THE SONS OF ABRAHAM BY KETURAH. DEATH AND BURIAL OF ABRAHAM. DESCENDANTS OF ISHMAEL. BIRTH AND YOUTH OF ESAU AND JACOB 1. It is not known at what period of his life Abraham took Keturah as his secondary wife or concubine; for it is clear from Genesis 25:6 and 1 Chronicles 1:32 that she only held th... [ Continue Reading ]
MIDIAN] The Midianites became a considerable nation, spreading over the country S. and SE. of Palestine from Moab to the Gulf of Akaba.... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCUBINES] Hagar and Keturah: see on Genesis 22:24. SENT THEM AWAY.. EASTWARD] towards Arabia, where they founded nations.... [ Continue Reading ]
GAVE UP THE GHOST] an expression taken from the Genevan Bible. The Hebrew word means simply 'to die,' lit. 'come to an end.' WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE] joined his ancestors in the unseen world. The expression cannot refer to the actual burial of Abraham with his forefathers, since they lay at Haran... [ Continue Reading ]
The descendants of Ishmael settled generally in N. Arabia, and with the Joktanites(Genesis 10:26), or 'pure Arabs,' of Arabia Felix, formed the great Arab race scattered over Syria and the shores of the Persian Gulf. NEBAJOTH] the Nabateans became an important people after the death of Alexander the... [ Continue Reading ]
TOWNS AND CASTLES] RV 'villages and encampments.' The Arabs may be distinguished as 'nomad' (wandering, pastoral) and 'agricultural' (with fixed habitations); the distinction is already marked in this passage.... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVILAH] near the PersianGulf. SHUR] the desert between Egypt and Palestine. The lands to S. and E. of Palestine generally are meant. BEFORE EGYPT, AS THOU GOEST TOWARD ASSYRIA] rather, 'E. of Egypt in the direction of Assyria,' i. e. in N. Arabia. HE DIED IN THE PRESENCE OF] see on Genesis 16:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
ISAAC] 'In Genesis Isaac appears throughout as the pale copy of his father. He is the son of promise and inherits his position, and the possessions and the blessings won by his father. He follows in Abraham's footsteps without his strength of character and purpose. In quietness and patience he faith... [ Continue Reading ]
PADAN-ARAM] 'the plains of Syria,' the same as Mesopotamia.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN STRUGGLED] significant of the contests to come, between the brothers, and the nations descended from them, Israel and Edom. IF _it be_ SO, WHY _am_ I THUS?] i.e. perhaps, If I have conceived, what is the significance of these struggles? but RV gives 'If _it be_ so, wherefore do I live?'... [ Continue Reading ]
Note the poetical form of the oracle. See RV. SHALL BE SEPARATED, etc.] or 'From thy womb they will separate from one another,' i. e. be at variance from their birth. THE ELDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER] the descendants of the elder son (the Edomites) would be subject to those of the younger (the Isra... [ Continue Reading ]
ESAU] meaning uncertain. Some render 'hairy.'... [ Continue Reading ]
JACOB] i.e. following at the heel. See Esau's allusion to the name (Genesis 27:36), giving it a sinister sense, as suited to Jacob's plotting nature. The words Jacob and Joseph, compounded with _-el_ or-_ilu_ (= god), have been found as names in Assyrian inscriptions earlier than this period.... [ Continue Reading ]
CUNNING] i.e. clever. PLAIN] RM 'quiet' or 'harmless.' DWELLING IN TENTS] preferring home pursuits.... [ Continue Reading ]
The evil of such marked preferences in families appears plainly in the narrative.... [ Continue Reading ]
SOD] or 'seethed,' i.e. boiled.... [ Continue Reading ]
RED POTTAGE] lit. 'red stuff.' Esau in his haste did not define its nature. It was a mess of lentils (3.4). It is said that such pottage is, or was, distributed at the mosque at Hebron in memory of the event. EDOM] i.e. 'red.' Probably here, as in many other instances in these ancient narratives of... [ Continue Reading ]
SELL ME.. THY BIRTHRIGHT] The birthright included the headship of the family, a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17), priestly rights (in these early days), and in the family of Abraham heirship to the covenant privileges. Perhaps all that was involved in the birthright here, howeve... [ Continue Reading ]