Commentary on the Holy Bible

Tme 1. And h* heard ihe word* ^ Labaaia aona] TTie multiplication of JaeoVa cattle, and the deereaae and degeneni^ of tbilae (rf Lataaa^were auffietent to rouae the jeluouay it Z^lan'a acma. "niiai with laban'a un&ir treatment and the dinotion he received from Ood, determined him to return to hia own eountry.

Hoik he gotten aU tkU ^lory] Ml theae richea, Ihia wealth, ec property. The original word co&od, eignlfiea bodt to be Hen and to be keovw; and, perbapa, for thia auqile rcaaon, that richea ever tiring wiln tbnn a heavy. «evH end burthen of caret and ansiaUee,

Verae 3. And Ike Lord eaid unto.^uab, Rebtmr—and ZwiB be wiA thee.] 1 will lake the tame oare of thee in At return, Oa I took of thee on thy ww to thia place. The Ti»rgum reads — Itfy wosn *AaU 6s./vr thy hehi, eae eh^. XT. 1. A promiae of thia kind wa« eaaentially neoeaaary for die eucoungement of Jacob, eapeciolly at thia timei and no doubt it woe a powerfol meona of aupport to him through the whole joarDer; and it waa partiouiarlf wOj Tritco he beard that hia brother wa» coining to meet bun, with four hundred men in hia retinue, wap. xudi. 6. At diat time, he went and pleaded the very wwda of thia promiae with Ood, ver. 9.

Terae 4. Jacob $ant and eaUed RaOtU and Lmh'i He bad probably been at aooe c<maideiable diatanee with the floeka, and for the greater aecrecy, he rather aends for them to the field, to conmdt them on thja moat momentous afioir, than go and Tiait them in their tents, where probably some of the family of Laban might overhear their ooDTersation, though Laban waa at the time three days' journey off. It ia poasible, aa Mr. Harmer oonjecturea, ttuu Jaoob shore bis ritaep at the aame time, and that be antt for hia wiTea and booaahold ftimiture to erect tenta on dw spot, that tbey mi^t partake of the feativitiea luwd on aueh occaaiona. Ttau mef might all depart withoot beui^ suapeoled.

Vena 7. Changed my vagee ten tmee] "Hiere ia a ■tronge diTcraity among the ancient vermons, and eneient and modem inter^lera on the meaning of theas-worda. no Hebrew ia oj^ mvy teereth minim, which A^ila mnalalaariBa •fti/tM(. Cmn«m6M-a. Symmaebua, it mf$iim, tat Maua in nmnitr. The Septuagint *m* <i#m>, ten tom&K with which Origen ^peara to a^rea. St. Au- > gintin, who cdopu the rradiiw of the Septuagint, ihinka Oat by ten ktmbe, five yearr wagea ta meant. That Idban had withheld from him all the party-ooloured bunba which bad been broufcht forth for Jive yeara, and because flwswua brought fttrdilamba IwUe m the year, b*e gravida peeudee. therefore tbe number ten is used, Jacob having •Ma deOauded of hta part of the produce of fan births, ft ba^pooeil byaonas erMies, that ibe Septiiagint iMes fomAa Cv |wan^ as Virgil does oHatea.

20 And Jacob stole away, ^unawares, to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

SI Bo he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and • set his face tovard the mount Gilead.

22 1[ And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

23 And he took ' his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days journey j and they overtook him in the motrnt Gilead.

Here arietas, which aignifiea eare ef com, ia put for hareeat, harvest for oatemn, and autumn for yean. After all, it is moat natural to suppose that Jaoob uaca the word ten Htaee for.an indefinite number, which we might aafoly translate fretpuntly; and diat it means an indefinite number in other paru of the sacred writings, is evident from Lev. xxvi. 26. — Ten women sAoiZ bake your bread in one oven. Ecclea. vii 19. Wtwdom etrenglheneth the viM more than TKK mighiu men the dtif. Num. xiv. 32. Beecntee ail Iheee men have tenaled m* now iheee tmx timee. Job ^LZ. 3. Tkete tsm timee have ye repraa^ud me. Zeeb. viii. 23. In thoee daya — rwK men maU take hold ^ |A« ekirt qf Aim that ie a Jew. Rev. ii. IOl Ye thaU Aave tribulation TWtt day*.

Versell. T%eangelqf Oodepakeuniomeinadreaml It ia Birange that we nod not heard of this dream before i and yet it aeema to have taken place befcve the cattle brought forth, immedimely after die baraain between bin and udNtn. If we follow the SamarUan, the difficulty ia at once remoTedi for it givea ua the whole of this dream after verae 36. of the preceding ohapter.

Verae 12. GTieled\ o'>i'u berudtm, iia harad, aignifiea hail; and the meaning must be, the^ bad while apota on them aimilar to haii. Our word gnalad cornea maa ihB old French, greale,Adii; now written gr^Isf hence greai^ spotted wtib white, upcnt a dark gtoiuid.

Ywae 16. Are m not counted qf him etrangere 7J Rachel ai^ Leah, who well knew the diepoaition ot their folher, gSTe him here hia true character. He has treated ua as etrangere, aa a/avM, whom he bad a right to dispose of aa he pieaaed t in eooaaqueoee, he hath aeid ua, disposed of ua, on the mere principle of gaining \/r tbe sale.

And hath ^uUt deoaured also our moneu} Has applied to his own uaadM.profitoof the sale, and has allowed us neither portion nor inheritanite.

Verae 19. /.ofran toent to ahear hU eheep\ Laban Aod gont, and thia waa a favourable time, not may to take hia imogea, but to return to Canaan without beii« perceiTed.

Radulhad elaien the imagee\ tspDtnteraphMn. What tbe tcraphim were is uuerlv unknown. In vw. 30. they are termed Thtt etohay, goasi and toaome itwpearaveiy likely, that they weie a aort of images devoted to Biqieratitioua purpoaea: not eonndered aa goda but aa rtipreeeniativte of certain divweattrSMtea. Dr. Shuckford auppoaea tliem to be a aort of iitee, on which dte namea or flgurea <rf their anceatora were engraTen. TheodoreL in htf 89th queation, calls them idoU, and saya, that Raobelt who waa a type of tbe true church, atole them from her father, that he miidit be doliTered from idolatry. R. & Jardii gives nearly the aama reaaon.

The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel givea a stfanm turn to tbe whole paaaage. "And Racbsl atole ua images of her fotlwr: tor they had murdered a man, wbo waa a firat-bom aon; and bsving cut off hia head, they embalmed it with salt and ^>icea,.and thmr wrote divinationa upon a plate of gold, and put it under his tongue i and phwed it i^nat the wall, and it convwaed with them } and Ldbon worahipped it. And Jacob atole the aeieneeof Lafaon tbe Syrian, that it might not diocover hia

''Tf'dJe'^word be derived from nai rtnha. to heal, or re^ore, then tbe teraphim may be conaiaered as a sort of taliemane, kept for the purpoae of averting and eoril^ diieMBa t and profaofaly were Itept by Laban for tbe oaaia purpoae that (be Romans kept their Laree and Ptnatee.

34 Aod God * came to Labaa the Srrum io a dream by night, and said unto him' Take heed that thou Bpeak not to Jacob " either good or

25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Lahan with hie brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.

26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me. and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?

27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and * steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tatvet, and with harp?

28 And hast not suffered me ' to kisa my sons and my daughters 7 ' thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

39 It is in the power of my hand to do yoa hurt: but the Giod of your father Bjtake unto tt IB, ttovever, poMiUe, that o<rm tomAim, k tba Mme *a crw merapkim, the n taa snd r uAin being chuged, whieb >i my frequent in the Syrian or Chaldee language I and we know that Labaa wtu an Artsmtm or Syrian. Fin has bean oocwidand, from the earlieat ag«^ as a vytnbol of the Deity; and m the word *«ntpMm oonea from ^ MnivA, toAvm, it haa been conjectured, diat the teraphim of Laban vera htmiitoas foiroe, prepared of ha-nuhed bnai^ tJbc whiiii he might imagine a proper ■Mditw of commttnicatiMi between God and his tot- Aippera. Mr. Parkkurtt has obaerred, that die tenfdiiia ware in use among belierera and indWiievCTs. Among the firmer, tee thi* mapter i for he deaiee that Laban wie an idolaier, aee also Judg. xvii. S. xvm. 14, 30. 1 Sam. xix. 13, 16. Among the latter, aee 2 Kings xziii. 24. ExA. xzu 21. Zech. x. 2. compare 1 Sam. xr. 33, and Hoa, iti. 4. Theee aieall the plaees in which the original word is fouadd

"nie Persian translator seeme to have, cooeideved these UntpkiiHj as toMes of in*trum*mU, that ssrrad for purposea of ^icial asmdiogy, sad henae Dmnslatea thri word Milb^tuit otteHabhOy oHnbibt*. As the astrolabe was an inMmment with which thrr took the altitude of the po|»-aUT, die son, Ae. it might, in the notion of the Persian tnnSlator, imply tablm, &c by which the eulminatii^ of particular atan might be determined) and the whole serve for purpaaes of Judieial attrology. Now, as wa know dwtnBny,ii4io have profeaaed theoMelves to be emaeieBtioua believers in Christiaai^, have nevertheless ■ddieted themselves to jo^eial aatiategy, we mi«bt sappooe such a diing in this caas^ and still CMuider Laban OS no idolatw. If the Pcrsmn ttuahtta* has not bit on the tnie mesaing, he has, in my Ofunion, fbnn«d the most tikety conjecture. See the note on chap. xxz. 1 1.

Verse 21. Paued mer th* Hrer] The Euphrates as the Targum properly notices.-~But how oould he poBs sueha r(»er, with his floeks^Ac This diffisnlty does not seen to nave struck critics hi generaL "Hie raUrins fell it, and assert that God wrou^ a rairaete for Jacob on this occosiof^ and that he passed over dry-shod. As we know not in what odkcr way he could pass, it is prudenl to refer it to the power of Ood, which aceompwicd him dirough the whole of his joumey. There mi^t, however, have been fortU well known to both JaoA ana Laban, by which they might roodity pass.

7^ ttumnt Oiiead\ What the aneienl name of this moDBtain was, we know not; but it certainly had not the name of Qilead till oRer the transaction mentioned ver. 47. The mountains of Oilead were eastward of the country possessed by tha bibes of Renbea and Chd; and •zteBded from mount HerooMi to the mouataiiis of Moab. Calmet. It is jowed to momt IdfaamiB. and inclndes Ote moMMoinotts r^ioa, called in (be NewTestoniieiit Tndioaitis. Dodd.

Verse 24. Aitd God earn* (s haban'\ God's eautimi to Laban was of high importance to Jacob — Tak^hetd Aat Aou mak net to Jacob tithtr good or Ixid: or rather, as is (he literal meant og of the Helnvw, m ^ yao iM-M M rod, from good to evUi Ihr, had he neither ^token gooci or evil to Jacob, they could have hod no intercourse at all. The ortginal is, tnerefore, pecnHorly appropriate; fbr when people meet, the language at first la the language vIMMidolUpt the command therefore implies, "Do not begin wflhpsaes ho wto iAse, and then proceed to injttriom hi^tiago, nd.aeto ^vMmto." If Otis diviM)28

me 1 yesternight, sayaig, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

30 And now, though thou wouldest needs b« gone, because thou sore longest after thy fatiieHa house, yet wherefore hast thou * stolen my gods?

31 H And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said. PeradvoDtare thou wouldest take by ibrce thy dau^t«ra from me.

32 With whomsoever thou fiodest thy gods, 1 let him Dot live: before our brethren, diecem thou what is thine witbrme, and take if to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen

33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Lefdi's tent, and into the two mam-eer-. vants' tentsj but he found them not. Thai went he out of X<eah*B tent, and entered into

direction were attended to, how raony of those affdiro ^ honour, so termed, which commence with, "Ihtme you era well" — "I am infinitely glsd. to see yon" — "I am b»p7 to see too well, " dbc and end with omaU swsrds and piM buiUtty would be prevented I Where CM aad true religton act, all is fidr, kind, honest, and oniight; but where tieoe are not consulted, sill is hollow, deeettfid, or malicious. Beware of mimeaning coaiplimeata, and particularly of. spring wliat thy heart fixts net. Qad nates a hypocrite aad a deceiver.

