Chapter 7

32:20. And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us; for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me.

32:21. So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp.

32:22. And rising early, he took his two wives and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Jaboc.

32:23. And when all things were brought over that belonged to him,

32:24. He remained alone; and behold, a man wrestled with him till morning.

A man, etc... This was an angel in human shape, as we learn from Osee 12.4. He is called God, ver. 28 and 30, because he represented the person of the Son of God. This wrestling, in which Jacob, assisted by God, was a match for an angel, was so ordered (ver. 28,) that he might learn by this experiment of the divine assistance, that neither Esau, nor any other man, should have power to hurt him.-It was also spiritual, as appeareth by his earnest prayer, urging and at last obtaining the angel's blessing.

32:25. And when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank.

32:26. And he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day. He answered: I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

32:27. And he said: What is thy name? He answered: Jacob.

32:28. But he said: Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel; for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail against men?

32:29. Jacob asked him: Tell me by what name art thou called? He answered: Why dost thou ask my name? And he blessed him in the same place.

32:30. And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.

Phanuel... This word signifies the face of God, or the sight, or seeing of God.

32:31. And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past Phanuel; but he halted on his foot.

32:32. Therefore the children of Israel, unto this day, eat not the sinew, that shrank in Jacob's thigh: because he touched the sinew of his thigh and it shrank.

Genesis Chapter 33

Jacob and Esau meet: Jacob goeth to Salem, where he raiseth an altar.

33:1. And Jacob lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming, and with him four hundred men: and he divided the children of Lia and of Rachel, and of the two handmaids.

33:2. And he put both the handmaids and their children foremost: and Lia and her children in the second place: and Rachel and Joseph last.

33:3. And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times, until his brother came near.

33:4. Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept.

33:5. And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and said: What mean these? And do they belong to thee? He answered: They are the children which God hath given to me, thy servant.

33:6. Then the handmaids and their children came near and bowed themselves.

33:7. Lia also, with her children, came near and bowed down in like manner; and last of all, Joseph and Rachel bowed down.

33:8. And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I might find favour before my lord.

33:9. But he said: I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself.

33:10. And Jacob said: Do not so I beseech thee, but if I have found favour in thy eyes, receive a little present at my hands: for I have seen thy face, as if I should have seen the countenance of God: be gracious to me,

33:11. And take the blessing which I have brought thee, and which God hath given me, who giveth all things. He took it with much ado at his brother's earnest pressing him,

33:12. And said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy journey.

33:13. And Jacob said: My lord, thou knowest that I have with me tender children, and sheep, and kine with young: which if I should cause to be overdriven, in one day all the flocks will die.

33:14. May it please my lord to go before his servant: and I will follow softly after him, as I shall see my children to be able, until I come to my lord in Seir.

33:15. Esau answered: I beseech thee, that some of the people, at least, who are with me, may stay to accompany thee in the way. And he said: There is no necessity: I want nothing else but only to find favour, my lord, in thy sight.

33:16. So Esau returned that day, the way that he came, to Seir.

33:17. And Jacob came to Socoth: where having built a house, and pitched tents, he called the name of the place Socoth, that is, Tents.

33:18. And he passed over to Salem, a city of the Sichemites, which is in the land of Chanaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria: and he dwelt by the town.

33:19. And he bought that part of the field, in which he pitched his tents, of the children of Hemor, the father of Sichem, for a hundred lambs.

33:20. And raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty God of Israel.

Genesis Chapter 34

Dina is ravished, for which the Sichemites are destroyed.

34:1. And Dina the daughter of Lia went out to see the women of that country.

34:2. And when Sichem the son of Hemor the Hevite, the prince of that land, saw her, he was in love with her: and took her away, and lay with her, ravishing the virgin.

34:3. And his soul was fast knit unto her; and whereas she was sad, he comforted her with sweet words.

34:4. And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to wife.

34:5. But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back.

34:6. And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to Jacob,

34:7. Behold his sons came from the field: and hearing what had passed, they were exceeding angry, because he had done a foul thing in Israel, and committed an unlawful act, in ravishing Jacob's daughter.

34:8. And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my son Sichem has a longing for your daughter: give her him to wife:

34:9. And let us contract marriages one with another: give us your daughters, and take you our daughters.

34:10. And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and possess it.

34:11. Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find favour in your sight, and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give:

34:12. Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife.

34:13. The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully, being enraged at the deflowering of their sister:

Deceitfully... The sons of Jacob, on this occasion, were guilty of a grievous sin, as well by falsely pretending religion, as by excess of revenge: though otherwise their zeal against so foul a crime was commendable.

34:14. We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; which with us is unlawful and abominable.

34:15. But in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us, and all the male sex among you be circumcised:

34:16. Then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours; and we will dwell with you, and will be one people:

34:17. But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and depart.

34:18. Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem, his son:

34:19. And the young man made no delay, but forthwith fulfilled what was required: for he loved the damsel exceedingly, and he was the greatest man in all his father's house.

