Genesis 30

Fear not. Do not think I come to terrify thee: or, do not fear the death of (hy child. a place of prayer, appears by the following words—" and called there on the name of the Lord," &c. From hence, some think, the custom of planting groves was derived into all the gentile world, who so profaned them by images, and filthiness, and sacrifices to demons, that God commanded them, by the law of Moses, to be cut down. But Abraham made use of a grove before this, (xii. 6. 8.) where we find he built an altar on a mountain, which, I question not, was compassed with trees. (See xiii. 18.) Therefore I take this only to have been the first grove that he planted himself. Called upon the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.’].1 find that Maimonides, in several places of his More Neyochim, translates the last words, Tlie Lord God of the world, or the Lord the Almighty Creator of the ivorld. For this was the great article of faith in those days, that God made the world. (Par. ii. cap. 30. et par. iii. cap. 29.) Pentecost, when the first-fruits of it were offered; as barley harvest began nt the passover. Mandrakes.’] In the Hebrew the word is dudaim; which here signifies, the fruit of a tree or plant (whatsoever it be); and in the book of Canticles, vii. 13. it signifies the flowers; and these arc the only two places where this word is found in the Bible. Which Job Ludolphus gives many reasons to prove, cannot signify a mandrake: for the flowers of that have a bad smell, and the fruit of it’ a bad taste. And therefore, after great variety of opinions, he concludes it to be that which in Syria they call mauz: which is an excellent sort of fruit, growing upon a plant, in the top’of which there arc great bunches of it like a cucumber. From whence he fancies this fruit was anciently called dudaim; from the Hebrew word dud, which signifies, propinquus, cognatus, amicus; which signifies a neighbour, kinsman, or friend. Such were these dudaim, which he calls cognatos ant patrueles ah una stirpeprofectos. (Vide Comment, in lib. i. Histor. Ethiop. cap.xix. n. 72.) cattle which were already speckled and spotted, &c. should be given hira: for that doth not agree with what went before, " thou shalt not give me any thing" (i. e. I will take nothing that is now thine); and besides, it would have been no wonder, if those that were spotted already should bring forth others like to themselves." Therefore the sense is, that he would separate all the spotted sheep and goats; and then out of those which were of one colour, he would have all that should prove hereafter at all marked with any of the forementioned variety. Now this was a thing so unlikely to happen, that Laban, in the next verse, embraces the motion very greedily: thinking that white or black cattle would bring forth none but such as were like themselves. ■

Genesis 30:1

JfcjNYIED her sister. Was so grieved, that it* made her fret into impatience and rage, for it is a frantic speech which follows. Give me children, or I die.] I shall make myself away, (as we now speak) or die with grief. See here the great danger of too eager and impatient desires: the fulfilling of which was her death indeed.

Genesis 30:2

Jacob’s anger was kindled. He conceived a just, indignation against her impatience, which he expresses with some heat. Am I in God’s stead, &c] Is it in my power to give what God thinks fit to deny? Thus he puts her in mind of what the Psalmist said afterwards, " Children are a gift that eometh of the Lord," as the old translation hath it, Cxxvii. 3.

Genesis 30:3

Behold my maid Bilhah, goinuntoher. Shefol-’ lowed the steps of Sarah, Jacob’s grandmother, (xvi. 1.) in adopting the son of her maid-servant; whom she gave to Jacob out of the same principle, that Sarah gave Hagar to be Abraham’s wife; a vehement desire to fulfil the promise, that their seed should be as the stars of heaven; and especially the promise of the Messiah; which made them so cx T tremely troubled at barrenness., She shall bear upon my knees.] Bring me a child, whom I may set upon my knees, as my own. For so it follows. That I may have children.] Though not by my own body, yet by her. For she being Rachel’s servant, the children that were born of her, were Rachel’s children, not her own.

Genesis 30:4

And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife. Of such kind of wives as this and Zilpah, ver. 9. see xxv. 6.

Genesis 30:6

God hath judged me. Decided the controversy betweenme and my sister; and given sentence on my side. She called his name Dan.] The mothers sometimes gavo names to their children (as Leah had done to her’s, mentioned in the foregoing chapter); but with the approbation of the father, who sometimes controlled them, (xxxv; 18.)

