Jacob's vision of the ladder.

B. C. cir. 1779.

B. C. cir. 1779.

A. M. cir. 2225. 11 And he lighted upon a whereon thou liest, to thee will A. M. cir. 2225. certain place, and tarried there I give it, and to thy seed; all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

mael must have been dead about fourteen years. But if we allow the ingenious reasoning of Mr. Skinner and Dr. Kennicott, that Jacob was at this time only fifty-seven years of age, and Isaac consequently only one hundred and seventeen, it will appear that Ishmael did not die till six years after this period; and hence with propriety it might be said, Esau went unto Ishmael, and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael to be his wife. See the notes on chap. xxxi. 38, &c.

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

meet all occurrences with the conviction that all was working together for his good. 2. It might be intended also to point out the intercourse between heaven and earth, and the connection of both worlds by the means of angelic ministry. That this is fact we learn from many histories in the Old Testament; and it is a doctrine that is unequivocally taught in the New: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? 3. It was Verse 11. A certain place, and tarried there] From probably a type of CHRIST, in whom both worlds meet, ver. 19 we find this certain place was Luz, or some and in whom the Divine and human nature are conpart of its vicinity. Jacob had probably intended to joined. The LADDER was set up on the EARTH, and reach Luz; but the sun being set, and night-coming the TOP of it reached to HEAVEN; for GOD was manion, he either could not reach the city, or he might sus-fested in the FLESH, and in him dwelt all the fulness pect the inhabitants, and rather prefer the open field, of the Godhead bodily. Nothing could be a more exas he must have heard of the character and conduct pressive emblem of the incarnation and its effects; of the men of Sodom and Gomorrah. Or the gates Jesus Christ is the grand connecting medium between might be shut by the time he reached it, which would heaven and earth, and between God and man. By prevent his admission; for it frequently happens, to the him God comes down to man; through him man aspresent day, that travellers not reaching a city in thecends to God. It appears that our Lord applies the eastern countries previously to the shutting of the gates, vision in this way himself, 1st, In that remarkable are obliged to lodge under the walls all night, as when speech to Nathanael, Hereafter ye shall see the heaven once shut they refuse to open them till the next day. opened, and the angels of God ascending and descendThis was probably Jacob's case. ing on the Son of man, John i. 51. 2dly, In his speech to Thomas, John xiv. 6: I am the WAY, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

He took of the stones] He took one of the stones that were in that place: from ver. 18 we find it was one stone only which he had for his pillow. Luz was about forty-eight miles distant from Beer-sheba; too great a journey for one day, through what we may conceive very unready roads.

A

Verse 12. He dreamed, and behold a ladder] multitude of fanciful things have been spoken of Jacob's vision of the ladder, and its signification. It might have several designs, as God chooses to accomplish the greatest number of ends by the fewest and simplest means possible. 1. It is very likely that its primary design was to point out the providence of God, by which he watches over and regulates all terrestrial things; for nothing is left to merely natural causes; a heavenly agency pervades, actuates, and directs all. In his present circumstances it was highly necessary that Jacob should have a clear and distinct view of this subject, that he might be the better prepared to

Verse 13. I am the Lord God of Abraham] Here God confirms to him the blessing of Abraham, for which Isaac had prayed, ver. 3, 4.

Verse 14. Thy seed shall be as the dust] The people that shall descend from thee shall be extremely numerous, and in thee and thy seed-the Lord JESUS descending from thee, according to the flesh, shall all the families of the earth-not only all of thy race, but all the other families or tribes of mankind which have not proceeded from any branch of the Abrahamic family, be blessed; for Jesus Christ by the grace of God tasted death FOR EVERY MAN, Heb. ii. 9.

