deepest reverence, until he came near to his brother. The sixfold repetition of the deep obeisance was a form of humiliation which indicated that he wanted to atone fully for any offense against his brother Esau, that he was willing to show him the utmost reverence. V. 4. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept. If Esau had still been cherishing his old grudge when he left his home, this was now fully overcome and removed by the humility of his brother. His brotherly feeling took hold of him at this point, and in a spontaneous outburst of affection he embraced him and kissed him, whereupon these two grayheaded men, separated for a score of years, are overcome with joy and burst into weeping. In this moment Esau became a different man, who willingly bowed himself under the will of the Lord and showed truly noble traits of character. V. 5. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children, and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. Jacob humbly expressed the gratitude of his heart in giving the Lord all honor for His blessings. V. 6. Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. V.7. And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves; and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. They all followed the example of Jacob in his humble behavior toward Esau, thus doing their share in gaining the heart of Esau for Jacob. It is noted particularly that Joseph came near before his mother; he seems to have run ahead in childlike trust'fulness in order to meet his uncle first. Altogether, the scene is a fine illustration of the ideal painted by the psalmist: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity," Ps. 133, 1.

JACOB PRESSES HIS GIFTS UPON ESAU.-V. 8. And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. Jacob's answer to Esau's question as to the meaning of the train of small caravans which he had met is not an act of fawning servility, of cringing humility, but rather an expression by which he hoped to be restored fully to the favor of his brother, somewhat strongly accented, perhaps, after the Oriental manner. V. 9. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. The kindness and courtesy of Esau are now apparent throughout: he addresses Jacob with the tender "my brother," he gently urges him to keep his unusually large gift, he states that he is provided with all that he needs. V. 10. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; for therefore I have seen thy face,

as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Although colored by Oriental courtesy, the words of Jacob were altogether sincere. He had found favor in the sight of Esau, in the friendly face of his brother he saw again the evidence of God's friendly watching over his life's path, all of which filled him with an intense joy. V. 11. Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. God's favor and goodness had blessed Jacob so richly that he had all he needed and to spare. And he urged him, and he took it. Thus the new bond of friendliness and brotherliness was strengthened. V. 12. And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee. Here Esau offered to accompany Jacob's caravan in the rôle of protector. This offer was a proof of the genuineness of his reconciliation; he was anxious to have the relation between himself and Jacob restored to the intimacy of their youth and early manhood. V. 13. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me; and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. V. 14. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant; and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir, which he hoped to visit some day. The objections of Jacob to his brother's plan were well founded and backed up by his experience in handling cattle for many years. His intention to travel only as fast as the feet of the cattle were able to progress was based upon the fact that a single day's overdriving, with the attendant total exhaustion, would result in an entire loss. V. 15. And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee, set at thy disposal, some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? Let me find grace in the sight of my lord. So Jacob courteously, but firmly, refused even a small company of protecting Bedouins. There was no need of it, and therefore Jacob did not want to bother Esau nor put himself under heavy obligations to him. Jacob knew, for one thing, that the host of the Lord's angels was with him. But he also did not want to become too intimate with the people of Esau, who undoubtedly did not all share their leader's sentiments. Christians will try to live peaceably with all men, but they will always avoid an intimate union with such as are distinct from them in spiritual matters.

booths for his cattle; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth (booths). Jacob, from the neighborhood of Peniel, turned toward the Jordan, where he built a more permanent encampment, by erecting a house for himself and sheds, or booths, for his cattle. This place probably remained one of his stations for his rapidly growing herds and flocks. Cp. Josh. 13, 27; Judg. 8, 4. 5. V. 18. And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city. After living at Succoth a number of years, until Dinah, his daughter, had become a young woman, during which time Jacob also made a visit to his aged father at Hebron and brought back the old nurse of his mother, Deborah, he finally entered Canaan proper with his family and at least some of his herds and flocks. He came into his home country in good health, as the Lord had promised him, and encamped before the city of Shechem, which the Hivite prince Hamor had built since the time of Abraham, calling it after the name of his son. V. 19. And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, for an hundred pieces of money.

