strong impression on Jacob's heart, and her he asked as the reward of seven years' service. Laban readily consented, and Jacob immediately enters on his seven years, which his fondness for Rachel rendered short.

The time being expired, Jacob demanded his wife. Upon which Laban solemnized the nuptials in a public manner, inviting his friends and neighbours: But, being desirous of detaining Jacob in his service for a longer time, he put a very unfair trick upon him; for in the evening he took Leah, and brought her to Jacob's bed* instead of Rachel. Jacob in the morning finding the cheat, complained to his father-in-law; who put it off with a very slender excuse, alledging that it was not the custom of that country to give the younger in marriage before the elder. This was but a poor excuse indeed; but Laban, who had all along observed Jacob's strong affection for Rachel, knew he could bring him to any terms, however unreasonable; which made him demand another seven years' service for his younger daughter, though at the same time he was afraid Jacob in resentment for the injury done him, should reject Leah, and not receive her for his wife; wherefore he intreats him to fulfil her week;† "And then, (said he) I will

• Bed. It was the custom of the country that the bride should be covered with a veil when she was brought to the bridegroom: by which means Jacob was imposed upon by Laban till the next morning. The same custom still prevails universally throughout the East.

+ Week. Or seven days, which time according to the custom of those countries was dedicated to the nuptial solemnities. And by this fulfilling Leah's week was intended, that Jacob should openly acknowledge her for his wife, which Laban seemed to doubt: and at the end of the week should marry Rachel. Though by the word Week here, some understand a Week of Years, or seven years: And to fulfil her week he was to serve the other seven years for Rachel afterwards. Some old English versions render it so; but the LXX is otherwise, for it is posi tively there a Week, at the end of which he was to have Rachel, and serve seven years for her afterwards. And this appears to be the right sense of the place by the order of the story: For though Jacob lived with Laban twenty years, (Gen. xxxi. 28, and 41,) yet it is plain at the end of the fourteenth year Jacob proposed to part, and return home. But Rachel had borne Joseph before that; (Gen. xxx.

give thee this also, for the service which thou shalt serve "with me seven other years." Jacob consenting to Laban's proposal, fulfilled Leah's week, and then married Rachel ; of whom he was so fond, that he slighted† Leah. But God. pitying her, rendered her fruitful, and restrained Rachel from bearing: So that Leah had four sons, viz. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, before Rachel had one. This was a great trouble to Rachel, which in a short time interrupted the domestic tranquillity, and at length ripened into actual enmity. Rachel being blinded with her too earnest desire of children, imputes her barrenness to her husband, and vents her discontent in a very unadvised and passionate expression, saying, "Give me children, or I die." Jacob was always very fond of her, but like a prudent man, his judgment got the ascendant of his affection; and though he was naturally of a mild temper, yet these rash, inconsiderate words of Rachel so much incensed him, that he could not forbear giving her this smart, though short reproof: "Am I in God's stead; who hath made thee "barren?"

Rachel thus rebuked and brought to a sense of her folly, began to think with herself of another way to supply this defect of nature, as she thought, by having recourse to her grandmother Sarah's stratagem; and therefore having conversed on the subject with her husband, she gives him her. maid Bilhah, for an under-wife or concubine, reckoning with herself, that what children Jacob should have by her maid, should be hers; for she would cherish them as if they

25.) and besides, she had been a barren wife a good while before she had Joseph; and had two sons also by her maid Bilhah before that event; all which could not have been, if she had not been married before the end of his second seven years.

* I will give, &c. Some will have this, We will give; that is, I, and my wife and friends; but the LXX say, I will give.

+ Slighted. Our version renders this bated; but it should have been considered, that the word which is rendered to bate, does also signify to love less, or take less care of a thing, and not to wish to do it any harm.

had been her own. Accordingly, when Bilhah bore Jacob a son, Rachel claims him, takes him for her own, and names him Dan; she likewise did the same by the second," and called his name Naphtali. Leah imitates her sister's policy, because she thought she had ceased bearing children; and gave her husband her maid Zilpah to wife, who had two sons, whom she called Gad and Assur.

