Rachel also given to Jacob. A. M. cir. 2232. GENESIS. and he gave him Rachel his B. C. cir. 1772. daughter to wife also. 29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter z Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. 30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he a loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. 31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Ra Leah bears four sons. B. C. eir. 1770. B. C. cir. 1769. 33 And she conceived again, A. M. cir. 2234. and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name & Simeon. 34 And she conceived again, A. M. cir. 2235. and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons: therefore was his name called h Levi. A. M. cir. 2233. 32 And Leah conceived, and 35 And she conceived again, A. M. cir. 2236. bare a son, and she called his and bare a son; and she said, name • Reuben for she said, Surely the Now will I praise the LORD LORD hath flooked upon my affliction; now she called his name i Judah; therefore my husband will love me. chel was barren. B. C. cir. 1771. Verse 20; Deut. xxi. 15. xxxi. 41; Hosea xii. 12.- c Psa. cxxvii. 3. Le That is, see a son. bearing. B. C. cir. 1768. therefore and left Exod. iii. 7; iv. 31; Deut. xxvi. 7; Psa. xxv. 18; cvi. 44. ben, literally, see ye or behold a son; for Jehovah hath looked upon, raah, beheld, my affliction; behold then the consequence, I have got a son! Verse 33. She called his name Simeon.] so shimon, hearing; i. e., God had blessed her with another son, because he had heard that she was hated Verse 35. She called his name Judah] ' ye z Verse 24; chapter xxx. 3-8.b Chap. xxx. 26; d Chap. xxx. seven years more before he got Rachel to wife; but having spent a week with Leah, and in keeping the marriage feast, he then got Rachel, and served afterwards seven years for her. Connections of this kind are now called incestuous; but it appears they were allowable in those ancient times. In taking both sisters, it does not appear that any blame attached to Ja-loved less than Rachel was. cob, though in consequence of it he was vexed by their Verse 34. Therefore was his name called Levi.] jealousies. It was probably because of this that the levi, joined; because she supposed that, in consequence law was made, Thou shalt not take a wife to her sister, of all these children, Jacob would become joined to to vex her, besides the other in her life-time. After her in as strong affection, at least, as he was to Rachel. this, all such marriages were strictly forbidden. From Levi sprang the tribe of Levites, who instead Verse 31. The Lord saw that Leah was hated] of the first-born, were joined unto the priests in the From this and the preceding verse we get the genuine service of the sanctuary. See Num. xviii. 2, 4. meaning of the word w sane, to hate, in certain disputed places in the Scriptures. The word simply sig-hudah, a confessor; one who acknowledges God, and nifies a less degree of love; so it is said, ver. 30: "Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah," i. e., he loved Leah less than Rachel; and this is called hating in ver. 31: When the Lord saw that Leah was hated that she had less affection shown to her than was her due, as one of the legitimate wives of Jacob, he opened her womb-he blessed her with children. Now the frequent intercourse of Jacob with Leah (see the following verses) sufficiently proves that he did not hate her in the sense in which this term is used among us; but he felt and showed less affection for her than for her sister. So Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated, simply means, I have shown a greater degree of affection for Jacob and his posterity than I have done for Esau and his descendants, by giving the former a better earthly portion than I have given to the latter, and by choosing the family of Jacob to be the progenitors of the Messiah. But not one word of all The intelligent and pious care of the original inthis relates to the eternal states of either of the two habitants of the world to call their children by those nations. Those who endeavour to support certain names which were descriptive of some remarkable peculiarities of their creed by such scriptures as these, event in providence, circumstance of their birth, or dodo greatly err, not knowing the Scripture, and not pro-mestic occurrence, is worthy, not only of respect, but perly considering either the sovereignty or the mercy of imitation. As the name itself continually called to of God. the mind, both of the parents and the child, the cir acknowledges that all good comes from his hands, and gives him the praise due to his grace and mercy. From this patriarch the Jews have their name, and could it be now rightly applied to