Verse 15. And, behold, I am with thee] For I fill the heavens and the earth. My WORD shall be thy help."-Targum. And will keep thee in all places, ev tŋ od Taon, in all this way.-Septuagint. I shall direct, help, and support thee in a peculiar manner, in thy

Jacob awakes from sleep,

B. C. cir. 1779.

B. C. cir. 1779.

A. M. cir. 2225. 16 And Jacob awaked out house of God, and this is the A. M. cir. 2225. of his sleep, and he said, Surely gate of heaven. the LORD is in this place; and I knew

it not.

17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this placé! this is none other but the

'Exod. iii. 5; Josh. v. 15.- h Chap. xxxi. 13, 45; xxxv. 14. présent journey, be with thee while thou sojournest with thy uncle, and will bring thee again into this land; so that in all thy concerns thou mayest consider thyself under my especial providence, for I will not leave thee. Thy descendants also shall be my peculiar people, whom I shall continue to preserve as such until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of until the Messiah shall be born of thy race, and all the families of the earth-the Gentiles, be blessed through thee; the Gospel being preached to them, and they, with the believing Jews, made ONE FOLD under ONE SHEPHERD, and one Bishop or Overseer of souls. And this circumstantial promise has been literally and punctually fulfilled.

18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, i and poured oil upon the top of it.

i Lev. viii. 10, 11, 12; Num. vii. 1.

from Spain to Ireland, from Ireland to Scotland, and
on it the kings of Scotland sat to be crowned; and
concerning which the following leonine verses were
made :-

Ni fallat fatum,-Scoti quocunque locatum
Invenient lapidem,-regnare tenentur ibidem.
Or fate is blind-or Scots shall find
Where'er this stone--the royal throne.
Camden's Perthshire.

this, stone, called Jacob's pillar, and Jacob's pillow, is
Edward I. had it brought to Westminster; and there
now placed under the chair on which the king sits when
crowned! It would be as ridiculous to attempt to dis-
prove the truth of this tradition, as to prove that the
tical stone which served the patriarch for a bolster.
stone under the old chair in Westminster was the iden-

Verse 16. The Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.] That is, God has made this place his peculiar residence; it is a place in which he meets with and reveals himself to his followers. Jacob might and altars, dedicated to Divine worship, were always And poured oil upon the top of it.] Stones, images, have supposed that this place had been consecrated to anointed with oil. This appears to have been conGod. And it has already been supposed that, his mind sidered as a consecration of them to the object of the having been brought into a humble frame, he was pre-worship, and a means of inducing the god or goddess pared to hold communion with his Maker," Verse 17. How dreadful is this place!] The aptions of their votaries. Anointing stones, images, &c., to take up their residence there, and answer the petipearance of the ladder, the angels, and the Divine glory at the top of the ladder, must have left deep, solemn, and even awful impressions on the mind of Jacob; and hence the exclamation in the text, How dreadful is this place!

is used in idolatrous countries to the present day, and the whole idol is generally smeared over with oil. Sometimes, besides the anointing, a crown or garland was placed on the stone or altar to honour the divinity, who was supposed, in consequence of the anointing, to have set up his residence in that place. It appears to have been on this ground that the seats of polished

This is none other but the house of God] The Chaldee gives this place a curious turn: "This is not a common place, but a place in which God delights; and opposite to this place is the gate of heaven." On-stone, on which the kings sat in the front of their kelos seems to suppose that the gate or entrance into heaven was actually above this spot, and that when the angels of God descended to earth, they came through that opening into this place, and returned by the same way. And it really appears that Jacob himself had

a similar notion.

Verse 18. And Jacob-took the stone and set it up for a pillar] He placed the stone in an erect posture, that it might stand as a monument of the extraordinary vision which he had in this place; and he poured oil upon it, thereby consecrating it to God, so that it might be considered an altar on which libations might be poured, and sacrifices offered untó God. See chap. xxxv. 14. The Brahmins anoint their stone images with oil before bathing; and some anoint them with sweet-scented oil. This is a practice which arises more from the customs of the Hindoos than from their idolatry. Anointing persons as an act of homage has been transferred to their idols.

