Page 258
CHAP. XXVIII.
1. The Argument and Contents.
FIrst, Isaacks charge to Iacob concerning his marriage, and his blessing, are set forth, vers. 1.5. 2. Esau his hypocrisie, who to please his father taketh a wife from Ismaels house, vers. 6. to 10. 3. Gods providence is declared in a vision to Iacob, how the Lord promised to bee with him, and to conduct him, vers. 10. to 16. 4. Iacobs feare, devotion, and vow, are expres∣sed, vers. 16. to the end.
2. The divers readings.
v. 2. Into Mesopotamia of Syria. H.C. Mesopotamia. S.B. Padan of Syria. T. Padan Aram. G.P.
v. 4. Which God promised to thy grand-father. H. which God gave to Abraham. cater.
v. 5. Rebeckah his mother. H. the mother of Iacob and Esau. cater.
v. 8. Proving that his father did not willingly looke upon the daughters of Canaan. H. Esau saw that the daugh∣ters of Canaan displeased, or seemed evill in the sight of Isaack his father. cater.
v. 9. Melech the daughter of Ismael. H. Mahalath. caet.
v. 13. The Lord leaned upon the ladder. H. the glory of God stood upon it. C. the Lord stood above it. cater.
v. 13. Feare not. S. the rest have not these words.
v. 14. For thee and for thy children shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. C. in thee and thy seed. cater.
v. 16. In truth the glory of God dwelleth in this place. C. truly the Lord is in this place. cat.
v. 17. This is no common place, but a place wherein God is pleased, and over against this place is the gate of heaven. C. this is no other but the house of God, and gate of heaven. cat.
v. 19. It was called Lemmaus. S. it was called Luz. cat.
v. 20. Because the Lord is with me. T. if God will be with me. caet. if the word of God will be my helpe. C. heb. Cim. if, because.
3. The explanation of doubtfull questions.
Vers. 2. ARise, get thee to Padan. Aram. 1. Isaack herein followeth the counsell of Rebeckah, to send Iacob into Mesopotamia; being perswaded it came from God, as Abraham was bidden before to heare the voice of Sarah, Iun. 2. Though Abraham would not suffer Isaack to goe into that Countrey, yet Iacob is commanded by his father: both because by this means he should escape the danger threatned by his brother, and for that there was no such feare, lest Iacob should not returne, seeing there was of that kindred already planted in Canaan, and therefore his wives that he should marry would be the more wil∣ling to come with him: but Isaacks case differed in both these points. 3. Isaack reneweth the same blessing in effect which he had given before to Iacob for his further strengthening, lest Iacob might have thought that the blessing which he had obtained by craft was of the lesse force.
Vers. 5. IAcob and Esaus mother. 1. Neither as Rasi, is it hard to ghesse wherefore Esau is added. 2. Not (as Ramban) because she is called Iacobs mother before, is she now said to be the mother of both, to avoid suspition of partiality. 3. Nor yet because as the Hebrewes imagine, Iacob and Esau were twins, and lay wrapped in the same skinne, contrary to the ordinary course. 4. Or to assure Iacob of deliverance from danger, seeing he went to his uncles house, to whom they were both alike deare. 5. But Esau is added to make way for the story following, where mention is made of Esau, according to the manner of the Hebrew speech, Iun. 6. As also by the preferring of Iacob before Esau, it appeareth, that Isaacks judge∣ment was altered, and that now he gave the preeminence to Iacob.
Vers. 9. SIster of Nebaioth. 1. Nebaioth is added, not for that he was her brother also by the mother, and the rest were not. 2. Nor yet onely because he was the eldest sonne, and most renowned amongst his brethren. 3. But he is named as the chiefe of Ismaels house, who was now dead, and the go∣vernment committed to his eldest sonne Nebaioth: for Iacob was now 77. yeares old when he went into Mesopotamia, in the 63. yeare of whose age Ismael died, who was fourteene yeares elder than Isaack, and lived 137. yeares: and Isaack was 60. yeares elder than Iacob: so that Ismaels 137. yeare, doth fall into Iacobs 63. yeare: see more of this, Quest. 20. in chap. 25.
Vers. 9. HE tooke unto his wives Mahalah, &c. 1. Which was not as Rupertus thinketh, Quo magis eos offenderet, to offend his parents the more: for then he would have married againe from the