By this time Reuben was sufficiently grown up to be trusted by himself in the fields; where, as he was one day wandering, he found some mandrakes, which he brought home to his mother. Rachel seeing them, had a great desire to have them, and desired her sister to give her some of them; Leah thinking Rachel had too great a share in her husband's affection, and forgetting that her sister, not herself, was Jacob's choice, answers her somewhat churlishly," Is it not enough that you have taken "my husband from me, but you must take away my "son's mandrakes also?" Rachel might have retorted sharply, but having a mind to the mandrakes, she would not contend, but proposed an agreement; she therefore tells her sister, that if she will give her some of them, she

Mandrakes. What these were is much disputed by our Biblical Critics, as the reader may perceive in Calmet's Dictionary on the word, and in Scripture Illustrated, by the editor of that work. The general opinion has been, that Mandrakes are a plant that stupifies, and was considered a provocative, whether just ly or not, we are unable to say. It has been called Anthropomorphis, or man-shaped, because the roots are forked from the middle downwards, resembling the thighs and legs of a man. Of the Hebrew word TT (DUDAIM) the Jews at this day do not understand the true signification. Some translate it Violets, others Lilies, or Jessamin: Irenius calls it agreeable flowers, a sense which our author prefers. Others conjecture it might be Citrons, while some modern wri ters judge it was a species of Melons. Some of the ancients named Mandrakes the Apple of Love, and Venus. The Emperor Julian in his epistle to Calixines, says, he drinks the juice of Mandrakes to excite amorous inclinations. Some think that the Ginseng of the Chinese is a species of this plant; but what has been imported into England, does not justify this opinion. The Chinese, however, entertain some strange notions of its revivifying powers. Whatever the Dudaim was, and which probably it is not in our power to determine, it seems certain that it was supposed to possess important powers, and that there is a reference to these in Canticles vii. 13.

shall enjoy her husband's company that night. Leah likes the proposal, and they agree upon it; Leah, therefore went out in the evening to meet Jacob at his return from the field; and having acquainted him with the terms of their agreement, invites him to her apartment. And though but a little before she thought she had done bearing, she conceived again and brought forth her fifth son, and called him Issachar, because he was the fruit of her hire. After that, conceiving again, she bore a sixth son, whom she named Zebulun; and at last she bare Jacob the only daughter we read he had, whose name was Dinah.

Hitherto, Rachel had no issue of her own body but now it pleased God to remember her; and having by long barrenness corrected her inordinate desire for children, he at length hearkened to her request, and blessed her with a son upon which, rejoicing that God had taken away her reproach, and, predicting that the Lord would give her another son, she called the name of this boy Joseph. Soon after whose birth Jacob having served his last seven years, began to entertain thoughts of returning to his own country; therefore putting Laban in mind, that the time for which he had contracted to serve him was now expired, he desired him to deliver him his wives and children and send him away. This was a very disagreeable proposal to Laban; who acknowledging the great advantages he had received from Jacob's service, and that he was sensible the Lord had blessed him for his sake, earnestly intreated him to tarry still with him, offering him at the same time what wages he would ask. Jacob was as sensible of the benefits of his service as Laban, and valued himself upon them, telling him how, by the blessing of God upon his careful management, his little flock was increased to a multitude; wishing him to consider how his own family was increased, having now many children, for whom it was time to make some provision, and therefore insisted upon his

Reproach. So barrenness was then accounted; and fruitfulness a blessing; chiefly in expectation of being the mother of the Messiah, the promised "Seed of the woman," in whom the world was to be blessed.

return to his own country. Laban could not hear of parting, and therefore presses him to stay, offering him his own terms. Jacob, overcome by Laban's importunity, told him he should give him nothing; but if he approved of the terms he should offer, he would continue in his service. The terms were these: They should pass through the whole flock both of sheep and goats, and separating the speckled cattle from the white, Laban's sons should take care of the spotted flock, and Jacob of the white and then whatsoever spotted or brown cattle should be produced out of the white flock which he was to keep, was to be his hire. Laban readily closed with these conditions, and accordingly they parted the flocks, delivering the spotted cattle to Laban's sons, and the rest to Jacob's care: and Laban, that he might prevent any intercourse between them, set them three days' journey asunder.

The flocks being thus disposed, the divine wisdom,* by enlightening Jacob's understanding, put him in a way to improve his own stock, and at the same time to lessen that of Laban, as a due recompence for his covetousness. Jacob took twigs of green poplar, hazel, and chesnut-trees, and peeling off the rinds in strakes, made the white to appear in the twigs; which, placing in the watering troughs, when the cattle came to drink, they seeing the speckled twigs, conceived and brought forth speckled cattle. Besides, he took especial care to place the twigs before the lustiest and strongest cattle; but before the weak and feeble he did not lay any by which artifice he procured to himself,

* Divine Wisdom. Here is a reward of Jacob's dependence on Providence for his wages, for he had found so much fraud in his father-in-law's dealing, that he had little reason to trust to his honesty. And in the same instance God remembered Laban's unrighteous dealing with Jacob, how he deceived him in his first mar riage, giving him his deformed daughter Leah instead of the beautiful Rachel, and how from a covetous desire to serve himself upon him, he had contrived way's to detain him in his service: Now therefore God takes from Laban the riches he had before given him for Jacob's sake, and bestows them upon Jacob: and that in such a manner, as Laban could neither help himself, nor justly find fault with Jacob.