Jacob marrieth Leah and Rachel.

Before CHRIST 1760.

1753.

19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.

24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? 26 And Laban said, It must not + Heb. place. be so done in our + country, to give the younger before the firstborn."

27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

ture the dowry, in lieu of this portion. Jacob, being destitute of money, offers his uncle seven years' service, which must have been equivalent to a large sum. Biblioth. Bibl.

22.-Laban gathered together all the men of the place,] All such private contracts were completed by the elders or governours of the place, in the presence of all the people. An instance of this occurred before, in Abraham's purchase of a sepulchre for his family, chap. xxiii. 11, 18. This was a sacred and religious thing, as well as the rites of marriage; and therefore both were parts of the publick care. Bp. Patrick.

23. and brought her to him ;] The modesty of those times made them bring the bride to her husband's bed vailed, and without lights: so that it was easier for Laban to impose on Jacob. Bp. Patrick.

Leah beareth four sons.

28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.

29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he 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 Rachel was barren.

Before CHRIST 1753.

see a son.

32 And Leah conceived and bare about 1752. a son, and she called his name || Reu- That is, ben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. 33 And she conceived again, and about 1751. 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.

That is,

hearing.

service, thou shalt marry Rachel also, and keep her wedding feast seven days. Selden.

30. And he went in also unto Rachel,] There was no positive law at this time against such marriages as this; and Jacob probably thought there was an unavoidable necessity for his marrying these two sisters: for Rachel was his true wife, Leah being imposed upon him by deceit but having taken her, he concluded he could not honestly leave her, any more than he could Rachel, to whom he was first contracted. The example of Jacob however in this particular is no rule for Christians. He, who pretends to pronounce on so singular a case as that of this Patriarch, should consider the different state of things, before the promulgation of the Law, during the obligation of it, and since the commencement of the Gospel. The Gospel undoubtedly prohibits both a plurality of wives, and consanguinity in marriages; and requires of its votaries the strictest chastity, from a consideration and motive, which neither the law of nature, nor the Law of Moses, knew any thing of; "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's," 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. Bp. Patrick, Stackhouse.

Rachel giveth Bilhah to Jacob.

Before CHRIST about 1749.

+ Heb. be built by her.

1 That is,' judging.

+ Heb. wrestlings of God.

That is, my wrestling. a Called,

CHAP. XXX. 1 Rachel, in grief for her barrenness, giveth Bilhah her maid unto Jacob. 5 She bear

eth Dan and Naphtali. 9 Leah giveth Zilpah her maid, who beareth Gad and Asher. 14 Reuben findeth mandrakes, with which Leah buyeth her husband of Rachel.. 17 Leah beareth Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah. 22 Rachel beareth Joseph. 25 Jacob desireth to depart. 27 Laban stayeth him on a new covenant. 37 Jacob's policy, whereby

he became rich.

Leah beareth Issachar, &c.

Before CHRIST

11 And Leah said, A troop cometh and she called his name | Gad. about 1749. 12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.

That is, a troop, or, company.

happiness.

happy.

bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also + have children by her.

4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name || Dan.

7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second

9 When Leah saw that she had Mali. left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.

Nephthalim.

10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.

Chap. XXX. ver. 3. - she shall bear upon my knees,] Bring me a child, whom I may set upon my knees as my own. Bp. Patrick.

The bearing upon the knees may denote, that Rachel designed her servant to bear a child, as in her presence, and as it were upon her knees, to the end that her mistress might be made a mother by her instrumentality, and might have children whom she might truly call her own, though not born of herself. Stackhouse. We see that barren Rachel follows Sarah's example, and adopts the son of that maid servant, whom she gave to Jacob: wherein Leah followed her, and gave one of her maids to her husband. All this was evidently grounded upon the same principle, which afterwards bred those dissensions betwixt Jacob's wives about the having children by them; for it is very natural to beVOL. I.

son's mandrakes.

15 And she said unto her, 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 to night for thy son's mandrakes.

16 And Jacob came out of the field in the 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 about 1750. the fifth son.

18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name || Issachar.

19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.

20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name || Zebulun.

mandrakes] Supposed to be what the Syrians call mauz, a fruit, about as big as a small cucumber, that hangs in clusters, sometimes to the number of forty on the same stalk, and is in figure and taste not unlike the Indian fig. Stackhouse.

21. Dinah.] No reason is given for this name; but it seems to have the same with that of Rachel's firstborn by Bilhah; for, as if she had now got the better of Rachel, she called this child by a name importing judgment. Bp. Patrick.

G

Joseph born.

Before CHRIST 1745.

I That is, adding.

