IF cob, Becauſe tho my brother, Shouldeſt thou therefore ſerve hs he nought ? Tell me, What ſhall thy wages be ?
16 And Laban had two daughters, the name of the elder as Leah, and the name of the younger war Rachel. |
17 Leab 2s; tender eyed | : but Rachel was beauti- ful ond well-fayoured. : ”
+ Her eyes were ſoft and moiſt, and therefore unſightly.
18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and faid, 1 will ſerve thee ſeven years for Rachel thy younger daughter p
p Ir being then the cuſtom for Men to buy their Wives. See Geneſis 34. 12, Ex0Aaus 22, 17, I Samel 18, 25, 2 Samui 3. 14. "*
Hoſ. 3. 2, En 19 And
FS. - ated EINE. nets
* Hi
-Y% -—
F Thai ſee a ſo
+ Tha '- bearing
F That Jomned,
- —_ = VV YLIW y "* ; - map. . 4 - 19 And Laban ſaid, 1: 5s better that T give her to thee, than that I ſhould give her to another man q : a- abide with me. q An ambiguous and crafty anſwer, wherein he doth not direQly rant his deſire, but only inſinuares it in ſuch terms as might hide Ki deſign, which the event ſhewed. | 20 And Jacob * ſervedſeven years for Rachel : and they ſeemed unto him vu: a few days r, forthe love he had co her. : = . r He ſpeaks not of the time, which in ſuch cafes ſcems long, Prov. | 13. 12. but ofthe ſervice of that time which ſeemed but little and f far below the worth of Rachel. : 21 | And Jacob faid unto Laban, Give me my wife s ( for my days are fulfilled : ) that I-may go in
unto her.
* Hof. 12:
I2,
ſpouſed, being oft called Wives in Scripture, as Matth: 1: 18, "19: Luke 2:5. t The ſeven years of ſervice agreed upon, "wer: 18. 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the
place «, and madea feaſt.
« Kindred and Neighbours,according to the cuſtom. See Judg: 14: 10, i1: Fon 2: 1, 2, &c. He gathered a great number together, ” I both that the Marriage might be more Solemn and Publick, and that Jacob might be overawed by their Preſence and Authority,and not dare to diſannul the Marriage, and reje& Leah afterwards, which otherwiſe he might have done.
23 Andit came to pals in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he
went in unto her x.
x The occaſion of the deceit was the cuſtom of thoſe times, which was to bring the Bride to her Husband in the dark, and with a Veil upon her Face. See Ger: 24: 65. And Leah being in-. {tru&ed by her Father,and confederat with him in the deceit,was, doubtleſs, carcful not ro diſcover her ſelf by ſpeech, or any other way to him. | :
24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah, Zilpah his maid, for an handmaid- / . 25 Andit came to pals, that in the morning, behold it was Leah: and hefaid to Laban, What is this thou haſt done unto me? Did notT ſerve with thee for Ras
chel ? Wherefore then haſt thou beguiled me y ?
y Though Laban could not ſolidly anſwer the queſtion, yer Jacob could do it, and had juſt caſe to refle& upon his own former a&i- on of beguiling his Father ; for which God had now puniſhed him 4 in the ſame kind.
* + Heb. 26 And Laban faid, It muſt not beſo done in our + | place. countrey z, to give the younger before the firſt-born. = z This ſeems to be a falſe pretence ; but if it had been true, Cu- ſtom is to give place to Juſtice, by which he was obliged to per- form his Contratt with him.
27 Fulfil her week a, and we will give thee this alſo,
for the ſervice which rhou ſhalt ſerve with me yer ſeven
1 AY —_— O__—”
|
=y | bo
=
Py
other years. - # Theſeven days uſually devoted to the Feaſt and Solemnity of : Marriage, as Judzes 14: 12, 15,17. And this he defired, that a
weeks Co-habitation with Leah, might cither knit his AffeCtion to her; or at leaſt confirm rhe Contratt and Marriage with her.
28 And Jacob did ſo, and fulfilled her week : and he
gave him Rachel his daughter to wife alſo 6.
b Ir was not ſo ſtrange that Laban ſhould give,as that Jacob fhould take, not only two Wives, but two Siſters to wife, which ſeems to be againſt the Law of Nature, and was exprelly forbidden by God afterward, Levit: 18: 18: might diſpenſe with his own Inſtitution, or permit ſuch things in hs ch a upon ſpecial. Reaſons, which are not to be drawn into
xample. ' 29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her maid. : 20 And he went in alſo unto Rachel, and he loved alſo Rachel morethan Leah, and ſerved with him yet ſeven other years. |
341 T And when the LORD ſaw that Leah 4: hated c, he opened her womb : but Rachel was barren 4.
c Comparatively to Rachel, leſs loved, flighted. So that word is oft uſed, as Deut: 21: 15: Matth: 6: 24: and 10: 37: compared with Luke 14: 26: John 12: 25. d Thus variouſly doth God dittribute his Favours, that all may be contented, and none deſpiſed.
32 And Leah conceived and bare a ſon, and ſhe cal- led his name + Reuben : for ſhe ſaid, Surely che LORD hath looked upon my afflition e ; now therefore my husband will love me.
e With an eye of pity and kindneſs ; as that general Phraſe is ofc underſtood,
33 And ſhe conceived again, and bare a ſon; and ſaid, Becauſe the LORD hath heard f that I 5-as hated, R he hath therefore given me this ſor alſo: and ſhe called
- Þ+ Thatis, his name+ Simeon. '. tnaring. |
+ Thar is,
ee a ſons
f(*.e.) Perceived or underſtood; hearing being oft put for un- derſtanding.
34 And ſhe conceived again, and barg a ſon; and faid, Now this time will my husband be joyned unto me g, becauſe I have born him three ſons : therefore
' } That is, Was his name called + Levi. Jomned, g In moreſincere and fervent AffeSion. | | 35 And ſhe conceived again, and bare a fon; and |}
s So ſhe was by Promiſe and Contra@ ; perſons Betrothed, or E- |
Though it be alſo rrue that God [|
the ſaid, Now will Ipraiſe the LORD 5 ; therefore ſhe /
called his name * + Judah, and + lefc bearing. * Matth:
h More ſolemnly and continually; for otherwiſe ſhe did praiſe, 3: 2- - | and acknowledge God for the former Mercies. 7 bo is; praiſe. CHAT. XXX. hey