me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longest after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

It is, however, possible, that on teraphim, is the same as seraphim, then tau and schin being changed, which is very frequent in the Syrian or Chaldee language; and we know that Laban was an Aramean or Syrian. FIRE has been considered, from the earliest ages, as a symbol of the Deity; and as the word seraphim comes from seraph, to burn, it has been conjectured, that the teraphim of Laban were luminous forms, prepared of burnished brass, &c. which he might imagine a proper medium of communication between God and his worshippers. Mr. Parkhurst has observed, that the teraphim were in use among believers and unbelievers. Among the former, see this chapter; for he denies that Laban was an idolater, see also Judg. xvii. 5. xviii. 14, 18, 20. 1 Sam. xix. 13, 16. Among the latter, see 2 Kings xxiii. 24. Ezek. xxi. 21. Zech. x. 2. compare 1 Sam. xv. 23. and Hos. iii. 4. These are all the places in which the original word is found.

The Persian translator seems to have considered these teraphim, as tables or instruments, that served for purposes of judicial astrology, and hence translates the word lawl asterlabha, astrolabes. As the astrolabe was an instrument with which they took the altitude of the pole-star, the sun, &c. it might, in the notion of the Persian translator, imply tables, &c. by which the culminating of particular stars might be determined; and the whole serve for purposes of judicial astrology. Now, as we know that many, who have professed themselves to be conscientious believers in Christianity, have nevertheless addicted themselves to judicial astrology, we might suppose such a thing in this case, and still consider Laban as no idolater. If the Persian translator has not hit on the true meaning, he has, in my opinion, formed the most likely conjecture. See the note on chap. xxx. 11.

Verse 21. Passed over the river] The Euphrates, as the Targum properly notices.-But how could he pass such a river, with his flocks? &c. This difficulty does not seem to have struck critics in general. The rabbins felt it, and assert that God wrought a miracle for Jacob on this occasion, and that he passed over dry-shod. As we know not in what other way he could pass, it is prudent to refer it to the power of God, which accompanied him through the whole of his journey. There might, however, have been fords well known to both Jacob and Laban, by which they might readily pass.

The mount Gilead] What the ancient name of this mountain was, we know not; but it certainly had not the name of Gilead till after the transaction mentioned ver. 47. The mountains of Gilead were eastward of the country possessed by the tribes of Reuben and Gad; and extended from mount Hermon to the mountains of Moab. Calmet. It is joined to mount Libanus, and includes the mountainous region, called in the New Testament Trachonitis. Dodd.

Verse 24. And God came to Laban] God's caution to Laban was of high importance to Jacob-Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad: or rather, as is the literal meaning of the Hebrew, y yo mi-tob âd raâ, from good to evil; for, had he neither spoken good or evil to Jacob, they could have had no intercourse at all. The original is, therefore, peculiarly appropriate; for when people meet, the language at first is the language of friendship; the command therefore implies, "Do not begin with peace be unto thee, and then proceed to injurious language, and acts of violence. If this divine

31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from

32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren, discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maid-servants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

fVer. 55. Ruth 1. 9, 14. 1 Kings 19. 20. Acts 20. 37-g1 Sam. 13, 13, 2Chron. 16.9 h Ver. 53. Ch. 28. 13.-i Ver. 24.-k Ver. 19. Judg. 18. 24.-1 See Ch. 41. 9. direction were attended to, how many of those affairs of honour, so termed, which commence with, "I hope you are well"-"I am infinitely glad to see you"-"I am happy to see you well," &c. and end with small swords and pistol bullets, would be prevented! Where God and true religion act, all is fair, kind, honest, and upright; but where these are not consulted, all is hollow, deceitful, or malicious. Beware of unmeaning compliments, and particularly of saying what thy heart feels not. God hates a hypocrite and a deceiver.

Verse 27. I might have sent thee away with mirth] abe-simchah, with rejoicing, making a feast or entertainment on the occasion: and with songs, be-shirim, odes either in the praise of God, or to commemorate the splendid acts of their ancestors: with tabret a be-toph, the tympanum, used in the east to the present day, and there called s diff, a thin broad wooden hoop, with parchment extended over one end of it, to which is attached small pieces of brass, tin, &c. which make a jingling noise: it is held in the air with one hand, and beat on with the fingers of the other. It appears to have been precisely the same with that which is called the tambourine, and is frequently to be met with in our streets. And with harp, be-kinnor, a sort of stringed instrument, a lute or harp, probably the same as the Greek xp, kinyra, a harp, the name being evidently borrowed from the Hebrew. These four things seem to include all that was used in those primitive times as expressive of gladness and satisfaction on the most joyous occasions.

