Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 35
CHAP. XXXV.
Ver. 1. AND God ſaid unto Jacob.] There were ſeveral ways, as Maimonides obſerves, whereby God communicated himſelf unto the Prophets. Unto whom he is ſaid, ſometimes, to ſpeak by an Angel in a Dream, as he did to Jacob, XXXI. 11. Sometimes by an Angel, without any mention how it was, whether in a Dream or Viſion, or not: Of which he takes this place to be an Inſtance; and Verſe the 10th of this Chapter, and XXII. 15. Thirdly, In other places there is no mention of an Angel, but of God alone ſpeaking; yet in a Viſion, or Dream, XV. I. And, Laſtly, God is ſaid to ſpeak abſolutely, neither in a Dream, nor Viſion, nor by Angel, XII. 1. XXXI. 3. More Nevochim, P. II. cap. 42. In which Claſſis, I think he might have put this Aparition to Jacob, as well as that laſt mentioned: For there is no difference between them, but this; That in the former place (XXXI. 3.) it is ſaid, The LORD ſaid unto Jacob; and here, God ſaid unto Jacob.
Ariſe, go up to Bethel, and dwell there.] By this Advice God ſhowed, he ſtill took Care of him; and delivered him from the Fear he was in of the Canaanites and Perizzites. Who, one would think, deteſted the Fact of Shechem; or, elſe it may ſeem ſtrange that they did not immediately cut off Jacob and his Family, who had taken ſuch a terrible Revenge for it; but let them remove quietly to Bethel. But Moſes gives us the true reaſon of this, verſe 5.
Make there an Altar.] Perform the Vow which thou madeſt in that place, XXVIII. 20, 21, 22. Some wonder Jacob made no more haſte to this place, after his return to his own Country, (for now he had been about nine Years in Canaan) and ſome of the Hebrew Doctors fanſie God puniſhed him for deferring ſo long to go thither (where he promiſed to worſhip him, if he proſpered his Journey and brought him back again in ſafety) by ſuffering his Daughter Dinah to be raviſhed. But it is more probable, that he met with obſtructions, which made it not ſafe for him, as yet, to go thither; or, that he waited till God, who had conducted him hitherto, ſhould direct him to take his Journey to that place. For, it is very probable, he enquired of him about his removal.
Ver. 2. Then Jacob ſaid unto his houſholder, &c.] Being to perform a ſolemn Sacrifice to God, he calls upon his Family to prepare themſelves for it.
And to all that were with him] Hired Servants who lived with him.
Put away the ſtrange Gods.] Rachel had her Father's Teraphim, which now, it is to be ſuppoſed, ſhe confeſſed. And he ſuſpected there might be ſome among the Men-Servants and Maid-Servants, he brought with him out of Meſopotamia, (XXXII. 5.) where there was much Superſtition: And that in the ſacking of Shechem they might bring away ſome Images with them (for the ſake of the Silver and Gold) which they kept ſecretly among them.
And be clean.] Waſh your Bodies, as Aben Ezra truly interprets it: For this was the ancient Rite of cleanſing. Wherein he ſeems to have followed Jonathan, who thus paraphraſes it, Purifie your ſelves from the polution of the ſlain, whom you have touched; referring it to the foregoing ſlaughter of the People of Shechem.
And change your Garments.] Put on clean Cloathes. Which was but a reaſonable Injunction, being to appear before the Divine Majeſty: In whoſe Preſence it was rudeneſs to be ſeen in ſordid Raiment: Eſpecially in thoſe, wherein they had newly defiled themſelves, by a bloody ſlaughter. Theſe two, I doubt not, were pious Cuſtoms, which their godly Anceſtors had obſerved, from the beginning of offering Solemn Sacrifices. It being very unſeemly to appear before a great Man, in dirty Apparrel, or with a ſweaty Body. And I do not ſee, why we ſhould not look upon theſe, as an external Profeſſion, of the like Purity in their Minds and Hearts. All Nations retained theſe Waſhings, and white Raiment, when they performed the Solemn Offices of Religion: Which were not derived from Idolaters, but from the pureſt Antiquity.
Ver. 4. And they gave unto Jacob all the ſtrange Gods.] Which, it ſeems by this Expreſſion, were numerous.
