Jacob

JACOB, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, was born in the year of the World 2168, before Jesus Christ 1832, before the Vulgar Æra 1836. He was the younger brother of Esau, and a twin. It was observed that at his birth, he held his brother Esau’s heels; for this reason he was called Jacob, which signifies one, who supplants, or takes his adversary by the foot in order to throw him down. This was a kind of prognostick of what he was to do afterwards. While Rebekah was big with child, Isaac being gone to consult the Lord concerning the struggling of these twins in their mother’s womb, God declared to him, that Rebekah should be the mother of two sons, who should become Princes of two great People; but that the eldest should be Gen. xxv. 25. Gen. xxv. 21, 22, 23. Gen. xxv. 32.subject to the youngest. Jacob was of a meek and peaceable temper, and loved a quiet life at home; whereas Esau was of a more turbulent and fierce nature, and was passionately fond of hunting. Isaac had a particular tenderness for Esau; but Rebekah was more fond of Jacob.

Jacob having one day prepared a mess of pottage for himself, Esau, who returned extremely fatigued, and with a very sharp appetite from hunting, desired his brother to give him some of that, which he had provided for his own eating: but Jacob refused, unless he would give up his right of seniority to him. Esau replied, Behold, I am at the point to die, and what profit will this birth-right do to me? Jacob said, Swear to me then, and Esau sware to him, and sold his birth-right unto him; and immediately taking the bread and pottage of lentiles, he did eat, and drink, and went away, without giving himself any uneasiness concerning the privilege, which he had thus disposed of. This action, which seemed to be a jest only, declared sufficiently the spirit and sentiments of the two brothers; and St. Paul makes no scruple of treating Esau as a profane person for having in this manner Hebr. xii. 16. Gen. xxvii. 1, 2, &c. In the year of the World 2245, before J. C. 1755, before the Vulgar Æra 1759.sold his birth-right.

Long after this, the two brothers being seventy seven years of age, and Isaac their father an hundred thirty-seven, it happened that Isaac fell into a languishing indisposition; and believing his last hour to be near, he called his son Esau, and bad him go, take his hunting weapons, get him some venison, dress it as he knew he liked, and bring it to him; and he would give him his last blessing. Esau obeyed, took his weapons, and went an hunting. Now Isaac’s sight was so much weakened with age, that he was able to discern nothing. His wife Rebekah, who had heard what he said to Esau, gave notice of it to her favourite son Jacob, and added; Follow the advice, which I am now giving you; go speedily to the flock, and bring me two of the best kids, that I may prepare them for your father. You shall present them to him, and he will give you his blessing. Jacob at first excused himself, saying, you know my brother Esau is all hairy, and that I am very smooth; if my father touches me with his hands, I fear he will imagine, that I intended to deceive him; and so I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. Rebekah answered him, Let this curse fall upon me, my son, hearken to me only, and go look for what I bid you. Jacob went, and Rebekah prepared a mess for Isaac in the manner which she knew to be grateful to him. She dressed Jacob in some of Esau’s best clothes, covered his hands and neck with the skins of the kids, which she had cooked for him, gave him the mess, and brought him into Isaac’s chamber.

Isaac hearing him, asked who he was, for, as has been said, he saw nothing; Jacob answered, I am your son Esau¹. Isaac said, how comes it that you have met with somesomething so soon? Jacob replied; the Will of God has so ordered it, that I immediately found, what I sought for. Isaac called to him to come near him, that he might touch him, and be assured that he was indeed Esau. He touched him, and finding him to be very hairy, he said, The voice indeed is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s. After therefore that he had eat and drank, he bid Jacob come near to him, that he might kiss and bless him. Jacob therefore approaching to him, Isaac smelt the smell of his raiment, and said to him, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed: Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee, be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee. Cursed is every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

