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34 And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead.

35 And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.

36 And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.

37 And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead. 38 And Saul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.

39 And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife's

name was Mehetabel, the daughter tred, the daughter of Mezahab.

40 And these are the names dukes that came of Esau, accor their families, after their places, names; duke Timnah, duke Alva Jetheth,

41 Duke Aholibamah, duke Ela Pinon,

42 Duke Kenaz, duke Temar Mibzar,

43 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram : the dukes of Edom, according to the tations in the land of their possessio Esau the father of the Edomites.

7 Heb. Edom.

Verse 9. "Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir." The term "Mount Seir," or rather the mor Seir, must be understood with considerable latitude. It was applied indefinitely to that range of mountai under the modern names of Djebal, Shera, and Hasma, extends from the southern extremity of the Dea the Gulf of Akaba. The reader will recollect the "Ghor," or valley, extending in the same direction, have had frequent occasion to mention, and which is supposed to have formed the continued channel of t before its waters were lost in the Dead Sea. Now the mountains of Seir rise abruptly from this valley, a natural division of the country, which appears to have been well known to the ancients. The plain to of the hilly region which these mountains form, is much more elevated than the level of the Ghor, on of the same mountains; in consequence of which, the hills appear with diminished importance as viewed eastern or upper plain. This plain terminates to the south by a steep rocky descent, at the base of whi the desert of Nedjed. It is to a part of this upper plain, and to the mountains which constitute it limit, that, as Burckhardt thinks, the name of Arabia Petræa, or the Stony, was given by the ancients; mination being however extended northward, so as to include the eastern plain with the mountains w the eastern boundary of Palestine so far north as the river Jabbok. Speaking of this region, Burckhardt might well be called Petræa, not only on account of its rocky mountains, but also of the elevated plain, w covered with stones, especially flints, that it may with great propriety be called a stony desert, although suse culture. In many places it is overgrown with herbs; and must once have been thickly inhabited, for the many ruined towns and villages are met with on both sides of the Hadj route between Maan and Akaba, between Maan and the plains of the Haouran; in which direction there are many springs. At present, all thi is desert, and Maan is the only inhabited place in it."-(Travels in Syria;' different parts of which have been to furnish this geographical statement.) The mountains themselves are described by the same traveller calcareous, with an occasional mixture of basalt. The mountainous region which they form, of course differs plain which skirts it on the east. The climate is very pleasant. The air is pure; and, although the heat is in summer, the refreshing breezes which then prevail prevent the temperature from becoming suffocating. T on the other hand, is very cold; deep snow falls, and the frosts sometimes continue to the end of March. Th tainous country is adequately fertile, producing figs, pomegranates, apples, peaches, olives, apricots and most fruits. The region has been in all times noted for the salubrity of its air; and Burckhardt observes, there wa of Syria in which he saw so few invalids.

The mountains of Seir were in the first instance occupied by a people called the Horim, or Horites, who tioned in Gen. xiv. among those whose country was ravaged by Chedorlaomer and his allies. These people posed to have taken their name from the chief or leader, who, with his tribe or family, first settled there, and wh (Hor) is preserved in the mountain, in this range, on which Aaron died. The name "Seir" applied to this doubtless derived from the chief of that name, who is mentioned in v. 20. as the head of the family. The territory occupied by the Horites cannot be very precisely ascertained; but there is no room to suppose that in so far south of the Dead Sea, or spread so far west towards the Mediterranean as the "land of Edom" of af certainly did. The "land of Seir," of the patriarchal times, seems to have been immediately to the east and the Dead Sea. In this land Esau settled himself permanently after the death of his father, and as his des increased, they were enabled to extirpate the original inhabitants, and occupied the land in their stead (Deut. ii The country then took the name of the "land of Edom," -a denomination which appears to have extended progressive extension of the Edomite power, which in its palmy state extended along the eastern frontier of F from the parallel of the lake of Tiberias, and reached southward to the shore of the Arabian gulf; while in direction it comprehended the country to the south of Palestine, from the mountains of Seir to the Medite and during the Babylonish captivity of the Jews, the Edomites encroached upon the south of Judah so far as which became their capital. Thus, in speaking of the land of Edom, we must be careful to distinguish times. times of Moses and Joshua, and even under the kings of Judah, it was confined to the region of Mount Seir that direction it had, before the time of Solomon, extended to the Gulf of Akaba. In 1 Kings ix. 26, we read Solomon made a navy of ships at Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea in the

