Verse 21. My days are ful/dledl My seven years are now
Verse 23. In i/ie tvenint^ — lie took Leak Ins daughter'] As the bride wa.s always tr;7a/, and the bride-chamber generally dark, or nearly so, and as Leah was brought to Jacob in the frf/iin;', the iuiposition here practised by Laban might easily pass undetected by Jacob, till the ensuing day discovered the fraud.
Verse 24. And Laban gave — Zilpah his maid] Slaves given in this way to a daughter on her marriage, were the peculiar projitrly of the daughter; and o;er them the husband had neither ritht nor power. — See the case of Sarah and IJagar, chap. xvi. 1, &c.
Verse 2€. It must not be so done in our counijy] It was an early ru-tom to give daughters in marriage according to their ■sentoriy; and it is worthy of remark, tluit one of the oldest nations now existing, ntxt to the Jews, I mean the Hindoos, liave this serve with thee for Rachel? where- a. M.cirwaa. fore then hast thou beguiled me? n.c.nr. 177^.
26 And Laban said. It must not be so done in our country % to gi\ e the younger before the first-born.
27 " Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also, for the service which thou shaJt serve with me, yet seven other years.
28 \ And Jacob did so, and fidrilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter ^ Rilhah his hand-maid to be her maid.
not merely as a custom, but as a positive faiu: and they deem it criminal to give a. younger daughter in marriage while an eldir dauffhter remains unmarried. Among them, it is a high olHnce, equal to adultery, " for a man to marry while 111" (■/(/[■)• brother remains unmarried; or for a man to give his (huighter to such a person, or to give his youngest daughter in marriage while the eldest sister remains unmarried."— Code of Gentoo Laws, c. xv. sect. 1. p. 204. This, it appears, was a custom at Mesopotamia; but Laban took care to conceal it from Jacob till afier he had given biin Leah.
Verse 27. Fulfil her week] The marriage feast, it appears* la-ted seven days; it would not, therefore, have been proper to break off the solemnities to which all the men of the place had been invited, ver. 22. and probably Laban wished to keep his fraud from the public eye; therefore he inform* Jacob, that if he will fulfil the marriage week for Leah, he will give him Rachel at the end of it, on condition of his serving seven other years. To this the necessity ot the case caused Jacob to agree; and thus Laban Um] fourteen years service instead o{ seven; for it is not likely that Jacob v>'ould have '.served even seven days for Leah, as his aftection was wholly set on Rachel, the wite of his o\\ n choice. By this stratagem Laban gained a settlement i'or both his daughters. What a man soweth, that.shall he reap. Jacob had beilire practised deceit, and is now deceived; and l^aban, the instrument oi it, was ai'terwards deceived himself.
Verse 28. And Jacob did so — and he gave him Rachel] It is perlectly plain that.Jacob did not serve seven years more btfore he got Rachel to wife; but having spent a week wiih Leah, and in kecjiiiig the marriage feast, he then got Rachel, and served afterwards seven years for her. Connections of this kind are now called incestuous; but it appears they were allowable in those ancient limes. In taking both sisters, it does not appear that any blame attached to Jacob, lliough, in consequence of it, he was vexed by their jealousies. It was probably because of this tliat the law. Lev. xviii. 18. was made. Thou shall not take a wife to her sister, to rex her, besides the other, in her life-time. After this, all nucb tnarriage* were strictly forbidden.
more tlian Leah; and served with him " yet seven other years.
3 1 % And when the Lord " saw that Leah "ccas hated, he ''.opened her womb: but Rachel Xi^as barren.
A.:M,c.r.22i3. 32 Aud Lcah conceived, and bare B.C. cir. 1771. ^ g^j^^ ^^^^ g]^g called his name " Reuben:.for she said, Surely the Lord had ' looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will lo\e-ine.
Verse 31. The Lord smd that Leah lutis hatetTl From this and the preredw^ verse, we get the genuine meaning- of the ■worflnjU' saruih, 'to hate, in certain «lisputed places in tlie Scriptures. Tiie word sim))ly signifies a less degree of lore: soil is said, ver. 30. "Jacob loved Kach?! more than Leah;" i. e. he loved Leah le'ss than Rachael, and this is called hating in ver. 3L When the Lord saiv that Leah vms haled; that is, •that she had less affection shewn to her than was her due, as one of the legitimate vives of Jacob, he opened her womb — lie blessed her vyith children. Now the frequent intercourse of.Jacob with Leah — see the following verses — sufficiently ■proves that he did not hate her, in the sen.se in Mhicli this t«i m is used among us: but he shewed ar.d felt less affection ibr her than for hen. sister. So, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I haled, Mai. i. 2, 3. and Rom. ix. 15. simply meansj that he had shewn a greater degree of affection for Jacob <ind his po.slerity, than he had done for Esau and his descendants, by giving the former abetter earthly portion than he had given to the latter; by maintaining them in it, and by chusingthc familj' of Jacob to be progenitors of the Messiah. But not one word of all this relates to the eternal states of either of the two nations. Those who endeavour to support certain peculiarities of their creed by such scriptures as these, do greatly err, not knowing the scripture, and not properly considering either the sovereignty or the mercy of God.
Verse 32. She called his name Benben'] pINT reu-ben, literally, see ye, or behold a son! for Jehovah hath looked — nXI raah, he hath beheld my affliction — behold then the consequence, I have got a son!
Verse 33. She called his name Simeon"] JipiSU' Shijneon, hearing, i. e. God had blessed her with another son, because he had heard that she was hated— ]o\eCi less tlian Rachel was, as the context tells us.
Verse 34. T/ierefore luas his name called Levi"] 'iS levi, joined; because.she snppo.sed ihai', in consequence of all these childreB, Jacob would be.coma joined to her in as strong flfti-'Ction, at least, as he was to Rachel. From Levi sprang \i\vi \.nht oi Ltviles, who, instead of the7i^s^;!lon?, vcvc joined
a son; and said. Because the Lord hath heard that I teas hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name ^ Simeon.
34 And she conceived again, and bare a sou: and said. Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I, have borne him three sons: therefore was hi& name called " Levi.
35 And she conceived again, and A.M.cir.ms, bare a son: and she said. Now will ^ifi^'^- I praise the Lord: therefore she called hi& name 'Judah"; and ' left bearing.
Verse 35. She called his name Judah] miiT Yehudah, a confessor; one wiio acknowledges God, and acknowledges that all good comes from his hands; and gives him the praise due to his grace and mercy. From this patriarch the Jews have their name; and could it be now rightly applied to them, it would intimate that they were a people that confess God, acknowledge his bounty, and praise him for his grace. — See Rom. ii. 29.
Left bearin'f] I'hat is, for a time; for she had several children afterwards, see chap. xxx. 17, &c. Literally translated, the original Prh'O T31'n tacimod miledeth — she stood still from bearing, which certainly docs not convey the same meaning as that in our translation: the one appearing to signify, that she ceased entirely from having children; tlie other, that she only desisted for a time, which was probably occasioned hy a temporary suspension of Jacob's company,. «'ho appears to have deserted the tent of Leah, through the jealous management of Rachel. — See chap. xxx. 14, 15, &c.
The intelligent and pious care of the original inhabitants of the world to call their children by those names which were descriptive of some remarkable eicnt in Providence, circumstance of their birth, or domestic occurrence, is worthy not only of respect, but of imitation. As the name itself continually called to the mind, both of the parents and the child, the circumstance from which it originated, it could not fail to be a lasting blessing to both. How -widely different is our custom! Unthinking and ungodly, we impose names upon our oflspring as we do upon our cattle; and often the dog, the hor.so, the monkey, and the parrot, share in common with our fliildren the names which are called Qiristian.' Some of our Christian names, so called, arc absurd, others are ridiculous, and a third class impious; these last being taken from the dremon gods and goddesses of heathenism. May we ever. hope that the rational and pious custom recommended in the; Scriptures shall ever be restored, even among those who prox, fess to believe in, fear, and /ot,'c God? j
Rachel envies her sister, and chides Jacob, 1. He reproves her, (aid vindicates himself, 2. She gives him her maid Bilhah, 3, 4. She conceives, and bears Dan, 5, 6, and aftemards Naphtali, 7, 8. Leah gives Zilpah hcrmaidto Jacob, Q. She conceives, and bears Gad, 10,11, and aha Ashn; 12, \3. Reuben Jinds mandrakesi of uhich l\t^che\ reijtmts a part, 14. The bargain made beUaen her and Leah, 15. Jacob, in conseqnatcf, (edges zdth Leah instead of Rachel, iG. She conceives, and bears Issachar, 17, 18, and Zehv\\m, 19, 120, and Drna'.i, '21. Rttckel conceives, and bears Joseph, 22—24. Jacob requests permission from Laban to 'go to his oicn cmntry, 25, 2(5. Laban entreaty him to tarry, and offers to give him zchat rcages he shall chuse to°nanu, 27, 28. Jacob details the importance of his services to Laban, 29, 30, and offers to continue those services for the speckled and spotted among the goats, and the brown among the sheep, 3 1— S3. Laban consents, U, and divides all the ring-siraked and spotted among the he-goats, the speckled and spotted among the she- "oats, and (he brown a»w/^ </it sheep, atui put.'.- them under the care of his own sons, and seis three dai/sjournei/ between lintse'lf and Jacob, So, J6. Jacob's stratagem of the' pilled rods, to cause ihecattle to iring forth the ringstraked, speckled, and spotted, 37—39- In consequence of which, he increased his flock greatly, getting all that was strong and healthy in the flock of Laban, 40—43.
