Reference: Shiloh

1. This term is used, Ge 49:10, to denote the Messiah, the coming of whom Jacob foretells in these words: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be;" that is, until the time of Christ, Judah's self-governments as a tribe should not ceases. It must be admitted, however, that the literal signification of the word is not well ascertained. Some translate, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah till he comes to whom it belongs." Others, with more probability, till the coming of the Peacemaker, or of the One desired.

2. A famous city of Ephraim, about ten miles south of Shechem, and twenty-four north of Jerusalem. Here Joshua assembled the people to make the second distribution of the Land of Promise; and her the tabernacle of the Lord was set up, when they were settled in the country, Jos 18:1; 19:51. The ark and the tabernacle continued at Shiloh, from B. C. 1444 to B. C. 1116, when it was taken by the Philistines, under the administration of the high priest Eli. In honor of the presence of the ark, there was "a feast of the Lord in Shiloh yearly;" and at one of these festivals the daughters of Shiloh were seized by a remnant of the Benjamites, Jg 21:19-23. At Shiloh Samuel began to prophesy, 1Sa 4:1, and here the prophet Ahijah dwelt, 1Ki 14:2.

generally understood as denoting the Messiah, "the peaceful one," as the word signifies (Ge 49:10). The Vulgate Version translates the word, "he who is to be sent," in allusion to the Messiah; the Revised Version, margin, "till he come to Shiloh;" and the LXX., "until that which is his shall come to Shiloh." It is most simple and natural to render the expression, as in the Authorized Version, "till Shiloh come," interpreting it as a proper name (comp. Isa 9:6).

Shiloh, a place of rest, a city of Ephraim, "on the north side of Bethel," from which it is distant 10 miles (Jg 21:19); the modern Seilun (the Arabic for Shiloh), a "mass of shapeless ruins." Here the tabernacle was set up after the Conquest (Jos 18:1-10), where it remained during all the period of the judges till the ark fell into the hands of the Philistines. "No spot in Central Palestine could be more secluded than this early sanctuary, nothing more featureless than the landscape around; so featureless, indeed, the landscape and so secluded the spot that from the time of St. Jerome till its re-discovery by Dr. Robinson in 1838 the very site was forgotten and unknown." It is referred to by Jeremiah (Jer 7:12,14; 26:4-9) five hundred years after its destruction.

1. Here the Israelites assembled at the completion of the conquest, and erected the Tent of Meeting; portions were assigned to the still landless tribes, and cities to the Levites (Jos 18:1 etc. Jos 21:1 etc.). At Shiloh the congregation deliberated regarding the altar built by the men of the eastern tribes in the Jordan Valley (Jos 22:12 ff.). During the period of the Judges, it was the central sanctuary (Jg 18:31), the scene of great religious festivals and pilgrimages (Jg 21:19; 1Sa 1:2). On one of these occasions the Benjamites captured as wives the women who danced among the vineyards (Jg 21:18 ff.). Here the youth of Samuel was spent, and from this narrative we gather that the 'tent' had given place to a permanent structure, a 'temple' (h

Shiloh. Shi'loh

A place within the territory of Ephraim (which tribe had the first-born's place), and where the tabernacle was located at the close of the life of Joshua (who was also of the tribe of Ephraim); Eli was priest there, and there Samuel began his ministry. The ark had been removed from Gilgal and remained at Shiloh until it was carried into the camp and captured by the Philistines. God had put His name there, but because of the wickedness of the Israelites He forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, and the place was afterwards held up as a sign of desolation. The break-down of the flesh, represented by Ephraim the firstborn, in the day of battle, made way for the election of God, who chose the tribe of Judah and Mount Zion. Ps 78:9,60-68; Jer 7:12,14; 26:6-9.

When the sin of the tribe of Benjamin led to its being nearly destroyed (Judges 20), the virgins of Shiloh were allowed to be seized to furnish wives for the survivors. Judges 21.

On the division of the kingdom the prophet Ahijah was residing there. Jos 18:1-10; Jg 18:31; 21:12-21; 1Sa 1:3-24; 4:3,12; 4/2/type/moffatt'>1Ki 14:2,4; Jer 41:5. Identified with the ruins at Seilun, 32 3' N, 35 17' E.

Shiloh. Shi'loh

Title of the Messiah as 'Prince of Peace.' Ge 49:10; cf. Isa 9:6. See SCEPTRE.

Shi'loh.

In the Authorized Version of the Bible Shiloh is once used as the name of a person, in a very difficult passage, in

Ge 49:10

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Supposing that the translation is correct, the meaning of the word is peaceable or pacific, and the allusion is either to Solomon, whose name has a similar signification, or to the expected Messiah, who in

Isa 9:6

is expressly called the Prince of Peace. [MESSIAH] Other interpretations, however, of the passage are given, one of which makes it refer to the city of this name. [See the following article] It might be translated "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, till he shall go to Shiloh." In this case the allusion would be to the primacy of Judah in war,

See Messiah

Jg 1:1-2; 20:18; Nu 2:3; 10:14

which was to continue until the promised land was conquered and the ark of the covenant was solemnly deposited at Shiloh.

SHILOH, Ge 49:10. The Hebrew text is, "until Shiloh come." All Christian commentators agree, that this word ought to be understood of the Messiah, that is, of Jesus Christ. The LXX read it, "Until the coming of him to whom it is reserved." It must be owned that the signification of the Hebrew word Shiloh is not well known. Some translate the clause, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, till he comes to whom it belongs;" others, "till the coming of the peacemaker, or the pacific, or prosperity;" and some, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah till its end, its ruin," till the downfall of the kingdom of the Jews. However, this much is clear, that the ancient Jews are in this matter agreed with the Christians, in acknowledging that the word stands for Messiah, the King. It is thus that the paraphrasts, Onkelos and Jonathan, and the ancient Hebrew commentaries upon Genesis, and the Talmudists explain it. If Jesus Christ and his Apostles did not make use of this passage to prove the coming of the Messiah, it was because then the completion of this prophecy was not sufficiently manifest. The sceptre still continued among the Jews; they had still kings of their own nation, in the persons of the Herods; but soon after the sceptre was entirely taken away from them, and a people began to be gathered to Christ, out of the Gentile nations.

2. SHILOH, a celebrated city of the tribe of Ephraim, twelve miles from Shechem, Jos 18; 19; 21. It was in this place that the tabernacle of the Lord was set up, when the people were settled in the country. The ark and the tabernacle of the Lord continued at Shiloh from A.M. 2560 till 2888, when it was taken by the Philistines, under the administration of the high priest Eli. 1 Samuel 4. Here the Prophet Ahijah dwelt, 1Ki 14:2.