A'erse 25. Red, all ocer like a hairt/ garment] This simply means that he was covered all over with red hair or down; and that this must be intended here is suflicienlly evident from another part of his history, where Rebekah, in order to make her favourite son Jacob pass for his brother Esau, was obliged to take the skins of kids, and put them upon his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.
They called his name Esau.] It is difiicult to assign the projjer meaning of the original VCf).' csau or csav; if we derive it from ntyj' asah it must signify made, performed, and, according to some, perfected; VxauS esa in Arabic signifies to mahe firm or hard, and also to come to man\s estate, to grow old. Probablv he had this name from his appearing to be more perfect, robust, &c., than his brother.
Verse 26. His name was called Jacob] 3pi'" Yaacoh, from yny akab, to defraud, deceive, to supplant, i. e., to overthrow a person by tripping up his heels. ' Hence this name was given to Jacob, because it was found he had laid hold on his brother's heel, which was emblematical of his supplanting Esau, and defrauding him of his birthright.
Verse 27. A man of the field] ml^• a'ii ish sadeh, one who supported himself and family by hunting and by agriculture.
Jacob was a plain man] DH tJ'X ish lam, a perfect jr npriglit man; dwelling in tents — subsisting by breeding and tending cattle, which wa.s considered in those early times the most perfect employment; and in this sense the word DH tarn, should be here understood, as in its moral meaning it certainly could not be applied to Jacob till after his name was changed, after which time only liis character stands fair and unblemished. See chap, xxxii. 26-30.
Verse 28. Isaac loved Esau — but Jichckah loved Jacob.] This is an early proof of unwarrantable parental attachment to one child in preference to another. Isaac loved Esau, and Rebekah loved Jacob; and in consequence of this the intcresla of the family were
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, ° with tliat same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called " Edom.
3 1 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said. Behold, I am 1 at the point to die; and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said. Swear to me this day;
divided, and the house set in opposition to itself. The fruits of this unreasonable and foolish attachment were afterwards seen in a long catalogue of both natural and moral evils among the descendants of both families.
Verse 29. Sod pottage] TIJ "W ya:ed nazid, he boiled a boiling; and this we are informed, ver. 34, was of D'tt'l>' adashim, what the Septuagint render ^a- (tof, and we, following them and the Vulgate lens, translate lentiles, a sort of pulse. Dr. Shaw casts some light on this passage, speaking of the inhabitants of Barbary. " Beans, lentiles, kidney beans, and garvancos," says he, " are the chiefest of their pulse kind: beans, when boiled and stewed with oil and garlic, are the principal food of persons of all distinctions; lentiles are dressed in the same manner with beans, dissolving easily into a mass, and making a pottage of a chocolate colour. This we find was the red pottage which Esau, from thence called Edom, exchanged for his birthright." Shaiv's Travels, p. 140, 4to. edit.
A'^erse 30. / am faint] It appears from the whole of this transaction, that Esau was so completely exhausted by fatigue that he must have perished had he not obtained some immediate refreshment. He had been either hunting or labouring in the field, and was now returning for the purpose of getting some food, but had been so exhausted that his strength utterly failed before he had time to make the necessary preparations.
Verse 31. Sell me this day thy birthright.] 'What the rT>03 bechorah or birthright was, has greatly divided both ancient and modern commentators. It is generally supposed that the following rights were attached to the primogeniture: 1..\ulhorily and superiority over the rest of the family. 2. \ double portion of the paternal inheritance. 3. The peculiar benediction of the father. 4. The priesthood, previous to its establishment in the family of Aaron. Calmet controverts most of these rights, and with apparent reason, and seems to think that the double portion of the paternal inheritance was the only incontestable right which the first-born possessed; the others were such as were rather conceded to the first-born, than fixed by any law in the family- However this may be, it appears, 1. That the first-born were peculiarly consecrated to God, Exod. xxii. 29. 2. Were next in
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and poltage
honour to their parents, Gen. xlix. 3. 3. Had a double portion of their father's goods, Deut. xxi. 17. 4. Succeeded him in the government of the family or kingdom, 2 Chron. xxi. 3. 5. Had the sole right of conducting the service of God, both at the tabernacle and temple; and hence the tribe of Levi, which was taken in lieu of the^r6-i-JorH, had the sole right of administration in the service of God, Num. viii. 14-18; and hence we may presume, had originally a right to the priesthood previous to the giving of the law; but however this might have been, afterwards the priesthood is never reckoned among the privileges of the first-born.
That the birthright was a matter of very great importance, there can be no room to doubt; and that it was a transferable property, the transaction here sufficiently proves.
Thus Esau despised his birthright.] On this account the apostle, Heb. xii. 16, calls Esau a profane person, because he had, by this act, alienated from himself and family those spiritual offices connected with the rights of primogeniture. While we condemn Esau for this bad action, (for he should rather have perished than have alienated this right,) and while we consider it as a proof that his mind was little affected with Divine or spiritual things, what shall we say of his most unnatural brother Jacob, who refused to let him have a morsel of food to preserve him from death, unless he gave him up his birthright! Surely he who bought it, in such circumstances, was as bad as he who sold it. Thus Jacob verified his right to the name of siipplanler, a name which in its first imposition appears to have had no other object in view than the circumttance of his catching his brother by the heel; but all his subsequent conduct proved that it was truly descriptive of the qualities of his mind, as his whole life, till the time his name was changed, (and then he had a '■hange of nature,) was a tissue of cunning and decejition, the principles of which had been very early instilled into him by a mother whose regard for truth and righteousness appears to have been very superficial. See on chap, xsvii.
The death of Abraham, recorded in this chapter, naturally calls to mind the virtues and excellences of this extraordinary man. His obedience to the call of God, and faith in his promises, stand supereminent. No toonders, signs, or miraculous displays of the great and terrible God, as Israel required in Eg)'pt, were used or were necessary to cause Abraham to believe and obey. He left his own land, not knowing where he was going, or for what purpose God had called him to remove. Exposed to various hardships, in danger of losing his life, and of witnessing the violation of his wife, he still obeyed and went on; courageous, humane, and disinterested, he cheerfully riskrd his life for the welfare of others; and, contented with having rescued the captives and avenged the oppressed, he a refused to accept even the spoils he had taken from the enemy whom his skill and valour had vanquished. At the same time he considers the excellency of the power to be of God, and acknowledges this by giving to him the tenth of those spoils of which he would reserve nothing for his private use. His obedience to God, in offering up his son Isaac, we have already seen and admired; together with the generosity of his temper, and that respectful decency of conduct towards superiors and inferiors for which he was so peculiarly remarkable; sec on chap, x.xiii. Without disputing with his Maker, or doubting in his heart, he credited every thing that God had spoken; hence he always walked in a plain way. The authority of God was always sufficient for Abraham; he did not weary himself to find reasons for any line of conduct which he knew God had prescribed; it was his duty to obey; the success and the event he left with God. His obedience was as prompt as it was complete. As soon as he hears the voice of God, he girds himself to his work! Not a moment is lost! How rare is such conduct! But should not we do likewise? The present moment and its duties are ours; every past moment was once present; every future will be present; and, while we are thinking on the subject, the present is past, for life is made up of the past and the present. Are our past moments the cause of deep regret and humiliation 1 Then let us use the present so as not to increase this lamentable cause of our distresses. In other words, let us now believe — love — -obey. Regardless of all consequences, let us, like Abraham, follow the directions of God's word, and the openings of his providence, and leave all events to Hira who doth all things well.