ND when Rachel saw that ^ she bare Jacob no children, Rachel'
* envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give! me children j " or else 1 die.
2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Ra-! chel: and he said, " dm I in God's stead, who hath widiheld fl-om thee the fruit of the womb?
3 And she said, BejiOld ' my maid Bilhah, go cond son in unto her;. 'and she shall bear upon my knees, j! 8 And Rachel said, With •■that 1 mav al^^o " have children bv her. " have I wrestled with my sister, and I have pre
4 An i she aave iiim Bilhah iier hand-maid ' to vailed: and site called his name " Naphtali °.
6 And Rachel said, God hath "judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given mc ason-.dierclbre called she liis name 'Dan.
Verse!. Give me children, or ehe J die.] This' is a most repre'ipnsi'ile speecli, and argues not only en-y and jealousy, but also a total want of dependance on God. She had the greatest share of her husband's atlei-tion, and)'et was not ■sat'sn'r,d, 'inless she could engross all the privileges which her SisUr f'nii.yed 1 How true is the savug. Envy is as rottenness qf the bonti! Prov. xiv. 30. And, Jealousy is as cruel as the £ni-;e, ChuI. viii. 6. >
Verse::. Am I in God's stead 'r"] Am I greater than God, to give thee what he has relused?
^'er-e '*. Shethall bear upon my knees'] The handmaid was tl:.sole proptTty of the mistress, as has already been remarked m the ''ase of Hauar; and therefore not only all her la!)our, but even the children borne by her, were the prnperiy of the mi.lres". 7'hese female;.lave.<, therefore, bore children vicariously ha their mistresses: and this ai)-
9 ^ When Leah saw that she had left bear-
That I may also have children hy her.],-JOO rJ3NV 've-ihaneh 7nimennuh — arcd I shall be bnitded up by her. Hence ]3 ben, a son, or child, from rU3 banah, to build, because, as a house is formed of the stones, &c. that enter into its comi>osition, so is a family by children.
Verse 6. Called she Ids name Dan.] Because she founll God had judged for her, and decided that she should have U son by means of her handmaid; hence she called his name p Dan, judging.
Verse 8. She called his luime Naphtali.] >br\ia naphtcdi. My urcsding, according to the common mode of interpretalion; but it is more likely thai the root VnS patal, signifies to tieiss or entwine. Hence Mr. Parkhurst translates the verse — " By the tiL'isting'!, agency or opciation, of God, I am entwisted with my sister; that is, my faoiily is now entwined, or inter-^
10 And Zilpah Jacob a son.
1 1 And Leah said, A troop cometh called his name '' Gad.
12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, 'Happy am I, for the
14 ^ And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found '^ mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his motlier Leah. Tiien Rachel said to Leah, ^ Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.
tvovcn, with my sister's family, and has a cliance of prcducingthe promised seed." The Sejituagint, Aquila, and the Vulgate, have marly the same meiiniiig. It is, iiowevor, dillicuit to fix the true sense of the original.
Verse 1 1. She called his naitie 0V«/.] This has been variously translated. "1J Vad may signify a troop, an armij, a soldier, a false god, (fsai. Ixv. 1 1.) supposed to be the same as Jupiter or Mars: for as Laban appears to have been, if rot an idolator, yet a dealer in a sort of judicial astrology, see chap..\xxi. 1 9. Leah, in saying nj3 buirad, which we translate, a troop conuith, might meafi iy, or viilh the assistance of Gad, a particular planet or star, [Jupiter, possibly,) I have gotten this son; therefore she called him afler the name ef that planet or star, from which she supposed the succour came, see the note on chap. xxxi. 19. The Septuagint tran.-late it, tv tux", with good fortune; the Vulgate, fclicitcr, happily; but in. all this diversity, our own translatinn may appear as probable as any, if not the genuine one — i; X3 hu gad, (for the keri or marginal reading has it in two words) H troop cometh; wlicreas the tcxiuul rer.ding h^s if only in one, "IJJ bugud, ■with a troop. \n the Bible, published by Bcck^, 1549, the word is translated as an e.vclamation. Good luck! and culled his name Gad.
Verse 14. Reuben — found mandrakes] D'^?^n duduim. What these were is utterly unlcnown; and learned men have wasted much time and pams, in tndeavotiring to guess out a probable meaning. Some translate the word lilies, others/c.vs^- ptine, others citrons, others niushroonis, others jigs, and some think the woid mtan.s^tU(?;.s, or fine Jloicers in general. Jlas- Mltfuist, the Ultimate friencj and pupil of Litinc, v.ho travelled into tlic Holy Land to [nake discoveries in natural history, imagines that the plant commonly called mandrake, is inlend-
15 And she said unto her, ^ Is it
my husband.'' and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for tliy son's mandrakes.
\6 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said. Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have liired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name ' Issachar.
ed: speaking of Nazareth in Galilee, he says, " What I found most remarkable at this village, was the great number of mandrakes which grow in a vale belov/iti I ha<l not the pleasure to see this plant in blossom, the fruit now (May 5tli. O..S.) hanging ripe to the stem, which lay ivithered on the ground. From the season in which this mandrake blossonis, and ripens fruit, one might form a conjecture, that it wai Haehei's duduim. The.-e were brought her in tjie wheat harvest, which, in Galilee, is in the month of May, about this time, a'ld the mandrake was now in fruit." Both among the Greeks and Orientals, this plant was held in high repute, at being of a prolific virtue, and helping conception: and from it philtres, or love potions were made; and this is favoured by the meaning of the original which signifies loves, i. e. incentives to matrimonial connections: and it was probably on thii account that Rachel desired to have thein. Tiie whole ac« count however is very obscure.
Verse 15. Thou hast Jaken my husband] It appeart probable, that Rachel had found means to engross the whole of Jacob's affection and company, see chap. xxix. 35. and that she now agreed to let him visit the tent of Leah, on account of receiving some of the fruits or plants which Ilcuben had found.
Verse ] 6. / have hired thee] We may remark, among ihft Jewish women, an intense desire of having children; and it seems to have been produced, not from any peculiar alfection for children, simply considered in themselves, but through the hope of liaving a share in the blessing of Abraham, tiy bringing forth him in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed. ■»
Verse 18. God hath given me my hire — Shekari ^Slff — and she culled his name lisachar] iSttTZ;'. This word is compounded of B" yesh, IS, and "^O'i: slicker, W.AGK.s, from 'CV shakur, to content, sutify, saturate: hence a satisfaction «f compensation for work done, &c.
iu^.ari755. |j,j^p Jacob the sixtli son. 20 And Lcali said, God liatli endued me xvith
a "-ood dowry; now will my husband dwell
24 And she called his name ^ Joseph; and said, "The Lord shall add to me another son.
25 ^ And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, 'Send me away, that I may go unto "mine own place, and to my country.
26 Give me my wives and my children, ' for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done
27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarr^:
Verse 20. Noiu will my husband dwell with?He] yVsn yizebleni, and she called his name Zebulun, p^3T a dwclliw^. or cohnbitalion, as she mnv expected that Jacob would divcll uitii her, as he had before dwell with llaclwl.
Verse 2 1. And cuHcd Iter name Dinah]."On Dinah, Judgntenl. As Rachel had called her son by Bilhah, Dan. ver. C. so Leah calls her daughter Dl.v.Ml, God \vdv\ni^ Judged, and iletermiiied for her as well as for her sister, in the preceding instance.
