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and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

28 They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field.

29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive: and spoiled even all that was in the house.

30 T And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?

a Ch. 49. 6.---b Josh. 7. 25.-e Exod. 5. 21. 1 Sam. 13. 4.-d Deut. 4. 27. Psa. 105. 12.

we have the fullest proof in his depriving these two sons of the birthright, which otherwise they had doubtless enjoyed.—See ch. xlix. 5, 7. where some additional circumstances are related.

Verse 31. Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?] On this outrage alone they vindicated their flagitious conduct. The word harlot first occurs here: the original is not pilgash, which we render concubinesee its explanation ch. xxii. 24.-but zonah, which ordinarily signifies, one who prostitutes herself to any person for hire. Our word harlot is derived from a very odd circumstance;-Robert, duke of Normandy, seeing a fine looking country girl dancing with her companions on the green, took her to his bed. She was the daughter of a skinner, and her name was Arlotta; and of her William, surnamed the Conqueror, was born. Hence, all such women were from her called harlots, as William himself was usually termed the Bastard. The character of the person who originally bore this name, sufficiently justifies its present application.

SOLOMON has very properly said-My son, enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men: avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away, Prov. iv. 14, 15. Had not Dinah gone out to see the daughters of the land, and very possibly at one of their idolatrous festivals, she had not suffered the foul disgrace mentioned in this chapter. Not only prudence dictates that young women should keep at home, but God expressly commands it, Tit. ii. 5. Dinah got among idolaters, and thus partook of their iniquities, and this led to the most base and cruel transaction upon record. How true is the saying-Those who wander out of the way of understanding shall abide in the congregation of the dead! In the case before us, blame seems to attach to all parties. 1. It was wrong in Jacob to suffer his daughter, alone and unprotected, to visit the daughters of the land.

CHAPTER XXXV.

His ex

Jacob is commanded of God to go to Beth-el, and to build an altar there, 1
hortation to his family to put away all strange gods, &c. 2, 3. They deliver them
all up, and Jacob hides them in the earth, 4. They commence their journey, 5,
come to Luz, 6, build there the altar El-beth-el, 7. Burial place of Deborah, Re-
bekah's nurse, 8 God appears again unto Jacob, 9. Blessen him, and renews the
promises, 10---13. To commemorate this manifestation of God, Jacob sets up a
pillar, and calls the place Beth-el, 14, 15. They journey to Ephrath, where Rachel,
after hard labour, is delivered of Benjamin, and dies, 16-19. Jacob sets up a pillar
on her grave, 20. They journey to Edar, 21. While at this place, Reuben defiles
his father's bed, 22 Account of the children of Jacob, according to their mothers,
23-26. Jacob comes to Mamre, to his father Isaac, who was then in the one hun-
dred and fifty-eighth year of his age, 27. Isaac dies, and is buried by his sons Esan
and Jacob, 29.

AN

ND God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to • Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away; the strange

e Ch. 28. 19.--f Ch. 23. 13..-g Ch. 27. 43-h Ch. 18. 19. Josh. 24. 15.-i Ch. 31. 19, 34. Josh. 24. 2, 23. 1 Sam. 7. 3.

moments, to proscribe them from the blessings of the covenant, so that they barely retained a name among the tribes of Israel, being in general small, and ever disreputable, except merely in the service of the sanctuary, in which Levi was employed. How often since, notwithstanding this solemn warning, has the pure and benevolent religion of God, been made, by wicked and designing men, a political stalking-horse to serve the basest purposes, and a covert to the worst of crimes! But shall we find fault with the holy religion of the blessed God, because wicked men have abused it? God forbid! Were it not so good as it really is, it would be incapable of such abuse. An evil cannot be abused a good may; and the greater and the more acknowledged the good, the more liable to abuse. As every good is so capable of being abused, does he act wisely who argues against the use of the thing on this account? Shall we say, that various kinds of grain, fruits, and aliments, are a curse, because wicked men abuse them to the purposes of drunkenness and gluttony? This would argue an utter perversion of all reason; and is it not on such a pretext as this, that many persons have ventured to call in question even the truths of Christianity!

Whatever such men may be determined to think on the subject of this chapter, with the unprejudiced reader, the ample and detailed relation which we have here of this barbarous transaction, will appear an additional proof of the veracity and impartiality of the sacred historian.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXXV.