Genesis 30:8

With great wrestlings, &c. I have struggled exceeding hard (i.e.im incessant, vehement desires, and perhaps in prayers to God) to have another child, before my sister; and have prevailed.

Genesis 30:9

Took Zilpah her maid, and gave her to Jacob to wife. Imitating her sister, and perhaps out of the samo principle; hoping some or other of her children might be the father of the Messiah: and therefore themorechildren she had, the more likely some of them might be so happy. Ver..ll. A troop eometh.] The Hebrew writers generally expound it, " Good fortuno eometh:" as Mr. Selden shews in his Syntagm. de Diis Syris, cap. 1. And the LXX. translate it lv rvy$ 9 in a lucky hour: and other Greek versions Ttrv-)(r\Ka, as in St. Chrysostom, (Horn. lvi. on this book) who expounds it IttItvxov tov okottov, I have obtained my aim. Others have tvrvxnfJici, which is the same: whenco the Latin anciently had it, beata facta, or fcelix sum, as in St. Austin, Q. xci. in Gen. And this seems to some to be nearer to the Hebrew than any other translation; because, what other way soever we expound the word gad, either for a troop, or fortune, we must make two words of bagad, as the Masorites do, and take l to signify as much as NH, according as we translate it, A troop eometh, or Good fortune coineth. But I see no necessity of this; for, taking gad for a troop, it may be simply translated, With a troop; a troop shall follow this, i.e. a great many more children; And it must be confessed that Jacob in his blessing (xlix. 19.) doth allude to this signification of the word, which I doubt not is the truest. For gad, or gada, never denotes fortune any where but in the Targum of Onkelos and Jonathan, and among the rabbins who follow them: and therefore this may be looked upon as a later not the ancient signification of the word.

Genesis 30:14

In the days ofiuheat-hawest. Which began at

Genesis 30:15

Taken away my husband. It seems he had estranged himself, for some time, from Leah’s bed, out of his great love to Rachel, or because he took little delight in her. Or Rachel’s envy at her having so many children, when she herself had none, made her contrive ways to keep him from Leah. Ver. 1G. Thou must come in to me, &c.] I cannot think of any good reason, either of this contention among Jacob’s wives for his company, or their giving him their maids to be his wives, or for Moses’s taking such particular notice of all this; but only the earnest desire they had to fulfil the promise made to Abraham, That his seed should be as the stars of heaven for multitude; and that in one seed of his (the Messiah) all the nations of the earth should be blessed. It had been below the dignity of such a sacred history as this is, to relate such things, if thcTe had not been something of great consideration in them. And what can that be, but chiefly the birth of the blessed Seed? which was the object of the hopes of all. pious people in those days. For it is evident, both by Rachel and her sister, that it was children they desired, and not merely the company of their husbands: as it here follows, ver. 17.

Genesis 30:17

God hearkened to Leah. To her earnest prayer, or vehement desire: and gave her another son. Ver. IS. God hath given me my hire.] I purchased my husband’s company, and God hath Tcpaid me, by the gift of another son. Unto which she adds a further reflection; as if this was the reward of her kindness to her husband, in r bestowing her maid upon him to be his wife.

Genesis 30:18

Lift up the lad, kcJ. It seems he was so faint that he was not able to stand without support.

Genesis 30:19

Opened her eyes. Made her see what she did not observe before, by reason of her tears, or the great disturbance of her mind. Conceived again.] The birth of this son begat a greater kindness between them; and made him less a stranger to her bed.

Genesis 30:20

And God was with the lad. Preserved and prospered him: so that he grew to be a man. Became an archer.’] A skilful hunter and warrior also, with bow and arrows. Am. Marcellinus, lib. xiv. tells us, that the Saracens, who were of the posterity of Ishmael, never set their hands to the plough, but got their living, for the most part, by their bow. For such as they were themselves such was their food, (victus universis caro ferina, &c.) they all lived upon wild flesh, or venison, and such wild fowl as the wilderness afforded, with herbs and milk. Dr. Jackson observes, that he compares them to kites, ready to spy a prey, but so wild withal that they would not stay by it (as crows or other ravenous birds do by carrion), but presently fled with what they caught into their nests. God hath endowed vie with a good dowry.] By restoring her husband to her, and bestowing new fruitfulncss upon her: for she had ceased to bear, (xxix. nit J)