Jacob, trusting in the promises of the Lord and preparing for an even more permanent residence in Canaan than Abraham, bought a possession for himself during his lifetime. This piece of land, with the so-called Jacob's well, is shown to this day at the southeast opening of the valley of Shechem. Jacob paid for this land one hundred pieces of money, the value of which can no longer be determined. Some scholars think that each piece of money was worth as much as a lamb, while others are of the opinion that there was money in those days which, in a crude manner, had the figure of a lamb stamped upon it. V. 20. And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe Israel (God, the God of Israel). That was Jacob's confession after the many years of travel and sojourn in strange countries: The strong God is the God of Israel. He had experienced the mighty power of God in numerous instances, and was thankful for the days of peace and rest which he now enjoyed. For this reason also his worship, which he formally instituted at Shechem, consisted chiefly in proclaiming the name of this true God. In this all believers, who ever and again enjoy the rich blessings of the Lord in wonderful measure, will cheerfully imitate the aged patriarch.

woman,

The Rape of Dinah and Its Consequences. DINAH DEFILED. V. 1. And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. Dinah had probably been born in the fourteenth year of Jacob's service in Mesopotamia. She was, like Simeon and Levi, who are so prominent in this story, a child of Jacob and Leah. About ten years had now elapsed since the family had come, first to Succoth and then to Shechem, and Dinah was a young the girls in the Orient reaching maturity at an early age. Dissatisfied, perhaps, with the supposed curbing of her personal liberty in her father's house, Dinah went out to make the acquaintance of the Canaanitish girls and to visit with them. V. 2. And when Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her, humbled her by robbing her of her virginity. V. 3. And his soul clave unto Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel. The fact that Shechem really loved Dinah and did not reject her after his sinful act places him in a somewhat better light, but it does not excuse him. To seek her love after deflowering her was not honorable. V. 4. And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife. This attempt to atone for the sin by an honorable

marriage was to the credit of Shechem, but it does not change the fact that he had seduced Dinah in the first place. Nor is Dinah wholly without fault. She knew that it was a dangerous thing for her to leave the protection of her father's encampment and to seek the friendship of the heathen women; and we are not told that she offered a determined resistance when Shechem seduced her. Her example, therefore, is written as an earnest warning to all Christian young women, especially such as feel the lure of the world and are tempted to yield to the lust of the flesh. V. 5. And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter, for news of that kind usually travels quickly; now his sons were with his cattle in the field; and Jacob held his peace until they were come. Jacob did not act alone in this important matter, partly because the brothers of Dinah had a voice in all serious concerns relating to her, partly because he had to deal with the proud and insolent prince of the region, the old sheik's successor. That is usually the first consequence of a sin of this kind, to bring grief and anguish to the hearts of the parents.

And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it. The bad news reached them also before the usual hour for returning from the field, and they acted with the impetuosity of youth. And the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done. Even in those days, when the family of Jacob was still small, the act of Shechem was considered an insult to the entire tribe. The more the sons of Jacob therefore thought about it, the higher their anger mounted. The dignity of the entire posterity of Israel had been besmirched, and they felt that they could not bear the disgrace. V. 8. And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter; I pray you give her him to wife. Hamor seems to have felt that he was representing a very weak case, for his proposal impresses the reader as being made in great hesitation and embarrassment. He pleads the deep and serious attachment of his son for Dinah. V. 9. And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you. V. 10. And ye shall dwell with us; and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein. Hamor thus offered to Jacob and his sons the freedom of his little country, with the full rights of citizenship. They might do business anywhere and select any part of the country for their herds. V. 11. And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes and what ye shall say unto me I will give. V. 12. Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me; but give me the damsel to wife. Thus Shechem added his personal plea to the proposal of his father, begging to be received into the family with favor and urging them to set their own price for the bride and to ask whatever bridal gifts they might choose. He may have been sincere enough according to his own lights, not realizing the fact that the family of the patriarch was the Lord's chosen people. A folly is easily committed, but its removal will often tax the efforts of a lifetime.

