The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 467

obcclicuco to II Divine intimation (Quarry}- Es..u (eh. xxxii. 9)-c.nd was with me ii: 1aid unto Jacob (shortly nfter the incidents the way which I went. This language clearly recorded in the preceding chapter), Arise, looks back to Bethel (vide eh. xx.viii. 20). ro up ~? Bethe_~:-about t~/rty miles dis~nt Ver. 4.-And they gave unto Jacob all (eh. xn. 8 ; xm. 3; XXVJJL 19), to which, the strange gods-Rosenmiiller thinks these some thirty years previous, he had solemnly mUBt have been many, since the histori,an vowed to return (eh. xxviii. 22)-a vow which would not otherwise have used the tenn ',j he appeared somewhat dilatory in perform- -which were in their hand (i. e. which ing, although its conditions hnd been exactly they possessed), and nil their earrings which fulfilled (Keil, Kurtz, Kalisch, &c.) - and were in their ears ;-i. e. those em played dwell there (the massacre of the Shechemites for purposes of idolatrous worship, which had obviously rendered longer residence in were often covered with allegorical figures that neighbourhood unsafe): and make there and mysterious sentences, ancl supposecl to an altar-this Jacob had substantially pro- be endowed with a talismanic virtue (Ju<lgcs mised to do in his vow (1ride eh. xx.viii. 22) viii 24 ; Isa. iii. 20 ; Hosea ii. 13)-and -unto God, that appeared unto thee-i. e. Jacob hid them-having probably first de- unto Jehovah ('llide eh. xxviii. 13)-when stroyed them, since they do not appear to thou 11.eddest from the face of Esau thy have been ever after sought for or resumed brother. The words contained an assurance by the parties who gave them up (Hughes) that the same Divine arm which had shielded -under the oak which was by Shechem. him against the enmity of Esau and the Whether the oak, or terebinth, under which oppression of Laban would extend to him Abraham once pitched his tent (eh. xii. 6}, protection on his future way. . that beneath whose shade Joshua afterwar<ls Vers. 2, 3.-Then Jacob said unto hie erected his memorial pillar (Josh. x:xiv. 26), household (1'.. e. those more immediately be- the oak of the sorcerers (Judges ix. 37), and longing to his family), and to all that were the oak of the pillar at Shechem (Judges b:. with him (referring probably to the captured 6) were all the tree un<lcr which Jacob Shechemites), Put away the strange gods- buried the images and earrings cannot with literally, the gods of the stranger, including certainty be determined, though the proba- roost likely the teraphim of Laban, which bility is that they were. Rachel still retained, and other objects of Vor. 6.-And they journeyed (from She- idolatrous worship, either brought by Jacob's chem, after the work of reformation just servnn ts from Mesopotnmia, or adopted in described) : and the terror of God-me,ining Canaan, or perhaps possessed by the captives not simply a great terror, ns in eh. :uiii. 6 ; -that are among you, and be clean,-liter- xxx. 8 (Dathe, Bush), but either II surer- nlly, cleanse yourselves. The word is tl1:1.t natural dread inspired by Elohim (Ainsworth, which afterwards describes the puri.fico.tions Clcricus, Roscnmiiller, Keil, Kalisch, mul of the law (Numb. xi:r. 11, 12; Levit. xiv. others), or II fear of Elohim, under whose care 4 ; xv. 13). Aben Ezm interprets it as Jacob manifestly had been taken (Murphr, meaning that they washed their bodies ; Qunrry) - was upon the cities tho.t wrru nud Michaelis views tho rite ns n kind of round about them,-literally, in tliefr cir- baptism, signifying their adoption of the cuit&, i. e. wherever tl1ey went-and tboy truo 1·eligion of J chovah-n quasi baptism did not pureue after the sone of Jacob-us of re pen tnnce, like that o.ftcrwe.rds preached miaht hnve been expected. by John (vide 'Suppl.,' p. 1000) - and Ver. 6.-Bo (literally, and) Jacob came ohange your garments. The directions here to Luz (vide eh. xxviii. 19), which is in the given ore very similnr to those which were land of Canaan (this clause is nd,led to draw subsequently is$ued at Sinai (Exod. xix. attention to the fact that Jacob hnd now 10}, and were meant to symbolise II moral accomplished his return to Cannan), that is, and spiritunl purification of the mind o.nd Bethel, he and all the people that wern heart. And let ns arise, and go to Bethel. with him- i. e. hie houeehol<l nnd th~ "This is obviously not tho fil'st time Jacob captured Shechemites, ncquo.intcd his fo.mily with the vision at Ver. 7.-And he built there an altar,- Bethel" (Inglis). And I will make there thus redeeming his vow (ef. Eccles. v. 4)- an altar unto God,-El is probably employed and called the pl&ee El-beth-el :-i. e. Goel because of its proximity to and connection of Bethel. Not he cnllod tho plllce of God, with Bethel, or house of El, and the iutended or thoflace sacred to God, Bethel (Michnelis, contro.st between the El of Bethel and the 'Supp .,' p. 2174), nor he called the alt11r etro.nge Elohim which Jo.cob's household (Keil, Kalisch, Gerlo.ch, &c.), but he callecl were commo.nded to put away (cf. Quarry, the place where the e,ltn.r wns El-beth-cl ; p. 612)-who answered me in the day of i. e. either he devoted tho :r.Ince ns sacred to my dietreBB,-this seems to imply that Jacob the El of Bethel (Rosenmuller), or ho gave prnyed at Bethel before he slept, if it docs to the place the name o[ (8c. the plnce of') not refer to hie supplication before meeting, the El of IMhel, rending tho first El a~  412 THE nooK OF GlrnEsrn. [en. xil:xv. 1-16.