(Genesis 35:23 - 36:43)
The sons of Jacob (Israel) were now twelve in number:
The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's eldest, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun
The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin
The sons of Bilhah, Rachels' handmaid: Dan and Naphtali
The sons of Leah's handmaid, Zilpah: Gad and Asher
These were the sons of Jacob born to him in Aram.
Jacob visited his father Isaac who lived in Mamre, in the town of Arbee, also called Hebron, the place where Abraham and Isaac had resided. Isaac lived to be a 180 years. Being aged, he joined his ancestors after a long, full life, and was buried by his sons Esau and Jacob.
This is the family of Esau, who is also called Edom.
Esau married two Canaanite women:
Adah, the the daughter of Elon the Hethite
Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite
Esau also married:
Bashemath, the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebajoth
The sons of Esau born to him in the land of Canaan were:
The sons of Adah: Eliphaz
The sons of Aholibamah: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah
The sons of Bashemath: Reuel
Esau took his wives and children and all his household, his livestock and possessions and all he had acquired in Canaan and emigrated to live apart from his brother Jacob, since they were both wealthy and were not able to live together because the land was unable to support flocks so great in size. Esau, therefore, went to live near Mount Sier in what is now called Edom.
The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz and, by his concubine, Timna: Amalek.
The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
The grandsons of Esau became sheiks in the land of Edom.
The sons of Seir, the Horite, a native of the land:
Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
The children of Lotan: Hori and Hemam. (Lotan's sister was Timna, [the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son].)
The children of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
The children of Zibeon: Ajah and Anah (who was the one who found springs in the desert while tending his father's donkeys).
The children of Anah: Dishon and, a daughter, Aholibamah [who was the wife of Esau]
The children of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran
The children of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan
The children of Dishan: Uz and Aran
The first kings who reigned in the land of Edom before Israel had any king:
Bela, the son of Beor, whose capital was Denaba. He was succeeded, upon his death by Jobab, the son of Zara of Bosra. Husham, from the land of Themanites, reigned there after the death of Jobab, and then Hadad, the son of Bedad. Hadad defeated the Midianites in the country of Moab; his capital was Avith. At his death he was succeeded by Samlah of Masreca, who, at his passing, was succeeded by Shaul from the River Rohoboth. He was succeeded at his death by Baalhanan, the son of Achbor, and when he died, Hadar reigned from his capital in the city of Pau. Hadar's wife's name was Mehetabel, and she was the daughter of Matred and granddaughter of Mezabab.
The sheiks of Edom who lent their names to the lands they occupied were: Timnah, Alvah, Jetheth, Aholibamah, Elah, Pinon, Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel, Iram.
It was Esau who became the father of the Edomites.
Notes
1. I have rephrased this section for clarity and deleted some of the verbose redundancies. This section is admittedly rather boring for the modern reader, but it shows the connection that Esau had to the indigenous people of Edom. Edom, it may be reiterated, is the desert land south of the Dead Sea.
2. I have used here the term "sheik", which is appropriate for a Middle Eastern desert tribal chieftain. Other translations use the term "duke", which seems ludicrous in the context. The Hebrew word is used for both the tribal chieftain and the tribe itself.
3. The list of Edomite kings was obviously cribbed by the Genesis authors from some source at their disposal. There is a commonly noted tendency, not only in the Bible, but in many other pre-modern historical and quasi-historical writings, to include as much factual data as can be acquired, regardless of its pertinence or the reliability of its provenance. There is no evidence that any of the Edomite kings listed ever existed, for there is no reference to any of them in any historical or archaeological record. Edom does not seem to have any real history before the 9th Century B.C., so it is possible that the kings may have reigned many hundred years after Esau. (The dates of the leaders mentioned is entirely speculative.) One interesting point is that Edomite kings were apparently not hereditary, but were probably elective, which is suggested by the fact that each king succeeded only upon the death of his predecessor, with no suggestion of usurpation.
Showing posts with label Esau. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Esau. Show all posts
Monday, May 20, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The History of Jacob, Part Six
(Genesis 33:01 - 34:21)
Jacob observed Esau approaching with his four hundred men. He separated his various children with his wives Leah, Rachel, and his two concubines, positioning the concubines and their children first, Leah and hers next, and Rachel and her son Joseph last. Jacob approached his brother, bowing to the ground seven times as he did so.
Esau ran to meet him. He embraced, held his head in his hands and kissed him, and then wept. He noticed the women and children and inquired, " Do they belong to you?"
Jacob answered, "These are the children that Jehovah has granted me, your servant."
The concubines and their children stepped forward and bowed in respect and greeting. Leah and her children did so next, and, lastly, Rachel and Joseph.
"And what of the droves that I encountered?" Esau asked.
"I offer them to you that I might find favor with my master."
"I have plenty, my brother, keep for yourself what's yours," Esau answered.
"No, please. If I have found favor in your eyes, accept them as a small token of my respect. Indeed, your face is as welcome to me as the face of my god! ... Be so good as to receive them as a blessing from the god who has been generous with me."
With much ceremony Esau accepted the gift at his brother's strong insistence. And Esau declared, "Let's us continue your journey together, for I will accompany you."
"Master," said Jacob, " I'm sure you've noticed I have small children with me, and sheep and cows that are nurturing their young, so that if the men should drive them too hard, the herd could all die in a single day. Let my master, if he would, go ahead of his servant. I will follow slowly behind, traveling only as fast as the children and the livestock can go, until we arrive at your place in Seir."
Esau responded, "I ask at the very least that a few of my men go with you."
Jacob said, "It's not necessary, but I want nothing save to please my master."
Esau returned that day to Seir, the way he had come.
Jacob, however, journeyed to Succoth, where he erected a hut for himself and pens for his livestock -- thus the name of the place [meaning “shelters"]. He then traveled to Shechem, a city in Canaan. It was there, outside of town, where he made his home after his safe return from Aram. That part of the field where he had pitched his tents he purchased for a hundred lambs from the sons of Hamor. He built an altar there to worship his god; he called it El Elohe Israel [meaning the mighty god of Israel].
One day, Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, went out to call upon some of the local women and caught the eye of Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite and a prince of the land. Lusting after her, he abducted and seduced Dinah, violating her virginity. But, very much taken with the girl, he tried to placate her and wooed her with sweet words. He went to his father Hamor and asked him, “Would you arrange a marriage for me? I want this lass for my wife.”
When word came to Jacob how Shechem had disgraced his daughter, his sons were out tending the flocks, so Jacob took no action until they returned. While he waited, Hamor, Shechem’s father, stopped by to confer with him. When Jacob’s sons heard the news, they came in from the fields. Enraged and distraught they were: this was an affront to the race of Israel, for sexually assaulting the daughter of Jacob was a something that could not be allowed to occur.
Hamor pleaded with them, saying, “My son Shechem’s heart is set on your sister. Please let him take her as his wife. Let our families intermarry. You can live with us, conduct trade, own and till the land." Shechem said to Jacob and his sons, "I hope to find favor in your eyes. Whatever you ask will be granted to you. Whatever wedding gifts and marriage settlements you demand will be given you, as long as you let me marry Dinah."