Verse 29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt.] Literally, My hand is unto God to do you evil: i. e. I have vowed to God that I would punish thee for thy flight, and the stealing of my teraphim; but the God of YOUR futher has prevented me from doing it. It is a singular instance, that the plural pronoun, when addressing an individual, should be twice used in this place-the God of your father, abicem, for 28 abica, thy father. Verse 32. Let him not live] It appears from this, that anciently theft was punished by death; and we know that the patriarchs had the power of life and death in their hands. But previous to the law, the punishment of death was scarcely ever inflicted but for murder. The rabbins consider that this was an imprecation used by Jacob, as if he had said-Let God take away the life of the person who has stolen them! And that this was answered shortly after, in the death of Rachel, chap.

Verse 35. The custom of women is upon me] This she knew must be a satisfactory reason to her father: for if the teraphim were used to any religious purpose, and they seem to have been used in this way, as Laban calls them his gods, ver. 30. he therefore could not suspect, that a woman in such a situation, whose touch was considered as defiling, would have sat upon articles that were either the objects of his adoration, or used for any sacred purpose. The stratagem succeeded to her wish, and Laban departed without suspicion. It seems very natural to suppose that Rachel did believe that by the use of these teraphim, Laban could find out their flight, and the direction they took, and therefore she stole them, and having stolen them, she was afraid to acknowledge the theft, and probably might think that they might be of some use to herself. Therefore, for these two reasons, she brought them away.

35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot brise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.

38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not

eaten.

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d

39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.

40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

42 Except the God of my father, the God of

a Het fel-b Exod. 20 12 Lev. 19. 32- Exod. 22. 10, &ed Exod. 22. 12.- Ch. 27,- Ver. 7-g Pea 124. 1, 2-h Ver. 53. Isai. 8. 13.-i Ch. 29. 32. Exod. 3. 7. 1 Chron. 12. 16. Jude 9-1 Ch. 25. 29.

:

Verse 36. And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban] The expostulation of Jacob with Laban, and their consequent agreement, are told in this place with great spirit and dignity. Jacob was conscious, that though he had made use of cunning to increase his flocks, yet Laban had been on the whole a great gainer by his services. He had served him at least twenty years, fourteen for Rachel and Leah; and six for the cattle: and some suppose he had served him twenty years besides the above, which is not unlikely see the remarks at the conclusion of this chapter. Forty, or even twenty years of a man's life, devoted to incessant labour, and constantly exposed to all the inclemencies of the weather, see ver. 40. deserve more than an ordinary reward. Laban's constitutional sin was covetousness; and it was an easily besetting sin; for it appears to have governed all his conduct, and to have rendered him regardless of the interests of his children, so long as he could secure his own. That he had frequently falsified his agreement with Jacob, though the particulars are not specified, we have already had reason to conjecture from ver. 7. and with this Jacob charges his father-in-law, in the most positive manner, ver. 41. Perhaps some previous unfair transactions of this kind, were the cause why Jacob was led to adopt the expedient of outwitting Laban in the case of the spotted, spangled, ring-straked, and grisled cattle. This, if it did take place, though it cannot justify the measure, is some palliation of it: and almost the whole of Jacob's conduct, as far as relates to Laban, can be better excused, than his injuring Laban's breed, by leaving him none but the weak, unhealthy, and degenerated cattle.

Verse 39. That which was torn-of my hand didst thou require it] This more particularly marks the covetous and rigorous disposition of Laban; for the law of God required that what had been torn by beasts, the shepherds should not be obliged to make good. Exod. xxii. 10, 13. And it is very likely that this law was in force from the earliest times.

Verse 41. Twenty years] See the remarks at the end. Verse 42. The fear of Isaac] It is strange that Jacob should say, the GOD of Abraham, and the FEAR of Isaac, when both words are meant of the same Being. The reason perhaps was this: Abraham was long since dead, and God was his unalienable portion for ever. Isaac was yet alive, in a state of probation, living in the fear of God; not exempt from the danger of falling, therefore God is said to be his fear; not only the object of his religious worship in a general way, but that holy and just God, before whom he was still working out his salvation with fear and trembling-fear, lest he should fall; and trembling, lest he should offend.

44 Now therefore, come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.

47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it P Galeed.

48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed 49 And Mizpah: for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

r

50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, (no man is with us ;) see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap,

m Josh. 24. 27.-n Ch. 28. 18-0 That is, the heap of witness. Chald.---p That is, the heap of witness. Heb.-qJosh. 24. 27.-r Judg. 11. 29. 1 Sam. 7. 5.---8 That is, a bea con, or, watch-tower.

Verse 46. Made a heap] 5 gal, translated heap, signifies properly a round heap, and this heap was probably made for the double purpose of an altar and a table: and Jacob's stone or pillar was set on it for the purpose of a memorial.

