of the Eastern Countries From whom it is evident by this History all Learning Arts and Sciences originally came I could add a great deal more to this purpose but the Reader I hope will find enough to satisfie him in the Commentary it self And therefore I shall only make this one Request to him That he would take his Bible and read every Verse intirely along with this Commentary For I have not set down every Word of the Text for fear of swelling this Work unto too great a Bulk April 10. 1694. An Advertisement THat the Reader may more readily find any particular Place in which he would be satisfied the Page where each Chapter begins which should have been set down on the head of every Page is here noted CHAP. I. Page 1 CHAP. II. Page 32 CHAP. III. Page 58 CHAP. IV. Page 85 CHAP. V. Page 111 CHAP. VI. Page 123 CHAP. VII Page 136 CHAP. VIII Page 144 CHAP. IX Page 154 CHAP. X. Page 168 CHAP. XI Page 218 CHAP. XII Page 237 CHAP. XIII Page 247 CHAP. XIV Page 254 CHAP. XV. Page 267 CHAP. XVI Page 280 CHAP. XVII Page 286 CHAP. XVIII Page 297 CHAP. XIX Page 309 CHAP. XX. Page 323 CHAP. XXI Page 330 CHAP. XXII Page 339 CHAP. XXIII Page 353 CHAP. XXIV Page 361 CHAP. XXV Page 373 CHAP. XXVI Page 391 CHAP. XXVII Page 400 CHAP. XXVIII Page 408 CHAP. XXIX Page 418 CHAP. XXX Page 423 CHAP. XXXI Page 434 CHAP. XXXII Page 450 CHAP. XXXIII Page 459 CHAP. XXXIV Page 465 CHAP. XXXV Page 472 CHAP. XXXVI Page 483 CHAP. XXXVII Page 491 CHAP. XXXVIII Page 502 CHAP. XXXIX Page 514 CHAP. XL. Page 519 CHAP. XLI Page 526 CHAP. XLII Page 543 CHAP. XLIII Page 552 CHAP. XLIV Page 560 CHAP. XLV Page 566 CHAP. XLVI Page 572 CHAP. XLVII Page 583 CHAP. XLVIII Page 592 CHAP. XLIX Page 600 CHAP. L. Page 633 ERRATA Page 17. Line 16. read propagate them Page 18. Line 6. r. habent utique Page 45. Line 2. r. Physcus Page 56. Line 19. del therefore before she Page 80. ult r. seem to be forced Page 81. Line 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Page 82. Line 22. r. Pherecydes Page 110. Line 8. r. Erpenius Page 114. Line 8. r. Gassendus and Peireskius Page 126. Line 14. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Page 128. Line 21. r. V. 32. Page 141. Line 12. r. all the high Hills Page 146. Line 8. r. Cilicia Page 160. Line 31. r. never let them thicken Page 165. Line 10. r. Nethinim Page 180. Line 28. r. Lake Tritonides Page 184. penul r. that very learned Page 185. Line 24. r. or Rhegma Page 192. Line 8. r. East-side of Tigris Page 199. Line 24. r. Kadmonites Page 202. Line 5. r. But we read Page 206. Line 6. r. was Aramaei Page 215. Line 20. r. we should read Page 218. Line 14. r. their Mouth formed Page 219. Line 4. r. Gedaliah Page 221. Line 10. r. World The ripeness Page 241. Line 27. r. Sichem and the plain Page 278. Line 20. r. Peleufiacum brachium Page 305. Line 20. r. to cry first to show Page 351. Line 23. r. possess the Gate Page 369. Line 1. r. consents Page 386. Line 10. r. Euphrates Page 403. pen. r. observe Page 419. Line 22. r. about it Page 424. pen. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Page 453. Line 28. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Page 456. Line 18. r. hollow Page 464. Line 22. r. Kesita Page 473. Line 17. r. houshold Page 497. Line 12. r. their Camels Page 606. Line 17. r. too strait for them Page 609. Line 31. r. there should continue Page 630. Line 31. r. Tribe of Benjamin Page 639. Line 20. r. in case he should meet A COMMENTARY UPON THE First Book of MOSES CALLED GENESIS THat MOSES wrote this and the Four following Books hath been so constantly believed both by Jews Christians and Heathens that none I think denied it till Aben Ezra a Jewish Doctor who lived not much above five hundred Years ago raised some Doubts about it in his Notes upon the First of Deuteronomy out of XII Passages in these Books themselves Which he pretended could not be his but the Words of a later Author But when I meet with those places I shall make it appear that all such exceptions are very frivolous and ought not to shake our belief of this Truth That these Five Books were penned by MOSES and no Body else The first is called GENESIS because it contains the History of the Creation of the World with which it begins and the Genealogy of the Patriarchs down to the death of Joseph where it ends It comprehends an History of Two thousand three hundred and sixty nine Years or thereabouts The truth of all which it was not difficult for Moses to know because it came down to his time through but a very few Hands For from Adam to Noah there was one Man Methuselah who lived so long as to see them both And so it was from Noah to Abraham Shem conversed with both As