THE TÔLDÔTH ISAAC (Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 35:29). THE BIRTH OF ISAAC’S SONS. Abraham begat Isaac — The _Tôldôth_ in its original form gave probably a complete genealogy of Isaac, tracing up his descent to Shem, and showing thereby that the right of primogeniture belonged to him; but the inspired... [ Continue Reading ]
XXIX. MARRIAGE OF JACOB WITH LEAH AND RACHEL. (1) JACOB WENT ON HIS JOURNEY. — Heb., _Jacob lifted up his feet,_ that is, hastened forward. Confirmed in the possession of the birthright by God as well as man, and encouraged by the promise of the Divine presence, and of a safe return home, he casts... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD A WELL IN THE FIELD. — This was not the well whence Rebekah drew the water; for it was in the field, the open pasture ground, whereas Rebekah’s well was just outside the city (Genesis 24:11), and she obtained the water by going down the steps which led to it (Genesis 24:16). A GREAT STONE WAS... [ Continue Reading ]
LABAN THE SON OF NAHOR. — Laban was really the son of Bethuel and grandson of Nahor; but Nahor was the founder of the family, as being the original immigrant from Ur, who came to supply Abraham’s place on his departure.... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER IS IT TIME THAT THE CATTLE SHOULD BE GATHERED TOGETHER. — Rather, _neither is it time for folding the cattle._ As there were still several hours of daylight, Jacob is surprised that they do not immediately upon their arrival give the sheep water, and drive them back to the pasture. But if th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TILL THEY ROLL THE STONE... — More correctly, _then they roll the stone from the well’s mouth, and we water the sheep._ As soon as the flocks were all collected round the well the stone is removed. and all in their turn give their sheep water.... [ Continue Reading ]
RACHEL CAME WITH HER FATHER’S SHEEP. — Comp. Exodus 2:16; and so in modern times Mr. Malan saw “the sheik’s daughter, the beautiful and well-favoured Ladheefeh, drive her flock of fine patriarchal sheep” to a well for water in this very region (_Philosophy or Truth,_ p. 95). As forty years at least... [ Continue Reading ]
LABAN HIS MOTHER’S BROTHER. — The threefold repetition of these words has no other reason than that given in the Note on Genesis 28:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
JACOB KISSED RACHEL... AND WEPT. — Jacob first made himself, useful to Rachel, and then discloses to her who he is, claims her as a cousin, and kisses her. Then, overcome with joy at this happy termination of his long journey, and at finding himself among relatives, he can restrain his feelings no l... [ Continue Reading ]
HER FATHER’S BROTHER. — Really his nephew; but terms of relationship are used in a very indefinite way in Hebrew. (Comp. Genesis 29:5; Genesis 29:15; Genesis 13:8, &c.)... [ Continue Reading ]
LABAN... RAN TO MEET HIM, AND EMBRACED HIM. — Rachel told her father, because it was a matter simply of the hospitable reception of a relative, and not such news as Rebekah had run to tell those of her mother’s house. And to Laban the tidings must have been most welcome, as he called to mind now, se... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPACE OF A MONTH. — Heb., _a month of days,_ that is, a full month.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT SHALL THY WAGES BE? — As Jacob had given upon his arrival a full account of himself (Genesis 29:13), Laban probably expected the very answer he received; nevertheless, the proposal was fair and upright. Doubtless he had seen, during Jacob’s stay of a month, that his services would be very valua... [ Continue Reading ]
LEAH WAS TENDER EYED. — Leah, whose name signifies _languor, weariness,_ had dull bleared eyes. Probably she suffered, as so many do in that hot sandy region, from some form of ophthalmia. Rachel (Heb., _the ewe_) was, on the contrary, “beautiful and well favoured” (Heb., _beautiful in form and beau... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL SERVE THEE SEVEN YEARS FOR RACHEL THY YOUNGER DAUGHTER. — Heb., _thy daughter, the little one,_ just as Leah, in Genesis 29:16, is called the _great one._ (See Note on Genesis 9:24.) So in Genesis 44:20, the phrase “the little one” simply means _the youngest._ Wives had to be purchased in the... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS BETTER THAT I GIVE HER TO THEE. — It is still the custom among the Arabs to prefer a relative as the husband of a daughter, and on giving a moderato dowry the elder cousins can claim the elder daughters in marriage, and the younger the younger. Thus Jacob, as the second son, had a claim upon R... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SEEMED UNTO HIM BUT A FEW DAYS. — Jacob was at least fifty-seven years of age, but the late marriages hitherto of the patriarchs show that they only slowly arrived at manhood. We need not be surprised, then, at the warmth of his affection, nor was it a passing emotion, but lasted all his life t... [ Continue Reading ]
MY DAYS ARE FULFILLED. — That is, the appointed time of service is completed. It was undeniably at the end of the seven years that the marriage took place.... [ Continue Reading ]
(23)HE TOOK LEAH HIS DAUGHTER. — As the bride is taken to the bridegroom’s house closely veiled (see Note on Genesis 24:65), and as probably there was some similarity in voice and form between the two sisters, this deception was quite easy. But Leah must have been a party to the fraud, and therefore... [ Continue Reading ]
LABAN GAVE UNTO HIS DAUGHTER LEAH ZILPAH... — Bethuel had given Rebekah not only Deborah her nurse, but also damsels (Genesis 24:61); but then she had been obtained by presents of unusual costliness. Still, Laban does not seem to have acted very liberally by his daughters, and they resented his trea... [ Continue Reading ]
IT MUST NOT BE SO DONE IN OUR COUNTRY. — Heb., _It is not so done in our place, to give,_ &c. We have seen that it is still customary for the elder cousin to take the elder daughter, and the younger the younger. But Laban affirms that if the elder daughter be not claimed, it was the rule in Haran fo... [ Continue Reading ]
FULFIL HER WEEK. — The marriage festival seems to have lasted a week, as was the custom in later times (Judges 14:12), and. to have forsaken Leah during this period would have been to offer her an insult which her brothers must have avenged. Appeased, therefore, by the promise of Rachel as soon as t... [ Continue Reading ]
HE GAVE HIM RACHEL... TO WIFE ALSO. — After the monogamy of Abraham, and the stricter monogamy of Isaac, how came Jacob to marry two wives? Abravanel says that as Esau ought to have married Leah, and Jacob Rachel, he acted only as his brother’s substitute in taking the elder, and was still free to m... [ Continue Reading ]
BIRTH OF JACOB’S ELEVEN SONS, AND HIS DAUGHTER. (31) LEAH WAS HATED. — We must not soften this down too much; for plainly Leah was not the object of love at all. It was her fruitfulness which gave her value in her husband’s eyes, and when this ceased, Jacob utterly neglected her (Genesis 30:15).... [ Continue Reading ]
(32-35) SHE CALLED HIS NAME REUBEN. — There is something very touching in the history of these four births. When the first child is born, Leah joyfully calls him “Reuben,” that is, _See, a son!_ and fondly hopes that now she is a mother her husband will love her. And the mention of her “affliction”... [ Continue Reading ]