And the Ear-rings that were in their Ears.] In the Ears of the Idols; for there was no harm in the Ear-Rings they wore themſelves. So ſome interpret it; not conſidering, that beſides the Ear-Rings which were Ornaments, there were others worn in the nature of Amulets; or, for ſome other ſuperſtitious Uſes: Having the Effigies of ſome God or other; or, ſome Symbolical Notes, in which they fanſied there was ſome Power to preſerve them from ſeveral Miſchiefs. Maimonides in his Book of Idolatry, cap. 7. mentions ſuch Idololatrical Rings, as were utterly unlawful to be uſed; and Veſſels marked with the Image of the Sun, the Moon, or a Dragon: Which were Symbols of Divinity among the Heathen; who made Marks alſo, in ſeveral parts of their Bodies.
And Jacob hid them.] Buried them in the Earth; after he had firſt broke them in pieces (as ſome think) or melted them, as Moſes and Hezekiah did, Exod. XXXII. 20. 2 Kings XVIII. 4. Which, if it be true, it is but a Tale which is told of the Samaritans; that they digged up theſe Idols and worſhipped them. See Hottinger Smegma Orient. p. 359.
Ʋnder an Oak which was by Shechem.] It was ſo unknown under what Oak this was, that there is no ground for their Opinion, who think this was the ſame Oak mentioned in Joſh. XXIV. 26. For he intended to aboliſh the memory of theſe Idols; and therefore hid them, where he thought no Body would find them.
It took up ſome time to do all this; and yet the People of the Land did not fall upon Jacob's Family: The Providence of God watching over him, as it follows in the next Verſe.
Ver. 5. And they journeyed: And the terror of the LORD was upon the Cities round about them, &c.] Here is the true reaſon why the Country did not, at leaſt, fall upon the Rear of Jacob's Family, when they marched away: Becauſe God made a panick Fear to fall upon them. Who, otherwiſe (one would gueſs by this) had an inclination to be revenged for the deſtruction of Shechem. For, though they could not juſtifie the Fact of Shechem; yet they might think Jacob's Sons too cruel in the Puniſhment of it: For their own Father was of that Opinion.
Ver. 6. So Jacob came to Luz.] See XXVIII. 19.
Ver. 7. Built there an Altar, &c.] And offered Sacrifices of Thanksgiving to God, for performing his Promiſe to him, beſeeching him ſtill to continue his Care of him.
Ver. 8. Deborah, Rebekah's nurſe died.] She went to attend Rebekah, when ſhe was married to Iſaac: Which troubles the Jews to give an account how ſhe came here, into Jacob's Family. R. Solomon ſolves it thus; That Rebekah having promiſed Jacob when he went away, to ſend for him, (XXVII. 45.) ſhe performed this Promiſe by Deborah: Whom ſhe ſent to Padan-Aram to invite him home; and in her return ſhe died here. But it is more reaſonable to ſuppoſe that Jacob had been at his Father's Houſe, before this time: And Rebekah being dead, (whether before or after, is uncertain) Deborah was deſirous to live with his Wives, who were her Country-Women. And that her death is here mentioned (though we read nothing of Rebekah's) to give an account how this Oak came by the Name of Allon-Bacuth, in aftertimes.
Ʋnder an Oak.] There were many about Bethel: Near to which there was a Wood, or Foreſt; out of which the Bears came, who devoured the Children that curſed Eliſha, 2 Kings II. 23. And under an Oak alſo, the old Prophet Found the Man of God ſitting, as he went from Bethel, 1 Kings XIII. 14.
Ver. 9. And God appeared unto Jacob again, &c.] The SCHECHINAH, or Divine Majeſty, who bad him go to Bethel, verſe 1. appeared to him when he came there; in a moſt glorious manner: As he had done when he lodged there in his Journey to Padan-Aram, XXVIII. 13.
Ver. 10. Iſrael ſhall be thy Name.] This is a far more honourable Name than that of Jacob: And therefore by it thou ſhalt be commonly called. For the Name of Jacob was given him from the ſupplanting of his Brother, and getting the advantage of him: But this of Iſrael from his prevalence over the Angel of God.
And he called his Name Iſrael.] He ſolemnly confirmed that Name, which was given him before by his Angel, XXXII. 28.
This ſeems to me to prove, That it was no more than an Angel, who wreſtled with Jacob, and told him his Name ſhould be changed. For, if it had been God himſelf, Jacob was as much ſatisfied then, as he could be now, that Iſrael ſhould be his Name. But I take it, God reſerved the declaration of it from his own Mouth, till this time: When he ratified what he had before ſpoken by his Angel.
