EXPOSITION. Ver. 41.-And Esau hated Jacob-a proof lest the passionate soul of the enraged hunter that he was not penitent, however disap, should find it difficult to delay till Isaac'a pointed and remorseful (cf. Obad. 10, 11 ; death), and said unto him, :Behold, thy 1 John iii 12, 16)-becaue of the bleSBing brother Esau, a.a touching thee, doth comfort wherewith his father ble11ed him :-not- himself, purposing to kill thee. Literally, withstanding the fact that he too had re- behold thy brother Eaau talci'Tl.(J vengeanc6 ceived an appropriate benediction ; a display upon thee (the hithpael of er:,~ meaning pro- of envy u well as wrath, another proof of perly to comfort oneself, hence to satisfy liis ungracious character (Gal v. 21; James one's feeling of revenge) lYIJ l,·illing thea. iv. 6)-a.nd Esau ea.id in his hea.rt,--i. e. The translations a>TuX,i (LXX.) a.nd mina- secretly resolved, though afterwlLl'ds he must tur {Vulgn.te), besides being inaccurate, are have communicated his intention (vide ver. too feeble to express the fratricidal purpose 42)-The days of mourning for my father of EsalL a.re a.t ha.nd. The LXX. interpret a.a a wish Vora. 43-46.-Now therefore, my son, on the part of Esau that Isaac might speedily obey my voice; - i. & be guided by my die, in order that the fratricidal act he con• counsel; a request Rebekah might perhaps templated might not pain the old man's feel herself justified in making, not only by heart ; another rendering (Kalisch) under- het maternal solicitude for J acob's welfare, Htands him to eo.y that days of grief were in but also from the successful issue of her store for his father, o.s he meant to slay his previous stratagem (vide on ver. 8)-a.nd brother; but the ordinary translation seems arise, fiee thou-literally, flee for thyself preferable (Rosenmiiller, Keil, Murphy, et (cf. eh. xii. 1; Numb. xxiv, 11; Amos vii. alii), tho.t Esau only deferred tho oxecution 12)-to Laban my brother to Hara.n (vide of his unholy purpose because of the neo.r eh. xi. 31 ; xxiv. 29) ; and tarry with him 11pproach, o.s he imagined, of his father's a few days,-litorally, days some. The few death. Isaac, however, lived upwards of days eventually proved to be at least twenty forty years after this. Then will I slay my years (vide eh. xx.xi. 88). It is not probable brother Jacob. That which roconcilell Isaac that Rebekah ever again beheld her favourite nnd Ishmael (eh. xxv. 9), the death of a son, which was a signal chastisement for father, is here mentioned as the event which her sinful ambition for, nnd 11artiality to- would decisively aud finally part Esau and wards, Jacob-until thy brother's fury turn ,l acob. Esau's murderous mtention Calvin I away; until thy brother's anger turn away regards o.s o. clear pr?of_of the 1;10~-rcal!ty of from thee,-tho rage of Esau is hero described liis repentance for b1S sm, the rns1ncenty of by two different words, the first of which, his sorrow for his father, and tho intense il:;)IJ, from a root signifying to te warm, malignity of his b<Lte against his brother. suggests tho heated and inflamed condition Ver. 42.-And these (literally, the) words or Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: of Esau's sod, while the second, i:i~,, from -uot likely by revelation (Augustine), but l:]~1$, to breathe through the nostrils, depicts by some one to whom he h!'-d made known the visible manifestations of that internal his secret purpose (Prov. XXIL 11)-and she fire in hard end quick breathing-and he aent and called Jacob her younger son (to forget thnt which thou hast done to him. advise biw of his danger, being apprehensive Rebekah apparently had conveniently OO• 34.6 THE DOOK 01<' GENESIS. [cH, XXVll. 41-4.0.
come oblivious of her omi share iu the trans- I am weary of my life because <\f the daugh- acti0n by which Esau had been wronged. ters of Heth :-referring doubtless to Eso.u's Then will I send, and fetch thee from thence wives (cf. eh. nvi. 36)-if Jaoob take a wife -whkh she never did. Man proposes, but of the daughters of Heth, suoh as these God disposes. Wb.y should I be deprived which are of the daughters of the land, also of you both in one day! I. e. of Jacob what good shall my life do me 1 Litemlly, by the hand of Esau, nnd of Esau by the for wlw,t to me life, i. e. what happiness hand of the avenger of blood (eh. iL 6 ; cf. can I have in living I It is impossible to 2 Sam. xiv. 6, 7; Calvin, Keil, Rosenmiiller, exonerate Rebekah altogether from a charge Kalisch), rather than by his own fratricidal of duplicity even in this. Unquestionably a.et, which would for ever part him from Esau's wives may have vexed her, and her Rebekah (Lange). faith may have perceived that Jacob's wife Ver. 46. -And Rebekah said to Isaac must be sought for amongst their own (perhaps already discerning in the contem- kindred ; but her secret reason for sending plated flight to Haran the prospect of a Ja~ob to Haran was not to seek a wife, ea suitable matrimonial alliance for the heir she seems to have desired Isaac to believe, of the promise, and secretly desiring to sug- but to elude the fury of his incensed brother. gest such a thought to her aged husband),