Verse 1. Arise, go up to Beth-el] The transaction that had lately taken place, rendered it unsafe for Jacob to dwell any longer at the city of Shechem; and it seems that, while he was reflecting on the horrible act of Simeon and Levi, and not knowing what to do, God graciously appeared to him, and commanded him to go up to Beth-el, build an altar there, and thus perform the vow he had made, ch. xxviii. 20, 22.

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2. It was excessively wicked in Shechem to take this advantage of the daughter of a respectable stranger, who Verse 2. Put away the strange gods] had sought his friendship, and came to sojourn among his hanecar, the gods of the foreigners, which were among people; and whose righteous dealing they must have wit- them. Jacob's servants were all Syrians, and no doubt nessed for at least seven years past. In his behalf we may were addicted less or more to idolatry and superstition. say, and it would be unjust not to say it, that having done These gods might belong to them, or, as some have conthe mischief, and sinned deeply against the laws of hospi-jectured, they were the teraphim which Rachel stole: bus tality, he wished to make all the reparation in his power; these have already been supposed to be astrological tables, and therefore, in the most frank and liberal manner, not or something of this kind, called by Laban his gods, beonly offered, but most pressingly entreated permission, to cause by them he supposed he could predict future events, take Dinah to wife. This was the utmost he could do in and that they referred to certain astral and planetary insuch a case. And in this he is a saint of the first order, telligences, by whose influences sublunary things were rewhen compared with the noble and ignoble profligates, gulated. But it is more natural to suppose that these gods, who, while blaspheming the Christian name by continu- found now in Jacob's family, were images of silver, gold, ing to assume it, commit all kinds of breaches on the virtue or curious workmanship, which were found among the of simple females, and the peace of respectable families, spoils of the city of Shechem. Lest these should become and not only make no reparation, but glory in their shame. incitements to idolatry, Jacob orders them to be put away. 3. It was diabolic in Jacob's sons to slay a whole tribe Be clean and change your garments] Personal or for the offence of one man; and especially, as that one outward purification, as emblematical of the sanctification had offered to make all the restitution in his power. They of the soul, has been in use among all the true worshippers required that Hamor, Shechem, and all their subjects, of God from the beginning of the world. In many cases, should be circumcised, before they could conscientiously the law of Moses more solemnly enjoined rites and cereconsent to give their sister to Shechem in marriage. This monies which had been in use from the earliest ages. required conformity, was made the cloak of the most base and infamous designs. The simple unsuspecting Shechemites agreed to the proposal; and when rendered by this religious rite incapable of defending themselves, they were basely murdered by Simeon and Levi, and their city destroyed. Jacob, to his great honour, remonstrated against this barbarous and bloody act, committed apparently under the sanction of religion: and God showed his abhorrence of it, by directing the patriarch, in his dying

Verse 3. Answered me in the day of my distress] Not only when he fled from the face of his brother, but more particularly, when in his greatest strait at the brook of Jabbok.

Verse 4. And car-rings which were in their ears) Whether these rings were in the ears of the gods, or in those of Jacob's family, we may rest assured that they were not mere ornaments, but served for superstitious purposes. Ear-rings were certainly worn as amulets

gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

3 And let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

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4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their ear-rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. 5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

6 So Jacob came to Luz, (that is, Beth-el,) which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people that were with him.

7 And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Beth-el under an oak: and the name of it was called " Allon-bachuth. 9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him.

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10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more

a Exod. 19. 10.-b Ch. 32. 7, 24. Psa. 107. 6.-e Ch. 23. 20. & 31. 3, 42-d Hos. 2. 13. eJosh. 24. 25. Judges 9. 6-f Exod. 15. 16. & 23. 27. & 34. 24. Deut. 11. 35. Josh. 2 9. & 5.1. 1 Sam. 14. 15. 2Chron. 14. 14.--g Ch. 28. 19, 22-h Eccles 5. 4.-i That is, The God of Beth-el-k Ch. 23. 13-1 Ch. 24, 59-m That is, the oak of weeping. n Hos 12. 4.— Ch. 17. 5.—p Ch. 32. 23.—q Ch. 17. 1. & 49. 3, 4. Exod. 6. 3

and charms, first consecrated to some god, or formed under some constellation, on which magical characters and images were drawn. A very ancient and beautiful one of this kind, brought from Egypt, cut out of a solid piece of cornelian, now lies before me. It was evidently intended for the ear, as the opening is too small for any human finger; and it is engraved all over with strange characters and images, which prove that it was intended for a talisman or amulet. It seems to be such an one as St. Augustin describes, Epist. 73. which was suspended from the tip of the ears both of men and women, not for the purpose of ornament, but through an execrable superstition, for the service of demons. Execranda superstitio ligaturarum, in quibus etiam inaures virorum in summis ex una parte auriculi suspensæ deputantur, non ad placendum hominibus sed ad serviendum dæmonibus. See the notes on ch. xxiv. 22.

