CHAPTER XXXV.

1. when thou fleddest] Ch. xxvii. 43. comp. ch. xxviii. 13, 19. That the command now given to Jacob had a reference to what passed at Bethel, may be inferred from the injunction to "make there an altar unto God." Perhaps he had not yet fulfilled the vow which he made there, and was now ordered to perform it, since he had now returned into Canaan safe, from Padan-aram ; ch. xxviii. 20.

2. the strange gods] Idols or images; but whether by these are meant the teraphim which Rachel stole, ch. xxxi. 19. and which were worshipped by Jacob's servants who were Syrians; or idols taken from the Shechemites, is uncertain. "Be clean," i. e. purify yourselves by washing your bodies with water, "and change your garments;" which rite symbolically signified that they had cleansed themselves from the pollution of idolatry; Exod. xix. 10.; Ps. li. 2, 7.; Ezek. xvi. 8, 9, 10. xxxvi. 25.

4. their ear-rings] It is doubtful whether these were in the ears of the idols, or of Jacob's family; but they were clearly a species of rings or pendants in some way connected with idolatrous opinions and practices. 'Jacob hid them," i. e. buried

them under the oak; Hos. ii. 13.

5. the terror of God] Not a fear and reverence for God, but a terror sent by him. Some render it, as the Hebrew will admit, "a great terror was upon the cities," &c. This accounts for the circumstance that the country did not rise up against Jacob's family and avenge the cruel and perfidious conduct of his

sons.

8. Rebekah's nurse] Ch. xxiv. 59. The simple fact is stated, without mentioning when she died, or by whom she was buried. Upon Jacob's coming to Bethel, God appeared to him there, v. 9. and again renewed the blessing which he had before pronounced upon him, v. 10. comp. ch. xxxii. 28. and with v. 11, 12. comp. ch. xxviii. 3, 4.

14. set up a pillar] To commemorate the divine goodness; "and he poured a drink offering thereon," i. e. for the last clause seems explanatory of this, he poured oil thereon." He consecrated, or set it apart for a monument by pouring oil upon it, as he had done upon a previous occasion; ch. xxviii. 18. note; "and called the name of the place," &c. v. 15. i. e. confirmed the name before given to it; ch. xxviii. 29.

22. lay with Bilhah] Ch. xxx. 4. comp. ch. xvi. 2. note. In consequence of this base and unnatural crime Reuben was deprived of his birthright, ch. xlix. 4., but though Jacob "heard it," he did not immediately punish it.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

1. who is Edom.] Who is so called; v. 8.; ch. xxv. 30. The difficulties in this genealogy may be mainly obviated, if we reflect that the wives of Esau had different names. Thus his first wife is called both Adah and Judith; the second, Aholibamah and Bashemath, v. 2.; ch. xxvi. 34. ; and the third, Bashemath and Mahalath, v. 3.; ch. xxviii. 9. In this chapter we see the accomplishment of what was promised, ch. xxii. 17. and foretold, ch. xxv. 23. 7. For, &c.] The same thing had happened before to Abraham and Lot; ch. xiii. 5—12.

8. dwelt, &c.] Esau was previously in Seir, ch. xxxiii. 3. and hence his going to dwell there, v. 6, 8. must be understood of his gaining complete possession of it, or of his making it altogether the place of his abode, having till then had some lands in Canaan, comp. v. 1.

15. dukes] The Hebrew signifies, heads of families, chiefs of tribes, a sort of petty princes of the Edomitish tribes.

24. the mules] The Hebrew word only occurs in this place, and is by some rendered, "he found (or lighted upon) the giants, or the Emims," and by others, "he found hot-springs, or a collection of waters." And this last is the most probable meaning of the word.