Verse 47. Laban called it-Yegar Sahadutha, the heap or round heap of witness-but Jacob called ity Gal ed-which signifies the same thing. The first is pure Chaldee, the second pure Hebrew. signifies to collect, hence yegar, and ¬ ogar, a col lection or heap made up of gathered stones: and hence also

,agar אגר

Negora, an altar, used frequently by the Chaldee Paraphrast, see 1 Kings xii. 33. Judg. vi. 31. 2 Kings xxi. 3. Jerem. xvii. I. See Castel's Lexicon. From this example we may infer, that the Chaldee language was nearly coeval with the Hebrew. A gloss made by St. Jerom, and which was probably only entered by him in his margin, as a note, has crept into the text of the Vulgate; it is found in every copy of this version, and is as follows, uterque juxta proprietatem linguæ suæ. Each according to the idiom of his own tongue.

Verse 48, 49. I think these two verses are badly divided, and should be read thus:

Verse 48. And Laban said: This heap is a witness, between me and thee this day.

Verse 49. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed and Mizpah; for he said: The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

Mizpah so mitspah, signifies a watch-tower, and Laban supposes, that in consequence of the consecration of the place, and the covenant now solemnly made and ratified, that God would take possession of this heap, and stand on it as on a watch-tower, to prevent either of them from trenching on the conditions of their covenant.

Verse 50. No man is with us] Though all were present at the sacrifice offered, yet it appears that in making the contract, Jacob and Laban withdrew, and transacted the business in private, calling on God to witness it.

Jacob had already four wives, but Laban feared that he might take others whose children would naturally come in for a share of the inheritance, to the prejudice of his daughters and grandchildren. Though the Koran allows a man to have four wives if he can maintain them, yet we learn that in many cases where a man takes a wife, the parents or relatives of the woman stipulate that the man is not to take another during the lifetime of that one whom he now espouses; and notwithstanding the permission of the Koran, he is obliged to fulfil this agreement.

Verse 51. And Laban said to Jacob-behold this pillar, which I HAVE CAST betwixt me and thee] But this pillar, not cast, but set up, was certainly set up by Jacob; for in

a Ch. 33. 1.b Ch. 35. 3.

require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40, Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. 41. THUS HAVE I BEEN TWENTY YEARS IN THY HOUSE: I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

"The alteration here recommended, is this, xxxi. 38. DURING THE ONE TWENTY YEARS I WAS WITH THEE; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams, &c. &c. 41. DURING the other TWENTY YEARS, FOR MYSELF IN THY HOUSE; I served, &c. The same distinction is expressed in xxx. 29.-Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me; i. e. how I behaved, during the time I was with thee, as thy servant; and how thy cattle fared, during the time they were with me as thy friend.

"It must not be omitted, that Archbishop Usher and Bishop Lloyd ascribe sons to Jacob very soon after his coming to Laban; nay, assert that he was married almost as soon as he came to Haran, instead of waiting seven years, as he most evidently did. And Mr. Jackson allows, that some of the sons of Benjamin, who are expressly numbered as going into Egypt with Jacob, might be born in Egypt! From such distresses, and such contradictions, does the distinction of the two sets of twenty years happily deliver us."

Spinosa.

Hoe temporis intervallo nemo concipere poterit tot res contingere potuisse. In such a short space of time, it is impossible that so many transactions could have taken place.

I shall leave this subject with chronologists and critics, and shall not attempt to decide on either opinion. That of Dr. Kennicott I think the most likely, and to it I have adapted the chronology, in those cases, to which it relates. NOTES ON CHAPTER XXXII.

Verse 1. The angels of God met him] Our word angel comes from the Greek Ayyos, angelos, which literally signifies, a messenger, or as translated in some of our old Bibles, a tidings-bringer. The Hebrew word 8 malak, from laac, to send, minister to, employ, is nearly of the same import; and hence we may see the propriety of St. Augustin's remark, Nomen non naturæ sed officii: "It is a name, not of Nature but of office," and hence it is applied indifferently to a human agent or messenger, 2 Sam. ii. 5. xi. 19, 22, 23, 25. Prov. xiii. 17. to a prophet, Hagg. i.13. to a priest, Mal. ii. 7. compare Eccles. ii. 6. to celestial spirits, Psal. ciii. 19, 20, 22. civ. 4. cxlviii. 2, 3, 4. Job iv. 18.

