Chapter 19.
CONCERNING JACOB'S FLIGHT INTO MESOPOTAMIA, BY REASON OF
THE FEAR HE WAS IN OF HIS BROTHER.FJAJ 1.91
1. Now Jacob was sent by his mother to Mesopotamia, in order to marry
Laban her brother's daughter (which marriage was permitted by Isaac, on
account of his obsequiousness to the desires of his wife); and he accordingly
journeyed through the land of Canaan; and because he hated the people of
that country, he would not lodge with any of them, but took up his lodging
in the open air, and laid his head on a heap of stones that he had gathered
together
At which time he saw in his sleep such a vision standing by him:
- he seemed to see a ladder that reached from the earth unto heaven, and
persons descending upon the ladder that seemed more excellent than human;
and at last God himself stood above it, and was plainly visible to him,
who, calling him by his name, spake to him in these words: -FJAJ 1.92
2. "O Jacob, it is not fit for thee, who art the son of a good
father, and grandson of one who had obtained a great reputation for his
eminent virtue, to be dejected at thy present circumstances, but to hope
for better times, for thou shalt have great abundance of all good things,
by my assistance: for I brought Abraham hither, out of Mesopotamia, when
he was driven away by his kinsmen, and I made thy father a happy man, nor
will I bestow a lesser degree of happiness on thyself: be of good courage,
therefore, and under my conduct proceed on this thy journey, for the marriage
thou goest so zealously about shall be consummated
And thou shalt have
children of good characters, but their multitude shall be innumerable;
and they shall leave what they have to a still more numerous posterity,
to whom, and to whose posterity, I give the dominion of all the land, and
their posterity shall fill the entire earth and sea, so far as the sun
beholds them: but do not thou fear any danger, nor be afraid of the many
labors thou must undergo, for by my providence I will direct thee what
thou art to do in the time present, and still much more in the time to
come."FJAJ 1.93
3. Such were the predictions which God made to Jacob; whereupon he became
very joyful at what he had seen and heard; and he poured oil on the stones,
because on them the prediction of such great benefits was made
He also
vowed a vow, that he would offer sacrifices upon them, if he lived and
returned safe; and if he came again in such a condition, he would give
the tithe of what he had gotten to God
He also judged the place to be
honorable and gave it the name of Bethel, which, in the Greek, is interpreted,
The House of God.FJAJ 1.94
4. So he proceeded on his journey to Mesopotamia, and at length came
to Haran; and meeting with shepherds in the suburbs, with boys grown up,
and maidens sitting about a certain well, he staid with them, as wanting
water to drink; and beginning to discourse with them, he asked them whether
they knew such a one as Laban, and whether he was still alive
Now they
all said they knew him, for he was not so inconsiderable a person as to
be unknown to any of them; and that his daughter fed her father's flock
together with them; and that indeed they wondered that she was not yet
come, for by her means thou mightest learn more exactly whatever thou desirest
to know about that family
While they were saying this the damsel came,
and the other shepherds that came down along with her
Then they showed
her Jacob, and told her that he was a stranger, who came to inquire about
her father's affairs
But she, as pleased, after the custom of children,
with Jacob's coming, asked him who he was, and whence he came to them,
and what it was he lacked that he came thither
She also wished it might
he in their power to supply the wants he came about.FJAJ 1.95
5. But Jacob was quite overcome, not so much by their kindred, nor by
that affection which might arise thence, as by his love to the damsel,
and his surprise at her beauty, which was so flourishing, as few of the
women of that age could vie with
He said then, "There is a relation
between thee and me, elder than either thy or my birth, if thou be the
daughter of Laban; for Abraham was the son of Terah, as well as Haran and
Nahor
Of the last of whom (Nahor) Bethuel thy grandfather was the son.
Isaac my father was the son of Abraham and of Sarah, who was the daughter
of Haran
But there is a nearer and later cement of mutual kindred which
we bear to one another, for my mother Rebeka was sister to Laban thy father,
both by the same father and mother; I therefore and thou are cousin-germans.