Verse 27. / night Ams omt tket oiotnf vUk ncrA} nnora be-nnuMa, with rtfoieU^, nakmg a.^tosC ar enUrtainmmt on the ooeastooi md vUh tongt, enra bo-thirim,.oiBo either in dw pralse of Ood, or to comracmoraM die splendid acts of their ancestors: wUk labret ri3 b^loph, the iympaaiM, used in the cost to the present y, and tbnre ailed if 4^ d^f, a thin brood wooden hocp. with parebment extended ov« one end of it, to wht<ui is Miached small piecss of bns% Ac which make a Jingling noise i it is held in lbs air witft OBe hand, and beat on with the fingers of the other. It a^cte to hove been precisely the same widi that wUcb ts called the lamhouriit4, and is frnpiently to be met with in onr streets. And vith harp, i-'iS^ ht-idnnort a sort of strinsed inatruraent, a lute or hatp, probably the same as the Greek n.ou^a, kinyra, a ham toe name being evidently borrowed from the Hdvew. These four things seena to include i^l that was uaed in those primitire tinea aa ezpresaive<rf gladness and satiahotkm on dum. jtqron oecasitms.

Verse 29. R iointh^poverqf myhMnd todoyouhiai,} Literally, J^handisunio Godtodoyou «rt^- Le. I ban vowed to God that I would punish ^lee for thy flight, aad the stealing of my tempbim; but the God ^ rOVB faihtr has preveoied me from doing it. It is a singnlir instance, that the pbtnU pronoun, wbea addressiag aa individual, should be twice used in this place— ilieUod of WKT fiuher, nsnM abicem, for o&tco, lAy tuber.

Veree 32. Let Ann not live] It appears from this, that anciently was punished by df«th; and we know that the palriorcns had the power of lift aitd death in ilmr hancb. But previous to the law, the punishment of death was scarcely ever infliored but for murder. Hi* rabbins consiiler mat this was on imprecation used kf Jacob, as if he had said — Let God lake away the life «c the person who has stolen theml And that this was answered shortly after, in the death of Rachel, chop.

VersB 36. 7Ae nutom ^ womsK is «pon «u] "nda die knew must be a sati^aetory reasM to her father: for if tbe teraphim were used lo any religious puiiiose, aad tbey seem to have been used in this way, as Laban caUa diem his gode, ver. 30. he therefore could not suspsct, that a woman in such a sitwAion, whose toudi was ean> sideradaa defiling, would have sat upon articles that wcb either the ohieels of Ida adoration, ot used for any samd puipose. "risB stratagem Buceaeded la ber wish, aiidLitaB. departed widKHtt anspieion. Ii ssens vwy aotocal to siv poas that BMfael did believa Uiat bjr die ass of ifaese teraphim, Laban could find out their fii^t, and Am

34 N«ir Raohel bad Ukon Um inttfoi, snd put them in the camela' inrniture, and aat upon thetn. And Labon • avapobed all the tent, but fimod ihmnaot.

35 And she mia to her facher, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot ^ rise up be&we thee ', for the cuBtoiu of women it upoa me. And he searoUed, but found not the imacec.

36 t And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered ajod said to Laban, What if our trespass 1 what is my sin, tliat thou hast BO holly pursued aAer me?

37 Whereas thou hast searched all mr stuE what hast thou found of all thy household atufiTf ■et it hete before my brethren and tl^r bretnren, that they may jud^e betwixt us both.

^38 Tua twen^ rears Aai>e 1 6e«t with thee; thijr awaa and thy die-goats hare not cast their Saaag, and the rarna of thy Sotk have I not aaien.

89 * That which was torn qfbeatta I Iwovght Dotuatothee; I barethehMsofit: of'i»]iai)d dtdac thou require it, whether stolen by any, or etolen bv ni^t.

40 7nu9 1 was; in the daj^ the drought coo- Bomed me, and the fhnt by night i and my sleep dniarted n'om mine eyes. ^41 Thos have I been twenty years in thy house; I * served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six y^ars for thy cattle: and ' thou hMt otuuiK«d Diy wases tea timeA

Tene38. A»iJmbma wntb, and chode iei& Labtai] n» ezpoatalstiM of Jacob with Labsa, and their codhqueot a^reenieDt, m told in thii placa with great spirit •od dignity. Jacob wai coiucioua, that tfaotuh Ite hod made uae of eunniiig to increaw hia flocka, ^t L^aa had bead 00 the whole a greal g&inar by hia nracaL He bad ■erved him at least twen^ year*, jmtrUm lor Bochel and Leah: and «£ar for the eatue: tutd aoine ouppoee he had ■errad hiia twenty years besides the above, which is not nnKkely: aee dte retaai-kt at the conclusion of this chapter. Fairly, or even twiUy years of A man's life, devoted to ineeoaant labour, and consUutly exposed to all the inclemendes ot the weather, lee ver. 40. deserve more than an Ordhiary reward, hma'a constitulioaal sin was covstoiMlUM / snd it was aa ea»Uy bttUing gin; for it appears lo hsTs govemad all his conduct, and to have rendered him rwirdless of the inuresu of nia children, so lonf as he ooold secure his own. lluu he hod frequently falsified bis agreement with Jacob, though the particubira are not tpeeiSed, we have already had reason to conjecture from ver. 7. and with this Jacob charaea his father>in-law, in Ibe most positive manner, ver. 41. Perhaps some previous tufitir transactions of Oils kind, were the cause why /acob was led to adopt dte expedient of outwitting Laban in die ease of the tjKittd, nangUd, rbig-atraftd, and grided eaUU. Tliis, if it did take place, though it cannot |itstif)r the measure, it some palliation of it: and almost nie whole of Jaeolf a conduct, as fiu- as relates to Laban, caa ba better excused, than his injuring Laban's breed, by lasting him none but the waak, mdMMdty, and degenerated otttle.

Vens 39- TVht nkiA wat lorn — of my hand didat 4ko8 require U\ JYut more particularly marlci the covetous and rigorous disposition of Laban; fbr the law of Ood re<mirad that what had been torn by beasts, the shepherds MKMiM not be obliged to make good. Exod. xxii. Ifl^ 13: And it is very likely that this law was in Ibrce from Ae earliest times. ▼erae41- Twttity ytar»] See the remarka at the end. Verse 4S. TV^Mr qf aaae) It is strange that Jacob AoaM BSr, the Otw qf Abraham, and the rua of Itaae, vheo both words ere meant of the same B^ng* The ntaon perhaps was ihts: Abraham was long since dead, ^ad Ood was Aw vnalUnaHa portion Ibr ever. Isaac was «et alive, in a state of pnmtioti, living in the bar of

^hid| not_ exempt from the danser otjSUtng, disrefore lisaasitebehis.>bar; not only dte object of bisreli- atoDB ww^rip in a general way, but that holy and just Sod, More whom Ke was still working oat his salvstion yi* fag aad tremWiiy-fea^ l««t he sheaM ftdli and

me, surely thou hadst sent me away now onp^ i Qod ham seen mine afidctionaad the labour of my hands, and ^ rebuked thee yesternight.

43 IT And Labao answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daueht^s, and theae children are my ohUdren, and these cattle, are my cattle, asd all that thou seest i« mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or onto their ohildren which they have borne?

44 Now therefore, come thou, Uetus make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for- a oess between me and thee.

45 And Jtacoh ' took a sfcoaa, and set It up Jina pular.

46 And Xaeob said tinta bis brethren, Ctethar stones; and they took stones, and made m haaft and they did eat there upon tn» heap.

47 And oafled it ' Jegar-aoliadullia: bat Jacob o&Ued it f Galeed.

48 Aikl Laban said, t This heap a witness between me and thee this day. Theie^bre was the name of it called Galeed

49 And 'Mlzpah: 'for he said. The Loan watch between me and thee, when we. are abr sent one fVom another.

50 If thou sbalt afflict ro^ daughters, or if tfaoo shalt take other wives beside mj datighteni, (op man is with us d l^t Qod i» vimeaa betwixt me and thee.

&1 And T Jihna saato,Jacob, Behold this heap/

Verse 46. JUbde o A^^] S« dral, tmnshted ajoiifies properly a roitacf b^>, sod dUs heap was paofaiiUv made tot the double purpose of ao attar and a taoU; UM Jacob's stone or pSUat was set tn it ftr the ptnpoas of %

Verse 47. Laban calltd it—Mtfvm -ir Yegor Sahattutha, the hti^ or rmtiuiheap t/ witneu — but Jacob called it 17 '7i Gat which signifies the same thing. TbA first is pure ChaJdee, the second pure Hebrao. %m agaiy signiiBea lo eoUeet, nence -u> yegar, and vm agar, a eo£- ^ion or Aeap made up of gntHered stones: andneocealss) ICTUK egora, an attar, used frequently by the Chaldea Par^irast, see 1 Kii«B xii. 33. Judg. vi. 31. 2 Kings xxL % Jeretn. xviL L See CoMitTt Lexicon. Troat. this example we may infer, that the Cbaldee Lannuga was nearly coeval with the Hebrew. A gloss ma3e oy. St. Jerom, and wbicli was probably only entered by him, in his margin, as a note, has crept into me text of the Vulgate; it is found in every copy of diis vernoc^ and is as nllowa, utermte fuxia propnetatemlingumnus. Eulh according to ine idiom of hia own tongue.

Verse 18; 49. I think these two verses an badly dividH^ and should be rtAd thus;

Verse 46. And Laban aaid: TTiie het^ ii a vita4$a, betieem me and thee tku day.

Verse 49. Thertfore va» the name o/* it eaQed Oatud, and Mizpah; Jor he taid: 7Tu Lordvaieh between me and thee, uAsn tr< are abeent one from another.

JtBapah nno mitMpah, signifies a watdi-loieer, and L6bon supposes, that in consetpienoe of the conseermtioQ of dw place, Kixl the covenant now solemnly made and ratified, that Ood would take possession of this heu^ spd Bland on it as on a watch-tower, to mnat either oi dwm from trenchitur on the condiiiona of their rovenaoL

Verse 60. No man ie with vt) Though all were present at the sacrifice offered, yet it appears tiiat in makins the contract, Jseob and Lanui wimorew, and transact^ the business in private, colling on Ood to witness it.

Jacob had already fbur wives, but Laban finred thai he might take others whose children would naturally ooUe in for a share of the inheritasce, lo the prejudice of his <hu^- ters and grandchildren. Itiougfi the Koran allows a man to tiave Jew wive* it he can maintain tbem, yet we Item that in many cases where a mao takes a wife, the parents or reladvesof the woman stipolate that the man ia not to take another during the lifetime of that one whom he imiw aapoosest and notwilbstaikling the permiaaioB of the Koran, h« is oUtged to (Ufil thu sgroeinent

VerseSl. And Laban eaid to Jacob— behaUlhUplttar, ithiek I HATS CAST betwist me and Ihee] But this toiltar, not ens^ bat 4i( tfp, vna oertai^ sif tq> 6y Ae4 r V and behold this inllar, wlueh I faavB eact betwixt me and thee:

52 Thi» heap be witnen, and thit pOlar be witneBB, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, aiul that thon shalt not pass over this Heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.

63 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of ^eir flither, 'judge betwixt

Ter. 4S. we reai^ And Jacob took a wtotu, and nt iivp JbrapUiar; 'tit therefan for the honour of and one Samarium MS. that they have preserved the true reading in ver. 51. trfvyarita, raov hast tet up. KennicoU. Instead of either of the iJaove readings, the Samaritan text has /rA>^JTf y«rata, The piliar vhieh thou aaxsT betwixt tiu ana ihie.

Yerse Sa 7%e Ood ^ Outr /otikerl As Laban eertaimtT apeaka of (he true Ood htm, wiih what jaomety can be mt, that this God was the God TVnM, the fuher of Aoram and Nahorl It is certain that Tenth was an idolater: of this we have the most positive proo^ Josh. xxiv. 2. — Because the clause is not in the Septuagint, and is besides wanting in some MSS.j Dr. Eennicott oonaiders it an interpoUuon. But there u no need of having noouTM to this expedient, if ve adopt the reading ayatt oMesm, toto fa^er. for wt-w aWAem, tbsie/oAct, «hicb is supported aj several of Kennicott's tmd De Rossi's HSS. and is precisely the some form made use of by Laban, ver. 29. whien addressing Jacob; and appears to Boe to be used here in the same way: for he there, most manifestly, uses the j^ttral pronoun, when speaking only to Jacoh himself. It is therefore to be considered as tjbrm t^^wacA peculiar 10 Laban; at least we have fuoinatanoee MhiaiiM of it in this ehapier.

Jbeab man by tktftar ttf Ais fa0teT haac\ See on

Verse 64. Qffend tacriflce upon the mount] It is very likely that Lahan joined in this solemn religious rite; and diat having offered the blood and &t to God, they feasted upon the sacrifice.

_ Verse SB. Kused hi» tons and hi» daughiera) That is, his granddiUdren, Jacob's eleven sons, with Dinah their sister, and their mothers, Leak, and Raihei. All these he calls his Aildrm, ver. 43. And blessed ikem — prayed heartily for their prosperity, though we find from ver. 29. that he came, having Doond himself by a vow to Gk>d, to do them some injury. Hius God turned his ioiended curse into a blessing.