Verse 5. The terror of God] A supernatural awe, sent by the Almighty-was upon the cities that were round about-So that they were not molested in their departure. This could be owing to nothing less than the especial providence of God.

Verse 7. El-beth-el] the strong God-the house of the strong God. But the first el, is wanting in one of De Rossi's MSS. as it is also in the Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and some copies of the Arabic. The sentence reads much better without it, and much more consistent with the parallel passages.

Verse 8. But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died She was sent with Rebekah, when taken by Abraham's serwant to be wife to Isaac, ch. xxiv. 59. How she came to be in Jacob's family, expositors are greatly puzzled to find out: but the text does not state that she was in Jacob's family. Her death is mentioned merely because Jacob and his family had now arrived at the place where she was buried, and the name of that place was called Allonbachuth, the oak of weeping, as it is likely her death had been greatly regretted, and a general and extraordinary mourning had taken place on the occasion. Of Rebekah's death we know nothing. After her counsel to her son, ch. xxvii. she is heard of no more in the sacred writings. Her name is written in the dust. And is not this designed as a mark of the disapprobation of God? It seems strange, that such an inconsiderable person as a nurse should be mentioned, when even the person she brought up is passed by unnoticed! It has been observed, that the nurse of Æneas is mentioned nearly in the same way by the poet Virgil; and in the circumstances, in both cases, there is a striking resemblance.

Tu quoque littoribus nostris, Eneia nutrir,
Eternam moriens famam, Caieta, defisti:
Et nunc servat honɔs selen tuus; ossaque nomen
Hesperia in magna, (ei qua est en gloria) signal.
At pius exequiis Æneas rite solutis,
Aggere composto tumuli, postquam alta quierunt
Aquora, tendit iter velis, portumque relinquit.

En lib. vii. v. 1, &c.

Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. 13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. 14 And Jacob "set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink-offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Beth-el.

16 And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath; and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour: 17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him * Benjamin.

19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

b

r Ch. 17. 5, 6, 16. & 28. 3. & 48. 4-8 Ch. 12. 7. & 13. 15. & 25. 3, 4. & 28. 13. t Ch. 17. 22-u Ch. 28. 18-v Ch. 28. 19-w Heb. a little piece of ground. 2 Kings 5. 19-x Ch. 30. 24. 1 Sam. 4. 20.-y That is, the son of my sorrow. z That is, the son of the right hand.-a Ch. 48. 7.-b Ruth. 1. 2. & 4. 11. Micah 5. 2. Matt. 2. 6.

"Thou too, Cajeta, whose indulgent cares

Nurs'd the great chief, and form'd his tender years,
Erpiring here, (an ever honour'd name!)

Adorn Hesperia with immortal fame:

Thy name survives, to please thy pensive ghost;
Thy sacred relics grace the Latian coast.

Soon as her fun'ral rites the prince had paid,
And rais'd a tomb in honour of the dead;
The sea subsiding, and the tempests o'er,

He spreads the flying sails, and leaves the shore. "-Pitt.

Verse 9. God appeared unto Jacob again] He appeared unto him first at Shechem, when he commanded him to go to Beth-el; and now that he is arrived at the place, God appears to him the second time, and reconfirms to him the Abrahamic blessing. To Isaac and Jacob these frequent appearances of God were necessary; but they were not so to Abraham: for him, one word was sufficient-Abraham believed God.

Verse 13. And God went up from him] This was not a vision, nor a strong mental impression, but a real manifestation of God. Jacob saw and heard him speak and before his eyes he went up-ascended to heaven. This was no doubt the future Saviour, the Angel of the covenant.-See chap. xvi. 7.

Verse 14. A drink-offering] 70 nesec, a libation. These were afterward very common in all countries. At first they consisted, probably, of water only; afterward wine was used. See on Lev. vii. 1, &c. The pillar which Jacob set up was to commemorate the appearance of God to him: the drink-offering and the oil were intended to express his gratitude and devotion to his Preserver. It was probably the same pillar which he had set up before, which had since been thrown down, and which he consecrated afresh to God.