And I am now come to salute you, and to renew that affinity which is proper
between us." Upon this the damsel, at the mention of Rebeka,
as usually happens to young persons, wept, and that out of the kindness
she had for her father, and embraced Jacob, she having learned an account
of Rebeka from her father, and knew that her parents loved to hear her
named; and when she had saluted him, she said that "he brought the
most desirable and greatest pleasures to her father, with all their family,
who was always mentioning his mother, and always thinking of her, and her
alone; and that this will make thee equal in his eyes to any advantageous
circumstances whatsoever." Then she bid him go to her father, and
follow her while she conducted him to him; and not to deprive him of such
a pleasure, by staying any longer away from him.FJAJ 1.96
6. When she had said thus, she brought him to Laban; and being owned
by his uncle, he was secure himself, as being among his friends; and he
brought a great deal of pleasure to them by his unexpected coning
But
a little while afterward, Laban told him that he could not express in words
the joy he had at his coming; but still he inquired of him the occasion
of his coming, and why he left his aged mother and father, when they wanted
to be taken care of by him; and that he would afford him all the assistance
he wanted
Then Jacob gave him an account of the whole occasion of his
journey, and told him, "that Isaac had two sons that were twins, himself
and Esau; who, because he failed of his father's prayers, which by his
mother's wisdom were put up for him, sought to kill him, as deprived of
the kingdom (34)
By this "deprivation of the kingdom that was to be given Esau of God,"
as the first-born, it appears that Josephus thought that a "kingdom
to be derived from God" was due to him whom Isaac should bless as
his first-born, which I take to be that kingdom which was expected under
the Messiah, who therefore was to be born of his posterity whom Isaac should
so bless. Jacob therefore by obtaining this blessing of the first-born,
became the genuine heir of that kingdom, in opposition to Esau.
which was to be given him of God, and of the blessings for which their
father prayed; and that this was the occasion of his coming hither, as
his mother had commanded him to do: for we are all (says he) brethren one
to another; but our mother esteems an alliance with your family more than
she does one with the families of the country; so I look upon yourself
and God to be the supporters of my travels, and think myself safe in my
present circumstances."FJAJ 1.97
7. Now Laban promised to treat him with great humanity, both on account
of his ancestors, and particularly for the sake of his mother, towards
whom, he said, he would show his kindness, even though she were absent,
by taking care of him; for he assured him he would make him the head shepherd
of his flock, and give him authority sufficient for that purpose; and when
he should have a mind to return to his parents, he would send him back
with presents, and this in as honorable a manner as the nearness of their
relation should require
This Jacob heard gladly; and said he would willingly,
and with pleasure, undergo any sort of pains while he tarried with him,
but desired Rachel to wife, as the reward of those pains, who was not only
on other accounts esteemed by him, but also because she was the means of
his coming to him; for he said he was forced by the love of the damsel
to make this proposal
Laban was well pleased with this agreement, and
consented to give the damsel to him, as not desirous to meet with any better
son-in-law; and said he would do this, if he would stay with him some time,
for he was not willing to send his daughter to be among the Canaanites,
for he repented of the alliance he had made already by marrying his sister
there
And when Jacob had given his consent to this, he agreed to stay
seven years; for so many years he had resolved to serve his father-in-law,
that, having given a specimen of his virtue, it might be better known what
sort of a man he was
And Jacob, accepting of his terms, after the time
was over, he made the wedding-feast; and when it was night, without Jacob's
perceiving it, he put his other daughter into bed to him, who was both
elder than Rachel, and of no comely countenance: Jacob lay with her that
night, as being both in drink and in the dark
However, when it was day,
he knew what had been done to him; and he reproached Laban for his unfair
proceeding with him; who asked pardon for that necessity which forced him
to do what he did; for he did not give him Lea out of any ill design, but
as overcome by another greater necessity: that, notwithstanding this, nothing
should hinder him from marrying Rachel; but that when he had served another
seven years, he would give him her whom he loved
Jacob submitted to this
condition, for his love to the damsel did not permit him to do otherwise;
and when another seven years were gone, he took Rachel to wife.FJAJ 1.98
8. Now each of these had handmaids, by their father's donation
Zilpha
was handmaid to Lea, and Bilha to Rachel; by no means slaves, (35)
Here we have the difference between slaves for life and servants, such
as we now hire for a time agreed upon on both sides, and dismiss again
after he time contracted for is over, which are no slaves, but free men
and free women. Accordingly, when the Apostolical Constitutions forbid
a clergyman to marry perpetual servants or slaves, B. VI. ch. 17., it is
meant only of the former sort; as we learn elsewhere from the same Constitutions,
ch. 47. Can. LXXXII. But concerning these twelve sons of Jacob, the reasons
of their several names, and the times of their several births in the intervals
here assigned, their several excellent characters, their several faults
and repentance, the several accidents of their lives, with their several
prophecies at their deaths, see the Testaments of these twelve patriarchs,
still preserved at large in the Authent. Rec. Part I. p. 294-443.