Isaac did with Abraham and Joseph From whom these things might easily be conveyed to Moses by Amram who lived long enough with Joseph In short Moses might have been confuted if he had written any thing but the Truth by learned Men of other Nations who sprang from the same Root and had the like means of being acquainted with the great things here reported by tradition from their Fore-fathers Who lived so long in the beginning of the World that they more certainly transmitted things to their Posterity Besides it is not reasonable to think they had not the use of Writing as we have whereby they conveyed the knowledge of Times foregoing to those that came after Verse 1. In the beginning The World is not eternal but had a beginning as all Philosophers acknowledged before Aristotle So he himself informs us L. 1. de Coelo cap. 2. speaking of the ancient Opinions concerning the Original of the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they all say it had a beginning But some thought it might have no End others judged it to be Corruptible God created He who is Eternal gave a Being to this great Fabrick of Heaven and Earth out of Nothing It is observed by Eusebius in the beginning of his Book De Praepar Evang. p. 21 25. Edit Paris That neither the ancient Historians nor the Philosophers do so much as mention GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no not so far as to name him when they write of the beginning of the World But this Divine Law-giver designing to hang the whole Frame of his Polity upon Piety towards GOD and to make the Creator of all the Founder of his Laws begins with him Not after the manner of the Egyptians and Phoenicians who bestowed this adorable Name upon a great Multitude But puts in the Front of his Work the Name of the sole Cause of all things the Maker of whatsoever is seen or unseen As if he had told the
Hebrew Nation That he who gave them the Law contained in these Books was the King and Law-giver of the whole World Which was like a great City governed by him Whom therefore he would have them look upon not only as the Enacter of their Laws but of those also which all Nature obeys See L. VII De Praepar Evang. c. 9 10. L. XII c. 16. The Heaven and the Earth The Hebrew Particle Eth put before both Heaven and Earth signifies as much as with if Maimonides understood it aright and makes the Sence to be this He created the Heavens with all things in the Heavens and the Earth with all things in the Earth as his Words are in More Nevochim P. II. cap. 30. Certain it is these two words Heaven and Earth comprehend the whole visible World Some would have the Angels comprehended in the word Heaven particularly Epiphanius Haeres LXV n. 45. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But others of the Fathers are of a different Opinion as Petavius there observes It is a pretty Conceit of Theophilus Antiochenus L. 2. ad Autolycum That the Heavens are mentioned before the Earth to show that God's Works are not like ours For he begins at the top we at the bottom That is he first made the fixed Stars and all beyond them fo I take the word Heaven here to signifie for they had a beginning as well as this lower World though they do not seem to be comprehended in the six days Work which relates only to this Planetary World as I may call it which hath the Sun for its Center And thus Philo understood the first word Bereschith in the beginning to respect the order wherein things were created God began his Creation with the Heaven as the most noble Body and then proceeded to the Earth an account of which follows Ver. 2. And the Earth was without form c. Some connect this Verse with the foregoing by translating the first Verse in this manner When God first created or began to create the Heaven and the Earth the Earth was without form c. That is at first he only created a rude Matter of those things which afterwards were fashioned as we now see them Without form A confused indigested heap without any order or shape And void Having no Beasts nor Trees nor Herbs nor any thing else wherewith we now behold it adorned So these two words Tohu Vabohu are used in Scripture where we meet with them which is not often for confusion and emptiness XXXIV Isaiah 11. IV Jer. 23. Being a description of that which the Ancients called the CHAOS of which the Barbarians had a Notion no less than the Greeks wherein the Seeds and Principles of all things were blended together This is called in the Pagan Language by Epicharmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first of the Gods Because all things sprang out of this which was indeed the first of the Works of God