masters. But after the question of right, or of possession, was decided, it would seem the shepherds were often detected in fraudulently watering their flocks and herds from their neighbour's well. To prevent this, they secured the cover with a lock, which continued in use so late as the days of Chardin, who frequently saw such precautions used in different parts of Asia, on account of the real scarcity of water there. According to that intelligent traveller, when the wells and cisterns were not locked up, some person was so far the proprietor, that no one dared to open a well, or a cistern, but in his presence. This was probably the reason, that the shepherds of Padanaram declined the invitation of Jacob to water the flocks, before they were all assembled; either they had not the key of the lock which secured the stone, or if they had, they durst not open it, but in the presence of Rachel, to whose father the well belonged. It is ridiculous to suppose the stone was so heavy that the united strength of several Mesopotamian shepherds could not roll it from the mouth of the well, when Jacob had strength, or address, to remove it alone; or, that though a stranger, he ventured to break a standing rule for watering the flocks, which the natives did not dare to do, and that without opposition. The oriental shepherds were not on other occasions so passive; as the violent conduct of the men of Gerar sufficiently proves.-Paxton. Ver. 7. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day. Heb. "Yet the day is great." Are people travelling through places where are wild beasts, those who are timid will keep troubling the party by saying, "Let us seek for a place of safety but the others reply, "Not yet;" for the day is great." "Why should I be in such haste? the day is yet great." When tired of working, it is remarked, Why, the day is yet great."-"Yes, yes, you manage to leave off while the day is yet great."-ROBERTS. " Twice in the day they led their flocks to the wells; at noon, and when the sun was going down. To water the flocks, was an operation of much labour, and occupied a considerable space of time. It was, therefore, an office of great kindness with which Jacob introduced himself to the notice of his relations, to roll back the stone which lay upon the mouth of the well, and draw water for the flocks which Rachel tended. Some of these wells are furnished with troughs and flights of steps down to the water, and other contrivances, to facilitate the labour of watering the cattle. It is evident the well to which Rebecca went to draw water, near the city of Nahor, had some convenience of this kind; for it is written, "Rebecca hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels." A trough was also placed by the well, from which the daughters of Jethro watered his flocks; and if we may judge from circumstances, was a usual contrivance in every part of the east. In modern times, Mr. Park found a trough near the well, from which the Moors watered their cattle, in the sandy deserts of Sahara. As the wells are often very deep, from a hundred and sixty to a hundred and seventy feet, the water is drawn up with small leathern buckets, and a cord, which travellers are often obliged to carry along with them, in their journey, because they meet with more cisterns and wells than springs. Dr. Richardson saw one of these buckets lying beside a deep well near a Christian church in Egypt to draw water for the congregation. And Buckingham found a party of twelve or fifteen Arabs drawing water in leathern buckets by cords and pulleys. To this custom, which they are forced to submit to by the scantiness of the population in those regions, the woman of Samaria refers in her answer to our Lord: "Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with ;" thou bast no bucket and cord, as travellers commonly have; "and the well is deep; from whence then hast thou that living water?"-PAXTON. Ver. 18. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. Because he had no money or other goods which he could give to the father for his daughter. For among many people of the East, in ancient and modern times, we find it customary, not for the bride to bring a dowry to the bridegroom, but the bridegroom must, in a manner, purchase the girl whom he intends to marry, from the father. Therefore Shechem says, (ch. xxxiv. 12,) to Dinah's father and brothers, "Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife." In the same manner Tacitus relates, that among the ancient Germans, the wife did not bring the dowry to the man, but the man to the woman. "The parents and relations are present, who examine the gifts, and choose, not such as are adapted to female dress, or to adorn the bride, but oxen, and a harnessed horse, a shield, and a sword. In return for these presents he receives the wife." This custom still prevails among the Bedouins. "When a young man meets with a girl to his taste, he asks her of her father through one of his relations: they now treat about the number of camels, sheep, or horses, that the son-in-law will give to the father for his daughter; for the Bedouins never save any money, and their wealth consists only in cattle. A man that marries must therefore literally purchase his wife, and the fathers are most fortunate who have many daughters. They are the principal riches of the family. When, therefore, a young man negotiates with the father whose daughter he intends to marry, he says, 'Will you give me your daughter