Genesis 35

Made me to stink, &c. Made me odious to all the country, as a murderer, a robber, and a breaker of my faith. son of his right hand, or of his strength, as it is commonly interpreted. Though others will have it, the son of years, i. e. of his old age: or, putting both together, the support and stay of his old age. Names are oft-times strangely adapted to things; and the presages of parents have anciently been observed to be fulfilled. " Heu nunquam vana parentum Auguria " Which is in no instance more verified than in this child of Jacob’s, who did not bear either of these names for nought. There being two very different fates of his posterity, (as Dr. Jackson observes in a discourse of his upon St. Matt. ii. 17, 18.) answerable to the contrary importance of the names given him by his father and his mother. No tribe in Israel more valorous, yet none so subject to sorrowful disasters as this tribe of Benjamin. It was almost extirpated in the time of the Judges, (xx. 25, &c.) and yet before the conclusion of that age, Benjamin became the head of his brethren: the first king of Israel being chosen out of that late desolate tribe: and though that king proved at last but a Ben-oni; yet this tribe stuck close to Judah, when all the rest revolted to his brother Joseph.

Genesis 35:1

JjLND God said unto Jacob. There were several ways, as Maimonides observes, whereby God communicated himself to the prophets. Unto whom he is said sometimes, to speak by an angel in a dream, as he did to Jacob, xxxi. 11. Sometimes by an angel, without any mention how it was, whether in a dream or vision, or not: of which he takes this place to be an instance; and verse the 10th of this chapter, and xxii. 15. Thirdly, In other places there is no mention of an angel, but of God alone speaking; y et * n a vision, or dream, xv. 1. And, lastly, God is said to speak absolutely, neither in a dream, nor vision, nor by angel, xii. 1. xxxi. 3. (More Nevochim, par. ii. cap. 42.) In which classes I think he might have put this apparition to Jacob, as well as that last mentioned: for there is no difference between them but this, that in the former place (xxxi. 3.) it is said, The Lord said unto Jacob; and here, God said unto Jacob. Arise, go tip to Bethel, and dwell there.] By this advice God shewed he still took care of him; and delivered him from the fear he was in of tho Canaanites and Perizzites. Who, one would think, detested the fact of Sheehem; or, else it may seem strange that they did not immediately cut off Jacob and his family, who had taken such a terrible revenge for it; but let them remove quietly to Bethel. But Moses gives us the true reason of this, ver. 5. Make there an altar.] Perform a vow which thou madest in that place, (xxviii. 20 — 22.) Some wonder Jacob made no more haste to this place, after his return to his own country (for now he had been about nine years in Canaan), and some of the Hebrew doctors fancy God punished him for deferring so long to go thither (where he promised to worship him, if he prospered his journey and brought him back again in safety), by suffering his daughter Dinah to be ravished. But it is more probable that he met with obstructions, which made it not safe for him, as yet, to go thither; or, that he waited till God, who had conducted him hitherto, should direct him to take his journey to that place. For, it is very probable, he inquired of him about his removal.

Genesis 35:2

Then Jacob said unto his household, &c. .Being to perform a solemn sacrifice to God, he calls upon his family to prepare themselves for it. UPON GENESIS. And to all that were with him.] Hired servants who lived with him. Put away the strange gods.] Rachel had her father’s teraphim, which now, it is to be supposed, she confessed. And he suspected there might be some among the men-servants and maid-servants he brought with him out of Mesopotamia, (xxxii. 5.) where there was much superstition: and that in the sacking of Sheehem they might bring away some images with them (for the sake of the silver and gold) which theyjkept secretly among them. And be clean.] Wash your bodies, as Aben Ezra truly interprets it: for this was the ancient rite of cleansing. Wherein he seems to have followed Jonathan, who thus paraphrases it, Purify yourselves from the pollution of the slain, whom ye have touched; referring it to the foregoing slaughter of the people of Sheehem. And change your garments.] Put on clean clothes. Which was but a reasonable injunction, being to appear before the Divine Majesty; in whose presence it was Tudeness to be seen in sordid raiment: especially in those wherein they had newly defiled themselves by a bloody slaughter. These two, I doubt not, were pious customs, which their godly ancestors had observed, from the beginning of offering solemn sacrifices. It being very unseemly to appeaT before a great man in dirty apparel, or with a sweaty body. And I do not see why we should not look upon these as an external profession of the like purity in their minds and hearts. All nations retained these washings and white raiment, when they performed the solemn offices of religion: which were not derived from idolaters, but from the purest antiquity.