who as Moses shows in the sequel produced this beautiful World out of this CHAOS And darkness was upon the face of the deep Nothing was to be seen for want of Light Which lay buried as all things else did in that great Abyss or vast confused heap of Matter before-mentioned So the Hebrew word Tehom signifies which we translate deep tumult and turbid confusion The first Matter being very heterogeneous as they speak i. e. of various sorts and kinds hudled together without distinction And the Spirit of God moved Men have been extreamly fansiful in the exposition of these plain Words Some understanding by the Spirit of God the Sun which gives Spirit and Life to all things upon Earth others the Air or the Wind When as yet there was no Sun in the Firmament nor any Wind that could stir without the Power of the Almighty to excite it This therefore we are to understand to be here meant The Infinite Wisdom and Power of God which made a vehement Commotion and mighty Fermentation by raising perhaps a great Wind upon the face of the Waters That is on that fluid Matter before-mentioned to separate the parts of it one from the other Waters That which Moses before called the Deep he now calls the Waters Which plainly shows that some Parts of the confused Mass were fluid and light as other Parts were solid and heavy The heavy naturally sunk which he calls the Earth and the lighter Parts got above them which he calls the Waters For it is clearly intimated the Waters were uppermost The Word we here translate moved signifies literally brooded upon the Waters as an Hen doth upon her Eggs. So the ancient and modern Interpreters have observed And Morinus who opposes it hath said nothing to make us doubt of this Sence of the Phrase From whence some have not unhappily conjectured the Ancients took their Notion of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a first laid Egg out of which all things were formed That is the CHAOS out of which all the old Philosophers before Aristotle thought the World was produced consisting of Earth and Water of thicker and thinner Parts as an Egg doth of Yolk and White Now the Spirit of God thus moved upon the Waters that by its incubation as we may call it it might not only separate as I said those Parts which were jumbled together but give a vivifick Virtue to them to produce what was contained in them The Souls and Spirits that is of all living Creatures were produced by the Spirit of God as Porphyry saith Numenius understood it For his Opinion he tells us was That all things came out of the Water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being Divinely inspired For which he quoted these Words of the Prophet as he called Moses See Porphyry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on those words of Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which gives us to understand that the Spirits of all living Creatures which we call their active Forms did not arise out of Matter for that is stupid but proceeded from this other Principle the Powerful Spirit of God which moved upon the Face of the Waters by a vital Energy as St. Chrysostom speaks so that they were no longer standing Waters but moving having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain living Power in them From whence we may also gather that the Spirits of living Creatures are distinct things from Matter which of it self cannot move at all and much less produce a Principle of Motion And thus indeed all the Ancient Philosophers apprehended this Matter And some of them have most lively expressed it For Laertius in the Life of Anaxagoras tells us that he taught among other things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things were hudled together And then the Mind came and set them in order And Thales before him as Tully informs us L. 1. de Nat. Deor. Aquam dixit esse initium rerum Deum autem eam mentem quae ex aqua cuncta fingeret said Water was the beginning of things And God that Mind who