but however subject to their mistresses
Now Lea was sorely troubled at
her husband's love to her sister; and she expected she should be better
esteemed if she bare him children: so she entreated God perpetually; and
when she had borne a son, and her husband was on that account better reconciled
to her, she named her son Reubel, because God had had mercy upon her,
in giving her a son, for that is the signification of this name
After
some time she bare three more sons; Simeon, whichFJAJ 1.99
name signifies that God had hearkened to her prayer.Then she
bare Levi, the confirmer of their friendship.After him was born
Judah, which denotes thanksgiving.But Rachel, fearing lest the
fruitfulness of her sister should make herself enjoy a lesser share of
Jacob's affections, put to bed to him her handmaid Bilha; by whom Jacob
had Dan: one may interpret that name into the Greek tongue, a divine
judgment.And after him Nephthalim, as it were, unconquerable in
stratagems, since Rachel tried to conquer the fruitfulness of her sister
by this stratagem
Accordingly, Lea took the same method, and used a counter-stratagem
to that of her sister; for she put to bed to him her own handmaid
Jacob
therefore had by Zilpha a son, whose name was Gad, which may be interpreted
fortune; and after him Asher, which may be called a happy man,
because he added glory to Lea
Now Reubel, the eldest son of Lea, brought
apples of mandrakes (36)
I formerly explained these mandrakes, as we, with the Septuagint, and Josephus,
render the Hebrew word Dudaim, of the Syrian Maux, with Ludolphus, Antbent.
Rec. Part I. p. 420; but have since seen such a very probable account in
M. S. of my learned friend Mr. Samuel Barker, of what we still call mandrakes,
and their description by the ancient naturalists and physicians, as inclines
me to think these here mentioned were really mandrakes, and no other.
to his mother
When Rachel saw them, she desired that she would give her
the apples, for she longed to eat them; but when she refused, and bid her
be content that she had deprived her of the benevolence she ought to have
had from her husband, Rachel, in order to mitigate her sister's anger,
said she would yield her husband to her; and he should lie with her that
evening
She accepted of the favor, and Jacob slept with Lea, by the favor
of Rachel
She bare then these sons: Issachar, denoting one born by
hire: and Zabulon, one born as a pledge of benevolence towards
her; and a daughter, Dina
After some time Rachel had a son, named
Joseph, which signified there should be another added to him.FJAJ 1.100
9. Now Jacob fed the flocks of Laban his father-in-law all this time,
being twenty years, after which he desired leave of his father-in-law to
take his wives and go home; but when his father-in-law would not give him
leave, he contrived to do it secretly
He made trial therefore of the disposition
of his wives what they thought of this journey; - when they appeared glad,
and approved of it
Rachel took along with her the images of the gods,
which, according to their laws, they used to worship in their own country,
and ran away together with her sister
The children also of them both,
and the handmaids, and what possessions they had, went along with them.