Jacob's sons, still offended by the rape of their sister, responded to Shechem and his father with anger, "We can’t approve of such a thing! We cannot allow our sister to marry a man who is uncircumcised, for that is prohibited to us. But,” they continued, making a deceitful and spurious offer, “if your people will adopt our practice, if all your men will become circumcised, then you may marry our daughters and we will marry yours; we will live together and become a single people. But if our request that you become circumcised is refused, then we will take our sister and leave the country."
The offer was amenable to Hamor and his son Shechem, who fulfilled the conditions of the agreement without delay, for he was deeply in love with the girl. Being the most respected member of Hamor's family, Shechem accompanied his father Hamor when he appeared in the market place and addressed the menfolk of the city. They told them, "These people are willing to live in peace and friendship among us. We propose that they be allowed to own property, engage in commerce, and cultivate the land -- which is vast and needs men to populate it. We will marry their women, and they, ours. The only condition is: we must circumcise all our men to conform to the custom of their people. We will be able to share in their wealth, their livestock and possessions, if we defer to them in this one regard. Together we can become one people."
All the men in the marketplace who heard the proposal put before them by Hamor and Shechem agreed to it, and so every male inhabit of the town underwent circumcision.
However, on the third day, when all the men of Shechem were in the most pain from the circumcision, two of Dinah's brothers and sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi took up their swords. Making a surprise attack upon the town, they slew every man in the place. They dispatched Hamor and Shechem with a slash of their swords, rescued Dinah from Shechem's house, and absconded. Later, Jacob's other sons, discovering the carnage, pillaged the town in retaliation for the rape. They seized the livestock, all the flocks and herds, looted the wealth of the city, plundered the fields, even ransacked the private homes, while taking captive the women and children.
After they had done these things, Jacob had words with Levi and Simeon,"You have given me considerable grief, you will make my name hateful to the Canaanites and Perizzites who live here. There are only a few of us. They will join forces against us, attack and destroy me and my people.”
His sons excused themselves by saying, "Can we allow our sister to be treated like a loose woman?"
Notes
1. Jacob stole his older brother Esau's birthright and tricked him out of his father's blessing so he could be top man, but he ended up being forced into exile. Although he returns after twenty years a wealthy and successful man, he hardly feels secure in his position. He is more than merely deferential to Esau, he is servile, calling him "master," and eager to curry his favor, apparently scared to death that Esau will attack and wipe him out. When they meet and Esau falls all over himself to make his brother feel welcome, Jacob still seems suspicious. He forces Esau to accept his presents of bald appeasement. He gives excuses so he won't have to travel with Esau, but assures him that he will follow. This, however, turns out to be a lie, for Jacob doesn't go to Esau's country at all, but to another place entirely.
2. Shechem, where Jacob settles -- a long way from Seir, where Esau lives -- is a northern Canaanite town mentioned by other texts contemporaneous with the supposed time of Jacob. (Shechem is also the name of its prince in this story.)
3. The rape of Dinah is acknowledged as a crime, a sin, as one would expect it to be, although it is less an offense committed against a person that an affront to a family. Hamor, the father of the rapist Shechem, tries to smooth things over by offering a deal to Jacob's family that seems handsome compensation. It should be noted that Dinah is not consulted as to whether she wishes to marry Shechem or not. (Women at that time probably had no say in matters so trivial as to whom they were to marry: marriages were based upon familial interests, not personal preferences -- a situation that would, for the most part, not change for thousands of years.) The men of Shechem are surprisingly and generously accommodating to Jacob's tribe and all quickly get themselves circumcised (ouch!). Their motives are not entirely unselfish: they hope to share Jacob's wealth. They do not know that they are the dupes of a diabolical plot.
4. It might be understandable for Dinah's brothers to avenge her rape by killing her rapist -- not exactly an eye for an eye, but rough tribal justice. However, Simeon and Levi are not content with just that. Inheriting their father’s deceitful cunning, they have tricked the men of the town into undergoing circumcisions, so that while they were recovering from the operations and still in pain, they cannot adequately defend themselves. They then kill every (all but defenseless) man jack in the town to slake their thirst for vengeance. Then their brothers loot the place and take the women and children captive. An act of such heinous barbarity reminds one of the primitive nature of society at this time and the crude sense of justice and morality existent. That Jacob's sons apparently believe that mass murder and the pillaging of an entire town is just compensation for a rape is, from a modern viewpoint, quite disturbing. (Yet, we find a similar attitude among contemporary Islamic extremists who believe that offenses such as blasphemy justify murderous acts of terror.)
5. Jacob's disapproval of his sons' act of genocide does not stem from its immorality or from regret for the death of so many innocent men, but merely out of a concern for his reputation -- this is going to make him look bad with the neighboring tribes, and there might be retaliation against him. Jacob is obviously no longer in control of his family; his sons are acting without his knowledge or consent and acting contrary to his interests. And Jehovah, at this point, has nothing to say to his devotee about the conduct of his homicidal family.
Jacob observed Esau approaching with his four hundred men. He separated his various children with his wives Leah, Rachel, and his two concubines, positioning the concubines and their children first, Leah and hers next, and Rachel and her son Joseph last. Jacob approached his brother, bowing to the ground seven times as he did so.
Esau ran to meet him. He embraced, held his head in his hands and kissed him, and then wept. He noticed the women and children and inquired, " Do they belong to you?"
Jacob answered, "These are the children that Jehovah has granted me, your servant."
The concubines and their children stepped forward and bowed in respect and greeting. Leah and her children did so next, and, lastly, Rachel and Joseph.
"And what of the droves that I encountered?" Esau asked.
"I offer them to you that I might find favor with my master."
"I have plenty, my brother, keep for yourself what's yours," Esau answered.
"No, please. If I have found favor in your eyes, accept them as a small token of my respect. Indeed, your face is as welcome to me as the face of my god! ... Be so good as to receive them as a blessing from the god who has been generous with me."
With much ceremony Esau accepted the gift at his brother's strong insistence. And Esau declared, "Let's us continue your journey together, for I will accompany you."
"Master," said Jacob, " I'm sure you've noticed I have small children with me, and sheep and cows that are nurturing their young, so that if the men should drive them too hard, the herd could all die in a single day. Let my master, if he would, go ahead of his servant. I will follow slowly behind, traveling only as fast as the children and the livestock can go, until we arrive at your place in Seir."
Esau responded, "I ask at the very least that a few of my men go with you."
Jacob said, "It's not necessary, but I want nothing save to please my master."
Esau returned that day to Seir, the way he had come.
Jacob, however, journeyed to Succoth, where he erected a hut for himself and pens for his livestock -- thus the name of the place [meaning “shelters"]. He then traveled to Shechem, a city in Canaan. It was there, outside of town, where he made his home after his safe return from Aram. That part of the field where he had pitched his tents he purchased for a hundred lambs from the sons of Hamor. He built an altar there to worship his god; he called it El Elohe Israel [meaning the mighty god of Israel].
One day, Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, went out to call upon some of the local women and caught the eye of Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite and a prince of the land. Lusting after her, he abducted and seduced Dinah, violating her virginity. But, very much taken with the girl, he tried to placate her and wooed her with sweet words. He went to his father Hamor and asked him, “Would you arrange a marriage for me? I want this lass for my wife.”