And thus I find (ſince I noted this) St. Hierom underſtood this Paſſage: Whoſe words are theſe. Dudum nequaquam ei nomen ab Angelo imponitur, &c. This Name was not heretofore impoſed on him by the Angel; who only foretold that God would impoſe it on him: That therefore which was there promiſed ſhould be, we are here taught was fulfilled.
Ver. 11. I am God Almighty, &c.] Here God renews his Promiſe to him, as he had often done to Abraham. He had firſt bleſſed him by Iſaac, XXVIII. 3. when he ſent him from home. Then he himſelf bleſſed him; when he appeared to him, the firſt Night of his Journey, verſe 13. of that Chapter. And now again, when he was come back to the very ſame place; where he bleſſed him before. And he ſpeaks to him, by the Name of El-Shaddai, i. e. God All-ſufficient: The very ſame whereby his Father had bleſſed him, XXVIII. 3. and whereby God bleſſed Abraham, XVII. 1.
Ver. 13. And God went up from him.] It is evident by this, that a viſible Majeſty, or Glory appeared to him at this time: From whence the foregoing words were ſpoken to him: Which being done, it went up towards Heaven. In the Hebrew the words are, went up from upon him, or, over him; and the very ſame is ſaid of Abraham, XVII. 22. as if the SCHECHINAH appeared over his Head, in great Luſtre; whilſt he, perhaps, lay proſtrate upon the Ground.
Ver. 14. Set up a Pillar in that place.] To be a Monument of the Divine Goodneſs; Who there appeared to him; and made him ſuch gracious Promiſes, as thoſe before-mentioned, verſe 11, 12. And to ſerve for an Altar whereon to offer Sacrifice. For ſo the word Matzebah ſignifies, Hoſea III. 4. And therefore Iſaiah ſeems to make an Altar and a Pillar the ſame thing, XIX. 19.
Poured a drink-offering thereon.] To conſecrate it unto the Solemn Service of God. For which end he poured Oil upon it, as he had done upon the Stone, (XXVIII. 18.) which, in all likelihood, was a principal part of this Pillar. And having done all this, we are to ſuppoſe he not only offered Sacrifice; but paid the Tenth of all that God had given him, according to his Vow, XXVIII. ult.
Ver. 15. Called the Name of the place.] Or, rather, of that place; that famous Place; which God had made ſo remarkable by his Goodneſs to him. For the Hebrews, not without Reaſon, make the He before Makom, to add an Emphaſis to that word.
Bethel.] i. e. The Houſe of God. So he ſaid he would make this Place, XXVIII. 22. and now he is as good as his Word, by renewing the Name he had given it thirty Years before, when he firſt went into Meſopotamia.
Ver. 16. And there was but a little way to come to Ephrath.] When they were come within a little of Ephrath. The Hebrew word for a little is Chibrath: Whoſe preciſe ſignification is uncertain. Benjamin Tudelenſis, ſaith this Place was within half a Mile and a little more of Ephrath. See his Itinerar. p. 47. and Conſt. L' Empereur on the Place, p. 176.
Ver. 17. Fear not: Thou ſhalt have this Son alſo.] The Midwife ſeems to comfort Rachel with her own Prediction, XXX. 24.
Ver. 18. She called his Name Ben-oni.] Rachel ſeems to give her former Hopes of a ſecond Son for loſt; at leaſt ſhe expected no Comfort from him: Being ready to expire. And therefore ſhe called him a Son of Sorrow: His birth being her death.
But his Father called him Benjamin.] To comfort Rachel in her Sorrow, and to avert the ſiniſter Omen, Jacob immediately changed his Name into Benjamin; ſignifying The Son of his Right-hand, or of his Strength, as it is commonly interpreted. Though others will have it, The Son of Years, i. e. of his old Age: or, putting both together, the ſupport and ſtay of his old Age.
Names are oft-times ſtrangely adapted to things; and the Preſages of Parents have anciently been obſerved to be fulfilled.