See to what a state of moral excellence the grace of God can exalt a character, when there is simple, implicit faith, and prompt obedience! Abraham loalked before God, and Abraham was perfect. Perhaps no human being ever exhibited a fairer, fuller portrait of the perfect man than Abraham. The more I consider the character of this most amiable patriarch, the more I think the saying of Calmet justifiable: " In the life of Abraham,"' says he, " we find an epitome of the whole law of nature, of the ivritten law, and of the Gospel of Christ. He has manifested in his own person those virtues, for which reason and philosophy could scarcely find out names, when striving to sketch the character of their sopliist — wise or perfect man. St. Ambrose very properly observes that ' philosophy itself could not equal, in its descriptions and wishes, what was exemplified by this great man in the whole of his conduct.' Magnus plane vir, quern votis suis philosophia non potuit square; denique minus est quod ilia finxit quam quod tile gesstt. The law which God gave to Moses, and in which he has proposed the great duties of the law of nature, seems to be a copy of the life of Abraham. This patriarch, without being under the law, has performed the most essential duties it requires; and as to llie Gospel, its grand object was that on which he had fixed his eye — that Jesis whose day he rejoiced to see; and as to its spirit and design, they were wondrously exemplified in that faitli which was imputed to him for righteousness, receiving that grace which conformed his whole heart and life to the •will of his Maker, and enabled him to persevere unto death. ' Abraham,' says the writer of Ecclesiasticus, xliv. 20, &c., 'was a great father of many people: in glory was there none like unto him, who kept the law of the Most High, and was in covenant with him. He established the covenant in his flesh, and when he was tried he was found faithful.' " See Calmet. As a son, as a husband, as a father, as a neighbour, as a sovereign, and above all as a man of God, lie stands unrivalled; so that under the most exalted and perfect of all dispensations, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he is proposed and recommended as the model and pattern according to which the faith, obedience, and perseverance of the followers of the Messiah are to be formed. Reader, while you admire the man, do not forget the Gud that made him so great, so good, and so useful. Even Abraham had nothing but what he had received; from the free uiunerited mercy of God proceeded all his excellences; but he was a worker together with God, and therefore did not receive the grace of God in vain. Go thou, believe, love, obey, and persevere in like manner.
A famine in the land obliges Isaac to leave Beer-sheba and go to Gerar, 1. God appears to him, and warns him not to go to Egypt, 2. Renews the promises to him tohich he had made to his father Abraham, 3—5. Isaac dwells at Gerar, 6. Being questioned concerning Rebekah, and fearing to lose his life on her account, he calls her his sister, 7. Abimelech the king, discovers by certain familiarities which he had noticed between Isaac and Rebekah, that she ivas his wife, 8. Calls Isaac and reproaches him for his insincerity, 9, 10. He gives a strict command to all his people not to molest either Isaac or his wife, 11. Isaac applies himself to husbandry and breeding of cattle, and has a great increase, 12—14. Is envied by the Philistines, who stop up the wells he had digged, 15. Is desired by Abimelech to remove, 16. He obeys, and fixes his tent in the valley of Gerar, 17. Opens the wells dug in the days of Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up, 18. Digs the well, Ezek. 19, 20; and the welt Sitnah, 21; and the well Rehoboth, 22. Returns to Beer-sheba, 23. God appears to him, and renews his promises, 24. He builds an altar there, pitches his tent, and digs a well, 25. Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phichol, visit him, 26. Isaac accuses thetn of unkindness, 27. They beg him to make a covenant with them, 28, 29. He makes them a feast, and they bind themselves to each other by an oath, 30, 31. The well dug by Isaac's servants (ver. 25) called Shebah, 33. Esau, at forty years of age, marries two toives of the Hittites, 34; at which Isaac and Rebekah are grieved, 35.
A ND there was a famine in the land, beside * the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto '' Abimelech, king of the Phihstines, unto Gerar.
2 And the Lord appeared unlo him, and said. Go not down into Egypt; dwell in
Verse 1. There was a famine'\ When this happened we cannot tell; it ajjpcars to have been after the death of Abraham. Concerning the first famine, see chap. xii. 10.
Abimelech] As we know not the time when the famine happened, so we cannot tell whether this was the same Abimelech, Phichol, &c., which arc mentioned chap. XX. 1, &c., or the sons or other descendants of these persons.
Verse 2. Go not down into Egypt] As Abraham had taken refuge in that country, it is probable that Isaac was preparing to go thither also; and God, foreseeing that he would there meet with trials, &c., which might prove fatal to his peace or to his piety, warns him not to fulfil his intention.
3 '' Sojourn in this land, and ' I will be with thee, and ^ will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, ^ I will give all these countries; and I will perform '' the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father:
Verse 3. Sojourn in this land] In Gerar, whither he had gone, ver. 1, and where we find he settled, ver. 6, though the land of Canaan in general might be here intended. That there wore serious and imjiortant reasons why Isaac should not go to Egypt, we may be fully assured, though they be not assigned here; it is probable that even Isaac himself was not informed why he should not go down to Egypt. I have already supposed that God saw trials in his way which he might not have been able to bear. While a man acknowledges God in all his ways, he will direct all his steps, though he may not choose to give him the reasons of the workings of his providence. Abraham might go safely to Egypt, Isaac might not; in firmness and decision of character there was a wide difference between the two men.
and will give unto thy seed all these countries; *= and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5 ' Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and ° he said, She is my sister: for " he feared to say. She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of tlie place should kill me for Rebekah; because she ° tvas fair to look upon.
8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw,
Verse 4. I will make thy seed — as the stars of heaven] A promise often repeated to Abraham, and which has been most amply fulfilled both in its literal and spiritual sense.
My charge] "m"3!i'^ miskmarti, from la'i' shamar, he kept, observed, &c., the ordinances or appointments of God. These were always of two kinds: 1. Such as tended to promote moral improvement, the increase of piety, the improvement of the age, &c. And 2. Such as were typical of the promised seed, and the salvation which was to come by him. For commandments, statutes, &c., the reader is particularly desired to refer to Lev. xvi. 15, &c., where these things are all explained in the alphabetical order of the Hebrew words. Verse 7. He said, She is my sister] It is very strange that in the same place, and in similar circumstances, Isaac should have denied his wife, precisely as his father had done before him! It is natural to ask, Did x\braham never mention this circumstance to his son 1 Probably he did not, as he was justly ashamed of his weakness on the occasion— the only blot in his character; the son, therefore, not being forewarned, was not armed against the temptation. It may not be well in general for parents to tell their children of their former failings or vices, as this might lessen their authority or respect, and the children might make a bad use of it in extenuation of their own sins. But there are certain cases, which, from the nature of their circumstances, may often occur, where a candid acknowledgment, with suitable advice, may prevent those children from repeating the evil; but this should be done with great delicacy and caution, lost even the advice itself should serve as an incentive to the evil. I had not known lust, says St. Paul, if the law had not said. Thou shall not covet. Isaac could not say of Rebekah, as Abraham had done of Sarah, She is my lister; in the case of Abraham this was literally true;
9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou. She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.