them, it would intimate that they were a people that confess God, acknowledge his bounty, and praise him for his grace. Left bearing.] That is, for a time; for she had several children afterwards. Literally translated, the original hyn taamod milledeth—she stood still from bearing, certainly does not convey the same meaning as that in our translation; the one appearing to signify that she ceased entirely from having children; the other, that she only desisted for a time, which was probably occasioned by a temporary suspension of Jacob's company, who appears to have deserted the tent of Leah through the jealous management of Rachel. Verse 32. She called his name Reuben] 1 reu- cumstance from which it originated, it could not fail to Rachel envies her sister, CHAP. XXX. and is displeased with Jacob be a lasting blessing to both. How widely different names, so called, are absurd, others are ridiculous, is our custom ! Unthinking and ungodly, we impose names upon our offspring as we do upon our cattle; and often the dog, the horse, the monkey, and the parrot, share in common with our children the names which are called Christian! Some of our Christian and a third class impious; these last being taken from the demon gods and goddesses of heathenism. May we hope that the rational and pious custom recommended in the Scriptures shall ever be restored, even among those who profess to believe in, fear, and love God! CHAPTER XXX. Rachel envies her sister, and chides Jacob, 1. He reproves her and vindicates himself, 2. She gives him her maid Bilhah, 3, 4. She conceives, and bears Dan, 5, 6; and afterwards Naphtali, 7, 8. Leah gives Zilpah her maid to Jacob, 9. She conceives and bears Gad, 10, 11, and also Asher, 12, 13. Reuben finds mandrakes, of which Rachel requests a part, 14. The bargain made between her and Leah, 15. Jacob in consequence lodges with Leah instead of Rachel, 16. She conceives, and bears Issachar, 17, 18, and Zebulun, 19, 20, and Dinah, 21. Rachel conceives, and bears Joseph, 22-24. Jacob requests permission from Laban to go to his own country, 25, 26. Laban entreats him to tarry, and offers to give him what wages he shall choose to name, 27, 28. Jacob details the importance of his services to Laban, 29, 30, and offers to continue those services for the speckled and spotted among the goats, and the brown among the sheep, 31-33. Laban consents, 34, and divides all the ring-streaked and spotted among the he-goats, the speckled and spotted among the she-goats, and the brown among the sheep, and puts them under the care of his sons, and sets three days' journey between himself and Jacob, 35, 36. Jacob's stratagem of In conse the pilled rods, to cause the cattle to bring forth the ring-streaked, speckled, and spotted, 37-39. quence of which he increased his flock greatly, getting all that was strong and healthy in the flock of Laban, 40-43. A. M. cir. 2236. AND when Rachel saw that 5 And Bilhah conceived, and A. M. cir. 2237. a she bare Jacob no chil-bare Jacob a son. B. C. cir. 1767. 6 And Rachel said, God hath k judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name dren, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto 7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid A. M. cir. 2239. B. C. cir. 1765. conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. m 3 And she said, Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my 8 And Rachel said, With great wrest knees, that I may also have children by her. | lings have I wrestled with my sister, and I 4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid have prevailed: and she called his name i to wife and Jacob went in unto her. c Job v. 2. f Chap. 1. 23; _ Ch. a Chapter xxix. 31.- b Chapter xxxvii. 11. d Chap. xvi. 2; 1 Sam. i. 5.- Le Chap. xvi. 2.Job iii. 12. Chap. xvi. 2.- h Heb. be built by her. NOTES ON CHAP. XXX. Verse 1. Give me children, or else I die.] This is a most reprehensible speech, and argues not only envy and jealousy, but also a total want of dependence on God. She had the greatest share of her husband's affection, and yet was not satisfied unless she could engross all the privileges which her sister enjoyed! How true are those sayings, Envy is as rottenness of the bones! and, Jealousy is as cruel as the grave! Verse 2. Am I in God's stead] Am I greater than God, to give thee what he has refused? xvi. 3; xxxv. 22.- Psalm xxxv. 24; xliii. 1; Lam. iii. 59. m Heb. wrestlings of God; chap. xxiii. 