hetabel, the daughter of M
ghter of Mezahab.
hese are the names of
came of Esau, according
, after their places, br
Timnah, duke Alrah

Tholibamah, duke Elah du

Kenaz, duke Teman.

Iagdiel, duke Iram: these
Edom, according to their ha
and of their possession: |
r of the Edomites.

as

Erythrus, who reigned in the adjoining country. Erythrus, like Edom, means "the red;" so t doubtless points to Esau, whose posterity occupied the country indicated. It is not until a muc find the country to the south of Palestine called the land of Edom, and it therefore appea availed themselves of the depressed state into which the Jews were brought by the Assyrian a to extend themselves westward from their mountains towards the Mediterranean, and ultimately southern province of Palestine itself. It is proper in this view to distinguish the whole extent into two parts. One comprehended the whole range of Seir with the neighbouring plain. Boz iv. 43), in the part east of Palestine, and Petra, more towards the Arabian Gulf, were its chief t is supposed to be the "Selah" and "Joktheel" of the Bible (see note on 2 Kings xiv. 7); and i history as the capital of the Nabathæans; for those Edomites who remained in Seir, after a larg occupy the south of Judæa, during the captivity of the Jews, joined themselves with the descenda son of Ishmael, whose full sister Esau had married (v. 3), and they were ever after called Nabatha land of Edom, and what was exclusively known as Idumæa to the Greeks and Romans, must branch dominion south of Palestine. It will be useful to attend to this distinction between th Judæa, and the Edomites as mixed and identified with the Nabathæans in the region of Seir. both people seem to have prospered greatly under the Babylonian kings and the successors of observed that the "Edomites," previously to the Jewish captivity, are those who occupy Seir, of the after-period are those to the south of Judæa.

We learn from the chapter before us, that the Edomites were at first governed patriarchally by that afterwards they established a monarchy so early as to have had eight kings before there w (v. 31). The Israelites, in their passing from Egypt to Canaan, were directed to abstain from descendants of Esau, and when the Edomites refused the children of Israel a passage through was directed to make a large circuit round their dominions, in order to avoid any inimical col seems there were no wars between the kindred nations until the time of David, who put garrison they of Edom became David's servants" (2 Sam. viii. 14). Thus was realized the prophecy of brother should serve the younger. The victories of David seem to have been attended with a Edomites (1 Kings xi. 16). There are several indications that the latter submitted to the yoke w and they did not omit to avail themselves of the opportunities which the division of the H kingdoms, at variance with each other, offered for the recovery of their independence. After that over Edom remained with Judah; but in the reign of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, they revoltec selves a king" (2 Chron. xxi. 8-10); and although they were then and afterwards defeated in they succeeded in maintaining their national independence. Thus, as Isaac had foretold, Esau younger brother from off his neck. When Jerusalem was besieged by Nebuchadnezzar, the E with the Babylonian king, and encouraged him in his undertaking, taking an active part in t city, and dealing severely with the citizens (Ps. cxxxvii. 1; Obad. 11-14). This conduct wa by the prophets, who foretold the future overthrow of Edom. The Jewish traditions state, tl lation of Israel and Judah, the Edomites greatly increased in numbers and power, extend westward, and sending colonies far abroad. This must no doubt be understood of the collec follows must be restricted to the people of Idumæa south of Palestine. When the Jews we captivity, they remained for a long time in too weak a state to engage in any contest with the end But when, at an after-period, the latter invaded Judæa while Judas Maccabæus was engaged in o of Antiochus Epiphanes, they were defeated with great slaughter by the Jewish general, who ret and demolished the chief fortresses of Idumæa. Another of the same family, John Hyrcanus, bi into still further subjection, compelling them to receive circumcision, and to submit to the other 1 of the Hebrew law. Their subsequent history is connected with that of Judæa, and the only is, that Herod the Great, whom the Romans made king of Judæa, was of Idumæan extractio was threatened by Vespasian, the Idumæans, whom Josephus describes as "a tumultuous and delighting in mutation-and hastening to a battle as if it were to a feast"-were invited to Jerusal They proceeded thither with 20,000 men, and being admitted during the night, committed fearf people and the party opposed to the Zealots; but they afterwards repented of what they had done the city. After this we hear nothing of the Idumæans. Origen says, that in his time (A.D. 185 had ceased to be a distinct people; they were numbered with the Arab tribes, and spoke the Syri