10 And Abimelech said. What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and p thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying. He that "> toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and ■■ received in the same year ^ a hundred-fold: and the Lord ' blessed him:
it was not so in the case of Isaac, for Rebekah was only his cousin. Besides, though relatives, in the Jewish forms of speaking, are often called brothers and sisters, and the thing may be perfectly proper when this use of the terms is generally known and allowed, yet nothing of this kind can be pleaded here in behalf of Isaac; for he intended that the Gerarites should understand him in the proper sense of the term, and consequently have no suspicion that she was his ivife. We have already seen that the proper definition of a lie is any loord spoken with the intention to deceive. See chap. xx. 12. *
Verse 8. Isaac was sporting with Rebeiah his wife.] ^Vhatever may be the precise meaning of the word, it evidently implies that there were liberties taken and freedoms used on the occasion, which were not lawful but between man and wife.
Verse 10. Thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon lis.] It is likely that Abimelech might have had some knowledge of God's intentions concerning the family of Abraham, and that it must be kept free from all impure and alien mixtures; and that consequently, had he or any of his people taken Rebekah, the Divine judgments might have fallen upon the land, xlbimelech was a good and holy man; and he appears to have considered adultery as a grievous and destructive crime.
Verse H. He that toucheth] He who injures Isaac or defiles Rebekah shall certainly die for it. Death was the punishment for adultery among the Canaanites, Philistines, and Hebrews. See chap, xxxviii. 24.
Verse 19. Isaac sowed in that land] Being now perfectly free from the fear of evil, he betakes himself to agricultural and pastoral pursuits, in which he has the e°special blessing of God, so that his property becomes greatly increased.
14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of " servants: and the Philistines ' envied him.
1 5 For all the wells ^ which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham iiis father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled ihcm with earth.
16 And Abinielcch said unto Isaac, Go from us; for ' lliou art mucli mightier than we.
17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his lent in the valley of Gcrar, and dwelt there.
18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: =" and he called their names after the names
however, may be taken in a general way, as signifying a very great increase; so tliey are used by our Lord in the parable of the sower.
Verse 13. T/ic man waxed great] There is a strange and observal)le recurrence of the same term in the original: iNO hfi o ly STii iiSn ■|'7-i •«^•^x^ 'iiy\ vaiyigdal haish vaiyelcch haloch vegadel ad ki gadal meod, And the man was gue.it; and he went, going on, and icas CHEAT, until that he icas exceeding gre.\t. How simple is this language, and yet how forcible!
Verse 14. He had possession of Jloclis] He who blessed him in the increase of liis fields blessed him also in the increase of his flocks; and as he had extensive possessions, so he must have many hands to manage such concerns: therefore it is added, he had great store of servants — he had many domestics, some born in his house, and others purchased by his money.
Verse 15. For all the wells — the Philistines had stopped them] In such countries a good well was a great acquisition; and hence in predatory wars it was usual for either jiarty to fill the wells with earth or sand, in order to distress the enemy. The filling up the wells in this case was a most unprincipled transaction, as they had pledged tliemselvcs to Abraham, by a solcnm oath, not to injure each other in this or any other respect. See chap. xxi. 25-31.
Isaac IS questioned
Verse 16. Go from us; for thou art much inightier thanwe.] This is tlic first instance on record of what was termed among the GreeUs ostracism; i. e., the banishment of a person from the state, of whose power, influence, or riches, the people were jealous. There is a remarkable saying ot Uacon on this subject, which seems to intimate tlwt he had tliis very circumstance under his eye: " Public envy is an ostracism that eclipseth men when they grow too great." On this a 162
19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of *■ springing water.
20 And the herdmen of Gerar ' did strire with Isaac's herdmen, saying. The water is ours: and he called the name of the well <• Esek; because they strove with him.
2 1 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it • Sitnah.
22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and ^he called the name of it ' Reboboth; and he said. For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall b be fniitful in the land.
23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba.
same principle Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites. The Philistines appear to have been jealous of Isaac's growing prosperity, and to have considered it, not as a due reward of his industry and holiness, but as their individual loss, as though his gain was at their expense; therefore they resolved to drive him out, and take his well-cultivated ground, &c., to themselves, and com- ^ pelled Abimelech to dismiss him, who gave this reason ^ for it, UOO mSJ' atsamta mimjncnnu. Thou hast obtained much wealth among us, and my people are envious of thee. Is not this the better translation 1 for it can hardly be supposed that Isaac was " mightier'''' than the king of whole tribes.
Verse 18. In the days of Abraham] Instead of '"3'3 bimey, in the days, Houbigant contends we should read 'T2i' abdey, servants. Isaac digged again the wells which the servants of Abraham his father had digged. This reading is supported by the Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, and 'Vulgate; and it is probably the true one.
Verse 19. A well of springing water.] D"n D'D "1X3 heer mayim chaiyim, A well of living waters. This is the oriental phrase for a spring, and this is its meaning both in the Old and New Testaments: Lev. xiv. 5, 50; XV. 30; Num. xix. 17; Cant. iv. 15. See also John iv. 10-14; vii. 38; Rev. xxi. 6; xxii. 1. And by these scriptures we find that an unfailing spring was an emblem of the graces and influences of the Spirit of God.
Verse 21. They digged another well] Never did any man more implicitly follow the Divine command. Resist not evil, than Isaac; whenever he found that his work was likely to be a subject of strife and contention, he gave place, and rather chose to suffer wrong than to have his own peace of mind disturbed. Thui he overcame evil with good.
said, ^I am the God of Abraham thy father: ' fear not, for ^ I ain with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.
25 And he ' builded an altar there, and "•called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.
26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, ° and Phichol the chief captain of his army.
27 And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come \e to me, seeing ° ye hate me, and have P sent me away from you?
28 And they said, i We saw certainly that the Lord ' was with thee: and we said. Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;
Verse 24. The Lord appeared unto him] He needed especial encouragement when insulted and outraged by the Philistines; for having returned to the place where his noble father had lately died, the remembrance of his wrongs,, and the remembrance of his loss, could not fail to afflict his mind; and God immediately appears to comfort and support him in his trials, by a renewal of all his promises.
Verse 25. Builded an altar there] That he might have a place for God's worship, as well as a place for himself and family to dwell in.