34:20. And going into the gate of the city, they spoke to the people:

34:21. These men are peaceable, and are willing to dwell with us: let them trade in the land, and till it, which being large and wide wanteth men to till it: we shall take their daughters for wives, and we will give them ours.

34:22. One thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: We must circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation.

34:23. And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, shall be ours; only in this let us condescend, and by dwelling together, we shall make one people.

34:24. And they all agreed, and circumcised all the males.

34:25. And behold the third day, when the pain of the wound was greatest: two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dina, taking their swords, entered boldly into the city and slew all the men.

34:26. And they killed also Hemor and Sichem, and took away their sister Dina out of Sichem's house.

34:27. And when they were gone out, the other sons of Jacob came upon the slain; and plundered the city in revenge of the rape.

34:28. And they took their sheep, and their herds, and their asses, wasting all they had in their houses and in their fields.

34:29. And their children and wives they took captive.

34:30. And when they had boldly perpetrated these things, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: You have troubled me, and made me hateful to the Chanaanites and Pherezites, the inhabitants of this land. We are few: they will gather themselves together and kill me; and both I, and my house shall be destroyed.

34:31. They answered: Should they abuse our sister as a strumpet?

Genesis Chapter 35

Jacob purgeth his family from idols: goeth by God's commandment to Bethel, and there buildeth an altar. God appearing again to Jacob blesseth him, and changeth his name into Israel. Rachel dieth in childbirth. Isaac also dieth.

35:1. In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from Esau, thy brother.

35:2. And Jacob having called together all his household, said: Cast away the strange gods that are among you, and be cleansed, and change your garments.

35:3. Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, that we may make there an altar to God; who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompained me in my journey.

35:4. So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of Sichem.

35:5. And when they were departed, the terror of God fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away.

35:6. And Jacob came to Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, surnamed Bethel: he and all the people that were with him.

35:7. And he built there an altar, and called the name of that place, The house of God: for there God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.

35:8. At the same time Debora, the nurse of Rebecca, died, and was buried at the foot of Bethel, under an oak, and the name of that place was called, The oak of weeping.

35:9. And God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him,

35:10. Saying: Thou shalt not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he called him Israel.

Israel... This name signifieth one that prevaileth with God.

35:11. And said to him: I am God almighty, increase thou and be multiplied. Nations and peoples of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.

35:12. And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee.

35:13. And he departed from him.

35:14. But he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him: pouring drink-offerings upon it, and pouring oil thereon:

35:15. And calling the name of that place Bethel.

35:16. And going forth from thence, he came in the spring time to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail,

35:17. By reason of her hard labour, she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also.

35:18. And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my pain: but his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.

35:19. So Rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to Ephrata, this is Bethlehem.

35:20. And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre: this is the pillar of Rachel's monument, to this day.

35:21. Departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the Flock tower.

35:22. And when he dwelt in that country, Ruben went, and slept with Bala the concubine of his father: which he was not ignorant of. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

The concubine... She was his lawful wife; but, according to the style of the Hebrews, is called concubine, because of her servile extraction.

35:23. The sons of Lia: Ruben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Juda, and Issachar, and Zabulon.

35:24. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

35:25. The sons of Bala, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Nephthali.

35:26. The sons of Zelpha, Lia's handmaid: Gad and Aser: these are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

35:27. And he came to Isaac his father in Mambre, the city of Arbee, this is Hebron: wherein Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

35:28. And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years.

35:29. And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Genesis Chapter 36

Esau with his wives and children parteth from Jacob. An account of his descendants, and of the first kings of Edom.

36:1. And these are the generations of Esau, the same is Edom.

36:2. Esau took wives of the daughters of Chanaan: Ada the daughter of Elon the Hethite, and Oolibama the daughter of Ana, the daughter of Sebeon the Hevite:

Ada... These wives of Esau are called by other names, Gen. 26. But it was very common amongst the ancients for the same persons to have two names, as Esau himself was also called Edom.

36:3. And Basemath, the daughter of Ismael, sister of Nabajoth.

36:4. And Ada bore Eliphaz: Basemath bore Rahuel.

36:5. Oolibama bore Jehus, and Ihelon, and Core. These are the sons of Esau, that were born to him in the land of Chanaan.

36:6. And Esau took his wives, and his sons and daughters, and every soul of his house, and his substance, and cattle, and all that he was able to acquire in the land of Chanaan: and went into another country, and departed from his brother Jacob.

36:7. For they were exceeding rich, and could not dwell together: neither was the land in which they sojourned able to bear them, for the multitude of their flocks.

36:8. And Esau dwelt in mount Seir: he is Edom.

36:9. And these are the generations of Esau, the father of Edom, in mount Seir.

36:10. And these the names of his sons: Eliphaz the son of Ada, the wife of Esau: and Rahuel, the son of Basemath, his wife.

36:11. And Eliphaz had sons: Theman, Omar, Sepho, and Gatham and Cenez.

36:12. And Thamna was the concubine of Eliphaz, the son of Esau: and she bore him Amalech. These are the sons of Ada, the wife of Esau.

