Rachel being barren, envies her ſiſter, impatiently defiv25 children of Jacob, flood fr ons *; Ii. He is angry, and reproves her, 2. She gives him hcr hand-maid bearing. Bilhah, who bears him Dan and Napthai;, 3---8. Leah ceaſing fo bear, gives Zilpah her maid to Jacob, 9. S/'2 bears him Gad and Aſher, Io---13. Reuben Leahs ſon finds mandrake: and brings them to his mo- ther ; Rachel defires them ; they bargain, 14, 15. Jacob goes in to Leah, who conceives again and bears Iſſachar, Z:bulon, and Dinah, I6---21. God remembers Rachel, ſhe conceryes and bears Joſeph, 22-==24. Tacob deſires to return into his own countrey with his wives ard children, 25, 26. Laban denies his conſent. ; having learnt by experience that God. had bleſſed him for Jacob's ſake, 27. They make a new contraft, 28-36. Facob's device, and the ſucceſs of it, 37-==43. N D when Rachel ſaw thac ſhe bare Jacab no children, Rachel envicd her filter ; and faid un-
co Jacob, Give me children, or elſe I dic 4. D
2 A Speech full of Impatience, and bordcring upon Blaſphemy, and {triking at God himſelf through Jacob's fides. For which therefore ſhe afterwards ſmarted, dying by that very means,where- by we hoped to prevent her Death, and prolong her Life, Geneſis 35: 18. hs
2 And Jacobs anger was kindled againſt Rachel 5; and he ſaid, 4m Tin God's ftead «? who hath with.
held from thee the fruit of the womb ? b For the injury done to himſelf, and eſpecially for the Sin againſt God, in which caſe anger is not only lawful, but neceflary. «c Ic is God's Prerogative to give Children. See Gen: 16: 2: 1 Sam: 2: 5, 6: Pſal: 113: 9: and 127: 3. | h 3 And ſhe ſaid, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her ; .and ſhe ſhall bear upon my knees 4, that I may , - alſo # have children by her e. .._ . t Heb. 6 d An Ellipfis or ſhort Speech, ſhe ſhall bear a Child which may wilt by be laid «por my knees, or in my lap, which I may adopt and bring her. up as if it were my own. See Gen: 59: 23:-1ſa: 66: 12. e For as Servants, ſo their Work and Fruit were not their own, but their Maſters. : : SD 4 4 And ſhe gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife : and Jacob went in unto her. 5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob.a ſon. _ 6 And Rachel ſaid, God hath judged me *, and hath alſo heard my voice, and hath given me a ſon: there- ... fore called the his name Þ Dan. | | 4 Thats, * Pleaded my Cauſe, or givenScntence for me ; 2s this Phrafe judging, _ is oft taken. REN . 7 And Bilhah Rachels maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a ſecond ſon. <=) 8 And Rachelſaid, With + great wreſtlings f have I + Heb:-: wreſtled with my ſiſter, and I have prevalled g : and ſhe wreftlinge | called his name + * Naphtali. | God. f Heb. With wreſtlings of God, either with great and hard Wreſt- lings or Strivings ; or by wreſtling with God in fervent Prayer, and by God's Grace and Strength. g Which was not true; for her Siſter exceeded her both in the number of her Children, and in her Propriety in them, being the Fruit of her own Womb, not ofher Handmaids, as Rache!'s were. Here is an inſtance how partial Judges moſt Perſons are in their own cauſes and concern= ments. | | DE IE he: 9 When Leah ſaw that ſhe had left bearing, ſhe took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wite. 10 And Zilpah Leahs maid bare Jacoba fon. , _... 11 And Leah ſaid, 4 troop cometh 4: And jhe called .., . _ his names | Gad. | EE Ee : 14+Thatia | h Or, Good luck cometh ; ry deſign hath well ſucceeded ; an hap- a zroop or + y Star hath ſhone upon me ; and ſuch a Star in the Opinion of company, Aſtrologersis that of Jupiter, which by the A4rabians is called Gad. This may well agree to Leah and her Heatheniſh Education, and the Manners of the Chaldeans, who were much given to the Study of the Stars. : | DE ow | 12 And Zilpah Leahs maid bare Jacob aſecond ſon, ,.., ... 13 And Leah faid, + Happy am I, for the daugh» + Heb, 5 ters + will call me bleſſed: and ſhe called his name Þ my happi-
bi
Alber, 75401) - meſs. + Of Men, 7: e: Women, as Prov: 31: 29: Cant: 6:9. _ 7 Thee is; 14 T And Reaben went in the days of wheat-harveſt, PPPY»
and foind Mandrakes 7 in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachelſaid to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy ſons Mandrakes &. ..
i The word is only found here, and Gant: 7: 13: whence it ap= pears, thar it isa Plant or Fruit of pleafant Smell,ſuch asth2 Man« droke is faid to be by Dioſcorides and Levinus Lemnius, and by St. Au-. ſiin upon his own experience. If it be ſaid, this was too early for Mandrakes to be ripe, it being now but W heat-harveſt ; it may be replied, that Fruits ripen match ſooner in thoſe hot Countries, than elſewhere, and that they are not ſaid here to be ripe, but only to be gathered» & Which ſhe might defire,either becauſe they were plea, fant ro the Eye or Taſte, or becauſe they werz thought helpful to Conceprion} | |
I5 Azd tbe faid-tmto her, 1s it a ſmall matter that thon haft taken my husband 2 and wouldſt thou take away my fons mandrakes alſo? And Rachel faid, Therefore he ſhall lie with chee to night /, for thy ſons
Mandrakes. | | PEE 1 Fatobeither did equally divide the times between histwo Wires, or rather had more cftranged himfelf from 725, and cohabvired - G >» princ'pally '
—_—_
principally with Rach, which occaſioned the foregoing Expoſtu- lation. [ | 4 16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and ſaid, Thou mult come in unto me, for ſurely I have hired thee with my ſons Mandrakes. And he lay with her that night m. m He ratified their azreement, that he might preſerve Peace and Love amonglt them. 17 And God hearkned unto Leah », and ſhe concei-
yed, and bare Jacob the fifth ſon.
» Notwithſtanding her many Infirmities. Hence it appears,that ſhe was moved herein, not by any inordinat Luft, but by a deſt.e of Children. 17 :
138 And Leah ſaid, God hath given me mine hire,
becauſe I have given my maiden to my husband 9: and
+ That is, the called his name 7 Ifſachar. | a1 hires. o Thus ſhe miſtakes the Anſwer of her Prayers fora Recompenſe
of her Error. : : | 19 And Leah conceived again and bare Jacob the
ſixth ſon. | , 20. And Leah ſaid, God hath endued m2 with a good
dowry ; now will my husband dwell with me, becauſe