Genesis 35:4

And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods. Which, it seems by this expression, were numerous. And the ear-rings that were in their ears.] In the ears of the idols; for there was no harm in the ear-rings they wore themselves. So some interpret it; not considering that, besides theear-rings which were ornaments, there were others worn in the nature of amulets; or for some other superstitious uses, having the effigies of some god or other; or some symbolical notes, in which they fancied there was some power to preserve them from several mischiefs. Maimonides, in his book of Idolatry, cap. 7. mentions such idolatrical rings, as were utterly unlawful to be used; and vessels marked with the image of the sun, the moon, or a dragon: which were symbols of divinity among the heathen; who made marks also in several parts of their bodies. And Jacob hid them.] Buried them in the earth; after he had first broken them in pieces (as some think), or melted them, as Moses and Hezekiahdid,Exod. xxxii. 20. 2 Kings xviii. 4. Which, if it be true, it is but a tale which is told of the Samaritans; that they digged up these idols and worshipped them. (See Hottinger, Smegma Orient, p. 359.) Under an oak which was by Sheehem.] It was so unknown under what oak this was, that there is no ground for their opinion, who think this was the same oak mentioned in Josh. xxiv. 2G. For he intended to abolish the memory of these idols; and therefore hid them, where lie thought nobody would find them. It took up some time to do all this; and yet the people of the land did not fall upon Jacob’s family: the providence of God watching over him, as it follows in the next verse.

Genesis 35:5

And they journeyed: and the terror of the Lord was upon the cities round about them, &c. Here is the true reason why the country did not, at least, fall upon the rear of Jacob’s family, when they marched away; because God made a panic fear to fall upon them. Who otherwise (one would guess by this) had an inclination to be revenged for the destruction of Shechem. For though they could not justify the fact of Shechem; yet they might think Jacob’s sons too cruel in the punishment of it: for their own father was of that opinion.

Genesis 35:6

So Jacob came to Luz. Seo xxviii. 19.

Genesis 35:7

Built there an altar, Sic. And offered sacrifices of thanksgiving to God, for performing his promise to him, beseeching him still to continue his care of him.

Genesis 35:8

Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died. She went to attend Rebekah, when she was married to Isaac: which troubles the Jews to give an account how she came here, into Jacob’s family. R. Solomon solves it thus: that Rebekah having promised Jacob when he went away, to send for him, (xxvii. 45.) she performed this promise by Deborah: whom she sent to Padan-Aram to invite him homo and in her return she died here. But it is more reasonable to suppose that Jacob had been at his father’s house, before this time; and Rebekah being dead (whether before or after is uncertain), Deborah was desirous to live with his wives, who were her countrywomen: and that her death is here mentioned (though we read nothing of Rebekah’s) to give an account how this oak came by the name of Allon-Bacuth, in aftertimes. Under an oak.] There were many about Bethel, near to which there was a w r ood, or forest; out of which the bears came, who devoured the children that cursed Elisha, (2 Kings ii. 23.) And under an oak also the old prophet found the man of God sitting, as he went from Bethel, (1 Kings xiii. 14.)

Genesis 35:9

And God appeared vnto Jacob again, &c. The Schechinah, or Divine Majesty, who bade him go to Bethel, (ver. 1.) appeared to him when he came there, in a most glorious manner: as he had done when he lodged there in his journey to Padan-Aram, (xxviii. 13.)