Genesis 30:21

lie dwelt in the wilderness of Par an. Which was near to Arabia: in which country all the Orieutal writers say the posterity of Ishmael lived: particularly Patricides, w T ho says he went into the land of Jathreb, which is that part of Arabia, in which is the city of Medina. A wife out of Egypt.] Out of her own country, where she was best acquainted. The Jewish doctors say ho had two wives, whose names, they tell us, were Aiscah and Phatimah: the first of which received Abraham churlishly, when he went to visit his son; and therefore he put her away and took the other, who proved more civil, when he made a second journey thither. Which, though it looked like a fable, yet I think it not improbable that Abraham might goto see how his son lived, and that Ishmael might sometimes wait upon him (as the author of Schalsc. Hakab. and Pirke Eliezer affirm); for we cannot think they were so unnatural as never to have any correspondence: especially since we read that Ishmael, as well as Isaae, took care of Abraham’s funeral, xxv.9. After which, it is not improbable, Hagar might have another husband; which is the account Aben Ezra (upon Psalra lxxxiii. 6.) gives of the people called Hagarenes, who are there mentioned as distinct from the Ishmaelites: they were, saith he, descended fromHagar by another husband, notby Abraham. Dinah.] No reason is given of her name: but it seems to have the same with that of Rachel’s first-born by Bilhah, (vfcr. G.) For, as if she had now got the better of Rachel, she calls this child by a name importing judgment. Ver..22. God remembered Rachel.] He would not have Leah insult over her, nor triumph too much; and therefore blessed Rachel with a soh out of her own womb, for that was to remember her.

Genesis 30:22

Abimelech and Pichol, &c. It is plain by this that Abraham still lived, if not in the country of Gerar, yet very near it. God is with thee in all that thou doest] They saw him so thriving and prosperous, that they were afraid he might grow too strong for them, if he should have a mind to disturb them.

Genesis 30:23

Swear that thou wilt not deal falsely, &c. That as there hath been a long friendship between me and thee, so thou wilt not violate it; but always preserve it, even when I am dead: according to thy frequent professions and, perhaps, promises. According to the kindness, &c] Abimelech thought he might claim this oath from Abraham, by virtue of the obligations he had laid upon him.

Genesis 30:24

I will sivear. He was as forward to confirm his promises as to make them. Joseph.] His name seems to have been taken both from ending her reproach, which she mentions before, ver. 23. " The Lord hath taken away (asaph the Hebrew word is) my reproach," and from adding another son to this. God shall add to me another son.] This was a great expression of her faith; more than wc find in all the former births.

Genesis 30:25

And Abraham reproved Abimelech. But before he sware, he thought it necessary to settle a right understanding between them: and therefore argued with Abimelech (as it may bo rendered) about a well of water digged by Abraham’s servants, which Abimelech’s had injuriously taken from him. This was wisdom to complain of wrongs now, before they entered into a covenant, that they, being redressed, there might remain no occasion of quarrels afterward. Ver. 2G. Abimelech said, I wot not, &c] This is the first time I heard of it; if thou hadst complained before I would have done thee right. Send me away.] It is plain, by this, that the seven 1 years’ service for Rachel was now finished, just when Joseph was born: and therefore he desires to be dismissed, having lived with him fourteen years. To my own place, and to my country.] i. e. To his father’s house in Canaan: which was his country, because he was born there.

Genesis 30:26

For thou knowest what service I have done thee. He appeals to himself, whether he had not served him with all diligence and fidelity: and therefore deserved to he dismissed after such long labours.

Genesis 30:27

And Abraham tooksheep, &c. Some think they were a present he made to Abimelech, in gratitude for what he had bestowed on him, (xx. 14.) or in token of friendship with him. But others think they were designed for sacrifices, by which they made a covenant one with another. At least some of them served for that use. I have learned by experience.] Or, as the ancients understood the word nichashti, I h^xe found by divination: and Abcn Ezra thinks he learnt it by consulting with his Teraphim. But there needed no such advice with them; the thing was plain in itself, that he had brought prosperity along with him into his house.

Genesis 30:28

And he set seven ewe lambs by themselves. The meaning of this is afterwards explained, ver. 30. That though they were part of the present he made him,.yet they should be understood also (being set apart from the rest) to be a purchase of a quiet possession of that well.

