or tha plougher, cBlle,I telem;" Abffl'I Ezro: he le<l them ti> Ge.mum. Thus tho <'lifltrr.R~ "'l~ ie by wn,y of fli:urc, bonouao thny were and afflictir,n fJf Jlll'.,()b aro e,ontmat•:rl with numoroue e.nd conaprnuoua." l'r,cocko com- th~ exe.ltatir,!1 of his poeterity. The gr•!at hine11 with the iclco of number that of ruinona ol,Jcet o~ th1a contrlll!t ie f;f) im pmAA tl "' hcn,ps-" rude h1,e.pe of et<,11cs, i11 J,ia ei;:;ht; ~eo_ple with the gfJIKin,ise fJf GfJd to tliem in anrl euch thoy ehould become, no one at<,ne lirtmg them up ont fJf the lfJweet e,r,nrlitirm, being left in order upon onother." Kimchi'e e.nd to inspire them with gratitude to Gori commont on the verse ia the following: for iruch unmerited eliivation and with "'l'ho children of Gilge.l were ncighl,ours thankful yet humble e.cknowlerlh'Tilent ,,f to the lond of Gilead, only the Jorrlan hi& mercy. Calvin's explanation u, a.t once wae between them; they Ice.rut o.lllO their correct and clear; it ie the following : we.ye (doinge), a.ad began to serve irlols like "Their father Jaoob, who wa.a he? what them, o.nd to pre.ctiee iniquity e.nd ve.nity, we.e his conditi<,n? ... He we.s e. fugitive and se.criflcccl oxeu to strange gods in the from hie country. Even if he he.d a.lwaya place wliero they he.d raiBCcl an alto.r to lived e.t home, his father wa.s only a. stranger Jehovo.h the blessed, a.ad whrro they ha.II in the land. But he wa.s compelled to Ike set up the ta.berno.clr, e.t the first a.fter they into Syria. And how aplenrlidly did ho ha.d pa.ssed over Jordan: there a.18" they Ii ve there ? He wa.s with his uncle, no sacrificed oxen to their idols. Not enough donbt, bot he wa.s treated quite a.a meanly that they made an altar in Gilgal to idolB, as a.ny common slave: he served for a wife. bot they e.lso built outside the city e.Jte.re And how did he serve? He wa& the ·man many e.nd conspicuous, like heaps of stones that tended the cattle." This, it may be on the farrows of the fielrl." observed, was the lowest and the meanest, Vere. 12, 13.-Aud le.cob 11.ed into the the he.rdest and wont kind of servitude. 0011I1try of Syria, e.nd lira.al served for a. wife, In like manner Ewald directs attention t,, a.nd for a. wife he kept sheep. And by a. the wonderful ea.re of Divine providence prophet the Lord brought lllra.el out of Egypt, manifested to Ja.cob in his straits, in hill a.nd by a. prophet we.a he preaerved. The Aight to Syria, in hie sojourn there a.s e. connection of this verse with what precedeij shepherd, and also to Israel his posterity he.s been variously explained. The flight delivered ont of Egypt by the ha.ad Jf of Israel a.nd his servitude a.re intended, Hoses and 81lllte.ined •in the wilderness, so according to Umbreit, "to bring out the that one eca.rcely knows what to thin.k of double servitude of Israel-the first, the lsre.el who, without encountering such one which the people he.d to endure in their perils and distree-, e.nd out of sheer forefather; the second, the one which they delight in iniquity, BO shamefully folSOOk he.d to endure themselves in Egypt." Cyril their benefactor. Such is the subst.ance of and 'l'heodoret understand them to give Ewe.Id's view, which presents one e.epect of prominence to Jo.cob's zee.l for the blessing the case, though he WM:S not bring out so of the birthright, and his obedience to the folly the fact of Israel's elevation and the command of God e.nd ,his pa.rents. Pueey humble thankfulness that should be exhi- ea.ye, ''Ja.cob chose poverty and senitude bited therefor. The exposition of the Hebrew rather than marry an idolatress of Canaan. commentators agrees in the main with whe.t He knew not whence, except from God's we have given. Be.ehi mys, "Ja.cob lied to bounty and providence, he should he.ve the field of Amm, etc., a.a e. me.n who se.ye, bread to eat or raiment to pot on; with his • Let us return to the former narrative which ste.lf a.lone he pa.seed over Jordan. His volun- we spoke of above ; ' and he wrestles with the tary poverty, bee.ring even unjust losses, and angel; and this further he.ve I done unto repe.ying the things which he never t.ook, him ; e.s he we.a obliged to fly to the field of reproved their dishonest traffic ; his trustful- Are.m ye know how I guarded him. and for ness in God, their mistrust; his devoted- e. wife he kept sheep." "Ye oaght to con- ness to God, their o.liene.tion from him e.nd sider," 1111,ys Aben Ezra, "that your fe.ther their devotion to idols." There me.y be nn when he fled to Syria was poor, and so he element of truth in ellCh of these explana- BllYB,' And he will give me bread to eat '(Gen. tions, e.nd an approximation to the true xxviii. 20). • And he served for a wife,' e.nd sense; but none of them tallies e:a:aotly with this is, ' He.ve I not served thee for Rachel'!' the conte:lt. There is e. contrast between 'And for e. wife he kept sheep;' and ' I me.cle the flight of the lonely tribe.father a.cross the him rich.'" 'fhe exposition of Kime hi i1 Byrie.n desert, e.nd the guidance of his pos- much fuller, e.nd is e.s follows: "And they t.erity by e. prophet of the Lord through do not remember the goodness which I exer- the wilderness; Jo.cob's servitude iu Pe.de.n- cisccl with their father, when he fled from e.re.m with Ierael'H redemption from the bis brother Esau. Yee., when he we.a there bonde.ge of Egypt ; the gue.rding of sheep by it we.s necessary for him to serve La.ban for the pe.trie.rch with the Shepherd of IYrael's a wife, the.t he shoukl give him hi.a daughter, gue.rdie.n-care of them by hie prophet when e.nd the service consisted in keeping hie THE DOOK OF HOSEA. [cH, llll. 1--14,
•hN?r, Rnrl "° f'nr the oth!'r dn11~11½ which Ver. H.-Ephra.lm provoked him to 11.nger t,,. J!TWO him hi' kept hie ~heep in liko mo1t bitterly: therefore 1he.ll he lean hll mnnner. And I Rm he 1hRt WM with him blood upon him, and hll nproaoh ■hall hla :tnrl hle••<><I him, •n thRt hr returned thenco Lord return unto him. lnHt(>,ad of hmnhle with riehre Rnd l!llbst&noo. And f'nrther, I th11.nkfulnc11R e.nd due devoto.lneRs, E\1hrnim ~howe<I fa 1·our to bia l!Ona who deaoondod provoked him to anger mnat bitterly. l'hore• intn Eg-ypt Rnd were in bondage there; e.nd fore bis blnod-1t11lltlnesa and consequent I l'C'nt to thPm 11. prophet who brnught them punishment a.re left upon him; his aln nnd 11p out nf 1•:g-ypt ·,dth much sub~tanl'e, and it.a conl!l',quencce are not ta.ken e.wo.y. 'l'he 11<, WRB Moses. The forty years they were diebnnour done to God by Ephre.\m's idolatry in the wi1,lerne11a they were g11Rrdcrl by e.nd elna shall hrin~ back & ■ uro recompense means of a prophet whom I gRve them, Rnd and eevere retribution. they wanted not.hing. But 1<1! theac bene- fit. they forget, and provoke me to a11ger by abominatioDB and no-goda."