And called upon the name of the Lord] And invoked in the name of Jehovah. See on chap. xii. 8; liii. 15.
Verse 26. Abimelech tccnt to him] When a man's ways please God, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him; so Isaac experienced on this occasion. Whether this was the same Abimelech and Phichol mentioned chap. xxi. 22, we cannot tell; it is possible both might have been now alive, provided we suppose them young in the days of Abraham; but it is more likely that Abimelech was a general name of the Gerarite kings, and that Phichol was a name of office.
Ahuzzath] The Targum translates this word a company, not considering it as a proper name: " Abimelech and Phichol came with a company of their friends." The Septuagint calls him OxoC.ae b vvfu^ayuyor,, Ochozath, the paranymph,he who conducts the bride to the bridegroom's house. Could we depend on the correctness of this version, we might draw the following curious conclusions from it; 1; That this was the son of that Abimelech the friend of Abraham. 2. That
thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: * thou art now the blessed of the
30 " And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and " sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him. We have found water.
33 And he called it "" Shebah: ''therefore the name of the city is ^ Beer-sheba unto
34 ^ And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the
he had been lately married, and on this journey brings with him his confidential friend, to whom he had lately intrusted the care of his spouse.
Verse 27. Seeing ye hate mc] He was justified in thinking thus, because if they did not injure him, they had connived at their servants doing it.
Verse 28. Let there be now an oath betwixt us] Let us make a covenant by which we shall be mutually bound, and let it be ratified in the most solemn manner.
Verse 30. He made them a feast] Probably on the sacrifice that was oflered on the occasion of making this covenant. This was a common custom.
Verse 31. They rose up betimes] Early rising was general among the primitive inhabitants of the world, and this was one cause which contributed greatly to their health and longevity.
Verse 33. He called it Shebah] This was probably the same well which was called Beer-sheba in the time of Abraham, which the Philistines had filled up, and which the servants of Isaac had reopened. The samc name is therefore given to it which it had before, with the addition of the emphatic letter n he, by which its signification became extended, so that now it signified not merely an oath or full, but satisfaction and abundance.
The name of the city is Beer-sheba] This name was given to it a hundred years before this time; but as the luell from which it had this name originally was closed up by the Philistines, probably the name of the place was abolished with the well; when therefore Isaac reopened the well, he restored the ancient name of the place.
is very likely that the wives taken by Esau were daughters of chiefs among the Hittites, and by this union he sought to increase and strengthen his secular power and influence.
Verse 35. Which were a grief of inind] Not the marriage, though that wa.s improper, but the persons; they, by their perverse and evil ways, l)rought bitterness into the hearts of Isaac and Rebekah. The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, and that of Jerusalem, say they were a<ldicted to iilol worship, and rebelled against and would not hearken to the instructions either of Isaac or Rebekah. From Canaanites a different conduct could not be reasonably expected. Esau was far from being spiritual, and iiis wives were wholly caimal.
The same reflections which were suggested by Abraham's conduct in denying bis wife in Egypt and Gerar, will apply to that of Isaac; but the case of Isaac was much less excusable than that of Abraham. The latter told no falsity; he only through fear suppressed a part of Ihe truth.
1. A good man has a right to expect God's blessing on his honest industry. Isaac sowed, and received a hundred-fold, and he had possession of flocks, &c., for the Lord blessed him. Worldly men, if they pray at all, ask for temporal things: '' What shall we eat 1 what shall wo drink! and wherewithal shall we be clothed V Most of the truly religious people go into another extreme; they forget the bod>/, and ask only for the soul! and yet there are "things requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul," and things which are only at God's disposal. The body lives for the soul's sake; its life and comfort are in many respects essentially requisite to the salvation of the soul; and therefore the things necessary for its support should be earnestly asked from the God of all grace, the Father of bounty and providence. Ye have not because ye ash not, may be said to many poor, afllicted religious people; and they are afraid to ask lest it should appear mercenary, or that they sought their portion in this life. They should be better taught. Surely to none of these will God give a stone if they ask bread: he who is so liberal of his heavenly blessings will not withhold earthly ones, which are of infinitely less consequence. Reader, e.xpect God's blessing on thy honest industry; pray for it, and believe that God does not love thee less, who hast taken refuge in the s.ame hope, than he loved Isaac. Plead not only his promises, but plead on the precedents he has set before thee. " Lord, tliou didst so and so to.Vbraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and to others who trusted in thee; bless my field, bless m>/ flocks, prosper my labour, that I may be able to provide thin<^s honest in tho sight of all men, and have something to dispense to those who are in want.".\nd will not God hear such prayers ' Yea, and answer them too, for he does not willingly afllict the children of men. And we may rest assured that there is more affliction and poverty in the world than either the jus - tice OT providence of God requires. There a^e, however, many who owe their poverty to their want of diligence and economy; they sink down into indolence, and forget that word. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; nor do they consider that by idleness a man is clothed with rags. Be diligent in business and fervent in spirit, and God will withhold from thee i\o manner of thing that is good.
2. From many examples we find that the wealth of the primitive inhabitants of the world did not consist in gold, silver, or precious stones, but principally in flocks of useful cattle, and the produce of the field. With precious metals and precious stones they were not unacquainted, and the former were sometimes used in purchases, as we have already seen in the case of -Vbraham buying a field from the children of Heth. But the blessings which God promises are such as spring from the soil. Isaac sowed in the land, and had possessions of flocks and herds, and great store of servants, \ei. 12-14. Commerce, by which nations and individuals so suddenly rise and as suddenly fall, had not been then invented; every man was obliged to acquire property by honest and persevering labour, or be destitute. Lucky hits, fortunate speculations, and adventurous risks, could then have no place; the Jield must be tilled, the herds watched and fed, and the proper seasons for ploughing, sotcing, reaping, and laying up, be carefully regarded and improved. No man, therefore, could grow rich by accident. Isaac tcaxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became vcn/ great, ver. 13. Speculatio7i was of no use, for it could have no object; and consequently many incitements to knavery and to idleness, that bane of the physical and moral health of the body and soul of man, could not show themselves. Happy times! when every man wrought with his hands, and God particularly blessed his honest industry. As he had no luxuries, he had no unnatural and factitious wants, few diseases, and a long life.
But has not what is termed commerce produced the reverse of all this \ A few are speculators, and the 7nany are comparatively slaves; and slaves, not to enrich themselves, (this is impossible,) but to enrich the speculators and adventurers by whom they are employed. Even the farmers become, at least partially, commercial men; and the soil, the fruitful parent of natural wealth, is comparatively disregarded: the consequence is, that the misery of the many, and the luTuri/ of the few, increase; and from both these spring, on the one hand, pride, insolence, conleinpt of the poor, contempt of Goo's holy word and commandments, with the long catalogue of crimes which proceed from pampered appetites and unsubdued passions: and on the other, murmuring, repining, discon- tent, and often insubordination and revolt, the most fell and most destructive of all the evils that can degrade and curse civil society. Hence wars, fightings, and revolutions of states, and public calamities of all kinds. Bad as the world and the times are, men have made them much worse by their unnatural methods of providing for the support of life. When sliall men learn that even this is but a subordinate pursuit; and that the cultivation of the soul in tlie knowledge, love, and obedience of God, is essentially necessary, not only to future glory, but to present happiness?
