Choice observations and explanations upon the Old Testament containing in them many remarkable matters, either not taken notice of, or mistaken by most, which are additionals to the large annotations made by some of the Assembly of Divines : to which are added some further and larger observations of his upon the whole book of Genesis perused and attested by the Reverend Bishop of Armagh, and Mr. Gataker Pastor of Rederith / by ... John Richardson ...

CHAP. XXIX.

Verse 1. THeu Jacob] Being seventy five or seven∣ty six yeares old. See, Annotat. on ver. 21.

East] Whence Abraham came, Esay 41. 2. where Job lived afterwards, Job 1. 3. but the particular place in the East here meant is Haran, v. 4.

V. 2. A Well] So, chap. 24. 11, 15. and, Exod. 2. 15, 16, 21.

a great stone] To keep the store.

V. 5. The sonne of Nahor] That is, the Grandchilde. V. 6. Is he well?] So, ch. 43. 17, 28. 1 Sam. 25. 5, 6. 2 Sam 20. 9.

V. 8. We cannot] By right, as, ch. 34. 14. 43. 32. or with our might and strength, for it was a great stone, v. 2.

V. 10. Rolled the stone] By his own strength, or with the help of the shepherds.

V. 11. Kissed Rachel] Having first shewed her who he was, ch. 31. 55.

V. 12. Her fathers brother] That is Kinsman, his sisters sonne, v. 13.

V. 13. Kissed him] One man kisseth another; so, ch. 45. 15. Exod. 4. 27. 18. 7. Luke 7 45. Rom 16. 16. 2 Cor. 13. 12. Traiterous were the kisses of Joab and Judas.

all these things] Touching his father, the birth-right, blessing, Esau, his sending away, and the cause and end of it, and vision by the way, else Laban might have won∣dered at his poor and solitary manner of coming, Deut. 26. 5. considering he saw the servants rich manner o•• coming, ch. 24. 10, ••2, 53. We read not here of any letter or token sent by him.

V. 14. Surely thou art] I doubt not of thy person; and welcome thou art whatever the occasion of thy jour∣ney be.

V. 15. Shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought?] Seeing him in his moneths abode not idle, but active and able, casts about to procure his stay.

beautiful] So, Esther, chap. 2. 7. So, Joseph, chap. 39. 6.

V. 18. I will serve thee] In some countreys, and in some ages men buy wives; so, David, 1 Sam. 18. 25. 2 Sam. 3. 14. Hos. 3. 2. Gen. 34. 12.

V. 19. It is better] Laban out of his churlishnesse and covetousnesse, makes use of Jacobs loving proffer. And yet by his general words and ambiguous speech may be suspected, not to intend faire and ingenuous dealing with Jacob, as soon after appeared, v. 23.

V. 20. Served seven yeares for Rachel] There are two several opinions, and there can be no more, which must guide and rule the Exposition of these words, and some o∣thers also which are in the ensuing passages of this histo∣ry. One is, that Jacob married first at the end of his first seven years service. And then having Leah fraudulently put upon him in stead of Rachel. That he newly con∣tracts the second time to have Rachel for other seven years service; but marries her a week after he had taken Leah; and performes that seven yeares service, for Rachel after he had married her. And most Expositors are of this opi∣nion. But I conceive there are two strong arguments a∣gainst it. One is, that they are thereby forced to hold, that Jacobs twelve children were all borne within those seven yeares, viz. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Ashur, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, Joseph, v. 25. ch. 31. 38, 41. You may say, this may well enough, be by foure women, I confesse it; but considering the plaine and pregnant passages of the sacred history, in the times and manner of their births, I hold it impossible. For it is plaine, that none of them at any time had twins. Again, Leah had Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, at several births, which will take up three or foure of the seven yeares, before Rachel complaines of barrennesse. Or put case she complained sooner then the history mentions, yet Bilhah must have Dan and Naphtali at several births, before Zilpah had Gad and Ashvr at several births; and these last foure sonnes will take up three or foure yeares;