31. kings] Because there was as yet no king in Israel, it is supposed this could not have been written by Moses. But the word "king" may be used for a chief or ruler, not much different from the word rendered "duke;" or if this is not probable, Moses may have been inspired to foretel the fulfilment of the promise to Jacob, that " kings should come out of his loins," ch. xxxv. 11. and Moses knew that the Israelites would in time have a king, as appears from Deut. xvii. 14. et seq. Though this is a sufficient answer to the objection, it is not improbable that v. 31-43. are an interpolation from 1 Chron. i. 43-54. for, from their great similarity, the one is apparently a copy from the other.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

2. generations] The true account or history of what happened to Jacob; ch. ii. 4. note. "Their evil report," i. e. an evil report concerning them.

3. the son of his old age:] Viz. born to him in his old age, for which reason, as often happens, he had a great affection for Joseph. His son Benjamin was still younger; comp. ch. xliv. 20. "A coat of many colours," i. e. made of variously-coloured materials. It is useless to speculate on the exact form, &c. of the

arment

5. dreamed, &c.] The two dreams related v.5-11. need no comment. It has been thought strange that Joseph should tell them to his brethren; but he might not understand their application; or if he did, he might do it out of the innocence and simplicity of his heart. It is more important to note the wonderful fulfilment of them, ch. xlii. 6. et seq.

10. Shall I, &c.] Jacob rebuked him, saying, what is this dream? It is mere vanity; for it is impossible that I, and thy mother who is dead, ch. xxxv. 19. and thy brethren, to whom as thy seniors thou owest respect, should come to bow down to thee. But though the aged father thought it right to use this language, he nevertheless "observed this saying ;" i. e. kept this in his mind, and reflected upon it; Luke ii. 19, 51.

14. whether, &c.] Literally as in the margin, "See the peace of thy brethren," &c. e. whether all things are peaceful and prosperous with them; of which he might well entertain doubts after the cruel and treacherous conduct of his sons to the Shechemites; ch. xxiv.

22. Reuben, &c.] Though he had been guilty of a great crime, ch. xxxv. 22. he was more compassionate than his brethren; comp. v. 29, 30.

25. a company,] Or, caravan consisting of descendants from Ishmael, namely, the Midianites, as appears from v. 28, 36.

26. What profit] We shall gain nothing by it, "if we slay our brother," i. e. if we suffer him to perish in the pit. This was said not only from a motive of avarice, but of humanity, as may be inferred from the next verse.

29. Reuben returned] Of course he must have been absent when Joseph was sold. "The child is not," v. 30. i. e. is dead; ch. xlii. 13, 36. "and I, whither shall I go?" An expression indicative of his present confusion and distress.

33. without doubt] The original is very energetic, and may be literally rendered "rent, rent in pieces is Joseph." The rending of garments and putting on sackcloth were customary modes of expressing grief; v. 29, 34. ; ch. xliv. 13.; Numb. xiv. 6.; Josh, vii. 6.; 1 Sam. iv. 12.; 2 Sam. i. 11. iii. 31.; 1 Kings xxi. 27.; Neh. ix. 1.; Job ii. 12.

35. all his daughters] Viz. including his sons' wives, for he had only one daughter, Dinah. The word rendered "the grave," is Sheol, and denotes the place of the dead, the mansion of departed spirits, the invisible state of departed souls.

36. an officer] The Hebrew strictly denotes an eunuch; but as such were used to guard Eastern queens, and were much employed at courts, it came to signify also a courtier, chamberlain, or officer of state. Captain of the guard," literally, "chief of the executioners;" so called because this office was entrusted generally to the captain of the body-guard: see the margin.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

1. at that time,] Viz. from his return from Padan-aram into Canaan to his going down into Egypt; a sufficient space of time for all the events following.

2. he took her,] Viz. to wife, as is clear from v. 12. and contrary to the Divine command; ch. xxiv. 3.; xxviii. 1.

7. the Lord slew him.] He was cut off in some way which showed it to be the extraordinary, but just judgment of Heaven.