for fifty sheep, six camels, or twelve cows?' If he is not rich enough to give so much, he offers a mare or foal. The qualities of the girl, the family, and the fortune of him that intends to marry her, are the principal considerations in D'Arvieux, p. 119.) This is confirmed by Seetzen, in his making the bargain." (Customs of the Bedouin Arabs, by account of the Arab tribes whom he visited in 1808. The ceremonies at the marriage of a wandering Arab are remarkable; a young Arab knows a girl who pleases him; he goes to her father, and makes his wishes known to him. The latter speaks to his daughter. "Daughter," says he, "there is one who asks you for his wife: the man is good, and it depends upon yourself if you will become his wife; you have my consent." If the girl refuses, there is an end of the matter; if she is contented, the father returns to his guest, and informs him of the happy intelligence. "But," he adds, "I demand the price of the girl." This consists of five camels; but generally, by the intervention of others, a couple more are added, and those given are frequently miserable enough.-BURDER. Ver. 19. And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man abide with me. So said Laban, in reference to his daughter Rachel; and whole affair is managed in a business-like way, without any so say fathers in the East, under similar circumstances. The thing like a consultation with the maiden. Her likes and dislikes are out of the question. The father understands the matter perfectly, and the mother is very knowing; therefore they manage the transaction. This system, however, is the fruitful source of that general absence of domestic happiness which prevails there. She has, perhaps, never seen the man with whom she is to spend her days. He may be young; he may be aged; he may be repulsive or attractive. The whole is a lottery to her. Have the servants or others whispered to her something about the match? she will make her inquiries; but the result will never alter the arrangements: for though her soul abhor the thoughts of meeting him, yet it must be done.ROBERTS. Ver. 23. And it came to pass, in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. This deceit of giving Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel was the more easy, because the bride was introduced veiled to the bridegroom. The following passage from Olearius (Travels in Persia) is particularly applicable here. "If they are people of any consideration, they bring up their daughters, locked up in their chambers, to hide them from view, and they cannot be seen by the bridegroom till they are received in the chamber. In this manner many a one is deceived, and receives, instead of a handsome, a deformed and ugly girl, nay, instead of the daughter, some other relation, or even a maid. Also, when the bridegroom has sat down, the bride is seated by his side veiled, and magnificently dressed, and that neither may see the other, a piece of red silk is drawn between them, which is held by two boys."-Rosenmuller. Ver. 24. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah, Zilpah his maid for a handmaid. Chardin observes, that none but very poor people marry a daughter in the East, without giving her a female slave for a handmaid, there being no hired servants there as in Europe. So Solomon supposes they were extremely poor that had not a servant. Prov. xii. 9.-HARMER. Ver. 26. And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the first-born. The existence of this rule, and its application to practice, in those parts of the world, is confirmed by the Hindoo law, which makes it criminal to give the younger daughter in marriage before the elder; or for a younger son to marry while his elder brother remains unmarried.-PAXTON. It has been said, (and with much truth,) that could Alexander revisit India, he would find the same customs and manners that prevailed in his day. From age to age the fashions and usages are carefully and reverently adhered to. When the eldest daughter is deformed, or blind, or deaf, or dumb, then the younger may be given first: but under other circumstances it would be disgraceful in the extreme. Should any one wish to alter the order of things, the answer of Laban is given. Should a father, however, have a very advantageous offer for a younger daughter, he will exert all his powers to get off the elder; but until this can be accomplished, the younger will not be married. Younger brothers are sometimes married first, but even this takes place but very seldom.-ROBERTS. Ver. 30. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. Polygamy was productive of many evils; and particuarly gave occasion for jealousy and contention. It required, indeed, the utmost exertion of prudence on the part of the husband so to conduct himself towards his wives, as to prevent continual strife and discord. Wherever the practice obtains, the same care will always be requisite. Thus a late traveller, (Sir R. K. Porter's Travels in Persia, vol. ii. p. 8,) speaking of the number of wives a Persian keeps, says, "To preserve amity between these ladies, which had so excited my admiration, our communicative host told me, that himself, in common with all husbands, who preferred peace to passion, adhered to a certain rule, of each wife claiming, in regular rotation, the connubial attentions of her spouse: something of this kind is intimated in the domestic history of the ancient Jewish patriarchs, as a prevailing usage in the East, after men fell from the order of nature and of God, into the vice of polygamy."BURDER. Ver. 35. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah, and left bearing. Margin, "She called his name Praise,"-" and left bearing." Heb. "stood from bearing." Scriptural names have generally a meaning. Thus, Didymus, means a twin; Boanerges, a son of thunder; and Peter, a stone. The names of the Orientals have always a distinct meaning. Thus, Ani Muttoo, the precious pearl; Pun Amma, the golden lady; Perrya Amma, the great lady; Chinny Tamby, the little friend; Kanneyar, the gentleman for the eye. Vast numbers of their children are named after their gods. "Stood from bearing." When a mother has ceased to bear children, should a person say it is not so, others will reply, "She stood from bearing at such a time."ROBERTS. CHAP. 30. ver. 14. And Reuben went, in the days of wheat-harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. This plant is a species of melon, of which there are two sorts, the male and the female. The female mandrake is black, and puts out leaves resembling lettuce, though smaller and narrower, which spread on the ground, and have a disagreeable scent. It bears berries something like services, pale and of a strong smell, having kernels within like those of pears. It has two or three very large roots, twisted together, white within, black without, and covered with a thick rind. The male mandrake is called Morion, or folly, because it suspends the senses. It produces berries twice as large as those of the female, of a good scent, and of a colour approaching towards saffron. Pliny says, the colour is white. Its leaves are large, white, broad, and smooth, like the leaves of the beech-tree. The root resembles that of the female, but is thicker and bigger, descending six or eight feet into the ground. Both the smell and the taste are pleasant; but it stupifies those that use it, and often produces phrensy, vertigo, and lethargy, which, if timely assistance is not given, terminate in convulsions and death. It is said to be a provocative, and is used in the east as filters. The Orientals cultivate this plant in their gardens, for the sake of its smell; but those which Reuben found were in the field, in some small copse of wood perhaps, or shade, where they had come to maturity before they were found. If they resemble those of Persia rather than those of Egypt, which are of a very inferior quality, then we see their value, their superiority. and perhaps their rarity, which induced Rachel to pui chase them from the son of Leah.-PAXTON. Ver. 20. And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons. Should it be reported of a husband, that he is going to forsake his wife, after she has borne him children, people will say, "She has borne him sons; he will never, never leave her." To have children is a powerful tie upon a husband. Should she, however, not have any, he is almost certain to forsake her.-ROBERTS. Ver. 30. And the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming. Heb. "at my foot." By the labour of Jacob's foot, the cattle of Laban had increased to a multitude. Of a man who has become rich by his own industry, it is said, “Ah! by the labour of his feet these treasures have been acquired." How have you gained this prosperity?" "By the favour of the gods, and the labour of my feet." "How is it the king is so prosperous?" "By the labour of the feet of his " ministers."-ROBERTS. CHAP. 31. ver. 2. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not towards him as before. Heb. "as yesterday and the day before." See also marginal reading of Isa. xxx. 33. Of old, “from yesterday." The latter form of speech is truly Oriental, and means time gone by. Has a person lost the friendship of another, he will say to him, "Thy face is not to me as yesterday and the day before." Is a man reduced in his circumstances, he says, "The face of God is not upon me as yesterday and row. the day before." The future is spoken of as to-day and to- Ver. 4. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Besides those that live wholly in tents, numbers of the Eastern people spend part of the year in them. I have observed it particularly in the accounts of Mesopotamia. In that country Bishop Pococke tells us, he fell in with a summer village of country people, whose huts were made of loose stones covered with reeds and boughs; their winter village being on the side of a hill at some distance, consisting of very low houses; and that they chose this place for the convenience of being with their cattle, and out of the high road. Five pages after, he observes, that many of the Curdeens live honestly in Mesopotamia as well as Syria, removing in summer to some places at a distance from their village, where they live under tents, generally in places retired from the road, to avoid the injuries of the soldiery, and of the people of the pacha. May not this circumstance serve to explain a passage of the Old Testament, relating to this country? In Gen. xxxi. it is said, that Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock, that he there told them of his design of returning from Mesopotamia to his native country, and that upon their consenting to go with him, he set out upon this journey so silently, that Laban had no notice of it, until the third day after; yet it appears, that he had all his effects with him, and tents for the accommodation of his family; and that Laban, who pursued him, had tents