Isaac had scarce finished these words, when Esau came, and brought the venison, which he had been preparing for his father. Isaac hereupon was very much surprized, and said to Esau, thy brother Jacob has imposed upon me, and stol’n the blessing from me, which I designed for thee. Esau replied, he is very justly called Jacob, or one who supplants. This is now the second time, that he hath supplanted me: he robbed me of my birthright, and he has now once more robbed me of the blessing, which was due to me. And addressing himself to Isaac, he desired him earnestly to bless him. But Isaac answered him, I have made him thy master, and subjected all his brethren to him; I have given him corn and wine for his support; and after this, what, my son, am I able to do farther? Esau answered, hast thou not one blessing, O my father? bless me, even me also. And as he wept, and made great outcries, Isaac, touched with compassion, said to him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. And by thy sword thou shalt live, and shalt serve thy brother: but the time shall come, when thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck, and be delivered from it. Some translate the Hebrew in another sense²: Thy blessing shall be far from the fat of the earth, and the dew of heaven: but thou shalt live by thy sword, &c.

From this time Esau bore always a secret hatred to Jacob, and said in his heart, Gen. xxviii. 1; 2, &c.The time of mourning for my father will come, and then I will get rid of my brother Jacob. Rebekah being informed of Esau’s wicked design, sent for Jacob, and told him the necessity of his going into Mesopotamia, and retiring to his uncle Laban’s at Haran, till Esau’s passion was cooled. She afterwards communicated the same thing to Isaac; and told him, that her life would be insupportable to her, if Jacob should marry a Canaanite. Isaac therefore sent for Jacob, gave him his blessing, and directed him to go into Mesopotamia, and marry one of his uncle Laban’s daughters. Jacob departed privately; and being come after sun-set to a certain place, where he proposed to pass the night, he took one of the stones which he found there, and having put it under his head, fell asleep. While he was thus sleeping, in a dream he saw a ladder, the bottom whereof rested on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; he saw likewise the Angels of God ascending and descending by it. He saw likewise the Lord standing above it, who said to him, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac, to thee and thy posterity I will give the Land whereon thou liest; thy family shall be as numerous as the sand of the sea, and all nations shall be blessed in thee, and in him who shall spring from thee.

When Jacob awoke out of his sleep, he said, the Lord is surely in this place, and I knew it not. How dreadful is this place? this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And rising early in the morning, he took the stone upon which he had rested his head, set it up as a monument, pouring oil upon it, and called the place where he had slept, Bethel; a name given afterwards to the city of Luza, which was in that neighbourhood. At the same time he begged of God to protect him in the journey, which he was going to undertake, and devoted to him the tythe of all that he should acquire Gen. xxix. 1, &c.by his labour. He departed from Bethel, and after some days journey, came into Mesopotamia, near the city of Haran, where his uncle Laban lived. He enquired of the shepherds, whom he found near this place, whether Laban was in health. They told him, he was very well, and that his daughter Rachel was coming thither to water her flock. As soon as she came, Jacob removed the stone which covered the well, assisted her in giving water to her sheep, and declared to her, that he was her cousin -german, the son of Rebekah, Laban’s sister. Rachel immediately ran with this news to her father; and Laban came with speed to receive his nephew, and carry him to his house. After he had been there a month, Laban said to him, Is it necessary, because you are my nephew, that you should serve me without any consideration? tell me then, what recompense is it that you require? Now Laban had two daughters, the eldest whereof was called Leah, and the other Rachel. Jacob therefore replied to Laban, I will serve you seven years, if you will give me Rachel to wife. Laban consented, and soon after the nuptial ceremony was performed according to the fashion of that country. In the evening Laban procured Leah to be brought into Jacob’s chamber, instead of Rachel; so that Jacob discerned nothing of this cheat till the next morning. Then he complained of it violently; but his father-in-law, in answer to his complaints, told him, that it was not the custom of the country to marry the youngest daughter before the eldest; and that if he still desired to have Rachel, he should marry her, provided he would serve him seven years longer. How unjust soever this condition was, Jacob agreed to it, out of the extreme affection, which he had for Rachel; and when he had married her, he preferred her to Leah. But God so permitted it, that she was fruitful, while Rachel was barren. Leah had four sons successively, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; and Rachel seeing that she had no children, gave her Gen. xxx.servant Bilhah to her husband, that by her means at least, she might have children by Jacob. Bilhah therefore had Dan and Naphtali, whom Rachel looked upon as her own. Leah, in imitation of Rachel, gave likewise her servant Zilpah to her husband, who brought him Gad and Asher. After this Leah conceived again, and had a fifth and sixth son, Issachar and Zebulun, and a daughter, whose name was Dinah. At last the Lord remembered Rachel, and gave her a son, who was called Joseph.