We often, says Mr. Parkhurst, read of the malak Yehovah, or malakey Elohim, the angel of Jehovah, or the angels of God, that is, his agent, personator, mean of visibility or action; what was employed by God to render himself visible and approachable by flesh and blood. This angel was evidently a human form, surrounded or accompanied by light or glory, with or in which, Jehovah was present: see Gen. xix. 1, 12, 16. Judg. xiii. 6, 21. Exod. iii. 2, 6. By this vision, says Mr. Ainsworth, God confirmed Jacob's faith in him who commanded his angels to keep his people in all their ways, Psal. xci. 11. Angels are here called God's host, camp, or army, as in wars; for angels are God's soldiers, Luke ii. 13. horses and chariots of fire, 2 Kings ix. 17. fighting for God's people against their enemies, Dan. x. 20. of them there are thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, Dan. vii. 10. And they are all sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of salvation, Heb. i. 14. And they pitch a camp about them that fear God, Psal. xxxiv. 8. One of the oldest of the Greek poets, Hesiod, seems to have had a tolerably correct notion of the angelic ministry.

Αυταρ εποίκον τούτο γενος κατα γαια καλυψεν
Το μεν Δαιμονες εισί, Διος μεγάλου δια βουλας
Εσθλοι επιχθονιοι φύλακες θνητων ανθρώπων κ.τ.λ.
Hesiod. Op. & Dies, 1. i. v. 120.
When in the grave this race of men was laid,
Soon was a world of holy demons made

Aerial spirits, by great Jove design'd,

To be on earth the guardians of mankind:

Invisible to mortal eyes they go.

And mark our actions good or bad below;

Th' immortal apies with watchful care preside,

And thrice ten thousand round their charges glide;

A power they by divine permission hold.

They can reward with glory or with gold,

Cooke.

Verse 2. Mahanaim] The two hosts, if read by the points, the angels forming one, and Jacob and his company forming another, or simply hosts or camps in the plural. There was a city builded afterward here, and inhabited by the priests of God, Josh. xxi. 38. For what purpose the angels of God met Jacob does not appear from the text: probably it was intended to show him that he and all his company were under the care of an especial Providence; and consequently to excite and confirm his trust and confidence in God.

The doctrine of the ministration of angels has been much abused, not only among the heathens, but also among Jews and Christians; and perhaps most among the latter. Angels with feigned names, titles, and influences, have been, and still are invoked and worshipped by a certain class of men; because they have found that God has been pleased to employ them to minister to mankind, and hence they have made supplications to them to extend their protection, to shield, defend, instruct, &c. This is perfectly absurd. 1. They are God's instruments, not self-determining agents. 2. They can only do what they are appointed to perform; for there is no evidence that they have any discretionary power. 3. God helps man by ten thousand means and instruments, some intellectual, as angels; some rational, as men; some irrational, as brutes; and some merely material, as the sun, wind, rain, food, raiment, and the various productions of the earth. He therefore helps by whom he will help, and to him alone belongs all the glory; for should he be determined to destroy, all these Instruments collectively could not save. Instead, therefore, of worshipping them, we should take their own advice, Rev. xxii. 9. See thou do it not-Worship God.

Verse 3. Jacob sent messengers] DONSD melacim, the same word which is before translated angels. It is very likely that these messengers had been sent some time before he had this vision at Mahanaim; for they appear to have returned while Jacob encamped at the brook Jabbok, where he had the vision of angels; see ver. 6. and 23.

The land of Seir, the country of Edom] This land, which was, according to Dr. Wells, situated on the south of the Dead sea, extending from thence to the Arabian gulf, 1 Kings ix. 26. was formerly possessed by the Horites, Gen. xiv. 6. but Esau with his children drove them out, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead, Deut. ii. 22. And thither Esau went from the face of his brother Jacob, chap. xxxvi. 6, 7, Thus we find he verified the prediction, by thy sword shalt thou live, chap. xxvii. 40.

Verse 4. Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau] Jacob acknowledges the superiority of his brother; for the time was not yet come, in which it could be said, the elder shall serve the younger.

Verse 6. Esau-cometh-and four hundred men with him.] Jacob, conscious that he had injured his brother, was now apprehensive that he was coming with hostile intentions, and that he had every evil to fear from his displeasure. Conscience is a terrible accuser.-It was a fine saying of a heathen,

In other words, He that has a good conscience, has a brazen wall for his defence; for a guilty conscience needs no accuser; sooner or later it will tell the truth, and not only make the man turn pale, who has it; but also cause him to tremble, and to be greatly afraid, even while his guilt is known only to himself and God.

hostile intention; but was really coming with a part of It does not appear, that Esau in this meeting had any his servants or tribe, to do his brother honour. If he had had any contrary intention, God had removed it; and the angelic host which Jacob met with before, might have inspired him with sufficient confidence in God's protection. But we find, that when he needed faith most, he appears to have derived but little benefit from its influence; partly from the sense he had of the injury he had done to his brother; and partly from not attending sufficiently to the assurance which God had given him of his gracious pro

tection.

Verse 7. He divided the people, &c.] His prudence and