and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be whom he cohabited. The sacred historian's thou the mother of thousands of millions, silence about her pedigree and condition and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. favours this opinion. The improbability that Abraham would make an alliance with any family of the Canaanites (and his kindred were all at a distance); the improbability that any princess of Canaan would accept of him in his old age, when the whole inheritance was to go to Sarah's son; all these circumstances, added to the expression used in the Book of Chronicles, make it probable that Keturah was Abraham's concubine. Might not his cohabitation with her commence, without any imputation on his continence according to the standard of the morality of those days, before Sarah's death? Was the interval sufficient, between Sarah's death and Abraham's, for six sons to be born to him of one woman and grow up to manhood, when manhood hardly took place before the age of thirty at the soonest? In the charge that Abraham gives his servant about marrying Isaac, he talks like an old man preparing to leave the world. Is it likely that after this he should take a concubine, and beget six children? There is nothing in the original properly answering to the word "Then," at the beginning of this chapter, or to mark succession. The original expresses only that Abraham conversed with another woman besides προσθέμενος δὲ ̔Αβραὰμ ἔλαβε γυναῖκα, η Sarah and Hagar, who had been mentioned before; and that he had children by her. ὄνομα Χεττούρα. Au. Ver. 1 Then again Abraham took a From xxii. 19, and xxiii. 2, it should seem wife, and her name was Keturah. Booth., and others.-And Abraham had taken another wife; and her name was Keturah. Abraham was 137 years of age when Sarah died; and nearly forty years before that event, his age had rendered it very improbable he should have children; yet we find he had six sons by Keturah, whom he sent away in his life-time: on these grounds, that Abraham and Sarah lived apart for some time before Sarah's death. For Abraham dwelt at Beersheba, and Sarah died at Kiriath-arba, which is Hebron; and Hebron and Beersheba, according to Reland, were twenty miles distant. It seems probable that during this separation, Abraham took Keturah to his bed. Ver. 3. וּבְנֵי דְרָן הָיוּ אַשׁוּרָם וּלְטוּשָׁם ,as also on the literal language of the original "And Abraham added and took a wife," it has been supposed that Abraham married this wife long before, while Sarah was alive; υἱοὶ δὲ Δεδὰν ̓Ασσουριεὶμ, καὶ Λατουσιεὶμ, and that the passage may be rendered in the | καὶ Λαωμείμ. pluperfect tense, "And Abraham had Au. Ver.-3 And the sons of Dedan were added, and had taken a wife."-Bagster's Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. Bible. Ged. And from Dedan sprang the Asshur Bp. Horsley. In the book of Chronicles, ites, the Letushites, and the Leumites. Keturah is called Abraham's concubine; Booth. And the sons of Dedan were the and such, for many reasons, it is probable fathers of the Asshurites, and Letushites, she was; i. e., a servant of his family with and Leumites. Ver. 8. shall add here, from the Pentateuch, some other proper names, which are strangely varied likewise: first, twenty-three names וַיִּגְוַע וַיָּמָת אַבְרָהָם בְּשִׂיבָה טוֹבָה expressed differently in the Hebrew text זָקֵן וְשָׂבֵעַ וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל־עַמָּיו : καὶ ἐκλείπων ἀπέθανεν ̔Αβραὰμ ἐν γήρᾳ itself, and seventeen of them in our English καλῷ πρεσβύτης, καὶ πλήρης ἡμερῶν. καὶ translation; and then, thirty-one names προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ. expressed uniformly in the Hebrew, yet differently in the English. SAME NAMES, DIFFERING IN THE HEBREW. Au. Ver.