—Heu nunquam vana parentum
Auguria—
Which is in no Inſtance more verified than in this Child of Jacob's: Who did not bear either of theſe Names for nought. There being two very different Fates of his Poſterity (as Dr. Jackson obſerves in a Diſcourſe of his upon St. Matth. II. 17, 18.) anſwerable to the contrary importance of the Names given him by his Father and his Mother. No Tribe in Iſrael more Valorous, yet none ſo ſubject to ſorrowful Diſaſters as this Tribe of Benjamin. It was almoſt extirpated in the time of the Judges, XX. 35, &c. and yet before the concluſion of that Age, Benjamin became the Head of his Brethren: The firſt King of Iſrael being choſen out of that late deſolate Tribe. And though that King proved at laſt but a Ben-oni; yet this Tribe ſtuck cloſe to Judah, when all the reſt revolted to his Brother Joſeph.
Ver. 20. Jacob ſet a Pillar upon her Grave.] After that Law was made (Deut. XVI. 22.) againſt erecting Pillars; the Jews did not think all Pillars unlawful; but only thoſe for Superſtitious uſes: Not thoſe which were in Memory of ſome thing; as Maimonides his words are, L. de Idolol. cap. 6.
Ver. 21. And Iſrael journeyed.] This is the firſt time that Moſes calls him Iſrael; after this Name was given him by God. Which he repeats twice in the next Verſe: And then calls him Jacob again, in the latter end of it. It is in vain to ſearch for a Reaſon. Some of the Jews will have it, That he calls him Iſrael, becauſe he bare the death of his beloved Wife, with admirable Patience and Submiſſion to God's Will. But they cannot give ſo good a Reaſon, why he immediately alters his Style, and calls him Jacob again. See Verſe 22.
Beyond the tower of Edar.] i. e. The Tower of the Flock, as ſome tranſlate it. Who think there was ſuch a Tower near Jeruſalem, becauſe of thoſe words of Micah, IV. 8. O tower of the Flock, the ſtrong hold of the Daughter of Zion. Which, if it be true, it doth not prove there was no Tower in Jacob's Days called by that Name: But rather, that in future Ages this Tower was renewed, in the ſame, or a neighbouring Place; and called by the ancient Name, which it had in the Days of Jacob.
Ver. 22. Went and lay with Bilhah, his Father's concubine.] She is called his Wife, XXX. 4. and, according to the Laws of thoſe Times, was truly ſo; as I have often obſerved all thoſe called Concubines were: Though not the principal Wives, but of a lower Rank. See Mr. Selden, de Jure N. & G. L. V. cap. 7. p. 570, 571, &c.
And Iſrael heard it.] And highly reſented it, as we find XLIX. 4. But in this ſhort Hiſtory Moſes paſſes over Iſrael's Cenſure of this Inceſt till he came to die: Which ſhows ſufficiently, how he was affected when the Fact was committed. Or, perhaps, theſe words, Iſrael heard it, may ſignifie; That though Reuben thought to have committed this Sin ſo ſecretly, as to have concealed it from his Father; yet he came to the knowledge of it: And gave him ſuch private Rebukes, as were fitting; but proceeded not to Publick Puniſhment, to avoid Scandal.
Now the Sons of Jacob were twelve.] Their Number being now compleated by the Birth of Benjamin, after whom he had no more Children; Moſes thought good here to enumerate them. And they being all born (ſave Benjamin alone) before he had the Name of Iſrael, it may be the reaſon, perhaps, why he calls him Jacob.
Ver. 26. Which were born to him in Padan-Aram.] All except Benjamin; who (as was ſaid juſt before, verſe 18.) was born in Canaan.
Ver. 27. Jacob came to Iſaac his Father, &c.] To dwell with him, and to be the Comfort of his old Age. For, it is not to be doubted, he had been with him before, ſince he came from Meſopotamia: But now came to ſtay with him, till Death parted them.
Ʋnto the City of Arba, &c.] Called Kirjath-Arba, XXIII. 2. from a great Man (Joſh. XIV. 15.) among the Anakims, whoſe Name was Arba; and either was born, or dwelt, or ruled here. It was afterward called Hebron, where Abraham dwelt a long time, XIII. 18. and where he bought a burying-place for his Family, XXIII. 19.
Ver. 28. The days of Iſaac were an hundred and fourſcore Years.] He lived five Years longer than his Father Abraham, XXV. 7.
Ver. 29. His Sons Eſau and Jacob buried.] As Iſaac and Iſhmael had done Abraham, (XXV. 9.) and no doubt in the ſame place: He ſojourning there (as was ſaid before) as his Father had done before him. By this it appears, the Friendſhip between Eſau and Jacob continued, after the interview they had at Jacob's return into this Country.