A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI.
Verſ. 1. OF that which was our fathers hath he gotten all this glory.]
That is, all this wealth, vvhichwhich they call his glory, becauſe commonly a man… vvealth procures him honour, and makes him glorious in the eyes of vvorldly men; vvhence is that, Pſal. 49. 16, 17. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his houſe is increaſed: For when he dieth he ſhall carry nothing away, his glory ſhall not deſcend after him.
Verſ. 3. And the Lord ſaid unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, &c.]
By the foregoing vvords it appears, that the envy of his brethren, and the frowns of his father in law Laban, made Jacob entertain ſome thoughts of returning home; but being vvithall it ſeems perplexed vvith ſome fears how he ſhould be able to get away, hovv his vvives friends might deal vvith him, and vvhether his brother Eſaus vvrath vvere appeaſed or no, to remove all theſe ſcruples from his mind, the Lord novv appeared to Jacob, and vvilled him to return, and promiſed to be vvith him and bleſſe him in his journey.
Verſ. 7. Your father hath d…ceived me, and changed my wages ten times.]
If ſheep in that countrey bring forth young ones tvvice a year, as it ſeems they did, in the ſpace of ſix years, ſo oft his vvages might vvell be changed; yet ten times may here be put for many times, as it is uſually elſevvhere, Job 19. 3. Theſe ten times you have reproched me. Num. 14. 22. And have tempted me now theſe ten times; and in many other places.
Verſ. 11. And the Angel of God ſpake unto me, &c.]
Who is called, verſ. 13. the God of Bethel; and therefore it vvas undoubtedly Chriſt.
Verſ. 13. I am the God of Bethel.]
This vvas to put Jacob in mind of his promiſe and vovv, vvhichwhich then and there he made to God.
Verſ. 15. For he hath ſold us, &c.]
To wit, for 14. years ſervice, and our money, that is, the money and profit which he hath gotten by this ſale of us, he hath quite devoured, that is, he hath w…oly converted it to his own uſe, whereas of right he ſhould have given it us … portion.
Verſ. 21. And paſſed over the river.]
That is, Euphrates, which was between Chaldea and Canaan: Joſh. 24. 2, 3. Your fathers dwelt on the other ſide of the floud, in old time, &c. And I took your father Abraham from the other ſide of the floud, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, &c.
Verſ. 22. And it was told Laban on the third day, &c.]
For ſo many dayes journey were Labans flocks, which his ſonnes kept (whether Laban was now gone to the ſheep-ſhearing) off from Jacob. chap. 30. 36. And he ſet three dayes journey b…twixt himſelf and Jacob and Jacob fed the rest of Labans flocks.
V…rſ. 23. And purſued after him ſ…ven dayes journey.]
That is, being returned home (wherein three dayes were again ſpent) he gathers his company together, and in ſeven dayes purſuit overtakes him; ſo that Laban went as farre in ſeven dayes as Jacob had gone in thirteen, to wit, the three dayes of the meſſengers going to Laban, the three dayes of Labans return home, and the ſeven dayes of Labans purſuit after Jacob.
Verſ. 24. Take heed that thou ſpeak no… to Jacob either good or bad.]
That i…, reſpectively to that end for which thou haſt purſued him; thou ſhalt not ſeek to detain him, neither by flattering ſpeeches, nor by evil language.
Verſ. 35. For the cuſtome of women is upon me.]
Not that women whileſt they are in that condition are not able to riſe, but becauſe they are oft at thoſe times ſtomach-ſick, troubled with headach, and many ſeverall wayes not fit to be diſquieted; and beſides in thoſe hot countreys perhaps that diſeaſ… of women was ſtronger upon them then it is in theſe parts.
Verſ. 42. Except the God of Abraham, and the fear of Iſaac, &c.]
Jacob calleth God the fear of Iſaac, that is, the God whom his father Iſaac feared and worſhipped, as the onelyonly true God who alone is to be feared; as God is elſewhere called the hope of Iſrael, that is, the God on whom all his people do put their whole truſt and confidence.
Verſ. 46. Jacob ſaid unto his brethren, Gather ſtones.]
That is, he exhorted the ſonnes of Laban and other his kindred and allyes that were come thither with Laban, that they would put to their helping hand to raiſe up a heap of ſtones that might be a witneſſe of the covenant that ſhould be now made betwixt them: for in the 51. verſe, it is evident that not Jacob onelyonly and his family, but Laban alſo and thoſe that were with him, did gather and make this heap of ſtones.
Verſ. 47. But Jacob called it Galeed.]
That is, a heap, a witneſſe: they both give it the ſame name; onelyonly Laban called it ſo in his tongue, the Syriack; and Jacob in his, the Hebrew.
Verſ. 53. And Jacob ſware by the fear of his father Iſaac.]
That is, whereas Laban ſware by the God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, and Terah, the father both of Abraham and Nahor (of whom it is ſaid that he ſerved ſtrange gods, Joſh. 24. 2. Your fathers dwelt on the other ſide of the floud in old times, even Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor; and they ſerved other gods) Jacob onelyonly ſware by the fear of his father Iſaac, that is, the God whom his father feared and worſhipped.