Tbc most important topics in this chapter have already been considered in. the notes, and to those the reader is referred. Jacob's character we have already seen: and hitherto have met in it liitle to admire: but we shall soon find a blessed change both in his mind and in his conduct Laban's character appears va almost every instance to dissdvaDtage — he does not aeem to be what we commonly term a viidced man; but he was certainly both wetA and covetous; and covetousness extinguished m him, as it does in all its votaries, the principles of righteousness and benevolence; and the vary charities qf human life. Provided he could gel an mcrease of property, he regarded not who was wronged, or who suffered. In this case, he hid himself even from his own bowels^ and eared not that his own children should lack even the necessaries of life, provided he could inerease his own store I How watchfiii should we be against this destructive, unnatural, and degrading vicel It iaimpoesibleforaman who/(re«s fnon^y, 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 Pndao-aram, I beg leave to refer to the following remarks.

' Semark» upon Gen. zxxL 3S, Ac relative to the lime spent by Jacob in tlie service of his father-in-law Laban,

" If every reading, which introduces but a single difficult, demands our attention; much greater must that demand be when several difficulties are caused by any one mistake, or any one mistranBlation. Of this uature is t)ie passage before us, which therefore shall be here considered moreniUy; especially, as 1 have not already submitted to the learned any remarks upon this subject Jacob's age, at the time of his goii^ to Laban, h^ (till very latdy) been fixed, perhaps universally, at satenty-aevm years. But I think, it has been shown by the learned Mr. Sleinner, in an excellent dissartatioa (4lo. 1765) that number Memty-cetien eaaoot bare be right.

" Jwwb was on« hundred and Hiirty, when he vent

OS. And Jacob ^sware by *tfae feac of hk father Isaac.

64 Then Jacob 'offered sacrifice vipon the mount, and called his brethren to eat brrad; and they did eat bread, and tarried all n^ht in the mount.

55 And early in the momiiv Laban rose l^) BoA Idseed his sods and his cuuishters, and

down (with aisiy^tix persons) into Egypt. Joeqrfi had then been governor ten years; and when made govemor, was thirty: therefore Jacob could not be more dian ninety at the birth of Joseph. Now, npon sopposltion diat Jacob was sevaUy-oefon, at going to Laban; and thai he had do son tilt he was ngktjfJtBa t and tfwtlkc^ widi eleven aonlp left Laban at nin^r-MBsK- ttHTs will fulaw dwst^ amoag other strange etmsaqtmiees, whadi ne Momemied bj Mr. Slannei\ page 11, &c 1. "niough Isaac and Esau bm^ ried aljorly, Jmaii goes, at ccvcniy-Mven, to kxtk ftr a wife; and agrees to marry her ysars afier. 2. Issar char is bom, after the afiair of the muidrakea, which Reuben finds, and brings home, when he, (B«uben) wm about^mr years <AA t that is, it Issachar was bortt vt&n Joseph, agreeably to Gen. xxx. 18. and 26. 3. Jud^ bfrgeu at OUrteen. For, in the first of the fbllowiw tables^ Jodah is bom in Jacob's year eighty-eight, and in one hundred and tm. 4. Br marries at nine, and is destroyed for profligacy. Er, bora in one hundrtd and two, marries in one hundred and eleven. See also Gen. xxxviiL 7. 6. Onan marries at s^^ For Onan, bom in one hundred and three -marries m one hundred emd eleven. 6. Shelah, being grown at ten, ought to be nisried. For Shelah, bora in one hundred and four, is marriageable, but not married to IVunar, in one hundred and fourteen. See Gen. xxxviii. 14. 7. Pharez kept from marrying while yoimg, vet has a son at thirteen. For Pharez, bom in one hundred andMteen, had two aons at going to Egypt, in one hundred and thirty. & Esau goes to lulimael, and marries his daughter, after Jacob went to Laban, at eevetUy-seten; though Ishmael died when Jacob was sixty-three, see Gen. xvi. IB. xxr. 17. and 26. xxviii. 9. 9- If Jacc^ had no son till he was eigkiy-Jive, and if Joseph, the youngest excefit Benjamin, was born when his father was ninety, then the eleven moM, and Dinah, were bom in five yeorfc Lastly, if Jacob bad no son till eigfity-Jhse, and he went to Egypt at one hundred and 2&£r(y. wim aizQr-siz persons, only forty-fat years are allowed for his family: whereas the laiver sum of sixty-Jtve years seems necessary for the births of so many cliildren and grandchildren. On thia subject Le Clerc has pronounc^ — Hiace in rebus occumint nodi, tMoa nemo iiactenus solvit; nemw porro, ut opinor, oolvet. There are dWcuUtee here which, have neeer been explained; and in my minion never can be explmn^ But, upon the single pruiciple of Mr. Skinner, (hat Jacob went to Laban at Jmy-eeven (instead of eeientyeerttiji the«e difficulties are solved. And it only remaina to wish, that aome authority mav be found to support this coniec> ture, thus strongly founded on the exigaUia locL Ths common opinion is formed by reckoning nack from the age of Joseph, when governor of Egvpt, to the time of hit birth, and from the tiecnly years wmch the text says Joeob was with Laban. TtoM muuber, Mr. Skinner tliiuu^ waa originally forty: and I think that the Hdirew text, as it now stands, confirms the coi^ecture, and furnishes the very authority which is so much wanted.

"After Jacob had served Laban jt^mr^een years for his two wives, where was Jacob to reside? Esiui was still living; and Jacob might well be afraid of returning to him, till more years of absence had disarmed bia reseutntent: and had the death ol Esau haiqwned, Jacob weuld then have been secure. But let ua also remember, that Isaac was still alive; and tltat Ehhi had determined to kill Jacob, whenever ih^ir fatlier should die. It woidd, therefore, be no wonder, if Jacob should have fleaired to continue longer in Huran. And, to carry this point mors effectually, 1^ might otfer to take care of Labm'a cattle, and to live in his ueiglibourbood, upon such terms of adr vantage to Laban, as could not easily be withstood. Lastly, when tlie good effects to Laban from this connexicm boa been experienced, without profit, nay, with some loaae^ la Jacob for liceniy years, Jacob might naturally grow tired of thus assiatiiiK LiAwi, without providing lor his own growing family. Aceordingly we find, that Jacob cove* nan La with Laban for eix years of more close atleadsDCS and service in Laban's own houses for which ih» wages were eztKeuly settled. Agraeeble to the pncedifig fO«t-

'blMMd them: asd Labu depaurted, and ^retorned onto bis pUce.

ND Jacob went on his way, and • the angels. of God met bim.

' biUtiM nenu to fa&ve bwn the tact; Jacob livuu> in Haran forif years, mztd in tfcii nuimer;

14 y«Ms in Labsn'i bDUM, • tmmant nrtant for Raohst and Leah.

6 in LsImii'b house, a esstiisiil Mrtoiif for

*' Now the tmiUji eoneumnt jrean of ndghbtmrly attiMLMj^ and ^ nqoinlad twentu of ootwnarU Mrvtcn, mm Mlh of them mtntioned, ana both of them diatingiiiahnii in the hiattwy iteell ¥Vr, upon Laban'a purauit of JaeoB^ when Jaeob ii vindieatin^ nis paet behaviour, he naratioDafieeRiy yean twice; which twoaets of <taen(y, if really differenC mdce forty. Elach mention of the ftpmly yeara ia tntroduera with the word nr zthi which W0K), men repeated, ia uaed in opposition, or fay w^ of distiMtion: as, when we say this anil Chat, the one or the odier. Hh^ Bxod. ziv. 26. ao that the one oaoM not near ' the oawr. Bed. vi. B. ttna halh more rest than the other. And, with the two woidsat a greatdistance, Job xxi. 23. one dieih 25. and analhtr dieth, &c. So here, in Qen. xzxi. at verae 33. Jacob Kyi to Labon, 'p7 ^3>K mv onvK r* M4h ttrim ahanak anod tmtAa—during Uie on get teenfy ytart 1 woa viA Aoe, &c. meaning die time m wbidi be Nved, not id Labao's house, but in his ntighbourhood; not aa a ttrvani^ but ttjrimd s after he had served, in Labsn'a house, fmtrUm years fin- his daughters, and before be served fix ysars for liis cattle. But then, aa lo -te odMT ttbttUy, he tells Laban, at Tsrae 4). \'BT7in; the pfanue Tsry remarkably— T^'^^P in^u nw ^ n

zak M <»rua sbttnoA bebsiteoa aAad(eye»—duWn 5' (Ac o(Aer lism^ years ('^ tf) roa nxsslp (for my own benefit) m THT Hovss, ItenMd tKeefawlttn ytar» — and atx year; Ac And, during this last period, thmi^ only aix years, ha dtangas Labsa with ebangin^f his wages ten times. Bo that Jamb inriata upon having well earned his wsms through the hoMi/y years, when ho served for hire t bulTie makes a far greater merit of having, for anolAer tweniy years, aasuted him without wages, and even with some Tosses: and, tbefefore, with particular propriety, he reminds Laban of thai tet o/" taenly yean in the first place.

*n» me ebrenolosy of Jaeob will be greatlv dueidaUMl by the following laBlea, taken ^iefly from Hr. Skinner.

TABLE I. On Jiufb'* Msf al Aras asty SO |rMrs< • Jacob (and Esau) born 4S Eaau marries two wlvei.

77 Jacob goei to Haraa.

S And when Jacob saw them, he said. This U God's ^ host: and he called the nams. of that place * Mahapaim.

3 If And Jacob Bent messengers before him to Rsau his brother ' unto the umd of Seir, < the ^ country of EWom.

4 Andne commanded them, saving, iThusshaU ye Hpeak unto my lord Esau; Thy serva(it Jacob saith thus, 1 have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now;

o And have oxen, and asses, flocks apd men-servants, and women-servants: and I havo sent to tell my Iwd, that < I may find grace in th^ sight.

Dan born, of BMhah.

BS eosMS to SbatoBi, and

eontlaass ibwe uight

lAl Jndah marrle« Shnah's

—HHSbelsb. IM BbsobaaUtes dectrored,

hf Simeon and Levi.

111 Taawr married lo Br, ami

tanaiedialeir aflarwaid toOsaa. TsBiBr's laeeM wltli Jadata.

Pharss and Zarah bon to

Isaac dies, aged 180.. Gea.txxv.lB. JoaenkksmaoB govenuv

ofEcTPt.... jao Jaeob loes Into Egypt. •. 147 and dies

Ssaa marries two wtrea,

57 Jacob sees to Haran.

Leah, not beariaf, givaaZtlp^ eadtora of Zllpab. Asbsr

Jaeob foso to Egypt 147 sod dies

Zebulun 82 Dinah.

Sbelab. Joseph born, of Baebel.... yeare service fttr cattle. 97 Jaeob eomea from Haraa to Buceoth and Shalem. Dinah dellted, the Sbe-

chemiiea destro]>ad. Benjamin is bora, snd

Rnebel dies. Berlah. fourib son of

Aeher, born. Tamar married to Er—

bom. toFbatas. BsnMunln.at3il,butea

Our tianalalion now ia— xixi. 38. Thw tww»tt tubs HAVxismt WITH THIS: thyea*» and aty^goatthm not catt Ouiryoung, and Uu rattuorthy,^kavei not

6 IT A.Q<1 tb« mesacngen retoroeA to iacob^ Bi^Uff, We oame to tby brocfaer Sbou, and alee ' he cometh to meet thee, and Saar hundred meo ■vnth him.

7 Then Jacob was;reat^ aihud and *• di»- trened: and he divided the people tluit waa

r»amn it, xefuth*r Holen by dag or $Mtn fty nighL 40. TntM/ war; in tK» day Vu drought ctmammtdfM, and IAm froU hvni^Ui ana my $Utp departed from mine egm. 41. TmvM mAfm I auDi tvhmtt txabb um rat H«RSBi lotnottlkMfivrUenmtnJbrAiftmAiughtort, and fix year* for thy eattu; and thou hoot ckan^gmi mm wag f Un timet. *Tha altMMioa here reeommended, u tbii^ xxxi. tS.

tinoUon is untresaed in xxx. 29. — 'rkou knowett how J have lorvedtheo, and how IhycattU vat with mt; ie. how I behavod, durinc the tizne I was with thee, as thy Bcrvam i ud how \by cattle bnd, during the time they were with me u tby virad.