6. o Called, Matt. iv. 13, Nephthalim. That I may also have children by her.] DD MIN veibbaneh mimmennah, and I shall be built up by her. Hence j ben, a son or child, from 13 banah, to build; because, as a house is formed of the stones, &c., that enter into its composition, so is a family by children. Verse 6. Called she his name Dan.] Because she found God had judged for her, and decided she should have a son by her handmaid; hence she called his name 1 dan, judging. Verse 8. She called his name Naphtali.] naphtali, my wrestling, according to the common mode of interpretation; but it is more likely that the root Hence Mr. no pathal signifies to twist or entwine. By the twistings— Parkhurst translates the verse, Verse 3. She shall bear upon my knees] The handmaid was the sole property of the mistress, as has already been remarked in the case of Hagar; and therefore not only all her labour, but even the children borne by her, were the property of the mistress. These female slaves, therefore, bore children vicari-agency or operation, of God, I am entwisted with my 183 Account of the mandrakes. A. M. cir. 2239. B. C. cir. 1765. GENESIS. 9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. 10 And Zilpah Leah's B. C. cir. 1764. bare Jacob a son. A. M. cir. 2240. maid Issachar is born unto Jacob 15 And she said unto her, A. M. cir. 2246 B. C. cir. 1758 Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee 11 And Leah said, A troop cometh and she to-night for thy son's mandrakes. called his name ¶ Gad. 16 And Jacob came out of the field in the maid evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. 17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. 13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters ' will call me blessed and she called his name Asher. A. M. cir. 2246. t 14 And Reuben went in the B. C. cir. 1758. days of wheat harvest, and found " mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. V P Ver. 4. - That is, a troop or company; chap. xlix. 19; Deut. xxxiii. 20, 21; Isa. lxv. 11. Heb. in my happiness. Prov. xxxi. 28; Cant. vi. 9; Luke i. 48. sister; that is, my family is now entwined or interwoven with my sister's family, and has a chance of producing the promised Seed." The Septuagint, Aquila, and the Vulgate, have nearly the same meaning. It is, however, difficult to fix the true meaning of the original. Verse 11. She called his name Gad.] This has been variously translated. 7 gad, may signify a troop, an army, a soldier, a false god, supposed to be the same as Jupiter or Mars; for as Laban appears to have been, if not an idolater, yet a dealer in a sort of judicial astrology, (see chap xxxi. 19,) Leah, in saying 1 bagad, which we translate a troop cometh, might mean, By or with the assistance of Gad—a particular planet or star, Jupiter possibly, I have gotten this son; therefore she called him after the name of that planet or star from which she supposed the succour came. See the note on chap. xxxi. 19. The Septuagint translate it ev rvxy, with good fortune; the Vulgate, feliciter, happily; but in all this diversity our own translation may appear as probable as any, if not the genuine one, 1 ba gad, for the keri, or marginal reading, has it in two words, a troop cometh; whereas the textual reading has it only in one, 1 bagad, with a troop. In the Bible published by Becke, 1549, the word is translated as an exclamation, Good luck! A. M. cir. 2247. B. C. cir. 1757. into the Holy Land to make discoveries in natural history, imagines that the plant commonly called mandrake is intended; speaking of Nazareth in Galilee he says: "What I found most remarkable at this village was a great number of mandrakes which grew in a vale below it. I had not the pleasure to see this plant in blossom, the fruit now (May 5th, O. S.) hanging ripe to the stem, which lay withered on the ground. From the season in which this mandrake blossoms and ripens fruit, one might form a conjecture that it was Rachel's dudaim. These were brought her in the wheat harvest, which in Galilee is in the month of May, about this time, and the mandrake was now in fruit." Both among the Greeks and orientals this plant was held in high repute, as being of a prolific virtue, and helping conception; and from it philtres were made, and this is favoured by the meaning of the original, loves, i. e., incentives to matrimonial connections: and it was probably on this account that Rachel desired them. The whole account however is very obscure. It ap Verse 15. Thou hast taken my husband] pears probable that Rachel had found means to engross the whole of Jacob's affection and company, and that she now agreed to let him visit the tent of Leah, on account of receiving some of the fruits or plants which Reuben had found. Verse 16. I have hired thee] We may remark among the Jewish women an intense desire of having Verse 13. And Leah said, Happy am I] beoshri, in my happiness, therefore she called his name children; and it seems to have been produced, not from Washer, that is, blessedness or happiness. 