Jacob observing his family to be pretty numerous, and that the time during which he was obliged to serve Laban, was ended, desired leave from him to return into his own country with his wives and children. In the year of the World 2260, before J. C. 1740, before the Vulgar Era 1744.But Laban, who had experienced how useful Jacob’s services were to him, desired him to continue his care of his flocks, with a promise of any recompense that he should ask. Jacob offered to serve him six years longer, provided he would give him all the young encrease of his flocks of goats and sheep, that should be of different colours, that is to say, speckled; and farther, the brown sheep also. The rest, continued he, shall be all yours; that is to say, all that shall be born of one colour only among the sheep and goats, excepting the brown sheep. Hereby Jacob reserved to himself the least part for the fleece. He added; And that you may be satisfied, that I have no design of using any art in producing more lambs or kids of different colours, separate all that are of one colour in your flocks, and leave the care of them to your sons; and give me only those to keep, which are of different colours. Laban willingly accepted these conditions, and that very day there was a separation made of the flocks, according to the plan, which Jacob had proposed; and there was a distance of three days journey between the flocks of Laban, and those of Jacob.

Gen. xxxi. 10, 11, 12, &c.But the Lord intending to reward Jacob’s labours, discovered an artifice to him in a dream, which succeeded admirably in producing sheep and kids of different colours. This was to put upon the places where his cattle came to water, while they were warm, green branches with the bark in some parts peeled; this begat a diversity of colours in the eyes both of the sheep and goats, which appeared not in the branches themselves only, but in the shadow of them also, represented in the water: so that the sheep having their eyes struck with them, conceived and brought forth young ones of different colours. He did not however make use of this artifice in all the seasons. It is commonly believed, that he exposed the branches in the spring only; because he was desirous to have many of the young ones of the autumn production. But in autumn he let things go in the natural way, being well enough content that Laban should have some of those which were born in spring, and were conceived in autumn³. The artifice which Jacob made use of upon this occasion, had nothing in itself supernatural. We know very well, that beasts which receive lively impressions from any objects, generally conceive and produce young ones with some spot of the colour they were so affected with. There is nothing miraculous in the means, which the revelation of God thus discovered to Jacob in his dream. This is the most common opinion entertained among the Latins. St. Jerom⁴, St. Austin⁵, and St. Isidore of Seville⁶, have followed it, and farther supported it with reasons of their own: but St. Chrysostom⁷, Theodoret⁸, and some others have been of opinion, that all this was above the strength of nature.

Jacob acquired so much wealth by the means we have been speaking of, that Laban and his sons grew jealous of him, and could not forbear shewing their uneasiness at it, as if Jacob had robbed them of that, which he possessed. They no longer looked upon him with the same eyes they did before, and said publickly, that he had enriched himself with their fortunes. At the same time, the Lord in a dream advised Jacob to return into his own country, and assured him that he would protect him. Jacob resolved therefore upon returning to the Land of Canaan; and having communicated his design to his wives, he found them disposed to follow him. He took his wives therefore, his children and his cattle, and without saiyng any thing to Laban of the matter, set forward towards Palestine. He had performed three days journey, before Laban had notice that he was gone, and had carried away all that belonged to him. He immediately pursued him, and at last overtook him, on the seventh day of his pursuit, upon the mountains, which were called Gilead. He complained in rough terms to Jacob of his conduct towards him, in flying away thus, without taking leave of him. He added, that he had it in his power to make him repent of what he had done; but that the God of Abraham had appeared to him in the night, and forbad him to say any thing offensive to him; that he easily forgave the desire he shewed of seeing once more his country and relations: but, said he, why have you robbed me of my Gods? for Rachel had taken Laban’s Teraphim without Jacob’s knowledge.

