Matthew Poole and continuators on Genesis 35

1 AND God said unto Jacob , Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an Altar unto God that appeared unto thee, when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother .

This was a word in season to comfort his disquieted mind, and convey him to a safer place.

Understand, and pay thy vows there made in the time of thy distress, but not yet paid: whether it was Iacobs errour to forget and neglect his former vows and promises: or whether he waited for a fit time or an admonition from God concerning the season of paying them.

Marginal references: chap. 28. 13.; chap. 27. 43.

2 Then Jacob said unto his houshold, and to all that were with him; Put away the strange gods that are among you , and be clear , and change your garments .

The Idols, which are so called here and Deut. 31. 16. and 32. 12. Ios. 24. 20. because they were the Gods of strange and forreign Nations, such as all were accounted who were not Israelites. Quest. How came these to be and to continue so long in Iacobs house? Ans. Either 1. by Rachels means, who brought them from her fathers house, which haply was not discovered till this time. Or 2. by Leah and by Iacobs two concubines who might possibly bring such with them. Or 3. by the means of Iacobs gentile servants who might secretly worship such Gods; or, having taken them from the Sichemites, they might keep them for their precious matter, as gold and silver, though not for religious use.

Like a good man and a good master of a family he takes care not only for himself but for all his family to keep them from the exercise of a false Religion and to engage them as far as he can in the profession and practice of the true. Compare Gen. 18. 19. Ios. 24. 18.

Cleanse your selves by outward and ritual wa[illegible: 1+ letters]ing, as Exod. 19. 10, 14. which even then was in use; and especially by purging your hearts as well as hands from these Idols, which I perceive to my sorrow some of you have still retained; and from your late detestable cruelty; that you may be fit to approach to that God who hath now summoned me and you to make a solemn appearance before him.

Either by putting on new garments, as 2 Sam. 12. 20. or by washing the old ones, as Exod. 19. 10. Levit. 15. 13. And these, as well as other ceremonial institutions and practices were professions of their Repentance, which consists in putting off the old man and putting on the new, Eph. 4. 22.

Marginal references: chap. 31. 19, 34. Jos. 24. 2.

3 And let us arise, and go up to Beth-el, and I will make there an Altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress , and was with me in the way which I went.

He takes Gods gracious promise and the comfortable hope a[illegible: 1+ letters] assurance of Gods favour to him and care of him impressed by God upon his mind and heart for an answer to his prayers, though he had then seen no success nor accomplishment of Gods word to him.

4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears , and Jacob hid them under the Oak which was by Shechem.

Either because they had been abused to idolatry and superstition at Sichem or elsewhere, and therefore were to be destroyed according to Gods command now signified to Iacob and afterwards delivered to his posterity Deut. 7. 5. and 12. 3. or for fear they should be so abused. For the Scripture seems to insinuate, and other writers expresly affirm, that: divers heathen people did wear ear-rings for the honour of their idols and with the representations or ensigns of their idols engraven upon them. See Iudg. 8. 24.

After he had melted or broken them, which seems probable from parallel instances, as Exod. 32. 20. 2 King. 18. 4.

Under a certain oak, though not known to his family which it was. He chose that place, either as most proper to put monuments of Idolatry under those trees which were so much and so generally abused to Idolatry, as oaks especially were; Isa. 1. 29. or as the safest place, where they were likely to remain longest hid because the heathen had a veneration for Oaks, and therefore would not cut them down, nor dig them up, nor do any thing which had a tendency that way.

Marginal references: Jos. 24. 26. Judg. 9. 6.

5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

(i. e.) A great terrour sent from God, as Exod. 23. 27. Ios. 2. 9, 11. 2 Chron. 14. 14. and 17. 10. So we read of a sleep of God, 1 Sam. 26. 12. Nothing less could have secured Iacob considering the great number, power, and rage of his enemies.

Marginal references: Exod. 15. 16. and 34. 24. Deut. 11. 25. Jos. 5. 1.

6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan (that is Beth-el) he and all the people that were with him.

Properly so called, or where the Canaanites properly so called dwelt: Thus it is distinguished from another Luz Iudg. 1. 26.

7 And he built there an Altar, and called the place El-beth-el , because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

(i. e.) He confirmed the name which he had formerly given to the place.

Marginal references: chap. 28. 19.; That is, the God of Bethel.

8 But Deborah Rebekahs nurse died, and she was buried beneath Beth-el under an oak: and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth .

Who came with Rebekah into Canaan, Gen. 24. 59. and probably tarried with her whilest she lived, and after her death, as it seems, and upon Iacobs desire, after his return from Haran; came into his family; where, being a person of great prudence and piety, her presence and advice was very useful in his numerous and divided family.