THE DEMAND OF JACOB'S SONS. - V. 13. And the sons of Jacob, who had a voice in the marriage of their sister, chap. 24, 50, answered Shechem and Hamor, his father, deceitfully. It was true enough that their acceptance of the proposal would never have agreed with the destiny of the chosen people of God; they would have sacrificed the Messianic promises for mere temporal gain, but the method which they adopted to carry out their purpose is inexcusable. And said, because he had defiled Dinah, their sister; v. 14. and they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircum

cised; for that were a reproach unto us. That, in itself, may have been true enough that blood-relationship with such as were not Shemites was altogether undesirable, but to include this consideration in their plan of revenge was wrong. V. 15. But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised; v. 16. then will we give our daughters unto you and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. V. 17. But if ye will not hearken unto us to be circumcised, then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone. This proposal is to be condemned as hypocritical because the sons of Jacob must have known that the Israelites were not to blend with the Shechemites; it lacked sincerity. V. 18. And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem, Hamor's son. V. 19. And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter; and he was more honorable than all the house of his father. No matter what the motive had been in defiling Dinah, Shechem now was undoubtedly sincere, and he accepted the words of Jacob's sons at their face value. His position of power and influence was such as to give his words much weight, and he lost no time in carrying out his intention.

THE MEN OF SHECHEM AGREE TO THE DEMAND. - V. 20. And Hamor and Shechem, his son, came unto the gate of their city, the usual place for public meetings, and communed with the men of their city, saying, v. 21. These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. In suggesting to the men of the city that the Israelites be given the rights of full citizenship, together with permission to carry on the business of herdmen or of traders, Hamor and Shechem were careful to appeal very strongly to the self-interest of the Shechemites, knowing that their mission would thus have the best chances of success. V. 22. Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. This condition is inserted in the midst of the appeal, in order not to have it stand out so strongly. V. 23. Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? Here the fact mentioned above that the land was wide before their hands and faces, affording enough room in every direction, is connected with the thought that the great wealth of the newcomers would also be at the disposal of the people of Shechem, through the marriages that would be consummated. Only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.

V. 24. And unto Hamor and unto Shechem, his son, hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city. The expression is repeated in order to show that there was no exception among all the men of Shechem. They accepted the rite all the more readily, since it was by no means unknown among Oriental nations. Thus the people of Shechem, heathen though they were, acted in good faith, just as the outward honesty of many an unbeliever in our days puts to shame those that confess the true God.

THE REVENGE OF SIMEON AND LEVI. — V. 25. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, when the men of Shechem were confined to their beds with the inflammation following the operation to which they had consented, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. These two brothers of Dinah constituted themselves the avengers of their sister and carried out their design in such a shocking manner. The city was defenseless, all the inhabitants believing themselves secure. The boldness of Simeon and. Levi, therefore, was nothing but treachery and bloodthirstiness. V. 26. And they slew Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, in relentless fury, for against these two their anger was chiefly kindled, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out. Thus the first part of their plan of revenge was carried out. V. 27. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister. Simeon and Levi having returned to their father's camp with their sister, the other sons of Jacob were inflamed with the same fanatical hatred and plundered the city in the excess of their fury. V 28. They took their sheep, and their

oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field, v. 29. and all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house. It was a systematic and thorough pillage of the slain which was practised by the sons of Jacob, extending even to the innocent members of the murdered men's families. It was a revolting crime which the sons of Jacob committed. V. 30. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Jacob performed his duty as father in rebuking his sons with great severity for their indefensible crime, telling them that they had probably brought disaster upon him in making him and his family to stink before the inhabitants of the country, that they would be considered an abomination in the sight of all men. And I, being few in number, being only a small band with all the men that belong to my household, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. That this fear of Jacob was by no means groundless, is indicated in chap. 35, 5. The depth of Jacob's horror over the deed of his sons may be seen in the words of his last blessing, chap. 49, 5-7. Deeds of violence are just as reprehensible in the children of God as immodesty and immorality. V. 31. And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot? In trying to excuse themselves, the sons of Jacob implied that men would generally have treated their sister as Shechem had done, and that they felt it to be their duty to revenge the wrong. But they passed over his offer of an atonement for his crime and their own terrible guilt. The fact that other men do wrong to us can never excuse our doing wrong in return.