Verse 16. There was but a little way to come to Ephrath.] The word n, kibrath, translated here a little way, has greatly perplexed commentators. It occurs only here and in chap. xlviii. 7. 2 Kings v. 19. and it seems to have been some sort of measure applied to land, as we say a mile, an acre, a rood, a perch; but what the exact quantity of the kibrath was, cannot be ascertained. Ephrath, called also Bethlehem, and Bethlehem Ephrata, was the birth-place of our blessed Redeemer. See its meaning, Matt. ii. 6.

Verse 18. As her soul was in departing] Is not this a proof that there is an immortal spirit in man, which can exist separate from, and independent of, the body? Of Rachel's death it is said, DN be-tseath naphshahin the going away of her soul-her body did not go away, therefore her soul and body must have been distinct. If her breath only had been intended, v neshem, or ruach, would have rather been used, as the first means breath, the latter breath or spirit indifferently.

She called his name Ben-oni] the son of my sorrow, or affliction--because of the hard labour she had in bringing him into the world: But his father called him Benjamin. po the son of my right hand; i. e.

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the son peculiarly dear to me. So man of the right hand, Psal. lxxx. 18. signifies one much loved and regarded of God. The Samaritan has Benyamim, the son of days; i. e. the son of his old age, as Jacob calls him, chap. xliv. 20. and Houbigant contends, that this is the true reading, and that the Chaldee termination in for im, is a corruption. If it be a corruption, it is as old as the days of St. Jerom, who translates the place Benjamin, id est, filius dextræ, Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.

Verse 20. Jacob set a pillar upon her grave] Was not this the origin of funeral monuments? In ancient times, and among rude nations, a heap of stones designated the burial-place of the chief: many of these still remain in different countries. Afterward, a rude stone, with a simple inscription was used, containing only the name of the deceased, and that of his father. But where arts and sciences flourished, superb monuments were erected, highly decorated, and pompously inscribed. It is very likely, from the circumstances of Jacob, that a single stone constituted the pillar in this case, on which, if writing did then exist, the name, or rather some hieroglyphical device, was probably inscribed. That which is now called Rachel's pillar, is allowed by those who have examined it, to be a comparatively modern structure. Verse 21. Tower of Edar] Literally, the tower of the flock, and so translated Mic. iv. 8. It is supposed, that this tower was about a mile from Bethlehem, and to have been the place where the angels appeared to the shepherds. The Targum of Jonathan expressly says "It is the place in which the King Messiah shall be manifested in the end of days." By the tower of the flock, we may understand a place built by the shepherds, near to some well for the convenience of watering their flocks, and keeping watch over them by night.

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Verse 26. Born to him in Padan-aram] i. e. all but Benjamin, who was born in Canaan, ver. 16, 17.

It is well known that Padan-aram is the same as Mesopotamia, and hence the Septuagint translate Mic Ts Eves, Mesopotamia of Syria. The word signifies between the two rivers, from us, the midst, and s a river. It is situated between the Euphrates and Tigris, having Assyria on the east, Arabia Deserta, with Babylonia, on the south, Syria on the west, and Armenia on the north. It is now the province of Diarbek, in Asiatic Turkey, and is sometimes called Marerannahar, the country beyond the river; and Aram Naharaim, Aram or Syria of the two rivers. It is a place sufficiently celebrated both in the Old and New Testaments.

Verse 27. The city of Arbah, which is Hebron] See chap. xxiii. 2. It has been conjectured that Jacob must have paid a visit to his father before this time, as, previous to this, he had been some years in Canaan; but now, as he was approaching to his end, Jacob is supposed to have gone to live with and comfort him in his declining days. Verse 29. Isaac gave up the ghost,-and was gathered unto his people] See on chap. xxv. 8.

Esau and Jacob buried him] See chap. xxv. 9. Esau, as we have seen, ch. xxxiii. was thoroughly reconciled to his brother Jacob, and now they both join in fraternal and filial affection to do the last kind office to their amiable father. It is generally allowed, that the death of Isaac is mentioned here out of its chronological order, as several of the transactions mentioned in the succeeding chapters, especially chaps. xxxvii. and xxxviii. must have happened during his life. But that the history of Joseph might not be disturbed, his death is anticipated in this place. It is supposed that he lived at least twelve years after Joseph was sold into Egypt.