int Seir." or rather the mountains ly to that range of mountains hern extremity of the Dead Sat ng in the same direction, whic the continued channel of the abruptly from this valley, and in he ancients. The plain to the the level of the Ghor, on the shed importance escent, at the base of which ntains which constitute its ac s given by the ancients: the in with the mountains which of this region, Burekhardt sens of the elevated plain, whichis tony desert, although susert thickly inhabited, for the trus etween Maan and Akaba, as w prings. At present, all this that parts of which have been a ed by the same traveller as hey form, of course differs f and, although the heat is very recoming suffocating. Ther to the end of March. This olives, apricots and most Ear khardt observes, there was

Perhaps we ought not to conclude this article, without noticing the belief entertained by t medans that the original Romans were a colony of Edomites. Their accounts somewhat di persons, but they agree in substance; and are all doubtless derived from the same source-the teac Hence the Jews apply to Rome whatever the prophets say of the destruction of Edom in t Talmud calls Italy and Rome "the cruel empire of Edom." The Mohammedans consider that Latins are descended from Roum, the son of Esau; but it does not appear from the chapter bef any such son.

Horim, or Horites, who are his allies. These people an first settled there, and whose "Seir" applied to this rep d of the family. The ent room to suppose that it e "land of Edom" of afic diately to the east and 597, father, and as his desti 1 in their stead (Deut. pears to have extended the eastern frontier of Pals Arabian gulf; while in s of Seir to the Mediterr outh of Judah so far as H ul to distinguish times. D he region of Mount Seir: b 1 Kings ix. 26, we read" of the Red Sea in the d Sea came bra of Edom, the dominions Med "the S

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24. "This was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his מצא את הימם Matzat ha-yemim, translated "found the mules," have occasioned much di mon opinion apparently adopted by our translators is that this Anah was the first who coupled produce the mongrel breed called mules. This opinion has the authority of the Jewish rabbir version, and is allowed by Dr. Adam Clarke and other commentators of authority. The objection word matza never means to invent, but to find, in the common sense of the term, or to acquire, di that mules are never elsewhere called yemim, but pheredim; that Anah fed asses only, not horses mention of mules in Palestine till the time of David. Bochart, by whom these objections opinion that the word rendered mules really denotes the Emim, a gigantic people whose territorio the Horim, and with whom it is supposed that Anah and his herdsmen had a remarkable enco asses in the wilderness. This opinion has the sanction of the Samaritan text and version, and leans the Targum of Onkelos, who renders the word by "giants," or strong powerful men; and an Sepharat) says that the yemim were demons or satyrs. The Septuagint preserves the original wo in the singular number; while others render it as a proper name in the plural, which it certainly a proper name at all. The Syriac renders the greatly disputed word as "waters," and is followed translates aquas calidas, "warm springs or waters," and in his note makes a remark on the diversi

are

concurs in this interpretation ; and we are certainly disposed to conclude, with Dr. Boothroyd, that waters of or other are intended. The probability is, that Anah, while feeding his father's asses, discovered a copiou lake, and this would certainly, in that arid region, be considered an event of sufficient importance to be rec it might be the asses which led him to make the discovery, as those animals, as well as camels, have the re being very sagacious in the discovery of water. Dr. Boothroyd renders thus: "It was this Anah that found in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father." (See the notes of Calmet, Adam Clarke, and on this place; also the Universal History, vol. ii. p. 171.)