and after all this, Leah having formerly left bearing when Judah was borne, v. 35. ch 30. 9. And when Reuben her eldest sonne was of age to finde mandrakes in the field; then after her time of barrennesse, and after her maid Zil∣pahs births, she then again conceiving beares Issachar, and Zebulun, and Dinah at several births. And last of all Ra∣chel beares Joseth, all which must be done within the com∣passe of one seven years according to that opinion. Which, how it may stand with truth, and without offering vi∣olence to the course of the history, and to many words of the text, I confesse I cannot comprehend. And a second argument against that opinion, is taken from the conside∣ration of Judahs age, and the birth of Hezron and Hamul his Grandchildren, when they with Jacob and all his posterity went down into Egypt ch. ••. 1••.] To, open this we must first knew, that Jacob was seventy five yeares old when he came down to Laban, which appeares thus; he was one hun∣dred and thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, ch 47. 9. and then Joseph was fourty years old, viz. thirty when he was taken out of pri••on and advanced by Phara∣oh, ch. 41. 46. After which passed seven years of plenty, and three of famine when Jacob came down, Joseph then being fourty yeares old; it appeares also that he was borne in the fourteenth yeare after Jacobs coming to Laban, ch 30. 25. 31. 38, 41. Take then those fourteen yeares be∣fore Joseph was borne, and the fourty yeares of Josephs age, when his father stood before Pharaoh, out of his fathers age at that time, he being then one hundred and thirty; and it will so be clear, that Jacob was seventy five or seventy six yeares old, when he first came to Laban. Now this being so, Judah the fourth sonne of Jacob by Leah, must needs be by their opinion but three or foure yeares elder then Jo∣seph, Jacob not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Leah, as they say, till after his first seven yeares of service were ended. And so Judah must be but fourty three or fourty foure yeares old at most, when he and his Grandchildren Hezron and Hamul came with Jacob into Egypt. To compasse this, they must cast their reckonings thus, that Judah married at twelve yeares old, and had Er at thirteen; that Er married at twelve yeares old, and Onan his younger brother, ch. 38. 4. marri∣ed at twelve yeares old, that Tamar remained a widow, and waited till Sh••lah was grown; and the dayes being multi∣plied, Judahs wife died, and Tamar beares to Judah Pharez; and all this within the compasse of three years. That Pha∣rez married at twelve yeares old and begat Hezron and Ha∣mul; and supposing them to be twirs, that at a yeare old they were carried into Egypt. For thus the reckoning will rise to the fourty third or fourty fourth yeare of Judahs age. But these supposed reckonings seem so harsh in that age of the world, to the most learned favourers of this o∣pinion, that they choose to ease or avoid this, to say ra∣ther, that Hezron and Hamul were not carried down into Egypt, but were borne afterwards in Egypt, so the learned late Annot. on ch. 46. 12. But this were to offer such plain violence to that text; and to the drift of that whole chapter, and giving way for others borne after in Egypt to be reck∣oned in as well as they, for why not others as well as they? and so the whole number to be altered, and the intent of the Holy Ghost disappointed; that I think upon due consideration had, not many will comply with that conceit. And the same Annotators disclaim it them∣selves, in their Annotations on ch. 38. 1. The other opi∣nion whereunto my resolution bends, is this; that Jacob being seventy five yeares old, married both sisters at the beginning of the fourteen yeares service, fulfilling a week in keeping the feast at the marriage of the one, and so a∣gain presently after at the marriage of the other. And the enjoying not the want and hopeful expectation of Ra∣chel, made his seven years service for her seem unto him to be bu•• a few dayes. This addition of seven yeares to the former opinion gives faire way to the birth of all the twelve children, in that order and sequence of time, as the letter of the words, and context of the story do require, and gives further scope, (which yet is little enough) for the time of the birth of Hezron and Hamul, in the fiftieth year of Judahs age, (as this opinion makes it) when he and they went down with Jacob into Egypt. The only difficulty here occuring is, the exposition of some words and senten∣ces, seeming to favour the first opinion, which yet may better receive a commodious interpretation, then involve and intangle us in greater perplexities, and draw upon us the fore-mentioned incongruities, if not impossibilities. The text then here saith, That Jacob served seven yeares for Rahel] that is, after he had married her. And so all Ex∣positors agree, that indeed he did so, though most of them infer it upon their construction of the 27. and 28. verses.

but a few dayes] If he had not enjoyed her by marriage all those seven yeares of his service, they would have seemed a longsome and tedious time. For hope deserred maketh the heart sick, Prov. 13. 12. And love makes men think eve∣ryday a year till they enjoy the Party loved.

V. 21. And Jacob said] That is, had said.

for my dayes are fulfilled] That is, I am full of dayes, and ripe for marriage: being now seventy five yeares old, and my brother Esau of my age, being married thirty five yeares ago, ch. 26. 34.

that I may go in unto her] Not go away with her, but use her as my wise, whiles I perform my covenanted service of seven yeers for her.

V. 22. And Laban gathered] Had gathered. The Hebrews want a preterpluperfect tense.

V. 23. He took Leah] Being veiled as the manner was, in bringing Brides into the Bride-chamber, Joel 2. 16. and unto their husbands in the dark, for modesty sake, ch. 24. 65. ch. 38. 15, 16.

V. 25. What is this] For he hated Leah, v. 31.

did not I serve with thee for Rachel?] Covenant to serve with thee.

beguiled me?] In the dark; and by her silence or soft whispering, likely upon her fathers direction, which Ja∣cob also might impute to her modesty.

V. 26. Not be so done in our country] Custom here on∣ly pretended to cover his accustomed fraud. Else he should have said so before, and told it.

V. 27. Fulfil her w••••k] The week-feast for Leah, and keep her with thee, reject her not. The marriage-feast continued a week, Judg. 14. 10, 12, 15, 17. Thus Laban provides that Jacob by voluntary consent to this marriage with Leah, should not be able afterwards to put her a∣way.

give thee this also for the service] All Expositors here a∣gree, that Jacob did not first serve these seven yeares, and after marry Rachel. But married her first, and served after.

V. 28. And fulfilled her week] Leahs week for her mar∣riage-feast. Or it may be understood of Rachels week for her marriage-feast, presently succeeding the other.

V. 30. And he went in also unto Rachel] At the first Creation in Adams time. And again in Noahs time, when there was most need of multiplication of mankinde, yet God allotted but one woman for one man. And therefore

though the Law against plurality of wives, was not yet so expressely and literally declared, nor against the marriage of two sisters, as afterwards it was, Lev. 18. 18. yet this here in Jacob cannot be allowed, unlesse besides a disposition of the divine Provid••••ce in it, there were a dispensation by divine authority for it. Neither may it without like war∣rant be drawn into example. As neither the example of Abraham taking Hagar, nor Jacobs taking here of Zilpah and Bilhah.

V. 31. Hated] Not simply, but in comparison of Rachel, v. 30. so, in Deut. 21. 15. Mat. 6. 24. Luke 14. 26. John 12. 25.

V. 35. Now will I praise] Openly in solemn manner. This here applied to the Lord, is after applied to Judah himself, ch. 49. 8. of Judah the Nation were afterwards called Jewes.

and left bearing] If but two yeares; yet she could not have three children more, viz. Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah, at several births, within the compasse of one seven yeares; yea, the favourers of that opinion confesse, that it must needs be that it was not above a half yeare that she stayed ere she conceived again. Mr. Jackson on ch. 30. 9.