36:13. And the sons of Rahuel were Nahath and Zara, Samma and Meza. These were the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau.

36:14. And these were the sons of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, the daughter of Sebeon, the wife of Esau, whom she bore to him, Jehus, and Ihelon, and Core.

36:15. These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: duke Theman, duke Omar, duke Sepho, duke Cenez,

36:16. Duke Core, duke Gatham, duke Amalech: these are the sons of Eliphaz, in the land of Edom, and these the sons of Ada.

36:17. And these were the sons of Rahuel, the son of Esau: duke Nahath, duke Zara, duke Samma, duke Meza. And these are the dukes of Rahuel, in the land of Edom: these the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau.

36:18. And these the sons of Oolibama, the wife of Esau: duke Jehus, duke Ihelon, duke Core. These are the dukes of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, and wife of Esau.

36:19. These are the sons of Esau, and these the dukes of them: the same is Edom.

36:20. These are the sons of Seir, the Horrite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Sobal, and Sebeon, and Ana,

36:21. And Dison, and Eser, and Disan. These are dukes of the Horrites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom.

36:22. And Lotan had sons: Hori and Heman. And the sister of Lotan was Thamna.

36:23. And these the sons of Sobal: Alvan, and Manahat, and Ebal, and Sepho, and Onam.

36:24. And these the sons of Sebeon: Aia and Ana. This is Ana that found the hot waters in the wilderness, when he fed the asses of Sebeon, his father:

36:25. And he had a son Dison, and a daughter Oolibama.

36:26. And these were the sons of Dison: Hamdan, and Eseban, and Jethram, and Charan.

36:27. These also were the sons of Eser: Balaan, and Zavan, and Acan.

36:28. And Dison had sons: Hus and Aram.

36:29. These were dukes of the Horrites: duke Lotan, duke Sobal, duke Sebeon, duke Ana,

36:30. Duke Dison, duke Eser, duke Disan: these were dukes of the Horrites that ruled in the land of Seir.

36:31. And the kings that ruled in the land of Edom, before the children of Israel had a king, were these:

36:32. Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city Denaba.

36:33. And Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zara, of Bosra, reigned in his stead.

36:34. And when Jobab was dead, Husam, of the land of the Themanites, reigned in his stead.

36:35. And after his death, Adad, the son of Badad, reigned in his stead, who defeated the Madianites in the country of Boab; and the name of his city was Avith.

36:36. And when Adad was dead, there reigned in his stead, Semla, of Masreca.

36:37. And he being dead, Saul, of the river Rohoboth, reigned in his stead.

36:38. And when he also was dead, Balanan, the son of Achobor, succeeded to the kingdom.

36:39. This man also being dead, Adar reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Phau: and his wife was called Meetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezaab.

36:40. And these are the names of the dukes of Esau in their kindreds, and places, and callings: duke Thamna, duke Alva, duke Jetheth,

36:41. Duke Oolibama, duke Ela, duke Phinon,

36:42. Duke Cenez, duke Theman, duke Mabsar,

36:43. Duke Magdiel, duke Hiram: these are the dukes of Edom dwelling in the land of their government; the same is Esau, the father of the Edomites.

Genesis Chapter 37

Joseph's dreams: he is sold by his brethren, and carried into Egypt.

37:1. And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan, wherein his father sojourned.

37:2. And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father's wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.

37:3. Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.

37:4. And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated hem, and could not speak peaceably to him.

37:5. Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.

A dream... These dreams of Joseph were prophetical, and sent from God; as were also those which he interpreted, Gen. 40. and 41.; otherwise generally speaking, the observing of dreams is condemned in the Scripture, as superstitious and sinful. See Deut. 18.10; Eccli. 34.2,3.

37:6. And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.

37:7. I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about bowed down before my sheaf.

37:8. His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.

37:9. He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me.

37:10. And when he had told this to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?

Worship... This word is not used here to signify divine worship, but an inferior veneration, expressed by the bowing of the body, and that, according to the manner of the eastern nations, down to the ground.

37:11. His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.

37:12. And when his brethren abode in Sechem, feeding their father's flocks,

37:13. Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:

37:14. I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:

37:15. And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.

37:16. But he answered: I seek my brethren, tell me where they feed the flocks.

37:17. And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.

37:18. And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him:

37:19. And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.

37:20. Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:

37:21. And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:

37:22. Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.

37:23. And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:

37:24. And cast him into an old pit where there was not water.

37:25. And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.

37:26. And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?

37:27. It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.

37:28. And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.

37:29. And Ruben returning to the pit, found not the boy:

37:30. And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear, and whither shall I go?

37:31. And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:

37:32. Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son's coat, or not.

37:33. And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.

37:34. And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.

37:35. And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping,

Into hell... That is, into limbo, the place where the souls of the just were received before the death of our Redeemer. For allowing that the word hell sometimes is taken for the grave, it cannot be so taken in this place; since Jacob did not believe his son to be in the grave, (whom he supposed to be devoured by a wild beast,) and therefore could not mean to go down to him thither: but certainly meant the place of rest where he believed his soul to be.

37:36. The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.