Isaac, grown old and feeble, and apprehending the approach of death, desires his son Esau to provide some savoury meat for him, (hat having eaten of it he might convey to him the blessing connected with the right q/" primogeniture, 1—4. Rebekah hearing of it, relates the matter to Jacob, and directs him how to personate his brother, and by deceiving his father, obtain the blessing, 5—10. Jacob hesitates, 11, 12; but being counselled and encouraged by his mother, he at last consents to use the means she prescribes, 13, 14. Rebekah disguises Jacob, and sends him to personate his brother, 15—17. Jacob comes to his father, and professes himself to be Esau, 18, 19. Isaac doubts, questions, and examines him closely, but does not discover the deception, 20—24. He eats of the savoury meat, and confers the blessing upon Jacob, 25—27. In ivhat the blessing consisted, 28, 29. Esau arrives from the field with the meat he had gone to provide, and presents himself before his father, 30, 31. Isaac discovers the fraud of Jacob, and is much affected, 32, 33. Esau is greatly distressed on hearing that the blessing had been received by another, 34. Isaac accuses Jacob of deceit, 35. Esau expostulates, and prays for a blessing, 36. Isaac describes the blessing lohich he has already conve^d, 37. Esau weeps, and earnestly implores a blessing, 38. Isaac pronounces a blessing on Esau, and prophecies that his posterity should, in process of time, cease to he tributary to the posterity of Jacob, 39, 40. Esau purposes to hill his brother, 41. Rebekah hears of it, and counsels Jacob to take refuge with her brother Laban in Padan-aram, 42—45. She prof esses to be greatly alarmed, lest Jacob should take any of the Canaanites to wife, 46.
could not see, he called Esau his eldest son,
and said unto him, My son: and he said unto
Verse 1. Isaac was old^ It is conjectured, on good {,rounds, that Isaac was now about one hundred and seventeen years of age, and Jacob about fifty-seven; though the commonly received opinion makes Isaac one hundred and thirty-seven, and Jacob seventy-seven; but see the notes on chap. xxxi. 38, &c.
And his eyes were dim^ This was probably the effect of that affliction, of what kind we know not, under which Isaac now laboured; and from which, as well as from the affliction, he probably recovered, as it is certain he lived forty if not forty-three years after this time, for he lived till the return of Jacob from Padan-aram; chap. xxxv. 27-29.
Verse 2. / know not the day of my death] From his present weakness he had reason to suppose that his death could not be at any great distance, and therefore would leave no act undone which he believed it his duty to perform. He who lives not in reference to eternity, lives not at all.
Verse 3. Thy weapons] The original word 'S3 Ae/ey signifies vessels and instruments of any kind; and is probably used here for a hunting spear, javelin, sword, JfC.
3 " Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and ^ take me some venison;
4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and brmg it to me, that I may eat; that
pend. Had not the Sepluagint translated the word ipapcrpav, and the Vulgate pharetram, a quiver, I should rather have supposed some kind of shield was meant; but either can be suspended on the arm or from the shoulder. Some think a sivord is meant; and because the original signifies to hang or suspend, hence they think is derived our word hanger, so called because it is generally worn in a pendent posture; but the word hanger did not exist in our language previously to the Crusades, and we have evidently derived it from the Persian J-?^-*.^ khanjar, a poniard or dagger, the use of which, not only in battles, but in private assassinations, was well known.
Verse 4. Savoury meat] D'r^JJiD^ matammim, from □>'Q taam, to taste or relish; hew dressed we know not, but its name declares its nature.
That I may eat] The blessing which Isaac was to confer on his son was a species of Divine right, and must be communicated with appropriate ceremonies. As eating and drinking were used among the Asiatics on almost all religious occasions, and especially in making and confirming covenants, it is reasonable to suppose that something of this kind was essentially necessary on this occasion, and that Isaac could not
5 And Rcbckah heard when Isaac spake to Esau liis son. And Esau went to the field to hunt /or venison, and to bring it.
6 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying. Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, tiiat I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord, before my death.
8 Now therefore, my son, *' obey my voice according to that which I command thee.
9 Go now to the flock, and fetcli mc from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them « savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:
10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may cat, and that he ^ may bless thee before his death.
1 1 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother. Behold, ' Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
convey the right till he had eaten of the meat provided for the purpose by him who was to receive the blessing;. As Isaac was now old, and in a feeble and lan^ishinjj condition, it was necessary that the flesh used on this occasion should be prepared so as to invite the appetite, that a sufficiency of it might be taken to revive and recruit his drooping strength, that he might be the better able to go through the whole of this ceremony.
This seems to be the sole reason why savoury meat is so particularly mentioned in the text. When we consider, I. That no covenant was deemed binding unless the parties had ealen together; 2. That to convey this blessing some rite of this kind was necessary; and, 3- That Isaac's strength was now greatly exhausted, insomuch that he supposed himself to be dying; we shall at once see why meat was required on this occasion, and why that meat was to be prepared so as to deserve the epithet of savoury. As I believe this to be the true sense of the place, I do not trouble my readers with interpretations which I suppose to be either e.xception.ible or false.
Verse 5. And Rcbcknh hrani] And was determined, if possible, to frustrate the design of Isaac, and procure the blessing for lier favourite son. Some pretend that she received a Divine inspiration to the purpose; but if she had she needed not to have recourse to deceit, to help forward the accomplishment. Isaac, on being informed, would have had too much piety not to prefer the will of his Maker to his own partiality for hie eldest son; but Rebekah had nothing
him as a deceiver; and I shall bring ' a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
] 3 And his mother said unto him, " Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother " made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
1 5 And Rebekah took ° goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau,P which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob hei younger son:
1 6 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18 And he came unto his father, and said. My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
of the kind to plead, and therefore had recourse to the most exceptionable means to accomplish her ends.
Verse 12. I shall bring a curse upon me] For even in those early times the spirit of that law was understood, Deut. xxvii. 18: Cursed is he that maheth the blind to wander out of the way; and Jacob seems to have possessed at this time a more tender conscience than his mother.
Verse 13. Upon me be thy curse, my son] Onkelos gives this a curious turn: It has been revealed to me by prophecy that the oirses tail not come upon thee, my son. What a dreadful responsibility did this woman take upon her at this time! The sacred writer states the facts as they were, and we may depend on the truth of the statement; but he nowhere says that God would have any man to copy this conduct. He often relates facts and sayings which he never recommends.