Verse 22. And (!od hean'ccned to her] After the.severe reproof which Rachel had received from her husband, vtr. 2. it appears that she sought God by prayer, and that he heard her, so that her prayer and faith obtained what her impatience and unbelief had prevented.
Children of Leah and Rachel. CHAP,
Verse '2i. She culled his na7nc.loseph] r]^l» Yoseph, adding, or he who adds; thereby proplietually declaring t!iat God would add iinio her another son, which was accomplished in the birth of lienjamin, chap. xxw. 18.
Verse 25. Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away.] Having now, as is generally conjectured, fulfilled the fourteen years wliicli he had engagetl to.serve for Leah and Rachel, see ■ver. 26. and the conclusion of chap. xxxi.
for "I have learned by experience ^ mw». that the Loud hath blessed me " for " ^' '''^- thy sake.
28 And he said, " Appoint me thy wages, and I will give //.
29 And he said unto him, °Thou knowest how I have served thee, and liow thy cattle was with me.
30 For it xcas little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now ■* increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee ' since my coming: and now, when shall I ' provide for mine own house also.-"
31 And he said, "What shall I give thee? And Jacob said. Thou.shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:
32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing fi-om thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and ' ofsucli shall be my hire.
33 So shall my " righteousness answer for me "" in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy flice: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
Verse 27. / have learned bj/ experience] 'HBTQ nuchasti, from BTU nachash, to view ailentivefi/, to observe, to pry into. I have diligently considered the w hole of thy conduct, and marked the increase of my property, and fiud tiiat the Lord hath blessed me fur thy sake. For the meaning of the word crii nachash, see on chap. iii. 1, &c.
Verse 30. For it was Utile which thou hadst before I came.] Jacob takes advantage of the concession made by his fatherin-law, and asserLs, tliat it was for his sake that the Lord had blessed him — since my coming, 'hi'h k-rageli^ according to my foot-steps — every step I took in tiiy service, God prospered lo the multiplication of thy flocks and properly.
fl'hen sliall I provide for mine own house?] Jacob iiad already laid his plan; and from what is afterwards mentioned, wc find him using all his skill and e.ipcri<:nce, to provide for ills family by a rapid increase of his flocks.
Verse 32. / willpass through all tliy flock] JlX tson, implying, as we have betbrc seen, all smaller cattle, such as sheep, goats, iVc
All the speclcli d and spotted cattle] TlSf seh, wliicli we iranslale cattle, signifies the young either of sheep or gouts, «!wt
Separation of the differently coloured cattle. GENESIS. Jacob's expedient of the pilled rods.
A.M.-i9. 34 And Laban said. Behold, Ii 37 f And ''Jacob took him rods of a.u—,?.
green poplar, and of the hasel and!l'.^^^ chesinit tree; and pilled ■white strakes in tliem, 35 And he removed that day, the he goats that 1 and made the white appear which ivas in the were ring-straked and spotte<l, and all tlie she j rods.
goats that were speckled and spotted, and every || 38 And he set the rods which he had pilled one that had some white in it, and all the brown i! before the flocks in tl*3 gutters in the -watering
among the sheep, and gave them into the "" hand of his sons.
36 And he set three days journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob ted the rest of Laban's flocks.
We call a lamh or a kid. Speckled, '^^pi nukod, signifies inters])erscd vvitli vuriouslij coluurcd spots.
And all the hioiuii'] DlH cliwn. I should rather suppose this to si^'nify rcrf or yelloii.', as the root signifies to ht ivuriii or hot.
It is extremely difficult to find out, from the 3'id and 35th verses, in what the bargain of Jacob witii his father-inlaw properly consisted. It appears from ver. 32. that Jacob was to have for his wages all the speckled, spotted, and brown, among the sheep and the goats; and of course, that all those viiich were not parti-coloured, should be considered as the property of Laban. But in ver. 35. it appears that Laban separated all the pnrli-coloured cattle, and delivered them into the hands of his own wns; which seems as if he had taken these for his own property, and left the others to Jacob. It has been conjectured tliat Laban, for the greater security, when he had scjiarated the parti-coloured, which by the agreement belonged to Jacob, see ver. 32. put them under the care of his own sons, while Jacob fed the flock of Laban, ver. 36. three days jouriit y being between the two flocks. If, therefore, the flocks under the care of Laban's,<ons brought forth young that were all of one colour, these were put to the flocks of Laban under the care of Jacob; and if any of the flocks under Jacob's care brought forth parti-coloured young, they were put to the flocks belonging lo Jacob, under the care of Laban's sons. This conjecture is not satisfactory, and the true meaning appears to be this: Jacob had agreed to take all the parti-coloured for his wages. As he was now only beginning to act upon this agreement, rrmsequently none of the cattle as yet belonged to him; therefore Laban separated from the flock, ver. 3 5. all such cattle as Jncob might afterwards claim in consequence of his bargain; Coras yet he had no riglit: therefore Jacob com- -menced his service to Laban with a flock that did not contain a single animal of 'he description of those to which he might be entitled; and the others were sent away under the care
; trouglis when the flocks came to drink, that they ' should conceive when they came to driifl.;. S^ And the flocks conceived before tlie rods,
I of Laban's ^on.s, three days journey from those of which Jacob had llie care. The bart;ain, iheretbrc,.seemed lo be wholly in favour of Laban; and to turn it to his own advantage, Jacob made use of the stratagems afterwards mentioned. This mode of interpretation removes all the apparent contradiction between the 32d and 35lh verses, with which commentators in general have been grievously perplexed. From the whole account we learn, that Laban acted with great prudence and caution, and Jacob with great judgment. Jacob had already served fourteen years, and bad got no patrimony whatever, though he had now a family of tiveire children, elercn sons and one daughter, besides his two wives, and their two maids. It was high time that he should get some property for these; and as his father-in-law was j live, he was in some sort obliged to make use of stratagem to get an equivalent for his services; but did he not push this so far, as to ruin his father-in-law's flocks, leaving him nothing but the refuse.' see ver. 42.
Verse 37. Kods of green poplar] rh HJaS libneh lack. The libneh is generally understood to mean the -white poplar; and the word lach, which is here joined to it, does nut so much imply greenness of colour, as being, //'ei/i, in opposition to withcredncss. Had they not been fresh, just cut off, he could not have pilled the bark from them.
/hid of the hfisel] 51*7 luz, the nut or jUberd tree, translated by others the almond tree: which of the two is here intended, is not known.
And c/iesnut rr«] JT31I? nremon, the plane tree, from CnV dram, he was naked. The plane tree is properly called by this name, because of the bark naturally peeling of, and leaving the tree bare. The Septuagint translate it in the same way, TrXaravo;; and its name is supposed to be derived from 'Tt'KaTui, broad, on account of its broad spreading branches, for vvliich the plane tree is remarkable. So we find the Grecian army in Ho.MEiJ, II. ii. v. 307. sacrificing, Kahn uiro ir^araviru, under a beautiful plane tree.
did separate thci lambs, and set the faces oftlic Hocks | toward the ring-straked, and all the brown in: tiic flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's
4 1 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid tlic rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that
yobilis astivfii platanu,*; clilTudcriit umbras. " The iiulile plane had spread its siinitiier shade."
See more in Parkliurst. Sucli a tree would be peculiarly acceptable in liot countries, because of its sliadc.
I'illcd widle straLes in llietii] Probal)ly cutting the bark throui;li, in a spiral line, and taking it oil' in a certain breadth, all round the rods, so that the rods would appear particoloured, the xiliite of the wood shewing itself where the bark was stripped oil".
^'erse.38. And In: set the rndsuliich he hud pilled before the Jl':eks] It has long been an opinion, and seems to be (bunded on many facts, that whatever makes a strong impression on the mind of a female m the time of conception and gestation, will have a corresponding influence on the mind or body of the fetus. This opinion, justified by the text, and illustrated by a thousand facts, is not yet rationally accounted for. It is not necessary to look for a miracle here; for though the fact has not been accounted for on any principle yet known, it is nevertheless sufl'u'ienlly plain, that the eflect does not exceed the powers of nature; and I have no doubt that the same modes of trial, used by Jacob, would produce the same.results in similar cases. 1 he finger of (iod works in naliu'e myr ads of ways unknown to us: we see ellecta without end, of ivhieh no rational cause ran be assigned: it has pleased Goil to work thus and thus, and this is all that we know; and God mercifully hides the operations of his |)ower from man in a variety of cases, that he may hide pride from him. Even with the little we know, bow apt are w? to be pulled up! We must adore God in a reverential silence on such.subjects as these, confess our ignorance, and acknowledge, that Nattax is the iiuitrument by which he chuses to work; and that he performs all things Recording to the counsel of his oun will, \vlii( h is always infinitely '-lu^e and infinitely gond. \
Verse 40. Jacob did.separate the lambs, lY'-'] ^V hen Jacob [ undertook the care of Laban's flock, according to the agreement already mentioned, there were no parli-eoloiired sheep, or goats among them, see on vcr. 3?. and 35. therefore the rin^-struked, c^c. mentioned in this ver?<>, must have been ' born since the agreement was made; and Jacob makes use of! them precisely as he used the pilled rods; that having these | before their rijcs, during conception, the impression might be j made upon tlieir imagination which would lead to the results;ilieady meiitiom-d.
