A. M. CIR. 2093. B. C. CIR. 1911. A. M. cir. 2135 33 And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. 34 And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead. 35 And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith. A. M. cir. 2303 his stead. 36 And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead. 37 And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth, by the river, reigned in 38 And Saul died, and Baal-hanan B. C. cir. 1659. the son of Achbor reigned in his stead. have much reason to believe has been the case. This appears very frequently in the Vulgate and Septuagint; and an English Bible now before me, written some time in the fourteenth century, exhibits several proofs of this principle. See the Preface to this work, p. 1. I know there is another way of accounting for those words on the ground of their being written originally by Moses, but to me it is not satisfactory. It is simply this: the word king should be considered as implying any kind of regular government, whether by chiefs, dukes, judges, &c. and therefore, when Moses says, these are the kings which reigned in Edom, before there was any king in Israel, he may be only understood as saying, that these kings reigned among the Edomites before the family of Jacob had acquired any considerable power, or before the time in which his twelve sons had become the fathers of those numerous tribes, at the head of which, as king himself in Jeshurun, he now stood. Esau, after his dukes, had eight kings, who reigned successively over their people, while Israel were in affliction in Egypt. all his behaviour towards his brother. When they first met, he was all humanity and affection; and he had no uneasiness when he found that Jacob followed him not to Seir, but went to live near his father. And at Isaac's death, we do not find that he made any difficulty of quitting Canaan, which was the very point which, if he had harHe is indeed called in Scripture the boured any latent (evil) intentions, would have revived all his resentments. profane Esau; and it is written, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated; but there is, I think, no reason to infer, from any of those expressions, that Esau was a very wicked man, or that God hated or punished him for an immoral life. For, 1. The sentence here against him, is said expressly to be founded not upon his actions, for it was determined before the children had done good or evil. 2. God's hatred of Esau was not a hatred which induced him to punish him with any evil; for he was as happy in all the blessings of this life, as either Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob: and his posterity had a land designed by God to be their possession, as well as the children of Jacob, and they were put in possession of it much sooner than the IsraelVerse 33. Jobab the son of Zerah] Many have sup-ites; and God was pleased to protect them in the enjoyposed that Jobab is the same as Job, so remarkable for ment of it, and to caution the Israelites against invading his afflictions and patience; and that Eliphaz, mentioned them, with a remarkable strictness, Deut. ii. 4, 5. And as ver, 10, &c. was the same who in the book of Job is called God was pleased thus to bless Esau and his children in the one of his friends: but there is no proper proof of this, and blessings of this life, even as much as he blessed Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, if not more, why may we not hope to find there are many reasons against it. him with them at the last day, as well as Lot or Job, or any other good and virtuous man, who was not designed to be a partaker of the blessing given to Abraham? 3. All the punishment inflicted on Esau was an exclusion from being heir to the blessing promised to Abraham and to his seed, which was a favour not granted to Lot, to Job, to several other very virtuous and good men. 4. St. Paul, in the passage before cited, only intends to show the Jews, that God had all along given the favours that led to the Messiah where he pleased: to Abraham, not to Lot-to Jacob, not to Esau, as at the time St. Paul wrote, the Gentiles were made the people of God, not the Jews. 5. Esau is indeed called profane (66os:) but I think that word does not mean wicked or immoral («σεβης Oι αμαρτωλός:) he was called so, for not having that due value for the priest's office which he should have had; and, therefore, though I think it does not appear that he was cut off from being the heir of the promises by any particular action in his life, yet his turn of mind and thoughts do appear to have been such, as to evidence, that God's purpose towards Jacob was founded on the truest wisdom."