(which may justly be fupofed to happen foon after he had received his Father's bleffing, v.42, 43.) Seventy-fix or Seventy-feven years old. And that may be thus collected. He ferved Laban Twenty years, (ch. 31. 38.) Fourteen years for his two Daughters, and after that Six years for his Cattel, (ch, 31.41.) Jofeph was born when Jacob had ferved Laban Fourteen years, (ch. 30. 25. with ch. 31.41.) And that was the Ninetieth or Ninety-first year of Jacob's life, as will appear by comparing ch. 41.46. with ch, 47·9. and ch. 45. 6. By which it will appear, that when Jacob was One hundred and thirty years old, Jofeph was Thirtynine, or at the most in his Fortieth year.

2. And he faid, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day my death.

of

his life. It is very certain however, Forty-three or Forty-four years. Note on the foregoing Verfe.

3. Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me fome venison:

2. Death: A fuf ficient Motive to put him upon doing what he intended to do in that he lived after this See ch. 35. 28. with the

4. And make me favoury meat, fuch as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, that my foul may bless thee before I die.

3. Quiver: The Chaldee renders it

Sword. Our word HANGER answers to the Hebrew word.

That I may eat: That, &c. i.e. That and having made this being first refreshed,

trial of thy Obedi

ence, I may be the more fitted and difpofed to pronounce the Bleffing upon thee. My Soul, &c. Or that I may bless thee. See v.7, 10. Blefs thee: i. e. Fore-tell and implore the Divine bleffing upon thee, and conftitute thee the Heir of the Promises made to Abraham. Compare ch.48. 9, 15, 16. and ch. 49. 28. Ifaac here feems not to be aware of what God had declared to Rebekah, ch. 25. 23.

5. And Rebekah heard when Ifaac fpake to Efau his son, and Efau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

K 3

6. And

6. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Bebold, I heard thy father speak unto Efau thy brother, Saying,

7. Bring venison, and make me Savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD, before my death.

7. Before the Lord: i.e. In his prefence, and by his authority, with affurance, that he will confirm it, v. 33. and Heb. 11.20.

8. Now therefore, my fon, obey my voice, according to that which I command thee.

9. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats, and I will make them favoury meat for thy father, fuch as he loveth.

10. And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

11. And Jacob faid to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Efau my brother is an hairy man, and I am a smooth

12. A Curfe: A Curfe was afterward folemnly to be dewho fet light by his Deut. 27. 16, 18.

13. Upon me: She was well affured that the Bleffing would

be his, and fpeaks prophetically here, (as

the Chaldee intimates) and had fufficient ground for this affurance, as appears by comparing ch.25. 23.

14. And he went and fetched, and brought them to his mother,and his mother made favoury meat, fuch as his father loved.

15. And Rebekah took goodly 15. Goodly rairaiment of her eldest fon Efau, ment: i. e. Such as

were

which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her young er son :

were not of common ufe, and were in Re bekah's keeping. The Hebrew Doctors tell

us, that the First-born had Sacerdotal Robes before the Priesthood was fetled. It is certain that thefe garments had a pleasing smell, (v.27.)

16. And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon bis hands, and upon the fmooth of his neck

O 17. And she gave the favoury meat, and the bread which he had prepared, into the hand of her fon Facob. 18. And he came unto his father, and faid, My father: And he said, Here am I who art thou, my son ? 93 19. And Facob faid unto his fa- 19. I am Efau ther, I am Efau thy firft-born: I This practice of 74have done according as thou badeft cob is by no means me: arife, I pray thee, fit, and to be imitated by us. eat of my venifon, that thy foul may to web but so bless me.

to

:

20. And Ifaac faid unto his fon, How is it that then haft found it fo quickly, my fon? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.

21. And Ifaac faid unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my fon, whether thou be my very fon Efau, or not.

22. And Facob went near unto Ifaac his father and and he felt him, and faid, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Efau.

23. And he difcerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Efan's hands: So he blessed him. 24. And he faid, Art thou my very fon Efeu? And he faid, I am..

Bear

25. And he faid, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my Joul may bless thee: and he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought bim wine, and he drank.

t

26 And his father Ifaac faid unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

And he came near, and kif fed him and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and faid, See the fmell of my fon is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath bleed

27. Of a field: Not of a barren and empty field, but of a field replenished with the fruits of the Earth, which fend forth a good fmell, Cant. 2.

19. It is laid a field which the Lord hath blessed, and that is a fruitfull field: The Greek and Vulgar render it a full field, ant

28. Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fat nefs of the earth, and plenty of corn

and wine

01

28. Therefore God give thee: Or, And God give thee, or, will give thee, as it is in the Hebrew: It

is a Prophecy as well as Prayer. Great plenty is expreffed by the dew of Heaven, the fatnefs of the Earth, and plenty of Corn and Wine. And great Power and Dominion by let people ferve thee, (v.29.) and be Lord over thy brethren, &c Compare ch.25.23.) Thefe Bleffings are from God, Prov. 1o. 22. Whofe fpecial favour to Jacob's Race is farther expreffed by, Curfed be every one that curfeth thee, and bleed be he that bleffeth thee.

29. Let people ferve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's fons bow down to thee: curfed be every one that curseth thee, and bleffed be he that bleeth thee.

30. And it came to pass, affoon as Ifaac had made an end of bleffing Jacob, and Jacob was yet fcarce gone out from the prefence of Ifaac his father, that Efau bis bro ther came in from his hunting.

31. And he alfo bad made favoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and faid unto his father, Let my fa ther arife, and eat of his fon's venison, that thy soul may bless me.

32. And

32. And Ifaac his father faid unto him, Who art thou?. And he faid, I am thy fon, thy firft-born Efau.

33. And Ifaac trembled very exceedingly, and faid, who! where is be that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou cameft, and have bleffed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

33. Trembled: He was greatly aftonifhed, and fpeaks as fuch, where is he? when he fays, who," where is he?

34. And when Efau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said un to his father, Bless me, even me alfo, O my father.

35. And be faid, Thy brother came with fubtilty, and hath taken away thy bleffing

36. And be faid, Is not he rightly named Facob? for he bath fupplanted me these two times: he took away my birth-right, and behold, now he hath taken away my bleffing: and he faid haft thou not referved a bleffing for me?

37. And Ifaac anfwered, and faid unto Efau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for fervants, and with corn and wine have I fuftained him and what shall I do now unto thee my Son?

38. And Efau faid unto his father, Haft thou but one bleffing, my father? blefs me, even me alfo, O my father, And Efau lift up his voice, and wept. 39. And Ifaac his father anfwered, and faid unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heg

"

ven from above.

39. Dwelling: The Vulgar renders it Bleffing. It refers to

See v. 28. and ch. 36. 6,7,8. The fatnefs:

his habitation or feat.

Or, of the fatnefs. If the place be duly confidered, as in the Hebrew, and well compared with the Context, Ifaac muft mean that his Dwelling fhould be barren, and confequently removed from the fatness of the Earth.

40. And