* See the Article Teraphim.Jacob answered; I departed without your notice, because I was afraid lest you should forcibly detain your daughters. And as for the robbery you charge me with, I am consenting, that he, upon whom you shall find your Gods, shall be put to death before all our brethren. Hereupon Rachel concealed the images under the bolster of the Camel’s saddle, upon which she was sitting; and when Laban came into her tent to look there for them, as he had done in all the rest, she desired him to excuse her, if she did not rise, saying, that what was common to women, was then upon her. Thus she disappointed all the search her father had made. Jacob in his turn complained to Laban of all the ill treatment he had received from him during his abode in Mesopotamia, and of all that he had done during the strict search יגר שהדותא Jegar Schehadatha. Gen. xxxii. 2. גלעד Galaad.which he had made in their several tents. But at last all ended in swearing an eternal alliance between them and their families after them. They set up an heap of stones upon the Mountains of Gilead to serve as a Monument of their friendship. Jacob called this heap Galeed; and Laban Jegar-Sahaduthah; and after having eaten together upon the same place, which from that time was called Gilead, they separated in perfect good understanding. Laban took the road to Mesopotamia; and Jacob going on towards the Land of Canaan, arrived at the brook Jabbok, to the east of Jordan; at the place which from that time was called Mahanaïm, or the two camps, by reason of the two kinds of battalions of Angels, which met Jacob at this place. It is said that these Angels, divided thus into two bodies, were the tutelary Angels of Mesopotamia, which accompanied Jacob as far as Jabbok; or the Protectors of the Land of Canaan, who received him, and guarded him on his arrival.

During Jacob’s absence, his brother Esau had settled in the Mountains of Seir, to the East, southward of the place where Jacob was at that time. Jacob fearing lest his brother might still have some resentment remaining, for the injury, which he thought he had received from him, believed it convenient to win upon him by presents and submissions. He sent therefore to give him notice of his arrival, and desire his favour. As soon as Esau was informed of his coming, he departed with four hundred men to go and join him. Jacob thought he had some evil design, and in order to appease him, sent him goats, sheep, camels, cows, she -asses and their foals, with particular directions to those who had the conduct of them, to present them all to Esau in his name, and tell him, that they were presents which he sent him in order to find favour in his eyes, and that he himself was coming after with an intention to salute him. After all his people had passed the brook Jabbok, he remained alone on the other side, and behold an Angel appeared in the form of a mana, and wrestled with him till the morning. The Angel seeing he could not get the better of Jacob, touched the sinews of his thigh, which immediately withered, and Jacob continued lame with itb. The Angel said, Let me go, for the dawn begins to appear: but Jacob answered, I will not let thee go, unless thou givest me thy blessing. The Angel asked him, what was his name: He replied, Jacob. And the Angel said,

Hereafter thou shalt no more be called Jacob, but Israel. And Jacob asking him likewise his name, he said, Why dost thou ask my name? and he blessed him there. Jacob therefore called this place Peniel, saying, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. The adventure which happened in this place to Jacob, when the Angel touched the sinews of his thigh, is the reason why the Israelites never eat the sinews of the thigh in any beast.