-8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered 1 Gen. iv. 18, Mehujael to his people. Schum. Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a happy old age, an old man, and full (of blessings); and was gathered to his people. Riphath Mehijael, in the same verse. Diphath, 1 Chron. i. 6. Tarshishah, 2 x. 3, 3 X. 4, Tarshish 4 X. 4, Dodanim Rodanim, 5 Meshech, x. 28, Obal Ebal, i. 7. i. 7. i. 17. i. 22. in the next verse. 1 Chron. i. 36. i. 40. i. 50. i. 51. Num. xxvi. 12. 1 Chron. iv. 24. Zerah, Num. xxvi. 13, and 1 Chron. iv. 24. Gershom, 1 Chr. vi. 1 (16). Jashub, Huram, Addar, Shuham, Jethro, in 23 Deut. xxxii. 44, Hoshea Joshua, Num. xxvi. 24. xxvi. 16. 1 Chron. viii. 5. viii. 3. Num. xxvi. 42. the same verse. Num. ii. 14. Deut. xxxiv. 9. DIFFERENT 1 Gen. v. 3, Ken. Men, who have read their Bible with care, must have remarked, that the name of the same person is often expressed differently in different places. Indeed the variation is sometimes so great, that we can scarce persuade ourselves, that one and the same person is really meant. An uniform 18 expression of proper names is diligently attended to, in other books; perhaps in every other book, except the Old Testament. But here we find strange variety in the 25 Lev. xviii. 21, Molech expression, and consequently great con26 Num. xiii. 8, 16, Oshea fusion and indeed there is scarce any one 27 .. xiii. 16, Jehoshua .. xxi. 12, Zared general source of error, which calls for more 29 .. xxxii. 3, Jazer careful correction, than the same 30 xxxiii. 31, Beneproper jaakan names now wrongly expressed. One re- 31 Deut. iii. 17, Ashdothmarkable instance occurs in this verse; where the person is wrongly called Hadar, Nothing can be more clear, than that these who is rightly called Hadad, in 1 Chron. i. fifty-four proper names (at least, the far 30. The word now Hadar, in the printed greater part of them) should be expressed Hebrew text of Genesis, is Hadad here in with the very same letters, in the places the Samaritan Pentateuch and in the Arabic where they are now different. In the second version, and also in 200 Hebrew MSS. I list, instances the sixth, tenth, and thirteenth 28 Pisgah Rameses, Amos v. 26. esse מִירוֹת Michaelis 1. 1., p. 1012, ostendit. Videlicet have been corrected, and expressed uni- | LXX. év Taîs σkηvaîs avтwv. Au. Ver.-Twelve princes according to Rosen.-Under twelve heads of tribes. Ver. 18. more interesting than any other, the names Ver. 16. Au. Ver.-18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died [Heb. fell] in the presence of all his brethren. Bp. Patrick.-Or, as some understand : οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσμαήλ. καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἐν ταῖς σκηναῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐπαύλεσιν αὐτῶν. δώδεκα ἄρχοντες κατὰ ἔθνη αὐτῶν. | Shur which is towards Egypt, unto Havilah, He died (Heb. fell), &c. But his death Au. Ver.―These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes accord-presence of all his brethren, according to the promise made to his mother, xvi. 12, ing to their nations. "And he will be a wild man; his hand will Gesen. 1. A court, 2. A farm-yard, hamlet, village, such as there were in the be against every man, and every man's hand territory of a city, (otherwise ni) Josh. against him; and he shall dwell in the xiii. 23, 28, xv. 32, &c., Levit. xxv. 31: presence of all his brethren." The children ,the houses in the of Keturah lying on the east of his country בָּתֵּי הַחֲצֵרִים אֲשֶׁר אֵין לָהֶם חֹמָה villages which have no wall. Also, of moveable camps of the shepherds, Gen. xxv. 16, Is. xlii. 11, (comp. Cant. i. 5.) 