35<\/strong>. a grief of mind<\/em> ] Heb. bitterness of spirit<\/em>. Cf. Gen 27:46<\/span>, Gen 28:8<\/span>. Isaac and Rebekah regarded a mixed marriage with the people of the land as a source of dishonour to the race; cf. Gen 24:3<\/span>. By “a grief of mind” we should understand soreness and disappointment; cf. Pro 14:10<\/span>. The LXX , Lat. offenderant animam<\/em>, took the meaning to be that Judith and Basemath were quarrelsome, and had given offence to Esau’s parents.<\/p>\n Verse 35<\/span>. Which were a grief of mind<\/B><\/I>] Not the marriage<\/I>, though that was improper, but the persons<\/I>; they, by their perverse and evil ways, brought bitterness into the hearts of Isaac and Rebekah. The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel<\/I>, and that of Jerusalem<\/I>, say they were addicted to idol worship, and rebelled against and would not hearken to the instructions either of Isaac or Rebekah. From Canaanites<\/I> a different conduct could not be reasonably expected. Esau was far from being spiritual<\/I>, and his wives were wholly carnal<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> THE same reflections which were suggested by Abraham’s conduct in denying his wife in Egypt and Gerar, will apply to that of Isaac; but the case of Isaac was much less excusable than that of Abraham. The latter told no falsity<\/I>; he only through fear suppressed a part of the truth<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> 1. A good man has a right to expect God’s blessing on his honest industry. Isaac sowed, and received a hundred-fold, and he had possession of flocks, c., for the Lord blessed him. Worldly<\/I> men<\/I>, if they pray at all, ask for temporal<\/I> things: “What shall we eat? what shall we drink? and wherewithal shall we be clothed?” Most of the truly religious people go into another extreme they forget the body<\/I>, and ask only for the soul<\/I>! and yet there are “things requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul,” and things which are only at God’s disposal. The body lives for the soul’s sake; its life and comfort are in many respects essentially requisite to the salvation of the soul; and therefore the things necessary for its support should be earnestly asked from the God of all grace, the Father of bounty and providence. Ye have not because ye ask not<\/I>, may be said to many poor, afflicted religious people; and they are afraid to ask lest it should appear mercenary, or that they sought their portion in this life. They should be better taught. Surely to none of these will God give a stone<\/I> if they ask bread<\/I>: he who is so liberal of his heavenly blessings will not withhold earthly ones, which are of infinitely less consequence. Reader, expect God’s blessing on thy honest industry; pray for it, and believe that God does not love thee<\/I> less, who hast taken refuge in the same hope, than he loved Isaac. Plead not only his promises, but plead on the precedents he has set before thee. “Lord, thou didst so and so to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and to others who trusted in thee; bless my<\/I> field, bless my<\/I> flocks, prosper my<\/I> labour, that I may be able to provide things honest<\/I> in the sight of all men, and have something to dispense to those who are in want.” And will not God hear such prayers? Yea, and answer them too, for he does not willingly afflict the children of men. And we may rest assured that there is more affliction and poverty in the world than either the justice or providence of God requires. There are, however, many who owe their poverty to their want of diligence and economy; they sink down into indolence, and forget that word, Whatsoever<\/I> thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might<\/I>; nor do they consider that by idleness a man is clothed with rags. Be diligent in business and fervent in spirit, and God will withhold from thee no manner of thing that is good.<\/P> <\/P> 2. From many examples we find that the wealth of the primitive inhabitants of the world did not consist in gold, silver<\/I>, or precious stones<\/I>, but principally in flocks<\/I> of useful cattle, and the produce of the field. With precious metals<\/I> and precious<\/I> stones<\/I> they were not unacquainted<\/I>, and the former were sometimes used in purchases, as we have already seen in the case of Abraham buying a field from the children of Heth. But the blessings which God promises are such as spring from the soil. Isaac sowed in the<\/I> land, and had possessions of flocks and herds, and great store of<\/I> servants<\/I>, Ge 26:12-14<\/span>. Commerce<\/I>, by which nations and individuals so suddenly<\/I> rise and as suddenly fall, had not been then invented; every man was obliged to acquire property by honest and persevering labour, or be destitute. Lucky hits<\/I>, fortunate speculations<\/I>, and adventurous risks<\/I>, could then have no place; the field<\/I> must be tilled<\/I>, the herds watched<\/I> and fed<\/I>, and the proper seasons<\/I> for ploughing,<\/I> sowing<\/I>, reaping<\/I>, and laying up<\/I>, be carefully regarded<\/I> and improved<\/I>. No man, therefore, could grow rich by accident. Isaac<\/I> waxed great and went forward, and grew until he became very great<\/I>, Ge 26:13<\/span>. Speculation<\/I> was of no use, for it could have no object; and consequently many incitements to knavery<\/I> and to idleness<\/I>, that bane of the physical and moral health of the body and soul of man, could not show themselves. Happy times! when every man wrought with his hands, and God particularly blessed his honest industry. As he had no luxuries<\/I>, he had no unnatural<\/I> and factitious wants<\/I>, few diseases, and a long life<\/I>. <\/P> O fortunatos nimium, sua si bona norint<\/I>, Agricolas!<\/I> <\/P> O thrice happy husbandmen! did they but know their own mercies.