There is a foolish tradition that the stone set up by Jacob was afterwards brought to Jerusalem, from which, after a long lapse of time, it was brought to Spain,

palaces to administer justice, were anointed, merely to
invite the deity to reside there, that true judgment
might be given, and a righteous sentence always be
pronounced. Of this we have an instance in HOMER,
Odyss. lib. v., ver. 406-410 :—

Εκ δ' ελθων, κατ' αρ' έζετ' επι ξεστοισι λιθοισιν,
Οἱ οἱ εσαν προπαροιθε θυραων ὑψηλάων,
Λευκοί, αποστιλβοντες αλειφατος· οἷς επι μεν πριν
Νηλεύς ίζεσκεν, θεοφιν μήστωρ αταλαντος.
The old man early rose, walk'd forth, and sate
On polish'd stone before his palace gate;
With unguent smooth the lucid marble shone,
Where ancient Neleus sate, a rustic throne. POPE.

This gives a part of the sense of the passage; but the last line, on which much stress should be laid, is very inadequately rendered by the English poet. It should be translated,

Where Neleus sat, equal in counsel to the gods; because inspired by their wisdom, and which inspiration he and his successor took pains to secure by consecrating with the anointing oil the seat of judgment

on which they were accustomed to sit. Some of the idolatrous purposes, and hence God strongly prohibits ancient commentators on Homer mistook the meaning them, Lev. xxvi. 1; and it is very likely that stones of this place by not understanding the nature of the of this kind were the most ancient objects of idolacustom; and these Cowper unfortunately follows, trans-trous worship: these were afterwards formed into beaulating "resplendent as with oil;" which as destroys tiful human figures, male and female, when the art of the whole sense, and obliterates the allusion. This sculpture became tolerably perfected, and hence the sort of anointing was a common custom in all antiquity, origin of idolatry as far as it refers to the worshipping and was probably derived from this circumstance. Ar of images, for these, being consecrated by anointing, nobius tells us that it was customary with himself while &c., were supposed immediately to become instinct a heathen, "when he saw a smooth polished stone that with the power and energy of some divinity. Hence, had been smeared with oils, to kiss and adore it, as if then, the Baetylia or living stones of the ancient Phopossessing a Divine virtue." Si quando conspexeram nicians, &c. As oil is an emblem of the gifts and lubricatum lapidem, et ex olivi unguine sordidatum graces of the Holy Spirit, so those who receive this (ordinatum?) tanquam inesset vis præsens, adulabar, anointing are considered as being alive unto God, and affabar. And Theodoret, in his eighty-fourth question are expressly called by St. Peter living stones, 1 Pet on Genesis, asserts that many pious women in his time ii. 4, 5. May not the apostle have reference to those were accustomed to anoint the coffins of the martyrs, living stones or Baetyllia of antiquity, and thus correct &c. And in Catholic countries when a church is con- the notion by showing that these rather represented the secrated they anoint the door-posts, pillars, altars, &c. true worshippers of God, who were consecrated to his So under the law there was a holy anointing oil to service and made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and sanctify the tabernacle, laver, and all other things used that these alone could be properly called the living stones in God's service, Exod. xl. 9, &c. out of which the true spiritual temple is composed ?

Verse 19. He called the name of that place Beth-el] That is, the house of God; for in consequence of his having anointed the stone, and thus consecrated it to God, he considered it as becoming henceforth his peculiar residence; see on the preceding verse. This word should be always pronounced as two distinct syllables, each strongly accented, Beth-EF ́ ̧

Verse 20. Vowed a vow] A vow is a solemn, holy promise, by which a man bound himself to do certain things in a particular way, time, &c., and for power to accomplish which he depended on God; hence all vows were made with prayer.