1. A pen, fold, of the Nomades, also a farm-yard with folds, a village of huts, of hurdles. Or if we take and Isaac's seed on the west. condition. Rosen., Schum.-And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and his lot fell (i. e., he dwelt) in the presence of all his Rosen. sunt pagi portatiles Nomadum, tentoriis in orbem positis constantes, quos Tatarico vocabulo Horde (9, brethren. In conspectu omnium fratrum Ordu, Οὐρδά), dicere solemus. Vid. suorum, i. e., iis ab Oriente (ut Jos. xv. 8) supra xvi. 12, ubi proponitur .name, according to Gen. xxv. 25, from Quia inter eos, qui coloni aliquem in locum being covered with hair. Comp. in Arabic mittebantur, sæpe sorte dividebatur ager, c, to be hairy. ideo etiam ubi nihil simile factum, cecidisse sorte ea loca iis dicuntur, qui ea possident. Prius ex Josua manifestum est, posterius e Ps. xvi. 6. Sortes autem cadere dicuntur, &c. quia videntur in vas quodpiam conjectæ, ex cadebant; cf. Prov. xvi. 33. Non videtur Ver. 26. Au. Ver.-Jacob, i.e., supplanter, Gesen., Ver. 27. וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ quo agitate egrediebantur et in humum ידֵעַ צַיִךְ אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם quidem sorte Ismael ea loca cepisse, sed AT tralaticio sensu prædia ei cecidisse dicuntur, ad quem deveniunt, quocunque modo hoc ηὐξήθησαν δὲ οἱ νεανίσκοι. καὶ ἦν Ἡσαῦ fiat. Hieronymus vertit hic obiit ; sed quum ἄνθρωπος εἰδὼς κυνηγεῖν, ἄγροικος. Ἰακὼβ hp non soleat nisi de iis, qui præmatura, δὲ, ἄνθρωπος ἄπλαστος, οἰκῶν οἰκίαν. aut violenta morte occiderunt, usurpari; Au. Ver.-27 And the boys grew and melior visa est prior interpretatio, quando-Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the quidem Ismaelem ita obiisse non constat. and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling Præterea non potest dici occidisse coram omnibus fratribus suis, qui in diversas oras erant amandati. Ver. 22. field; in tents. Gesen. fem. er, adj. (from D) integer, but only in a moral sense, blameless, honest, virtuous, pious, i.q., Jacob was a virtuous man, keeping at home, in opposition to the more rude and boisterous ἐσκίρτων δὲ τὰ παιδία ἐν αὐτῇ, εἶπε δέ. εἰ οὕτω μοι μέλλει γίνεσθαι, ἵνα τί μοι τοῦτο; ἐπορεύθη δὲ πυθέσθαι παρὰ κυρίου. Rosen.-Vir integer, i. e., mitis, placidis moribus: opponitur enim Esavi inquieto et efferato animo. Ver. 30. וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו אֶל־יַעֲקֹב הַלְעִיטֵנִי נָא Au. Ver. And the children struggled 22 מִן־הָאָדָם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה כִּי עָיֵף אָנֹכִי together within her; and she said, If it be עַל־כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמוֹ אֶדְוֹם : so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. If it be so, why am I thus ?-i.e., If I cannot be delivered, why did I conceive.— Bp. Patrick. Jarchi., Rosen.-i.e., If the pains of pregnancy are so great, why did I wish and pray that I might conceive? Schum.-If it be so [i.e., if the children thus struggle together within me], why am I thus [i.e., what does this condition which I am in portend]? Ver. 25. καὶ εἶπεν Ἡσαῦ τῷ Ἰακώβ. γευσόν με ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑψήματος πυῤῥοῦ τούτου, ὅτι ἐκλείπω. διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, Εδώμ. Au. Ver.-30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; [Heb., with that red, with that red pottage] for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom [that is, red.] Heb., Rosen., Schum., &c.