THIS chapter contains several subjects which are well worthy of the reader's most serious attention.

Verse 22. Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine] Jonathan, in his Targum, says, that 1. That such a family as that of Jacob should have had Reuben only overthrew the bed of Bilhah, which was false gods in it, is a matter not less astonishing than real: set up opposite to the bed of his mother Leah, and that and suppose that we allow, as is very probable, that their this was reputed to him as if he had lain with her. The images and rings were got from strangers, the Syrians colour given to the passage by the Targumist is, that and the Shechemites, yet their being tolerated in the family Reuben was incensed, because he found Bilhah preferred, cannot be easily accounted for. It is true, the law was after the death of Rachel, to his own mother Leah; and not then given, and the unity of God not so particularly therefore, in his anger, he overthrew her couch. The taught as it was afterward. Besides, we have already same sentiment is repeated by Jonathan, and glanced at seen that certain superstitions were compatible in those by the Jerusalem Targum, ch. xlix. 4. Could this view early times with general sincerity and attachment to the of the subject be proved to be correct, both piety and can- truth: those times and acts of ignorance were winked at, dour would rejoice. till superior light shone upon the world. Between many of the practices of Laban's family and those of the surrounding heathenish tribes, there might have been but little difference; and this was probably the reason why Dinah could so readily mix with the daughters of the land, chap. xxxiv. 1. which led to the fatal consequences already reviewed. Sin is like the letting out of water-when once a breach is made in the dyke, the stream becomes determined to a wrong course, and its progress is soon irresistible. The advice of one of the ancients is goodTu ne cede malia; sed contra audentior ito.

And Israel heard it] Not one word is added farther in the Hebrew text; but a break is left in the verse, opposite to which there is a Masoretic note, which simply states, there is a hiatus in the verse. This hiatus the Septuagint has thus supplied-one non aution auth, and it appeared evil in his sight.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve] Called afterward the twelve patriarchs, because they became heads or chiefs of numerous families or tribes. Acts vii. 8. and the people that descended from them are called the twelve tribes, Acts xxvi. 7. James i. 1, Twelve princes came from Ishmael, ch. xxv. 16. who were heads of families and tribes. And in reference to the twelve patriarchs, our Lord chose twelve apostles. Strictly speaking, there were thirteen tribes among the Hebrews, as Ephraim and Manasses were counted for tribes, ch. xlviii. 5, 6. but the Scripture, in naming them, says Mr. Ainsworth, usually sets down but twelve, omitting the name now of one, then of another, as may in sundry places be observed, Deut. xxxiii. Ezek. xlviii. Rev. vii., &c.

Verse 23. The sons of Leah] The children are arranged here under their respective mothers, and not in order of their birth.

"Boldly resist the first motions of sin."

Virg. Æn. vi. v. 95.

After-struggles are too often fruitless.
2. The doctrine of a particular and especial Provi-
dence, has another proof in this chapter. After the san-
guinary conduct of Jacob's sons, is it not surprising that
the neighbouring tribes did not join together and extirpate
the whole family? And so they certainly would, had not
the major part of his family, were innocent of this great
the terror of God fallen upon them, ver. 5. Jacob, and
transgression; and on the preservation of their lives the
accomplishment of great events depended: therefore God

A. M. CIR. 2225, B. C. CIR. 1779.

The genealogy of Esan, i. e. his sone, by his Canaanitish wives Adah, Aholibamah, and Bashemath, 1-3 The children of Adak and Bashemath, 4. Of Aholiba

mah, 5. Esan departs from Canaan and goes to mount Seir, 6-8. The genera tions of Esau, i. e. his grandchildren, while in Seir, 9-19. The generations of Seir the Horite, 20-30. Anah finds males (Yemim) in the wilderness, 21. The kings which reigned in Edom, 31-39. The dukes that succeeded them, 40-43.

TOW these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

Now

B. C. eir. 1716.

8 Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

9 And these are the generations of Esau the father of 1 the Edomites in mount Seir.

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16 Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and B. C. cir. 1575, duke Amalek: these are the dukes that B.c. cir. 1533. came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom: these were the sons of Adah.

