Day 21

II The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C. ~ cont.

D. Jacob ~ cont.

5. Jacob's closing days with Laban ~ cont.

b. Departure from Laban - Genesis 31:17-55

6. His return to Canaan

a. Reunion with Esau

(1) Apprehension - Genesis 32:1-23

(2) Wrestles with angel, name changed - Genesis 32:24-32; 35:10

(3) Meets Esau - Genesis 33:1-16

b. Journey resumes - Genesis 33:17-20

c. Judah's three sons - Genesis 38:1-5; 1 Chronicles 2:3

(1) Birth of Er

(2) Birth of Onan

(3) Birth of Shelah

And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.  (Genesis 32:1)

And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. (Genesis 32:2)

I am amazed each year when I read through the Bible and discover or see something I had not in previous years.  Thank you Father for the continual discoveries.  :-D

Setting - Jacob left Laban, Rachel stole Laban's gods, Laban is warned not to harm Jacob, Jacob and Laban come to an understanding.

The verses above caught my attention because of the reference to angels and host.  Exploring:

angels - H4397 - From an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically of God, that is, an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher).

host - H4264 - From H2583; an encampment (of travellers or troops); hence an army, whether literally (of soldiers) or figuratively (of dancers, angels, cattle, locusts, stars; or even the sacred courts).

Mahanaim - H4266 - Dual of H4264; double camp; Machanajim, a place in Palestine.

Browsed Gill's commentary:

And Jacob went on his way,.... From Gilead towards the land of Canaan:

and the angels of God met him; to comfort and help him, to protect and defend him, to keep him in all his ways, that nothing hurt him, Psa_91:11; these are ministering spirits sent forth by God to minister to his people, the heirs of salvation; and such an one Jacob was.

And when Jacob saw them,.... These appeared in a visible form, most probably human, and in the habit, and with the accoutrements of soldiers, and therefore afterwards called an host or army. Aben Ezra thinks that Jacob alone saw them, as Elisha first saw the host of angels before the young man did that was with him, 2Ki_6:17,

he said, this is God's host: or army, hence he is often called the Lord of hosts; angels have this name from their number, order, strength, and military exploits they perform:

and he called the name of the place Mahanaim; which signifies two hosts or armies; either his own family and company making one, and the angels another, as Aben Ezra observes; or they were the angels, who very probably appeared in two companies, or as two armies, and one went on one side of Jacob and his family, and the other on the other side; or the one went before him, and the other behind him; the latter to secure him from any insult of Laban, should he pursue after him, and distress him in the rear, and the former to protect him from Esau, near whose country Jacob now was, and of whom he was in some fear and danger; thus seasonably did God appear for him. The Jewish writers (t) say, the host of God is 60,000, and that the Shechinah, or divine Majesty, never dwells among less, and that Mahanaim, or two hosts, are 120,000; there was afterwards a city of this name near this place, which very likely was so called in memory of this appearance, Jos_21:38; and there seems to be an allusion to it in the account of the church, Son_6:13; it was in the land of Gilead, and tribe of Gad, forty four miles from Jerusalem to the southeast (u).

Gill references the verse that came to my mind when reading that Jacob saw an angelic host.

2Ki 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

An encouragement to those who are of the household of faith that we are always under the watchful care and protection of the Lord and His host.

Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Heb 1:14  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? 

Day 20

II The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C. ~ cont.

D. Jacob ~ cont.

4. Jacob and Esau both leave ~ cont.

Parallel Passages ~ cont.

Jacob's History ~ cont.

f. Twelve children born as he works additional years for Rachael and cattle ~ cont. Genesis 30:1-6; 29:35; 30:9, 7-8, 10-11, 14-18, 12-13, 19-24

Notable children included

(1) Levi 

(2) Judah

(3) Joseph

(4) Dinah (only daughter)

Esau's History ~ cont.

b. Esau's future ~ cont.

