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look upon yourself and God to be the supporters of my travels, and think myself safe in my present circumstances."

Laban now promised to treat him with great humanity, both on account of his ancestors, and particularly for the sake of his mother; towards whom he said he would shew his kindness, even though she were absent, by taking care of him. For he assured him he would make him the head shepherd of his flock, and gave him authority sufficient for that purpose; and when he should be inclined to return to his parents, he would send him back with presents, and this in as honourable a manner as their consanguinity should require. Jacob heard these promises gladly; and said he would willingly undergo any sort of pains while he tarried with him; but desired as the reward of those pains that he might be permitted to marry Rachel, who was not only on other accounts esteemed by him; but also because she was the means of his coming to him; for he said he was forced by the love of the damsel to make this proposal. Laban was pleased with this agreement, and consented to give the damsel to him, if he would stay with him some time; for he was not willing to send his daughter to be among the Canaanites; for he repented of the alliance he had made already by marrying his sister there. And when Jacob had given his consent to this, he agreed to serve his father-in-law seven years, that by giving a specimen of his virtue, it might be better known what sort of a man he was. When the stated time was expired, Laban made the wedding feast, but when it was night, without Jacob's perceiving it, he put his other daughter into bed to him; who was both elder than Rachel, and of no comely countenance. Jacob slept with her that night; but when it was day he knew what had been done to him, and complained of this unfair proceeding. Laban asked pardon for that necessity which forced him to do what he did; for he said he did not give him Lea out of any ill design, but as overcome by another greater necessity; that, notwithstanding this, nothing should hinder him from marrying Rachel; but that when he had served another seven years he would

* Gen. xxix. 28.

† Here we have the difference between slaves for life, and servants, such as we now hire for a time agreed upon

give him her whom he loved. Jacob submitted to this condition; for his love to the damsel did not permit him to do otherwise; and when seven years more were expired, he took Rachel to wife.*

Now each of these had handmaids, by their father's donation. Zilpha was handmaid to Lea, and Bilba to Rachel; by no means slaves,† but subject to their mistresses. Now Lea was sorely troubled at her husband's love to her sister; and she expected she should be better esteemed if she bare him children. She, therefore intreated God perpetually, and when she had borne a son, and her husband was on that account better reconciled to her, she named her son Reubel, because God had had mercy upon her in giving her a son, for that is the signification of this name. After some time she bare three more sons; Simeon, which name signifies that God had hearkened to her prayer; Levi, the confirmer of their friendship; and Judah, which denotes thanksgiving. But Rachel, fearing lest the fruitfulness of her sister, should estrange Jacob's affection from herself, gave him her handmaid Bilba, by whom Jacob had Dan: one may interpret that name into the Greek tongue, a divine judgment; and after him Nephthalim, as it were unconquerable in stratagems; since Rachel tried to conquer the fruitfulness of her sister by this stratagem. Accordingly Lea took the same method, and used a counter stratagem to that of her sister's; for she gave Jacob her own handmaid Zilpha, by whom he had a son, whose name was Gad, which may be interpreted fortune; and after him Asher, which may be called a happy man, because he added glory to Lea.

Now Reubel, the eldest son of Lea, brought apples of mandrakes to his mother. When Rachel saw them, she desired that she would give her the apples, for she longed to eat them; but when she refused, and bid her be content that she had deprived her of the benevolence she ought to have had from her husband, Rachel, in order to mitigate her sister's anger, said she would yield her husband to her that evening. She accepted of the favour, and Jacob slept with Lea, who bare then these sons; Issachar, denoting one

on both sides, and dismiss again after the time contracted for is over, who are no slaves, but free men and free

women..

born by hire; and Zebulon, one born as a pledge of benevolence towards her; and a daughter, Dina. After some time Rachel had a son, named Joseph, which signified there should be another added to him.

Now Jacob fed the flocks of Laban all this time, being twenty years,* after which he desired permission to take his wives, and go home; but when his father-in-law would not give him leave, he contrived to do it secretly. He made trial, therefore, of the disposition of his wives, what they thought of this journey. When they appeared glad, and approved of it, Rachel took along with her the images of the gods, which, according to their laws, they used to worship in their own country, and ran away, together with her sister. Their children also, and their handmaids, and what possessions they had, went along with them. Jacob also drove away half the cattle, without letting Laban know of it beforehand : but the reason why Rachel took the images of the gods, although Jacob had taught her to despise such worship, was this, that in case they were pursued and taken by her father, she might have recourse to these images, in order to obtain his pardon.

Laban, after one day, being acquainted with Jacob's and his daughters' departure, was much troubled, and pursued after them, leading a band of men with him; and on the seventh day overtook them, and found them resting on a certain hill; but he did not then meddle with them, for it was even-tide. God stood by him in a dream the same night, and warned him to receive his son-in-law and his daughters in a peaceable manner, and not to venture upon any thing rashly, or in wrath to them, but to make a league with Jacob; assuring him that if he despised their small number, and attacked them in an hostile manner, he would himself assist them.