also for his company. Here one is surprised to find both parties so suddenly equipped with tents for their accommodation in travelling, and is naturally led to inquire, why Jacob sent for his wives to his flock? Bishop Patrick's account of the last circumstance, that it was for greater secrecy, and perhaps to avoid the danger of being seized upon by Laban and his sons, will hardly be thought satisfactory. Could not a husband speak to his wives with sufficient privacy in Laban's house? Were matters come to such an extremity, that Jacob durst not venture himself within the doors of his uncle's house, for fear of being seized upon, and made a prisoner? And in fact Jacob seems actually to have communicated his intention to Rachel in her father's house: for when he sent for his wives, she brought her father's teraphim with her, which she would by no means have done, had she been unapprized of the design. The case seems to have been thus. While Laban and his daughters dwelt in a house, they that tended the flocks had tents for their accommodation. Laban's flocks were in two parcels, one under the care of Jacob, the other committed to the care of Laban's sons, three days' journey off; Jacob's own afterward were also, for the same reason, probably at an equal distance. At the time of shearing sheep, it is reasonable to suppose, that more and better tents were erected for the reception and entertainment of their friends, it being a time of great feasting, 1 Sam. xxv. 4, 8, 36; to which they were wont to invite their friends, 2 Sam. xiii. 25; and the feasts being held at a distance from their own houses, in the places where the sheep were fed, as appears from the passage last cited, and also from Gen. xxxviii. 12. Laban went then with his relations at the time of sheep-shearing to his flocks; Jacob at the same time shore his own sheep, and sent to his wives to come to the entertainment, with all those utensils that they had with them of his, which would be wanted, having before communicated his intention to Rachel his beloved wife. This was a fair pretence for the having all his household stuff brought to him, which according to the present Eastern mode, we may believe was very portable, beds not excepted; and having told Leah then his views, in the company of Rachel, and both consenting to go with him, he had every thing ready for his journey, and could decamp immediately, taking his flocks and herds along with him. Somebody, upon this, went to inform Laban of Jacob's departure, who being at a considerable distance, did not receive the news till the third day. This accounts at once, in the most simple and natural way, for Jacob's sending for his wives to his flock; for his being able to get his goods together without jealousy; and for his and his father-in-law's being furnished with tents for the journey.-HARMER. Ver. 7. And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times: but God suffered him not to hurt me. 8. If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled and if he said thus, The ringstreaked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ring-streaked. The flocks which ranged the fertile pastures of Mesopotamia, seem also to have generally produced twins every year. Laban, who lived in that country, is said to have changed the wages of Jacob ten times in the space of six years; but since the wages of Jacob consisted of the lambs and the kids, they could not have been changed more than six times in six years, if his flock had brought forth only one a-year. Should it be thought that, according to this rule, the wages of Jacob must have been changed twelve times, let it be remembered, that the flocks of Laban had brought forth their first lambs before the bargain was concluded between him and Jacob, and by consequence, the latter had only the lambs of one yeaning that year; and again, the flocks had yeaned only once in the last year of his abode with Laban, because he was compelled to leave the service of his envious relative before the close of the season, and consequently, before the second yeaning. Thus the flocks yeaned only ten times from the date of their agreement, till the departure of Jacob to his own country. Or, we may consider the phrase "ten times," as a definite for an indefinite number; in which sense it is often used by the sacred writers. Thus, Jehovah complains of his ancient people whom he had brought out of Egypt, that they had tempted him "now these ten times," that is, many times, "and had not hearkened to his voice." Job uses it in the same sense: These ten times have ye réproached me," that is, ye have often reproached me. In the same manner, when Jacob complained that Laban had changed his wages ten times, he might only mean that he had done so frequently. Had we therefore no stronger proof, that the sheep of Laban yeaned twice in the year, the fact might seem to rest merely on the state of the flocks in the adjacent regions, which, it cannot be doubted, generally yeaned twins, and for the most part twice in the year. A stronger proof, therefore, may be drawn from these words: "And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in; so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's." Two yeanings are supposed to be suggested in this passage, by the terms stronger and feebler; the lambs of the first were always stronger than those of the second: and consequently, they fell to Jacob by the special bounty of Heaven, causing the cattle, not by any law of