17 And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah,

1 Heb. Edom-m 1 Chron. 1. 35, &e-n Or, Zephi. 1 Chron. 1. 35.--0 Exod. 17. 8,14. Numb. 24. 20. 1 Sam. 15. 2,3, &c.

Verse 2. His wives] It appears that Esau's wives went by very different names. Aholibamah is named Judith, ch. xxvi. 34. Adah is called Bashemath in the same place; and she who is here called Bashemath, is called Mahalath, ch. xxviii. 9. These are variations which cannot be easily accounted for; and they are not of sufficient importance to engross much time. It is well known, that the same persons in Scripture are often called by different names. See the table of variations, ch. xxv. where there are some slight examples.

Anah the daughter of Zibeon] But this same Anah is said to be the son of Zibeon, ver. 24. though in the second and fourteenth verses he is said to be the daughter of Zibeon. But the Samaritan, the Septuagint, (and the Syriac, in verse 2.) read son instead of daughter, which Houbigant and Kennicott contend to be the true reading. Others say, that daughter should be referred to Aholibamah, who was the daughter of Anah, and grand-daughter I should rather prefer the reading of the of Zibeon. Samaritan, Septuagint, and Syriac, and read, both here and in ver. 14. "Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the son of Zibeon," and then the whole will agree with verse 24.

Verse 6. Esau took his wives, &c.] So it appears that Esau and Jacob dwelt together in Canaan, whither the former removed from Seir, probably soon after the return of Jacob. That they were on the most friendly footing this sufficiently proves; and Esau shows the same dignified conduct as on other occasions, in leaving Canaan to Jacob, and returning again to mount Seir, certainly a much less fruitful region than that which he now, in behalf of his brother, voluntarily abandoned.

Verse 12. Timna was concubine to Eliphaz] As Timna was sister to Lotan the Horite, ver. 22. we see how the family of Esau and the Horites got intermixed. This might give the sons of Esau a pretext to seize the land, and expel the ancient inhabitants, as we find they did, Deut. ii. 12.

Amalek] The father of the Amalekites, afterward bitter enemies to the Jews, and whom God commanded to be entirely exterminated, Deut. xxv. 17, 19.

Verse 15. Dukes of the sons of Esau] The word duke comes from the Latin dur, a captain, or leader. The Hebrew aluph, has the same signification; and as it is also the term for a thousand, which is a grand capital or leading number, probably the DN aluphey, or dukes, had this name from being leaders of, or captains over, a company of one thousand men, just as those among the Greeks, called chiliarchs, which signifies the same; and as the Romans called those centurions who were captains over one hundred men, from the Latin word centum, which signifies a hundred. The ducal government was that which prevailed first among the Idumeans, or descendants of Esau. Here fourteen dukes are reckoned to 141

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Esau, seven that came of his wife Adah, four of Bashemath, and three of Aholibamah.

Verse 16. Duke Korah] This Dr. Kennicott pronounces to be an interpolation. "It is certain, from verse 4. that Eliphaz was Esau's son by Adah; and from verse 11, 12. that Eliphaz had but six sons, Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and Amalek. It is also certain, from verse 5. and 14. that Korah was the son of Esau, (not of Eliphaz) by Aholibamah; and as such, he is properly mentioned in ver. 18. These are the sons of Aholibamah, Esau's wife-duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, DUKE KORAH. It is clear, therefore, that some transcriber has improperly inserted duke Korah in the 16th verse; from which interpolation both the Samaritan text and the Samaritan version are free." KENNICOTT's Remarks.-Every thing considered, I incline to the opinion that these words were not originally in the text.

Verse 20. These are the sons of Seir the Horite] These Horites were the original inhabitants of the country of Seir, called the land of the Horites, and afterward the land of the Idumeans, when the descendants of Esau had driven them out. These people are first mentioned ch. xiii. 6.

Verse 21. These are the dukes of the Horites] It appears pretty evident that the Horites and the descendants of Esau were mixed together in the same land, as before observed; and Calmet has very properly remarked, that if we compare this verse with ver. 30. there were princes of Seir, in the country of Seir, and in that of Edom; and in comparing the generations of Seir and Esau, we are obliged to consider these princes as contemporary.

Verse 24. This was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness] The words on eth ha-yemim, here translated mules, has given rise to a great variety of conjectures and discordant opinions. St. Jerom, who renders it aquas calidas, warm springs, or hot baths, says, there are as many opinions concerning it as there are commen

tators.

The Septuagint have rov Izur, which seems to be the name of a man; but this is expressed in a great variety of ways in different MSS. of that Version.

The Syriac renders it mayè, waters; the author of this version having read in the Hebrew copy from which he translated, mayim, waters, for yemim, the two first letters being transposed.