-SHUCKFORD'S Connexions, vol. II. p. 174, &c. Verse 35. Smote Midian in the field of Moab] Bishop Cumberland supposes that this was Midian, the son of Abraham, by Keturah, and that he was killed by Hadad, some time before he was one hundred and nine years of age; and that Moses recorded this, probably, because it was a calamity to the ancestor of Jethro, his father-inlaw. Orig. of Nat. p. 14. Verse 40. These are the names of the dukes that came of Esau] These dukes did not govern the whole nation of the Idumeans, but they were chiefs in their respective families-in their places, the districts they governed, and to which they gave their names. Calmet thinks, that those mentioned above were dukes in Edom, or Idumea, at the time of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. Verse 43. He is Esau the father of the Edomites] That is, the preceding list contains an account of the posterity of Esau, who was the father of Edom. Thus ends Esau's history; for after this there is no farther account of his life, actions, or death, in the Pentateuch. 1. As to Esau, so considerable a person among divines, it may be necessary, in this place especially, to say something farther of his conduct and character. I have already, in several places, endeavoured, and I hope successfully, to wipe off the odium that has been thrown upon this man(see the notes on eh. xxvii. and ch. xxxiii.) without attempting to lessen his faults; and the unprejudiced reader must see, that previous to this last account we have of him, his character stands without a blot, except in the case of selling his birthright, and his purpose to destroy his brother. To the first he was led by his famishing situation, and the unkindness of his brother, who refused to save his life but on this condition; and the latter, made in the heat of vexation and passion, he never attempted to execute, even when he had the most ample means and the fairest opportunity to do it. Dr. Shuckford has drawn an impartial character of Esau, from which I extract the following particulars: "Esau was a plain, generous, and honest man; for we have no reason, from any thing that appears in his life or actions, to think him wicked beyond other men of his age or times; and his generous and good temper appears from The truth is, the Messiah must spring from some ONE family; and God chose Abraham's, through Isaac, Jacob, &c. rather than the same through Ishmael, Esau, and the others in that line: but from this choice it does not follow, that the first were all necessarily saved, and the others necessarily lost. 2. To some the genealogical lists in this chapter will doubtless appear uninteresting, especially those which concern Esau and his descendants: but it was as necessary to register the generations of Esau, as to register those of Jacob, in order to show that the Messiah did not spring from the former, but that he did spring from the latter. The genealogical tables, so frequently met with in the Sacred Writings, and so little regarded by Christians in general, are extremely useful. 1. As they are standing proofs of the truth of the prophecies, which stated that the Messiah should come from a particular family; which prophecies were clearly fulfilled in the birth of Christ. 2. 143 As they testify, to the conviction of the Jews, that the CHAPTER XXXVII. Jacob continues to sojourn in Canaan, 1. Joseph, being seventeen years of age, is employed in feeding the flocks of his father, 2. Is loved by his father more than the rest of his brethren, 3 His brethren eavy him, 4. His dream of the sheaves, 5-7. His brethren interpret it, and hate him on the account, & His dream of the sun, moon, and eleven stars, 9, 10, 11. Jacob seu is him to visit his brethren, who were with the flock at Shechem, 13, 14. He wanders in the field, and is directed to go to Dothan, whither his brethren had removed the flocks, 15-17. Seeing him coming, they conspire to destroy hun, 15-20. Reuben, secretly intending to deliver him, counsels his brethren not to kill, but to put him into a pil, 21, 22. They strip Joseph of his coat of many colours, and put hun into a pit, 23, 24. They afterward draw him out, and sell him to a company of Ishmaelite merchants, for twenty pieces of silver, who carry hum into Egypt, 23-23. Reuben returns to the pit, and not finding Joseph, is greatly affectal, 20, 50. Joseph's brethren dip his coat in goat's blood to persuade his father that he had been devoured by a wild beast, 31, 33. Jacob is greatly distressed, 31, 35. Joseph is sold in Egypt to Potiphar captain of Pharaoh's guard, 36 it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8 And his brethren said to him, shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? and they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obei sance to me. 10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I, and thy mother, and thy brethren, indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. 12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy f Ch. 27. 41. & 49. 23. -g Ch. 42. 6, 9. & 43. 26. & 44. 14. -h Ch. 46. 29.—i CL. 27. 29. k Acts 7. 9.-1 Dan. 7. 28. Luke 2. 19, 517 father had thus made him such a distinguished object of his partial love. We have already seen some of the evils produced by this unwarrantable conduct of parents in preferring one child to all the rest. The old fable of the ape and her favourite cub, which she hugged to death through kindness, was directed against such foolish parental fondnesses as these. a Heb. of his father's sojournings.-b Ch. 17. 8. & 23. 4. & 25. 4. & 36. 7. Heb. 11. 9.- 1 Sum. 2. 22, 23, 24. — Ch. 44. 20.—e Or, pieces. Judges 5. 