
end. Corresponding to the shaking of the temple from the knops to the
thresholds, the thought is expressed in this manner, that from the
first to the last, [Hebrew: klM mqch] they should be subjected to the
divine punishment. An implied antithesis of quite the same kind, of
[Hebrew: aHrit] to [Hebrew: rawit] occurs also In iv. 2 (where _De
Wette_ and _Rueckert_ have likewise mistaken the sense), and i