24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son. 25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children, whom I have served thee, and let me go: for for y That is, dwelling. -z Called, Matthew iv. 13, Zabulon. a That is, judgment. b Chap. viii. 1; 1 Sam. i. 19.- Chap. xxix. 31.- 1 Sam. i. 6; Isa. iv. 1; Luke i. 25.- e That is, adding.- Chap. xxxv. 17. - Chap. xxiv. 54, 56.-- Chap. C Verse 20. Now will my husband dwell with me] har yizbelen; and she called his name Zebulun, iai, a dwelling or cohabitation, as she now expected that Jacob would dwell with her, as he had before dwelt with Rachel. Verse 21. And called her name Dinah.] dinah, judgment. As Rachel had called her son by Bilhah DAN, ver. 6, so Leah calls her daughter DINAH, God having judged and determined for her, as well as for her sister in the preceding instance. Verse 22. And God hearkened to her] After the severe reproof which Rachel had received from her husband, ver. 2, it appears that she sought God by prayer, and that he heard her; so that her prayer and faith obtained what her impatience and unbelief had prevented. Verse 24. She called his name Joseph] 1 Yoseph, adding, or he who adds; thereby prophetically declaring that God would add unto her another son, which was accomplished in the birth of Benjamin, chap. xxxv. 18. Verse 25. Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away] Having now, as is generally conjectured, fulfilled the fourteen years which he had engaged to serve for Leah and Rachel. See ver, 26, and conclusion of chap. xxxi. Verse 27. I have learned by experience] non nichashti, from w nachash, to view attentively, to observe, to pry into. I have diligently considered the whole of thy conduct, and marked the increase of my property, and find that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. For the meaning of the word und nachash, see on chap. iii. 1, &c. Verse 30. For it was little which thou hadst before Jacob's agreement with Laban. thou knowest my service which I have done thee. A. M. 2259. B. C. 1745. 27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for. I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. m 28 And he said, " Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. 29 And he said unto him, "Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle. was with me. 30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee P since my coming and now, when shall I provide for mine own house also? 31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing; if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock: 32 I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among xviii. 33; xxxi. 55.- i Chap. xxix. 20, 30.- Chapter xxxix. 3, 5.- - See chap. xxvi. 24.- -m Chap. xxix. 15.- " Chapter xxxi. 6, 38, 39, 40; Matt. xxiv. 45; Tit. ii. 10.- 0 Heb. broken. forth; ver. 43.- -P Heb. at my foot.- 41 Tim. v. 8. I came] Jacob takes advantage of the concession made by his father-in-law, and asserts that it was for his sake that the Lord had blessed him: Since my coming, leragli, according to my footsteps-every step I took in thy service, God prospered to the multiplication of thy flocks and property. When shall I provide for mine own house] Jacob had already laid his plan; and, from what is afterwards mentioned, we find him using all his skill and experience to provide for his family by a rapid increase of his flocks. Verse 32. I will pass through all thy flock] r tson, implying, as we have before seen, all smaller cattle, such as sheep, goats, &c. All the speckled and spotted cattle] seh, which we translate cattle, signifies the young either of sheep or goats, what we call a lamb or a kid. Speckled,pɔ nakod, signifies interspersed with variously coloured spots. Spotted] talu, spotted with large spots, either of the same or different colours, from tala, to patch, to make party-coloured or patch-work; see Ezek. xvi. 16. I have never seen such sheep as are here described but in the islands of Zetland. There I have seen the most beautiful brown, or fine chocolate colour among the sheep; and several of the ring-streaked, spotted, speckled, and piebald among the same; and some of the latter description I have brought over, and can exhibit a specimen of Jacob's flock brought from the North Seas, feeding in Middlesex. And all the brown] Din chum. I should rather suppose this to signify a lively brown, as the root signifies to be warm or hot. * of such shall be my hire. 33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. 37 And Jacob took him rods of green pop 34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it lar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree; and might be according to thy word. pilled white streaks in them, and made the 35 And he removed that day the he-goats white appear which was in the rods. Chap. xxxi. 8.