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CHAPTER XXXVII.

2 Joseph is hated of his brethren. 5 His two dreams. 13 Jacob sendeth him to visit his brethren. 18 His brethren conspire his death. 21 Reuben saveth him. 26 They sell him to the Ishmeelites. 31 His

father, deceived by the bloody coat, mourneth for

him. 36 He is sold to Potiphar in Egypt.

AND Jacob dwelt in the land 'wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Jo

old age: and he made him a coat of * colours.

4 And when his brethren saw th father loved him more than all his br they hated him, and could not speak ably unto him.

5 And Joseph dreamed a drea he told it his brethren: and they hat yet the more.

6 And he said unto them, Hear, you, this dream which I have dreame

7 For, behold, we were binding s in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, an stood upright; and, behold, your s

seph brought unto his father their evil

stood round about and made choice

Dr. Boothroyd, that waters of sec er's asses, discovered a copious y mufficient importance to be record as well as camels, have the repu It was this Anah that found the wan Calmet, Adam Clarke, and Booty

LELLE.

nade him a coat of

s brethren saw that the ore than all his brethr d could not speak pes

I dreamed a dream.
ren: and they hated

unto them, Hear, I
ch I have dreamed:
e were binding shesr
my sheaf arose, and
1, behold, your shear
and made obeisaner

1.im.

indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

9

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.

13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.

14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, * see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

19 And they said one to another, Behold, this 'dreamer cometh.

20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 21 And 'Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

23 And it came to pass, when Joseph

was come unto his brethre Joseph out of his coat, * colours that was on him;

24 And they took him, a pit: and the pit was er water in it.

25 And they sat down they lifted up their eyes, behold, a company of Ishn Gilead with their camel and balm and myrrh, goin to Egypt.

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20

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BALM OF GILEAD (Balsamode 26 And Judah said u What profit is it if we sla conceal his blood?

27 Come, and let us se meelites, and let not our h for he is our brother an his brethren were content

28 Then there passed b chantmen; and they drew seph out of the pit, and s Ishmeelites for twenty pie they brought Joseph into

29 And Reuben retu and, behold, Joseph was n he rent his clothes.

30 And he returned u and said, The child is no shall I go?

31 And they took Jo

killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.

33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put

sackcloth upon his loins, and mou his son many days.

35 And all his sons and all his d rose up to comfort him; but he re be comforted; and he said, For I down into the grave unto my son m Thus his father wept for him.

36 And the Midianites sold h Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of PH and "captain of the guard.

9 Chap. 44. 28. 10 Heb. eunuch. But the word doth signify not only eunuchs, but also chamberlains, courtiers, and office 11 Heb. chief of the slaughtermen, or executioners. Or, chief marshal.

Verse 3. "A coat of many colours." - This parti-coloured tunic of Joseph has occasioned some speculati seems to us that the real point of interest has not been noticed. It would be desirable to know whether interweaving a piece in various colours was at this time discovered or not. Judging from the information v text offers, it would seem not; for the word which is constantly rendered "colours," may, as in the margina with more than equal propriety be rendered "pieces," which makes it probable that the agreeable effect resu a combination of colours was obtained by patchwork, in the first instance; and in after-times, by being wro a needle. The value and distinction attached to such variegated dresses shows that they were not common, formed by some elaborate process. This continued long after. In the time of David, such a dress was a disti a king's daughter (2 Sam. xiii. 18); and in Judges v. 30, we see ladies anticipating the return of a victoriou with "a prey of divers colours, of divers colours of needlework on both sides." We may therefore infer, that times people generally did not wear variegated dresses, the common use of which must have been consequen discovery of the art of interweaving a variegated pattern in the original texture, or of printing it subsequently. in Persia, where a robe is usually of one colour, most Asiatic people are partial to dresses in which various pa interwoven in stripes or flowers; and parti-coloured dresses have necessarily ceased to form a distinction. remarkable illustration of this text which we have seen, is given by Mr. Roberts, who states that in India tomary to invest a beautiful or favourite child with "a coat of many colours," consisting of crimson, purple, a colours, which are often tastefully sewed together. He adds: "A child being clothed in a garment of many ca is believed that neither tongues nor evil spirits will injure him, because the attention is taken from the beau person to that of the garment."