+ Heb.

23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:

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 born 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, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.

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.

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 broken forth. LORD hath blessed thee + since my coming and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

+ Heb. al my oot.

32.

I will pass through all thy flock to-day,] The meaning was, that Laban should drive away all the brown or speckled, that were at present in the flock, and give them to his sons to keep three days' journey off: and that Jacob should have only the white sheep and the uniformly-coloured goats of Laban's, to keep; and that he should have for his hire for keeping them, only such of the breed of that flock, as should hereafter be black of the sheep or speckled of the goats. Dr. Wall.

33. 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. Bp. Patrick.

In considering this action of Jacob, we must not look

Jacob's policy.

flock to-day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

Before CHRIST 1745.

to-morrow.

33 So shall my righteousness answer for me + in time to come, when + Heb. 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.

34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

37¶And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut-tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

39 And the flocks conceived be

to it by itself only, but we must remember, that there was a much superiour Agent, even the great Proprietor of the world, by whose direction it was done. God Almighty determined to punish Laban for his injustice, and to reward Jacob for his fidelity. He revealed to Jacob the manner, in which He designed to bless him, and ordered him to do an action, as a token of reliance on Him for the performance of his promise, chap. xxxi. 10.

Jacob faithfully observed the orders that were given him, and the event proved accordingly.

Were it lawful for any private person to make reprisals, the injurious treatment Jacob had received from Laban, both in imposing a wife upon him, and prolonging his servitude without wages, was enough to give him both the provocation and the privilege to do so. God Almighty however was pleased to take the determination of the whole matter into his own hands: and therefore the true conclusion is, what Jacob himself expresses in his speech to his two wives, "Ye know that with all my power I have served your father. And your father hath deceived me; but God suffered him not to hurt me. If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ring

Laban pursueth after him,

Before CHRIST 1739.

+ Heb. teraphim. + Heb. the heart of Laban.

28 And hast not suffered me to

21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

22 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; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak + Heb. from not to Jacob + either good or bad.

good to bad.

25 ¶ Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount : and Laban with his 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 + Heb. hast secretly, and + steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth,

stolen me.

19. the images] In the Hebrew "teraphim:" used as objects of worship, or instruments of divination. It is supposed that Rachel stole them; either because, having still a tincture of superstition, she feared Laban should inquire of them which way Jacob was gone; or because, having been brought off by Jacob from the false notions and bad customs of her country, she desired to convince her father of his superstition, by letting him see, that his gods (as he called them) could not preserve themselves, much less be of any service to him; or because she intended to give herself some portion of his goods which she thought justly belonged to her, and of which he had deprived her. It is supposed the images were made of gold, or silver, or some other valuable substance. Bp. Patrick, Stackhouse.

The teraphim were probably the pictures or statues of some of Rachel's ancestors, and taken by her for the preservation of their memory, when she was about never to see her country and father's house again. Laban had abused them to idolatry. Dr. Lightfoot.

the river,] The Euphrates; frequently called in Scripture the river, by way of eminence. Bp. Patrick. the mount Gilead. So called by anticipation. The heap of stones, which Laban and Jacob raised in memory of their agreement and covenant, was called Gilead, that is, an heap of witnesses: and in after-ages gave the name to the whole neighbouring country, which lies on the east of the sea of Galilee: being part of that ridge of mountains, which runs from mount

29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house; yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? 31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And

Before CHRIST 1739.

Lebanon southward on the east of the Holy Land, and includes the mountainous region, called in the New Testament Trachonitis. Dr. Wells.

27.—I might have sent thee away with mirth, &c.] When the prefetto of Egypt was preparing for his journey, he complains of his being incommoded by the sonnets of his Eastern friends, who took leave in this manner of their relations and acquaintance before their setting out. These valedictory songs, however, are not to be supposed to be a prelude to all their journeys, but only to those of the most solemn kind. There is therefore an energy in those words of Laban, which ought to be remarked, Why didst not thou tell me, that I might have sent thee away, and taken my leave of my daughters, going such a journey, with all due solemnity, according to the custom of my country? Harmer.

33. And Laban went into Jacob's tent, &c.] Men and women had their distinct tents, apart by themselves, chap. xxiv. 67. Bp. Patrick.

The Arabs are not so scrupulous as the Turks about their women; and though they have the harem, or women's part of the tent, yet such, as they are acquainted with, come into it; but no strangers ever dare to come into the women's apartment, unless they are introduced. Bp. Pococke.

34. — put them in the camel's furniture,] Rachel probably rode after the Arab mode, upon an hiran, which is a piece of serge, about six ells long, laid upon the