"It must not be omitted, that Archbishop Usher and Sishop Lloyd ascribe sons to Jacob very soon after his co^aiifg^ U> udMUi; nay, assert that he was married almost BB soon as he came to Hanui, instead of waiting seven years, as be most evidently did. And Mr. Jackson allows, that some of the sons of Beajamin, who are expressly numbered asgoiqy into Egypt wilh Jacob, o^bt be born in Egrptl From such distr«»es, and such contradictions, does the distinction of the jtwo wU of twenty yeoft happily deliver us."

In such a riiort space of time, it is impossible that so amy transactions could have iaicen place.

t shall leave Hum subject with chronologists and critics, and ^tall sot attempt to decide op either opinion. Iliat of Dr. KeBnicott I tbudi tl]«-moat Ukely, and to it I have ■duled the chronology, ^ ihosi eiss% to vriueh it relates. NOTES aSt CHAPTBR XXXU.

We often, says Mr. Parkhurst, read of the mf in^s malak YAcmm. or avbH ysnho malakty EUAiwt, the fuigel of Jehovah, or the angela of God, that is, hie agent, pertonator, mean ^ vitibitUy or aetion / what was employed by Qod to rutder himself visible and approachable oy nesh and blood. Ttut angel was evidently a human form, surrounded or accompanied by or giory, with or in which, Jehovah was present: see Gen. xiz. 1, 12, 16. Judg. JdiL 6, 21. Exod. iiL 6. By this vision, Mtys Mr. Abiflwonb, God confirmed Jacob's &ith in him who commanded his angels to keep his people in all their ways, Psal. xei. 11. Aagvls are here called Oot^t hoat, camp, or army, as in wars; for angels are God's tcldiert, Luke ii 13. Aorses and chariot if J^re, % Kin^ ix. 17. fighting for God's people asainst tfaeir enemies, Dan. x. 20. o? them there are autuaand thantande, and ton thoutand Hmeo ten thovoand, Una, vii. 10. And they are all sent forth to nildBter for them that ^11 be heirs of salvaiion, Heb. i. 14. And they pitch a camp about them that fear God, Psal. xxxiv. S. One of the oldest of the Greek poets, Hesiod, seems to have bad ••telaraUy correct notion of the ■ngelic mmistry.

8 And said, If £eau come to the one company, and 8mke ii, then^ the ower company whitai is lefl shall escape. '

jMtnfa, the angeU forming one^ and Jacob and bis 0Miv*<V iormingsiwi&r, oriiBiplf AoMcor eni^ in the planL lliere was a city bmlded afterward hare, and iidiabited bj dkapriestaof 0«d, Joah-'xii. 3& Par what purpose the aneels of God met Jacob does not appear fram toe leM t prMnUy it was iatenckd le show Mm that be and all hts company were under ibe cars of an emrial Pnvidence j ■mj f nnsfflm iiily to fa'''i'f and Mnfinn nia trust and aoafrdance in Mod.

Ihe doctrine of the tniiuatralioa of aagels baa bam nodi abused, not ooly smon^ the h^aiknt, but also amosc Jmmo

KnA€3uie^nt; and peihapemostamoag the latter. Angela with fei^nad names, titUo, and ii^/bttmoot, have basa, tad still ate uvoked and worshipped mr a oartain olav of mm { because they have found uiat God baa been pleased to employ them to minister to maafcio^ and hence ibcy ban fnaoe sundieations to them te aitwd dior proieetiflq, to ihMdt dMwd, inatrwt, Ifiis ia parbetly absurd. L Tim; are 000*8 fnslnmsfits, not mtff-deformtning aceau. 2. They can only do what they are appointed lo perwrnt for there is no evidence that tjiey have aoy discrqKmarf power. ^ Ood helps man by ten thouoand smoiu wd tn«<mm«n's,some*nMIeefiHutasaa9elsi soma rah'swdi, Ss men; some irrationai, as brutes; and sans ntntf material, as the sun, wini^ nin, food, rumesii, sad <bs various productions <H the earth. Ha therefara taak* hgr whom he will belp^ and to AIm alone belongs all a* glory; for should he be detormiaad to deatrw, all Aeaa Instruments collectively could not save. Instead, thmAxa, of worehippiw Aem, we should take their own adviaa, Rev. xxu. 9. Set (hou da it not — WortiUp Qod.

Verse 3. Jaeab tent iaetengert\ amio mitm^m, the same word which is before translaiad vugtU. It ■ very likely that these massBiysB had teao sent scana lima bewre he bad this vision at Mahanatnj far ibsy aapear to nave returned while Jacob encamped at the brcmc Jahbok, where he had the vision of angels; see ver. 6. and t3.

T%e land t{f Bar, the country ^ Bdom] Ttus kMid,- which was,.according ro Dr. Wells^ aitoated on the aouih of the Dead sea. extending from thence to the Arabiait gul^ 1 Kings ix. 2& was Cnroerly poatessed by the Bontm, Gen. ziv. 6. but Esau with his children drove them oat, destroyed them, and dwelt in iheic stead, DeuL ii. 22. And thither Esau went from the bee of his brothar Jaeobk chap, xxzvi, 6, 7, Thus we find he verifisd die prsdiatia^ by thy sword thalt tkfM Use, ohap. xzvii 40.

Versa 4. Tkuo thall ye apeak wUo my lord Beati] Jacob aeknowledgas the sitpertorify of his brother f for the time was not yet come, in which it could be nid, the eider ^tall terve the younger.

Verse 6. Etau — cotr«A — and four hundred men widi him.] Jacobs jconscious that he bad iiyured bis faralfaer, was now apprehensive that be was coming with hooliU intentions, and that he had every evil lo fear from his displeasure. GmoeUnte is a tafribla sccuser.— It was a Ana saying of a hc•dteI^

In other words, He &at hat a good conecienee, hat a brazen wall for Jus d^ence; for a guilty eonoeienee needo no aeeuter; sooner or later it will tell the tratlL and not only make the man turn pale, who has itt bat also osuss him to tremble, and to be greatly afmiii^ even wiule faia guilt is known only to himself and God.

It does not appear, that Esau in this meeting bad an^ hoUile intention \ but was really eoming with a part ol his servants or tribe, to do Iiis brother hmour. If ha badl bad any contrary intention, God bad removed it } and tba angelic host which Jacob met with before, might havs iitsptred bim with sufficient coniidenee in God's proteetioo. But we find, that when he needed faith most, ha appears U have derived but Uule benefit frtmi its influence { paflly from the sense he had of ibe injury he bad dooetolw brother; and partly from not atteiiifing sufieiantly to dis assurance which God hod given him « his gracious pr^ taction.

AbMbui. and QoA of ny fctW immt,th4 Lord ^wlucit aaidst uato me, Retun into Ifay cmuititf,«iMl to thy kkidred, and I will deal weB witfa

U) ^ I am not -vvordiy oT ^ t«Mt of all the ■ncroiea, and of all tM troth, which thoa hast showed unto thy servant; for 'my atafl' [ ptuamei orer this Jonfauo; imd now I am becMne two baads.

11 * Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: tor I faar him, lest he will come and emite me, and r the laother * wkh the ehUdrea.

13 And ^ thou saidat, I will surely do thee Ifood, and make thy eeea as the sand of the sea, wbiai cannot be niuabejrBd for multUud&

13 1 And he lodged there that same nwht; snd took of that which came to his hajod > a preiKnt Sot Esau bis brother;

14 Two hundred she-coats, and twenty hegoats, two hundred ewes, and tw^y rams,

lit Thirty milch camels with their coils, uurty kine, and tea bulls, twenty nhn aiwon. and tea foals.

16 And he deiirered them into the hand of hit eervfuits, every drove by themselres { and

eniuung vere now turned into a riglit channel, for he took 4w aost effiwtu*! method to appeaae his brother, (iwd he bSMi vritsttd) snd mam, at least, a part of hia ramily. This dividiiig ud arranging of hu flocks, fiimilr, and domntiM, baa Mmelhin^ in it highly -Aora^mvfja To such a man aa Jacob loeh exptditnta would unurally present theauelvea.

Verae 9. O Ood ^ my/aOur Abraham, dfcc] "niia prayer is remarkable for its limphci^ and energy: and It is a iBOdel uo for prayer, of whidi it coo tains & «smotisl eoMtituenii. 1. Deep Klf-abaaement 3. MagniScatkw of Ood's meiCT. 3. I>e]N«cation <rf the ovil to which bs was ex^oaed. 4. Pleading (he promises that God bad made to him, and 6. TUciog eneooragemeBt from irtiat Ood bad already vroughL

V«M 10. I am not teorlhjf ^ the Uatt qf aUOu mtrd**. The marginai reading is more consistant with the original j ram ixn CMonn *jm >rwep iatotieti mtkot ha-ehataaim U'mieot ha-emtA. lam leu Ouat alt lh» amptmiotu, and than aU the fait/ifidiu$»—iMeh fftou haal tkotoed unto Iky acrvanl. Probably St. Paul had bis eye on this passage, vben he wrote Eph. tii. 8. — unto sw wio am U»t than the letut of all aatnit. A man wfao SMS himself in the lifdit of God, will ever feel that be has no good but what he has received, and that he dMervsa Bothiog of all that be has. The at«hangcla of uadcaanDtusesdiSenntlaDgtwgei and svao dwapiriu « wt men oonsam mated in tbeTr ptcnltode of bliss at Mod s ri^t band, eaanot make a ht^M- boast.

F»r ipithmy '^ffj L e. myelf alone, without any attendaats, aa tbo Chaldte has properly rendered IL

Terse 1]. And the malhxr vnOi the ehildren] Hs must htTS had an awfiil opinioo of his brother, when he used Ibis expression, iriiich implies the tUmoet erutUj/, pro- MXW in lbs work of sbuwiter. to total extermiMtfoB t KeHos.x.U.

Verse 12. JVbkethynedat theaantt] Having come to we fromin by whieb the covenant was ratified both to Ahraham and JlrqK he ceased; hia fiutb havii^ gained atraog confirmation in a promise which be knew could not ■d, and which hs found was made over to him, as it had been to bis folber and graiki&ther.

Terse 13. And took qf that tohiek cants tohit hand] *y NSn ho-ba be-yado, which came under his band, i. e. TCS^ in the course of Ood's providence, came under Ais pstMr.

Terse M. tSea hundred tfu-goai*. Ac] Tlis was a princely present, aad such as was sufficient to have comnnaaied Esau, for any kind of temporal low be might we tustaioed in being deprived oi his blrthri^t and waring. Hie thirty mdA cameU were particularly valu- *uai lor milA eameU among tbe Arab^ constitute a ^Incipal part of their riches, the creature being every way JO Borviceable, that the providence of GoJ appears peculiarly kiad and wise in providing such a beast for those (|l>ju>riss, where no oihar animal could be of equal service.

Ine- she-camel gives milk continually, not ceaaingoven men viih yoitngt tba milk of wbieb/' as Pliny biu relurks^ vhso aixad wilb thies psrta ti wsler, affinrdi

17 AvA he oemmanded tlw foreaoest, s».y^Lg, Wbea Esau ny brotiter meeteth thee, and a^ eth thee, •aying. Whose ari thou 1 and whither goest thoo? and whose are these before tfaee?

18 Then thou shall say, They be thy serrant Jae(A*Ki it is apresent sent untomylopd Eaaa: and, behold, also he is behind as.

19 And so conunanded he the sacoad, and the third, and all that followed the drevea, sayiof, On this maBBBT shall ye ^ak unto Bbbiq, w^bd ye &id him.

SO And say ye moreover, BefatM, thv servant Jacob t« behmd us. For he said, I will ■ appease him with the ijreaent that goetfa before me, and afterward I wiU eee h» we; peradventure he will accept > of me.

21 So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

22 And he rose up that night, and took hia two wives, and his two woBpeo-servants. and biseleveoeoDs, and passedover the ford Jabbok.

23 And be took them, and ■ sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

die most pleasant and wholesome beverage." CameK lao habent, donee itenim gravescant, suavisstmumque hoe exiMHinatur, ad unatn, menmram tribus aqua additit. Hist Nat. lib. zi. cap. 41.

Verse 15. Ten buiU^ Hie Syriac and Vulgate have taeniy; but fen is a sufficient propordon to the foriy ktne. By all this we see that Jacob was led to make restitution for the injury he had done to his brother. Restitution for injuries done to man, is eseentially requisite if in our power. He who can and will not make restitution for the wrongs Ite has done, can have no claim even on the vurejf at Ood.

Verse 22. Paated ever the ford Ja,bbok'\ 'Vbia brook or rivulet rises in the mountains of Oalaad, and falls into the Jordan at the south extremis of tbe lake of GkneeoreL

Verse 21 And there m-eslted a man with Mm] IWs was doubtless the Lord Jesus Christ, who^ among die patriarchs, ossomed that human form, which in the fiuness ttime be really took of a woman)* and ia wbicb he elt thir^-diree years among men. He is here tgrled an angel, because be was /uvaXK BavKnt AyyK-s, (see tbo Septingint, Isa. iz. 7.) the Mueenger of the great eouneel, or aiHgn, to redeem fidlen man from death, and bring him to etenial glory; see chap. xvi. 7.