Onkelos translates the word a gibaraya, giants, or strong or powerful men.

The Samaritan has in the text haaimim, and the Samaritan version Xâm aimai, the Emim, a warlike people, bordering upon the Horites.

The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases the place thus-"This is the Anah who united the onager with the tame ass, and in process of time he found mules produced by them." R. D. Kimchi says, that "Zibeon was both the father and brother of Anah; and this Anah, intent on heterogeneous mixtures, caused asses and horses to copulate, and so produced mules." R. S. Jarchi is of the same opinion. See his comment on this place.

Bochart believes the Emim are meant; and argues forcibly, 1. That нD matsa, he found, never signifies to invent, but rather the meeting with, or happening on, a

Ajah, and Anah: this was that Anah that found "the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.

25 And the children of Anah were these; Dishon and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah. 26 And these are the children of Dishon; 'Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.

27 The children of Ezer, are these; Bilhan, and Zaavan, and w Akan.

28 The children of Dishan are these; Uz, and Aran.

29 These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah,

30 Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.

From A. M. cir. 2003.

31 And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before B. C. cir. 1911. there reigned any king over the children of Israel.

to

A. M. cir. 2429. B. C. cir. 1575.

t Or, Shephi. 1 Chron. 1. 40-u See Lev. 19. 19-v Or, Amram. 1 Chron. 1. 41. w Or, Jakan. 1 Chron. 1. 42-x 1 Chrou. 1. 43.

thing which already exists. 2. That mules are never called yemim in the Scriptures, but □pheredim. 3. That Anah fed ASSES only, not horses. 4. And that there is no mention of mules in Palestine till the days of David. From the whole, he concludes that Emim are meant, with whom Anah fought; and he brings many places of Scripture, where the same form of expression, he or they found, signifies the onset to battle, Judg. i. 5. 1 Sam. xxxi. 3. 1 Kings xiii. 24. 2 Chron. xxii. 8. Num. xxxv. 27. Gen. iv. 14. with many others.-See the Hierozoicon, vol. I. cap. 21. p. 238. edit. 1692.

Gusset, in Comment. Heb. Ling, examines what Bochart has asserted, and supposes that mules, not the Emim, were found by Anah.

Wagenseil would credit what Bochart has asserted, did not stronger reasons lead him to believe that the word means a sort of plant!

From the above opinions and versions the reader may choose which he likes best, or invent one for himself. My own opinion is, that mules were not known before the time of Anah, and that he was probably the first who coupled the horse and ass together, to produce this mongrel; or was the first who met with creatures of this race in some very secluded part in the wilderness. Is it not probable that from this Anah, ay or ênah, the Enctæ derived at least their fabulous origin, whom Homer mentions as famous for their race of wild mules

Παφλαγόνων δ' ηγείτο Πυλαιμένος λασιον χωρι
Εξ Ενότων οὐεν ημιόνων γενος αγροτερων.
IL. lib. ii. v. 852.
Pope.

The Paphlagonians Pylamenes rules, Where rich Henetia breeds her savage mules. The Eneta or Heneta, who were a people contiguous to Paphlagonia, Cappadocia, and Galatia, might have derived their origin from this Anah, or Henah, out of which the Ever of the ancient Greek writers might have been formed; and according to Theophrastus, Strabo, and Plutarch, the first mules were seen among these people.-See Ludov. De Dieu and Scheuchzer.

Verse 31. Before there reigned any king over-Israel.] I suppose all the verses, from this to the 39th inclusive, have been transferred to this place from 1 Chron. i. 43-50. as it is not likely they could have been written by Moses; and it is quite possible they might have been, at a very early period, written in the margin of an authentic copy, to make out the regal succession in Edom, prior to the consecration of Saul; which words being afterward found in the margin of a valuable copy, from which others were transcribed, were supposed by the copyist to be a part of the text, which having been omitted by the mistake of the original writer, had been since added to make up the deficiency; on this conviction, he would not hesitate to transcribe them consecutively in his copy. In most MSS. sentences and paragraphs have been left out by the copyists, which, when perceived, have been added in the margin, either by the original writer, or by some later hand. Now, as the margin was the ordinary place where glosses or explanatory notes were written, it is easy to conceive how the notes, as well as the parts of the original text found in the margin, might be all incorporated with the text by a future transcriber; and his MS. being often copied, would of course multiply the copies with such additions, as we

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