<\/P> <\/P> But has not what is termed commerce<\/I> produced the reverse of all this? A few<\/I> are speculators<\/I>, and the many<\/I> are comparatively slaves<\/I>; and slaves, not to enrich themselves, (this is impossible,) but to enrich the speculators and adventurers by whom they are employed. Even the farmers<\/I> become, at least partially, commercial<\/I> men; and the soil<\/I>, the fruitful parent of natural wealth, is comparatively disregarded: the consequence is, that the misery<\/I> of the many<\/I>, and the luxury<\/I> of the few<\/I>, increase; and from both these spring, on the one hand, pride, insolence, contempt of the poor, contempt of GOD’S holy word and commandments, with the long catalogue of crimes which proceed from pampered appetites and unsubdued passions: and on the other, murmuring, repining, discontent, and often insubordination<\/I> and revolt<\/I>, the most fell and most destructive of all the evils that can degrade and curse civil society. Hence wars, fightings, and revolutions of states, and public calamities of all kinds. Bad as the world and the times are, men have made them much worse by their unnatural methods of providing for the support of life. When shall men learn that even this is but a subordinate pursuit; and that the cultivator. of the soul in the knowledge, love, and obedience of God, is essentially necessary, not only to future glory, but to present happiness?<\/P><\/p>\n Because to their idolatry and other wickedness they added obstinacy and incorrigibleness, despising their persons and godly counsels, whereby they invited them to repentance. <\/P> <\/p>\n Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac, and to Rebekah.<\/strong> The marriage of them itself was a trouble to them, it being contrary to their will that any of their children should marry with the Canaanites, and those the worst sort of them, the Hittites; it having been the care of Abraham, the father of Isaac, that his son should not marry with them, and laid a strict injunction on his servant not to take a wife for his son from among them; and which was an example to be followed in later times, and which Esau very likely was not ignorant of: and besides this, the women themselves he took for wives were very disagreeable on all accounts, partly because of their religion, being idolaters, and partly by reason of their temper and behaviour, being proud, haughty, and disobedient; as all the three Targums intimate.<\/p>\n Gen 27:46<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n REFLECTIONS<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Let no true believer in Jesus ever be discouraged by the trials he meets with, since the faithful in all ages have been so exercised. The Apostle makes this an evidence of the Christian character, that no man should be moved by these afflictions, since (saith he) ye yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. Oh! it is sweet to see divine wisdom, and divine faithfulness, in all appointments concerning us; and to be able to say of everyone of them, as Paul did, I know that this shall turn to my salvation, through the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. But how very gracious is God amidst all the chequered circumstances of life, in famine, and in fullness, to renew to his people the unalterable assurances of his Covenant love in Christ Jesus! Reader! may it be your happiness and mine, to live upon this when all the supplies of creature cisterns be dried up; and like David, rejoice in that God hath made with us an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; and let this be all our salvation, and all our desire, although he make it not to grow.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n I would have the Reader, methinks, (as I desire myself) to seek grace from the Lord, to profit by what this Chapter relates of the weakness of Isaac’s faith, respecting the safety of his wife, and of his own life. Had he only considered, poor man, the faithfulness of that God who had promised him his assured favor and protection; there was nothing in the circumstances of his situation to have given him a real cause of fear. But consulting with flesh and blood, and not laying hold of God’s promises, his trust in the Lord gave way, and he fell into temptation, sin, and unbelief. Reader! let you and I mark it down among the memorandums of our hearts, that such will be the sure result in every believer’s experience, when not upheld by divine strength, but left to the weakness of his own mind. Let you and I therefore pray with the apostle, that we may be strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, who is the alone strength of his people; for then, and not otherwise, shall we be able to act faith upon God’s promises, unto all patience and longsuffering, with joyfulness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Gen 26:35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.<\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Ver. 35. Which were a grief.<\/strong> ] Because idolatresses, Rev 2:2 and untractable; because given up by God. Hos 4:17 <\/em> Rom 1:28 <\/p>\n grief. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Effect), grief put for that which caused it. No wonder it caused “bitterness of spirit” when we remember who the Canaanites were. <\/p>\n mind = spirit. Hebrew. ruach. See App-9. <\/p>\n Which: Gen 6:2, Gen 27:46, Gen 28:1, Gen 28:2, Gen 28:8 <\/p>\n grief of mind: Heb. bitterness of spirit <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Gen 21:21 – a wife Gen 24:3 – that Gen 34:9 – General Gen 36:2 – Esau Num 12:1 – married Mal 2:15 – That he<\/p>\n Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah. 35. a grief of mind ] Heb. bitterness of spirit. Cf. Gen 27:46, Gen 28:8. Isaac and Rebekah regarded a mixed marriage with the people of the land as a source of dishonour to the race; cf. Gen 24:3. By “a grief of mind” … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 26:35”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
<\/P> Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"