But it may be asked. Had he here a real human body, or only its Jbrm?— llie latter, doubUess. HoW then couM he wrestle with Jacob? It need not be su^weed thai this angel most have assumed a human body, or something analogous to it, in order to render himself tangible by Jacob; fbr as die soul, which is pure spirit, operates on the body by the order of God, so could an ai^ operate on the body of Jacob, during a whole night, and prodtioe in bis imagination, by tbe effect of hu power, every requisite idea of corporeity s and in his nsrvs^ every sensation <^ eubttanee, and yet no snbstantiali^ be in dw ease.

If angels, in appearing to men, borrow human bodies, as is thought, how can it be supposed that with such gross substance^ they can diswpea/ m a momeni? Certainly they do not take these bodies into the invisible world wioi diem; and tbe established laws of matter and inotion require a gradwd disappearing: howsoever swiftly it may be effiKlea. But diis is not aHowed to be die case tand jret thsjrMra rq>orted to vanidi fasAinlaneouj/y. Tben diey must render themselves invisQile by a douJ, and dkis most be of a very dense nature, in order to hide a human body. But this very expedient would make their departure stQ] more evident^ as the cloud must be.more mum and apparent than the ftoA^ in order to hide it. This therefore does not removs me difflml^. But if they assume a quantity of afr or vapour so eondensed as to become visible, and modified into the appearance of a human body, they can, in a moment. dUiUe and rarefy iu and so disappear; fur when die vehicle is rarefied beyond the power of natural vision, as dieir own snbstanee is iDvisible, they can instandy vanish.

Pram Hob. zii. 4. we may learn, that the wrestling of Jacob mentioned in this place, was not merely a corporeal axsrcise, but also a spiritual one; He veja and mad* ntp' pKMHm tiafa JUm; sea the notes diere.

25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hoUow of hk thigh: and 'the hollow of Jacob's thigh waa oat of joint, as he wreetled with him.

26 And ^he said, Let me go, for (he day breaketh: And he said, ■ I wfllnot let thee go, except thou blesa me.

S7 And he said unto him, What U thy name t And he said Jacob.

28 And he said, ' Thy name shEtU be called no more Jacob, but •Israel: for as a prince hast thou ^ power with God and i with men, and hast prevailed.

Terae 25. The AoUow ^ Jaeol^s tiU^ waa out qf Jointl What this implies la difficult to find out: it ia not ukely that it woa a complete luxation of the ihi^-bone. It nay^meon no more iimn that he received a tlroke on the ^roin, not a touch, for the Hebrew ward v» nagA often iignifiea to ttUU wiA vioUnee, which etroke, even if comparatively slight, on such a |iart, wouM efiotualW dioable Um far a time, ood eause bim to halt for many houn, if not for aereral days. I mieht add that in this place, the groin, a blow might be of blal consequence; but as the ODgel gave it, only as a pMof of hia power, and to show that he could turf prerail, beoouae he wouid not, hene« the blow was only diiahUnr^ without being dangerout; aitd he waa probcOily cured by the time the sun rowi see verse 31.

Versa 36. Let mt go, for tkedas hreak«0{\ Probably meaning, that aa it was now morning, Jacob must rejoin bis wives and children, and proceed on their journey. Though pAanioma are supposed to disappear uhm w sun ri»e», that could be no reason in this eaae. Moat of the angelic appeanutces mentitmed ui the Old and Mew Testaments, took place in open day.

Verse 28. TViy name sAoU be called no more Jacob, Itraetl ^»r«r Yierael, from tar, a prinoe, or oaraJij he ruled as a prince, and 'tH tl, God; or rather, from P^N ish, a man, {,lhe K oleph being dropped) and Ttn raoh, he saw, el, God: and this corresponds with the name which Jacob imposed on the place, calling it Viru Tpeniel, the facee of (Sod, or of Elokim, which &ces or appearances being nanifnted to him, caused him to say. verse 30. tr-is Sn d'-jb ot/jh vrtn raWU Elokim panim a panim, i. e. " / have teen the Elohim/aceo tojaeeo, (i. e. ntlljr and completely, without any n)e£um,) '•fto 'nim v»- titmalttl naphshi, and my soul la redeemed."

We may learn from this, that fA« retJcmption nfthe mul wiU be the blessed consequence of wrestling by prayer and ■upplicoUon with God; " The kingdom of heaven suSereth violenoe, and the violent iake it by fiaree." Prom this time, Jacob became a new man; but it was twt till after a nvere struggle, that he got his name, his heart, acad his tharaeter changed. After this^ be was no more Jaeob the oupplatUer; but lerad, the man wfto jn*evaib vtUk Ood, and tut him face to face.

And katt preBaiUd] More literally, thou ha»t had power with i3o<L and wUh man thou tkalt alto prevail, ovftH Bg im ^ohim. with the stroi^Ood; tcvm Bp tm anathim, with weak feAlo man. llien ia a beautifiil opposition here between the two vwrds; aeeiDg thou hast been powerfd with the Almighty, surely thou aholt prevail over perishiog mortaU. As uiou bostprevailed with Ood, thou sAaU also prevail with men, Ood calling the things tluu were not, as though they had already taken place: because the prevolency of this people, the Israelite^ by means of the AuMiaJL who should proceed from them, was already determined m the Divine counsel. He has navar aud to the seed of Jacob, seek ye my face in vain. He who wretllet must vrevaiL

Terse 29. Tell me, / pray thee, thy name] It is very likely, that Jacob wished toltnow the name of this ongeC that be mig^t invoke him in his necessities; but this might have led him into idolatry, for the doctrine of the incarnation could be but little understood at Ihia time; hence, he refiuea to give bimaelf any name, yet he showi hiraaelf to be the Inis Ood, and so Jacob understood him, see ver. 2a but he wished to have beard from bis own lips, that name hy which he desired to be invoked and worshipped.

Wherefore is it that thou dott atk after my name] Canst thou be ignorant uAo I am 1 And he btetted Mm ■' gave him the nets heart, and the nets nature, which (sod almie can give to bllen man: and by the ohuiga ha

89 Add Jacob adced him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thynam& And he said, ^ WhereTore M it thai thou dost aik after ny name? And ho

30 And Jacob called Uw name of the place Peniel: for "I have a^n God fece to fiwe, and

31 H And as he passed over Penuel the Sim " rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

^ Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, " unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

wrought in him, aufficiently showed who he was. After this clause, the Aldine edition of dw Sqituagiat, and

■ahiA it wonderful.* but this addition seems to have baen Micen from Judges xiii. 18.

Verse 31. 7ne ran rote upon him] Did the prapliet Malachi refer to this, chap. iv. Z— (Ma you that Jear my name thall Ou Sttn of rtghteotuTUto ante wi& healing in hit wingt 7 Possibly, with the riui^ of the sun, whion may here be understood as emblematical of the Sttn e^ righteoueTieee, the Ijord JetvM, the pain and weaknesa Of his thigh passed away; aad be felt both ia soul and body that be was healed of bis plagues.

Verae 32. Therefore Ae <fti&Iren of J»ra«/ tainotqf the smew] What inia sinew was. neither Jew nor Chnt- Mon can tell; and it can add nothing eilbei' to scieQce, or to a true understanding of the text, to multiptv conjectures. I have already supp<wed that the part which (ne angel touched or ((rude, was the groin; and if this be tight, ttte tinew, nerve, or mutde that ihrank, must be sought for in that place.

L ARer his reconciliation with Lafaan, Jaeob proceeds on his way to Canaan, and as Ood, who waa continually watching for his welfiire, saw the trials to which be would shortly be exposed, therefore he provided for him the instructive vision of angels, that he might see that tboas who were for him, were more than those who could be against him. A proper consideration of God's omniacifAoe is of the utmost advantage to every genuioe CSuisliBn. He knows whereof we are made; be remembers that we ore but dust, he sees our trials and difficulties, and his eye affects his heart Hence be is ever devising meam tbit his banished be not expelled from him.

Z Jacob's recollection of his unkindnete and injuttiee to his brother, wlien be hears that he is coming to meet him, fills his soul with fear, and obli^ him to betake himself to Ood 1^ prayer and supplication. How important is the office oi eontctenee I And how neceaaary are times of trial and difficulty, when iu voice is loudest and the heart is best prepared to receive iU reproofs. In how many cases has conscience Umbered, till it pleased Ood to send sonw trial, by which it has been powerAdly awakened, and the salvation of the sinner was the lesolt. ^efbre Iwaa nffUcted I went attray.

3. Tboa^suvBtionbethefreegiftorOod,Tetb«givaa It not to any who do wt oumat^ seek.iL Tine deqier the convietum of guilt and helplessness is, more earnest the application to Ood for mercy is likely to be. "Oiey whoae salvation costs them strong crjrAg and tears, ore not likely, humanly speaking, to part with it li^tly: thcr remember the vinegu- and the gall, and they watch and pray that they enter not into temptation.

4. In the alrife and agony requisite to enter in at Aa strait gate, it is highly necessary that we should know, that the grace and uJvation of Ood are not purdiated by our tears, Slc. for those things, which are only proofs and ailments that we have sinned, can never remove the iniquity of our transgressions. A aeoalble and pioua man, observea on tliis subject, " Hat prayer and wrestling vim God should be made, as though no other means were to ba practised; and dieii, the best means be admited, aa thou^ no prayer or wrestliiig had been usd." Qod marks even this strife, though highly pleasing in his sight, with such proofs of its own utter insufficieiKy, that we carry about with us the memorial of our own WMwness, w^rthlessneaL anl slovneas of hearts believe. Ood smote the thigh of Jaeob^ 1. nwt he might know he had not prevailed tnr hia tncn ttmgpt, but the power and meingr of hia fSod.

AND Jacob IHled np hia eyea, and looked, and, behold. ■ Ebou came, and with him four bondred men. And he divided the children onto Leab, aad onto Rachel, and nsAo the two handjnaida.

2 And he pat the hEmdmaide and their diildren ioremoBt, and Leah and her children afler, and Rachel and Joset^ hindermost.

3 And he passed over before them, and ■> bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4 « And Eisau ran to meet him. and embraced him, * and ftU on lu» neck, and nased faun; and they wept.

5 And he lifted up his eyes^ and saw the vr< men and the children; and said, Who are those * with thee 7 And he said, the children ^ which God hath ^aciously given tbj servant.

6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed them-

7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed ^emselves: and af\er oame Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

8 And he said, > What meanest thou by^ all this drove which 1 met? And he said, Thete are i to find grace in the sight of my lord.

9 And Beau said, I have enotieh, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyBeU".

10 And Jacob said, Nay, I prav thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand j for therefore I i have seen thy face, aa though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.

11 Take, I prav thee, ■* my blessing that i> brought to thee } because God hath dealt grar ciously with me, and because I have " enough. ' And he urged him; And he took it.

13 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us eo, and I mil go before thee.

y^l3 And he said unto him. My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should orer-drive them one day, all the flook will die.

14 Let my lord, I prav thee, pass over before his servant;, and I will lead. on eoflly, according F as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, untU I come unto my lord

15 And Esau said, Let me now ^ leave with ee some of the folk that are with me: And he

said, ■ What needeth it 1 < let me find grace in the sight of my lord.

16 So Esau returned that day on his way to

-<[7 If And Jacob journeyed to ■ Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for hie cattle: therefore the name of the place ia called

18 ^ And Jacob came to ^ Shalem a city of

* Shechem, ' which U in the land of Canaan, when he came firom Padan-aram; and pitched his tent bfiforethe city.

2. TiaX be nuriit bore the mott Knaible evidence of the rssliiy of the divine interpoaition io his behalt 3. Hist hs aught see God's disptessore a^ainn his nnbelieC And, 4. Ttua. men in general mifcht be' tauriit, that those who will be die disciples of Christ must deny themselves, take Bp their cross daily, and mortify their members which are upas the earth. Those who have not cut off a right hand or foot, or plucked out a rieht eje, fw the kingdom of heaven's «Ke, are never likely to see Ood. The religion that caste us nothing, is, to us, worA noCUnf.