When word came to Jacob how Shechem had disgraced his daughter, his sons were out tending the flocks, so Jacob took no action until they returned. While he waited, Hamor, Shechem’s father, stopped by to confer with him. When Jacob’s sons heard the news, they came in from the fields. Enraged and distraught they were: this was an affront to the race of Israel, for sexually assaulting the daughter of Jacob was a something that could not be allowed to occur.
Hamor pleaded with them, saying, “My son Shechem’s heart is set on your sister. Please let him take her as his wife. Let our families intermarry. You can live with us, conduct trade, own and till the land." Shechem said to Jacob and his sons, "I hope to find favor in your eyes. Whatever you ask will be granted to you. Whatever wedding gifts and marriage settlements you demand will be given you, as long as you let me marry Dinah."
Jacob's sons, still offended by the rape of their sister, responded to Shechem and his father with anger, "We can’t approve of such a thing! We cannot allow our sister to marry a man who is uncircumcised, for that is prohibited to us. But,” they continued, making a deceitful and spurious offer, “if your people will adopt our practice, if all your men will become circumcised, then you may marry our daughters and we will marry yours; we will live together and become a single people. But if our request that you become circumcised is refused, then we will take our sister and leave the country."
The offer was amenable to Hamor and his son Shechem, who fulfilled the conditions of the agreement without delay, for he was deeply in love with the girl. Being the most respected member of Hamor's family, Shechem accompanied his father Hamor when he appeared in the market place and addressed the menfolk of the city. They told them, "These people are willing to live in peace and friendship among us. We propose that they be allowed to own property, engage in commerce, and cultivate the land -- which is vast and needs men to populate it. We will marry their women, and they, ours. The only condition is: we must circumcise all our men to conform to the custom of their people. We will be able to share in their wealth, their livestock and possessions, if we defer to them in this one regard. Together we can become one people."
All the men in the marketplace who heard the proposal put before them by Hamor and Shechem agreed to it, and so every male inhabit of the town underwent circumcision.
However, on the third day, when all the men of Shechem were in the most pain from the circumcision, two of Dinah's brothers and sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi took up their swords. Making a surprise attack upon the town, they slew every man in the place. They dispatched Hamor and Shechem with a slash of their swords, rescued Dinah from Shechem's house, and absconded. Later, Jacob's other sons, discovering the carnage, pillaged the town in retaliation for the rape. They seized the livestock, all the flocks and herds, looted the wealth of the city, plundered the fields, even ransacked the private homes, while taking captive the women and children.
After they had done these things, Jacob had words with Levi and Simeon,"You have given me considerable grief, you will make my name hateful to the Canaanites and Perizzites who live here. There are only a few of us. They will join forces against us, attack and destroy me and my people.”
His sons excused themselves by saying, "Can we allow our sister to be treated like a loose woman?"
Notes
1. Jacob stole his older brother Esau's birthright and tricked him out of his father's blessing so he could be top man, but he ended up being forced into exile. Although he returns after twenty years a wealthy and successful man, he hardly feels secure in his position. He is more than merely deferential to Esau, he is servile, calling him "master," and eager to curry his favor, apparently scared to death that Esau will attack and wipe him out. When they meet and Esau falls all over himself to make his brother feel welcome, Jacob still seems suspicious. He forces Esau to accept his presents of bald appeasement. He gives excuses so he won't have to travel with Esau, but assures him that he will follow. This, however, turns out to be a lie, for Jacob doesn't go to Esau's country at all, but to another place entirely.
2. Shechem, where Jacob settles -- a long way from Seir, where Esau lives -- is a northern Canaanite town mentioned by other texts contemporaneous with the supposed time of Jacob. (Shechem is also the name of its prince in this story.)
3. The rape of Dinah is acknowledged as a crime, a sin, as one would expect it to be, although it is less an offense committed against a person that an affront to a family. Hamor, the father of the rapist Shechem, tries to smooth things over by offering a deal to Jacob's family that seems handsome compensation. It should be noted that Dinah is not consulted as to whether she wishes to marry Shechem or not. (Women at that time probably had no say in matters so trivial as to whom they were to marry: marriages were based upon familial interests, not personal preferences -- a situation that would, for the most part, not change for thousands of years.) The men of Shechem are surprisingly and generously accommodating to Jacob's tribe and all quickly get themselves circumcised (ouch!). Their motives are not entirely unselfish: they hope to share Jacob's wealth. They do not know that they are the dupes of a diabolical plot.
4. It might be understandable for Dinah's brothers to avenge her rape by killing her rapist -- not exactly an eye for an eye, but rough tribal justice. However, Simeon and Levi are not content with just that. Inheriting their father’s deceitful cunning, they have tricked the men of the town into undergoing circumcisions, so that while they were recovering from the operations and still in pain, they cannot adequately defend themselves. They then kill every (all but defenseless) man jack in the town to slake their thirst for vengeance. Then their brothers loot the place and take the women and children captive. An act of such heinous barbarity reminds one of the primitive nature of society at this time and the crude sense of justice and morality existent. That Jacob's sons apparently believe that mass murder and the pillaging of an entire town is just compensation for a rape is, from a modern viewpoint, quite disturbing. (Yet, we find a similar attitude among contemporary Islamic extremists who believe that offenses such as blasphemy justify murderous acts of terror.)
5. Jacob's disapproval of his sons' act of genocide does not stem from its immorality or from regret for the death of so many innocent men, but merely out of a concern for his reputation -- this is going to make him look bad with the neighboring tribes, and there might be retaliation against him. Jacob is obviously no longer in control of his family; his sons are acting without his knowledge or consent and acting contrary to his interests. And Jehovah, at this point, has nothing to say to his devotee about the conduct of his homicidal family.
Monday, May 13, 2013
The History of Jacob, Part Five
(Genesis 32:01 - 32:32)
Jacob then continued the journey he had begun. He encountered some extraterrestrials and, after seeing them, he declared, "This must be a landing field for Jehovah," and so he named the place Mahanaim [sounds like “two camps in Hebrew].
Jacob sent ahead messengers to his brother Esau in the land of Seir in Edom and instructed them to say, "You shall tell this to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob informs you, ‘I have been living with Laban and have remained there until now. I am now coming home with many servants, herds, and flocks. I am sending you this message in the hope that I may find favor in your eyes.'"
The messengers returned to Jacob and reported, "We went to see your brother Esau and he told us he is hastening to meet you ---with four hundred of his men!" Jacob was distressed and alarmed by this news. He, therefore, divided up his camp and separated his herds and flocks and servants into two groups, reasoning "If Esau attacks one of them, the remaining one might escape."
Jacob prayed: "O god of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac who bid me 'Return to your native land and I will make you prosper!' I am unworthy of the kindness you have shown your servant and of the faithful observance of your promises. ... I crossed the River Jordan with only a staff and now I return with two great companies of men and animals. ... Please rescue us from my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he will attack me and kill my wives and children, for you did promise me ‘I will make you prosper and make your descendants as numerous as the countless grains of sand on the beach.'"