30. 2 Sam. 13. 13. Messiah, thus promised, is found in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who incontestably sprang from the last, the only remaining branch of the family of David. These registers were religiously preserved among the Jews till the destruction of Jerusalem, after which they were all destroyed; insomuch, that there is not a Jew in the universe who can trace himself to the family of David: consequently all Verse 4. And could not speak peaceably unto him] expectation of a Messiah to come, is, even on their own Does not this imply, in our use of the term, that they were principles, nugatory and absurd; as nothing remains to continually quarrelling with him? but this is no meaning legitimate his birth. When Christ came, all these regis- of the original; 7 12 8 e' lo yakelu dabero ters were in existence. When St. Matthew and St. Luke leshalom, they could not speak peace to him, i. e. they wrote, all these registers were still in existence; and had would not accost him in a friendly manner. They would they pretended, what could not have been supported, an not even wish him well. The eastern method of salutaappeal to the registers would have convicted them of tion is, Peace be to thee! v shalom leca, among the a falsehood. But no Jew attempted to do this, notwith-Hebrews; and u salām, le plus or prite Sestanding the excess of their malice against Christ and his lam âleck or âleekum, peace to thee-Be in prosperity, or followers; and because they did not do it, we may safely salām hebi, peace, or peace to thee, my friend, assert, no Jew could do it. Thus the foundation standeth sure. NOTES ON CHAPTER XXXVII. Verse 1. Wherein his father was a stranger] " megurey abair, Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, as the margin very properly reads it. This place was probably the vale of Hebron, see ver. 14. Verse 2. These are the generations] toledoth, the history of the lives and actions of Jacob and his sons: for in this general sense the original must be taken: as in the whole of the ensuing history there is no particular account of any genealogical succession. Yet the words may be understood as referring to the tables or genealogical lists in the preceding chapter; and if so, the original must be understood in its common acceptation. The lad was with the sons of Bilhah] It is supposed that our word lad comes from the Hebrew yeled, a child, a son, and that lass is a contraction of ladess, the female of lad, a girl, a young woman. Some have supposed that King James desired the translators to insert this word: but this must be a mistake, as the word occurs in this place in Tindal's translation, printed in 1549. Brought unto his father their evil report] Conjecture has been busily employed to find out what this evil report might be. It is needless to inquire what it was, as on this head the sacred text is perfectly silent. All the use we can make of this information is, that it was one cause of increasing his brothers' hatred to him, which was first excited by his father's partiality, and secondly by his own dreams. Verse 3. A coat of many colours] DDD nono ketonet passim, a coat made up of stripes of differently coloured cloth. Similar to this was the toga prætexta of the Roman youth, which was white, striped or fringed with purple; this they wore till they were seventeen years of age, when they changed it for the toga virilis, or toga pura, which was all white. Such vestures, as clothing of distinction, are worn all over Persia, India, and China to the present day. It is no wonder that his brethren should envy him, when his among the Arabs. Now as peace among those nations comprehends all kinds of blessings spiritual and temporal; so they are careful not to say it to those whom they do not cordially wish well. It is not an unusual thing for an Arab or a Turk to hesitate to return the salum, if given by a Christian, or by one of whom he has not a favourable opinion: and this, in their own country, inay be ever considered as a mark of hostility, not only as a proof that they do not wish you well, but that if they have an opportunity, they will do you an injury. This was precisely the case with respect to Joseph's brethren; they would not give him the salām, and therefore felt themselves at liberty to take the first opportunity to injure him. Verse 7. We were binding sheures in the field] Though in these early times we read little of tillage, yet it is evident from this circumstance, that it was practised by Jacob and his sons. The whole of this dream is so very plain as to require no comment, unless we could suppose that the sheares of grain might have some reference to the plenty in Egypt under Joseph's superintendance; and the scarcity in Canaan, which obliged the brethren to go down to Egypt for corn, where the dream was most literally fulfilled; his brethren there, bowing in the most abject manner before him. Verse 9. He dreamed yet another dream] This is as clear as the preceding. But how could Jacob say, shall I and thy mother, &c. when Rachel his mother was dead, some time before this? Perhaps Jacob might hint, by this explanation, the impossibility of