- Psa. xxxvii. 6.- - Heb. to-morrow; Exod. xiii. 14. .——— Chap. xxxi. 9.— See chap. xxxi. 9-12. Verse 35. The he-goats that were ring-streaked] 'n Dunn hatteyashim haakuddim, the he-goats that had rings of black or other coloured hair around their feet or legs. It is extremely difficult to find out, from the 32d and 35th verses, in what the bargain of Jacob with his father-in-law properly consisted. It appears from verse 32, that Jacob was to have for his wages all the speckled, spotted, and brown among the sheep and the goats; and of course that all those which were not party-coloured should be considered as the property of Laban. But in verse 35 it appears that Laban separated all the party-coloured cattle, and delivered them into the hands of his own sons; which seems as if he had taken these for his own property, and left the others to Jacob. It has been conjectured that Laban, for the greater security, when he had separated the party-coloured, which by the agreement belonged to Jacob, see verse 32, put them under the care of his own sons, while Jacob fed the flock of Laban, verse 36, three days' journey being between the two flocks. If therefore the flocks under the care of Laban's sons brought forth young that were all of one colour, these were put to the flocks of Laban under the care of Jacob; and if any of the flocks under Jacob's care brought forth party-coloured young, they were put to the flocks belonging to Jacob under the care of Laban's sons. This conjecture is not satisfactory, and the true meaning appears to be this: Jacob had agreed to take all the party-coloured for his wages. As he was now only beginning to act upon this agreement, consequently none of the cattle as yet belonged to him; therefore Laban separated from the flock, verse 35, all such cattle as Jacob might afterwards claim in consequence of his bargain, (for as yet he had no right;) therefore Jacob commenced his service to Laban with a flock that did not contain a single animal of the description of those to which he might be entitled; and the others were sent away under the care of Laban's sons, three days' journey from those of which Jacob had the care. The bargain, therefore, seemed to be wholly in favour of Laban; and to turn it to his own advantage, Jacob made use of the stratagems afterwards mentioned, This mode of interpretation removes all the apparent contradiction between the 32d and 35th verses, with which commentators in general have been grievously perplexed. From the whole account we learn that Laban acted with great prudence and caution, and Jacob with great judgment. Jacob had already served fourteen years; and had got no patrimony whatever, though he had now a family of twelve children, eleven sons and one daughter, besides his two wives, and their two maids, and several servants. See ver. 43. It was high time that he should get some property for these; and as his father-in-law was excessively parsimonious, and would scarcely allow him to live, he was in some sort obliged to make use of stratagem to get an equivalent for his services. But did he not push this so far as to ruin his father-in-law's flocks, leaving him nothing but the refuse? See ver. 42. Verse 37. Rods of green poplar] n na libneh lach. The libneh is generally understood to mean the white poplar; and the word lach, which is here joined to it, does not so much imply greenness of colour as being fresh, in opposition to witheredness. Had they not been fresh—just cut off, he could not have pilled the bark from them. And of the hazel] luz, the nut or filbert tree, translated by others the almond tree; which of the two is here intended is not known. And chestnut tree] y armon, the plane tree, from Dy aram, he was naked. The plane tree is properly called by this name, because of the outer bark naturally peeling off, and leaving the tree bare in various places, having smooth places where it has fallen off. A portion of this bark the plane tree loses every year. The Septuagint translate it in the same way, haтavos' and its name is supposed to be derived from harus, broad, on account of its broad spreading branches, for which the plane tree is remarkable. So we find the Grecian army in Homer, П. ii., ver. 307, sacrificing kahŋ iñо пλатavior, under a beautiful plane tree. VIRGIL, Geor. iv. 146, mentions, ―ministrantem platanum potantibus umbras. The plane tree yielding the convivial shade. And PETRONIUS ARBITER in Satyr. : Nobilis estivas platanus diffuderat umbras. "The noble plane had spread its summer shade." See more in Parkhurst. Such a tree would be peculiarly acceptable in hot countries, because of its shade, |