nature, but by an act of Almighty power, to conceive among the rods, the use of which was merely the test of Jacob's faith in the divine promise. This is evident, by the sense in which the Syriac interpreter, and the Chaldee Paraphrast understood the text; for, instead of the term "feebler," they use the word "later," rendering the clause, "so the later were Laban's." Jerome, Aquila, and other expositors, interpret the clause in the same manner. Kimchi and other Jewish writers often speak of he first and second yeanings; referring the former to the month Nisan, which corresponds to our March; and the latter to the month Tisri, which nearly corresponds to September; and they assert, that the lambs of the first yeaning are called p, keshorim, or bound, because they had a more compact body; and those of the second, Day, aetophim, or deficient, because they were feebler. The autumnal lambs, however, were preferred by many before the vernal, and the winter before the summer lambs, as being more vigorous and healthy. But it must be confessed, that no certs in trace of two yeanings in the year can be discovered in the sacred volume. The fact is attested by many common authors, and seems necessary to account for the rapid increase of oriental stock, and the prodigious numbers of which the Syrian flocks consisted. The words of Moses may refer, at least with equal probability, to the vigorous and healthy constitution of the ewes which Jacob selected for his purpose; and signify, that robust mothers produced robust lambs, and feeble mothers a weak and spiritless offspring. Aware of the advantages of a vigorous and healthy stock, especially with a long and perilous journey before him, "Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the stronger ewes in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods; but when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in; so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's." -PAXTON. Ver. 27. Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, and with tabret, and with harp? The Easterns used to set out, at least on their longer journeys, with music. When the prefetto of Egypt was preparing for his journey, he complains of his being incommoded by the songs of his friends, who in this manner took leave of their relations and acquaintance. These valedictory songs were often extemporary. If we consider them, as they probably were used not on common but more solemn occasions, there appears peculiar propriety in the complaint of Laban.-HARMER. Ver. 34. Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. Mounted on this mild and persevering animal, (the camel,) the traveller pursues his journey over the sandy deserts of the east, with speed and safety. For his convenience, a sort of round basket is slung on each side with a cover, which holds all his necessaries, between which he is seated on the back of the animal. Sometimes two long chairs, like cradles, are hung on each side with a covering, in which he sits, or, stretched at his ease, resigns himself to sleep, without interrupting his journey. These covered baskets, or chairs, are the camel's furniture, where Rachel put the images which she stole from her father.-PAXTON. Ver. 35. And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images. In Persia, a son never sits in the presence of his father or his mother; even the king's son always stands before him; and is regarded only as the first of his servants. This is the reason that Rachel addressed her father in these words: "Let it not displease my lord, that I cannot rise up before thee."-PAXTON. Ver. 38. This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. 39. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it: of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. The shepherds of the East were accountable for the flocks under their charge. Of this fact, the following extract from the Gentoo laws, furnishes a remarkable proof: "Cattle shall be delivered over to the cow-herd in the morning; the cow-herd send them the whole day with grass and water; and in the evening, shall re-deliver them to the master, in the same manner as they were intrusted to him; if, by the fault of the cow-herd, any of the cattle be lost or stolen, that cow-herd shall make it good. When a cow-herd has led cattle to any distant place to feed, if any die of some distemper, notwithstanding the cow-herd applied the proper remedy, the cow-herd shall carry the head, the tail, the fore-foot, or some such convincing proof taken from that animal's body, to the owner of 'the cattle; having done, this, he shall be no further answerable; if he neglects to act thus, he shall make good the loss." In this very situation was Jacob with Laban, his father-in-law, as we learn from his memorable expostulation, addressed to that deceitful and envious relation.-PAXTON. Ver. 40. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. See on Jeremiah 36. 30. Does a master reprove his servant for being idle, he will ask, " "What can I do? the heat eats me up by day, and the cold eats me up by night: how can I gain strength? I am like the trees of the field; the sun is on my head by day, and the dew by night."