Genesis 30:29

Thou knowest how I have sewed thee. Willi how much care and fidelity, as he had admonished him before, (ver. 26.) And how thy cattle tvas with vie.] How they prospered under my care.

Genesis 30:30

A witness vnto me that I have digged this well. By this token it shall be remembered hereafter, that I digged this well, and that thou didst grant me quiet possession of it. Blessed thee since my coming.] So St. Jerome explains the Hebrew phrase, at my foot: ever since I set my foot within thy doors; or, since I entered into thy service. Others expound it, ivheresoever I went, or, by my leading thy flock. But Maimonides says, this phrase, le* ragli (at my foot) signifies because of me; for my sake* And so he explains the like phrase, xxxiii. 14. par. i. More Ncvoch. cap. 2S.

Genesis 30:31

Called the place Beer-sheba. The Hebrew word sheba signifies, both an oath, and also seven: perhaps for both reasons this place had this name. We are sure for the first, which is here mentioned: because they sware to each other. Thus they made a covenant, &c] By giving and accepting those sheep and oxen, mentioned ver. 27. and, perhaps, by offering sacrifices; or, at least, by eating and drinking together, as Isaac and Abimelech did in aftertimes, (xxvi.30.) Here some observe, it was not unlawful, by the law of nature, to make covenants with infidels and idolaters, for mutual defence and commerce, or such-like reasons; but I see no proof that Abimelech was such a person. In futureages the people of Canaan were so corrupted by this, as well as other sins, that God commanded them to be exterminated, and made it unlawful to enter into a covenant with them, (Exod. xxxiv. 15.) But as the Philistines were none of them, so it still remained law T ful to make leagues with other gentiles who were not of the seven nations of Canaan, as we see by the examples of David, and Solomon, and others. They returned into the land of the Philistines.] Into that part of the country where they dwelt; for both Abimelech and Abraham were now in that land, as appears from the last verse of this chapter. Thoushalt not give me any thing, &c] I will take nothing of thee at present; but make this following bargain with thee, for the future.

Genesis 30:32

All the speckled and spotted. In this place, and in xxxi. 10. there are four distinct words used to express what should be his. The first of them is nakod, which we well translate speckled. For the word signifies little points or pricks, which the Greeks call artyfiara: as many have observed; particularly Bochart in his Hierozoic. par. i. lib. ii. cap. 45. The next is talu, which signifies, broader and larger spots; which we frequently sec in cattle. The next is akod, which signifies, spotted with divers colours: but most properly spots, or rather circles, or rings about the feet or legs (which we translate ring-straked): so Syinmachus renders it Aeu»co7roS«c, whiter-footed: and Onkelos and Jonathan, having marks on their feet; rather lists round their legs or feet; for the word denotes, binding or twisting about any thing. And then the last, word bamd signifies, whitish spots like hail, for bamd, in Hebrew, is hail. This shall be. my hire.] He doth not mean, that those

Genesis 30:33

Abraham jylanted a grove. For a solemn and retired place wherein to worship God. For, as Servius says upon the ninth iEneid, €i Nunquam est lucus sine religione;" there never was a grove, in ancient times, without religion. And therefore here we may well suppose Abraham built an altar, which was fenced and bounded with an inclosurc, and shaded with trees, as Mr. Mede (Discourse xix.) observes their proseuchas, or places of prayer, to have been in aftertimes. For, that this was intended for So shall my righteousness, &c] This separation being made, it would appear, that if he had any spotted, they were not taken from Laban’s flock; but given to him by God out of them, as a reward of his honest diligence.

Genesis 30:34

Sojourned many days, &c. The word days often signifies years, and, it is likely, signifies so in this place: for here Isaac was born, and here he was weaned; and after that Abraham found so much friendship from Abimelech, and so many conveniences of life, that they invited him to stay a long time in this country. J would it might be according to thy word.] He thought this so good a bargain, that he was afraid Jacob would not stand to it.

Genesis 30:35

Into the hands of his sons. i. e. Of Laban’s sons, who were now grown up: though, perhaps, when Jacob first came to him, they were so little as not to be able to look after the flocks; which his daughter therefore fed: (xxix. 9.) as for Jacob’s sons, the eldest of thein was scarce seven years old; and therefore could not be fit for such employment. Laban therefore went and separated the spotted cattle from the rest; and then, lest Jacob should get any of them to mix with those of one_colour,he committed them to his own sons, to be fed apart by themselves. And, as it follows in the next verse, made a distance of three days’ journey between the one and the other; that none might be in danger to stray to the flock which was fed by Jacob: unto whose care were committed all that had no spots at all.