Laban having been thus forewarned by God, called Jacob to him the next day, in order to treat with him, and shewed him what dream he had; in dependence whereon he came confidently to him, and began to accuse him, alledging that he had entertained him when he was poor, and in want, and had given him plenty of all things which he had; For," said he, "I have joined my daughters to thee in marriage, and supposed that thy

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kindness to me would be greater than before; but thou hast had no regard to either thy own mother's relation to me, nor to the affinity more recently contracted between us, nor to those wives whom thou hast married; nor to those children of whom I am the grandfather: thou hast treated me as an enemy, by driving away my cattle, and by persuading my daughters to run away from their father: and by carrying home those sacred paternal images which were worshipped by my forefathers, and which have been honoured with worship by myself. In short, thou hast done this whilst thou wert my kinsman, and my sister's son, and the husband of my daughters, and wast hospitably treated by me, and didst eat at my table."

When Laban had said this, Jacob replied in his defence, that he was not the only person in whom God had implanted the love of his native country, but that he had made it natural to all men; and, therefore, it was but reasonable that, after so long time, he should go back to it. "But as to the prey," said he," of whose driving away thou accusest me, if any other person were the arbitrator, thou wouldst be found in the wrong, for instead of those thanks I ought to have had from thee, for both keeping thy cattle, and increasing them, how is it that thou art unjustly angry because I have taken a small portion of them; but then, as to thy daughters, it is not through any evil practices of mine that they follow me in my return home, but from that just affection which wives naturally have for their husbands; they follow, therefore, not so properly myself, as their own children." Thus far his apology was made in order to clear himself from the charge of injustice; to which he added his own complaint and accusation of Laban, saying, "While I was thy sister's son, and thou hadst given me thy daughters in marriage, thou hast worn me out with thy harsh commands, and detained me twenty years under them; that, indeed, which was required in order to my marrying thy daughters, hard as it was, I own to have been tolerable: but as to those that were put upon me after those marriages, they were worse, and such indeed, as an enemy would have avoided." For certainly Laban had used Jacob very ill; for when he saw that God was assisting to Jacob

in all that he desired, he promised him, that of the young cattle which should be born, he should have sometimes what was of a white colour, and sometimes what should be of a black colour; but when those that came to Jacob's share proved numerous, he did not keep his faith with him, but said he would give them to him the next year, because of his envying him the multitude of his possessions. He promised him as before, because he thought such an increase was not to be expected: but when it appeared to be the fact, he again deceived him.

But with regard to the sacred images, Jacob bid them search for them; and when Laban accepted of the offer, Rachel being informed of it, put those images in that camel's saddle on which she rode, and sat upon it; and by a well-timed excuse* evaded the necessity of rising up; so Laban left off searching any farther, not supposing that his daughter would conceal his images. He then made a league with Jacob, that he would not bear him any malice on account of what had happened; and Jacob made the like league, and promised to love Laban's daughters; and these leagues they confirmed with oaths upon certain mountains, whereon they erected a pillar, in the form of an altar; whence that hill is called Gilead, and from thence they call that land the Land of Gilead at this day. Now when they had feasted,† after making the league, Laban returned home.‡

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This league appears to have been made with peculiar circumstances: especially with the singular rite of making an heap of stones, and eating upon it, and setting up one stone for a pillar. Gen. xxxi. 45, 46. Niebuhr, relating his audience with the rinam of Yemen, says, "I had gone from my lodgings indisposed, and by standing so long found myself so faint, that I was obliged to ask permission to quit the room. I found near the door some of the principal officers of the court, who were sitting in a scattered manner, in the shade, upon stones, by the side of the wall. Among them was the Nakit, (the general, or rather master of the horse,) Cheir Allah, with whom I had some aintance before. He immediately resigned his place to

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appeared to him, and suggested to him good hope of his future condition; and that place he named the Camp of God; and being desirous of knowing his brother's intentions, he sent messengers to give him an exact account of every thing, being afraid, on account of the enmity between them. He charged those that were sent, to say to Esau, that "Jacob had thought it wrong to live together with him, while he was incensed against him, and so had gone out of the country; but now, thinking the time of his absence must have made up their differences, was returning; that he brought with him his wives and his children, with what possessions he had gotten, and delivered himself, with what was most dear to him, into his hands; and should think it his greatest happiness to partake, together with his brother, of what God had bestowed on him.

When this message was delivered, Esau was very glad, and met his brother with four hundred men: but when Jacob heard that he was coming to meet him with such a number, he was greatly afraid. However, he committed his hope of deliverance to God: and considered how in his present circumstances he might preserve himself, and those that were with him, and overcome his enemies, if they attacked him injuriously. He therefore distributed his company into parts; some he sent before the rest,|| and the others he ordered to come close behind: that if the first were overpowered, when his brother attacked them they might have those that followed as the refuge to flee unto; and when he had put his company in this order, he sent some of them to his brother, with presents of cattle, and a great number of four-footed beasts of many kinds, such as would be very

me, and applied himself to draw together stones into an heap, to build himself a new seat." This management might be owing to various causes. The extreme heat of the ground might render sitting there disagreeable. The same inconvenience might arise also from its wetness. It was certainly a very common practice; and, as it appears from the instance of Jacob, a very ancient one. Harmer's Observations, Vol. iii. P, 215. Б.

Jacob appears to have been very cautious in conducting both his family and his flocks in their journey. He was particularly desirous of preserving them. They would have been exposed to great danger by haste. Prepared as the Arabs are for speedy flight, a quick motion is very destructive to the young of their flocks. Chardin says, "Their flocks feed down the places of their encampment

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