NOTES OS CHAPTER XX^mi. Tone 1. BeluM, E!aau eanu, and leith htm four hmtdred Men] It has been genenul j sunposed, that ^sau came widt an intention to destroy his brooier; cind for that purposebro^i^lhtwitbhimftMrhandredarmsdmen. But,

2. 'niere is no proof that the finr hundred men that Esan brou^t with nim were at all armtd. 3. But thcr» every proof that he acted towards his brother Jacob with all apaamm and eandour; and with sadi a forgetfnlness of pHA hininM as ntme but a great mind could cuive been espaUs oL Why then shoold the character of this man be peipstually vilified 1 Here is the secret. With soma people, OB Oie most ungrounded assumption, Esau is a rmuvbattt mi the ^pe and figure of all rqirofaates; and Ibereftare he mtui be every thing dutt is bad. lliis serves a syslem; but, whether true or fiilse in itself^ it has neither countenaaee nor support from the aharacter or conduct of Esau.

Terse % He put the handmrnid* and thar cAt/tfren Jbrtmoaf] There is something so artiJUiol in this arrangcnneoC of Jacob's fiunily, that it mast have bad some pecofiar dettgn. Was Jikoo still appiahearive of danger, •ad pot thoss Carenost whom he least estouned, that, if ike feranxkot met with any evil, thoae who were behind niaht escape on Iheir swift bea^l ch. xxxil. 7, 8. Or did bo intend to keep his dioieest treasure to the last, and •xhibit bis beautiftif Radut and finrouiite JiwapA, after Ems had seen all the rest, in onkf lo maks a» deeper imjtessioii on his nind 1

Terse 4. iSsott ran Is nuet Mm] How sineers and I— inn Is tteecftdact tt Ksso, sari at Ae sssse time how MSgnsoiiPOws t He had burietLall his resentment, and lotgattBMUhisnniuriesi and refthms bis brother with the

And kimtd Aim] mptrn taiyukakAu. In the Masoretia Bibl^each letter of this worn is noted with a point over it, tomaksitemiAafje. And by this kind of noiatioii, dis rabbins wished to draw the attention of the reader to the change that had taken ptaee is Esan, and the tmctrUf with which he received his brother Jseob.

Verse 10. Receive my present at my hand\ Jacob could not be certain that he had found &vour with Esau, uidess the present bad been received: for, in noeepting it, Elsau necessarily becaaie his frUnd, according to the custom of those times, and that country. In the eoetera countries, if your present be received by your superior, you may' rely on his triendship t if it be not received, you liave every thing to fear. It is on this ground that Jacob was so urgent with Esau to receive his present, because he knew that alter this, he must treat him as a friend.

Verse 14. Until I come unto my lord unto Seir} It is very likely that Jacob was perfectly sincere in his expressed purpose of visiting Esau at ami; but it is as likely, that circumstanees wterward occurred, that rendered it either improper or impracticable; and we find that Esau afterward removed to Canaan, and he and Jacob dwelt there together for several years. See ch. xzzvi. 6.

Terse 17. Mumeyed to Suteoth] So called from rue meeoA, the booths or temt», which Jacob ereeted there flor the resting and convenience of his bmily, who, in all probability, continued there for some considm^le time.

Verse 18. And Jacob came to ShaUm, a cUy of £li*oh«tn] The word t/yv Skalem, in the Samaritan mw Siolom, should be translated here in Vface, or in sq/Uy. After resting some time at Succoth, wnich was necessa^ for the safetjr of his flocks and the comfbrt of his family, be got so/e/y to a aty of Stwcbem, in health of body, without any loss of his eattle or servanu; his wives ana children being also in safe^. Covrdale and MMhewt translate this wurd as above, and with them agree tits CKoUae and the AttMei it is not likely to have been the Munsofaci^, sail isDOwhereelsetobe found. Shechem is called in Acts vti. 16. Syehem, and in John iv. S. ByAat^ia the AnUo K is oalM JVoUsu*^ and to ths present day NeapotU, It wss nesr lo Samsris, sod tbs place where the wretched remains of the sect of the Sunaritans were lately fbund, and from whom Dr. HuD' tiogton received a pwfeoteopy of the SamsnlSD Peatfr-

16 And * he bcuight a parcel of a field, where he had epread his tent, at the hand of the childcea of * Hamor, Shechem'a father, fiir an hundred ' pieces of mooer.

20 And he erected there an altar j and 'called it *El-eIohe-LBraeL

&aS:n£ A 'Dinah the daughter of Leah, ■ I II — ZX which she bare unto Jacob, ^ went flat to gee the daughters of the Ismd. 2 And when Shechem the eon of Hamor the

Terse 19. a hundrtd pleeet nuney,] n» origiBsl T«v|» HNSa benMoAfontoAjhubeenanHUtorof loQK And learned ditcusaion among eritict. Aa kttillA iigwfiM a lamfr, it mejr imply that Jaeob nvottie HamftnUa Mu Aujuind bimte for the field; %«t If it be the MUDS tnuuactioo that St. Siephea reftr* to in AcU Tii. 16. it waa money, r•^^^g ■(>«(>•■, a nan or vrie* ^ nivn-f wfai^ wai gmo on the onrnaiMi It baa oeco oonjeoturea that the money had the fifora of a lamb atan^ed oa it, tecaun it mu, on an amn«e, the value of a lamb; ana henee U might be called a Eentah or larnb from the impreanoD it bora. It ia oertaiu 'hut in many countriea, the aetn ht» had ita name from the imagu ii bore: so among our aneeatora a coin was called an tmgei, faecauae it bore the imaga of an angel; hence also a Jboota*, a Car^bit, a UawU (Louw (for}, a Ja&^becauae certain coins in Enylnnrti Spain, France, aad Portugal bore on one aide tha iman of the kinga of those countries Jamu, Charity, IttteU, AsepA. Tba Athenians had a coin called c*<>«, an ox, because it was stamped with the figure of an ox: btnee the saying in jgse&jrfwa^

"I must be silent concerning other matiers) a great ox 'waUoLupoD my toagi^;" to signify a peraon into had received a ftrioe for eeorecy; i e. a sum of ntcmey, on each piece of which an ooc was stamped; and heaee oalled Ca*>t, *a or. The word ctm*, riebca, is a corrupt iod oi the word oMs, sheep, benuae ckeae anirnals, in ancient time^ oonatituted the principal richea ef their ownera: but when Qtber cattle were added, the word peatnia, (firom psma^ cattle) which we tramdate vmuy, and from whioh we Mill hare our English term pseuniar^^ appears to have basn substituted lor ovea; because fMcau^ pecorit and |Mcudi«, ware used to siimify all frfnda <tf cattle, largt and tmall. Among our Briudt and Saxon anoaatora, we find coins atampea with the figure of an or, horn, hog, goat, dkc. and thia custom arose, in all probabili^, bom among them and other.nations, from this oirenmataDoe, Ibat in primitive times, the coin waa the ocdinaiy value af the animal whose image it bore. It i^aU dreumstanees weighed, moat likely that a piece of monoy is here intended; and poaaibly marked with the image of a lamb i but aa the original word mrvp ktailfA, oocors only kwre, and in Joah. xxiv. 32. and Job xlii. 15. this is not anflSotently evident, the word iiaelf being of very doubtfiil a^|;ninoatton. Mr. Parkhurat is of opinion that the huitah bore the imace of a latnh; and that thcae lamb-^no of the ancient Hebrews typified the Lamb of Ood, who in the divine purpose, was conaidered as slain from the foundation n the world; and who purohoaerf ui nnto Qod with hia own blood. The eoniecture is, at least, puns, ■od abould lead to useiul reieetioiia. jnuwB who widi to see more on this subject, may consult the wriisrs in the CrUiei 8aa-L and CaXmtL

Terse 2Dl And Ae eroettd Hurt an attar] It appeaiB that Jacob bad a very correct notion of the jmwuUnc* and marcvof Ghid; benca be aays, var. S. Th* AUAm toAieA Qodnatk QaactOBBLT given <Ay sernaiU— and in ver. 11. WaBribniasAU bis euAstonee ta the bounty of his Blakec— jMko, I pray Uut, my bhottn^-b^eauM Gad laah.\ '

Hivite, pruee of the soaatry, * aaw her, be ' took her, and lay with her, and * defiled her'

3 And ma soul clave unto Dinah the daughtei' of Jacob; and he loved the damsel, and spi^

4 If And Shechem ' spake unto his fhther B»* mor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.

5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Diitth his daii^hter: now hia sons were with his cattle in the field, aad Jaoab ^ held his peaoe until tter were come.

And Hamor the father of Shechem want out unto Jacob to commune with him.

7 And the sons of Jacob came out of tia« field when thev heard it: and the men were ffneved, and tney ' were very wroth, battanee he ^ had wrought folly in Israel, in lying with Jacob's daughter; i wvuoh. thing ought not to be done.

8 And Hamor comnnmed widi them, striae; The Boul of my son Sheohem loogeth for your daughter: I pny you give her him to wife.

9 And make ye marriages with ua, and gin

OBACiooaLr with me, and b«cau«« TKate eneugiu R«ee he viewed Ood as the Ood <^ all ^ace, una to him he erects an dtar, dedicating it to €nd, the God ^ /mui referring particularly to toe cAange of his own name, and the mereito which M thea received; aad hence, perhaps it woald be beat ta tKmalatB the words, The wtnmg Ood (ia) iAa fiod of Uxaal f aa W the pewar of hia grace aad goodness he tmd rescued, defended, blessed, and supported him from his yoolfa i^ VDlil nomr. Ilia arecliBg altan with particular awneampears in other plaoea. 8o Bae& ivii. Is: Mosea ealli Us ahir JakoMlE-Mfa^ "thaM is my baxmer.**

1. Whek a man'a wnyo please CloA he maketh even hi« enemies to be at peace witli hinL When Jacob bad jrat raeonciled to Oed, Ood reconciled his brother to han. Ttm hearts of all msn axe in tb* h^Tu^a of Qod, and ha tticna them howsoever he will.

2, Since tha wrestling with the ai^el of the we see in Jaoeb mu^ dependaaca on Qai, aoeoi with a spirit oif deep humili^ and gratitude^. Ood's giaoa alone can change the heart at mas; and it is by that graos oolv, thai we get a ssoae of our oUi^aions; this bqn an in the dual, aim the saore we raeeive, the loww wa riiall lis.

S. "The first thii«" says good Biahop WUsea, "thai pious men de, is to piovida for the honour aud wstifaip of God." Jacob tarys a piece of ground, and ercds an altar on it in the land of a naathcn, that he mi^ aclnwvMge Ood amans his eaamves, and turn them to the trtie fintfa t - and there is every reason to believe that this eratdiai would have been suacasilid, had it not been for tha baaa osndiart of his saaa. How true ia dw saying, mw-aimKr Boikdi nMMh goad. Reader, beware kat of eondua anould beoome a slumUiag-block to any.

Terse L And DnuA^-mnt outigM* Utedmu^iUro V ffu land] It is supposed that Jacob had been now about scrvsn or eight years in the land, aad that Dinah, who waa but about seven yaara of age when Jacob came to Camm, was now about uurtoen or fifteen. Why. or ta wkal oo* eaaion, Aa went out, we know nott but ttm leaaoa givM W JoaepbiM ia very probaUe, via. that it was one of dieir

Verse 2. PrineA A» amnJry] i. e. Hamor waa princei Shechem waa d>e eon of the piiace, or diial Our v«nion appears to repreaeot Sbediem aa prince; but hia foifasr was the chief of the country.— See ver. 6, 6^ Ac

VeraeS. Spakt kif^ toUo A» daatad.] Litaml^, Aa spojta lo the heart ^ Ae dmmul aadiavowred to gan her afleclions, and to reconule her to Wr diapaca. It aHiean auffictenUy evidaat from diia and the preaedmg verae, that there had been no conaen/ on the pan of Dinah, that the whole waa an act c< oMeneo, and that "ba now detained 6y fofet in the bouae or iSAacAm. Hm she waa found, when Simeon and Levi ndtod tha oiqr> var 26-

Teme 7. A Aad wremght Jblty «i brael] krn^ afterward generally calkd 1s«m/, was tat as yetao aaaaadi and the eeas of Jacob waft neithrraaHed-jmHi Irmeiitmo. nor.Aua^ till loBg aAer tbiat how, than, ami U he mid that Sbaehem had wmvU/al^foJMi? Thai

your daughters unto us, and take our daughters uoto you.

10 And ye shall dwell with us: and " the land shall be before you 5 dwell and " trade yc therein, and ' set Tou possessions therein.

11 And Stiechem said unto her father and nnto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto lae I will give.

12 Ask me never so much t> dowrv and gih, and 1 will give according as ye shall say unto Bne: but give me the damsel to wife.