Genesis 35:10

Israel shall be thy name. This is a far more honourable name than that of Jacob: and therefore by it thoushalt be commonly called. For the name of Jacob was given him from the supplanting of his brother, and getting the advantage* of him: but this of Israel from his prevalence over the angel of God. And he called his n&me Israel.] He solemnly confirmed that name, which was given him before by his angel, (xxxii. 28.) This seems to me to prove, that it was no more than an angel who wrestled with Jacob, and told him his name should be changed. For, if it had been God himself, Jacob was as much satisfied then, as he could be now, that Israel should be his name. Bat I take it, God reserved the declaration of it from his own mouth, till this time: when he ratified what he had before spoken by his angel. •And thus I find (since I noted this) St. Jerome understood this passage; whose words are these: " Dudum nequaquam ei nomen ab an^elo imponitur," &c. This name was not heretofore imposed on him by the angel; who only foretold that God would impose it on him; that therefore which ivas there promised should be, we are here taught was fulfilled.

Genesis 35:11

I am God Almighty, &c. Here God renews his promise to him, as he had often done to Abraham. He. had first blessed him by Isaac, (xxviii. 3.) when he sent him from home. Then he himself blessed him, when he appeared to him, the first night of his journey (ver. 13. of that chapter); and now again, when he was come back to the very same place, where he blessed him before. And he speaks to him by the name of El-Shaddai, i. e. God all-sufficient: the very same whereby his father had blessed him, (xxviii. 3.) and whereby God blessed Abraham, (xvii. 1.)

Genesis 35:13

And God went up from him. It is evident by this, that a visible majesty, or glory, appeared to him at this time: from whence the foregoing words were spoken to him: which being done, it went up towards heaven. In the Hebrew the words are, went up from upon him, or over him; and the very same is said of Abraham, (xvii. 22.) as if the Schechinah appeared over his head in great lustre; whilst he perhaps lay prostrate upon the ground.

Genesis 35:14

Set up a pillar in that place. To be a monument of the Divine Goodness; who there appeared to him; and made him such gracious promises, as those beforementioned, (ver. 11, 12.) And to serve for an altar whereon to offer sacrifice. For so the word matzebath signifies, (Hosea iii. 4.) And therefore Isaiah seems to make an altar and a pillar the same thing, (xix. 19.) Poured a drink-offering thereon.] To consecrate it unto the solemn service of God. For which end he poured oil upon it, as he had done upon the stone, (xxviii. 18.) which, in all likelihood, was a principal part of this pillar. And having done all this, we are to suppose he not only offered sacrifice, but paid the tenth of all that God had given him, according to his vow, (xxviii. ult.)

Genesis 35:15

Called the name of the place. Or, rather, of that place; that famous place, which God hath made so remarkable by his goodness to him. For the Hebrews, not without reason, make the he before makom to add an emphasis to that word. Bethel.] i. e. The house of God. So he said he would make this place, (xxviii. 22.) and now he is as good as his word, by renewing the name he had given it thirty years before, when he first went into Mesopotamia.

Genesis 35:16

And there tvas but a little way to come to Ephrath. When they were come within a little of Ephrath. The Hebrew word for a little is chibrath: whose precise signification is uncertain. Benjamin Tudelensis saith, this place was within half a mile and a little more of Ephrath. (See his Itinerar. p. 47. and Const. 1/ Empereur on the place, p. 176.)

Genesis 35:17

Fear not: thou shalt leave this son also. The midwife seems to comfort Rachel with her own prediction, (xxx. 24.)

Genesis 35:18

She called his?iame Ben-oni. Rachel seems to give her former hopes of a second son for lost; at least, she expected no comfort from him, being ready to expire. And therefore she called him a son of sorrow: his birth being her death. But his father called him Benjamin.] To comfort Rachel in her sorrow, and to avert the sinister omen, Jacob immediately changed his name into Benjamin; signifying the

Genesis 35:20

Jacob set a pillar upon her grave. After that law was made (Deut. xvi. 22.) against erecting pillars, the Jews did not think all pillars unlawful; but only those for superstitious uses: not those which were in memory of something; as Maimonides’s words are, lib. de Idolol. cap. 6.