-ROBERTS. In the midst of the burning deserts, where the heat is increased tenfold by the sandy surface on which it beats, distress, from the chilling cold of the night. Mr. Bruce, the traveller encounters much inconvenience, and even the justly celebrated Abyssinian traveller, lost all his camels in one night by the cold, in the deserts of Senaar. In the year 1779, the Bedouin Arabs plundered an English caravan in the desert, between Suez and Cairo. Seven of the Europeans, stripped entirely naked by their inhuman spoilers, in the hope of reaching Cairo, pushed forward into the desert. Fatigue, thirst, hunger, and the heat of the sun, destroyed one after another; one alone survived all these horrors. During three days and two nights, he wandered in this parched and sandy desert, frozen at night by the north wind, (it being in the month of January,) and burnt by the sun during the day, without any other shade but a single bush, into which he thrust his head among the thorns, or any drink but his own urine. At length, on the third day, he was descried by an Arab, who conducted him to his tent, and took care of him for three days, with the utmost humanity. At the expiration of that time, the merchants of Cairo, apprized of his situation, procured him a conveyance to that city, where he arrived in the most deplorable condition. From these important facts we may conclude, that even in those parched countries, a fire in the night, in the middle of May, might be very requisite, and highly acceptable. The hapless wanderer, whose affecting story Volney records, was frozen at night by the north wind, and burnt by the dreadful heat of the sun during the day; and the patriarch Jacob complains, that he was for many years exposed to similar hardships in the plains of Mesopotamia; "In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night." Nothing assuredly was remoter from the design of Volney, a proud and insolent enemy of revelation, than to confirm the truth of Scripture history; his statement clearly proves, that Jacob's complaint was not hastily made, but strictly agreeable to truth.-PAxton. Ver. 46. And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: and they did eat there upon the heap. Our version of Genesis xxxi. 46, represents Jacob as sitting, with his relations and friends, when he held a solemn feast, on a heap of stones: one would be inclined to suspect the justness of the translation, as to this circumstance, of the manner in which he treated his friends; but it is made less incredible, by the account Niebuhr has given us, in the first volume of his travels, of the manner in which some of the nobles of the court of the Iman seated themselves, when he visited the prince at Sana of Arabia, his capital city. It is certain the particle by, âl, translated in this passage upon, sometimes signifies near to, or something of that sort; so it is twice used in this sense, Gen. xvi "And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain in the way to Shur." So Gen. xxiv. 13, "Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water." The same may be observed in many other places of the book of Genesis. Consequently the sitting of Jacob and Laban, with their relations and friends, might be understood to have been only near the heap of stones, which was collected together upon this occasion, and designed for a memorial of present reconciliation, and reciprocal engagement to preserve peace and amity in future times: but their actual sitting on this heap of stones may perhaps appear somewhat less improbable, after reading the following passage of Niebuhr's travels, relating to his being admitted to an audience of the Iman of Yemen. "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 nakib, the general, or rather master of the horse, Gheir Allah, with whom I had some acquaintance before. He immediately resigned his place to me, and applied himself to draw together stones into a heap, in order to build himself a new seat." This management to us appears very strange; it might possibly be owing to the extreme heat of that time of the year in that country, which made sitting on the ground very disagreeable; it can hardly however be supposed that they sat upon the heap of stones that had been gathered together on Mount Gilead, for this reason, since high grounds are cooler than those that lie low; since it was in spring time, when the heat is more moderate, for it was at the time of sheep-shearing: but it might be wet, and disagreeable sitting on the ground, especially as they were not furnished with sufficient number of carpets, pursuing after Jacob in a great hurry; and several countries furnishing stones so flat as to be capable of being formed into a pavement, or seat, not so uneasy as we may have imagined. Mount Gilead might be such a country. It might also be thought to tend more strongly to impress the mind, when this feast of reconciliation was eaten upon that very heap that was designed to be the lasting memorial of this renewed friendship. As for the making use of heaps of stones for a memorial, many are found to this day in these countries, and not merely by land, for they have been used for sea marks too: So Niebuhr, in the same volume, tells us of a heap of stones placed upon a rock in the Red Sea, which was designed to warn them that sailed there of the danger of the place, that they might be upon their guard.