“084. MOVEMENTS—GENESIS 35”

Movements—Genesis 35

There is some difficulty in understanding the movements of Jacob on his return to Canaan. When he parted with Esau, he expressed an intention of following him at his leisure to Mount Seir; but this intention he did not at that time execute. Seeing how sorely he had longed after his father’s house, we expect he would have gone forthwith to his father; but this was by no means the case. And, considering the vow he had made at Bethel, we supposed he would hasten to redeem it when he had returned in peace; but this he does not do. He goes to the valley of Shechem, to which he had, so far as we can learn, never been before. He had doubtless a reason. We may recollect, that this was the place of Abraham’s first encampment, when he entered the land of Canaan; here the place in that land where God first appeared to him; and here the place of the first altar that he built. Here, also, was the tree, the trees, or the grove of Moreh; and, putting all these venerable recollections together, it may not be difficult to discern the reasons which led Jacob to direct his steps in this direction, like the grandfather, the promises made to whom he inherited, and in whose steps he desired to tread. It may appear that the tree, with the altar, combined with these recollections, made this a sacred place; and how much this was honored in after times, we know. This spot was doubtless included in “the field” which Jacob at this time bought of the people of the land; and which he afterwards bequeathed as “one portion above his brethren,” to Joseph, whose bones, brought up from Egypt, were buried there. Abraham had not needed to purchase this spot, and the land being then more thinly peopled, the place was not appropriated. But when Jacob came here, one hundred and sixty years after, the population had become less sparse. A town had been built in the valley; and a spot like this, in the near neighborhood of the town, could no longer be secured as an exclusive possession, but by distinct purchase from the inhabitants.

To Bethel Jacob did not proceed, until he received the Divine command to do so. This was after his sons had made their name odious in the neighborhood, and their longer stay unsafe, by the cruel revenge; which they took upon the people of the town, for the dishonor which their emir laid inflicted upon their sister Dinah.

We are startled at the terms of the order which Jacob issued to his camp, in announcing his intention to proceed to Bethel, that he might “build there an altar unto God, who answered him in the day of his distress.” It was in these words—“Put away the strange gods that are among you; and be clean, and change your garments.” What strange gods were these? We know, but did Jacob know, that Rachel had her father’s images, which he called his “gods;” and did he know or suppose, that similar superstitious objects had been brought by others from beyond the Euphrates? We are reluctant to think that Jacob would have tolerated such things through a period of some duration, and only now thought of putting them away. Therefore we are inclined to suppose, that these “strange gods” were idolatrous and superstitious objects of which his sons had, as he knew, just before acquired possession, when they pillaged the tower of Shechem—valuable for the materials of which they were composed, but which Jacob feared might in the end prove dangerous.

The part of the injunction which directs the people to purify themselves, and to put on clean vestures, is remarkable as the first example of the personal cleanness which was afterwards regarded as essential to a becoming appearance before God in worship—a salutary observance, which became a matter of ceremonial law under Moses, but which, like many other observances of the law, had its origin in earlier times.

In obeying this injunction we learn that they not only gave to Jacob all “the strange gods that were in their hands,” but “all their ear-rings which were in their ears.” This is the first mention of ear-rings in Scripture, for the “ear-ring” which was given to Rebekah was in reality a nose jewel. We may be surprised to find these mentioned here as among idolatrous objects. This was probably on account of their bearing the form of idolatrous images or of superstitious symbols, and of their being used at least as charms. But in whose ears were they? It is scarcely credible that Jacob had allowed his people to wear these things, which he now saw to be objectionable, before his eyes every day. We incline therefore to the opinion of the best Jewish interpreters, that these ear-rings had been taken from the ears of the slain and the captive Shechemites, and are now required to be given up, notwithstanding their value. In the time of Moses we find ear-rings among the spoil taken from the Midianites; and it is generally supposed that they had been taken from the bodies of the slain, and were therefore worn by men. This may have been the case, as it may be collected from ancient monuments that ear-rings were in ancient times much worn by men of various nations; yet, in this instance as in the case of the Shechemites, there were numerous female captives, from whose ears, quite as probably as from those of the slain men, the pendants might have been taken. Ear-rings are not now worn by the men of Western or Mohammedan Asia, doubtless by reason of the sumptuary law of their religion, which forbids the use of gold and silver ornaments to men. The existence of the practice in the lands of the Bible under the operation of a law of such comparatively recent origin, therefore, contributes no illustration to the subject, which is better understood from ancient examples as collected from ancient Egyptian monuments.

The use of ear-rings as amulets or charms, formed into idolatrous or astrological symbols, seems to have been carried by the Phoenicians into Africa, where it still remained among Christians in the time of Augustine, who speaks of them with detestation. Note: In his Second Book, De Doctrina Christiana.]

Jacob’s disposal of all these things is somewhat remarkable. He “hid them under the oak which was by Shechem,” which was without any reasonable doubt the very oak or rather terebinth tree at Moreh, which we had a former occasion to notice; Note: Ninth Week—Monday.] and the very same standing by the sanctuary of God, beneath which in a later day, a stone was set up by Joshua in testimony of Israel’s covenant with God. Note: Jos_24:26.]

At Bethel Jacob performed his vow by building an altar. He does not seem to have made a very long stay in the place, but before he left it a remarkable incident occurred, being the death of Deborah, his mother Rebekah’s nurse. The nurse still in the East, as among the classical ancients, remains attached to the family of the children she has nourished, and follows the fortune, of the one who has been the special object of her charge, being regarded with a considerations scarcely less than that of a mother. Thus Deborah had accompanied Rebekah when she left her home to become the bride of Isaac; and we are somewhat surprised to find her now in the camp of Jacob. We may entertain the reader by mentioning a few of the conjectures that have been brought to bear on the subject—for there is scarcely a single historical point which the Scripture has left in doubt, that has not become the subject of numerous conjectural explanations. A very favorite opinion among the Jews is, that Rebekah had sent Deborah to Padanaram to invite Jacob to return, according to her promise that she would send to fetch him home. But women are not now, nor do we suppose that they have ever been, employed on such missions in the East. Some, however, conjecture that as Jacob had many small children, his mother had sent him her old nurse to assist his wives. Others are more disposed to imagine that Jacob, before he finally settled with all his family at Hebron, had paid a temporary visit to his father, on which occasion, Deborah had returned with him to live with his wives, who were her countrywomen. But another is of opinion that Deborah had, after Rebekah’s marriage, returned to her own country, and now intended to avail herself of the opportunity to see once more her old mistress. This, however, is averse to eastern customs. Besides, Rebekah appears to have been by this time dead; and if we may add a conjecture of our own to these, it would be, that Deborah had on that event received permission either to return home, or else to join Jacob’s camp after his arrival in the land of Canaan. It is not to be supposed, but that some intercourse, by interchange of communications and messages, was kept up between Isaac and his son, although the fact is not particularly mentioned. The estimation in which this aged and attached dependant was held, is shown incidentally in the striking fact that the tree under which she was buried at Bethel was called “the oak of weeping,” on account of the great mourning which was made for her.

It was shortly after this, and from this place, that Jacob at length journeyed southward to join his father—Rachel dying on the way, under the circumstance which yesterday engaged our attention.

Autor: JOHN KITTO