Verse 15. Goodly raiment] Mr. Ainsworth has a sensible note on this place. " The priest in the law had holy garments to minister in, Exod. xxviii. 2-4, which the Septuagint there and in this place term rr/v aToi.r)v, THE robe, and erro^.rjv uytav, the holy robe. Whether the first-born, before the law, had such to minister in is not certain, but it is probable by this example; for had they been common garments, why did not Esau himself, or his wives, keep them? But being, in all likelihood, holy robes, received from their ancestors, the mother of the family kept them in sweet chests from moths and the like, whereupon it is said, ver. 27, Isaac smelled the smell of his garments." The opinion of.^.insworth is followed by many critics.
I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, ■^ that thy soul may bless me.
20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it ' to me.
21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I = may feel tliee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the liands are the hands of Esau.
23 And he discerned him not, because ' his
Verse 19. J am Esau thy first-born] Here are many palpable falsehoods, and such as should neither be imitated nor excused. "Jacob," says Calmet, "imposes on his father in three different ways. 1. By his words: /am th^ first-horn Esau. 2. By his act io7is; he gives him kids'' flesh for venison, and says he had executed his orders, and got it by hunting. 3. By his clothing; he puts on Esau's garments, and the kids' skins upon his hands and the smooth of his neck. In short, he made use of every species of deception that could be practised on the occasion, in order to accomplish his ends." To attempt to palliate or find excuses for such conduct, instead of serving, disserves the cause of religion and truth. Men have laboured, not only to excuse all this conduct of Rebekah and Jacob, but even to show that it was consistent, and that the whole was according to the mind and ivill of God!
The cause of God and truth is under no obligation to such defenders; their hands are more unhallowed than those of Uzzah; and however the bearers may stumble, the ark of God requires not their support. It was the design of God that the elder should serve the younger, atid he would have brought it about in the way of his own wise and just providence; but means such as here used he could neither sanction nor recommend.
Verse 23. And he discerned kim not, because his hands were hairy] From this circumstance vi'e may learn that Isaac's sense of feeling was much impaired by his present malady. When he could not discern tiie skin of a kid from the flesh of his son, we see that he was, through his infirmity, in a fit state to be imposed on by the deceit of liis wife, and the cunning of his younger son.
Verse 27. The smell oj my son is as the smell of afield] The smell of these garments, the goodly raiment lohich had been laid up in the house, was probably occasioned by some aromatic herbs, which we may
24 And he said. Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I a??i.
25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, ■^ that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.
26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, " the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:
naturally suppose were laid up with the clothes; a custom which prevails in many countries to the present day. Thyme, lavender, &c., are often deposited in wardrobes, to communicate an agreeable scent, and under the supposition that the moths are thereby prevented from fretting the garments. I have often seen the leaves of aromatic plants, and sometimes whole sprigs, put in eastern MS.S., to communicate a pleasant smell, and to prevent the worms from destroying them. Persons going from Europe to the East Indies put pieces of Russia leather among their clothes for the same purpose. Such a smell would lead Isaac's recollection to the fields where aromatic plants grew in abundance, and where he had often been regaled by the scent.
Verse 28. God give thee of the dew of heaven] Bp. Newton's view of these predictions is so correct and appropriate, as to leave no wish for any thing farther on the subject.
" It is here foretold, and in ver. 39, of these two brethren, that as to situation, and other temporal advantages, they should be much alike. It was said to Jacob; God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine; and much the same is said to Esau, ver. 39: Behold, thy divelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. The spiritual blessing, or the promise of the blessed seed, could be given only to ONE; but temporal good things might be imparted to hoth. Mount Seir, and the adjacent country, was at first in the possession of the Edomites; they afterwards extended themselves farther into Arabia, and into the southern parts of Judea. But wherever they were situated, we find in fact that the Edomites, in temporal advantages, were little inferior to the Israelites. Esau had cattle and beasts and substance in abundance, and he went to dwell in Seir of his own accord; but he would hardly have removed thither with so many cattle, had it been such a barren and desolate country as some would represent it. The Edom-
29 " Let people serve thee, and nations bowdown to thee; be lord over thy brethren, and '' let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: ''■ cursed he every one that cursclh thee, and blessed be he that blesseth tliee.
30 And it came to pass as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from tlie presence of
ites had duties and lings reigning over them, while the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. When the Israelites, on their return, desired leave to pass through the territories of Edom, it ajipears tliat the country abounded with FRUITFUL FIELDS and viNEV.\RDs: Let vs pass, I pray thee, through Ihij country; ivc tvill not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will tee drink of the water of the wells; Num. xx. 1 7. And the prophecy of Malachi, whicli is generally alleged as a proof of the barrenness of the country, is rather a proof of the contrary: / haled Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage tcaste for the dragons of the wilderness, Mai. i. 3; for this implies that the country was fruitful before, and that its present unfruitfulness was rather an effect of war, than any natural defect in the soil. If the country is unfruitful now, neither is Judca what it was formerly." As there was but little rain in Judea, except what was termed the early rain, which fell about the beginning of spring, and the latter rain, which fell about September, the lack of this was supplied by the copious dews which fell both morning and evening, or rather through the whole of the night. And we may judge, says Calmet, of the abundance of these dews by what fell on Gideon's fleece, Judges vi. 38, which being wrung ^//erf a bowl. And Hushai compares an army ready to fall upon its enemies to a dew falling on the ground, 2 Sam. xvii. 12, which gives us the idea that this fluid fell in great profusion, so as to saturate every thing. Travellers in these countries assure us that the dews fall there in an extraordinary abundance.
The fatness of the earth] What Homer calls ofSap apovpric, Ilias ix.. Ill, and Virgil uber glebcc,.lEneis i., 53 1, both signifying a soil naturally fertile. Under this, therefore, and the former expressions, Isaac wishes liis son all the blessings which a plentiful country can produce; for, as Le Clcrc rightly observes, if the dews and seasonable rains of heaven fall upon a fruitful soil, nothing but human industry is wanting to the plentiful enjoyment of all tcin[ioral good things. Hence tliey are represented in the Scripture as emblems of prosperity, of plenty, and of the blessing of God, Deut. xxxiii. 13, 28; Micah v. 7; Zecli. viii. 12; and, on the other hand, the withholding of these denotes barrenness, distress, and the curse of God; 2 Sam. i. 2 1. See Dodd.
3 1 And he also had made savoury meat, and brouglit it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and •■ eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.