to have the benefit of it Ver. 10. From all that go out of the Ark to every Beast of the Earth That is it shall extend not only to those which now go out of the Ark but to all their breed in future Ages Ver. 11. And I will establish my Covenant with you c. Doubt not of it for I tell you again I I will faithfully keep this solemn promise Any more be a Flood to destroy the Earth That is the whole Earth for particular Inundations there have been often Ver 12. And the LORD said This is the Token of the Covenant c. I do not only give you my Word but a Token or Sign that I will keep it Ver. 13. I do set my Bow in the Clouds c. Most think this doth not signifie there never had been a Rain-bow before the Flood for since there was both Sun and Clouds it is likely say they there was a Rain-bow also Only now it was appointed for a Sign which it was not before But as this Opinion hath nothing in Scripture to enforce it so grounds in Nature there are none to warrant it unless we will assert this manifest untruth That every disposition of the Air or every Cloud is fitly disposed to produce a Rain-bow They are the words of that great Divine Dr. Jackson Book I. upon the Creed c. 16. who adds that if other Natural Causes with their motions and dispositions depend upon the final as Scripture Philosophy teaches us they who acknowledge the Scripture have no reason to think that either the Clouds or the Air had that peculiar disposition before the Flood which is required to the production of the Rain-bow When this wonderful effect had no such use or end as it hath had ever since For it was appointed by God to be a witness of his Covenant with the new World a Messenger to secure Mankind from destruction by Deluges Now if it had appeared before the Flood the sight of it after the Flood would have been but a poor comfort to Noah and his timorous Posterity Whose fear least the like Inundation might happen again was greater than could be taken away by a common or usual Sign The ancient Poets had a better Philosophy though they knew not the original of it when they feigned Iris to be the Daughter or as we would now speak the Mother of wonderment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Messenger of the great God Jupiter and his Goddess Juno Whom Homer as he observes represents as sent with a peremptory command to Neptune not to aid the Graecians by the swelling we may suppose of Waters which much annoyed the Trojans My Bow It is called His not only because he is the Author of all things which have natural causes as there are of this But because He appointed it to a special end as a signification and assurance of his Mercy to Mankind Ver. 14. When I bring a Cloud over the Earth i. e. When there are great signs of Rain which come out of the Clouds That the Bow shall be seen in the Cloud Not alway but at certain times often enough to put Men in mind of this promise and stir up their belief of it For it doth as it were say I will not drown the Earth again though the Clouds have thickned as if they threatned it Common Philosophy teaches us that the Rain-bow is a natural sign there will not be much Rain after it appears but that the Clouds begin to disperse For it is never made in a thick Cloud but in a thin So that if it appear after Showers which come from thick Clouds it is a token that now they grow thin But the God of Nature chose this to be a sign that he would never thicken again to such a degree to bring a Deluge upon the Earth And indeed the admirable Form or Composition of this glorious Circle as the Son of Sirach calls it Ecclus. XLIII 12. bent by the Hands of the most High doth naturally excite one to look beyond the material and efficient cause of it unto the final as the fore-named Author speaks And now that we have Moses his Commentary upon it we may see in the mixt Colours of the Rain-bow these two things the destruction of the old World by Water and the future consumption of the present World by Fire whose flaming brightness is predominant in the waterish Humour Ver. 15. And I will remember my Covenant c. Look upon it as a Token of my faithfulness to my Word Ver. 16. I will look upon it that I may remember c. This is spoken after the manner of Men the more to confirm their belief that God would not go back with his Word Ver 17. And God said This is the token c. As the Promise is repeated twice to express its certainty verse 9.11 So is the Token of it as oft repeated for the same reason verse 12. and here verse 17. Ver 18. And the Sons of Noah c. They are here again named with respect to what follows But not in their order as shall be proved in its proper place X. 21. for Japhet was the Eldest And Ham is the Father of Canaan This Son of Ham is here alone mentioned because he was concerned in the following wicked Fact of his Father And his Posterity were those wicked People whose Country God gave to the Israelites Ver. 19. And of them was the whole Earth overspread By this it appears that though Noah lived above Three hundred years after he came out of the Ark yet begat no more Children or if he did none of them lived to have any posterity Ver. 20. Began to be an Husband-man To improve the Art of Husbandry which was understood before but he much advanced it There being nothing in old time which the greatest Men thought more worthy