-HARMER. Ver. 55. And early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them and Laban departed, and returned unto his place. Early rising is a universal custom. Thus, in every season of the year, the people may be seen at sunrise, strolling in all directions. At the time of the heavy dews, they bind a part of the robe round the head, which also falls on the shoulders. When a journey has to be taken, were they not to rise early, they would be unable to trave far before the sun had gained its meridian height. They therefore start a little before daylight, and rest under the shade during the heat of the day. Here also we have another instance of the interesting custom of blessing those who were about to be separated. A more pleasing scene than that of a father blessing his sons and daughters can scarcely be conceived. The fervour of the language, the expression of the countenance, and the affection of their embraces, all excite our strongest sympathy. 'My child, may God keep thy hands and thy feet!" "May the beasts of the forest keep far from thee!" " May thy wife and thy children be preserved!" "May riches and happiness ever be thy portion !"-ROBERTS. CHAP. 32. ver. 7. Then Jacob was greatly afraid, and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands. This plan seems not to have been first invented by Jacob: but it may be conjectured that large caravans used at that time to take this precaution against hostile attacks. Sir H. Blount relates in his Travels, that he travel'ed with a caravan which had divided itself in like manner into two troops; one of which that went before, being attacked by robbers, had an action with them, and were plundered, whereas the other escaped uninjured.-ROSENMULLER. Ver. 15. Thirty milch-camels with their colts, forty kine and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals. Milch-camels, among the Arabs, constitute a principal part of their riches; the creature being every way so serviceable, that the providence of God appears peculiarly kind and wise in providing such a beast for those countries, where no other animal could be of equal use. Niebuhr relates, "that among other dishes presented to him by the Arabs at Menayre, there was also camels' milk. That it was indeed considered cooling and healthy in these hot countries, but that it was so clammy, that when a finger is dipped into it, and drawn up again, the milk hangs down from it like a thread." Host, in his Account of Morocco and Fez, says, "that the Moors also drink camels' milk; and when they have milked them for a short time, they suffer the young camels to suck, and then begin to milk again, partly to share it with the young camels, and partly to make the camels give the milk better." Pallas, in his Russian Travels, says, that it is customary among the Kirgise to milk the camels: "their milk is said to be bluish, thick, and of an agreeable taste. The Kirgise consider it to be very wholesome; and it is also said that a more intoxicating beverage is drawn from it than from mares' milk.” In fact, the camel is of such multifarious use to the Orientals, and of such importance, that among the Bedouins, wealth is not estimated by money, but by the number of camels. These observations are confirmed by Seetzen, in his Account of the Arab Tribes. "No animal among the Arabs surpasses the camel in utility; besides the wholesome diet which his flesh, his milk, and their products, afford them, they turn every part of it to account. Out of its hair, they manufacture carpets, large strong sacks for corn, &c. Out of its skin, soles (serbul,) large water bottles (rawijch,) two of which are a load for a camel, and large leather sacks (karpha,) in which they transport and preserve butter, corn, and similar articles; they die them red on the outside; and two of these also are a load for a camel. They likewise cut straps out of the skin, and out of five or six such straps they prepare long, tough thongs, which they employ in drawing up water fr m deep wells. They also stitch the skin over a frame of bent sticks, and thus form large vessels, which they use to water the camels, and which are called Hhod. The two sinews of the neck of the camel (aelba) serve instead of ropes, and are extremely strong. Their dung is used for fuel. Even the urine of this animal is of utility: all the Arabs, Nomades of both sexes, and likewise many Arab peasants, wash the head every two or three days with the urine of the female camel, and consider this to be very healthy."-RoSENMULLER. From the present which Jacob made to his brother Esau, consisting of five hundred and eighty head of different sorts, we may form some idea of the countless numbers of great and small cattle, which he had acquired in the service of Laban. In modern times, the numbers of cattle in the Turcoman flocks which feed on the fertile plains of Syria, are almost incredible. They sometimes occupy three or four days in passing from one part of the country to another. Chardin had an opportunity of seeing a clan of Turcoman shepherds on their march, about two days' distance from Aleppo. The whole country was covered with them. Many of their principal people, with whom he conversed on the road, assured him, that there were four hundred thousand beasts of carriage, camels, horses, oxen, cows, and asses, and three millions of sheep and goats. This astonishing account of Chardin, is confirmed by Dr. bring no more than three or four hundred horses into the Shaw, who states that several Arabian tribes, who can field, are possessed of more than so many thousand camels, and triple the number of sheep and black cattle. Russel, in his history of Aleppo, speaks of vast flocks which pass that city every year, of which many sheep are sold to supply the inhabitants. The flocks and herds which belonged to the Jewish patriarchs, were not more numerous PAXTON. |