—And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red, red; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom (red.) The repetition of the adjective red, and וַיֵּצֵא הָרִאשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹנִי כָּלוֹ כְּאַדֶּרֶת the omission of the substantive, shew the שֵׁעָר וַיִּקְרְאוּ שְׁמוֹ עֵשָׂו : ἐξῆλθε δὲ ὁ πρωτότοκος πυῤῥάκης. ὅλος, ὡσεὶ δορὰ, δασύς. ἐπωνόμασε δὲ τὸ ὄνομα, αὐτοῦ Ἡσαῦ. Au. Ver.-25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. Gesen., Esau. He received this eagerness of a hungry man who is unable to recollect the food on account of his eagerness.-Rosen. Some think that Esau did not know what it was, and therefore calls it only by its colour, asking for that red, that same red, as it is in the Hebrew.-Bp. Patrick. Auctor repetit illud vocabulum, ut sive cupiditatem Esavi, sive inhonestam Edomi | from us; for thou art much mightier than nominis originem eum gravitate indicaret.—we. Schum. Ged.-14 For he possessed flocks and , to eat, particularly with greediness, herds, and a great number of servants, so daintiness.-Jarchi, Rosen., Gesen. that the Philistines became jealous of him, CHAP. XXVI. 5. Au. Ver.-5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. Because that Abraham.-So the Hebrew. Geddes follows the Samaritan and LXX., 15 And stopped up all the wells which his father's servants had digged (in the days of his father Abraham), and filled them with earth. 16 Abimelech therefore said unto Isaac, "Depart from us; for thou art much too powerful for us." Ver. 18. Ver. 12. וַיָּשָׁב יִצְחָק וַיַּחְפְּרוּ אֶת־בְּאֵרֹת Au. Ver.-12 Then Isaac sowed in that הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר חָפְרוּ בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיו land, and received [Heb. found in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him : And the Lord, &c. Booth.-For Jehovah blessed him. Ver. 13. Au. Ver.-13 And the man waxed great, and went forward [Heb. went going], and grew until he became very great : Rosen. Crevitque vir ille, magnus evasit, et ivit eundo et crescendo, magis magisque indies opibus crevit. Ver. 14, 15, 16. καὶ πάλιν Ἰσαὰκ ὤρυξε τὰ φρέατα τοῦ ὕδατος, ἃ ὤρυξαν οἱ παῖδες Αβραὰμ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐνέφραξαν αὐτὰ οἱ Φυλιστιεὶμ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν Αβραὰμ τὸν Tarépa avтoû. Au. Ver.-18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: Houb., Ged., Ken.-And Isaac digged again the wells of water which the servants of Abraham his father had digged before; 14 ἐγένετο δὲ αὐτῷ κτήνη προβάτων, καὶ κτήνη βοῶν, καὶ γεώργια πολλά. ἐζήλωσαν δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ Φυλιστιείμ. 15 καὶ πάντα τὰ φρέατα, ἃ ὤρυξαν οἱ παῖδες τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἐνέφραξαν αὐτὰ οἱ Φυλιστιεὶμ, καὶ ἔπλησαν αὐτὰ γῆς. 16 εἶπε δὲ ̓Αβιμέλεχ πρὸς Ισαάκ. ἄπελθε ἀφ ̓ ἡμῶν. ὅτι δυνατώτερος ἡμῶν ἐγένου σφόδρα. Au. Ver.-14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants [or, husbandry]: and the Philistines envied him. 15 For all the wells which his father's Au. Ver.-22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth [that is, room]; and he said, For now the LoRD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. Ged. And he removed from thence, and his servants digged another well; and for that the Gerarites strove not; so he called its name Rehoboth (room). "For now," said he, "the Lord [Heb., Booth., Jehovah] hath made room for us; that we may increase in the land." Ver. 28, 29, 30. 28 וַיֹּאמְרוּ רָאוֹ רָאִינוּ כִּי־הָיָה יְהוָהוּ servants had digged in the days of Abraham עִמָּךְ וַיֹּאמֶר תְּהִי נָא אָלָה בִּינוֹתֵינוּ,his father, the Philistines had stopped them and filled them with earth. בֵּינֵינוּ וּבֵינְךָ וְנִכְרְתָה בְרִית עִמָּךְ :|And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go 16 F |