their study as we see by the Romans themselves 'till they were corrupted by the Luxury which their Conquests brought in among them And he planted a Vineyard There were Vines here and there before the Flood but Noah seems to have been the first that made a Vineyard and put them in order And the first perhaps that invented Wine-Presses to press out the Juice of the Grapes and make Wine If he was not the inventer of these two planting of Vineyards and making Wine yet we may well allow him to be the improver of them as he was of Husbandry Ver. 21. And he drank of the Wine and was drunken Being unacquainted with the strength of the Liquor as several of the Fathers as well as of the Jewish Doctors think or else being old and unable to bear its strength As Epiphanius understands it See Haeres LXIII n. 3. For it is manifest from what follows that this hapned a great while after the Flood Ham having a Son nay more than one for Canaan was not his first-born And he was uncovered in his Tent. The heat of the Weather or of the
yet said by Sarai Ver. 3. Gave her to her Husband Abram to be his Wife A secondary Wife which was a Liberty they took in those days who was not to be Mistress of the House but only to bear Children for the increase of the Family Now I can see no good Reason why Sarai her self should persuade her Husband contrary to the Inclination of all Women to take another Wife which she her self also gave him but only the eager desire she was possessed withal of having the promised Seed Which gives a good Account also of Jacob's Wives contending so earnestly as they did for his Company Ver. 4. Her Mistress was despised in her Eyes Hagar began to take upon her as if she had been Mistress of the House at least much more favoured by God who had made her Fruitful Which was accounted a great Blessing and Honour in those days especially in a Family that had no Heir Ver. 5. My wrong be upon thee Thou art the cause of this Injury or these Affronts which I suffer by being too indulgent to my Maid and not repressing her Insolence Or it is incumbent on thee to see me redressed of the Wrong that is done me See Lud. de Dieu The Lord judge between me and thee Sometimes this Phrase signifies an Appeal to God as the Avenger of Wrongs But here it seems only to denote her committing the Equity of her Cause to the Judgment of God Ver. 6. Behold thy Maid is in thy hand Is subject unto thee Do with her as pleases thee Use her as thy Maid and not as my Wife And when Sarai dealt hardly with her Beat her perhaps or imposed on her too much or too servile Labour She fled from her Face Run away to avoid her cruel usage Ver. 7. And the Angel of the LORD c. This is the first time that we read of the appearance of an Angel By whom Maimonides will scarce allow us to understand more than a Messenger More Nevoch P. II. c. 42. But some Christians go so far into the other extream as to understand hereby the Eternal ΛΟΓΟΣ or Son of God It seems to me more reasonable to think that though the Schechinah or Divine Majesty did not appear to her as it had often done to Abram Yet one of the heavenly Ministers who were Attendants upon it and made a part of its Glory was sent to stop her Proceedings And a great Favour it was that the LORD would dispatch such a Messenger after her Who was sufficient to do the business In the way to Shur She was flying into Egypt her own Country upon which the Wilderness of Shur bordered and only rested a while at this Fountain to refresh her self Ver. 8. And he said Hagar Sarai's Maid He takes notice of her being Sarai's Maid rather than Abram's Wife to put her in mind of her Duty and that she could not honestly leave her Mistress without her Consent For so it follows in the next Verse Ver. 9. Return to thy Mistress and submit c. It is the same word here translated submit with that Verse 6. where it is rendred dealt hardly Signifying that she should be Patient and indure the Hardship of which she complained or suffer her self to be afflicted by her Ver. 10. I will multiply c. I will make thee partaker of the Promise I have made to Abram XV. 5. The Angel delivers this Message to her in the Name of God who sent him Ver. 11. Behold thou art with Child c. Do not doubt of what I say for thou art with Child of a Son who shall be the Father of a great People This Promise was renewed to Abram in the next Chapter XVII 20. and we find was performed XXV 12. Shalt call his Name Ishmael Some of the Jews take notice of the Honour which was here done him in calling him by his Name before he was born There being but Six they say who were thus distinguished from others the two first were the Sons of