Jacob camped there for the night and in the morning he set aside gifts for his brother Esau from what he had in his possession-- 200 hundred nanny goats, 20 billy goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 suckling she-camels and their calves, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 jennies and 10 jackasses. He sent them to be driven by his men ahead of him with some distance separating each flock. He ordered the lead drover, "When you meet my brother Esau and he asks you 'Who are you, where are you going, and whom does this flock belong to?', you will tell him, 'They belong to your servant Jacob and it is his present to you, master Esau. Jacob is following close behind us'." He told the drover of the second herd, the third, and all those that followed, "You will address Esau in a similar manner, if you come upon him. Also, you should say to him, 'Your servant Jacob follows behind us.' I've sent you with these gifts to mollify Esau so that when I meet him face to face he may receive me favorably."
The gifts were sent ahead, while Jacob spent the night in camp. But he got up in the middle of the night, roused his two wives, his two concubines, and his eleven sons, and escorted them to the ford of the River Jabbok. He sent them across the river with all his possessions, but remained on the other side of the river alone.
An extraterrestrial then wrestled with him until dawn. When he found he could not get the better of Jacob, he grabbed his thigh and yanked his hip out of joint. Jacob continued wrestling, though, until the extraterrestrial pleaded, "Look, the sun is coming up, why don't you let me go?"
"I won't let you go, unless you bless me," Jacob answered.
"What is your name?" the extraterrestrial asked.
"It's Jacob," he replied.
And the extraterrestrial pronounced, "No longer shall you be called 'Jacob,' you should be called 'Israel', for you have struggled against a god -- how much more strongly will you struggle against men!"
Jacob asked him, "Tell me, please, what is your name?"
The extraterrestrial only answered Jacob by saying, "Don't you know who I am?" And he blessed him on the spot.
Jacob thereafter called the place Penuel, (for there he had seen a god face to face and had survived). When the sun rose and Jacob left Penuel, he did so hobbling about on one leg. (That is why the Israelites to this day refrain from eating the tendon that attaches to the hip bone, since it was there that a god had touched Jacob's thigh.)
Notes
1. On his journey back to Canaan, Jacob encounters some extraterrestrials. Sadly, no details are given. How did he know they were men of Jehovah's otherworldly race? He apparently did not speak with them, but only saw them. Did they come down to earth in some kind of a vehicle? Or did he come upon their camp and notice from their attire or their accoutrements that they were not ordinary men?
2. Curious that the chroniclers know the exact number of the animals Jacob offered as a gift to Esau, yet so many more interesting aspects of the story are sketchily depicted.
3. The Jabbok is a tributary of the River Jordan about 15 miles north of the Dead Sea. Seir was located far south of the Dead Sea in the southeastern portion of Edom, a very considerable distance from Jacob’s camp.
3. Jacob sends his family across a river, presumably for their safety, as he fears an attack from Esau. This an idea that apparently occurs to him in the middle of the night. Once alone, he suddenly finds himself wrestling with a strange man that turns out to be an extraterrestrial. The extraterrestrial grabs Jacob's thigh and pulls his hip out of joint. One gets the impression that he could have done so all along if he had wanted to, that he was stronger than Jacob, but was testing the human's endurance and determination. Jacob, though, who was nothing if not tenacious, won't let him go until he pleads "uncle." He gets a blessing for his efforts, but does not learn the name of his mysterious and cagey adversary -- only the hint that he should know who he is. It is interesting that the extraterrestrial (who would not be Jehovah, who knew Jacob personally and would recognize him) had to ask who Jacob was. Did he come upon him by accident and decide, on the spur of the moment, to test his pugilistic skills with him? Was there something, some words that precipitated the altercation. We are left in the dark. There has been much religious speculation on the significance of this story, but what really can it be? It does show at least one admirable trait in Jacob's character, his persistence, and it explains why Jacob would be called "Israel" and why he would henceforth walk with a limp.
Jacob then continued the journey he had begun. He encountered some extraterrestrials and, after seeing them, he declared, "This must be a landing field for Jehovah," and so he named the place Mahanaim [sounds like “two camps in Hebrew].
Jacob sent ahead messengers to his brother Esau in the land of Seir in Edom and instructed them to say, "You shall tell this to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob informs you, ‘I have been living with Laban and have remained there until now. I am now coming home with many servants, herds, and flocks. I am sending you this message in the hope that I may find favor in your eyes.'"
The messengers returned to Jacob and reported, "We went to see your brother Esau and he told us he is hastening to meet you ---with four hundred of his men!" Jacob was distressed and alarmed by this news. He, therefore, divided up his camp and separated his herds and flocks and servants into two groups, reasoning "If Esau attacks one of them, the remaining one might escape."
Jacob prayed: "O god of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac who bid me 'Return to your native land and I will make you prosper!' I am unworthy of the kindness you have shown your servant and of the faithful observance of your promises. ... I crossed the River Jordan with only a staff and now I return with two great companies of men and animals. ... Please rescue us from my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he will attack me and kill my wives and children, for you did promise me ‘I will make you prosper and make your descendants as numerous as the countless grains of sand on the beach.'"
Jacob camped there for the night and in the morning he set aside gifts for his brother Esau from what he had in his possession-- 200 hundred nanny goats, 20 billy goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 suckling she-camels and their calves, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 jennies and 10 jackasses. He sent them to be driven by his men ahead of him with some distance separating each flock. He ordered the lead drover, "When you meet my brother Esau and he asks you 'Who are you, where are you going, and whom does this flock belong to?', you will tell him, 'They belong to your servant Jacob and it is his present to you, master Esau. Jacob is following close behind us'." He told the drover of the second herd, the third, and all those that followed, "You will address Esau in a similar manner, if you come upon him. Also, you should say to him, 'Your servant Jacob follows behind us.' I've sent you with these gifts to mollify Esau so that when I meet him face to face he may receive me favorably."
The gifts were sent ahead, while Jacob spent the night in camp. But he got up in the middle of the night, roused his two wives, his two concubines, and his eleven sons, and escorted them to the ford of the River Jabbok. He sent them across the river with all his possessions, but remained on the other side of the river alone.
An extraterrestrial then wrestled with him until dawn. When he found he could not get the better of Jacob, he grabbed his thigh and yanked his hip out of joint. Jacob continued wrestling, though, until the extraterrestrial pleaded, "Look, the sun is coming up, why don't you let me go?"
"I won't let you go, unless you bless me," Jacob answered.
"What is your name?" the extraterrestrial asked.
"It's Jacob," he replied.
And the extraterrestrial pronounced, "No longer shall you be called 'Jacob,' you should be called 'Israel', for you have struggled against a god -- how much more strongly will you struggle against men!"
Jacob asked him, "Tell me, please, what is your name?"
The extraterrestrial only answered Jacob by saying, "Don't you know who I am?" And he blessed him on the spot.
Jacob thereafter called the place Penuel, (for there he had seen a god face to face and had survived). When the sun rose and Jacob left Penuel, he did so hobbling about on one leg. (That is why the Israelites to this day refrain from eating the tendon that attaches to the hip bone, since it was there that a god had touched Jacob's thigh.)
Notes
1. On his journey back to Canaan, Jacob encounters some extraterrestrials. Sadly, no details are given. How did he know they were men of Jehovah's otherworldly race? He apparently did not speak with them, but only saw them. Did they come down to earth in some kind of a vehicle? Or did he come upon their camp and notice from their attire or their accoutrements that they were not ordinary men?
2. Curious that the chroniclers know the exact number of the animals Jacob offered as a gift to Esau, yet so many more interesting aspects of the story are sketchily depicted.
