35 And she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and saith this time, `I praise Jehovah;' therefore hath she called his name Judah; and she ceaseth from bearing.
Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat Judah and his brethren,
And sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid-servant: Gad and Asher. These `are' sons of Jacob, who have been born to him in Padan-Aram.
And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Judah goeth down from his brethren, and turneth aside unto a man, an Adullamite, whose name `is' Hirah; and Judah seeth there the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, whose name `is' Shuah, and taketh her, and goeth in unto her. And she conceiveth, and beareth a son, and he calleth his name Er; and she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Onan; and she addeth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Shelah; and he was in Chezib in her bearing him. And Judah taketh a wife for Er, his first-born, and her name `is' Tamar; and Er, Judah's first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth put him to death. And Judah saith to Onan, `Go in unto the wife of thy brother, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother;' and Onan knoweth that the seed is not `reckoned' his; and it hath come to pass, if he hath gone in unto his brother's wife, that he hath destroyed `it' to the earth, so as not to give seed to his brother; and that which he hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him also to death. And Judah saith to Tamar his daughter-in-law, `Abide a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son groweth up;' for he said, `Lest he die -- even he -- like his brethren;' and Tamar goeth and dwelleth at her father's house. And the days are multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah's wife, dieth; and Judah is comforted, and goeth up unto his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath. And it is declared to Tamar, saying, `Lo, thy husband's father is going up to Timnath to shear his flock;' and she turneth aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covereth herself with a vail, and wrappeth herself up, and sitteth in the opening of Enayim, which `is' by the way to Timnath, for she hath seen that Shelah hath grown up, and she hath not been given to him for a wife. And Judah seeth her, and reckoneth her for a harlot, for she hath covered her face, and he turneth aside unto her by the way, and saith, `Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee,' (for he hath not known that she `is' his daughter-in-law); and she saith, `What dost thou give to me, that thou mayest come in unto me?' and he saith, `I -- I send a kid of the goats from the flock.' And she saith, `Dost thou give a pledge till thou send `it'?' and he saith, `What `is' the pledge that I give to thee?' and she saith, `Thy seal, and thy ribbon, and thy staff which `is' in thy hand;' and he giveth to her, and goeth in unto her, and she conceiveth to him; and she riseth, and goeth, and turneth aside her vail from off her, and putteth on the garments of her widowhood. And Judah sendeth the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman, and he hath not found her. And he asketh the men of her place, saying, `Where `is' the separated one -- she in Enayim, by the way?' and they say, `There hath not been in this `place' a separated one.' And he turneth back unto Judah, and saith, `I have not found her; and the men of the place also have said, There hath not been in this `place' a separated one,' and Judah saith, `Let her take to herself, lest we become despised; lo, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.' And it cometh to pass about three months `after', that it is declared to Judah, saying, `Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath committed fornication; and also, lo, she hath conceived by fornication:' and Judah saith, `Bring her out -- and she is burnt.' She is brought out, and she hath sent unto her husband's father, saying, `To a man whose these `are', I `am' pregnant;' and she saith, `Discern, I pray thee, whose `are' these -- the seal, and the ribbons, and the staff.' And Judah discerneth and saith, `She hath been more righteous than I, because that I did not give her to Shelah my son;' and he hath not added to know her again. And it cometh to pass in the time of her bearing, that lo, twins `are' in her womb; and it cometh to pass in her bearing, that `one' giveth out a hand, and the midwife taketh and bindeth on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, `This hath come out first.' And it cometh to pass as he draweth back his hand, that lo, his brother hath come out, and she saith, `What! thou hast broken forth -- on thee `is' the breach;' and he calleth his name Pharez; and afterwards hath his brother come out, on whose hand `is' the scarlet thread, and he calleth his name Zarah.
And Judah saith unto Israel his father, `Send the youth with me, and we arise, and go, and live, and do not die, both we, and thou, and our infants. I -- I am surety `for' him, from my hand thou dost require him; if I have not brought him in unto thee, and set him before thee -- then I have sinned against thee all the days;
And Judah cometh nigh unto him, and saith, `O, my lord, let thy servant speak, I pray thee, a word in the ears of my lord, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant -- for thou art as Pharaoh. My lord hath asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father or brother? and we say unto my lord, We have a father, an aged one, and a child of old age, a little one; and his brother died, and he is left alone of his mother, and his father hath loved him. `And thou sayest unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, and I set mine eye upon him; and we say unto my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he hath left his father, then he hath died; and thou sayest unto thy servants, If your young brother come not down with you, ye add not to see my face. `And it cometh to pass, that we have come up unto thy servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord; and our father saith, Turn back, buy for us a little food, and we say, We are not able to go down; if our young brother is with us, then we have gone down; for we are not able to see the man's face, and our young brother not with us. `And thy servant my father saith unto us, Ye -- ye have known that two did my wife bare to me, and the one goeth out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn -- torn! and I have not seen him since; when ye have taken also this from my presence, and mischief hath met him, then ye have brought down my grey hairs with evil to sheol. `And now, at my coming in unto thy servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul), then it hath come to pass when he seeth that the youth is not, that he hath died, and thy servants have brought down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to sheol; for thy servant obtained the youth by surety from my father, saying, If I bring him not in unto thee -- then I have sinned against my father all the days. `And now, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the youth a servant to my lord, and the youth goeth up with his brethren, for how do I go up unto my father, and the youth not with me? lest I look on the evil which doth find my father.'