When Jacob had passed the Jabbok, he divided his people into two bands. Leah and her children went first. Rachel and Genes. xxxiii.her son Joseph last. Each of them was attended with her maid-servants. Jacob perceiving Esau at a distance coming towards him, went forwards, and threw himself seven times upon the earth before him. Leah and Rachel did the same with their children. The two brothers tenderly embraced each other, and Jacob begged of Esau to accept the present which he had offered him by his servants. Esau received it, though with some difficulty, and proposed to accompany Jacob with his people, in order to serve him as a guard: but Jacob desired him not to give himself this trouble, saying, that he was obliged to make very slow journeys by reason of the people and cattle which he carried with him; but that he hoped he should have an opportunity one day to visit him at Seir. Esau therefore returned, and Jacob came to Succoth beyond Jordan, where he built an house. There he dwelt for some time; afterwards he passed the river Jordan, and came to Salem, a City of the Schechemites, where he continued, having purchased that part of the field, where he set up his tents, for the sum of an hundred Kesita’s, or an See hereafter the Article Kesita.hundred Lambs, or so many pieces of Money, of the children of Hamor, Schechem’s father.

While Jacob abode at Salem, his family was disturbed by the rape of his daughter Dinah, who was ravished by Schechem, the son of Hamor, as we have related in In the year of the World 2265, or 2266, before J. C. 1734, before the Vulgar Æra 1738. Genes. xxxiv.the Article DINAH, and shall again mention in Schechem. The sons of Jacob took revenge in a remarkable manner for this affront, by killing all the Schechemites, and pillaging their city. Jacob fearing the resentment of the people of that country, was obliged to retire to Bethel, according to the order which he had received from God, who appointed him to stay there, and erect an Altar. In the way of preparation for the Sacrifice, which he was to offer there, he commanded his people to purify themselves, to change their clothes, and throw away all the strange Gods, which they might have brought with them out of Mesopotamia. Jacob took all these Idols which they gave him, and hid them under an oak near Schechem. He departed from thence without any one’s daring to attack him, came happily to Bethel, sacrificed there; and the Lord appearing to him, renewed the promises he had made of protecting him, and multiplying infinitely his family.

After he had performed his devotions at Bethel, he took the way of Hebron, in order to go see his father Isaac, who dwelt hard by in the Valley of Mamre.

In the way, Rachel died in labour of Benjamin, and was buried near Bethlehem. Jacob erected a Monument for her; and proceeding in his journey towards Hebron, he pitched his tents at the tower of Edar. He had the satisfaction to find Isaac living, and this good Patriarch lived still two and twenty years with Jacob, not dying till the year of the World 2288, at the age of an hundred and fourscore. Jacob and Esau paid the last duties to him.

About ten years before the death of Isaac, Joseph’s misfortune happened, who was sold by his brethren, as we shall relate in the Article JOSEPH. Jacob, believing that he was devoured by wild beasts, was afflicted in a manner suitable to the tenderness which he had for him. In his grief he said, I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning; and he continued to lament him, without receiving comfort from any one. He passed about two and twenty years mourning in this manner, till Joseph discovered himself to his brethren⁹, whom Jacob had sent into Egypt during the famine, in order to purchase corn there. Jacob being informed, that his son, whom he had so long lamented, was still living, awaked, as it were, out of a dream, and said, It is enough, Joseph my son is yet alive, I will go and see him before I die. He left therefore the Valley of Mamre, with all his family, and came to Beersheba, where there was an Altar consecrated to the Lord; there he offered his Sacrifices, and God appeared to him in the night, and said, he might go down into Egypt, and that Joseph would close his eyes. He arrived in Egypt with his family, consisting of seventy persons.

Upon his coming, he sent Judah before him, to inform Joseph of his arrival, and desire him withal to come and receive him in the land of Goshen, as had been agreed. Joseph made haste thither, they embraced with tears, and Joseph presented him to Pharaoh. Jacob having wished this Prince all manner of happiness, Pharaoh asked him, what age he was of: He answered, The time of my pilgrimage is an hundred and thirty years; few and evil have my years been in comparison of the age of my fathers. Joseph therefore gave his father and his brethren the land of Goshen, which is one of the best countries in Egypt, and during the famine, supplied them abundantly with every thing necessary for their subsistance.

