The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 3 · Section 25
SECT. XXV.
JAcob being now comforted and ſtrengthened by the late heavenly Viſion, went on chearfully in his Journey, and at length came near to Haran in Meſopotamia, where at a Well in the Fields (which was guarded by a great ſtone) he ſaw a great many Flocks of Sheep which were brought thither to be watered, as ſoon as the Shepherds ſhould have rolled away the ſtone. Jacob asks them civilly, Whence they were? They anſwered, They belonged to Haran. He inquires if they knew Laban the Son of Bethuel, and Grand-Child of Nahor? They tell him, They knew him very well. He inquires of his Health. They tell him he was in very good health. And one of his Daughters, viz. Rachel was hard by coming with his Sheep to be watered. Jacob tells them it was yet too ſoon in the day, as He apprehended, to gather the Flocks together in order to their folding; therefore he adviſes them to water the Sheep, and to go and feed them again. They tell him, They might not (their cuſtom or agreement among themſelves being otherwiſe) or could not water the Sheep till all the Flocks were come together, and all the Shepherds joined their ſtrength to remove the Stone. But Jacob ſeeing Rachel coming with her. Fathers Flock, he being ſtrong with the help of theſe Shepherds there preſent, rolled away the Stone, and watered her Sheep. Then ſaluting her, he acquainted her that he was Son to Rebecca, (her Father's Siſter, and wept for joy that he had ſo ſoon, and ſo opportunely met his Coſin Rachel. She running and acquainting her Father therewith, he preſently came forth to Jacob, and imbraced and kiſſed him, and brought him to his houſe. Then Jacob related to him the ſtate and condition of his Father and Mother, and what was the reaſon and occaſion of his Journey, and his coming ſo privately, elſe Laban might have wondred to ſee him come ſo unfurniſhed, he having ſeen Abraham's Servant Eliezer come ſo richly provided, when he fetched thence Rebecca. Laban replies, That he was ſatisfied that he was his Nephew (his very bone and fleſh) and whatever was the occaſion of his Journey, he ſhould be welcome to him. Jacob 'tis like preſently after his coming to Laban, acquainted him that He had been bred up in the way of Shepherdry, and in ordering of Cattel; and if he pleas'd to imploy Him, He would ſtay with Him a month, in which time He might make trial of his Skill therein. Laban accordingly imploys Him, and during that time Jacob being wondrous active and able for buſineſs of that Nature, did his Uncle excellent ſervice. Laban obſerving it, began to caſt in his thoughts how he might procure his ſtay. And accordingly tells him it was not fit that he ſhould ſuffer Him, though he was his Nephew *V. 15. My Brother] i. e. Kinſman or Nephew, ſee Gen. 13.8.to do him ſervice for nought. Therefore if he inclin'd to ſtay with Him, he deſires to know what wages would content him. Laban having two Daughters, viz. Lea (who had weak and defective Eyes) and Rachel (who was very comely and beautiful.) Jacob began to have a great love and kindneſs for Rachel, and being in a ſtrange place, and having nothing elſe(l)More priſcouxores emebant. David Michalem centum praeputiis, 1 Sam. 18.25. 2 Sam. 3.14. vid. Gen. 34.11, 12. Hoſ. 3.2. Ita apud Graecos & Romanos, ut fuſe declarat Briſſonius. Jacob inops erat, nec emere poterat, ita que pro pretio ſeptennium ſervit. to profer, he proffer'd to ſerve his Uncle ſeven years, if he would pleaſe to give him his Daughter Rachel to Wife. Laban accepts the proffer, ſaying it was better he ſhould give her to him than to another. This Agreement being made, Jacob deſired to have his deſigned Wife given unto him, preſently (m)There are two Opinions concerning the time of Jacob's marrying. One is, that He did not marry till the end of his firſt ſeven years ſervice. And then having Leah fraudulently put upon Him inſtead of Rachel, He Contracts anew to have Rachel for other ſeven years ſervice, but marries Her a week after