such a dream being fulfilled; because one of the persona who should be a chief actor in it, was already dead. But any one wife or concubine of Jacob was quite sufficient to fulfil this part of the dream. It is possible, some think, that Joseph may have had these dreams before his mother Rachel died; but were even this the case, she certainly did not live to fulfil the part which appears to refer to herself. The sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars] Why cleven stars? Was it merely to signify that his brothers might be represented by stars? Or does he not rather there allude to the Zodiac, his eleven brethren answering to brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and 14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see e 18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this 'dreamer cometh. 20 & Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. 23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph a Heb. see the peace of thy brethren, &c. Ch. 29. 6.-b Ch. 35, 27.—c Cant. I. 7. d2 Kings 6. 13-e 18am. 19. 1. Pra. 31. 13. & 37. 12, 32 & 94. 21. Matt. 27. 1. Mark 14. 1. John 11. 53. Acts 21 12-1 Heb. master of dreams.-g Prov. 1. 11, 16. & 6. 17. & 27. 4,-b Ch. 42. 22—i Or, pieces.-k Prov. 30. 20. Amos G. 6.-1 See Ver. 25. 36. eleven of the celestial signs, and himself to the twelfth? This is certainly not an unnatural thought, as it is very likely that the heavens were thus measured in the days of Joseph; for the zodiacal constellations have been distinguished among the eastern nations from time immemorial. See the notes at the end of chap. xlix. Verse 14. Go-see whether it be well with thy brethren] Literally, Go, I beseech thee, and see the peace of thy brethren, and the peace of the flock. Go and see whether they are all in prosperity.-See on ver. 4. As Jacob's sons were now gone to feed the flock on the parcel of ground they had bought from the Shechemites, see chap. xxxii. 19. and where they had committed such a horrible slaughter, their father might feel more solicitous about their welfare, lest the neighbouring tribes should rise against them, and revenge the murder of the Shechemites. As Jacob appears to have been at this time in the rule of Hebron, it is supposed that Shechem was about sixty English miles distant from it, and that Dothan was about eight miles farther. But I must again advertise my readers, that all these calculations are very dubious; for we do not even know that the same place is intended, as there are many proofs, that different places went by the same names. Verse 19. Behold, this dreamer cometh] man by baal hachalamoth, this master of dreams, this master dreamer. A form of speech which conveys great contempt. X 30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? 31 And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; 32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. 33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces! m Jer. 8. 22-n Ch. 4. 10. Ver. 20. Job 16. 18.-0 1 Sam. 18. 17.--p Ch. 42. 21--9 Ch. 29. 14.- Heb, hearkened-s Judges 6. 3. Ch. 45. 4, 5.--t Psa 105. 17. Wisd. 10. 13. Acts 7. 9-u See Matt. 27. 9.-- Job 1. 20.-w Ch. 42. 13, 36. Jer. 31. 15.-x Ver. 23-y Ver. 20. Ch. 44. 23 probably was done, that if ever found, he might not be discerned to be a person of distinction, and consequently no inquiry made concerning him. Verse 25. They sat down to eat bread] Every act is perfectly in character, and describes forcibly the brutish and diabolic nature of their ruthless souls. A company of Ishmeelites] We may naturally suppose that this was a caravan, composed of different tribes, that for their greater safety were travelling together, and of which Ishmeelites and Midianites made the chief. In the Chaldee they are called Arabians, which from any arab, to mingle, was in all probability used by the Targumist, as the word Arabians is used among us, which comprehends a vast number of clans, or tribes of people. The Jerusalem Targum calls them po Serakin, what we term Sarazens. In the Persian, the clause stands -karatanee ishmaa كارواني اشناليم عربان ) یا thus leem âraban úya."A caravan of Ishmaelites and Arabs came." This seems to give the true sense. Verse 28. For twenty pieces of silver] This, I think, is the first instance on record of selling a man for a slave; but the practice certainly did not commence now; it had doubtless been in use long before. Instead of pieces, which our translators supply, the Persian has Jo miskal, which was probably intended to signify a shekel, and if shekels be intended, taking them at three shillings each, Joseph was sold for about three pounds sterling. I have known a whole cargo of slaves, amounting to eight hunriver, in Africa, on an average, for six pounds each; and this payment was made in guns, gunpowder, and trinkets! As there were only ten of the brethren present, and they sold Joseph for twenty shekels, each had two shekels as his share in this most infamous transaction. Verse 20. Come now-and let us slay him] What un-dred and thirteen, bought by a slave captain in Bonny principled savages these must have been, to talk thus coolly about imbruing their