Abram Ishmael and Isaac and the last was the Messias The LORD hath heard thy affliction Thy Complaint under the Affliction thou hast endured from thy Mistress and here in the Wilderness This Passage shows it was an Angel which appeared and spake to her from the LORD and not the LORD himself Ver. 12. A wild Man The Hebrew word Phere here joyned with Man signifies a wild Ass And so is well translated by Bochart tam ferus quam onager as wild as a wild Ass Which loves to ramble in Desarts and is not easily tamed to live in society His Hand shall be against every Man c. He shall be very Warlike And both infest all his Neighbours and be infested by them He shall dwell in the presence of his Brethren Be a Nation by himself near to all his Brethren whether descended from Isaac or from the rest of Abram's Sons by Keturah Who though annoyed by him shall not be able to dispossess him This is such an exact Description of the Posterity of Ishmael throughout all Generations that none but a Prophetick Spirit could have made it as Doctor Jackson truly observes Book I. on the Creed c. XXV wildness being so incorporated into their Nature that no change of Times hath made them grow tame Ver. 13. She called the Name of the LORD that spake to her By his Angel for she look'd upon the Presence of the Angel as a Token of the Divine Presence though she saw it not in its full Glory Thou God seest me Takest Care of me wheresoever I am For she said Have I also here looked after him that seeth me There are various Interpretations of these words The plainest is that of De Dieu Who observes that the word Halom always signifies Place not Time or that which is done in any Place and so we translate it by the word here But there he makes a stop after that word by way of admiration in this manner And even here also Or even thus far It had been less wonder if God had taken Care of me in my Master's House but doth he follow me with his Favour even hither This is wonderful And then the next words have I looked after him that seeth me carried this sence Have I beheld God who taketh Care of me What a Favour is this that he would so far Condescend to me It ought never to be forgotten therefore she called his Name Thou God seest me Ver. 14. Beer-lahai-roi Some would have this referr both to Hagar and to God in this manner The Well of her that liveth and of him that seeth i. e. who preserves me in Life So it was an acknowledgment that she owed her Life and Safety to God Ver. 15. Abram called his Son's Name c. Hagar having told him at her return the foregoing Story he gave his Son this Name in Obedience to the Angel's Command Verse 11. Ver. 16. Fourscore and six Years old He was seventy five Years old
their Parents For which cause when the Parents were set free their Children were left behind as their Masters Goods Exod. XXI 4. Ver. 14. That Soul shall be cut off from his People That is if when he came to the Age of thirteen Years he did not cause it to be done What it is to be cut off is very much disputed The simplest Sence seems to be he shall not be accounted one of God's People But the Hebrew Doctors generally take this to have been a Punishment inflicted by the Hand of Heaven i. e. of God Though they be much divided in their Opinions about it Of which Mr. Selden treats at large in L. VII De Jure N. G. c. 9. and De Synedr L. I. c. 6. and more briefly L' Empereur in his Notes upon Cornel. Bertram De Republ. Jud. p. 351. Some say it was the shortning of the Man's Life others say it was the making him Childless so that his Family and Name perished in Israel Maimonides would have it the extinction both of Soul and Body like a Brute And Abarbinel takes it for the loss of the Happiness of the World to come Some Christians would have it to be Excommunication Which cannot be because such a Person never was a Member of the Church which he was to be made by Circumcision The first of these Opinions seems more probable than the rest For God himself saith of several Offenders to whom he threatens this Punishment I will cut him off and I will set my face against him Lev. XVII 10. XX. 5 6. XXIII 30. Yet in other places it must be confessed this Cereth or cutting off signifies more largely a Punishment by the Judge and not by the Hand of God And therefore the signification of it must be determined by the Matter with which it is joyned Thus the violation of the Sabbath is threatned with cutting off Exod. XXXI 14. which was to be done by stoning him And so were incestuous Persons Blasphemers Idolaters and others to be judicially cut off by the Rulers Ver. 15. Sarah shall be her Name The same Letter is added to her Name that