Page 67 - New English Book L

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collectively, or perhaps to the “obedience” in the fourth
clause of the verse, the language being poetic. According
to this important version the sense of the prediction would
appear to be plainly this:-

“The royal and prophetic character shall not pass
away from Judah until he to whom it belongs come, for
his is the homage of people.”

But apparently this word is derived from the verb
shalah and therefore meaning “peaceful, tranquil, quiet
and trust-worthy.”

It is most likely that some old transcriber or copyist
currente calamo and with a slip of pen has detached the left
side of the final letter het, and then it has been transformed
into hi; for the two letters are exceedingly alike being only
very slightly different on the left side. If such an error
has been transmitted in the Hebrew manuscript either
intentionally or not- then the word is derived from shalah,
“to send, delegate,” the past participle of which would be
shaluh - that is, “one who is sent, apostle, messenger.”

There appears no reasonable cause for a deliberate
change of het for hi, since the yod is preserved in the
present shape of Shiloh, which has no vaw that would be
necessary for the past participle Shaluh. Besides, I think
the Septuagint has retained the Shiloh as it is. The only
possible change, therefore, would be of the final letter het
into hi. If such be the case, then the word would take the
form of Shiluah and correspond exactly to the “Apostle
of Yah,” the very title given to Muhammad (pbuh) alone
“Rasul Allah,” i.e. “the Apostle of God.” I know that the
term “shiluah” is also the technical word for the “letter of
divorce,” and this because the divorced wife is “sent” away.

I can guess of no other interpretation of this singular
name besides the three versions I have mentioned.