42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put t/iem not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
43 And the man "increased exceedingly, and '' had much cattle, and maidservants, and men.- servants, and camels, and asses.
word nru'pO mekusharoth, which we translate stronger, is understood ity several of the ancient interpreters as signilymg ihe early, first-horn, or early spring cattle: and hence it i» oppo.sed to D'BtOy atuphim, which we translate feeble, and which Sytnmachus properlv renders S'euteoovovoi, cattle of ihg second bir:li, as he rentiers the word niekushuruilt by irparoyovov;, cattle of the first or earliest birth. Now, this does not apply merely to tivo births from the same feiiiale in one year, which actually did take place according the llabbius, the first iit i^isan, about our Marcli; and the second in Tisri, about our September; but it more particularly refers to early and late lambs, i^c. in the same year; as those that are born just at the termination of winter, and in the very commencement of spring, are every way more valuable tlum those which were born later in the same spring. Jacob, therefore, took good heed not to try his ex|5erinients with those lute produced cattle, because he knew these would produce a degenerate breed; but \i ith the early cattle, which were strong and vigorous, by which his breed must be imi)roved. Hence the whole flock of Laban must be necessarily nijured, while, by this artifice, Jacob's flock was preserved in a atatc of ini reusing perfection. All this proves a consunnnate knowledge in Jacob of his pastoral office. If extensive breeders in tlii.s country were to attend to the same plan, our breed would be improved in a mo^t eminent degree. \\ hat a fund of in.>triiction, upon almost every subject, js to be found in the Sacred Writings!
Verse 41. U hensoever thq stron^^er cattlt did isoncciie'] Tlije
Verse 43. And the man inctvased exceedinglyl No wonder, when he used such means as the above. And had ninidsenants an(l mfn-servants — he was obliged to increase these, as his cattle nuiltiplied. And camels, and asses — to transport his tents, baggage, and family, from })lace to place, being obliged oftjin to remoix, fpc the benefit of pQsturiigs.
^\'e have already seen many dilTiculties in this chapter, and strange incidents, for w Inch we are not able to account. 1. 'Ijie vicarious bearing of chililren. 2. l he natuie and properties of the mandrakes. 3. The bargain of Jacob and Laban, as related ver. 32. and 3.^. and 4. Tiie business of the parti-coloured flocks j)roduced by means of the females looking at the variegated rods, these, especially the three last, may l>« ranked among the most di(iienU things in this book. \\ iiliout cneuniberiiig the pa'^e with (|'iot^lions and opinions, uion* divcrsiiii-d than the lloeks in relation to whK^ii they are proposed, 1 have given the best sense I could, ami think){
Observations en Jacob's
much better and safer to confess ignorance, than, under tliej semblante of Xi-isciom anA lairning, to multiply conjectures.' Jacul) certainly manifested much address in the wliole of his conduct with Laban; but though nothing can excuse over-! reuc/iins;, or iiisinceritj/, yet, no doubt, Jacob supposed him- i self justified in taking these ad\-antages of a man who had; greatly injured and defrauded him. Had Jacob got Rachel. at first, for whom he had honestly and faithfully served seven \ears, there is no evidence whatever that he would have taken a second wife. Laban, by having imposed his eldest daughter upon him, and by obliging him lo serve seven years for her, who never was an object of his aflection, acted a part wholly foreign to every dictate of justice and honesty: for though it vas a custom in that country not to give the younger daughter ' in marriage before the elder, yet, as he did not mention this | to Jacob, it cannot plead in his excuse; therefore, speaking I after the manner of men, he had reason to expect that Jacob j should repay him in his own coin, and right himself, by what- ', ever means came into his power; and many think that he did not transgress the bounds of justice, even in the lousiness 1 of the parti-coloured cattle; see on chap. xxxi. 36.
Tlie talent possessed by Jacob was a most dangerous one: ' he was what may be truly called a scheming man; his wits w ere still at work, and as he dnised, so he executed, being as fruitful in ejcpedients as he was in plans. This was the principal and the most prominent characteristic of his life; and whatever was excessive here, was owing to his mother's tuition — she was evidently a woman who paid little respect to what is called moral principle; and sanctified all kinds of means, by the goodness of the end at which she aimed; which, in social, civil, and religious life, is the most dangerous principle on which a person can possibly act. In this art she appears to have instructed her son; and, unfortunately for himself, he was in some instances, but too apt a proficient. Early habits are not easily rooted out, especially those of a bad kind. Next to the influence and grace of the spirit of God, is a good and religious education. Parents should teach their children to despise and abhor low cunning, to fear a lie, and tremble at an oath: and in order to be successful, they should illustrate their precepts by their own regular conscientious exainple. How far God approved of the whole of Jacob's conduct, I shall not enquire: it is certain, that he attributes his success to divine interposition, and God himself censures Laban's conduct towards him; see chap. xxxi. 7 — 12. But still he appear:-; to have proceeded farther than this interposition authorized him to go, especially in the means he used to improve his own breed, which necessarily led to the deterioration of Laban's cattle; for, after the transactions referred to above, these cattle could be but little worth. Tlie whole account with all its lights and shades, I consider as another proof of the impartiality of the divine historian, and a strong evidence of the authenticity of the Pentateuch. Neither the spirit of deceit, nor \.\\e partiality of friendship could ever pen such an account.
Laban and his sons envy Jacob, 1,2,- on uhich lie is commanded by the Lord to return to his own country, S. Having catted his zeives togcttter, he lays before them a detailed statement of his situation iti reference to their father, 4,5; the services he had rendered him, 6; the various attempts made by Laban to defraud him of his hire, 7; hozv, by God's providence, his evil designs had been counteracted, 8 — 12; and then informs them, that lie is now called to return to his ozen country, 13. To the proposal of an immediate departure, Leah and Rachel ittrree; and strengthen the propriety of the measure by additional reasons, 14 — 16; on zchich Jacob collects all his family, hisjlocks, and his goods, and prepares for his departure, 17, 18. Laban having gone to shear his sheep, Rachel secretes his images, 19- Jacob and his family, tutknorcn to Laban, take their departure, 20, 21. On the third day Laban is informed of their fight, 22; and pursues them to mount Gilead, 23. God appears to Laban in a dream, and reams him not to molest Jacob, 24. He comes tip zvith Jacob at mount Gilead, 25; reproaches him Zinth his clandestine departure, 26 — 29; and charges him zvith having stolen his gods, 30. Jacob vindicates himself, and protests his innocence in the matter of the theft, 31, 32. Laban makes a general search for his images in Jacob's, Leah's, Bilhah's, and Zilphah's tents, and not finding them, proceeds to examine RacheFs, 33. Racliel having hidden them among the camel's furniture, sat upon them, 34; and making a delicate excuse for not rising up, Laban desists from farther search, 35. Jacob, ignorant of Rachel's theft, reproaches Laban for his suspicions, 36, 37; enumerates his long and faithful services, his fatigues, and Laban's injustice, 38 — 41; and shezcs that it zaas oicing to Gods goodness alone that he had any property, 42. Laban is moderated, and proposes a covenant, 43, 44. Jacob sets up a stone, and the rest bring stones and make a heap, zohich Laban calls Jegar-Sahadutha, and Jacoi Galeed, 45 — 47. They make a covenant, and confirm it by an oath, 48 — 53. Jacob offers a sacrifice, they eat together, and Laban and his companions having lodged in the mount all night, take a friendly leave oj'. Jacob and his J'amily 7iext morning, and dc' parti 54, 5o.
ND he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob
hath taken~a\vay all that xtris our father's; and of l/iat which xcas our lather's hath he gotten all j this " glory.
