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16.A handful of corn shall be (142) in the earth upon the top of the mountains. The opinion of those who take a handful (143) for a small portion appears to be well founded. They think that by the two circumstances here referred to, a rare and uncommon fertility is indicated. Only a very small quantity of wheat, not even more than a man can hold in the palm of his hand, has been sown, and that even upon the tops of the mountains, which generally are far from being fruitful; and yet so very abundant will be the increase, that the ears will wave and rustle in the winds as the trees on Lebanon. I do not, however, know whether so refined a comparison between seed-time and harvest is at all intended by David. His words may be considered more simply as denoting that so great will be the fertility, so abundant the produce of wheat which the mountain tops shall yield, that it may be reaped with full hand. By this figure is portrayed the large abundance of all good things which, through the blessing of God, would be enjoyed under the reign of Christ. To this is added the increase of children. Not only would the earth produce an abundance all kinds of fruits, but the cities and towns also would be fruitful in the production of men: And they shall go out (144) from the city as the grass of the earth I have preferred translating the word Lebanon in the genitive case instead of the nominative; for the metonomy of putting the name of the mountain, Lebanon, for the trees upon it, which is renounced by others, is somewhat harsh.
(142) In the French version, the word semee ,i. e. ,sown, is supplied.
(143) The noun פסה, phissah, here translated handful, is found only in this passage. In explaining 1Kg_18:44, the Chaldee interpreter, for the Hebrew words rendered “ a man’ hand,” has כפסת יד, ke-phissath yad, which strictly signify, “ if a part of the hand.” On this authority several expositors, along with Calvin, have understood פסה, phissah, as signifying “ small quantity of corn,” as much as may lie on a man’ hand, or as he may hold within it. And some at the beginning of the verse supply the conditional particle אם, im, if But Rosenmü thinks that “ with more propriety consider the noun פסה as having the same signification as פסיון, diffusio, uberitas , ‘ abroad, plenty,’ and as derived from the verb פסא, which, both in the Chaldee and in the Arabic, means expandit, diffudit se , ‘ spread abroad, he enlarged himself.’ The Syriac interpreter had, no doubt, this sense in view, when he rendered the words multitudinem frumenti , ‘ abundance of corn.’”
(144) The word ציף, tsits, which Calvin renders shall go out, signifies to spring from, to spring up It is used, says Rosenmü with respect to plants or herbs when, sprouting from the seed, they make their appearance above ground in beauty and gracefulness, (Num_17:8.) It is used to denote also the reproduction of mankind in prosperous circumstances, (Isa_27:6.) From the noun מעיר, [from the city,] we are at no loss to supply the proper nominative to the preceding verb; q d. ,ex civitatibus singulis cives efflorescent , ‘ the cities severally, the citizens shall spring forth.’ The expression is somewhat similar to that in Psa_68:27, where the descendants of Israel are said to be from the fountain of Israel. ” The extraordinary fertility and great increase of population here predicted took place in Palestine under the reign of Solomon, as is evident from 1Kg_4:20, where it is said, that in the time of Solomon “ and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.” But this prophecy is destined to receive its fullest accomplishment under the reign of the Messiah.