grant him his protection, feed, cloath, and bring him back safe to his father's house, the LORD should be his God; that he would pay the tythes of all he had unto him, and that the stone which he had reared thould be God's house. Having finished his prayer, he went on chearfully the rest of his way, till he came to his journey's end w.

His uncle Laban received him with joy ; and, after a month's stay with him, Jacob falling in love with his

youngest daughter Rachel, a beautiful virgin, they agreed Serves 7 that he thould serve him seven years for her; at the end years for of which she thould become his wife. Jacob, pleased with Rachel. this promise, spared no pains to make his service accepta

ble to his uncle Laban, who liked him so well for a fervant, that he resolved to continue him in the same capacity seven years more. For when the time was come for his being put in poffeffion of the wife he had so dearly earned, he conveyed his new son-in-law into bis eldest daughter Leah's apartment. Jacob did not discover the deceit till the next morning when finding, instead of his beloved Rachel, her homely fifter, he could not forbear

expreffing his resentment in the strongest terms. Laban, who Is cheated had his answer ready, told him, that it was an unprecedented by Laban. thing in that country to marry the youngest daughter before

the eldest, and that it would have been a great injustice to Leah to have preferred a younger sister to her : But, continued he, in a milder tone, if you will fulfil the nuptial week with your wife, and consent to serve me seven years more for her sister, I am content to take your word for it, and to give Rachel to you as soon as the seven days are

ended. Jacob could not but be troubled at such an unMarries fair procedure; but he loved Rachel too well not to obRachel. tain her at any price; he therefore consented to those

hard terms, and at the week's end enjoyed the fruits of his servitude and constancy. What betel his brother Efau during that time, hath been already mentioned, and needs not be repeated here ; only with respect to his wives, we beg leave to remove a difficulty, for which we refer the reader to the following note (X).

IN

» Gen. xxviii. * See before, vol. ii. p. 166, & feqq.

(X) It will be proper to ob- these three wives of Efau quite serve here, that Mofes gives other names, when he comes

to

In the mean time Jacob behaved very differently to- Year of wards his two wives. Rachel had his heart and affection, the flood whilft Leah was forced to content herself with a formal 596. civility ; but God made quite another difference between Bef. Chr. them, by making the latter mother of many children, , 1752. whilst her fifter continued barren for a long time." Leab was soon brought to bed of a fon, and it being then the custom of those times for mothers to give names to their children; not without some particular reafon or meaning, the called him Reuben, intimating that God had feen her affliction, and had given her a fon, which would probably engage her husband's affection to her.

She had another Simeon, foon after him, whom fhe called Simeon ; because, the Levi, and faid, the LORD had heard her complaint. Her third she Judah called Levi, hoping her husband would be now cordially born, joined to her ; and the fourth she called Judah, thinking herself bound to praise God for her fruitfulness; after which she left off bearing for a while,

RACHEL by this time was so extremely mortified at her Year of fister's happiness, that she came one day in a fit of envy, and told her husband, that, unless he gave her children Bef. Chr.

1749. 2 Gen. xxix. p. tot.

flood 599:

names.

to speak of the posterity he posed of the other two (espe-
had by them (147); which cially considering, that Efau.
might lead an unwary reader is recorded to have had but
to think, that he had more three wives) is, that she is
than three, especially, because called in both places, the
the fathers of the two formeš daughter of Islomael

, and sister
are likewise called by different of Nebaiotb. All the account

Thus his first wife, that can be given for this difJudith of Beeri, is afterwards ference is, that they had two called Adah, the daughter of names, and that it was usual Elon the Hittite; the second, to call them sometimes by one, viz. Bashemah, the daughter sometimes by the other. Thus of Elon, is again called Aholi- the mother of Abijam, king of bamah, the daughter of Anah, Judah, who is called in one the daughter of Zibeon the place Maachah, the daughter Hivite; the last, called at first of Abishalom (148), is in anoMahalah, is now called Bathe ther nam’d Michaiah,thedaughshemath ; but what shews, that ter of Uriel of Gibeah (149). these two latter names mean Other parallel places might be the same person, and that brought in great numbers, the same thing inay be sup- wore it needful.

(147) Compare Gen. xxvi. 34. xxviii. 9. with xxxvi. 2, e feza, (148) 1 Kings XV. 2. (149) 2 Chron. xiii. 2a

allo,

T4

also, she should inevitably die of grief. Jacob, who could not forbear being provoked at such a speech, which seemed to lay the blame of her sterility upon him, answered her in a passion, that it was out of his power to do miracles ; and that God, who had shut up her womb, was alone able to open it ; but that her behaviour was more apt to prevent, than to gain such a blessing. This mortifying answer made her bethink herself of the usual way, at that time, for women in her case to give their maids to their husbands; she therefore desired him to take Bilbab, and try to make her a mother by her means ; to which

he consented, and soon after had a son by her, which Dan and Rachel called Dan, meaning that God had judged in her Naphthali favour. She called the other son, which Bilhab bore, born. Naphtali, to express the violent struggles she had had with

her sister: after which Leah, thinking the had quite left

off bearing, gave her maid Zilpah also to Jacob, whose Gad and first fon the called Gad (a troop) expecting more to come, Alher bornand the next she called Asher, to express the happiness