Jacob also drove away half the cattle, without letting Laban know of it
beforehand But the reason why Rachel took the images of the gods, although
Jacob had taught her to despise such worship of those gods, was this, That
in case they were pursued, and taken by her father, she might have recourse
to these images, in order obtain his pardon.FJAJ 1.101
10. But Laban, after one day's time, being acquainted with Jacob's and
his daughters' departure, was much troubled, and pursued after them, leading
a band of men with him; and on the seventh day overtook them, and found
them resting on a certain hill; and then indeed he did not meddle with
them, for it was even-tide; but God stood by him in a dream, and warned
him to receive his son-in-law and his daughters in a peaceable manner;
and not to venture upon any thing rashly, or in wrath to but to make a
league with Jacob
And he him, that if he despised their small number,
attacked them in a hostile manner, he would assist them
When Laban had
been thus forewarned by God, he called Jacob to him the next day, in order
to treat with him, and showed him what dream he had; in dependence whereupon
he came confidently to him, and began to accuse him, alleging that he had
entertained him when he was poor, and in want of all things, and had given
him plenty of all things which he had.FJAJ 1.102
"For," said he, "I
have joined my daughters to thee in marriage, and supposed that thy kindness
to me be greater than before; but thou hast had no regard to either thy
mother's relations to me, nor to the affinity now newly contracted between
us; nor to those wives whom thou hast married; nor to those children, of
whom I am the grandfather
Thou hast treated me as an enemy, driving away
my cattle, and by persuading my daughters to run away from their father;
and by carrying home those sacred paternal images which were worshipped
by my forefathers, and have been honored with the like worship which they
paid them by myself
In short, thou hast done this whilst thou art my kinsman,
and my sister's son, and the husband of my daughters, and was hospiably
treated by me, and didst eat at my table." When Laban had said this,
Jacob made his defense - That he was not the only person in whom God had
implanted the love of his native country, but that he had made it natural
to all men; and that therefore it was but reasonable that, after so long
time, he should go back to it.FJAJ 1.103
"But as to the prey, of whose driving
away thou accusest me, if any other person were the arbitrator, thou wouldst
be found in the wrong; for instead of those thanks I ought to have had
from thee, for both keeping thy cattle, and increasing them, how is it
that thou art unjustly angry at me because I have taken, and have with
me, a small portion of them? But then, as to thy daughters, take notice,
that it is not through any evil practices of mine that they follow me in
my return home, but from that just affection which wives naturally have
to their husbands
They follow therefore not so properly myself as their
own children." And thus far of his apology was made, in order to clear
himself of having acted unjustly
To which he added his own complaint and
accusation of Laban; saying, "While I was thy sister's son, and thou
hadst given me thy daughters in marriage, thou hast worn me out with thy
harsh commands, and detained me twenty years under them
That indeed which
was required in order to my marrying thy daughters, hard as it was, I own
to have been tolerable; but as to those that were put upon me after those
marriages, they were worse, and such indeed as an enemy would have avoided."
For certainly Laban had used Jacob very ill; for when he saw that God was
assisting to Jacob in all that he desired, he promised him, that of the
young cattle which should be born, he should have sometimes what was of
a white color, and sometimes what should be of a black color; but when
those that came to Jacob's share proved numerous, he did not keep his faith
with him, but said he would give them to him the next year, because of
his envying him the multitude of his possessions
He promised him as before,
because he thought such an increase was not to be expected; but when it
appeared to be fact, he deceived him.FJAJ 1.104
11. But then, as to the sacred images, he bid him search for them; and
when Laban accepted of the offer, Rachel, being informed of it, put those
images into that camel's saddle on which she rode, and sat upon it; and
said, that her natural purgation hindered her rising up: so Laban left
off searching any further, not supposing that his daughter in such circumstances
would approach to those images
So he made a league with Jacob, and bound
it by oaths, that he would not bear him any malice on account of what had
happened; and Jacob made the like league, and promised to love Laban's
daughters
And these leagues they confirmed with oaths also, which the
made upon certain as whereon they erected a pillar, in the form of an altar:
whence that hill is called Gilead; and from thence they call that land
the Land of Gilead at this day
Now when they had feasted, after the making
of the league, Laban returned home.FJAJ 1.105