Genesis 35:21

And, Israel journeyed. This is the first time that Moses calls him Israel after this name was given him by God, which he repeats twice in the next verse; and then calls him Jacob again, in the latter end of it. It is in vain to search for a reason. Some of the Jews will have it, that he calls him Israel, because he bare the death ofhis beloved wife with admirable patience and submission to God’s mil. But they cannot give so good a reason, why he immediately alters his style, and calls him Jacob again. (Sec ver. 22.) Beyond the tower of Edar.] i. e. The tower of the flock, as some translate it; who think there was such a tower near Jerusalem, because of those words of Micah, (iv. 8.) " O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion." Which, if it be true, it doth not prove there was no tower in Jacob’s days called by that name; but rather that in future ages this tower was renewed, in the same or a neighbouring place; and called by the ancient name which it had in the days of Jacob.

Genesis 35:22

Went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. She is called his wife, xxx. 4. and, according to the laws of those times, was truly so; as I have often observed all those called concubines were: though not the principal wives, but of a lower rank. (See Mr. Selden, de Jure N. and G. lib. v. cap. 7. p. 570, 571, &c.) And Israel heard it.] And highly resented it, as we find xlix. 4. But in this short history Moses passes over Israel’s censure of his incest till he came to die: which shews sufficiently how he was affected when the fact was committed. Or perhaps these words, Israel heard it, may signify, that though Reuben thought to have committed this sin so secretly, as to have concealed it from his father, yet he came to the knowledge of it; and gave him such private rebukes, as were fitting; but proceeded not to public punishment, to avoid scandal. Now. the sons of Jacob were twelve.] Their number being now completed by the birth of Benjamin, after whom he had no more children, Moses thought good’ here to enumerate them. And they being all born (save Benjamin alone) before he had the name of Israel, it may be the reason, perhaps, why he calls him Jacob.

Genesis 35:26

Which were born to him in Padan-Aram. All except Benjamin, who (as was said just before, ver. 18.) was born in Canaan.

Genesis 35:27

Jacob came to Isaac his father, &c.j To dwell with him, and to be the comfort of his old age. For, it is not to be doubted, he had been with him before, since he came from Mesopotamia: but now came to stay with him, till death parted them.. Unto the city of Arba, &c] Called Kirjath-Arba, (xxiii. 2.) from a great man (Josh. xiv. 15.) among the Anakims, whose name was Arba, and either was born, or dwelt, or ruled here. It was afterwards called Hebron, where Abraham dwelt a long time, (xiii. 18.) and where he bought a burying-place for his family, (xxiii. 19.)

Genesis 35:28

The days of Isaac were a hundred [and fourscore years. He lived five years longer.than his father Abraham, (xxv. 7.)

Genesis 35:29

Hi? sons Esau and Jacob buried. As Isaac and Ishmael had done Abraham, (xxv. 9.) and no doubt in the same place: he sojourning there (as we said before) as his father had done before him. By this it appears, the friendship between Esau and Jacob continued, after the interview they had at Jacob’s return into this country.

Should he deal with oar sister as with a harlot?. As with a common whore, that prostituted herself to his lust? If she had done so, there had been no ground for their quarrel (according to the Hebrew doctors), because Sheehem had not then offended against the laws of the sons of Noah (as they speak), i. e. the right of nations: which was not violated by a man’s lying with a single woman, by her free consent. But Dinah being forced and violently ravished (as they take the sense of ver.- 2. to be), they tell their father they might right themselves by making war upon them. For there was no other way to deal with princes, whom they could not implead in any court; and therefore betook themselves to arms. (See Mr. Selden, lib. vii. de Jure N. et G. juxta Hebr. cap. 5.)