hands in an innocent brother's blood! How necessary is a divine revelation, to show inan what God hates and what he loves. Ferocious cruelty is the principal characteristic of the nations and tribes who receive not the law at his mouth. Verse 21. Reuben heard it] Though Reuben appears to have been a transgressor of no ordinary magnitude, if we take chap. xxxv. 22. according to the letter, yet his bosom was not the habitation of cruelty. He determined, if possible, to save his brother from death, and deliver him safely to his father, with whose fondness for him he was sufficiently acquainted. Josephus, in his usual way, puts I long flourishing speech in the mouth of Reuben on the ccasion, spoken in order to dissuade his brethren from heir barbarous purpose; but as it is totally false, it is worthy of no regard. Verse 23. They stript Joseph out of his coat] This Verse 29. Reuben returned unto the pit] It appears he was absent when the caravan passed by, to whom the other brethren had sold Joseph; probably some of them fed their flocks separately; though this does not appear to have been a general case. Verse 30. The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?] These words in the original are very plaintive, 2n Tha NONTON ha-yeled einennoo, weance anah, anee bā! Verse 32. Sent the coat of many colours-to their father] What deliberate cruelly to torture the feelings of their aged father, and thus harrow up his soul! Verse 33. Joseph is without doubt rent in picces!] It is likely he inferred this from the lacerated state of the coat; which, in order the better to cover their wickedness, they had not only besmeared with the blood of the goat, but it is probable reduced to tatters. And what must a father's heart have felt in such a case! As this coat is rent, so is the body of my beloved son rent in pieces! and Jacob rent his clothes. Verse 35. All his sons and all his daughters] He had only one daughter, Dinah, but his sons' wives may be here included; but what hypocrisy in his sons to attempt to comfort him concerning the death of a son whom they knew was alive; and what cruelty to put their aged father to such torture, when, properly speaking, there was no ground for it! Verse 36. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's] The word on saris, which we translate officer, signifies properly a eunuch, and lest any person should imagine, that because this Potiphar had a wife, therefore it is absurd to suppose him to have been a eunuch, let such persons know, that it is not uncommon in the east, for eunuchs to have wives, nay, some of them have even a harem or seraglio, where they keep many women, though it does not appear that they have any progeny: and probably discontent on this ground, might have contributed as much to the unfaithfulness of Potiphar's wife, as that less principled motive, through which, it is commonly believed, she acted. Captain of the guard.] non sar hatabachim, "chief of the butchers," a most appropriate name for the guards of an eastern despot. If a person offend one of the despotic eastern princes, the order to one of the lifeguarda is, Go and bring me his head, and this command is instantly obeyed, without judge, jury, or any form of law. Potiphar, we may therefore suppose, was captain of those guards, whose business it was to take care of the royal person, and execute his sovereign will on all the objects of his displeasure. Reader, if thou hast the happiness to live under the British constitution, be thankful to God. Here the will, the power, and utmost influence of the king, were he even so disposed, cannot deprive the meanest subject of his property, his liberty, or his life. All the solemn, legal forms of justice, must be consulted; the culprit, however accused, be heard by himself and his counsel; and in the end, twelve honest impartial men, chosen from among his fellows, shall decide on the validity of the evidence produced by the accuser. For the trial by jury, as well as for innumerable political blessings, may God make the inhabitants of Great Britain thankful! 1. WITH this chapter the history of Joseph commences, and sets before our eyes such a scene of wonders, wrought by divine providence, in such a variety of surprising instances, as cannot fail to confirm our faith in God, show the propriety of resignation to his will, and confidence in his dispensations, and prove that all things work together for good to them that love him. Joseph has often been considered as a type of Christ; and this subject, in the hands of different persons, has assumed a great variety of colouring. The following parallels appear the most probable, but I shall not pledge myself for the propriety of any of them. "Jesus Christ, prefigured by Joseph, the beloved of his father, and by him sent to visit his brethren, is the innocent person whom his brethren sold for a few pieces of silver, the bargain proposed by his brother Judah, (Greek, Judas) the very namesake of that disciple and brother, for so Christ vouchsafes to call him, who sold his Lord and Master; and who, by this means, became their Lord and Saviour; nay, the Saviour of strangers, and of the whole world; which had not happened, but for this plot of destroying him, this act of rejecting, and exposing him to sale.