The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 3 · Section 26
SECT. XXVI.
RAchel continuing barren, envied her Siſter, and poſſibly grew jealous of her Husband, and therefore in a Womaniſh impatience ſaid to him, Give me Children, or elſe I die, that is, let me have Children by thee as well as my Siſter, or elſe I ſhall die for grief and vexation. Then Jacob's anger was kindled, and he ſaid, Am I in Gods ſtead? It is He alone can make thee fruitful, and not I. [See 1 Sam. 1.5, 6. Pſal. 113.9. & Pſal. 127.3.] Then Rachel (being inordinately deſirous of Children) after the example of Sarah, [Ch. 16.2.] gives her Maid Bilhah to her Husbands Bed, to be as it were a ſecondary wife or Concubine to him, [ſee Gen. 35.22.] intending that the Children ſhe ſhould have by him ſhould be brought up and nurſed on her knees as her own: And ſo ſhe made account that ſome part of the reproach of her barrenneſs ſhould be put away, and ſome part of her Husbands good will ſhould be turned from her Siſter to her ſelf. Hereupon Bilhah conceived and bare Jacob a Son. At this Rachel greatly rejoyced, and ſaid, God hath heard my prayers and judged me; that is, judged and determined the Cauſe on my ſide, and to my advantage againſt my Siſter, (who upbraided me with barrenneſs *As Peninnah did Hannah, 1 Sam. 1.6.) in that he hath given me a Son, and ſhe called his Name Dan (z)Dan his fifth Son.ſignifying a Judge. Then Bilhah conceived again, and bare Jacob another Son; Upon this Rachel ſaid, I and my Siſter have had many wraſtlings and contentions about Children (ſhe twitting me for my barrenneſs) but now by my prayers to God, and by this means of giving my Maid to my Husband, I have prevailed againſt her. Therefore ſhe called his name Naphtali, *Naphtali his ſixth Son.ſignifying my wreſtling. (a)Unde perſpicuum eſt Rachelis deſiderium non ex libidine ſed ex amore prolium fluxiſſe, ut in iis promiſſa Dei quae a Marito audierat, complerentur. Janſ. in loc.Leah now finding that ſhe had not for a good while been with Child, and that her Siſter had by giving her Hand-Maid to Jacob, raiſed up Children to her ſelf; ſhe alſo out of emulation (not being content with her former number) gave her Maid Zilpah to her Husbands Bed. Zilpah hereupon conceived and bearing Jacob a Son, ſhe called his name Gad, *Gad his ſeventh Son.ſignifying a Troop, intimating that this Son added to her own four would make a Troop. After this Zilpah conceived again, and bare him another Son, and Leah ſaid, This is an happy birth alſo; and now women in general will call me bleſſed for the multitude of my Children, and ſhe called his name Aſher, †Aſher his eighth Son.that is, bleſſed. Reuben the eldeſt Son of Leah being now as 'tis probable about eight or nine years old, (having ſeven Brethren at this time born after him, viz. three of his own Mother, and four by the two Hand-Maids, whilſt his Mother left off bearing) went into the Fields in the time of Wheat-Harveſt, and found Mandrakes and brought them to his Mother, that is, ſome rare beautiful and ſweet Flowers, (b)Mandragora planta eſt ferens pomula crocci coloris. Notant Dioſcorides & Ariſtotels, lib. 2. de generatione animalium, habere vim ciendi menſtrua, & conſequenter purgandi, & ad Conceptum praeparandi; quod cum fortaſſe ſciret Rachel, prolis avida, fructum illum ardenter appetiit. Janſen.which poſſibly were thought to have a vertue to procure love, therefore by ancient Writers were called Circea. (See Canticles 7.13.) But whatever theſe Dudaim or Mandrakes were, it ſeems they were much eſteemed among them, and therefore Rachel deſired her Siſter to give her ſome of her Sons Mandrakes. Leah ſnaps her up; what ſays ſhe, Haſt thou taken away my Husbands affection from me, ſo that he doth in a manner eſtrange himſelf from my Bed through thy procurement, and wouldſt thou have my Sons Mandrakes alſo? Rachel making an ill uſe of Jacobs great affection to her, takes upon her as if ſhe had the diſpoſal of his perſon, and therefore ſhe tells her Siſter, If ſhe would give Her ſome of the Mandrakes, her Husband ſhould lie with her that night. Leah agreeing hereto, goes out to meet Jacob returning from the Field, and acquaints him with what had paſt between her and her Siſter, and how ſhe had hired him with her Sons Mandrakes to accompany with her that night. Jacob accordingly did ſo, and God hearkening unto Leahs prayers, ſhe conceived again and bare Jacob a fifth Son, and called his name Iſſachar, *Iſſachar his fifth Son by Leah, and in order of his age his ninth Son.that is, an hire; for ſaid ſhe, God hath given me my hire, that is, hath abundantly rewarded me for my Mandrakes. (c)Pro Dudaim ſive Mandragoris accepit filium; In memoriam igitur hujus mercedis, qua maritum conduxerat, filium ſuum vocavit Iſſachar, h. e. filium mercedis.For when I had left off bearing, and had given my Hand-Maid to my Husband to raiſe up Seed for me, (not hoping to bear any more my ſelf) he hath been pleaſed, beyond my expectation, to give me alſo this Son of my own body. And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob a ſixth Son, and called his name Zebulun *Zebulun his ſixth Son by Leah, and in order of age His tenth Son.ſignifying dwelling; For now ſaid ſhe, Will my Husband dwell with me, and will not neglect me, ſeeing I have born him ſix Sons. Laſt of all, ſhe bare him one Daughter, and called her name Dinah. (d)Prophetice forſan ſic dicta ab altercatione quae ſecuta eſt infra, Cap. 34.24.After theſe things,(e)Porro hinc palam eſt utram que ſororem Jacobo nuptum datam, anno primo non ſeptimo completo: Nam Leah liberos ſeptem peperit ante annum decimum quartum exactum, vide v. 25. puerperium tamen intermiſit, Cap. 29.35. ut annis 14 liberi 12 editi, non niſi biennium vacuum reliquerint. Anonym. in loc. it pleaſed the Lord to remember Rachel, and to hear her prayers, and to open her Womb, ſo that ſhe conceived, at which ſhe much rejoyced, and ſaid, God hath now taken away my Reproach. (f)Reproach lay upon barrenneſs in thoſe times, as we may ſee 1 Sam. 1.6. Iſa. 4.1. Luke 1.21. and that principally for two Reaſons: 1. Becauſe they that were barren did ſeem to be excluded from the promiſe made to Abraham, touching the multiplication of his Seed. 2ly, Becauſe they were without hope that the Meſſiah, who was to proceed out of the Loins of Abraham, ſhould be one of their Poſterity.And bringing forth a Son, ſhe called his name Joſeph, *Joſeph his eleventh Son. Natus hic anno 14 ad adventu Jacobi ad Labanem.intimating hereby her hope and truſt that God would add to her another Son.
Ch. 30. from 1. to 25.