16. Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

17. But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcifed, then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone

18. And their words pleafed Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's fon.

19. And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because be had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable then all the house of his father.

20. And

20. And Hamor and Shechem his fon came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, faying,

20. Gate: See the Note on ch. 23. 10. Communed: The Arguments which they ufed to perfwade

them to Affinities with them, were thefe, [I.] Because they were peaceable men and fo deferved well, (v. 21.) [IL] There was room enough for them in that Country, (v. 21.) [III.] That by this Affinity they should strengthen themselves, (v.23.),

21. These men are peaceable with us, therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein: for the land, bebold, it is large enough for them: let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daugh

ters.

22. Onely herein will the men confent unto us, for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcifed, as they are circumcifed.

"

23. Shall not their cattel, and their fubftance, and every beaft of theirs be ours? onely let us confent unto them, and they will dwell with us.

24. And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his fon bearkened all that went out of the gate of his city: and every male was circumcifed, all that went out of the gate of his city.

25. And it came to pass on the third day when they were fore, that two of the fons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man bis fword, and came upon the city boldly, and flew all the

25. Third day: i. e. Probably from their being Circumcifed: It follows They then took the When they were fore: advantage when the

wounded and affect

males. ed were in greatest danger, and least able to refift. Compare Josh. 5.5, 6, 8. Brethren: Both by Father and Mother. Boldly: The City being secure, and the Men thereof unfit to refift.

26. And they flew Hamor and Shechem his fon with the edge of the fword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.

27. The

27. The fons of Jacob came upon the flain, and Spoiled the city, becaufe they had defiled their fifter.

27. Sops of Jacob: i.e. The other of his Sons. Because they had defiled: i. e. She

chem had, and the reft of the City had not punished him for it, Joh. 17. 11, 12.

28. They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their affes, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,

29. And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and Spoiled even all that was in the house.

30. Make me to ftink: ie. Render mo odious, as if I had Craft and Cruelty. been privy to your

11 30. And Jacob faid to Simeon and Levi, Te have troubled me to make me to ftink among the inhabitants of the land, amongst the Ca naanites, and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and play me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

1

31. And they faid, Should he deal with our fifter, as with an

barlot?

31. Should, &c. An anfwer that was

fierce and ftout. And they feem to think

it neceffary thus to vindicate their Sifter's Reputation, who might elfe have been reputed as a Common Woman.

CHAP. XXXV.

The ARGUMENT.

Jacob is directed by God to go to Bethel, and to build an Altar there: He prepares his family, in order thereunto, and goes. Deborah dieth. God appears to Jacob; calls his Name Ifrael, and bleffeth him, and promifeth the Land of Canaan to his Pofterity. Jacob

erects

erects a Pillar. Benjamin is born, and Rachel dieth. Reuben lieth with Bilhah. The Sons of Jacob. The Age and Death of Ifaac..

1. AND God faid unto facob, x.

Arife, go up to Beth-el,

and dwell there: and make there an· Altar unto God, that appeared unto

GOD Said: Fa

cob being now

in great fear from the Inhabitants of the

thee when thou fleddeft from the Country, ch. 34. 30. face of Efau thy brother.

2. Houfhold: Thofe of his own family. All that were with him: i. e. All his fervants and dependants whatsoever. Strange

2. Then Jacob faid unto his boufhold, and to all that were with bim, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: Gods: i. e. Idols, or Images by which God was worshipped; whether the Teraphim which Rachel ftole, (ch.31. 19.) or any other Images or Idols taken from the Shechemitės, or remaining with any of those who were taken Captives from them, or who had followed Jacob from Padan-Aram. Be clean: viz. from the pollution of Idolatry. Change your garments: As an outward fign or token of an inward change, 2 Sam. 12. 20. Exod. 19. 10. Ezek. 16. 8, 10.

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.

3. Answered me: By taking me into ftrefs: viz. When he his protection. Difled from Efan unto Padan-Aram,(ch.28.)

where he ftaid Twenty years.

4. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their band, and all their ear-rings which were in their ears; and Facob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

A

4.Their Ear-rings: The materials of Idolatry. See Judg. 8.24. Hof. 2. 13. Poffibly be taken from the thefe Ear-rings might Shechemites, and

might have fome marks of Idolatry upon them. Hid

them:

them: From the knowledge of his people; and the Greek adds, that he abolished them: Poffibly he broke or melted them down. Compare Exod. 32. 20. 2 Kings 18. 4. Oak: A Tree not likely to be fuddenly digged up, being Sacred in the esteem of Idolaters, Ifa. 1. 29.

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 fons of Jacob.

ror.

5. Terror of God: Or, a mighty Ter And this was trained the people from God, who refrom deftroying fa

cob and his Family, notwithstanding their power, and the provocation given by the flaughter of the Shechemites.

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.

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

brother.

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

7. The place: See the Note on ch.23.20. God appeared: The Angels of God, fays

the Chaldee.

8. Rebekah's nurse: The Nurse who was fent with her from Padan-Aram, ch. 24.

59.

9. And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-Aram; and bleffed him.

10. And God faid unto him, Thy name is facob: thy name fhall not be called any more Facob, but Ifrael fhall be thy name: and he called his name Ifrael.

II. And God faid unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitfull and

10. Ifrael: See the Note on ch. 32. 28. This Name is a fecond time affigned him, and thereby his Faith in God is confirmed.

11. Be fruitfull: The Bleffing of Abra

N

ham