13 IT And the sons of Jsicob answered Shechem and Hamor his father ■■ deceitfully^ (and •aid, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:)

14 And they said unto them, We cannot do this thinjg, to give our sister to one that ie uncircumcued; Tor ■ that were a reproach unto nt:

15 But in this wfll we ciuisent unto yon: If ye wifl be as we be, that every male of you be

16 Then will we give our daughters unto vou, and we will take your daughters to us; ana we will dwell with you, and we will become one

17 But if ye will not hearken unto us, to he circumcised: then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.

IS And their words pleased Hamor, and Sheebem Hamor's son. 19 And the young man deferred not to do the art capobl&of a more literal tranelation — Sior^^ be-yUrael, may be tmiuloied, against Israel. The an^f had said, Tk)/ name tfiaU be called no more Jacob — not only Jacob — hut I»rtuL It was tliia that Bg^avated ttie ofience of Sbeohem: he wroufhc (blly a^nat Israel, the prince of Ood, in lying wilh the dauemer of Jacob. Here both the namee are given— Jo^ob, whose daughter waa defiled, and /rroei, the prince of God, against whom the oflence was eommiited.

Vene VZ. Ask me neeer so much dowry] See on chap, xxix. 70, Ac — See the law relative to thu, Ezod. xzii.

VeriB 13. Answered-'deceUfulljA Which nothing could exeiue: yet to lAtow that tliey had much provocation, il is inuoe^atety ndijoined, i-OT-i va-yedaberu, they tjjoke dMl% btcaute ha hud defiled DiTiah their sister; for so diia pareniheais should be read.

Terae U. That were a rqmxieK unto US'] Becauaa the nneircuinGind were not in the covenant of Ood i and to have given «n briiea the promise to one whobad no kind of right to iti ^ritual bleiainKs, from whom might mrisg-chudren who would naturally walk in the way of Uteir fiither, would have been absurd, rtftroachJUl, and wte&ed. liius far they were perfectly ri^it: but to make thia hoty prmciple a cloak for their aeceitful and murder- OMpurpoaea, vraa the fiiU sum of wiokedneaa.

Vane 17. Wilt ih take our daughter, and lOt ttiill be ginu.] It is natural to suppose, that the tribe of Hamor was very inconsiderable, else they would not have sought ■a alliance with the fiunily of Jacob, and have come so raadily into a painful, disgraeeful measure, without having either the sanction of dirine authority or reason; for it dnea not appear that the sons of Jacob urged either. And th^ are threatened here, that if they do not agree lo be eircumeiaed, Dinah shall be taken from them, and restored to her &mily; and this is probably what the ShKhemites saw they had not power at present to prevent.

Terae 23. Shill not their cattle ana their suMoncs— be our«?] This was a bait held out Inr tho poor unsuspecting people of Hamor, bjr their prinea and his son, who \nn Dot much leaa deeeited dun die people themseWea.

Tarw 24. Every male waa circumciaea] These simple people must have bad very rreat affection for their chief ana his son, or have been under the influence of the most jMMtiBe obedience, to have com^ ho readily into thia measure, aad to have aubmitied to this rite. But die petty ninoea in AsMtic cotmiries huve ever been abuhtte ana derpatie, their aubjecu paying thsm tlie moat prompt and Uind obedience, t shall ^ve a few examples.

" Ata TTtaher, chief of the Cartnathlan; about the year nine hundred and lUr^, ravaged the lerritorv of Meeea, df.i\tA die tempk, mid deemiyed neariy 41^000

thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was ' more honourable than alltne house of his father.

20 1[ And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their cit:^, and communed with the men ot their city, saying,

21 These men are peaceable with ub; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade there> in: for the land, behold, it i$ large enough for them; let us tirite their daughters to us for wivea, and let ua give them our daughters.

22 Only nerein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as mey are circumcised.

23 Shail not their cattle and their substance and every beast of, theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with na.

24 And imto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that " went out of the gate of his city: and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

25 IF And it came to pase on the third day, when they Were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, " Simeon and Levi, IUnah*8 brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the toales.

26 Ana they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the " edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem'a house, and went out.

27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain.

people. With only 600 horse he went to lay sio^ to Baghdad— the califf's general, at the head of 30,000 men, marched out to seize him; but before he attacked him, he sent aa officer to summon him to surrender. 'How many men has the califf's general!' said Abu I'haher. — 'Thi/iy thousand,' replied the officer. — 'Among Ihem all,' sMb the Cu'mathuin cliief, 'has he got three like mine I*— Then ordering his followers to approach, he commanded one to Btab himself, another to throw himself from a pr&> cipice, and a third to plunge into the Tigris — all three instantly KixveA, and perishM. Hun, turning to tlie officer, be laid — * lie who has such troops, tiecda not value dw number of lUs enemies!* "

" Hassan Sabat, one of those petty priccet formerly known in Asia and Europe by the title ShetJch-ul-jibel,or old man of the mountain, being required bv an anihaasador to do homage to hia master, the bultan Maldt^tah laleddin, without giving any answer, ordered one of bis attendants to poniclrd himself, and another to leap from tbe batt'cments of the tower; and he was instantly obeyed! "nien, turning to the ambassador, he' aaid— 'Seventy thansand are thus attentive (o my commands. Let this be my answer.' " On a principle of dits kind, we may account for the proJTvpt obedience of the people of Hamor.

Verse 25. On- the third day, when they were »ore{ When the inflammation was at uie height, and a fever en-. sued which rendered the person utterly Iielpless, and his stale critical — Simeon and Leoi — the uterine brothers of Dinah — took each man hit neord — probably assisted by that portion of the servants which helped them to take core of the Qock—came on the city boldly— nos betadi, securely, without being suspected, and beim; in no danger of meeting with resistance — and slew all the male*. Great U die provocation was, and it certainly was very great, tbis was an act of unparalleled treachery and crueky.

Verse 27. The tona. ef Jaewi\ The rest of Jacob's sons, the remaining brothers of Simeon and Levi — sjioiled the city. Thou^ the others could slay the defenceless maleL it was not possible that they coula have carried aw^ all tlie booty, with the womenrchildreo, and canle: it ia therein moat natural to aiipiwee, that the rest of' the kkm of Jacob assisted at last in this biiriaest.

Verae 'JO. Ye have troubled me] Brought mr mittd into great distress, and endangered my personal eaft^— tomake me to stink. To render me odiwis lo the surroUnditw tribss, so tliat there ia every reason to Buspect,^that v^en tMs deed ia come abroad, tliey will join in a raer against roe, uid extirpUe my whole ^ bad he not been under the peciUiar prMectioft > in all human' probdHlity, would havt been tl he Iwd prevailed with God, and he.wai also' with men. Hiat JacoWs reeentmeftt was not- "

and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their nater....

28 They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their OBBCB, and that which was in the city, and that which wcu in the field.

29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive: and spoiled even all that was in the house.

30 If And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, * Ye have >* troubled me ' to make me to stink among the inhabitantB of the land, amonr the Canaaoites uid the Perizzites: 'and I oeMiffew in number, they shall eather themselvea to-

S ether aeainet me, and slay me; and I shall be estroyed, I and ray house.

31 And they said. Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?

we have the fUlIart moot in his depriving iheM two aoM of the birthright, which otherwiBe they had doubtlev enjoyed.— See xlix. 6, 7. where aome additional ctrcum- ■tancet are related.

Verae 31. l^ould he deal wUfi our ntUr aa wUh a harlot?} On this 'outrage alone they vindicaled their flagitious conduct. The word AaWol first oecom ber«: the original ia not v^fi pUgaAj whidi we render cvneubine— see its explanation «h. zzii. 24. — but nut xonah, which ordinarily ai^nifie&^one uAo proetUvtet her»e(f to any fartimjor ktre. Our word KnHot is derived from a very odd flircumataQcei— K(Aert, duke of Normandy, aeeing a fine lotdting countiy girl diutcing with her companions on the green, took her to nis bed. She was the dau^iier of a «Wmcr, and her name wm Arlotta / andof her^llMim, aumamed the Conqueror, waa born. Hencc^ all stub women were from her called harlot*, aa William himaelf woa usually termed the Baetard. The eluLracIec of the person who originally bore this name, sufficiently justifiea Us preafint application.

Solomon naa very properly said — Mg ton, enter not into the path nf tho vidcea, and go not in Ou wy of enl vun: avoid u, 4M(«s not by it, turn from U, and pate amy, Prov. iv. i4, 16. Had not Dinah gone out to see the daughters of the land, and verypoesibTy at one of their idolatrous festivala, she had not aufiered the foul disgrace meotioDed in this chapter. Not only prudence dictates that young women aliotild keep at Aome, but Ood expressly eommiulds it, Tit. ii. S. Dinah got among idolaters, and thus partook of their iniquities, and this ted to the most base and cruel transaction upon record. How true is the saying — Tkoee who wander out <if the v>ay qf underetanding shall abide in the csmgregation <if the dead! In the case before tis, blame seems to attach to all parties.

1. It was wrong in Jacob to aufiTer his daughu^i alooa ■nd improtect«d, to visit the dai^Uers of the tand.

It was excessively wickea In Shethtnt to take ihta ftdvaotage at the dauj^ter of a respectable stranger, who bad sou^t his friendsnip, and came to sojourn among his people I and whose righteous dealing they must have witseaaed toe at leaat eeten years pasL In his behalf we may •ay, and it would be tinjust not tp say it, that having done the miadiiei^ aod aiiiiwa deeply against the laws of hospitsKtj^ he wisbed to make all the leparation in his power; tad therefim. in the most frank and libeml manner, not only offered, out moetpresainglv entreated permission, to t^ Dinah to v>{fe, lliia was the utmost he could do in auch a case. And in this he is a saint of the first order, wh«t compared with the noble and ignoble profiigates, wfaov while blaspheming the Chriatian name by continuiug to asRime it, commit all kinds of breaches on the virtue oTsimplo femalea, and the peace of respectable fomilies, and not only make no reparation, but gloiy in their shame.

3. It was diabolic in Jacob" a aona to slay a whole tribe im the offence of one man; and especially, as that one fa^ oAred to make all the restitution in his power. They required that Hamor, Shecbem, and all their subjects, diould be eirounvMod, before they could conacientUmely eonseDt to give their aiatsr to Sheohem in marriage, 'nna f^qtdrtdcm^irmity, was made the cloak of the most base Hid inbmoua designs. Ttiit simple tmsuapecting She. ^Mmitea agreed to the proposal j and when rendered 1^ this religioua rite incapable of deiendiiw themselves, tliey murdered by Simeon and Levi, and their city Jacob, to his great honour, remonstrated barbarous and bloody act, committed appadie aanetion of religiont and Ood idiowednia,of it, by directm^ tl» patrivct^ in his dying

AND God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to ■ Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, 'that appeared unto thee > when thou fleddeet from the face of Esau thy brother.

It Then Jac<^ said unto hu ^ household, and to all tfiat were with him, Putaway ■ the Strang* moments, to prooeribe them from the blessings of Che eovenant, ao that they barely retained a narae' among the tribes of Israel, being in general snalL and ever diarepotabk^ except merely in the service of the aanetuary, in which Len waa employed. How often since, noiwithatandiog this solemn warning, has the pure and benevolent religion of Ood. been made, by wickea and deaigning men. a p^iical ataJKing-horse to serve the basest punraaeSityDaacovert to the worst of crimes I But sh^l we and fault with tin holy religion of the blessed God, because wioked men h^va abuseditl Godforbidl Were it noteogoodasitrcsaiyia, it would be iiKapable of such abuse. Aa avil caanoC be abattd — a good may; and the greater and the more acknowledged the good, the more liable to abuaa. Aa eveiy good ia BO citable of being abased, does ha aet wisely who argues against the «M of HM thing on this aeeooatl Shall we say, that various kinds of graia friata, and aliments, are a curae, because wicked men uuae them to the purposes of drunkenneaa and gluttony 7 Tliis would argue an utter perversion of all reason; and ia it not on maek a pretext as this, that many persons have ventursd to eaU ia question even the trutiu of Cbrialianity I

Whatever audi men may be detennmed to think on the subject of tliia chapter, with the unpr^udiccd leader the ample and detailed relation which we have here of tfiic baroaroufl transaction, will appear an additional proof ot the veracity and impartiality of the sacred historian.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXXV, Terse 1. Ariae, go up to Beth-et] TYtK transaction thai bad lately taken place, rendered it unsafe for Jacob to dwell any longer at the city of Shechem; and it aeema that while he was reflecting on the horrible act of Simeon and Levi, and not knowing what to do, God graaoualy appeared to him, and commanded him to go up to Bew-eL build an altar there, and thus perfinm toe vow be bad made, ch. xxviiL 20, 22L

Terae 2. Put away the ttrange goda] tsin >n^ Elo/uf hafweor, the gods <ff the Jbretgnere, which were among them. Jacob's servants were all Syriana, and no doubt were addicted leas or more to idolatry and aupentitioB. Theae gods might belong to them, or, aa aome hare eonjectureo, they were the terapkim whioi Rachel atole: but theae have already been supposed to be aatrologieal tahUup or something of this IuikI, called by Laban his godo, because by them he supposed he could predict future evmt% and that they referred to certain astral and ^danetiuy ior telligeaces, by whose influences suUimauy thmgs were legulaied. But it is more natural to suppose that these gods, KHind now in Jacob's family, were imsges of silver, goli^ or curious workmanship, which were Hound among the spoils of the city of Shechem. Lest ibeee diould beeosne incitements to idolalry, Jacob orders ihem to be put away.