Jacob's Journey to Bethel and Hebron. JACOB MOVES TO BETHEL. V. 1. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fileddest from the face of Esau, thy brother. Ten full years had now elapsed since Jacob had returned from Mesopotamia, and still he had not fulfilled the special vow of Bethel, chap. 28, 20-22. Cp. chap. 31, 13. Whether it had been a matter of precaution against a mingling with the Edomites or simply tardiness on Jacob's part, the Lord, at any rate, found it necessary to remind him of his vow, in which he had promised the erection of an altar unto God, who had appeared to him at Bethel. V. 2. Then Jacob said unto his household, and

to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be This clean, and change your garments. was an act of repentance, since Jacob, up till now, had permitted Rachel to keep her father's idols, chap. 31, 32, and had not turned the hearts of the members of his household from idolatry. His order went forth that all the strange gods and everything that savored of superstition and idolatry be removed from their midst, that they should purify themselves, moreover, through religious washings and by a complete change of garments. V. 3. And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

The journey was to be from the lowlands near Shechem southward to the mountainous country of what was later Northern Judea. Jacob openly confessed his debt to the Lord, who had answered him in the day of his trouble, when he fled before his brother Esau, and declared his intention of fulfilling his vow. V. 4. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. Jacob's command was so strict that his wives and his servants readily gave up not only the images, the strange gods which they had retained till now, but also their earrings, which were used as amulets and for other superstitious purposes. Jacob laid aside all his weakness which had yielded such terrible fruits, and buried all the symbols of idolatry and spiritual death which were to be found in his entire household, including now also the Shechemite women and children. Only then is it possible to serve God in the Spirit and in truth, if we cleanse our hearts from all idolatry and from all love of creatures. V. 5. And they journeyed; and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. That they struck their tents and removed from the neighborhood of Shechem without interference on the part of the heathen inhabitants in the neighboring cities was due entirely to the divine protection. V. 6. So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. Cp. chap. 28, 19. 22. V. 7. And he built there an altar, and called the place El Bethel (God of Bethel), because there God appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother. By thus instituting the worship of the true God Jacob paid his vow of some thirty years before, for he distinctly remembered the revelation of God at that time, which seems to have indicated also the plurality of persons in the Godhead. V. 8. But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak; and the name of it was called Allonbachuth (oak of weeping). It seems that Rebekah had died and Jacob had persuaded Deborah to make her home with him and his children. The old faithful servant had endeared herself to all to such a degree that her death was keenly felt by the family. The oak below Bethel figures also in later history, Judg. 4, 5; 1 Sam. 16, 3. The story shows that the relation between masters and servants may well be one of cordial regard.

THE LORD BLESSES JACOB. — V. 9. And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. He did not merely speak to Jacob in a dream, but He revealed Himself to him in some visible form, now that Jacob had once more returned to that section of Canaan from which he had

left for Mesopotamia. As Abraham had been blessed repeatedly, so the Lord here renewed His Messianic promise. V. 10. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; and He called his name Israel. Thus the Lord confirmed to Jacob what He had told him at Peniel, chap. 32, 28. It was a formal introduction to the blessing. V. 11. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; v. 12. and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give this land. It was God Almighty that was speaking to Jacob, He whose protection and guidance Jacob had so richly enjoyed during the last thirty years. It was the patriarchal blessing, including the Messianic promise, which was here transmitted, for it indicated that Israel according to the flesh would not alone be the possessor of the oracles of God, Rom. 3, 2, but that members of all nations would make up the sum total of the spiritual Israel, of the great assembly of nations whose God would be the Lord. The immediate guarantee of this eventual blessing would be the temporal blessing of the possession of Canaan, the heritage of the children of Israel. Cp. chap. 48, 3. 4. V. 13. And God went up from him in the place where He talked with him. V. 14. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, even a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink-offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. Jacob not only set this place apart, consecrated it for the worship of the true God, but he also performed an act of worship by pouring out a libation to the Lord, this being the first instance in which the drink-offering is mentioned in the Bible. To commemorate this vision, to keep it in remembrance among his children, Jacob erected a stone for a monument. V. 15. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel. This was his confession of his trust in the Word and promise of God, which is the rod and the staff of all believers during their pilgrimage on earth.

THE DEATH OF RACHEL.-V. 16. And they journeyed from Bethel, since Jacob's vow was now fulfilled and his thanksgiving completed; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath, they were still a certain distance from the town afterward known as Bethlehem, which they had probably tried to reach in time; and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor, the anguish and the throes of a hard birth were upon her. Her wish at the time of Joseph's birth was fulfilled, but, after a quiescent period of seventeen years, she suffered even unto death. V. 17. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not;