3. The Jabbok is a tributary of the River Jordan about 15 miles north of the Dead Sea. Seir was located far south of the Dead Sea in the southeastern portion of Edom, a very considerable distance from Jacob’s camp.
3. Jacob sends his family across a river, presumably for their safety, as he fears an attack from Esau. This an idea that apparently occurs to him in the middle of the night. Once alone, he suddenly finds himself wrestling with a strange man that turns out to be an extraterrestrial. The extraterrestrial grabs Jacob's thigh and pulls his hip out of joint. One gets the impression that he could have done so all along if he had wanted to, that he was stronger than Jacob, but was testing the human's endurance and determination. Jacob, though, who was nothing if not tenacious, won't let him go until he pleads "uncle." He gets a blessing for his efforts, but does not learn the name of his mysterious and cagey adversary -- only the hint that he should know who he is. It is interesting that the extraterrestrial (who would not be Jehovah, who knew Jacob personally and would recognize him) had to ask who Jacob was. Did he come upon him by accident and decide, on the spur of the moment, to test his pugilistic skills with him? Was there something, some words that precipitated the altercation. We are left in the dark. There has been much religious speculation on the significance of this story, but what really can it be? It does show at least one admirable trait in Jacob's character, his persistence, and it explains why Jacob would be called "Israel" and why he would henceforth walk with a limp.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The History of Jacob, Part One
(Genesis 27:41 - 28:22)
Esau continued to nurture a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing he had received from their father. He thought to himself, “The period of mourning for our father will soon be upon us; it is then that I will kill my brother Jacob."
Rebecca heard about Esau's threat. Summoning her younger son Jacob, she warned him, “Listen, your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. You must follow my advice: leave here at once and go to Haran, to my brother Laban. Stay with him for a time until your brother has calmed down. When he has gotten over being angry and has forgotten what you did to him, I will send word to you that you may come back. --- Why should I be deprived of both my sons at the same time?"
Rebecca complained to Isaac, “Those Hethite daughters-in-law of mine are making my life miserable. I'd sooner be dead than have Jacob marry one of those women.”
Isaac sent for Jacob. He blessed him again and advised him, "Don't marry a woman of the Canaanite race. Instead go and make a journey to the Plain of Aram in Mesopotamia, to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father and marry one of the daughters of your mother's brother Laban. And may the Great Jehovah bless you and grant you a large family and progeny, and may he bestow the blessings of Abraham upon you and your children that they may take possession of the land in which we now live as strangers, as was promised to your grandfather."
After Isaac had bid him farewell, Jacob embarked upon the journey to Aram to see Laban, the son of Bethuel and the sister of his mother Rebecca.
Esau learned that after his father had blessed him, Jacob had been sent to Mesopotamia to take a wife there and also that he had advised him "Don't marry a woman of the Canaanite race." He learned that Jacob had obeyed his parents and had traveled to Aram. Aware of the distaste Isaac had for Canaanite women, Esau therefore went to visit the family of his uncle Ishmael, Abraham's son, and married Mahalath, Ishmael's daughter and the sister of Nebajoth. (This was in addition to the wives Esau already had.)
After leaving Beersheba, Jacob made his way to Haran. He stopped to rest at what would be a sacred place and, since the sun was setting, he decided to spend the night there. Taking one of the stones that were lying about, he used it for a pillow. He fell to sleep and dreamed, and in the dream he saw standing on the ground a staircase that reached far up into the sky. Extraterrestrials were going up and down its steps. Next, Jehovah appeared, standing beside him. Jehovah spoke to him, "I am the god and the master of your forefather Abraham, and the god of Isaac. The land where you now sleep, I will bequeath to you and your posterity. And that posterity will be like the dust of the earth and the wind will spread it in all directions, to the west, the east, the north, and the south. Through you and your progeny all the peoples of the earth will be blessed. And remember, I will always be looking out for you, regardless of where you may go. I will eventually bring you back to this land, for I will not forsake you until I have fulfilled all that I have promised.”
When Jacob woke from his sleep, he marveled "Jehovah is no doubt here in this very place, and I didn't even know it!" He trembled when he observed, “This place is awe inspiring! It can only be the abode of Jehovah, an entrance to his otherworldly realm."
Jacob got up early in the morning. He took the stone he had used as a pillow and stood it upright upon the ground, anointing the top of it with olive oil. This place, which had been called Luz, he renamed Bethel [city of God]. Then Jacob made a vow, "If Jehovah will be there to protect me on my journey, to give me food to eat and clothes to wear, and to bring me safely back to my father’s home, then Jehovah will be my god. This stone will be the cornerstone of his temple, and I will give to him as a tithe a percentage of everything I acquire."
Notes
1. Esau, understandably angry, makes secret plans to murder Jacob, but, by means not revealed in the narrative, Rebecca comes to hear of his plan and warns Jacob, again giving him orders and telling him what to do. The remark that she does not want to be deprived of the company of both of her sons at once probably means that if Esau kills Jacob, Esau will be exiled for the crime and she will have lost both sons. Isaac, who hasn't kicked the bucket yet, seems to harbor no ill feelings toward his conniving wife or toward Jacob, who, at best, has made a fool of him. He listens to Rebecca, who seems to rule the roost, and sends Jacob away to his family in Mesopotamia to get a wife. (He does not follow his father's example of sending a servant to do the job.) So far, Jacob doesn't seem to have benefited from his fraudulently obtained birthright and blessing and will now have to leave the family tent and fend for himself.
2. Esau is reminded of his parent's disapproval of Canaanite women. He had married two of them (Hethites) and his mother apparently couldn’t stand them. Apparently to please his parents, Esau, the first really serious polygamist, marries for a third time, his first cousin, the daughter of Ishmael. It is perhaps an uncomfortable analogy, but the Hebrew prohibition against marrying Canaanites reminds one of the Nazi prohibition against marrying Jews, if not all the modern taboos against miscegenation.
3. Isaac’s relatives still live in northwestern Mesopotamia near Syria, on the plain of Aram (Paddanaram). Haran is the town where Bethuel and Laban, who are often called Arameans, live.
4. Jacob's staircase or ladder appears to him in an intriguing dream or vision. (Since ladders are usually of a width to accommodate only one person and in the dream beings are being seen going up and down, presumably at the same time, I have concluded that “staircase” would be a more accurate description of what he saw.) It is well established that Jehovah is able to manipulate men's dreams and communicate with them telepathically. The staircase was either a physical staircase, as we know it, with steps, or it is something that functioned as such, perhaps even something exotic like a beam of light that beings could transit up and down. The staircase, if it was physical, may have reached up to a vehicle in the sky that Jacob could not see. (It was night) If it was non-physical, it may have been a means by which extraterrestrials could travel to earth via another dimension. Extraterrestrial beings were seen by Jacob moving up and down the staircase, in other words, coming and departing from earth, or the physical plane.
5. At the site where he had experienced this numinous dream, Jacob vows to build a temple. It is fair to say that all over the world, during ancient times and even later, men have built temples and churches and shrines on the sites where extraterrestrial encounters have occurred. It is natural to regard these places as special whether they really were or not. (The location of the encounter could be a matter of accident.) These places tend to be regarded as sacred, even by more than one religion. The sites may be selected landing places for extraterrestrial vehicles or places of disembarkation for otherworldly visitors. It is possible, as well, that these sites are, in fact, gateways to other dimensions or areas in which some not-yet-understood earth energy is concentrated or in which ley lines (if they exist) converge.