Be dean and dtangt your garmenta] Personal or outward purification, as emblematical of the sanctificaiioa of the soul, has been in use among all the true wonbiiqwis of God from the beginning of the world. In many cases, the law of Moses more aoUmnly enjoined rites and eer^ monies which had been in use from the earhest ages.

Verse 3. An*vscrtd me in the day my diatreaa] Not only when be fled from tlie face of bis brother, but nuHO ^Ucularly, when in his greatest atrait at the brook of

Veraei..And ear-ringa whidi wer« ia Adr ears) Whether these rings were in the ears of the god% or in those of Jsoob'a family, we may rest assured ihst tbay were not mere omsawntt^ but served for superstitioa* purposes. £sr>rteg» vers certainly worn as mshMs

gods that are among you, and ■ be cleaA, and change rour garmentB:

3 Ana let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I will make there an altar unto God, ^ who answered me in the day of my distresi, 'and was with me in the way which I went.

4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their ^ eai^riDgs which vere in their ears; and Jacob hid them under * the oak which teas by Shechem.

5 And they joorneyed: and ' the terror of God was npoD tha cities that were roimd abont them, and they did not pursue after the bods of Jacob.

6 1[ So Jacob came to • Luz, (that is, Beth-el,) whieii tr in the land of Canaan, he and all the people that were with him.

7 And he ^ built there an altar, and called the place)- El-beth-el: because ^ there Qgd appeared unto him, when he fled from the &oe of his brother.

8 % But) Deborah Rebekah's ducm died, and was buried beneath Beth-el under an oak:

9 If And " God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padui-aram, and Messed

10 And God said unto him. Thy name U Jacob: " thy name shall not be called any more

asd AarmB, fast eoMecaalsd to soaw god, or femwd noder ■oms wcsUstkm, on wbieb magiesl dtarseten and iinana -wm dravn. A Yery utdent tad beautiful one of ifaiiiKiad^ brought (eobi Egypt, cut out of a solid piece of eoTDeliaiitiiow liea beforante. ItwMevidently intended tor the tar, u dw opening >■ loo email for aar human finseri aaBitiiengmvedwowwithetnngeaiaraclera ana images^ iritiai prove that it was intended for a tmli*man or amulti. It aeems to be mch an om aa Su AuguWin deacribo, Bpiat. Ti. iriiich w«« auapended firom the tip of (he ean both of men and women, not for the INirpoee of ornament, but throu^ aa execrable niperBtitioA, for the aervioe of demons. Exeoranda aupffrttitio l^aturarum, in fuiftuk etiam inaura virorum in amwmU ex una parte auriculi tntpmaa defiuianhtr, ■sa «d piaecii<(K>n baminitua aed ad aervimdum tUemvfiifriu. See the notea on ch. xxiv. 22.

Veoe 6. The Unvr ^ Gotf] A eupenatural ave, sent bjr ihe Almighty — wu upon tlu cUitM Suit were nmmd abotU — So ihat they wen not molested in their departure. This could be owing to nothing less than the •necial providence of Ood.

VerM 7. El-btih-tl] 'jh ma Vh Ae strong God— the Aowe ^ Uu atrmtg God. But the first St ti, ia wanting in one o< I>e Jtosai's MSS. as it is also in the Septua-

«'D^ Vulgate, Svriae, and some copies of tha Arabic 10 aeoteace reads much better without ii, and much more ooosisteDt widi the parallel passages.

Vaiae 9l But DAorah, RAtkah't nttrse, died\ She was sent with Rebekab, when talien br Abraham's sw- •ant U be wife to Isaac, ch. xxiv. S9. How she came to ba ia Jacob's fiunilTi expositors are greatly puzzled to find out: but the lezi does not stale that sAs was in JoeoA's JkiatUp. Her deaih is mentiooed merely because Jacob and bis family hnd now arrived at the place where she was buried, sjid (be name of thai place was called AUonliiiftsfft. lbs oak of n-ireping, as it is likely her death had tiron greatly ruTotted, and a general ana extraordinary Momoing had lakna place on the occaaion. Of MtMah » death we know nothing. After her ecgnsel to her son, A. xznL she is heard of no more in the soered writings. Her name is written in die dust. And is not this designed as a BDSrk of the disapprobation of Ood? It seems strmnse, ihM such an fnconaideroble person as a nurse riuup be mentioned, when even the peraim she brooght lip is pSBsnd hy imnntirnd I It has been obaerved, Ihat (he Buns ot JBaeaa is meMwned nearly in ths aune way by ^ poet Viigil; and in the cireumataaeea^ in both oases, Asre is a stnkiitf resemblance.

11 And God said unto him, am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; 'a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

12 And the land • which I gave Abraham anA Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

13 And God t went up from bun In ths place where be talked withbim.

14 IT And Jacob " set up a pillar in the jJaco where he talked with hun, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink-offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

15 And Jacob called the name of the place where Grod spake with him, * Beth-eL

16 IC And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was hut » a Uttle way to come to Ephrath; and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour:

17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the mictwifa said imto her, Fear not J ■ thou ahalt hare this son also.

IS And it came to pass, as her aoul was ni departing, (for she died) that she called his name r Ben-oni: but his mther called him • Benjamin.

19 And •Rachel died, and was buried i& the

Terse 9. Gt>d appeared uaio Jaeoh Main] He appeared unto him iirst at Shechem, when he eamnanded him to so to Beth-el; and iHnr that he is arrived «t Ihe place, QoA appears to him the eeecmd time, and reconfirms to him the Abrahtunie blessing. To Isaac and Jacob these frequent appearaooes of God were necessary; but they were not so to Abraham; for Aim, one word was Bufficien^— jlftroAam beHaied Gvd.

a vision, nor a stRHig mental impresskML liut a real n»nifestotion of God. Jacob sotp atid heard him speak: and before his eyes he veni up— ascended to heaven, ms was no doubt the fbture Saviour, dis Angel of the eorenant.— See chap. xvi. 7.

Terse 14. A drink-iiffering] "jn neeec, a KhaSon. These were afterward very common in all countries. At first they consisted, probably, of toater only; afterward leine was used. See on hcv. vii. 1, dbc The pillar which Jacob set up was to commemorate the appearance of God to him; the drink-fjfering and the ail were intended to express hia groMude and devotiem to his Pmerver. It was probamy the same pillar which he had set up belbrc^ vhich had since been thrown dowiv and which he consecrated afrei^ to God.

Terse 16. TTiere teaa Imt a UttU way to come to E^raA.] The word n-oa, ktbroA, tniwtated ben a. little way, has greatly ^rplexed oommentators. It occurs only here and in chap, xlviii. 7. 2 Kings v. 19. and it seems to have been some sort of measure applied to lant^ as we say amU^ an acre, a rood, a pertA; but what tha exact quantinr of the Idbraih was, cannot be ascertalnetL fjAran, called also BOhlehem, and BeAtehem Ephraia, was the birih-plaee of our blessed Redeemer. See iu meaning, HatL ii. 6.

Terse 18. As Aer sou/ vaa in departing} Is not this a proof that there is an immortal spirit in nan, whidi can exist eeparate from, and independent of, the bodv ^ Of Rasters death it is saiiL nru nxiS be-teeaA n^nasAoA — in As »£iMr eway tfhtr touf-ber hody did not go away, tncreiore her soul and body must have been msbncb If her brdoA only had been intended, on nssnsm, or nvi t%mA, would nave rather been used, as the fir* means hreoA, the latter IxreaQi or w^rii indinerently.

She called hie name Ben-oni] ^tm &e eon my eorrov, or oJfKetiw*— because of the hard labour she lad in brhwing nim into the wwM: Btd kit father eelUd Ummi^mkL jwiOutonofmyHghtkoHdilt.

20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that M the pillar of RacherB grave ' unto this

21 And Urael journeyed, and Bprend his tent beyond ^ the tower of Eilar.

■ 22 TF And it came to pase, when iBrnel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and ' lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard tf.— Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

24 The Bona of Rachel j Joseph and Bema^ mm.

25 And the Eons of Bilhah, Rachel** handmaid; Dan and Naplitali.

26 And the eons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad and Asher. These are the sons o€ Jacob, which were born to him in Padan-aram.

27 TI And Jacob came unto Ipaac hia father unto • Mamre, unto the ' city of Arbah, (which i# Hebron,) where Abraham and Isaac aoioarned.

28 ^ And the days of Isaaa were a hundred and fourscore years.

29 And leaac gave up the ghost, and VciS

the BOT peculiarly dear lo im. So man of Ou right hand, PsaJ. Ijxt. 18. ai^ilies one mwch loved and i^arded of God. The Samaritan, hu Benyamim, the «tm ^ day»; i, f. the son of old agt, as Jacob calli him, ohap. xUt. 20. and HoubiKant nontendi, ihnt thie ii the true reading, and ihat (he Chaldee termination in for im, ia B corruption. If it be a corruption, It ia as aid aa the days of St. Jerom, who tAnalatea the place Benjamin, id est, jUi'iu dextrta, Smjnmin, thai m, the ton qf the right hand.

Verse 20. Jacob set a piUar upon htr grave] Wa« not tfiie the origin of funeral monuments T In ancient tine^ ukl among rude natioiu, a heap of aionea deeigaated the burial-place of the chief: many of these Btul remam in di^rent countriea. AfWrwaro, a rude eton^, Trith a simple inscription vraa used, containing only the name of die deceased, and that of his father. But where arts and sciences flourished, superb monuments were erected, liighly decor&tad, and pompously inscribed. It is very likely, from the circiimstanceB of Jacob, that a single stone constituted the pillar in this case, on which, if writing did then exist, the name, or rather some hierogly- ^ical device, was probably inscribed. That which is now called RadUCe piliar, is allowed by those who have examined it, to be a comparatively modem structure.

Verse 21. TtnDerqf Edar] Literally, (Ae (owr q^i/w. Jloek, and an translcoed Hie. iv. 8. It is suppoRed, that diia tower was about a mile from Bethlehem, and to have been dia^^ace where the angels appeared to the shephetds. iTie Targum of Jonathan expressly nys — "It is the place in which the King Messiah shall be manifested in the end of dajrs." By the tower tjf the Jtoek, we may understand a place built by the shf-pherds, near to some ■well for the convenience of watering their flocks, and keeping watch crver them by night.

Verse 22. Rtubm went and lay viih BUhah, hie fk&er't eonevbine^ Jonathan, in hu Tnrgiim, aays, that Reuben only overthrew the bed of Bilhah, whirh was set up epponta to the bed of his mother Leah, and that diis wu reputed to him as if he had lain with her. I'he ooloar given to the passage by the Tareumist is, that. Reuben was incensed, because he found Bilhah preferred, ^ter the death of Rachel, to his own mother Leah; and tbercfiwe, in his anger, be overthrew her couch. Tht mmt Hoiiment is repeated bv Jonathan, and jglanced at

Sthe Jenualem Targum, en. zlix. 4. Could this view the pibject be provM to be correct, both piety and candour would rejoice.

And brad htard it\ Not one word is added fiu-ther in the Hebrew text; but a break ia left in the verse, opposite to which there is a Maaoretic note, which simply states, Viere it a hiatut in the verte. Thi% hiatus the Septuagint has thus supplied — mrsftr SV* mnrni nrt, OM U ^rpeared ecu inhie tight.

riow the tone of Jacob were twelve} Called afterward the twelve pairiariait,\Kcxajao they became heads or ehiefe of numerous famitiet or tribtf. AcU vii. 8. and the prople that descended from them ere called the twelve m&e^AoU xxvi, 7. James i. 1. Twelve prineee came from Ishmael, cb. xxv. 16. who were heads of fomilies nd tribes. And in referenoe to the iwelte patrianA*, our Lord chose twehe apoiaea. Strictly speaking, there w«re thirUm tribes among the Hebrews, as Efhraim and Manattea were counted for tribes, oh. xlviii. B, 6. but the Scripture, in naming them, ai^a Mr. AinswortU, oauaJ^ sets down but twelve, omiuii^ the name now ef one, Ojen of another, as may in sundry places be observed, DeoL xxxiii. Ezek. xlvui. Rev. vii., dtc.. Verse 23. TV •ons^/'LeoA] The children b« arranged hw» wtder their reqiective mothers, «nd not in order of ^ir nrth.