-In both examples we find the same fortune and the same innocence: Joseph in the prison between two criminals; Jesus on the cross between two thieves: Joseph fortells deliverance to one of his companions, and death to the other, from the same omens: of the two thieves, one reviles Christ, and perishes in his crimes; the other believes, and is assured of a speedy entrance CHAPTER XXXVIII. Judah marries the daughter of a Canaanite, 1, 2, and begets of her Er, 3, Onan, 4 and Shelah, 5. Er marries Tanar, 6, is slain for his wickelues, 7. Quan required to raise up seed to his brother, refuses, 8, 9. He also is slain, 10. Judah promises his son Shelah to Tamar, when he should be of age; but performs not his promise, 11. Judah's wife dies, 12. Tamar deceives her father-in-law, he leaves his signet, bracelets, and staff in her hand, and she conceives by him, 13-23. Julah infwmed that his daughter-in-law is with child, and not knowing that himself was the father, condemtis her to be burnt, 21. She produces the signet, bracelets, and staff, and convicts Judah, 25, 26. She is delivered of twins, who are called Pharez and Zarah, 27-30. AND it came to pass at that time, that Ju dah went down from his brethren, and courtiers, and officers. Esth. 1. 10.-- Heb. chief of the slaughtermen or ezeru tioners.g Or, chief marshal. into paradise. Joseph requests the person that should be delivered, to be mindful of him in his glory: the person saved by Jesus Christ, entreats his deliverer to remember him when he came into his kingdom."-Parallels and coincidences of this kind should always be received eautiously; for where the Spirit of God has not marked a direct resemblance, and obviously referred to it as such, in some other part of his word, it is bold, if not dangerous, such and such things and persons are types of Christ." We have instances sufficiently numerous, legitimately attested, without having recourse to those which are of dubious import, and precarious application.-See the observations on chap. xl. to say 2. Envy has been defined, "Pain felt, and malignity conceived, at the sight of excellence or happiness in another." Under this detestable passion, did the brethren of Joseph labour; and had not God particularly interposed, it would have destroyed both its subjects and its object. Perhaps there is no vice which so directly filiates itself on Satan as this does. In opposition to the assertion that we cannot envy that by which we profit; it may be safely replied, that we may envy our neighbour's wisdom, though he gives us good counsel; his riches, though he supplies our wants; and his greatness, though he employs it for our protection. 3. How ruinous are family distractions! A house divided against itself cannot stand. Parents should take good heed that their own conduct be not the first and most powerful cause of such dissensions, by exciting envy in some of their children, through undue partiality to others: but it is in vain to speak to most parents on the subject; they will give way to foolish predilections, till, in the prevailing distractions of their families, they meet with the punishment of their imprudence. NOTES ON CHAPTER XXXVIII. Verse 1. And it came to pass at that time] The facts mentioned here, could not have happened at the times mentioned in the preceding chapter, as those times are all unquestionably too recent, for the very earliest of the transactions here recorded, must have occurred long before the selling of Joseph. Mr. Ainsworth remarks, "that Judah and his sons must have married when very young, else the chronology will not agree. For Joseph was born six years before Jacob left Laban, and came into Canaan, xxx. 25. xxxi. 41. Joseph was seventeen years old when he was sold into Egypt, xxxvii. 2, 25. he was thirty years old when he interpreted Pharaoh's dream, chap. xli. 46. And nine years after, when there had been seven years of plenty and two years of famine, did Jacob with his family go down into Egypt, chap. xli. 53, 54. and xlv. 6, 11. And at their going down thither, Pharez, the son of Judah, whose birth is set down in the end of this chapter, had two sons, Hezron and Hamul, chap. xlvi. 8, 12. Seeing then from the selling of Joseph, unto Israel's going down into Egypt, there cannot be above twenty-three years; how is it possible that Judah should take a wife, and have by her three sons successively, and Shelah the youngest of the three be marriageable when Judah begat Pharez of Tamar, chap. xxxviii. 14, 24. and Pharez be grown up, married, and have two sons, all within so short a space? The time therefore here spoken of, seems to have been soon after Jacob's coming to Shechem, chap. xxxii. 