Jacob lived seventeen years in Egypt, Gen. xlviii. In the year of the World 2315, before J. C. 1685, before the Vulgar Æra 1689.from 2298 to 2315. Then falling sick, Joseph came to see him with his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. When Jacob understood that he was there, he heaped many blessings on him, told him that he adopted Ephraim and Manasseh, and they should be looked upon as Reuben and Simeon; that they should divide the land of Canaan with them, which God had promised him at Bethel: and calling the two sons of Joseph to him near his bed-side, he embraced and blessed them. Then Joseph taking them out of his father’s arms, placed them on each side of him, Ephraim at Jacob’s left, and Manasseh at his right hand. But Jacob, directed by the spirit of prophecy, laid his right hand upon Ephraim’s head, and his left upon Manasseh’s, so crossing his hands; and began to bless them. Joseph supposing that he was mistaken, would have had him change the disposition of his hands, put his right upon Manasseh, and his left hand upon Ephraim. Jacob however would not comply, and said to Joseph, I know what I do, my son. The eldest shall be the father of many people, but the youngest shall be greater than he. Thus he gave Ephraim the preference to Manasseh; and the Tribe of the former was accordingly more powerful always than that of the latter; and Ephraim next to Judah was the most considerable Tribe in Israel. Jacob afterwards told Joseph, that God would visit the Hebrews, who were in Egypt, and would bring them back into the land of Canaan, which was promised to their fathers. He added, I leave thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Ammorite with my sword, and with my bow.

In the year of the World 2315, Gen. xlix. before J.C. 1685, before the Vulgar Æra 1689.Some time after, Jacob called all his sons to give them his last blessing, and foretel what should happen to them in the last times. He spoke to all of them one after another; bestowed commendations on some, and reproaches upon others, and described very distinctly the character of each of the Tribes, and the Country which should fall by lot to them; he particularly commended Judah and Joseph, and promised to the Tribe of Judah, that the scepter should not depart from it till the Messiah should come, who is the expectation of the nations. After this, he requested of his sons to bury him in the cave, which was in the field of Ephron over against Mamre, where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah were buried; then he laid himself down again upon his bed, and died. Joseph directed that he should be embalmed after Genes. l.the manner of the Egyptians, and there was a general lamentation for him throughout Egypt for seventy days. After which, Joseph and his brethren, accompanied with the principal men of Egypt, carried him, with the King of Egypt’s permission, to the burying-place of his fathers, near Hebron, where his wife Leah had been interred. When they were come into the land of Canaan, they mourned again in a grievous manner, for seven days; upon which occasion, the place, where they staid, was called the mourning of Egypt.

The Author of Ecclesiasticus has in few words given us the encomium of Jacob. “ Ecclus. xlvi. 25, 26.The Lord hath made the blessings and “ the covenant, which he made with Abraham and Isaac, to rest upon the head “ of Jacob. He acknowledged him in his “ blessing, and gave him an heritage, and “ divided his portions, among the twelve “ Tribes did he part them.” Jacob not only foretold the coming of our Saviour by his prophecies, but farther represented him in all his conduct, in his labours, his flight, and his marriage, first, with Leah the figure of the Synagogue; then with his beloved Rachel, the figure of the Church.

The Mahometans maintain that Jacob, the father of the twelve Patriarchs, from whom issued the twelve Tribes, was a Prophet, and that all the Prophets descended from his race, except Job, Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, and Mahomet. They believe farther, that the Royal Power continued in his family till the time of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ; that as the twelve Tribes of the Jews sprung from Jacob, so the Tribes of the Arabians were derived from Ishmael, Abraham’s eldest son.

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