He had taken Leah, and performs that ſeven years ſervice for Her after He had married Her. The other is that Jacob in the firſt year of his coming to Laban married both Leah and Rachel at the beginning of his 14 years ſervice, keeping a weeks Feaſt at the Marriage of the one, and ſo again preſently after at the Marriage of the other, and then perform'd his two ſeven years ſervice for them. To this latter opinion my judgment inclines. But becauſe there are ſome words in the Text that ſeem to favour the firſt opinion (which yet I think may receive a commodious Interpretation) I will therefore firſt paraphraſe upon them, and then give my Reaſons againſt the former Opinion, and for my own. Jacob coming to Laban for a Wife, and falling in love with Rachel, 'tis like he treated with Him about Her from his firſt coming, and made that proffer to him. Verſ. 18. I will ſerve thee ſeven years for Rachel thy younger Daughter. Laban having for one month tried his ability about ordering Cattel, and his diligence and faithfulneſs, agrees thereunto. And Jacob did accordingly afterwards ſerve ſeven years for Rachel, verſ. 20. and they ſeem'd but a few days to him, becauſe of the intire love he had for Her, and the true content and comfort he took in Her. If He had not enjoyed Her at preſent as his wife, ſeven years would have ſeem'd a longſome and tedious time. For amantibus omnis mora longa & gravis. Love makes men think every day a year till they enjoy the perſon loved. And if you would underſtand how this came about, you muſt know that Jacob preſently after his coming to Laban, having agreed with Him to ſerve him ſeven years for Rachel, and having gone thorow his month of probation and trial, He ſaid to Laban at the end of it, verſ. 21. Give me I pray thee my deſigned wife, for my days of probation So Lidiate underſtands it of that month or portion of time complete wherein Laban from the beginning intended to make proof of Jacobs induſtry and ſufficiency in the managing of the affairs committed to him, before he would beſtow his Daughter on him, which no doubt was moved preſently after his arrival there, ſeeing 'twas the chief cauſe of his coming thither. are fulfilled, that I may go in unto Her. Then Laban invited the chief men of the Neighbourhood to a Feaſt, pretending to marry his Daughter Rachel to Jacob, but at night ſecretly and fraudulently conveighed Leah to his bed. In the Morning Jacob highly Expoſtulates with Laban, ſaying.V. 25. foreign Nonne pro Rachele ſervivi tibi, i. e. incepi ſervire. Canon eſt apud Glaſſium verba Completiva inchoativè intelligenda eſſe, Et quae actum Complectum ſignificent accipienda quando que inchoativè ſic, 1 Reg. 6.1. anno quadringenteſimo, &c. aedificavit Solomon domum Domino, i. e. aedificare coepi, pag. 233. Verſ. 25. Have not I ſerv'd thee, that is, begun to ſerve thee, and agreed to ſerve thee for Rachel? Why haſt thou then beguiled me? Laban to excuſe himſelf, tells him, It was not the cuſtom of the Countrey to give the younger in marriage before the elder. But this Cuſtom was only pretended. For He ſeem'd all that day of the Wedding to Celebrate the Nuptials of Rachel, whom they all knew to be the younger Daughter. But ſeeing things were as they were, He deſires Jacob to keep this weeks Feaſt according to Cuſtom for Leah (and thereby Confirm his taking of Her to be his wife) and then he ſhould do the ſame for Rachel, and have Her for his wife alſo, provided He would ſerve him other ſeven years over and above thoſe before Covenanted for, which Jacob agreed unto. Having thus paraphras'd the words, I now come to give the Reaſons why I think the former Opinion cannot ſtand. The former Opinion ſuppoſes that Jacob had 12 in the laſt ſeven years of his Service, viz. Reuben, Simon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Napthali, Gad, Aſher, Iſſacher, Zebulun, Dinah, Joſeph. Now Leah after ſhe had born Judah her fourth Son, left off Childing for ſome time, Ch. 29.35. & Ch. 30.9. And then gave her Maid Zilpah to Jacob, who bare unto