2 And Jacob beheld " the countenance of Laban, and, bcholtl, it "icas not ' toward him " as betbre.
3 % And the Loiin said unto Jacob, ' Return unto the land of thy iathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his fiock,
5 And said unto them, ' I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as be-
Vcr.se 1. And he heard the words of Laban's sons] The multiplication of Jacob's catile, and the decrease and degeneracy of those of Laban, were sufficient to rouse the jealousy of Laban's sons. This, with Laban's unfair treatment, and t'lic direction he received from God, determined him to return to his own country.
] lath he gotten all this glorj/] All these riches, this wealth, or property. The original word n33 cabod, signifies both to be ridi and to be heuzy; and, perhaps, for this simple reason, that riches ever bring with (hem a heavy ■a.eight and burthen of cares and aniielics.
Vei-se 3. And the Lord said nnlo Jacob, Return — and I will be with thee] I will take the same tare of thee in thy return, as I took of thee on thy way to this place. The Targum reads — JIJ^ WORD shall be for thy help, see chap. xv. ]. A promi.«e of this kind was e.ssentially necessary for the encouragement of Jacob, especially at this time; and no doubt It was a powerful means of support to him through the whole journey; and it was particularly so, when be heard that his biollicr was coming to meel him, with four hundred men in his retinue, chap. xx\ii. C. At thai time, he went and pleaded the very words of this i>romise with God, ver. 9.
Vi-r.se 4. Jacob sent and culled Rachel and Leah] He had probably been at some considerable distance \\ ith the flocks, and for the greater secrecy, he rather sends for them to the field, to consult them on this most uiomcnious aft'air, than go and visit them in their tents, vhcre piuLably some of the family of Laban might overhear iheir con\er-alion, though Laban was at the time three days journey otV. It is po^sible, as Mr. Harmcr conjectures, that Jacob shore his shtep at the same time, and that he sent for his wives and household furniture to erect tents on the spot, that they might partake of the festivities usual on such occasions. '1 bus they might all depart without being suspected.
Verse 7. Changed my wages ten times] There is a strange diversity among the ancient versiousj and ancient and modern
fore; but the God of my father * hath been with me.
6 And " ye know that Avith all my power I have served your father.
7 And yoiu' father hath deceived me, and ' changed my wages " ten times; but God ' suffered him not to hurt me.
8 If he said thus, ""The.speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-strakcd shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ring-strakcd.
9 Thus God hath " taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes,
D3'0 lywj esercth 7ninim, which Aquila translates hxx afid- /xou;, ten numbers. Symmachus, iztcam^ a^i6/j.i), ten ti/nes in number. The Septuagint, i\>ta aix.vuv, ten lambs, with which Origen appears to agree. St. Augustin, who adopts the reading of the Septuagint, thinks that by ten lambs, five years' wages is meant. That Laban bad withheld from him all the parti-coloured iambs which had been brought forth for fne years, and because the ewes brought forth lambs tivice in the year, bis gravidic pccudes, therefore the number ten is used, Jacob having been defrauded of his part of the produce of ten births. It is supposed by some critics, that the Septuagint uses lambs tor years, -as Virgil does aristas.
En imquam patrios longo post tempore fines. Pauperis et tuguri congestum cespite culmen. Post aliquot niea r(?gna videns mirabor aristas?
O must the wretched exiles ever mourn. Nor, ufler length of rolling years, return? Are we condenin'd, by Fate's unjust decree. No more our harvests and our homes to see } Or shall we mount again the iiiral throng, And rule the country, kingdoms once our own?
Here aristas, which signifies ears of corn, is put for harvest, haivesi for autumn, and autumn fur years. After all, it is mo^t natural to suppose that Jacob uses the word ten time.? for an indefinite number, which we might safely translate frequently; and that it means an indefinite number in other paits of the sacred writings, is evident from Lev* xxvi 26.^ Ten women shall bake your bread in one oven. Eccles. vii. 19. Wisdom strengihcnelh the xeise more than 'i'EN H'ighly men the city. Num. xiv. 22. Became alt these men have templed me now these 'I EN times. Job xix. 3. 'Jhese TEN ten times have ye reproached me. Zcch. viii, 23, Jn ihoat clays — TEN tnen- cattle Xirre ring-strakcd, speckled, and grislcd. 1 1 And " the angel ot" God spake unto me
12 And he said, Ij'tt up now thine eyes, and sec, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ring-strakcd, speckled, and grisled: for " I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
1.3 I am the God. of Beth-El, " where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now 'arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, ' Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our tather's house?
1,5 Are we not counted of him strangers.'' for
^ he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our lather, that is our's, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
17 IF Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the (cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram,) for to go to Isaac his lather in the land of Canaan.
19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the " images ' that Xi'e?-e her tather's.
20 And Jacob stole away, " unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
sh'ilt tukt hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew. Rt-v. ii. 10. Ye shall have trihulatinn TEN dnys.
Ver.«e 1 1. Tlic a»;;el if God spuke unto me in a drenml It is strange tlial we had not licaid of this dream bffore; and yet it seems to have taken place before the cattle brought furth, iiiiinediately after the bargain between him an<l Laban. If we follow the Sawaritan, tlie diniculty is at once removed, for it iji\es us the whole of this dream after verse 36. of tlie ]irecedm;j; chaptt-r.
V'erse 12. Griskil] a'Ti3 hentdint, 113 bariid, sij^nifies hail; and the nieatMu;; must he, they liad while spots on tliem simdar to iiail. Our woril 'grisled comes Irom the old J'reneh, ^resle, hail, now written ^^rcle; hence gresle, gri'.ied, spotted with white, upon a dark ground.
Verse 15. Are ive not counted (f him stramrem f'l Katlui Jind Leah, who well knew the disposition of liieir father, g-ive him here his true charact. r. lie iia.n treated us as straiii^ers, as slaves, wliom he had a riglit to dispose of di lie pleased: in consequence, he hath m/i/ us, disposed of us, on the mere prini.iple of gaining by ihc sale. -
And hath quite devoured also our money.] lias applied to his own use the profits of the sale, and has allowed us neither portion or inheritance.
Verse 19. LaiIkui njeyit to shear his sheep] Laban hail '.;imc, and tills was a favourable time, not oidy to take his images, hut to rcluni to Canaan without biing perceived.
Hichel hail stolen </if (H/ciijKv]. D'S'^n ter/iphim. What tlie teraphini «ere is utterly unknown. In ver..'iO. they aie termed 'nbx elolmy, gods: and to some it appears very likely, lhr\t they were a sort of images devoted to super.stitiou.s pur- 4>ijses; not considered as gods, but as representatives of cerstuin divine allributcs. Dr. ShuckfonI supposes them to be ji hijrt of tiles, v.i which U^t; oaincs or ligures of tlieir ancestors were engraven. Theodore!, in his 89th question, calls them idols, and says, that Rachel, who was a type of the true chiireh, stole them from her father, that he might be delivered from idolatry. R. S. Jarchi gives nearly the same reason.
"^Ihe Targum of.loiinthan ben Uzziel gives a strange turn to the whole passage. " And Rachel stole the images of her father: for they had murdered a man, who was a first-bnrn son; and huving cut oil" his bead, they embalmed it with salt and spices, and they wrote divinations upon a jilate of gold, and put it under his tongue; and placed it against the wall, and it conversed with them; and Laban worshipped it. And.Jacob stole the science of Laban the Syrian, that it might not discover hs departure."
If the word be deriveil from NDl rapha, to heal or restore, (lien the terapbiin may be considered as a sort of talismans, kept for the purpose of averting and curing, di^casis; and probably were kept by Laban for the same purpose, that the Romans ke[it their Lares and Venales. It is, however, pns- -iblo, thai D'2in terujdiivi, is the same as D'SIC seraphim, the n tail and ]!/ shin being changed, which is very fre(]iient 111 the S\rian or Chaldee language; and we know that Labati was an Aramtan or Syrian. Vw'-V. has been considered, from the earliest ages, as a.symbol of ihe Deity; and as the word sernphim comes rroin r]"8r saiapli, to barn, it has been coiv jieUircd, that the trrapliim of Laban were luminous forms, prepared of burnished bras*, &c. winch he might imagine a proper medium of eomniiinieation between God,and his worshippers. Mr. Parkhnrsl has observed, that the teraphini were in use among believers and unbelievers. Among the former, see this chapter; for he denies that Laban was an idolater, see also.Indg. xvii. 5. xviii. 14* 18, 20. I Sam. ijxix. 1^, 16. Among the latter, sec '_' Kaigs \Kiii. 2 i. Lzek.