18. before the history of Dinah, chap. xxxiv. though Moses, for special cause, relates it in this place." I should rather suppose that this chapter originally stood after chap. xxxiii. and that it got by accident into this place. Dr. Hales, observing that some of Jacob's sons must have married remarkably young, says, that "Judah was about forty-seven years old when Jacob's family settled in Egypt. He could not therefore have been above fifteen at the birth of his eldest son Er; nor Er more than fifteen at his marriage with Tamar: nor could it have been more than two years after Er's death, till the birth of Judah's twin sons by his daughter-in-law Tamar; nor could Pharez, one of them, A. M. CIR. 2251. B. C. CIR. 1753. b * turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name | was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was a Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. A. M. cir. 2252 3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. B. C. cir. 1752. A. M. air. 2253 f Onan. A. M. cir. 2256. e 4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name 5 And she yet again conceived, and B. C. cir. 1748. bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. A. M. cir. 2273. mar. 6 J And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name was Ta 7 And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. S And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed unto thy brother. 9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his Brother. 10 And the thing which he did "displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. A. M. eir. 2274. 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his B. C. cir. 1730. daughter-in-law, P Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: A. M. cir. 277. 12. And in process of time the a Ch. 19.2,3. Judges4. 18. 2 Kings 4. 8. Prov. 13. 20.b Josh. 15. 35. 1 Sam. 22. 1. 2 Sam. 23. 13 Micah T. 15-c Ch. 34. 2-d1 Chron. 2. 3.e Ch. 46. 12. Numb. 26, 19. fCh. 46. 12 Numb. 25. 19-g Ch. 46. 12 Numb. 26. 20.-h Ch. 21. 21.4 Ch. 46. 12. Namb. 26, 19-k i Chron. 23- Deut. 25. 5. Matt. 22. 24-m Deut 25. 6-n Heb. was evil in the eyes of the LORD-0 Ch. 46. 12. Numb. 26. 19.-p Ruth 1. 13. be more than fifteen at the birth of his two sons Hezron and Hamul, supposing they were twins, just born before the departure from Canaan. For the aggregate of these numbers, 15+15+2+15=47 years, gives the age of Judah, compare chap. xxxviii. with chap. xlvi. 2." Adullamite] An inhabitant of Adullum, a city of Canaan, afterward given for a possession to the sons of Judah, Josh. xv. 1, 35. It appears as if this Adullamite had kept a kind of house of entertainment, for Hirah the Canaanite and his family lodged with him; and there Judah lodged also. As the woman was a Canaanitess, Judah had the example of his fathers, to prove at least the impropriety of such a connexion. Verse 5. And he (Judah) was at Chezib when she bare him] This town is supposed to be the same with Achzib, which fell to the tribe of Judah, Josh. xv. 44. The name, says Ainsworth, has in Hebrew the signification of lying; and to it the prophet alludes, saying the houses of Achzib shall be (Achzab) a lie to the kings of Israel. Mic. i. 14. Verse 7. Er-was wicked in the sight of the Lord] What this wickedness consisted in, we are not told; but the phrase, sight of the Lord, being added, proves that it was some very great evil. It is worthy of remark, that the Hebrew word used to express Er's wickedness, is his own name, the letters reversed. Ery, wicked, yn râ. As if the inspired writer had said, "Er was altogether wicked, a completely abandoned character." Verse 9. Onan knew that the seed should not be his] That is, that the child begotten of his brother's widow, should be reckoned as the child of his deceased brother; and his name, though the real father of it, should not appear in the genealogical tables. Verse 10. Wherefore he slew him also.] The sin of Onan has generally been supposed to be self-pollution. But this is certainly a mistake: his crime was his refusal to raise up seed to his brother; and rather than do it, he, by the act mentioned above, rendered himself incapable of We find from this history, that long before the Mosaic law, it was an established custom, probably founded on a divine precept, that if a man died childless, his brother was to take his wife; and the children produced by this second marriage, were considered as the children of the first husband, and in consequence inherited his possessions. Verse 12. In process of time] This phrase, which is in and Judah was comforted, and went up unto 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold 14 And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw * that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; because she had covered her face. 16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? a 17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? b 18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place. Lev. 22 13-r Heb. the days were multiplied.-a 2 Sam. 13. 39.--t Josh. 15. 10. 57. Judges 14. --u Judith 10. 3. Prov. 7. 12. Heb. the door of eyes, or, of Enajim x Ver. 11. 26-y Ezek. 16. 33.- Heb. a kid of the goats-a Ver. 20. Ver: 25 c Ver. 14.d Or, in Enofim. general use in the Bible, needs explanation; the original Verse 15. Thought her to be a harlot] See the original It appears that, in very ancient times, there were public Verse 17. Wilt thou give me a pledge till thou send it?] Verse 21. Where is the harlot that was openly by the 1 |