6. While it is surprising that Jacob is not already a devotee of Jehovah, he, upon witnessing the vision of the ladder and hearing oft-repeated pledge of Jehovah to endow Abraham's descendants with a magnificent destiny, does become a believer and a worshiper. He strikes the classic deal that ancient men always made with their gods. “I will worship you, perform the ceremonies you want, make sacrifices to you, build you temples, and give you a cut of the take, if you will endow me with material success and good fortune.” Quid pro quo. There is, at this point, no promise by Jehovah of otherworldly rewards, afterlife in Heaven, resurrection, eternal life, nothing of that sort, only the promise of earthly grandeur to descendants. And there is no obligation upon Jacob to adhere to any moral standards. (This is not unusual, for religion and morality were only closely connected later in man’s history.)
Esau continued to nurture a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing he had received from their father. He thought to himself, “The period of mourning for our father will soon be upon us; it is then that I will kill my brother Jacob."
Rebecca heard about Esau's threat. Summoning her younger son Jacob, she warned him, “Listen, your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. You must follow my advice: leave here at once and go to Haran, to my brother Laban. Stay with him for a time until your brother has calmed down. When he has gotten over being angry and has forgotten what you did to him, I will send word to you that you may come back. --- Why should I be deprived of both my sons at the same time?"
Rebecca complained to Isaac, “Those Hethite daughters-in-law of mine are making my life miserable. I'd sooner be dead than have Jacob marry one of those women.”
Isaac sent for Jacob. He blessed him again and advised him, "Don't marry a woman of the Canaanite race. Instead go and make a journey to the Plain of Aram in Mesopotamia, to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father and marry one of the daughters of your mother's brother Laban. And may the Great Jehovah bless you and grant you a large family and progeny, and may he bestow the blessings of Abraham upon you and your children that they may take possession of the land in which we now live as strangers, as was promised to your grandfather."
After Isaac had bid him farewell, Jacob embarked upon the journey to Aram to see Laban, the son of Bethuel and the sister of his mother Rebecca.
Esau learned that after his father had blessed him, Jacob had been sent to Mesopotamia to take a wife there and also that he had advised him "Don't marry a woman of the Canaanite race." He learned that Jacob had obeyed his parents and had traveled to Aram. Aware of the distaste Isaac had for Canaanite women, Esau therefore went to visit the family of his uncle Ishmael, Abraham's son, and married Mahalath, Ishmael's daughter and the sister of Nebajoth. (This was in addition to the wives Esau already had.)
After leaving Beersheba, Jacob made his way to Haran. He stopped to rest at what would be a sacred place and, since the sun was setting, he decided to spend the night there. Taking one of the stones that were lying about, he used it for a pillow. He fell to sleep and dreamed, and in the dream he saw standing on the ground a staircase that reached far up into the sky. Extraterrestrials were going up and down its steps. Next, Jehovah appeared, standing beside him. Jehovah spoke to him, "I am the god and the master of your forefather Abraham, and the god of Isaac. The land where you now sleep, I will bequeath to you and your posterity. And that posterity will be like the dust of the earth and the wind will spread it in all directions, to the west, the east, the north, and the south. Through you and your progeny all the peoples of the earth will be blessed. And remember, I will always be looking out for you, regardless of where you may go. I will eventually bring you back to this land, for I will not forsake you until I have fulfilled all that I have promised.”
When Jacob woke from his sleep, he marveled "Jehovah is no doubt here in this very place, and I didn't even know it!" He trembled when he observed, “This place is awe inspiring! It can only be the abode of Jehovah, an entrance to his otherworldly realm."
Jacob got up early in the morning. He took the stone he had used as a pillow and stood it upright upon the ground, anointing the top of it with olive oil. This place, which had been called Luz, he renamed Bethel [city of God]. Then Jacob made a vow, "If Jehovah will be there to protect me on my journey, to give me food to eat and clothes to wear, and to bring me safely back to my father’s home, then Jehovah will be my god. This stone will be the cornerstone of his temple, and I will give to him as a tithe a percentage of everything I acquire."
Notes
1. Esau, understandably angry, makes secret plans to murder Jacob, but, by means not revealed in the narrative, Rebecca comes to hear of his plan and warns Jacob, again giving him orders and telling him what to do. The remark that she does not want to be deprived of the company of both of her sons at once probably means that if Esau kills Jacob, Esau will be exiled for the crime and she will have lost both sons. Isaac, who hasn't kicked the bucket yet, seems to harbor no ill feelings toward his conniving wife or toward Jacob, who, at best, has made a fool of him. He listens to Rebecca, who seems to rule the roost, and sends Jacob away to his family in Mesopotamia to get a wife. (He does not follow his father's example of sending a servant to do the job.) So far, Jacob doesn't seem to have benefited from his fraudulently obtained birthright and blessing and will now have to leave the family tent and fend for himself.
2. Esau is reminded of his parent's disapproval of Canaanite women. He had married two of them (Hethites) and his mother apparently couldn’t stand them. Apparently to please his parents, Esau, the first really serious polygamist, marries for a third time, his first cousin, the daughter of Ishmael. It is perhaps an uncomfortable analogy, but the Hebrew prohibition against marrying Canaanites reminds one of the Nazi prohibition against marrying Jews, if not all the modern taboos against miscegenation.
3. Isaac’s relatives still live in northwestern Mesopotamia near Syria, on the plain of Aram (Paddanaram). Haran is the town where Bethuel and Laban, who are often called Arameans, live.
4. Jacob's staircase or ladder appears to him in an intriguing dream or vision. (Since ladders are usually of a width to accommodate only one person and in the dream beings are being seen going up and down, presumably at the same time, I have concluded that “staircase” would be a more accurate description of what he saw.) It is well established that Jehovah is able to manipulate men's dreams and communicate with them telepathically. The staircase was either a physical staircase, as we know it, with steps, or it is something that functioned as such, perhaps even something exotic like a beam of light that beings could transit up and down. The staircase, if it was physical, may have reached up to a vehicle in the sky that Jacob could not see. (It was night) If it was non-physical, it may have been a means by which extraterrestrials could travel to earth via another dimension. Extraterrestrial beings were seen by Jacob moving up and down the staircase, in other words, coming and departing from earth, or the physical plane.
5. At the site where he had experienced this numinous dream, Jacob vows to build a temple. It is fair to say that all over the world, during ancient times and even later, men have built temples and churches and shrines on the sites where extraterrestrial encounters have occurred. It is natural to regard these places as special whether they really were or not. (The location of the encounter could be a matter of accident.) These places tend to be regarded as sacred, even by more than one religion. The sites may be selected landing places for extraterrestrial vehicles or places of disembarkation for otherworldly visitors. It is possible, as well, that these sites are, in fact, gateways to other dimensions or areas in which some not-yet-understood earth energy is concentrated or in which ley lines (if they exist) converge.
