The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 380

§ D. 'l'IIE GEKERATIONS OF ISAAC (CB. XXV 19-xxxv. 29). EXPOSITION. Ver. 1!>.-And these nrc the generations having been Jcsignecl to show partly that of Isaac, Abraham's son. Tho usual formula "children are thtl heritage of the Lord" (Ps. for the opening of a new section (cf. eh. ii. cxxvii. 3), but chiefly that the children of 4). Abraham begat Isaac. A reiteration the promise were to be not simply the fruit in perfect harmony net only with the style of nature, but the gift of grace - and the of the present narrative, but of nncient his- Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah toriography in general ; in this instance his wife conceived (cf. Rom. ix. I O). specially designed to connect the suhsequeut Ver. 22. - And the children struggled streams of Isaac's posterity witli their ori- together within her. The verb is express- ginal fountain-head in Abraham. ive of a violent internal commotion, o.s if Yer. 20.-And Isaac was forty years old the unborn cliildren had been clashing against when he took Rebekah to wife,-the valu- one another in her womb. Cf. the story of able chronological fact here stated for the Acrisius and Prretus, who quarrelled beforo first timo proves that Isaac was man-ieu birth about their subseq_uent dominion three years after his mother's ueath (cf. eh. (.Apollod., ll. ii. 1). Vide Rosenmi.illcr, xxiii. l) - the daughter of Bethuel the Scholin, in loco. And she said, If it be so, Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban why am I thns 1 Literally, If so, why th11s the Syrian (vide on eh. xxii. 23 ; x.xiv. 29). (aw) I! Of obscure import, but probably Though a descendant of Arphaxad (eh. x. meaning, " If so," i. e. if it is tlie case that 24), Bethuel is styled a Syrian, or Aramrean, I have conceived, "for what am I thus!" from the country of his adoption. Pn Paclan- what is the reason of these un wonted sensa • aram vicle cli. xxi v. 10. tions that accompany my pre~aney ! (Aben Yer. 21.-And Isaac entreated-from a Ezra, Calvin, Lange, Murphy); rather than, root signifying to burn incense, hen co to " If such be the sufferings of pregnancy, pray, im~lying, as some think (Wordsworth, why did I seek to conceive l" (Rashi, Rosen- 'Speakers Commentary'), the use of incense miiller), or, why have I conceived! (.Yulgate, in patriarchal worship ; but perhaps only Onkclos, Bush, Ainsworth), or, wby do I pointing to the foct that the prayers of tho yet live 1 (Syrinc, Keil, Ko.lisch, Delitzsch). godly ascend like incense (Gesenius) : cf. Aud she went to inquire of the Lord. Not Tobit xii. 12; Acts x. 4. The woru is by Urim (Bohlen), since this method of in- commonly regarded ns noting precum mul- quiring at the Deity did not then exist tiplicationem, et vehementiam et persev~ (Numb. xxvii. 21); but either through a. antiam (Poole) : cf. Ezek. x:xxv. 13-the prophet, - Shem (Luther), l\Ielchiseueck Lord- Jehovah-; nJt because vers. 21- (Jewish interpreters), Heber (Lyra.); more 23 nre the composition of the J ehovist likely Abraho.m (Grotius, Ainsworth, Words- (Tuch, Illeek, Davidson, et alii), but be- worth, Kalisch, 'Speaker's Comrncntuy '), cause the desired eon was to be the heir of or Isaac, the prophet neo.rest her (Lnuge),- promise (Hengstenberg). 'fhe less frequent or through herself by prayer, as in Ps. xxxfr. occun-ence of the Divine name in the 'l'hol'- 6 (Co.lvin, Rosenmiiller, Lange, l\Iurphy, doth of Isnac than in those of 'l.'emh hns Inglis). 'fhe lo.ngungc seems to imply thnt been explained by the fact that the historical by this time thero was a rogularly-appoiuted m11ttcr of the later portion furnislies less pince for tlie worship of God by prayer occasion for its introduction than that of the and sacrifice-Theodorct suggests the family onrlirr ; and the predominance of the name o.ltar; Delitzsch, Hagnr's well. Elohim over that of Jehovah in the second Ver. 23.-And the Lord said unto her.- stoge of the patrie.rchal history has been in a dream (Hiivcrnick), n forn1 of revelation 1mrtly ascribed to the employment after peculiar to primiti vc times (eh. xv. l ; xx. li ; Abraham's time of such like equivalent ex- xxviii. 12 ; xxxvii. 6 ; xl. 5 ; xii. 1 ; xlvi. pressions o.s "God of Abrahe.m" and "God 2; cf. Job iv. 13; xxxiii. 15); but whother ofrny father" (Keil)-for his wife,-literally, communicated directly to herself; or spoken opposite to his wife, i. e. beside his wife, through the mediwn of n prophet, tlie Divine placing himself opposite her, and conjoin- response to her interrogation assumed an mg his supplice.tions with hers (Ainsworth, nntistrophic and poetical form, in which she Bush) ; or, better, in behalf of his wife wo.s informed thot her unborn sons wore to (LXX., Vulgnte, Calvin, Keil, Ke.lisch), i. e. be tlie founders of two mighty nations, who, setting her over age.inst liirn 11.5 the sole "unequal in power, shoulu be clivi<lcJ. in object to which he had regard in his inter- rivnlry and antagonism from their youth" cessions (Luther)-beoauae she was barren: -Two nations nro in thy womb (i. e. the an- -as Sarah had been before her (vide eh. xi. cestors nnd founders or two uation~, viz., tho 30); t)lc long-eontin11cd sterility or botT1 Israelites and ldumenns), 11n1\ two iq11n11~r ol  318 THE BOOK OF GENESIS. [en. xxv. 19--26.