Genesis 30:36

Set three days 9 journey, &c. That they might be sure not to come near, so much as to see one another.

Genesis 30:37

Of the hazel. The Hebrew word luz signifies an almond, as Bochart proves at large, out of a great many authors. And therefore St. Jerome here rightly translates it, virgas amygdalinas. And the Hebrew interpreters, who will have it signify a hazel-tree, confess that herein they depart from the opinion of those that went before them. So Aben Ezra and Kimchi, who both acknowledge that the ancient doctors expound it, almond-rods. And pilled white strakes in them.] He had three artifices to compass his end. The first was this: to peel off the bark from the rods, at certain distances, till the white appeared between the bark, which was of a different colour. And these rods, thus discoloured, he laid in the channels of water, at that time when the cattle were wont to couple (as it follows in the next verse), that their fancies might be painted with such divers colours as they saw in the rods. (See ver. 40, 41.)

Genesis 30:39

And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth, &c. The Greek fathers ascribe this to the miraculous operation of God, as Bochart observes in his Hierozoic. (par. i. lib. ii. cap. 49.) But the Latin fathers, particularly St. Jerome, look upon it as done by the natural operation of the imagination. For which he alleges the like thing done in Spain among horses and mares: and vol. i. brings Quinctilian and Hippocrates to justify the like conceptions in women. Which he backs with a great mimber of authorities, out of Galen and other writers; who have observed indelible marks to have been impressed upon children, by the objects that were presented to their mother’s imagination at the time of her conception. And St. Austin says, the Egyptians, by the like device with this of Jacob’s, had still a new apis, or pied-bull, to succeed that which died: to whom they gave Divine honour. But whatsoever power there might be in natural imagination to produce such effects, it must be acknowledged that God gave an extraordinary blessing to this contrivance: as. appears by the vision which Jacob says he had, wherein God (who had directed him to this invention) promised to give it success, (xxxi. 10 — 12.) For beasts have very rarely such a strong and vehement imagination as produces such effects; unless it be moved by some unusual passion. And therefore we must confess that God excited and stirred up their imagination; which otherways would not have wrought in that manner; at least, not in all the cattle. For, let any shepherd now try this device, and he will not find it do what it did then by a Divine operation. (Vide G. Vossius, lib. iii. de Idolol. cap. 22.).

Genesis 30:40

And Jacob did separate the lambs, &c. One species is put for all: and the meaning is, that those young cattle (whether lambs or kids of the goats, &c.) which were thus brought forth spotted, he did not suffer to remain with the flock of Laban; lest he should say that he did him wrong by letting them mix together, and so bring forth spotted cattle, (and perhaps he might also think that they, looking upon Laban’s one-coloured cattle, might bring forth young ones like to them.) But, instead of this way of intrenching himself, he had a second artifice; which was to put the spotted cattle (produced by the former device) foremost; so that Laban’s flock should always look upon them, and thereby be the more apt to conceive the like* And then it follows, in the end of this verse, He put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not to Laban’s cattle.] Which looks like a repetition of what was said in the beginning of the verse: but the meaning is, that those which brought forth spotted, by this second artifice, he also put by themselves; and suffered them not to be mingled with Laban’s cattle; as before he had separated those that were brought forth spotted, by looking upon the rods.

Genesis 30:41

And it came to pass, when the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob, &c. This was his third artifice: which is thus expounded by the Chaldee and a great number of other authors, (which* may be seen in Bochart, par. i. Hierozoic. lib.ii. cap. 46.) that he laid therods before the cattle only in the spring-time, when the sun was ascending, and the cattle lusty and vigorous: but let them alone when the cattle came together in September, or the declension of the year (for they bred twice a year in those countries), at which time they were become moro feeble. If he had always laid the rods beforo the cattle, there might have been none but spotted, and so Laban have been quite impoverished. Therefore he chose to do it only in their first and prime copulation, which was in the spring-time; and omitted it in the later, which was in the autumn. Our famous Mr. Mede follows this interpretation, (Discourso xlv.