If God will be with me, &c.] Jacob seems to make this vow rather for his posterity than for himself, as we may learn from ver. 13-15; for he particularly refers to the promises which God had made to him, which concerned the multiplication of his offspring, and their establishment in that land. If, then, God shall fulfil these promises, he binds his posterity to build God a house, and to devote for the maintenance of his worship the tenth of all their earthly goods. This mode of interpretation removes that appearance of self-interest which almost any other view of the subject presents. Jacob had certainly, long ere this, taken Jehovah for his God; and so thoroughly had he been instructed in the knowledge of Jehovah, that we may rest satisfied no reverses of fortune could have

Was called Luz at the first.]. The Hebrew has 11 bis Utam Laiz, which the Roman edition of the Septuagint translates Ovλauhov Qulamlouz; the Alexandrian MS.; Ovλaupavs Oulammaus; the Aldine, Ovhappaovs Oulammaous; Symmachus, Aaupaois Lammaous; and some others, Ovλau Oulam.] The Hebrew ulam is sometimes a particle signifying as, just as; hence it may signify that the place was called Beth-El, as it was formerly called Luz. As Luz signifies an almond, almond or hazel tree, this place probably had its name from a number of such trees growing in that region. Many of the ancients confounded this city with Jerusalem, to which they attribute the eight following names, which are all ex-induced him to apostatize: but as his taking refuge pressed in this verse :

with Laban was probably typical of the sojourning of his descendants in Egypt, his persecution, so as to be obliged to depart from Laban, the bad treatment of his posterity by the Egyptians, his rescue from death, preservation on his journey, re-establishment in his own country, &c., were all typical of the exodus of his de

Solyma, Luza, Bethel, Hierosolyma, Jebus, Elia, Urbs sacra, Hierusalem dicitur atque Salem. Solyma, Luz, Beth-El, Hierosolyma, Jebus, Elia, The holy city is call'd, as also Jerusalem and Salem. From Beth-El came the Baetylia, Bethyllia, Bai-scendants, their travels in the desert, and establishment Tvia, or animated stones, so celebrated in antiquity, and to which Divine honours were paid. The tradition of Jacob anointing this stone, and calling the place Beth-El, gave rise to all the superstitious accounts of the Baetylia or consecrated stones, which we find in Sanchoniathon and others. These became abused to

in the promised land, where they built a house to God, and where, for the support and maintenance of the pure worship of God, they gave to the priests and Levites the tenth of all their worldly produce. If all this be understood as referring to Jacob only, the Scripture gives as no information how he performed his vow.

21 So that I come again to my | a pillar, shall be God's house: A. M. cir. 2225. father's house in peace; then and of all that thou shalt shall the LORD be my God: give me I will surely give the tenth unto

22 And this stone, which I have set for thee.

P Judg. xi. 31; 2 Samuel xix. 24, 30.- - Exodus xv. 2; Deut. Ver. 17; chap. xiv. 20; xxxv. 7, 14.- Lev. xxvii. 30-33; xxvi. 17; 2 Sam. xv. 8; 2 Kings v. 17.

Jacob travels toward Haran,

GENESIS.

and comes to a well. has been exhausted; it yields very little, and the tenth | upon the soil pays tithes his skill and industry also is not much; at the expense of all he has, he dresses are tithed; or if he have been obliged to borrow cash, and manures this ungrateful soil; to repay him and keep up the cultivation would require three years' produce. It begins to yield well, and the clergyman takes the tenth which is now in quantity and quality more in value than a pound, where before it was not a shilling. But the whole crop would not repay the farmer's expenses. In proportion to the farmer's improvement is the clergyman's tithe, who has never contributed one shilling to aid in this extra produce! Here then not only the soil pays tithes, but the man's property brought

he not only has to pay tithes on the produce of this borrowed money, but five per cent. interest for the money itself. All this is oppressive and cruelly unjust. I say again, let there be a national religion, and a national clergy supported by the state; but let them be supported by a tax, not by tithes, or rather let them be paid out of the general taxation; or, if the tithe system must be continued, let the poor-rates be abolished, and the clergy, out of the tithes, support the poor in their respective parishes, as was the original custom.