J_ 'll and he rose up, and passed o\er thei river, and " set his iixce toward the inoimt j Giiead.
'2ti And he tooiv ''lu's hretln-en with him, and! pnrsii^d alter liim seven days journev; and thevi overtook him in the mount Giiead. j
24 And God ' came to Lahan the Syrian in a 1 dream by nig-lit, and said unto iiim, Take heed i that tliou '^ speak not to Jacob ' eitlier good or bad.
2.) Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitelied his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Giiead.
x\i. 21. Zed). X. 2. compare 1 Sam. xv. 23. ami H(«. iii. 4. These are all the pUiLxs in whieli the original word is fouiiH.
the most likely conjecture. See the note on chap. xxx. 1 1.
■Verse 21. Passi:d over the rive,-] The Euphrates, as the
MUdead till after the transaction mentioned, ver. 47., The
26 And Laban said to Jacob, What am..•.'(. 5. hast thou done, that thou hast stolen "•^' '^•'•'- away unawares to nie, and ' cariied away my daughters, as captives tii/ieii with tlie sword?
! 27 A^'he^efbre didst thou flee away secretly, and ^ steal away tioin me; and didst not tell me, tiiat I might have sent thee awav with mirtli, and with songs, with tabrct, and with harp?
I 28 And hast not suffered me " to kiss my sons and my daughters? 'thdu hast now done foolishly in.so doing.
! 29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the ''God of your Hither spake lUi- Ur me ' yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
I mount Libanu.s, and includes the mountainous region, called in tlie New Testament Traclionilis. Dodd. I Verse 24. And God came to Laban] God's caution to I.a-! ban was of high importance to Jacob — Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob cither g^ond or bad; or radier, as is the literal meaning of the Hebrew, j;i V 31UU mi-lob ad rad, from good to evil; for, had he neither spoken good or evil to Jacob, ' they could liave had no intercourse at all. The original is, ] therefore, peculiarly appropriate; for when pco])le meet, the j language at first is the language of friendship; the command, therefore, implies, " Do not begin with peace be unto ihec, and then proceed to injurious language and acts of violence." If this <livine direction were attended to, how many of those af- J'airs of honour, so termed, which commence with, •' I hopevou are weU''-^-" I am infinitely glad to see you" — " I am happy to sec you well," &c. and end with small sn-ords and pistol bullets, would be prevented: Where God and true religion j act, all is fair, kind, honest, and upright: but where the.'ie are not consulted, all is hollow, deceitful, or malicious. Be-, waie of unmeaning compliments, and particularly of saving what thy heart leels not. God hates a hypocrite aiid h j deceiver.
j Verse 27. I might hare sent thee aieai/ iL>it/i tnirlh] nrrctra diff, a thin broad wooden iioop, with parchment extended over one end of it, to which is attached small pieces of brass, tin, &c. which make a jingling noise: it is held in the air with one hand, and beat on with the fingers of the other. It apptars to have been precisely the siime with that which I is called the tamb-juriw, and which is frequently to be met with in
31 ^ And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, ^ let him not Hve: before our brethren, discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camels' furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban "searched all the tent, but found them not.
35 And she said to her father, Let it not
CUV streets. Jnd ii-ilh harp, niJ33 be-kinnor, a sort of stringed instnimtnt, akiteorbarp; probably tbe same as the Greek xivvpa kin^ra, a harp, the name beings evidently borrowed fioin tbe Hebrew. Tliese four things seem to include all that was used in those primitive times, as expres.«ivc of gladness and.satisfaction on the most joyous occasions.
Verse 29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt.l Literally, BIy hand is unto God to do you ei'il: i. e. I have vowed to God that I will pmli^h Hiee for thy flight, and the stealing of my teraphim; but the God of YOUR father has prevented me from doing it. It is a singular instance, that llic plural pronoun, when addressing an individual, shoidd be twice used in this place — the God of your father, DD'3.S' abiccm, for "1'3^* "i''-'a. thy father.
Verse 32. Let him not live'] It appears from this, that anciently iheft was punished by death; and we know that the patriarchs had the power of life and death in their iiands. But previously to tli€ law, the punishinent of death was scarcely ever inflicted but for murder. The llulibins consider thai this was an imprecation used by Jacob, as if he had said — Let God take away the life of the person who has stolen them! And that this was answered shortly after, in the death of Rachel, chap. xxxv.
Verse 35. Tiie custom of women is upon me] This she knew must be a satisfactory reason to herl'atlur; for if the teraphim were used to any religious purpose, and they seem to have been used in this way, as Laban calls them his "■()(/.•!, ver. 30. he therefore, could not suspect, that a woman in such a situation, whose touch was considered as defiling, would have
displease my lord that I cannot " lise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. but found not the images.
36 ^ And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, Wiiat is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
37 Whereas tli.ou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy houshold stufT? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that tliey may judge betwixt us both.
38 This twenty years have I bee?i with thee 4 thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and tlie rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
39 ' That which was torn of beasts I brought
40 This I was; in the day sumed me, and the frost by nio-ht; and sleep departed from mine eyes-
sat upon articles, that were either the objects of his adoration, or used for any sacred purpose. The stratagem succeeded to her wish, and Laban departed without suspicion. It seems very natural to suppose that Rachel did believe that by the use of these teraphim, Laban could find out their flight, and the direction they took, and therefore she stole them, and having stolen them, she was afraid to acknowledge the theft, and probably might think that they might be of some use to herself. Therefore, for these two reasons, she brought them away.
Verse 36. And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban] The expostulation of Jacob with Laban, and their consequent agreement, are told in this place, with great spirit and dignity..Jacob was conscious, that though he had made use of cunning to increase his flocks, yet Laban had been on the whole, a great gainer by his services. He had served him at least twenty years, fourteen for llachel and Leah; and six for the cattle; and some suppose he had served him twenty years besides the above, which is not unlikely, see the remarks at the conclusion of this chapter. Forty, or even twenty years of a man's life, devoted to incessant labour, and constantly exposed to all the inclemencies of the weatlier, see ver. 40. deserve more than an ordinary reward. Laban's constitutional sin was covetonsness; and it was an easily besetting sin; for it appears to have governed all his conduct, a- d to have rendered him regardless of the interests of his children, so long as he could secure his own. 1 hat lie had <'r(C|nently falsified his agreemoiit with Jacob, though the particulars arc not specified, we have already had reason to conjecture fxom
^ ^' "^^- in thy house; I 'served thee fourteen years lor tliy two daut;htcrs, and six years lor thy cattle: and '' thou hast clianged my wages ten times.
42 'Except the God of my father, tlic God of Abraham, and ''the tear of Isaac, had ])cen with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. 'God hatli seen mine attliction and the labour of my hands, and ' rebuked thee yesternight.
4.'3 ^ And Lallan answered and said unto Jacob, Tliexe daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle arc my cattle, anil all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these jny daughters, or unto their children which tliey ha\e borne?
rer. 1. and with this Jacob charges his father-in-law, in the most positive manner, ver. 41. Perhaps some previous unfair trau.'^actions of this kind, were the cause wliy Jacob was led to adopt llie txpechent of out-witling Laban in tlie case of the spnitcci, spangk-J, ring-stmLrd, and griskJ cat/lg. Tliis, if it did take place, thougii it cainiot jui-tify tlie measure, is some palliation of it: and almost the whole of Jacob's conduct, as far as relates to Laban, can be better excused, than his injuring; Laban's breed, by leaving- him none but the weak, unhealthy and degenerated cattle. See on chap. xxx. 43.
\'erse ^9. 'J'lial ivliicli ivns torn — of my hand didsl thou require u] Tliisniore particularly marks the covetous and rigorens di.'-ptisition of Laban; for the law of God required that what bad been torn by beasts, the sliejiherd should not be obliged to make good. Exod. xxii. 10, 13. And it is very likely t'liat this law was in force from the earliest times.
Verse 42. The fear of Isaac] It is strange that Jacob »lioul<l.'ay, the Got) of Abraham, and the I-'EAR <f hauc, when both words are nuant of the same Being. The reason perhaps was this: Abraham was long since dead, and God was his unalienable portion for ever. Isaac was yet alive, in a state o{ probation, living in the fear of God; not exempt from the danger of falling, therefore God is said to be his fiar, not only the object of his religious worship in a general way; but that holy and just God, before w houi he was still vorking out his salvation wilh ftar and trcnibluig — fear, lest lie should fall; and trembling, lest he should otRnd.