him Gad, and after that ſhe bare him another Son, and called him Aſher. So that allow two years or near it for Leahs reſting to bare Children, how could ſhe have at ſeveral Births three Children more before thoſe ſeven years expired? Beſides, immediately before ſhe was with Child of Iſſacher (her ninth Son) Her eldeſt Son Reuben was old enough to go into the Fields to gather Mandrakes for Her. Which how it could be, if all thoſe Children were born within the compaſs of the laſt ſeven years I cannot comprehend. And laſt of all, (viz. in the laſt year of the 14) Rachel bore Joſeph, all which, according to that opinion, muſt be done within the ſpace of one ſeven years; which how it can conſiſt with truth, and the courſe of the Hiſtory, is difficult to imagine. But if we allow Jacob to be married at the beginning of the firſt ſeven years, and ſo to have ſeveral of his Children within that ſpace of time, then the current of the Hiſtory will run clear. A ſecond Argument againſt that former opinion, may be taken from the conſideration of Judah's age, and the birth of Hezron and Hamul his Grandchildren, unto which Jacob went down into Egypt, Ch. 46.12. To open this, we muſt firſt know that Jacob was 76 years old when he went firſt to Laban, which appears thus: He was 130 years old when he ſtood before Pharaoh, Ch. 47.9. And then Joſeph was 40 years old, viz. 30 when he was advanc'd by Pharaoh, Ch. 41.46. After which paſſed ſeven years of plenty, and three of Famine, when Jacob came down into Egypt. It appears alſo that he was born in the 14th year after Jacob's coming to Laban, Ch. 30.25. Take then thoſe 14 years before Joſeph was born, and the 40 years of his age (when his Father ſtood before Pharaoh) out of his Fathers age at that time, which was 130, and it will be clear that Jacob was 76. years old when he firſt came to Laban. Now this being ſo, Judah the fourth Son of Jacob by Leah, muſt needs be, according to them who are for the firſt opinion, but three or four years older then Joſeph, Jacob not marrying Leah (as they ſuppoſe) till after his firſt ſeven years of ſervice were ended; and ſo Judah muſt be but 43 or 44 years old at moſt when He and his Grandchildren Hezron and Hamul came with Jacob into Egypt. To compaſs this, they muſt caſt their reckonings thus, viz. that Judah married at 12 years old, and had Er at 13; that Er married at 12 years old, and Onan his younger Brother married at 12 years old, Ch. 38.4. that Tamar remained a Widow, and waited till Shelah was grown, and during that time Judah's wife died, and Tamar bears to Judah Pharez, and all this within the compaſs of three years; That Pharez married at 12 years old, and begat Hezron and Hamul, and (ſuppoſing them to be Twins) that at a year old they were carried into Egypt. For thus the reckoning will riſe to the 43 or 44th year of Judah's age. But theſe ſuppoſed reckonings ſeem very harſh; whereas the addition of the former ſeven years gives fair way to the birth of all the 12 Children, and gives further ſcope for the birth of Hezron and Hamul in the 50th year of Judah's age. And that opinion which makes Judah to be born in the fourth year of the firſt ſeven of Jacob's Service (and ſo to be ten years older than Joſeph) doth give fairer way to the courſe of the Hiſtory than the other doth. And ſo the reckoning may be caſt thus, viz. Judah at 16 years old comes into Canaan, and ſpeedily marries the Daughter of Shuah. In the next year hath Er. Er marries Tamar at 14. After which ſuppoſe four years ſpent in the matters relating to Onan, Er and Shelah, and till the birth of Pharez begotten by Judah, after the death of his wife, upon the body of Tamar. And Pharez at 13 years old to marry, and in two years to have Hezron and Hamul, and then all go down into Egypt; and all theſe things to come to paſs by that time that Judah was 50 years of age. See Dr. Richardſon's Notes on Ch. 38. verſ. 1. If any acquieſce not in theſe Reaſons for the latter opinion, I leave them to the fraud of their own Judgments.alledging