Isaac curses the Philistines (xxiv. 28-33)

p. 136

Isaac curses the Philistines (xxiv. 28-33).

28. And Isaac on that day cursed the Philistines ¹ and said: "Cursed be the Philistines unto the day of wrath and indignation from the midst of all nations; may God make them a derision and a curse and an object of wrath and indignation in the hands of the sinners the Gentiles and in the hands of the Kittim. ² 29. And whoever escapeth the sword of the enemy and the Kittim, may the righteous nation ³ root out in judgment from under heaven; for they will be the enemies and foes of my children throughout their generations upon the earth.

30. And no remnant will be left to them,
Nor one that will be saved on the day of the wrath of judgment;
For for destruction and rooting out and expulsion from the earth is the whole seed of the Philistines (reserved),
And there will no longer be left for these Caphtorim ⁴ a name or a seed on the earth.
31. ⁵ For though he ascend unto heaven,
Thence will he be brought down,
And though he make himself strong on earth,
Thence will he be dragged forth,
And though he hide himself amongst the nations,
Even from thence will he be rooted out;
And though he descend into Sheol,
There also will his condemnation be great,
And there also he will have no peace.
32. And if he go into captivity,
By the hands of those that seek his life will they slay him on the way, p. 137
And neither name nor seed will be left to him on all the earth;
For into eternal malediction will he depart."

[paragraph continues] 33. And thus is it written and engraved concerning him on the heavenly tables, to do unto him on the day of judgment, so that he may be rooted out of the earth.

Footnotes

136:1 The text reflects the bitter feeling towards the Philistines existing among the Jews in Maccabean times. The Philistine cities were either destroyed or captured by the Maccabees.

136:2 i. e. the Macedonians; cf. 1 Macc. i. 1, viii. 5.

136:3 i. e. Judah under the Maccabees.

136:4 The Philistines came originally from Caphtor according to Amos ix. 7 (Deut. ii. 23; Jer. xlvii. 4).

136:5 The basis of 31-32 seems to be Amos ix. 2-4.