CHAPTER XXIX.

Jacob proceeds on his journey, 1. Comes to a well where the flocks of his uncle Laban, as well as those of several others, were usually watered, 2, 3. Inquires from the shepherds concerning Laban and his family, 4-6. While they are conversing about watering the sheep, 7, 8, Rachel arrives, 9. He assists her to water her flock, 10; makes himself known unto her, 11, 12. She hastens home and communicates the tidings of Jacob's arrival to her father, 12. Laban hastens to the well, embraces Jacob, and brings him home, 13. After a month's stay, Laban proposes to give Jacob wages, 14, 15. Leah and Rachel described, 16, 17. Jacob proposes to serve seven years for Rachel, 18. Laban consents, 19. When the seven years were fulfilled, Jacob demands his wife, 20, 21. Laban makes a marriage feast, 22; and in the evening substitutes Leah for Rachel, to whom he gives Zilpah for handmaid, 23, 24. Jacob discovers the fraud, and upbraids Laban, 25. He excuses himself, 26; and promises to give him Rachel for another seven years of service, 27. After abiding a week with Leah, he receives Rachel for wife, to whom Laban gives Bilhah for handmaid, 28, 29. Jacob loves Rachel more than Leah, and serves seven years for her, 30. Leah being despised, the Lord makes her fruitful, while Rachel continues barren, 31. Leah bears Reuben, 32, and Simeon, 33, and Levi, 34, and Judah; after which she leaves off bearing, 35.

B. C. cir. 1779.

A. M. cir. 2225. THEN Jacob went on his 3 And thither were all the flocks A. M. cir. 2225. B. C. cir. 1779. b journey, and came into gathered: and they rolled the the land of the people of the east. stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.

2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.

:

Heb. lift up his feet.-- Chap. xxviii. 5-7; Num. xxiii. 7;
Judg. vi. 3, 33; Hos. xii. 12.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXIX.
Verse 1. Then Jacob went on his journey] The
original is very remarkable; And Jacob lifted up his
feet, and he travelled unto the land of the children of
the east. There is a certain cheerfulness marked in
the original which comports well with the state of
mind into which he had been brought by the vision of
the ladder and the promises of God. He now saw
that having God for his protector he had nothing to
fear, and therefore he went on his way rejoicing.

People of the east.] The inhabitants of Mesopotamia and the whole country beyond the Euphrates are called p kedem, or easterns, in the sacred writings. Verse 2. Three flocks of sheep] Y tson, small cattle, such as sheep, goats, &c.; see on chap. xii. 16. Sheep, in a healthy state, seldom drink in cold and comparatively cold countries: but it was probably different in hot climates. The three flocks, if flocks and not shepherds be meant, which were lying now at the well, did not belong to Laban, but to three other chiefs; 178

а

4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, a Of Haran

are we.

e Hebrews, children.d Chapter xxvii. 43;
xxviii. 10.

for Laban's flock was yet to come, under the care of
Rachel, ver. 6.

Verse 3. All the flocks] Instead of hadarim, flocks, the Samaritan reads haroim, shepherds; for which reading Houbigant strongly contends, as well in this verse as in verse 8. It certainly cannot be said that all the flocks rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep and yet so it appears to read if we prefer the common Hebrew text to the Samaritan. It is probable that the same reading was originally that of the second verse also.

And put the stone again upon the well's mouth] It is very likely that the stone was a large one, which was necessary to prevent ill-minded individuals from either disturbing the water, or filling up the well; hence a great stone was provided, which required the joint exertions of several shepherds to remove it; and hence those who arrived first waited till all the others were come up, that they might water their respective flocks in concert. Verse 4. My brethren, whence be ye?] The lan( 13* )