17. "Dothan." This place is mentioned as a "city" in 2 Kings vi. 13-15. Eusebius says it was twelve mi of Samaria. That it was somewhere north of Shechem would appear from the present text. What is mean "pit" into which Joseph was cast is an exhausted cistern, or reservoir, in which the rain-water is collected, and there are many in Palestine. Many of them are found to be empty in summer, the supply of water they being often soon exhausted. Dr. Richardson thus mentions the place place which is pointed out as the scene of t recorded in this chapter: "Having cleared the intricate defiles of this part of the country, we got upon an e open field which bore an abundant crop of thistles, and on which several herds of black cattle were feeding. some, is supposed to be the scene of the infamous conspiracy of which the liberty of Joseph was the temporary A little farther on we arrived at Gib Youssouff, or the pit into which Joseph was cast by his brethren, being three hours and forty minutes from Mensura. Here there is a large Khan for the accommodation of traveller well of very excellent water, and a very comfortable oratory for a Mussulman to pray in." This place is about a half or three days' journey from Shechem, which is nearly equal to the distance between Hebron and Shec that the distance from Hebron to Dothan, if this be Dothan, was about five or six days' journey, which, as Dr. H son observes, "is a long way for the sons of Jacob to go to feed their herds, and a still farther way for a solitar like Joseph to be sent in quest of them." But we do not consider this distance too great, particularly as we k place was somewhere beyond Shechem. Indeed the doctor himself admits that it is a very likely place, pla part as it lies in what is still one of the principal roads from the Haouran and Mount Gilead to Egypt. Speaking same neighbourhood (Nablous or Shechem), Dr. Clarke says-" Along the valley we beheld a company of Ishr coming from Gilead, as in the days of Reuben and Judah, with their camels, bearing spicery, and balm, and who would gladly have purchased another Joseph of his brethren, and conveyed him as a slave to some Poti Egypt. Upon the hills around, flocks and herds were feeding as of old; nor, in the simple garb garo of the sheph Samaria, was there anything to contradict the notions we may entertain of the appearance formerly exhibited sons of Jacob." He adds, that the morning morn after his arrival at Nablous, he met caravans coming from Grand

and noticed others reposing in the large olive plantations near the gates.

25. "A company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels," &c.-Midianites being also mentioned as minating this company, we may infer that it was a mixed caravan, and principally composed of Ishmaelit Midianites. We might call them generally "Arabians," as the Chaldee does. "Here," says Dr. Vincent, opening the oldest history in the world, we find the Ishmaelites from Gilead conducting a caravan loaded wi spices of India, the balsam and myrrh of Hadramaut; and in the regular course of their traffic proceeding to for a market. The date of this transaction is more than seventeen centuries before the Christian era, and no standing its antiquity, it has all the genuine features of a caravan crossing the Desert at the present hour." merce and Navigation of the Ancients, vol. ii. p. 262). We cannot at this moment enter into the question, whic Vincent assumes, that the Arabians had already become the medium of communication between India and Egypt the subject divides itself into two parts, the commerce of the Arabians and that of the Egyptians, we postpo former, and confine ourselves to a few remarks on the latter. Dr. Vincent calls the Egyptians, with great prop

the C

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