was to Abraham's and for the same reason for in the next Verse it is said she shall be a Mother of Nations Ver. 16. Give thee a Son also of her Here now the promised Seed is determined to spring from Sarah See XVI 2. Ver. 17. Abraham fell on his face Worshipped God with the humblest Reverence And laughed Not doubting of the Promise for the Apostle tells us quite contrary Rom. IV. 19. but out of the exceeding great Joy wherewith he was transported and the Admiration wherewith he was surprised Which produced the following Questions Shall a Child be born unto him who is an hundred Years old c. As if he had said strange that I and Sarah at this Age should have a Child What joyful News is this Accordingly the Chaldee translates the word laughed he rejoyced Ver. 18. O that Ishmael might live before thee In his Posterity as appears by God's Answer to this Petition verse 20. Ver. 19. Call his Name Isaac He had this Name from Abraham's not from Sarah's Laughter For that was after this and proceeded not from the same Cause with Abraham's Ver. 20. I have heard thee He shall have a numerous Posterity See Doctor Jackson's First Book on the Creed c. 26. where he shows how the Hagerens grew a mighty Nation And at last when they were called Saracens became the Scourges of all these parts of the World Ver. 21. But my Covenant will I establish with Isaac The great Blessings I have promised in the Covenant I have made with thee shall come to thy Posterity by Isaac not by Ishmael Particularly the Messiah Ver. 22. And God went up from Abraham That visible Majesty wherein he appeared to him Verse 1. called often in after-times the Glory of the LORD went up to Heaven from whence it came Ver. 25. Ishmael was thirteen Years old c. From hence it was that the Saracens descended from him did not circumcise their Children till they were thirteen Years old So it was in the days of Josephus L. I. Antiq. c. 13. And the Saracens in Spain and Africk observed the same Custom Ver. 26. In the self-same day The Jews will have this to be the same with the great Day of Expiation instituted in Moses his time So that God every Year remembred say they the Covenant of Circumcision But this is an ungrounded Fancy Ver. 27. And all the Men of his House Maimonides understands by the Men of his House those whom Abraham had converted from Idolatry and made Proselytes to the true Religion So do others among the Jews see his Treatise of the Worship of the Planets C. I. § 9. But it is more proper to understand by the Men of his House all his Family in general Who were either as it follows born in his House and therefore it is likely were bred up in the true Religion and so easily persuaded to receive the Mark of Circumcision or bought with his Money who submitted to Abraham's Arguments not to his Authority For Religion is to be chosen not compelled CHAP. XVIII Ver. 1. AND the LORD appeared to him The Glory of the LORD or the Divine Majesty which the Jews call the Schechinah as it had done lately XVII 1. And as the LORD then appeared to establish his Covenant with him by Circumcision So some of the Jews imagine he again appeared to visit comfort and heal him now that he was very sore of his Circumcision Or rather I should think to testifie by this illustrious Manifestation of his Glory Verse 2. his high Approbation of Abraham's ready Obedience to so harsh a Command So the Jews themselves esteem it and therefore think that by receiving it Abraham fulfilled that Precept which goes just before it XVII 1. be thou perfect Which may have some Truth in it if rightly understood For his Faith and Obedience grew more perfect by submitting to this Command and was compleated when he sacrificed his Son However this be I think it is plain from Verse 10. that this Appearance of the Divine Majesty was not long after the former In the Plain Or the Oaks of Mamre mentioned before XIII 18. This Place continued famous till the time of Constantine both Jews Gentiles and Christians meeting here once a Year not only for Traffick but for Religion Christians here calling upon God and there being an Altar here also on which the Gentiles sacrificed and invoked the Angels Of which Superstition Constantine being informed by his Mother he caused that Altar to be demolished and a Church to be built in its place See Sozomen L. II. cap. 4. Euseb in vita Constant L. III. cap. 53. And he sat in the Tent door To observe what Strangers passed that way In the heat of the Day In the Afternoon when Travellers sought for places of refreshment Ver. 2. And he lift up his Eyes 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 L. III. de Idolol cap. 22. Ver. 