(2) Kings of Edom

(a) Bela - 1st King - Genesis 36:31-33; 1 Chronicles 1:43-44

(b) Other kings following - Genesis 36:34-39; 1 Chronicles 1:45-50

(3) Dukes of Edom - Genesis 36:40-43; 1 Chronicles 1:51-54

END Parallel Passages

5. Jacob's closing days with Laban

a. Increased material blessings - Genesis 30:25-43; 31:1-16

And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes.  And he lay with her that night.  (Genesis 30:16)

I chuckled over this verse.  It appears to be the first biblically recorded incidence of paying for sex, and by the woman no less!  Hopefully that does not come across as being sacrilegious.  Jacob apparently had no choice in the matter?

Exploring a few of the words in the verse:

hired - H7936 - The second form by permutation and used in Ezr_4:5; a primitive root (apparently akin (by prosthesis) to H3739 through the idea of temporary purchase; compare H7937); to hire.

This word is doubled when used in this verse.  This word is used 21 times in 18 verses.  First usage is in Genesis 30:16, most of the verses translate the word as hired, except in Proverbs 26:10 where it is translated, twice, as rewardeth.  The last usage in Haggai 1:6, also used twice, it is translated as wages (put into a bag with holes).

mandrakes - H1736 - From H1731; a boiler or basket; also the mandrake (as aphrodisiac).

• H1731 - From the same as H1730; a pot (for boiling); also (by resemblance of shape) a basket.
• H1730 - From an unused root meaning properly to boil, that is, (figuratively) to love; by implication a love token, lover, friend; specifically an uncle.

Used only 7 times in 5 verse, primarily in the Genesis passage, also in Song of Solomon and Jeremiah.  Since this was not enough information, I went on a hunt.  Not much on mandrakes, and what is out there is, well, odd.  This site seemed decent.

I thought Gill's commentary on the passage interesting:

And Jacob came out of the field in the evening,.... From feeding his flocks:

and Leah went out to meet him; knowing full well the time he used to come home:

and said, thou must come in unto me; into her tent, for the women had separate tents from the men; as Sarah from Abraham; and so these wives of Jacob had not only tents separate from his, but from one another:

for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes: that is, she had hired that night's lodging with him of Rachel, with the mandrakes her son Reuben had brought out of the field. Jacob made no objection to it; but consented, being willing to please both his wives, who he perceived had made this agreement between themselves:

and he lay with her that night; and that only, for the present: for, by the way of speaking, it looks as if he did not continue with her more nights together at that time, but went, as before that evening, to Rachel's tent.

Another interesting observation is Leah's motive - not so much to one up Rachel, but to acquire a good dowry ~ of children.  Which in our day and age is looked upon with disdain or outright scoffing.  People have been so brainwashed into thinking that children are a burden, when in reality they are a blessing from the Lord.

Psalm 127:3  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Day 19

II The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C. ~ cont.

D. Jacob ~ cont.

4. Jacob and Esau both leave - 

Begin Parallel Passages

Jacob's History

a. Sent to Laban's House - Genesis 28:1-5

b. Dream at Bethel - Genesis 28:10-22

c. Arrives at Haran - Genesis 29:1-14

d. Works seven years for Rachel - Genesis 29:15-20

e. Marriage to Leah and then to Rachael one week later - Genesis 29:21-31

f. Twelve children born as he works additional years for Rachael and cattle - Genesis 29:32-34

Esau's History

a. Esau marries Mahalath - Genesis 28:6-9

b. Esau's future

(1) Marriages and Descendants - Genesis 36:1-30; 1 Chronicles 1:35-42

My heart weeps for Leah ~ there was no other recourse for women, marrying a man who could and would protect, defend and provide was the only means of insuring provision for oneself. To be thrust into such a situation :-( where she is forced to marry a man that she knows loves her sister. To be treated so contemptuously by her father and now husband. Browsing commentaries, sharing Gill's:


Gen 29:25 And it came to pass, that, in the morning, behold, it was Leah,.... The morning light discovered her, and her veil being off, her tender eyes showed who she was: it is much her voice had not betrayed her; but perhaps there might be a likeness of voice in her and her sister; or she might keep silence, and so not be discovered in that way; but to excuse her from sin is not easy, even the sin of adultery and incest. Manythings may be said indeed in her favour, as obedience to her father, and, being the eldest daughter, might be desirous of having an husband first, and especially of having the promised seed, which God promised to Abraham, and was to be in the line of Jacob: and it may be, as Schmidt observes, that Laban had persuaded her to believe, that the matrimonial contract he had made with Jacob was on her account, and that she was truly his spouse; and the same he might say to Rachel, which made her easy, or otherwise it is difficult to account for it that she should acquiesce in it; for it can hardly be thought to be done without her knowledge, when it was for the solemnity of her marriage that the men of the city were called together, and a feast made for them; for that she should deliver up to her sister the things or signs that Jacob had given her to carry on the fraud, as the Jewish writers (r) say, is beyond belief:

and he said to Laban; when he arose in the morning, and at first meeting with him:

what is this that thou hast done unto me? what a wicked thing is it? as it was, to put another woman to bed to him that was not his wife, and in the room of his lawful wife; or why hast thou done this to me? what reason was there for it? what have I done, that could induce thee to do me such an injury? for Jacob knew what he had done, of that he does not inquire, but of the reason of it, and expostulates with him about the crime, as it was a sin against God, and an injury to him:

did I not serve thee, for Rachel? even seven years, according to agreement? was not this the covenant I made with thee, that she should be my wife at the end of them?

wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? by giving Leah instead of her: though Laban is not to be justified in this action, yet here appears in Providence a righteous retaliation of Jacob; he beguiled his own father, pretending he was his brother Esau; and now his father-in-law beguiles him, giving him blear eyed Leah instead of beautiful Rachel.

Day 18

II The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C. ~ cont.

D. Jacob

1. Obtains Esau's birthright - Genesis 25:27-34

2. Incidents in Isaac's life

a. Famine and covenant renewal with Isaac at Gerar - Genesis 26:1-5

b. Isaac lies about Rebekah at Gerar - Genesis 26:6-10

c. Isaac's success at Gerar - Genesis 26:11-16

d. Isaac, the well-digger at Gerar caused temporary strife - Genesis 26:17-22

e. Esau marries two Canaanite women - Genesis 26:34-35

f. Makes altar at Beer-Sheba - Genesis 26:23-25

g. Death of Ishmael (137 years) - Genesis 25:17-18
h. Isaac's truce with Abimelech at Beer-Sheba - Genesis 26:26-32
3. Jacob obtains Esau's blessing - Genesis 27:1-46

Never thought to ask, "What is a birthright?"

The word, 'birthright' is used 10 times in 9 verses. In the OT:

H1062 - Feminine of H1060; the firstling of man or beast; abstractly primogeniture.

primogeniture?

–noun

1.

the state or fact of being the firstborn of children of the same parents.

2.

Law: system of inheritance or succession by the firstborn, specifically the eldest son.

• H1060 - From H1069; firstborn; hence chief.
• H1069 - A primitive root; properly to burst the womb, that is, (causatively) bear or make early fruit (of woman or tree); also (as denominatively from H1061) to give the birthright.

Burst the womb?  Interesting turn of words.  :-D  The first child most definitely changes a woman's body.  {laugh}

First usage of H1062 is in Genesis 4:4 when Abel brings the firstlings of his flock as an offering.  Last usage in Nehemiah 10:36 which uses firstborn (H1060) and firstlings (H1062).

In the NT:
G4415 - From G4416; primogeniture (as a privilege).

• G4416 - From G4413 and the alternate of G5088; first born (usually as noun, literally or figuratively).

Okay, this helps me not at all in really understanding what a birthright entails.  From K&D commentary (portion):

"The birthright consisted afterwards in a double portion of the father's inheritance (Deu_21:17); but with the patriarchs it embraced the chieftainship, the rule over the brethren and the entire family (Gen_27:29), and the title to the blessing of the promise (Gen_27:4, Gen_27:27-29), which included the future possession of Canaan and of covenant fellowship with Jehovah (Gen_28:4)."

Deu 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Here is what I gleaned from a couple of websites I browsed:

1. Double portion - of divisible property;
2. Head of the family - responsible for widow(s), other sons and unmarried daughters;
3. Authority - over other members of family; and
4. Blessing - close and favored covenant-relationship with Yahweh

I found Matthew Henry's commentary intriguing - if you do not have E-Sword (with free download program, commentaries and dictionary) please avail yourself by clicking the link.  For a quick view, go here, scroll down to Verses 29-34.