\'ei"se 46. Jlade a heaj)] hi gal, translated heap, signifies properly a round heap, and this heap was pivbaUly made for the tlouble purpose «f an akar <nid a table; and Jacob's stone or pillar was set on it, for the purpose of a manoiial.
45 And Jacob ' took a stone, and set it up Jbr a pillar.
4G And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
47 And Laban called it *' Jcgar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it ' Galeed.
48 And Laban said, '" This heap is a witness between me and tlice this day. Therelbre was the name of it called Galeed
49 And "Mizpah"; for he said, The Lob» watch between me aiul thee, when we are absent one from another.
50 If thou shalt aihict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daugh-
Verse 47. Laban called it] NnnnC "IJ' Yegar Sahadutha, the heap, or round lieap of xvitneis — but Jacob called it "V hi Gal ed, which signifies the same thing. The first is pure Chaldee, the second jnire Hebrew. i;x agar signifies to collect, lienre 1J» yegar, and 1J1N ogar, a collection, or Iicap made up of gathered stones: and hence also ^m;^{ egora, an altar used frequently by the Chaldee Paraphrast, ste 1 King* xii. 33. Judg. vi. 31. 2 Kings xxi. 3. Jerem. xvii. 1. See Caxtel's Lexicon. From this example we may inli-r, that the Chaldee language was nearly coeval with the Hebrew. A i gloss made by St..ferom, and which was probably only entered by him in his margin, as a note, has crept into the text of the Vulgate; it is found in every copy of this version, and is as follows, ulerque juila proprictutem lingua: suie. Each, according to the idiom of his own tongue.
Verse 41. Twenty years\ See the remarks at the end.
Verse 48, 49. I think these two verses are badly divided, and should be read thus:
Verse 43. And Laban said: This heap is a ti:itness bctveen. me and thee this day.
Verse 49. Therefore vms the name of it called Galeed and Mizpah; for he said: The Lord viatch bettxeen me and thee, when ive are absent one from another.
Mizpah, TSSO mitspah, signifies a viatcli-tower, and Labare supposes, that in consequence of the consecration of the place, and the covenant now.solemnly made and ratified, that God would take possession of this hea[), and stand on it as on a watrh-towtr, to prevent either of them from trenching on the conditions of their covenant.
\'erse 50. JSIo man is -with us] Though all were present at the sacrifice offered, yet it appears that in making the con. tract, Jacob and Laban withdrew, and transacted the buiine* in private, calling on God to witiiess it.
51 And Lalwn said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold i/iis pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
52 This hea]i be witness, and this pillar be witness, that L will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thon shalt not pass over this lieap and this pillar unto me, for liarm.
53 The God of Abraham, and the God»of Nahor, the God of their lather, * judge betwixt
Jacob liad alicady four wives, but Laban feared tbat he might take others whose children would naturally come in for a share of the inheritance, to the prejudice of his daughters and grandchildren. Though the Koran allows a man to Lave four ivives, if he can maintain tliem, yet we learn, that in many cases where a man takes a wife, the parents or relatives of the woman stipulate that the man is not to take another during the lifetime of that one whom he now espouses; and notwithstanding the permission of the Koran, he is obliged to fulfil this agreement.
Verse 51. Ami 1/iban said to Jacob — behold this pillar, loltidi I HAVE CAST beiwixt me and tlice'] But this pillar, not cast, but set up, was certainly set tip by Jacob; for in ver. 45. we read, /liul Jacob took a stone and set it up for a pillar: 'tis therefore for the honour of one Hebrew and one Samaritan 1VI.S. that they have preserved the true reading in ver. 51. ivyi jjarita, THOU hast set up. Kennicoit. Instead of eitlier of the above readings, the Samaritan text has AA-'M7r3'«'«'"j The pillar vihich thou SEEST betwixt me and thee.
Verse 53. The God of their father} As Laban certainly speaks of the tme God here, with what propriety can he say, that this God was the God of Terah, the father of Abram and Nahor? It is certain that Terah was an idolater: of thi> we have the most positive proof. Josh. xxiv. 2. — Because the clause is not in the Septuagint, and is besides wanting in si>mc MSS. Dr. Kcnnicott considers it an interpolation. But there is no need of having recourse to this expedient, if we adopt the reading D3»3t< abicem.YOVn father, for Dn'3N abihcm, TIU-AR father, which is supported by.several of KennicoU's and ])c Rossi's MSS. and is precisely the same form made use of by Laban, ver. 29. when addressing Jacob; and appears to me to be used here in the same way: for he there, most manifestly, uses the plural pronoun, when speaking only to Jacob, himself. It is therefore to be considered as a form. of speech peculiar to Laban; at least we have tu-o instances of his use of it in this chapter.
Jaccjb s:vure by the fear of his father Isaac] See on ver. 42.
Verse 54. Offered sacrifice upon the mounti It is very likely that LaVian joined in this solemn religious rite; and lliat" having otiercd the blood and fat to Gud, they feasted npon the sacrifice. Here it is said, he called his brethren.
Verse 55. Kissed his sons and his daus;hters] That is, his ■wandchildren, Jacob's eleven sons with Dinah their sister, and
us. And Jacob *" sware by ' the fear of his father Isaac.
.54 Then.lacob ''offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
55 And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and "^ blessed them: and Laban departed, and '^returned unto his place.
dieir mothers, Lta/i and Rachel. All these he calls his children, ver. 4.3. And blessed them — prayed heartily for their prosperity, though we find from ver. 29. that he came, having boiuid hnnself by a vow to God, to do tliem some injuiy. I'hus God turned his intended curse into a blessing..
The most important topics in this chapter have already been considered in the notes, and to those tlie reader is referred. Jacoli's character we hine already seen; and hitherto have met in it little to admire; but we shall soon find a blessed change both in his mind and in his conduct. Laban's character appears in almost every instance to disadvantage — he does not stem to be what we commonly term a wicked man; but he was certainly both weak and covetous; and covetousness extinguished in him, as it does in all its votaries, the principles of righteousness and benevolence; and the very charities of human life. Provided he could get an increase of property, he regarded not who was wronged, or who suffered. In this case, he hid himself even from his own bowels, and cared not that his own children should lack even the necessaries of life, provided he could increase his own store! How watchful should we be against this destructive, unnatural and degrading vice! It is impossible for a man who lores money, to love either God or man. And consequently he must be in the broad way that leads to destruction.
For the difficulties in the chronology of Jacob's, sojourning^ in Padan-aram, I beg leave to refer to the following remarks.
Remarks ujion Gen. xxxi. 38, &c. relative to the time spent by Jacob in the service of his father-in-law Laban, in ]Meso[)otamia, from Dr. Kennicott.
" If every reading, which introduces but a single difTiculty demands our attention; much greater must that demand be, when several ditriculties are caused by any one mistake, or any one mistranslation. Of this nature is the passage before u.s, which therefore sball be here considi red more fully: especially, as I have not already subnuttcd to the learned any remarks upon this subject. Jacob's age, at the time of his going to Laban, has (till very lately) been fixed, perhaps uni-. versallv, at seventy-seven years. But I think, it has bcei^ shewnby the karned Mr. Skinner, in an excellent disscrta- ■ tion (Ito. 1165) that the number sevcniy-scveii cannot here j be right.
Reasons to prove that Jacob had
been ttiih Laban 40 yeafi.