Judah! thou -- thy brethren praise thee! Thy hand `is' on the neck of thine enemies, Sons of thy father bow themselves to thee. A lion's whelp `is' Judah, For prey, my son, thou hast gone up; He hath bent, he hath crouched as a lion, And as a lioness; who causeth him to arise? The sceptre turneth not aside from Judah, And a lawgiver from between his feet, Till his Seed come; And his `is' the obedience of peoples. Binding to the vine his ass, And to the choice vine the colt of his ass, He hath washed in wine his clothing, And in the blood of grapes his covering; Red `are' eyes with wine, And white `are' teeth with milk!
And this `is' for Judah; and he saith: -- Hear, O Jehovah, the voice of Judah, And unto his people do Thou bring him in; His hand hath striven for him, And an help from his adversaries art Thou.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 29
Commentary on Genesis 29 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 29
Ge 29:1-35. The Well of Haran.
1. Then Jacob went, &c.—Hebrew, "lifted up his feet." He resumed his way next morning with a light heart and elastic step after the vision of the ladder; for tokens of the divine favor tend to quicken the discharge of duty (Ne 8:10).
and came into the land, &c.—Mesopotamia and the whole region beyond the Euphrates are by the sacred writers designated "the East" (Jud 6:3; 1Ki 4:30; Job 1:3). Between the first and the second clause of this verse is included a journey of four hundred miles.
2. And he looked, &c.—As he approached the place of his destination, he, according to custom, repaired to the well adjoining the town where he would obtain an easy introduction to his relatives.
3. thither were all the flocks gathered; and a stone, &c.—In Arabia, owing to the shifting sands and in other places, owing to the strong evaporation, the mouth of a well is generally covered, especially when it is private property. Over many is laid a broad, thick, flat stone, with a round hole cut in the middle, forming the mouth of the cistern. This hole is covered with a heavy stone which it would require two or three men to roll away. Such was the description of the well at Haran.
4. Jacob said, My brethren—Finding from the shepherds who were reposing there with flocks and who all belonged to Haran, that his relatives in Haran were well and that one of the family was shortly expected, he enquired why they were idling the best part of the day there instead of watering their flocks and sending them back to pasture.
8. They said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered—In order to prevent the consequences of too frequent exposure in places where water is scarce, the well is not only covered, but it is customary to have all the flocks collected round it before the covering is removed in presence of the owner or one of his representatives; and it was for this reason that those who were reposing at the well of Haran with the three flocks were waiting the arrival of Rachel.
9-11. While he yet spake with them, Rachel came—Among the pastoral tribes the young unmarried daughters of the greatest sheiks tend the flocks, going out at sunrise and continuing to watch their fleecy charges till sunset. Watering them, which is done twice a day, is a work of time and labor, and Jacob rendered no small service in volunteering his aid to the young shepherdess. The interview was affecting, the reception welcome, and Jacob forgot all his toils in the society of his Mesopotamian relatives. Can we doubt that he returned thanks to God for His goodness by the way?
12. Jacob told Rachel, &c.—According to the practice of the East, the term "brother" is extended to remote degrees of relationship, as uncle, cousin, or nephew.
14-20. he abode a month—Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment was the hand of Rachel.
17. Leah tender-eyed—that is, soft blue eyes—thought a blemish.
Rachel beautiful and well-favored—that is, comely and handsome in form. The latter was Jacob's choice.
18. I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy daughter—A proposal of marriage is made to the father without the daughter being consulted, and the match is effected by the suitor either bestowing costly presents on the family, or by giving cattle to the value the father sets upon his daughter, or else by giving personal services for a specified period. The last was the course necessity imposed on Jacob; and there for seven years he submitted to the drudgery of a hired shepherd, with the view of obtaining Rachel. The time went rapidly away; for even severe and difficult duties become light when love is the spring of action.
21. Jacob said, Give me my wife—At the expiry of the stipulated term the marriage festivities were held. But an infamous fraud was practised on Jacob, and on his showing a righteous indignation, the usage of the country was pleaded in excuse. No plea of kindred should ever be allowed to come in opposition to the claim of justice. But this is often overlooked by the selfish mind of man, and fashion or custom rules instead of the will of God. This was what Laban did, as he said, "It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the first-born." But, then, if that were the prevailing custom of society at Haran, he should have apprized his nephew of it at an early period in an honorable manner. This, however, is too much the way with the people of the East still. The duty of marrying an elder daughter before a younger, the tricks which parents take to get off an elder daughter that is plain or deformed and in which they are favored by the long bridal veil that entirely conceals her features all the wedding day, and the prolongation for a week of the marriage festivities among the greater sheiks, are accordant with the habits of the people in Arabia and Armenia in the present day.
28. gave him Rachel also—It is evident that the marriage of both sisters took place nearly about the same time, and that such a connection was then allowed, though afterwards prohibited (Le 18:18).
29. gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah to be her maid—A father in good circumstances still gives his daughter from his household a female slave, over whom the young wife, independently of her husband, has the absolute control.
31. Leah … hated—that is, not loved so much as she ought to have been. Her becoming a mother ensured her rising in the estimation both of her husband and of society.
32-35. son … his name Reuben—Names were also significant; and those which Leah gave to her sons were expressive of her varying feelings of thankfulness or joy, or allusive to circumstances in the history of the family. There was piety and wisdom in attaching a signification to names, as it tended to keep the bearer in remembrance of his duty and the claims of God.