6. While it is surprising that Jacob is not already a devotee of Jehovah, he, upon witnessing the vision of the ladder and hearing oft-repeated pledge of Jehovah to endow Abraham's descendants with a magnificent destiny, does become a believer and a worshiper. He strikes the classic deal that ancient men always made with their gods. “I will worship you, perform the ceremonies you want, make sacrifices to you, build you temples, and give you a cut of the take, if you will endow me with material success and good fortune.” Quid pro quo. There is, at this point, no promise by Jehovah of otherworldly rewards, afterlife in Heaven, resurrection, eternal life, nothing of that sort, only the promise of earthly grandeur to descendants. And there is no obligation upon Jacob to adhere to any moral standards. (This is not unusual, for religion and morality were only closely connected later in man’s history.)
Monday, April 29, 2013
The History of Isaac, Part Two
(Genesis 26:34 - 27:40)
When Esau was 40 years old he took two wives, Judith, the daughter of Beri the Hethite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hethite, but these women incurred the strong displeasure of his parents Isaac and Rebecca.
When Isaac was old, his vision became so weak he could barely see. He summoned his older son Esau and called out, "My son?"
"Here I am," he answered.
His father told him "As you can see, I am now an old man. I'm not sure how much time I have left. --- Do me a favor. Take your arms, your bow and quiver of arrows, go out into the field, and kill some game for me. Prepare some tasty dish of meat --you know the way I like it -- and if you bring it to me to eat, I will bless you before I die."
Rebecca overheard what Isaac had said to Esau. And so when Esau was out hunting to satisfy his father's wishes, Rebecca took aside her son Jacob, "I heard your father talking with Esau, your brother, and telling him, 'Go hunt and bring back some game for me to eat and, in the sight of Jehovah, I will bless you before I die.' --- And so, my son, you must do exactly what I tell you. Go out to the flock and bring back a couple of plump goat kids so that I may prepare from their meat a dish your father will relish. You will then serve it to him and after he eats it, he will bless you before he dies."
But Jacob said to his mother Rebecca, "Esau is hairy and I have smooth skin. My father may touch me, think that I am trying to deceive him, and give me his curse rather than his blessing."
His mother scolded him, "The curse will only be upon me, my son. Just do what I told you and bring me what I asked."
Jacob did so and brought the goat kids to his mother, who prepared from them a dish of tasty meat. Rebecca found some of Esau's best clothes, which she had at home, and dressed her younger son Jacob in them. She wrapped skins from the goat kids around his hands and open neck. She delivered into his hands the meat and the bread she had prepared, and Jacob carried them in to his father.
"My father?" he asked.
"I hear you. But is it you, my son?" the old man responded.
Jacob answered, "Yes, it's me, Esau, your oldest son. I have done as you have commanded. Sit up, if you would, and dine on the venison, so that I may have your blessing."
Isaac queried his son, "How is it that you have gotten this ready so quickly, my son?"
Jacob explained, "It was the will of Jehovah that I found quickly what I was looking for."
"Come closer, my son" Isaac demanded, "that I may feel you and know for sure whether you are Esau or not."
So Jacob came to his father, who felt him and said "The voice is Jacob's, but the hands are those of Esau." (Not recognizing Jacob because his hands were hairy like his older brother's, Isaac blessed him.) “Are you indeed my son Esau?" he asked.
"I am," insisted Jacob.
"Well then, bring me the game meat and my soul will bless you." After he had been served and finished his meal, wine was brought in, and he drank.
Isaac then bid him "Draw near me, my son, and kiss me." When Jacob came near and kissed his father, Isaac noticed the scent of his clothes and blessed him, saying, "See, my son smells like the fecund fields blessed by Jehovah! Therefore, may Jehovah grant you gentle rains from heaven and the fertile soil of the earth, so you may have an abundance of grain and wine. May tribes serve you and nations pay you tribute. You will be the head of the family and may the children of your mother be subservient to you. May those who curse you be cursed. May those who bless you be full of blessings."
No sooner had Isaac finished his blessing and Jacob departed from his presence than his brother Esau came in from the hunt. He had also prepared a dish of tasty meat and brought it in to his father, saying "Let my father sit up and eat his venison, so that his soul may bless me."
Isaac, his father questioned, "Who are you!?"
Esau answered, "I am your son, your first-born son, Esau."
Isaac was incredulous and alarmed and trembled with agitation. "Who was is then that just brought me the venison he had prepared? I ate it before you came here. I gave him my blessing --- I can’t take it back!”
Hearing what his father said, Esau let out a loud groan of anguish and regret. "Surely, my father, you will give me a blessing, too?"
"Your brother used trickery, and has taken away the blessing meant for you," his father declared.
Esau observed, "He is rightly named "Jacob" [meaning usurper]. He has usurped my place twice. First he took away my birthright and now he has stolen my blessing." He then addressed his father, "Don't you have a blessing left over for me?"
Isaac answered him. "Look, I have already made him your master and the head of the family. I have bequeathed him my stores of grain and wine. After that, what is there left to give to you, my son?"
"Have you only one blessing, Father? Can't you bless me, too?" complained Esau, crying out and weeping aloud.
Feeling sorry for Esau, Isaac told him, “Your only blessing will be in fertile soil of the earth and the gentle rain from heaven, but you will have to sustain yourself by fighting. And you will serve your brother, until the time comes when you will grow restless and then break free from his domination."
Notes
1. Esau, in marrying two Hethite women, has gone against the express wishes of his parents, who despise their Canaanite neighbors. Esau, it seems, has insisted on being his own man and following his own counsel. Jacob, on the other hand, has not yet married and seems very much tied to his mother's apron's strings. Although he is man approaching middle age, he seems a docile juvenile cowed by his domineering mother Rebecca, who, it seems, will do anything to advance the interest of her fair-haired boy. (This may be the first, but not the last time the redhead gets the short end of the stick.) In this story of the twins is an implied moral: filial respect and conformity to custom supersedes personal initiative and individual will. The favored son is the complaisant, obedient one.
2. The conduct of Jacob in cheating Esau out of his inheritance is shamelessly defended in most Biblical commentaries. Even Saint Augustine believed his lie was only technical and venial. Such subjective distortion of moral values among the religious is truly appalling. Jacob's conduct was execrable and morally indefensible, one would think, by anyone's standards. He knew that Esau, being the eldest, was his father's heir. Instead of working to enrich himself by his own efforts as his father and grandfather had done, he conspires to steal what will belong to his brother. Although Esau's cavalier, dismissive attitude towards his birthrate is disreputable, it is more disreputable that Jacob chose to take advantage of it by tricking him out of it. No honest person could believe that trading a birthright, a wealthy inheritance for a pot of stew comprises an equal trade, and no honest person would go through with such a bargain. (It should also be pointed out that Esau's birthright was not really his to sell. A heir may refuse to accept his legacy, he may give away a legacy he has received, but prior to receiving the legacy he has no right to override the wishes of the legator by designating a substitute heir.) Jacob, who has shown himself to be devious and conniving, lacks the redeeming virtue of guts, of accepting responsibility for his actions and the punishment, if he is caught. When his mother devises the plan to have him impersonate his brother Esau to their vision-impaired father, Jacob is worried about being caught and will go ahead with the masquerade only when his mother offers to assume the guilt for it. Jacob, pretending to be his brother, is doing more than mere bold-faced lying, he is committing a fraud for personal gain. It is made more despicable by the fact that the victims of it are family members, his father and his twin brother. Deceiving your half-blind, dying father so that you can get his inheritance and cheat your brother out of his is about as low as one can go. How can there be any moral ambiguity here?