From the great lamentation which they made there for the loss of a person of such singular worth.

Marginal references: That is, the oak of weeping.

10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name , and he called his name Israel.

I do not repent of the change which I made of thy name, but I do again confirm it, and as then thou didst prevail over thy brother Esau, so now thou shalt prevail over those of whom thou art afraid.

Marginal references: chap. 32. 28.

11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply, a Nation, and a company of nations shall be of thee: and Kings shall come out of thy Ioyns .

Tribes, for number and power equal to so many nations.

(i. e.) Shall be begotten by thee, as this phrase is taken also in Gen. 46. 26. 1 King. 8. 19. Act. 2. 30.

Marginal references: chap. 17. 1.; chap. 17. 5, 6, 16.

13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

Either locally and visibly, to wit, in that humane shape in which he appeared to him; or by withdrawing the signes of his special presence, as Gen. 17. 22. Iudg. 13 20. as on the contrary God is said to come down not by change of place, but by some signal manifestation of his presence and favour, as Exod. 3. 8. Numb. 11. 17.

14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he powred a drink-offering thereon, and he poured oyl thereon.

Either he repaired the old pillar, set up by him, Gen. 28. 18. which was ruined by the injury of time or by the neighbouring Idolaters, or rather erected a new one, more stable and durable than he could do in that time, as a monument or witness of Gods manifold favours, and of his own gratitude.

Of wine, as may be gathered by comparing Exod. 29. 40. Numb. 28. 14.

18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing , (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin .

Or, in going out, namely out of the body, as Psal. 146. 4. which is an argument of the souls immortality, especially if compared with Eccles. 12. 7. From which places said together we learn the two termes of the journey, whence it goes and whither it goes.

Either as near and dear and precious to him as his right hand, which is both more useful and more honourable than the left: See Psal. 80. 17. or in stead of his right hand, the staff, stay and comfort of his old age.

Marginal references: That is, the son of my sorrow.; That is the son of my right hand.

19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath ; which is Bethlehem.

Not in the city though that was near: for in ancient times their Sepulchres were not in the places of resort but in separated places and out of Cities. See Mat. 27. 60. Luk. 7. 12.

Marginal references: chap. 48. 7.

20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachels grave unto this day .

As a monument or memorial of her life and death, and as a testimony of her future resurrection.

(i. e.) Unto the time wherein Moses writ this book and long after. See 1 Sam. 10. 2. Ie[illegible: 1+ letters]. 31. 15.

21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar .

Or, the tower of the flock, a place where were excellent pastures. See Mich. 4. 8.

22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went, and lay with Bilhah his fathers concubine : and Israel heard it . Now the sons of Jacob were twelve .

An horrid incest: for Concubines were a sort of Wives. See Gen. 22. 24. and 25. 1.

And doubtless sadly resented it, both in Reuben, as appears from Gen. 49. 4. 1 Chron. 5. 1, 2. and in Bilhah whose Bed without question he forsook upon it, as afterwards David did in the like case. See 2 Sam. 16. 22. and 20. 3. Yet here is no mention of Iacobs reproof of it, nor any censure of Moses added to it: Possibly to teach us that we are not to approve of every fact which is mentioned in Scripture without censure, and that the miscarriages of Professors of Religion are rather to be silently bewailed, then publickly reproached, left Religion should suffer by it.

Which were heads of the twelve Tribes: Therefore his daughter Dinah is not here mentioned, because she was not the head of a Tribe.

Marginal references: chap. 49. 4. 1 Cor. 5. 1.

26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leahs handmaid, Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob which were born to him in Padan-Aram .

All but Benjamin, who must in all reason be supposed to be excepted here because he is said to be born elsewhere above, ver. 16. But it is an usual Synecdoche, whereby that is ascribed to all in gross, which belongs to the greatest part. See Gen. 15. 13. and 46. 15. Exod. 12. 40. Iudg. 20. 46. Iohn 20. 24. 1 Cor. 15. 5.

27 And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the City of Arbah (which is Hebron) where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

Either with his Wives and Children and Estate, to dwell with him: or rather in person to visit his sick and dying father: For otherwise Iacob having been ten years near his Father, no doubt he had oft visited him and carried his Wives and Children thither, though Scripture be silent in this particular. But they could not live together because of the greatness of their Estates, as it happened with others. See Gen. 13. 6. and 36. 7.

Marginal references: chap. 13. 18. and 23. 2.

29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people , being old and full of dayes: and his sons Esau and Jacob buryed him.

Either to the society of the dead. Or, to the Congregation of the just. See Gen. 15. 15. and 25. 8.

Marginal references: chap. 15. 15. and 25. 8.