1886.] Oil. [Lesley. 



Eliphaz seems to have a very unanthropomorplric notion of Shedi. He 

 begins one of his discourses thus (22 : 2) "Can a hero (geber) be profit to 

 ■El, as a sage'is profit to himself? Is it delightful to Shedi that thou art 

 righteous (zedek), and is it gainful (to him) that thy ways are good 

 (tam)?" And then he goes on to show Job that Shedi simply regards him 

 as a sinner and punishes him as such, and not at all out of any personal 

 considerations. 



One more reference to Shedi is made in this poem, and it requires separate 

 consideration, because it takes us back to the ideas of covenant and in- 

 heritance. Job (31 : 2) is attesting his uprightness. "I madea covenant 

 with my eyes, and why should I think on a maid, and what has Eloeh 

 allotted (as my portion) from on high, and what Shedi as my inheritance? 

 Is not destruction the lot of the unrighteous, and misfortune that of the 

 evil doers? Does he not see my ways, and count my steps? " &c. 



It remains only to draw attention to the poetical balancing of El {Eloeh) 

 against Shedi, proving that the full name was El Shedi, or Eloeh Shedi, 

 throughout the book. 



The absence of any article would prove the vulgar translation of Shedi as 

 "the almighty," to be a mistake, apart from all other arguments. It would 

 be just as reasonable to expect an article with El or Eloeh, "the god." 

 Shedi is evidently as personal a proper name, as Baal, or Jehovah, or Seti. 

 The translation " the almighty " falls to the ground with the etymology 

 ■of Shedi, from Shed strong ; and we have seen that Shed, among its various 

 meanings, has one whieh does not mean strong, but violent. 



It is true that the El Shedi of the poem of Job is rather an amiable deity. 

 But this he would undoubtedly be in the eyes of his original worshipers 

 in Arabia. The poem hints plainly enough that he could be a typhonic 

 demon to " the wicked, " that is to people who worshiped other deities 

 and cared nothing for Shedi. 



In the Psalms the name Shedi occurs only twice. 



Ps. 68 : 14. This superb chant, beginning "Let Elohim arise, let his 

 foes be scattered ; let his haters flee before him. As smoke is driven, as 

 wax is melted, let the wicked perish from the face of Elohim; but let the 

 righteous rejoice," &c. "Extol the cloud-rider by his name Jehovah." 

 "Jehovah gave the song of victory, messengers of victory to the great host." 

 "The kings of the hosts flee, they flee, and the housewife divides the 

 booty; when ye rest among the cattle stalls, where doves' wings are silver 

 white, with golden feathers.'' "In Paras Shedi, kings therein, it snowed 

 in Salmon." No clear meaning can be made out of this part of the 

 Psalm, but either Paras Shedi was the name of a place "the scattering 

 of Shedi," or Shedi was supposed to rout the kings on the snow-covered 

 Salmon. At all events the mixture of Jehovah, Elohim and Shedi in this 

 wild war song is very remarkable. 



Ps. 91 : 1. We have in this song no mention of Elohim, but a mingling 

 of Oliun, Shedi and Jehovah, none of them with an article: "Sitting 

 beneath the protection of Oliun (the highest), resting in the shade of Shedi, 