32 And Isaac his father said unto him. Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy first-born, Esau.
33 And Isaac ' trembled very exceedingly, and said. Who? wiierc is he that hath ' taken.
their temporal advantages were to each other," says 15p. Newton, "in all spiritual gifts and graces the younger brother was to have the superiority, was to be the hajipy iustrument of conveyiirg the blessing to all nations: In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth le blessed; and to this are to be referred, in their full force, those expressions: Let people serve thee, and nations bow dotvn to thee. Cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blessetk thee. The same promise was made to Abraham in the name of God: / uill bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, chap. xii. 3; and it is here repeated to Jacob, and thus paraphrased in the Jerusalem Targum: ' He who cnrseth thee shall be cursed as Balaam the son of Beor; and he who blesseth tlice shall be blessed as Moses the prophet, the lawgiver of Israel.' It appears that Jacob was, on the whole, a man of more religion, and believed the Divine promises more, than Esau. The posterity of Jacob likewise preserved the true religion, and the worship of one God, while the Edomites were sunk in idolatry; and of the seed of Jacob was born at last the Saviour of the world. This was the peculiar privilege and advantiige of Jacob, to be the happy instrument of conveying these blessings to all nations. This was his greatest superiority over Esau; and in this sense.St. Paul understood and applied the prophecy: The elder shall serve the younger, Rom. ix. 12. The Christ, the Saviour of the world, was to be born of.mme one family; and Jacob's was preferred to Esau's, out of the good pleasure of Almighty God, who is certainly the best judge of fitness and expedience, and has undoubted right to dispense his favours as he shall see proper; for he says to Moses, as the apostle proceeds to argue, ver. 15: 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.' And when the Gentiles were converted to Christianity, the prophecy was fulfilled literally: Let people serve Ihee, and let nations bow down to thee; an<l will be more amply fulfilled when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and all Lsrael shall be saved."
Verse 33. And Isaac trembled] The marginal reading is very literal and proper, And Isaac trembled taith a great trembling greatly. And this shows the deep concern he felt for his own deception, and the iniquity of the means by which it had been brought about.
34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, *" he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father. Bless me, even me also, 0 my father.
35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
36 And he said, ' Is not he rightly named '' Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: ' he took away my birthright; and behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said. Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
Though Isaac must have heard of that which God had spoken to Rebekah, The elder shall serve the younger, and could never have wished to reverse this Divine purpose; yet he might certainly think that the spiritual blessing might be conveyed to Esau, and by him to all the nations of the earth, notwithstanding the superiority of secular dominion on the other side.
Yea, and he shall he blessed.] From what is said in this verse, collated with Heb. xii. 17, we see how binding the conveyance of the birthright was when communicated with the rites already mentioned. When Isaac found that he had been deceived by Jacob, he certainly would have reversed the blessing if he could; but as it had been conveyed in the sacramental way this was impossible. / have blessed him, says he, yea, and he must, or will, be blessed. Hence it is said by the apostle, Esa.v. found no place for repentance, ficravoia; yap Tonov ovx evpe, no place for change of mind 01 purpose in his father, though he sought it carefully with tears. The father could not reverse it because the grant had already been made and confirmed. But this had nothing to do with the final salvation of poor outwitted Esau, nor indeed with that of his unnatural brother.
Verse 35. Hath taken away thy blessing.'] This blessing, which was a difierent thing from the birthright, seems to consist of two parts: 1. The dominion, generally and finally, over the other part of the family; and, 2. Being the progenitor of the Messiah. But the former is more explicitly declared than the latter. See the notes on chap. xxv. 3 1.
He took away my birthright] So he might say with considerable propriety; for though he sold it to Jacob, yet as Jacob had taken advantage of his perishing situation, he considered the act as a species of robbery. Verse 37. I have made him thy lord] See on ver. 28. Verse 40. By thy sword shall thou live] This does not absolutely mean that the Edomites should have
made him thy lord, and all his brethren liave I given to him for servants; and " with com and wine have I ° sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
38 And Esau said unto his father. Hast thou but one blessing, my father 1 bless me, even me also, 0 my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, p and wept.
39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, 1 thy dwelling shall be ' the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and ^ shalt serve thy brother; and ' it shall come
constant wars; but that they should be of a fierce and warlike disposition, gaining their sustenance by hunting, and by predatory excursions upon the possessions of others. Bishop Newton speaks on this subject with his usual good sense and judgment: " The elder branch, it is here foretold, should delight more in war and violence, but yet should be subdued by the younger. By thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother Esau might be said to live much by the sword; for he was a cunning hunter, a man of the field. He and his children got possession of Mount Seir by force and violence, expelling from tlience the Horites, the former inhabitants. By what means they spread themselves farther among the Arabians is not known; but it appears that upon a sedition and separation several of the Edomites came and siezed upon the south-west parts of Judea, during the Babylonish captivity, and settled there ever after. Before and after this they were almost continually at war with the Jews; upon every occasion they were ready to join with their enemies; and when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, they encouraged him utterly to destroy the city, saying, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundations thereof. Psa. cxxxvii. 7. And even long after they were subdued by the Jews, they retained the same martia! spirit; for Josephus in his time gives them the character of ' a turbulent and disorderly nation, always erect to commotions, and rejoicing in changes; at the least adulation of those who beseech them, beginning war, and hasting to battles as to a feast.' And a little before the last siege of Jerusalem they came, at the entreaty of the Zealots, to assist them against the priests and people; and there, together with the Zealots, committed unheard-of cruelties, and barbarously murdered Annas, the high priest, from whose death Josephus dates the destruction of the city." See Dr. Dodd.
4 1 And Esau " liatcd Jacob because of tlic blessing wliercwith liis father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, " The days of mourning for my father arc at hand; " then will I slay my brother Jacob.
42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called
have dominion, is rather of doubtful meaning, as it may be deduced from three different roots, TC yarad, to descend, to be brought down or brought low; mi radah, to obtain rule or have dominion; and 111 rud, to complain; meaning cither that when reduced vcri/ low God would magnify his power in their behalf, and deliver them from the yoke of their brethren; or when they should be increased so as to venture to set up a king over them, or when they mourned for their transgressions, God would turn their captivity. The Jerusalem Targum gives the words the following turn: " When the sons of Jacob attend to the law and observe the precepts, they shall impose the yoke of servitude upon thy neck; but when they shall turn away themselves from studying the law and neglect the precepts, thou shalt break off the yoke of servitude from thy neck."
" It was David who imposed the yoke, and at that time the Jewish people observed the law; but the yoke was very galling to the Edomites from the first; and towards the end of Solomon's reign Hadad, the Edomite, of the blood royal, who had been carried into Egypt from his childhood, returned into his own country, and raised some disturbances, but was not able to recover his throne, his subjects being overawed by the garririsons which David had placed among them; but in the reign of Jehoram, the son of Jchoshaphat king of Judah, the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king. Jehoram made some attempts to subdue them again, but could not prevail; so the Edo?nitcs revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day, 2 Chron. xxi. 8, 10, and hereby this part of the prophecy was fulfilled al)out nine hundred years after it was delivered." See Bishop Newton. " Thus," says Bishop Newton, " have we traced, in our notes on this and the.\xvth chapter, the accomplishment of this prophecy from the beginning; and we find that the nation of the Edomites has at several times been conquered by and made tributary to the Jews, but never the nation of the Jews to the Edomites; und the Jews have been the more considerable people, more known in the world, and more famous in history. VVe know indeed little more of the history of the Edomites than as it is connected with that of the Jews; and where is the name or nation now? They were ewallowed up and lost, partly among the Nabathean Aiatw, and partly among the Jews; and tlie very name, a» Dr. Prideaux has obser\'cd, was abolished and dis-
Jacob her younger son, and said a. m. cir. 2225
unto him, JfcSehold, tiiy brother
Esau, as touching tliee, doth ^ comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
4 3 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother ' to Haran;
44 And tarr)' with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;
4 5 Until thy brother's anger turn away from
used about the end of the first century of the Christian era. Thus were they rewarded for insulting and oppressing their brethren the Jews; and hereby other prophecies were fulfilled, viz., Jer. xlix. 7, &c.; Ezek. XXV. 12, &c.; Joel iii. 19; Amos i. 11, &c.; and particularly Obadiah; for at this day we see the Jews subsisting as a distinct people, while Edom is no more, agreeably to the words of Obadiah, ver. 10: For thy violence against thy brother Jacob, in the return of his posterity from Egypt, shame shall cover thee, and thou shall be cut off for ever. And again, ver. 18: There shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau, for the Lord hath spoken it. In what a most extensive and circumstantial manner has God fulfilled all these predictions! and what a proof is this of the Divine inspiration of the Pentateuch, and the omniscience of God!"