" Jarob was one hunt/red and tliirij/, when lie went down (wiili sixij/ six person?) Into K^jypt. Joseph Iiad then heen governor ifu years; and wliin made trovernor was ifiirfi/: therefore Jacob rould not he more than iiinetj/, at the liirth of Joseph. Now, upon supposition tha( Jacob was sizi-iilj/-!ieve>i, at Gfin;; to La!)aii; and that he had no son till he \ias cigUtii-fivc; and thai he, with e/arn sons, left Laban at 7!/Hf/j/- stven: there will follow these, ambn!>st other strange con:.L'- quences, which are eninner jtcd by Mr. Skinner, page 11, &e. 1. Tliout;h Isaac and h.sau married at forty; Jacob goes, at sevcn'x/scvcn, to look for a wife; and agrees to marry her Ktfn years after. '2. Issachar is born alter the afVair of I hi niaiulrakcs, which Renhcn finds, and brings home, «licn he. (Rcub'-n) was about four years old: that is, if Issachar was horn before Joseph, agreeably to Gen. xxx. IS and 25. 3. Jiidah begets Er, at thirteen. For in the first of the following tables Judah is born in Jacob's year eiglily-ei;^ht, and Er in one liunclred and two. 4. F",r manie'? at nine, and is deslroyed for profligacy. Er, born in one hundred and ln-o, niarries in one hundred and eleven. Sec also (ien. xxxviii. 1. 5. Onan Uiarrics at eii;lit. For Onan, horn in one hundred and three, marries in one hundred and eleven. (>. Shelah, being grown at ten, ought to be married. For Shelah, born in one hundred and four, is marriageable, but not married to Tamar, in one hundred and fourteen. See (Jen. xxxviii. 14. 1. Pliarez ke[!t from marrying whilst young, yet has a.son al thirteen. I' or Pharez, born in one hundred and fifteen, had two sons at going to Egypt, in one hundred and thirty. 8. Esau goes to I^hniarl, and marries his daughter, after Jacob went to Laban at..sctcnty-set'en; though Ishniael died when Jacob was sixty-three, see Gen. xvi. 16. xxv. 17. and 2f>. xxviii. 9. 0 If Jacob had no son till he was eiy^htyfive, and if Joseph, the youngest except lienjamin, was born when his father was ninety, then ihf elmn sons, and Dinah, v tfe born in five years. Lastly, if Jacob had no son till eiqhtyfive, and he went to Egypt at one hundred and thirty, w ilh sixtysix persons, only Jor/y-./ife years are allowed for his family: whereas the larger sum of sixty five years seems necessary for the births of so many children and grand-children. On this suhjccl Le Cierc has pronounced — Hisce in rebus occurriint nodi, quos nemo hactenus solvit; neque porro, ut opinor, solvet. There are di^iculties here i^hich have lu'vcr been explained; and in my opinion, never can be explained. Hut «pon die single principle of Mr. Skinner, that Jacob went to Laban at fifty-seven, (instead of seventy-seven) these difficulties are solved. And it only remains to wish, that some authority may be found to support this conjecture, thus strongly founded on llie exigcntia loci. The common opinion is formed by reckoning back from the age of Joseph, when governor of Egypt, to the time of his birth, and from the twenty years which the text says Jacob was with Laban. This number, Mr. Skinner thinks, was originally /or(y; and
I 1 think, that the Hebrew text, as it now stands, confirms the
i fonjeclurc, and furnishes the very authority which is so much
I " After Jacob had served Laban fourteen years for his two H'ivcs, where was Jacob to reside? Esau was still living; and Jacob might well be afraid of returning to him, till more years of absence had disarmed his resentment: and had the
death of Esau happened, Jacob would then have been secure. But let us also renieiiiber, that Isaac was still alive; and that Esan had determined to kill Jacob, whenever their father -lioiild die. It would, therefore, be no vponder, if Jacob >h(/uld have desired to continue longer in Haran. And, to carry this point more efl'ectually, he might oiler to take care of Laban's cattle, and to live in his neighbourhood, upoi^ such terms of advantage to Laban, as could not easily be withstood. Lastly, when the good effects to Laban from this connection, had been experienced, without profit, nay, with some losses, to.lacob for fu:enty years, Jacob might naliiratly grow tired of thus assisting Laban, without providing for his own growing family. Accordingly we find, that ' Jacob covenants with Laban for six years of more close «t- I tendance and service in Laban's own house, for which the wages were expressly settled. Agreeable to the preceding ])03sibilities this seems to have been the fact; Jacob living in Warau forty years, and in this manner:
1!■ years in Laban's house, a covenant servant for Rachel [ and Leaii.
" Now the tiu.-nty concuiTent years of neighbourly assistance, and the disjumttd twenty of cotenant scnice, seem both of them mentioned, and both of them di>tinguished, in the history itself. J'or, upon Laban's pursuit of Jacob, when Jacob is vindicating his past behaviour, he mentions tiuenty years tivicc; which two sets of twenty, if really different, m<\ke forty. Each mention of the twenty years is introduced, with the word nj zch; which word, when repealed, is used i in opposition, or by way of distinction: as, when we say this and that, the one or the other. Thus, Exod. xiv. 20. i.so that the one came not near the other. Eccl. vi. 5. this j hath more rest than the other. And, with tlie two words at a great distance. Job xxi. 23. one dieth — 25. and another dieth, &c. So here in Gen. xxxi. at verse 38. Jacob says to Laban, "pv »3:N* PJi:' Dntt'i; nr zeh hri?n shauah anoci uncha — during the OSE.••ei <f twenty years I uas with thee, Sfc. meaning the time in which he lived, not in Laban's house, but in his neighbourhood; not as a servant, but a friend: after he had served, in Laban's house, fourteen years for his daughters, and before he served six years for his cattle. But then, as to tlie other twenty, he tells Laban, at verse 41, varying the jdirase very remaikably — rjtt^ D'lUV 'S "I ■'nnay^n'Sa zch U i-sr"" shanah beheiteca ahadteyca — during the other twenty years ('*? li) FOR i\lYSt:LF (for my own benefit) IN THY HOUSE, Isencd thee fourteen years — and six yeurs,!fc. And, during this last period, though only.«.r years, he charges Laban with changing his wages ten times. So that Jacob insists upon having well earned his wages through the twenty years, \\ hen he served for hire: but he makes a far freattr merit of having, f()r another twenty yeui-s, assisted him without wages, and e\ en with some losses: and, therefore, with particular propriety, he reminds Laban of that set of /'.vctitj/ years in the first place.
Reasons tending to prove that Jacob GENESIS. had been xcith Lahan 40 year$^
The true Chi-onolo^ of Jacob will be greatly elucidated by the following Tables, taken chiefly from Mr. Skinner.
TABLE I. On Jacob's being at Haran only 20 years.
77 Jacob goes to Haran.
88 JuDAH y
89 Dan born of Bilhali.
G«f/ born, ofZilpah
IsSACHAR born, of Leah. Zebulun and Dinah.
97 Jacob returns from Haran.
98 dwells in Succoth.
106 Shechemites destroyed, by Simeon and Levi.
107 Benjamin is born, and Rachel dies. lOS Joseph sohl, when seventeen ---------- Gen. xxxvii. 2.
1 1 1 Tamar married to Er, and immediately afterwards to Onan.
1 15 Pharez and Zarali born to Judah.
121 Joseph is made governor of Egypt -------- Gen. xli. 4G.
TABLE II. On Jacob's being at Haran 40 years,
58 Ksaii goes to Islmiael, and marries his daughter
64 Jacob marries Leah and Rachel ------
72 Gad born, ofZilpah
■ -------- years service for cattle.
Reasons to prove that Jacob
had been tvith Lahan 40 yeai'S,
9T Jacob comes from Ilaran to Succolh and Slialem.
Dinah ikfiltd, and the Sliecliemitcs destroyed.
93 Benjamin is born, and Rachel dies.
105 Taniar married lo It — 106 to Onan.
109 81)clah, at tvsenty, not given to Tamar.
" Our translation now is — xxxi. 33. THIS TWENTY YEARS have I been WITH THEE; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of tliy JJock have I not eaten. 39. That ivhich was torn of hea»is I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it: of my hand didst thou require it, ■whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40. T/ius I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. 41. Tlais HAVE I BEEN TWENTY YEARS IN THY HOUSE: / served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and si.\: years for thy cuttle; and thou hast changed my nages ten times.
" The alteration here recommended is this. xxxi. 38. During the one twenty years i was with thee; thy
ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams, tfc. l)c. 41. During the other twenty years, for XIYSELF, IN I'HY HOUSE; I served, ^c. The same distinction is expressed in xxx. 29. — Thou Knoiuest how I have served thee, and how thy cuttle was with me; i. e. how I behaved, during the time 1 was with thee, as thy serrant; and how thy cattle j fared, during the time they were with me as thy friend.
" It must not be omitted, that Archbishop Usher and Bishop- Lloyd ascribe sons to Jacob very soon after his coining to Laban; nay, assert that he was married almost as soon as lie came to Haran, instead of waiting seven years, as he most evidently did. And Mr. Jarkson allows, that some of the sons of Benjamin, who are expres-ly numbered as going into Egypt with Jacob, might be born in Egypt! From such distresses, and such contradictions, does the distinction of the two sets of twenty years happily deliver us."*
* Hoc temporis intervallo nemo concipere poteril tot res contingere potuisse. SPINOSA.
" In such a short space of time, it is Impossible that so many transactions could have taken place."