Bough
Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types [1]
Genesis 49:22 (a) This is a picture of the blessed and fruitful influence of Joseph in the life of all nations when he was governor of Egypt. It is also a picture of the blessed effect that his life and his words were to have on following generations. It also indicates that no servant of GOD should confine his gifts and talents to one group of believers. All of GOD's servants are to serve all of GOD's people as much as possible.
Webster's Dictionary [2]
(1): (n.) A gallows.
(2): (n.) An arm or branch of a tree, esp. a large arm or main branch.
King James Dictionary [3]
Bough n. bou. The branch of a tree applied to a branch of size, not to a small shoot.
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [4]
is the rendering in the Auth. Vers. of several words that require no special elucidation, but in Isaiah 17:6; Isaiah 17:9, it stands as the representative of אָמַיר ,' Amir (Sept. Ἐπ᾿ Ἄρκου Μετεώρου in Isaiah 17:6, and Οια῾᾿Μοῤῥαῖοι in Isaiah 17:9; Vulg. Summitate Ranti; Auth. Vers. "uppermost bough"), a word that occurs nowhere else, and is usually derived from an Arabic root signifying a General or emir, and hence, in the present text, the higher or upper branches of a tree. Gesenius (Comment. in loc.) admits that this. interproation is .unsatisfactory; and Lee, who regards it as very fanciful, endeavors (Lex. s.v.) to establish that it denotes the caul or sheath in which the fruit of the date-palm is enveloped. According to this view, he translates the verse thus: " Two or three berries in the head (or upper part)
of the caul (or pod, properly sheath), four or five in its fissures." -This is at least ingenious; and if it be admitted as a sound interpretation of a passage confessedly difficult, this text is to be regarded as affording the only scriptural allusion to the fact that the fruit of the date-palm is, during its growth, contained in a sheath, which rends as the fruit ripens, and at first partially, and afterward more fully exposes its precious contents. (See Palm). Nevertheless, Furst (Lex. s.v.) and Henderson (Comment. in loc.) adhere to the other interpretation.