Verse 41. The days of mourning for my father are at hand] Sucli was the state of Isaac's health at that time, tliough he lived more than forty years afterwards, that hi.s death was expected by all; and Esau thought that would be a favourable time for him to avenge himself on his brother Jacob, as, according to the custom of the times, the sons were always present at the burial of the father. Ishmael came from his own country to assist Isaac to bury Abraham; and both Jacob and Esau assisted in burying their father Isaac, hut the enmity between them had happily subsided long before that time.
Verse 36. Is not he rightly named Jacob?] See on chap. xxv.
Verse 12. Doth cotnfort him.ielf, purposing to kill thee.] "jS CDnjno mithnachem lecha, which Houbigant renders cogitat super te, he thinks or meditates to kill thee. This sense is natural enough here, but it does not appear to be the meaning of the original; nor does Iloubigant himself give it this sense, in his Racincs Hebraiques. Tliere is no doubt that Esau, in his hatred to his brother, felt himself pleased with the thought that he should soon have the opportunity of avenging his wrongs.
Verse 14. Tarry with him a few days] It was probably forty years before he returned, and it is likely Rebekah saw him no more; for it is the general opinion of the Jewish rabbins that she died before Jacob's return from Padan-aram, whether the period of his st.ay be considered twenty or forty years. See on chap. xxxi. 38, &c.
Verse 45. Why should I be deprived also of you both] If Esau should kill Jacob, then the nearest akin
" II — '1— thou hast done to him: then I will
send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day? 46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, ^ I am weary
to Jacob, who was by the patriarchial law, Gen. ix. 6, the avenger of blood, would kill Esau; and both these deaths might possibly take place in the same day. This appears to be the meaning of Rebekah. Those who are ever endeavouring to sanctify the means by the end, are full of perplexity and distress. God will not give his blessing to even a Divine service, if not done in his own way, on principles of truth and righteousness. Rebekah and her son would take the means out of God's hands; they compassed themselves with their own sparks, and warmed themselves with their own fire; and this had they at the hand of God, they lay down in sorrow. God would have brought about his designs in a way consistent with his own perfections; for he had fully determined that the elder should serve the younger, and that the Messiah should spring not from the family of Esau, but from that of Jacob; and needed not the cunning craftiness or deceits of men to accomplish his purposes. Yet in his mercy he overruled all these circumstances, and produced good, where things, if left to their own operations and issues, would have produced nothing but evil. However, after this reprehensible transaction, we hear no more of Rebekah. The Holy Spirit mentions her no more, her burial excepted, chap. xlix. 31. See on chap. xxxv. 8.
Verse 46. I am weary of my l\fe'\ It is very likely that Rebekah kept many of the circumstances related above from the knowledge of Isaac; but as Jacob could not go to Padan-aram without his knowledge, she appears here quite in her own character, framing an excuse for his departure, and concealing the true cause. Abraham had been solicitous to get a wife for his son Isaac from a branch of his own family; hence she was brought from Syria. She is now afraid, or pretends to be afraid, that her son Jacob will marry among the Hittites, as Esau had done; and therefore makes tliis to Isaac the ostensible reason why Jacob should immediately go to Padan-aram, that he might get a wife there. Isaac, not knowing the true cause of sending him away, readily falls in with Rebekah's proposal, and immediately calls Jacob, gives him suitable directions and his blessing, and sends him away. This view of the subject makes all consistent and natural; and we see at once the reason of the abrupt speech contained in this verse, which should be placed at the beginning of the following chapter.
1. In the preceding notes I have endeavoured to represent things simply as they were. I have not copied the m.anner of many commentators, who have laboured to vindicate the character of Jacob and his mother in the transactions here recorded. As I fear God, an<l wish to follow him, I dare not bless what he hath not blessed, nor curse what he hath not cursed.
wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these ivhich are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
I consider the whole of the conduct both of Rebekah and Jacob in some respects deeply criminal, and in all highly exceptionable. And the impartial relation of the facts contained in this and the xxvth chapter, givea me the fullest evidence of the truth and authenticity of tho sacred original. How impartial is the history that God writes! We may see, from several commentators, what man would have done, had he had the same facts to relate. The history given by God details as well the vices as the virtues of those who are its subjects. How widely different from that in the Bible is the biography of the present day! Virtuous acts that were never performed, voluntary privations which were never borne, piety which was never felt, and in a word lives which were never lived, are the principal subjects of our biographical relations. These may be well termed the Lives of the Saints, for to these are attributed all the virtues which can adorn the human character, with scarcely a failing or a blemish; while on the other hand, those in general mentioned in the sacred writings stand marked with deep shades. ^Vhat is the inference which a reflecting mind, acquainted with human nature, draws from a comparison of the biography of the Scriptures with that of uninspired writers \ The inference is this-^ the Scripture history is natural, is probable, bears all the characteristics of veracity, narrates circumstances which seem to make against its own honour, yet dwells on them, and often seeks occasion to repeat them. It is true! infallibly true! In this conclusion common sense, reason, and criticism join. On the other hand, of biography in general we must say that it is often unnatural, improbable; is destitute of many of the essential characteristics of truth; studiously avoids mentioning those circumstances which are dishonourable to its subject; ardently endeavours either to cast those which it cannnot wholly hide into deep shades, or sublime them into virtues. This is notorious, and we need not go far for numerous examples. From these facts a reflecting mind will draw this general conclusion— an impartial history, in every respect true, can be expected only from God himself.
2. These should be only preliminary observations to an extended examination of the characters and conduct of Rebekah and her two sons; but this in detail would be an ungracious task, and I wish only to draw the reader's attention to what may, under the blessing of God, promote his moral good. No pious man can read the chapter before him without emotions of grief and pain. A mother teaches her favourite son to cheat and defraud his brother, deceive his father, and tell the most execrable lies! And God, the just, the impartial God relates all the circumstances in the most ample and minute detail! I have already hinted that this is a strong proof of the authenticity of the saicied