3. It doesn't seem to occur to Isaac that his blessing of Jacob was given under false pretenses, and, therefore, could and should be retracted. Perhaps the legal concept of the fraudulent contract being invalid did not exist at that time.
When Esau was 40 years old he took two wives, Judith, the daughter of Beri the Hethite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hethite, but these women incurred the strong displeasure of his parents Isaac and Rebecca.
When Isaac was old, his vision became so weak he could barely see. He summoned his older son Esau and called out, "My son?"
"Here I am," he answered.
His father told him "As you can see, I am now an old man. I'm not sure how much time I have left. --- Do me a favor. Take your arms, your bow and quiver of arrows, go out into the field, and kill some game for me. Prepare some tasty dish of meat --you know the way I like it -- and if you bring it to me to eat, I will bless you before I die."
Rebecca overheard what Isaac had said to Esau. And so when Esau was out hunting to satisfy his father's wishes, Rebecca took aside her son Jacob, "I heard your father talking with Esau, your brother, and telling him, 'Go hunt and bring back some game for me to eat and, in the sight of Jehovah, I will bless you before I die.' --- And so, my son, you must do exactly what I tell you. Go out to the flock and bring back a couple of plump goat kids so that I may prepare from their meat a dish your father will relish. You will then serve it to him and after he eats it, he will bless you before he dies."
But Jacob said to his mother Rebecca, "Esau is hairy and I have smooth skin. My father may touch me, think that I am trying to deceive him, and give me his curse rather than his blessing."
His mother scolded him, "The curse will only be upon me, my son. Just do what I told you and bring me what I asked."
Jacob did so and brought the goat kids to his mother, who prepared from them a dish of tasty meat. Rebecca found some of Esau's best clothes, which she had at home, and dressed her younger son Jacob in them. She wrapped skins from the goat kids around his hands and open neck. She delivered into his hands the meat and the bread she had prepared, and Jacob carried them in to his father.
"My father?" he asked.
"I hear you. But is it you, my son?" the old man responded.
Jacob answered, "Yes, it's me, Esau, your oldest son. I have done as you have commanded. Sit up, if you would, and dine on the venison, so that I may have your blessing."
Isaac queried his son, "How is it that you have gotten this ready so quickly, my son?"
Jacob explained, "It was the will of Jehovah that I found quickly what I was looking for."
"Come closer, my son" Isaac demanded, "that I may feel you and know for sure whether you are Esau or not."
So Jacob came to his father, who felt him and said "The voice is Jacob's, but the hands are those of Esau." (Not recognizing Jacob because his hands were hairy like his older brother's, Isaac blessed him.) “Are you indeed my son Esau?" he asked.
"I am," insisted Jacob.
"Well then, bring me the game meat and my soul will bless you." After he had been served and finished his meal, wine was brought in, and he drank.
Isaac then bid him "Draw near me, my son, and kiss me." When Jacob came near and kissed his father, Isaac noticed the scent of his clothes and blessed him, saying, "See, my son smells like the fecund fields blessed by Jehovah! Therefore, may Jehovah grant you gentle rains from heaven and the fertile soil of the earth, so you may have an abundance of grain and wine. May tribes serve you and nations pay you tribute. You will be the head of the family and may the children of your mother be subservient to you. May those who curse you be cursed. May those who bless you be full of blessings."
No sooner had Isaac finished his blessing and Jacob departed from his presence than his brother Esau came in from the hunt. He had also prepared a dish of tasty meat and brought it in to his father, saying "Let my father sit up and eat his venison, so that his soul may bless me."
Isaac, his father questioned, "Who are you!?"
Esau answered, "I am your son, your first-born son, Esau."
Isaac was incredulous and alarmed and trembled with agitation. "Who was is then that just brought me the venison he had prepared? I ate it before you came here. I gave him my blessing --- I can’t take it back!”
Hearing what his father said, Esau let out a loud groan of anguish and regret. "Surely, my father, you will give me a blessing, too?"
"Your brother used trickery, and has taken away the blessing meant for you," his father declared.
Esau observed, "He is rightly named "Jacob" [meaning usurper]. He has usurped my place twice. First he took away my birthright and now he has stolen my blessing." He then addressed his father, "Don't you have a blessing left over for me?"
Isaac answered him. "Look, I have already made him your master and the head of the family. I have bequeathed him my stores of grain and wine. After that, what is there left to give to you, my son?"
"Have you only one blessing, Father? Can't you bless me, too?" complained Esau, crying out and weeping aloud.
Feeling sorry for Esau, Isaac told him, “Your only blessing will be in fertile soil of the earth and the gentle rain from heaven, but you will have to sustain yourself by fighting. And you will serve your brother, until the time comes when you will grow restless and then break free from his domination."
Notes
1. Esau, in marrying two Hethite women, has gone against the express wishes of his parents, who despise their Canaanite neighbors. Esau, it seems, has insisted on being his own man and following his own counsel. Jacob, on the other hand, has not yet married and seems very much tied to his mother's apron's strings. Although he is man approaching middle age, he seems a docile juvenile cowed by his domineering mother Rebecca, who, it seems, will do anything to advance the interest of her fair-haired boy. (This may be the first, but not the last time the redhead gets the short end of the stick.) In this story of the twins is an implied moral: filial respect and conformity to custom supersedes personal initiative and individual will. The favored son is the complaisant, obedient one.
2. The conduct of Jacob in cheating Esau out of his inheritance is shamelessly defended in most Biblical commentaries. Even Saint Augustine believed his lie was only technical and venial. Such subjective distortion of moral values among the religious is truly appalling. Jacob's conduct was execrable and morally indefensible, one would think, by anyone's standards. He knew that Esau, being the eldest, was his father's heir. Instead of working to enrich himself by his own efforts as his father and grandfather had done, he conspires to steal what will belong to his brother. Although Esau's cavalier, dismissive attitude towards his birthrate is disreputable, it is more disreputable that Jacob chose to take advantage of it by tricking him out of it. No honest person could believe that trading a birthright, a wealthy inheritance for a pot of stew comprises an equal trade, and no honest person would go through with such a bargain. (It should also be pointed out that Esau's birthright was not really his to sell. A heir may refuse to accept his legacy, he may give away a legacy he has received, but prior to receiving the legacy he has no right to override the wishes of the legator by designating a substitute heir.) Jacob, who has shown himself to be devious and conniving, lacks the redeeming virtue of guts, of accepting responsibility for his actions and the punishment, if he is caught. When his mother devises the plan to have him impersonate his brother Esau to their vision-impaired father, Jacob is worried about being caught and will go ahead with the masquerade only when his mother offers to assume the guilt for it. Jacob, pretending to be his brother, is doing more than mere bold-faced lying, he is committing a fraud for personal gain. It is made more despicable by the fact that the victims of it are family members, his father and his twin brother. Deceiving your half-blind, dying father so that you can get his inheritance and cheat your brother out of his is about as low as one can go. How can there be any moral ambiguity here?
3. It doesn't seem to occur to Isaac that his blessing of Jacob was given under false pretenses, and, therefore, could and should be retracted. Perhaps the legal concept of the fraudulent contract being invalid did not exist at that time.
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