The now enjoyed.
By this time Reuben being about fix years

of brought home one evening some mandrakes (Y), which

he

age,

(Y) What these mandrakes dudaim, or mandrakes, are were, is not easy to guess : commended for their fragranbut they could not certainly cy, in the only place of Scripbe what we understand by that ture, where they are mentioned name ; 1. Because they had besides (150). For this reason nothing inviting, either in some have fanfied them viosmell, tafte, or colour, to in- lets (151); others lilies (152); duce a child of his age to ga- others jeflamin; others have ther them; much less could rendered the word desirable he choose them for any parti- flowers (153), agreeable to the cular virtue or quality they word dudaim, which fignifies had. 2. The text says, it was loves in the dual, or, the then wheat-harvest, which in breasts of a woman. Others those hot countries is about again, and perhaps more proMay, when the apples of that bably, have guessed them to root are far from being ripe. be citrons (154). That which

The mandrake has a very has induced so many interpretItrong ftupefying smell, and is to suppose them to be therefore called by the Arabi- mandrakes, is the virtue attrians jabrokim; whereas the buted to them of helping con

ers

(150) Cant. vii. 13.
(151) Onke!. in loc.

(152) Oleaft. (153) Jun. in loc. (154) Bocbart, Brown's vulg, err. Calmct comm. in Gen. cap. XXX. V, II,

ception,

he had been gathering in the fields in the time of the
wheat-harvest. Rachel no sooner saw them, but she de- Year of
fired to have some part of them, Leah hereupon answer- the flood
ed, not over-complaisantly, that it was a little too much 603.

.
for her to take her husband and her son's mandrakes too : Bef. Chr.
wherefore, to pacify her, and purchase the fruit, she 1745.
agreed, that Jacob should lie with her that night (Z); and m
Facob no sooner .came home, but Leah challenged him
to confirm the bargain, which he accordingly did ; the
consequence of which was, that she bore him a fifth son, Iffachar.
whom she called Iffachar (the man of reward), alleging
that he was a reward to her for giving her maid to fa-
cob. After which she bore her sixth and last son, and Zebulun -
called him Zebulun (dwelling), in hopes that so many sons and Dinah
would make her hulband dwell with her. She had like-born.
wise a daughter, whom she called Dinah, which is the

taste.

ception (155), which made ans call mauz, not unlike the
Rachel willing to try the effects banana, or, Indian fig-tree,
of them ; but, besides that in shape and taste, and about
they were plentiful enough to the bigness of a cucumber,
have been bought at a cheap- thirty or forty of which often
er rate, it is plain, that he did hang upon one ftem : but,
not conceive after them. Nei- whatever these dudaim were,
ther is it probable, that Le- whether a fruit or flower, it is
ab would have parted with certain, they must have had
them, if they

if they had been something pleasant and inviting
known to have had such a to a child, either in smell or
virtue, which perhaps was not
discovered till a long time (Z) The custom of those
after ; when it became known countries, where polygamy
among the Greeks and Romans, was allowed, was in those days
by the name of the apple of for the husband to take his
love, and of the juice of wives by turns (158); the kings
which the emperor Julian tells of Perhia, if we may believe
his friend (156), that he had Herodotus (159), were not ex.
taken a dose to excite him to it. empt from that rule. This
A modern author, in his hi- makes it more probable, that
ftory of Ethiopia, has con- the fold her turn for that night
futed the notion of dudaim to her fifter, than that the
signifying mandrakes (157); directed her husband which of
and affirms, that it fignifies a the four he thould lie with.
certain fruit, which the Syri-

.
cont. Fauft. cap. 29.
1158) Villet. Munft. & al.

feminine of Dan; after which she bore no more. As
for Rachel, her prayers at length being heard, she was
happily brougbt to bed of a son, whom she called Jofeph,
in hopes that God would add another to him. By this
time, Jacob, having finished his fourteen years fervitude,
and being desirous to revisit his old parents, desired his
uncle to dismiss him and his family. But Laban, who
had found no small advantage in having such a faithful ser-
vant, begged him to stay a little longer, promising, upon
that condition, to give him what wages he should name.
They foon came to an agreement about that; but Laban's

avarice put him on so many stratagems to defraud him of Jacob's it, as obliged Jacob to use others in his own defence, and stratagem which the reader may see in the xxxth chapter under. of the spee-quoted, and which succeeded so well to him, that his focks kled flicks. throve greatly, whilft Laban's dwindled visibly away.

LABAN, vexed at his heart to see such a great difference between the two flocks, and perhaps suspecting some trick, obliged him to invert the bargain. This arbitrary change was renewed more than once or twice, as he complained to him afterwards a ; in spite of all which, Jacob grew exceeding rich ; and with the money which he got by his fleeces, &c. bought men and women fervants, camels, oxen, and asses, which raised fuch envy in Laban and his fons against him, that they began to look upon him

with an evil eye ; and this made him contrive the means Jacob of getting off with all he had'. He acquainted his wives Steals with his design, and finding them of the same mind, he away from set them and their little ones upon camels, and, having Laban. got all his servants and substance together, began his jour

Year of ney towards the land of Canaan, whilst his father-in-law, the flood who was at a pretty distance from him, was busy shearing

609. his sheep ; which gave Rachel an opportunity of stealing Bef. Chr. her father's gods (B). Laban, who did not hear of his 1739.

flight

(B) The word which we fometimes vain idols, and A. translate gods, in the Hebrew quila idols. Some think it to is on teraphim, which all be an Egyptian word, and the the Jewish rabbies own to be same with Serapis; introduced a word of_no Hebrew ety- by Ham, or his son Mizraim, mology. The LXX translate who filled that country with it sometimes an oracle, and idols (159). As to their shape, (159) Kircter. Oedip. Ægypt. fynt, iv. c; 3. Cuneus rep. Hebr.

the