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 inriching 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. Ver. 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 P. I. Hierozoic L. II. cap. 46. that he laid the Rods 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 more feeble If he had always laid the Rods before 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 latter which was in the Autumn Our famous Mr. Mede follows this Interpretation Discourse XLV p. 355. But there is no certainty in it For Pliny and Columella preferr these begot in Autumn to those begot in the Spring And therefore our Translation is most proper which represents Jacob as using this Artifice of laying the Rods before them only when the stronger Cattle came together and not when the weaker And so the LXX understood the words without respect to the former or latter breed And so the Hebrew words import as Bochartus shows in the place before-named pag. 514. Ver. 43. And the Man increased exceedingly c. Some have made it a question whether he got all this Riches honestly because Laban did not think of his using any Art but only of bare casual Productions But as what was not directly against the Contract may be thought to be allowed by it so it is certain that Jacob might lawfully take what God bestowed upon him Who seems to have directed him by an Angel to use this Artifice or at least testified his Approbation of it Intending to transfer unto Jacob the Wealth of Laban as he gave the Riches of the Egyptians to the Israelites For the World is his and the fulness thereof And he may dispose of every thing in it as he pleases Maid-Servants c. To look after his Cattle and after his Camels and Asses which he also purchased CHAP. XXXI Ver. 1. HE heard the words of Laban's Sons Who uttered such discontented or threatning Speeches as made him fear they would fall upon him and do him mischief This was the first Cause of his resolved flight Hath taken away all that was our Father's They speak of him as if he had been a Thief Which made him suspect they would use him accordingly All this glory All these Riches verse 16. Ver. 2. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban c. This was the second Cause of his Resolution to be gone That he saw by Laban's Looks things were not likely to go well with him if he stay'd any longer Ver. 3. And the LORD said unto Jacob c. This was the third Cause the Divine Majesty appeared to him and bad him be gone And as he had his Warrant so he seals it with his Promise to Protect him in his Return to his own Country Ver. 4. Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah Rachel is first mentioned as his Chief Wife For so she was in his designment And so the Posterity of Leah afterward acknowledged naming her first in the Blessing of Ruth IV. 11. To the Field unto his Flock That he might discourse them privately Fearing also it is likely that he might be seized by Laban and his Sons if he went to the House Ver. 5. The God of my Fathers hath been with me Hath appeared to me verse 3. and bid me not fear your Father Ver. 6. With all my power I have omitted nothing that I could do to promote his Interest Ver. 7. Hath deceived me Dealt unjustly with me in not standing to his Agreement Changed my Wages ten times i. e. Very often as many interpret it from the like Expression in other places particularly Levit. XXVI 26. where ten Women are put for a great number of Women But others think that he really changed his Wages just ten times For he served him six Years after he made the Agreement with him mentioned in the foregoing Chapter verse 31 c. And the first Year he stood to his Bargain But seeing him thrive exceedingly he altered the form of their Covenants at the end of that Year And in like manner every half Year when the Ews brought forth young ones which they did twice a Year and he saw them spotted he broke his Contract and made a new one less advantageous to Jacob Sometimes restraining it to one sort of Cattle sometimes to another And not letting him have the whole benefit of his Contract Which is not at all improbable For Jacob mentions his ill dealing with him in the very same words verse 41. And in the next Verse to this he relates how Laban would sometimes let him have only the speckled at another time none but the ring-straked and so we may suppose of the rest See this explained by St. Hierom in Quest Hebr. and by St. Austin Q. XCV in Gen. But God suffered him not to hurt me To defraud me of my Wages by these changes which he made in them Ver. 9. Thus hath God taken away c. He prudently conceals his own Artifice and only relates what hand God had