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received him kindly, because Abraham had formerly lived with him, and had been his friend; but when he saw that God was with Isaac, and took such great care with him, he became envious, and drove him away. Perceiving this change in Abimelech's temper, Isaac retired to a place called the Valley, not far from Gerar: and as he was digging a well, the shepherds fell upon him, and began to fight, in order to hinder the work; and because he did not desire to contend, the shepherds seemed to get the better of him. So he still retired, and dug another well: and when certain other shepherds, in the service of Abimelech began to offer him violence, he left that also, and still retired: thus purchasing security to himself by a rational and prudent conduct. At length the king gave him permission to dig a well, which he named Rehoboth; denoting a large space. But of the former wells, one was called Escon, which denotes strife; the other Sitenna, which name signifies enmity.

Isaac's affairs were now in a flourishing condition; and his power increased from his great riches. But Abimelech thinking Isaac throve in opposition to him, while their living together made them suspicious of each other: and Isaac's retiring shewed a secret enmity also, the king was afraid that his former friendship would not secure him, if Isaac should endeavour to revenge the injuries he had formerly received: he therefore renewed his friendship with him, in the presence of Philoc, one of his generals; and when he had obtained every thing he desired, by reason of Isaac's good nature, who preferred the

*

*While Josephus' copies, both Greek and Latin, mention this Philoc as one of Abimelech's generals, that accompanied him when he renewed the old league with Isaac, which had been made long before with Abraham, our new edition calls him Phicol by the same name with the general at the league made with Abraham, (which old league is not so distinctly mentioned by Josephus,) but this conjectural reading is too uncertain to be depended

on.

† Gen. xxvi. 31.

An. 1817.

This supper of Savory meat, as we call it, Gen. xxvii. 4, to be caught by hunting, was evidently intended for a festival on a sacrifice; and upon the prayers that were frequent at sacrifices Isaac expected, as was then usual in such eminent cases, that a divine impulse would come upon him, in order to the solemn blessing of his son there present, and his foretelling his future behaviour and fortune. Whence it must be, that when Isaac had blessed VOL. I.-NO. 2.

earlier friendship Abimelech had shewed to himself, and his father to alter his wrath against him, he returned home. †

Now when Esau, one of the sons of Isaac, whom the father principally loved was come to the age of forty years he married Adah,‡ the daughter of Helon; and Aholibamah, the daughter of Esebeon, which Helon and Esebeon were great lords among the Canaanites; thereby taking upon himself the authority, and pretending to have dominion over his own marriages, without so much as asking the advice of his father. For had Isaac been the arbitrator, he would not have given him leave to marry thus, for he was not pleased with contracting any alliance with the people of that country; but not wishing to act harshly by his son, in commanding him to put away these wives, he resolved to be silent.

But when he was old, and could not see at all, he called Esau to him, and told him, that besides his blindness, and the disorder in his eyes, his very old age hindered him from his worship of God, by sacrifice: he bade him, therefore, to go out a hunting, and when he had caught as much venison as he could, to prepare him a supper;|| that after this he might make supplication to God to be to him a supporter, and an assister, during the old time of his life: saying, that it was uncertain when he should die, and that he was desirous, by his prayers for him, to procure, before-hand, God to be merciful to him.

Accordingly Esau went out a hunting. But Rebeka thinking it proper to have the supplication made for obtaining the favour of Jacob, and was afterwards made sensible of his mistake, he did not attempt to alter it; because he knew that this blessing came not from himself, but from God; and that an alteration was out of his power. A second afflatus then came upon him, and enabled him to foretel Esau's future behaviour and fortune also.

age,

§ Whether Jacob or his mother Rebeka were most blameable in this imposition upon Isaac in his old I cannot determine. However, the blessings being delivered as a prediction of future events, by a divine impulse, and according to what Rebeka knew to be the purpose of God, when he answered her inquiry, before the children were born, Gen. xxv. 23, that one people should be stronger than the other; and that the elder, Esau, should serve the younger, Jacob. Whether Isaac knew, or remembered this oracle, delivered in our copies, only to Rebeka; or whether if he knew or remembered it, he did not endeavour to alter the divine determination, out of his fondness for his elder son, Esau, to the damage

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