THE PRINCE OF PEACE 309
was doubtless acquainted with the writings of Isaiah, and who in all his Messianic passages both in the first and second parts of his book tersely summarises the great predictions of " the former prophets," should be led to describe Israel s Redeemer-King as " afflicted " and suffering.
And in keeping with His character shall be the manner in which He shall present Himself to His people. Not in outward pomp or with display of worldly power, shall He appear, but " riding upon an ass, even upon a colt, the foal * of an ass."
The second sentence in this line more precisely defines the kind of ass which the Messiah shall ride upon. It shall be a young animal not yet ridden on, but still accustomed to run behind the she-asses, as the last qualifying words of the description imply.
The question is discussed by commentators whether the riding upon an ass is to be regarded as an emblem of Messiah s " lowliness," in keeping with the description of Him as " ani" " poor," " afflicted," or as an outward sign of the peacefulness of His mission. But it seems to me that both ideas are merged in the prophecy of this symbolic action. It is true that in the East the ass is generally of a nobler breed, and is not so despised as in the West, and in the earliest times of Jewish history we read of judges and rulers riding on asses ; but that was only, as Hengstenberg has shown by a full discussion of all the references, until horses were introduced, when it was no longer in accordance with the dignity of kings and rulers of Israel to ride on asses. 2 "In fact, from the time of Solomon downwards, we do not meet with a single example of a king, or of any distinguished personage, riding upon an ass."
In Jeremiah s time, for instance, it was certainly regarded as becoming royal dignity for kings and princes to be " sitting in chariots and riding on horses," 3 so that when the Messiah is here represented as " riding on an ass,"
1 Lit., "the son of she-asses." 2 Hengstenberg.
3 Jer. xvii. 25.
