consistent with the Mosaic History. 33 



from a verb, which, from Joel ii. 22, we learn the meaning is to spring, 

 to shoot, to vegetate, " Be not afraid, ye beast of the field, for the 

 pastures of the wilderness do spring (dasheu)." In the 11th verse 

 under consideration, we find both the verb and the noun, for the 

 words translated "Let the earth bring forth" are (tadeshe haaretz), 

 which, in accordance with the obvious sense in Joel, would be bet- 

 ter rendered " Let the earth shoot out." From this meaning of the 

 verb, then, the noun would signify the springing or shooting plant, 

 and as used here in contradistinction to both herbs and trees bearing 

 seeds, it is surely not recommending any forced interpretation to sug- 

 gest that it is meant to express that class of vegetables, which all 

 botanists recognise as being naturally distinguished by the obscurity 

 of their means of reproduction. 



It tends to support this interpretation, that the Hebrew has a dif- 

 ferent term for grass, the common food of cattle (chatzir), which the 

 lexicographers have shewn is derived from its tubular structure. 

 Thus, in Job xl. 1 5, we have " he eatelh grass (chatzir) as an ox ;" 

 and. Psalm civ. 14, " He causeth grass (chatzir) to grow for the 

 cattle." 



In several passages besides this of Genesis, we find deshe con- 

 tradistinguished from both oeseb and chatzir, as in Deuteronomy xxx. 

 2. " As the small rain upon the tender herb (deshe), and as the 

 showers upon the grass (oeseb) j" and Psalm xxxvii. 2, " They 

 shall soon be cut down like the grass (chatzir), and wither like the 

 green herb (deshe) ;" and 2d Kings xix. 26, " They were as the 

 herb (oeseb) of the field, as the green herb (deshe), as the grass 

 (chatzir) on the house tops." These quotations shew the want of 

 uniformity with which the English translators have rendered these 

 terms, and go to support the sense we would assign to deshe. 



But we must not conceal that there are three passages in which 

 this word occurs, that might seem to imply, until closely examined, 

 that we should not be warranted to restrict the sense of it in the 

 manner proposed. One is in the 23d Psalm, " The Lord is my 

 shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in the 

 pastures of tender grass* (deshe)." On this we have to observe, 

 that the word rendered here in the pastures, has been rendered by 

 the Vulgate, in various places where it occurs, and by the Septuagint 

 in some instances, desirable or beautiful places, and their accuracy 



* The marginal translation, which is the literal one. 



Vol, XXV,— No. L • 6 ■ 