that his days were fulfilled, [verſ. 21.] that is, the days of his probation and trial; or his days were full, that is, he was of full days, being 75 years old, and therefore it was high time he ſhould marry, as Tremellius interprets it. Laban hereupon invited his Friends and Kindred, and the principal men of the City, and made a great Feaſt, and at night he took Leah being*Nuptiae a nubendo, i. e. velando. veiled, (as it ſeems the manner was in brining Brides to the Bridegrooms Bed) and ſo gave her to Jacob inſtead of Rachel (p)Peccavit Leah obtemperando Parenti: conſenſit enim in ſtuprum, imo adulterium. Menoch.having firſt inſtructed her (as 'tis probable) either not to ſpeak at all to Him, or elſe only ſoftly to whiſper, which Jacob might impute to her modeſty. In the morning Jacob perceived it was Leah that had been put to bed to him. Then Jacob highly expoſtulates with Laban for*Thus He who had deceived His Father by perſonating his Brother, was now Himſelf deceived by Leah perſonating her Siſter. thus beguiling him, telling him, He had covenanted to ſerve him for Rachel, and not for Leah. Laban to excuſe himſelf, pretends to him that it was not the Cuſtom of the Country to give the younger in marriage before the Elder. But Cuſtom was only here pretended, for elſe why did he call ſo many together to the Solemnization of the Marriage, pretending to marry Rachel to him, who they all knew was the younger Daughter; However Laban deſires him to continue theſe ſeven days (q)Judg. 14. verſ. 12, 15, 17.of Leahs Wedding-Feaſt, and to keep her with him, that ſo by this his voluntary conſent the Marriage might be confirmed, *Polygamy God tolerated in the Patriarchs, which He ſimply allowed not, being not ſo from the beginning.and then he promiſes to give him Rachel at the weeks end, on condition to ſerve him ſeven years more, (r)See Gen. 31.41. I ſerved thee fourteen years for thy two Daughters.which Jacob conſented(s)Noluit ob errorem perſonae repudiare Leah, quod etſi licuerat, ſcandalum tamen perinde voluit atque peccatum devitare. unto. And the ſeven years he ſerved for Rachel, after he had married her, ſeemed ſhort to him, becauſe of the great content and comfort he took in her. Laban having now married his two Daughters to Jacob, he gave to his Daughter Leah Zilpah for her Hand-maid, and to Rachel he gave Bilhah. But Leah was leſs loved(t)So hate is ſometimes uſed for leſs to love, ſee Luke 14.26. Job. 12.25. by Jacob than Rachel, whereupon the Lord was pleas'd to make Leah fruitful, but Rachel was barren. For Leah conceived and bare a Son, and gave him a Name according to the ſenſe ſhe had of that mercy, calling him Reuben, *Reuben, Jacob's firſt Son.which ſignifies, Behold a Son; as if ſhe would have ſaid, though I am leſs cared for and beloved than my Siſter, yet behold how graciouſly the Lord hath dealt with me; He hath given me a Son in my affliction, therefore I hope now my Husband will love(u)Liberi ſunt vincula Parentum. Children are a chain to bind Husbands to love their Wives, and this Chain is ſtrong with all good men. Biſhop Babington in loc. me more than he did. Then ſhe conceived again, and bare a ſecond Son, and remembring how God had heard her Prayers, and regarded her ſighs, ſhe called his Name Simeon, *Simeon his ſecond Son.ſignifying that he was a Son whom God had given her, upon his hearing (x)Simeon q. filius exaudientis Dei, a foreign.of her prayers. Then ſhe conceived again and bare a third Son, and called his Name Levi (y)Levi q. adjunctus copulatus.(that is joyned *Levi his third Son.) for now ſhe hoped her Husbands heart (ſhe having born him three Sons, and Rachel none,) would cleave to her with more cordial love and affection. After this ſhe conceived again and bare Jacob a fourth Son, and called his Name Judah †Judah his fourth Son.(ſignifying Praiſe) for now ſays ſhe, I will in an open and ſolemn manner praiſe the Lord for all his great Goodneſs and Mercy to me. And then for ſome time ſhe ceaſed bearing any more.
Gen. 29. whole Chapter.