8. Go in, &c.] From this it appears that the custom of marrying the widow of a brother, who died without issue, prevailed long before it was established by the Law of Moses; Deut. xxv. 5. Onan pretended to comply with Judah's injunction to marry his brother's wife; but, knowing that the seed should not be his," v. 8. i. e. that the first-born should not be reputed his, but his brother's child, "when he went in," &c. Our translators, after the Septuagint and many others, have here given a sense not expressed by the Hebrew verb, which means not to spill, but to corrupt, to destroy, both in a physical and spiritual sense; and is here, as in other places, used intransitively. "It came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he acted corruptly on the earth not to give seed to his brother." He complied with Judah's command outwardly, but not in reality; which was a breach of good faith, and in opposition to the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of a numerous posterity; perhaps also a disbelief of the promise of a Messiah, by whom all generations should be blessed. Wherefore the Lord slew him, v. 10.

11. Lest he die also] Let him arrive at discreet years before the marriage, lest he act as his brothers have done, and so perish like them; v. 24, 26. There is no ground for supposing that he did not intend to give her in marriage; but when he delayed the solemnization of it, Tamar adopted the course which is related, v. 12. et seq. However culpable this may be, when viewed by the light of the Gospel, it is probable that, according to the notions and manners of the age, she considered herself as justified in it. Judah's conduct does not admit of the same palliation; for in his observation in v. 23. he acknowledges it to be morally wrong; and comp. v. 26. With v. 14. comp. ch. xx. 16.; Prov. vii. 12. 18. thy bracelets,] Probably the ribbon or string from which the signet, or ring used in sealing, was suspended. With v. 23. comp. the preceding note.

24. burnt.] Tamar must have been considered as the wife of Shelah, though the marriage had not been consummated, v. 11. and Judah ordered her to be burnt as an adulteress. Hence adultery was now punished with death, as it was afterwards by the Law of Moses; Levit. xx. 10.; Deut. xxii. 22. and hence also the head of a family had at that period the power of inflicting capital punishments.

26. more righteous than I;] The greater blame rests with me, because this has arisen from my not giving her Shelah my

son.

28. and bound, &c.] This was done to distinguish the first-born, for many and great privileges belonged to primogeniture.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

1. captain of the guard,] Ch. xxvii. 36. note. "And the Lord was with Joseph," v. 2. i. e. was favourable and merciful to him; v. 21.; ch. xxi. 22. xxvi. 24, 28.

3. his master saw, &c.] Viz. inferred that Joseph's prospering in whatever he undertook, proceeded from the Deity whom Joseph worshipped therefore he "found grace (favour) in his [master's] sight, and he served him," v. 4. i. e. ministered unto, or waited upon his master, who "made him overseer over his house;" i. e. as the Hebrew signifies, he appointed him to superintend and take care of his household.

6. knew not ought, &c.] The meaning is, that having left all things to Joseph's care, he did not concern himself with any thing respecting his household, except his meals, v. 8. so great was the confidence he placed in Joseph, who, it is added, "was a goodly person," &c. which expressions are applied to Rachel, ch. xxix. 17.

see note.

8. wotteth not] Knoweth not, i. e. doth not concern himself with any thing I do in the house, having committed the care of "all that he hath to my hand," v. 6.

11. about this time,] Rather "it came to pass upon a certain day that Joseph went into the house to do his business," i. e. to perform some part of his duties; " and there was none of the men of the house then within," i. e. none of the male domestics were within that part of the house into which he went, for there were some in the house, v. 14.

14. See, he] Viz. my husband, "hath brought in an Hebrew unto us, to mock us," i. e. to disgrace our family. According to this she imputes blame to her husband for introducing such a slave; but the Hebrew may be understood as denoting the result, viz. he hath brought in a Hebrew who hath attempted to bring disgrace

upon us, v. 17.

20. took him,] Caused him to be apprehended and put into prison. "But the Lord was with Joseph," v. 21. comp. v. 2.

note.

22. he was the doer of it.] Viz. it was done under his directions. And "the keeper of the prisoner looked not," did not attend to, or concern himself with " any thing that was under his (Joseph's)

hand."