Ephrata, was the old, and Bethlehem the later name of this town. Bethlehem' means 'house of bread;' but we do not know on what occasion it was imposed. The town was in the allotment of the tribe of Judah, being situated about six miles south of Jerusalem, on the road to Hebron. Some notice of its present state will come most suitably as a note to Matt. ii. 1; and it is therefore only necessary here to remark that it was a city in the time of Boaz (Ruth iii. 11; iv. 1), whose grandson was Jesse, the father of David, who was born and reared there; in consequence of which the place is very frequently distinguished as the city of David. It was one of the cities fortified by Rehoboam. But its greatest and most holy distinction results from its having been the appointed birthplace of our Saviour. The town is called sometimes in the Old Testament Bethlehem-Judah,' to distinguish it from another Bethlehem, mentioned, in Josh. xix. 15, as a city of Zebulun. Its ancient name is nearly preserved to this day, it being now called Beit-Lahhm.

20. That is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.'Many interesting considerations, on which we cannot here expatiate, result from tracing the various methods which were resorted to in order to preserve the memory of events in the primitive times, when the art of writing was either unknown or had not yet been brought to bear on the usages of civil life. The progress of writing was manifestly slow; and after the art was well known, the ancient commemorative practices were still for a long time retained. Some of the devices for the transmission of important facts to posterity have already passed under our notice. We have seen the patriarchs erecting altars where the Lord had appeared to them (ch. xii. 7; xxvi. 25; xxxv. 7); planting woods (ch. xxi. 31, 33), and setting up monuments in memory of the principal events of their lives; and for the same purpose giving characteristic names to the spots where such events took place. Instances of the last description have been too frequent to require indication. The profane writers, and the existing usages in many countries, furnish examples of the same custom. The ancient fragment of Sanchoniathon informs us that rude stones and posts were the first memorials of the Phoenician people. Near Cadiz, heaps of stone used to be indicated as the famous 'pillars' which are said to have commemorated the expedition of Hercules to Spain. The ancient people of the north preserved the memory of events by placing stones of extraordinary size in particular places; and this method is still used by the American savages, among whom writing is unknown. The manner in which such monuments were made subservient to this purpose is clearly described in Josh. iv. Parents explained to their children the object of such erections, and instructed them in the facts which gave occasion to them. In this way tradition supplied in some degree the place of written records. The early sepulchral pillars came under the same class of commemorative erections. They do not appear to have borne any inscriptions in their primitive use, although in aftertimes they did. Burder collects instances from Homer of pillars erected over graves. Paris is represented, when going to shoot Diomed, as couching behind the pillar which had been erected upon or near the grave of Ilus. So, also, at the funeral of Elpeuor, we find Ulysses and his companions forming a tumulus and erecting a pillar: and in another place, a heap of earth and a pillar are mentioned as the usual tokens of respect paid to the dead.

The reputed tomb of Rachel, near Ephrath, is somewhat less than half way on the road from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. It stands a little to the left of the road. Mr. Carne, in his Recollections of the East, says: The spot is as wild and solitary as can well be conceived: no palms or cypresses give their shelter from the blast; not a single tree spreads its shade where the ashes of the beautiful mother of Israel rests. Yet there is something in this sepulchre in the wilderness that excites a deeper interest than more splendid or revered ones. The tombs of Zacharias and Absalom, in the valley of Jehoshaphat, or that of the kings in the plain of Jeremiah, the traveller looks at with careless indifference; beside that of Rachel his fancy wanders to the

land of the people of the East; to the power of beauty, that could so long make banishment sweet; to the devoted companion of the wanderer, who deemed all troubles light for her sake.' The Turks have generally enclosed the real or supposed sepulchres of the chief characters of the Old Testament in some building or other: that which covers the tomb of Rachel is of a very humble description. It is a small square building surmounted by a dome, and resembling the common tombs of sheikhs and saints in Arabia and Egypt. Mr. Buckingham, who has particularly described it, says, 'We entered it on the south side by an aperture through which it was difficult to crawl, as it has no door-way; and found on the inside a square mass of masonry in the centre, built up from the floor nearly to the roof, and of such a size as to leave barely a narrow passage for walking round it. It is plastered with white stucco on the outer surface; and is sufficiently large and high to enclose within it any ancient pillar that might have been found on the grave of Rachel.' As this interior central mass is certainly different from anything we have ourselves ever witnessed in such structures, we are disposed to concur with Mr. Buckingham in thinking it probable that it was originally intended to enclose a pillar, or fragment of one, which tradition had pointed out as the pillar of Rachel's

danger, their moveables, and their wives and young chil dren, if they do not themselves resort to the shelter which these structures offer. Such are the watch-towers-the Mizpehs-which the Scriptures so often mention.

22. 'And Israel heard it.'-What he felt is left to the imagination of the reader, as something too strong to be uttered. This is thus a striking and emphatic abruption, the effect of which is not improved, but grievously marred, by the impertinent addition of the Septuagint, kai тovηpòv. épávη évavτíov auToû, 'and it was evil in his eyes.'

CHAPTER XXXVI.

2 Esai's three wives. 6 His removing to mount Seir. 9 His sons. 15 The dukes which descended of his sons. 20 The sons and dukes of Seir. 24 Anah findeth mules. 31 The kings of Edom. 40 The dukes that descended of Esau.

Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

2 Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

3 And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.

4 And 'Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel;

5 And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.

6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.

7 For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.

8 Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

9 ¶ And these are the generations of Esau the father of 'the Edomites in mount Seir:

10 These are the names of Esau's sons; "Ellphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau.

11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.

12 And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife.

13 And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah : these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.

14 And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: and she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.

15

These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau ; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz,

16 Duke Koralı, duke Gatam, and duke Amalak: these are the dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom: these were the sons of Adah.

17 And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah: these are the dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.

18 And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esau's wife; duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, duke Korah: these were the dukes that came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.

19 These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.

20 ¶ "These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,

21 And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these are the dukes of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.

22 And the children of Lotan were Hori, and Heman; and Lotan's sister was Timna.

23 And the children of Shobal were these; Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

24 And these are the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.

25 And the children of Anah were these; Dishon, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah. 26 And these are the children of Dishon; Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran. 27 The children of Ezer are these; Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.

28 The children of Dishan are these; Uz, and Aran.

29 These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah.

30 Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.

31 And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.

32 And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom and the name of his city was Dinnabah.

:

33 And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.

34 And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead.

35 And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.

36 And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.

37 And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.

38 And Saul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.

39 And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

40 And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth,

41 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,

42 Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,! 43 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram: these be the dukes of Edom, according to their habitations, in the land of their possession: he is Esau the father of 'the Edomites.

Verse 1. The generations of Esau,' etc.-The following brief abstract of the view of this chapter taken by Dreschler, in his very able work, Die Einheit und Aechtheit der Genesis, will serve to elucidate most of its apparent difficulties. The chapter begins with an account of Esau's family during their residence in Canaan, and of their wealth and removal, 1-8. It proceeds to give a general view of the domestic condition of Esau in the country of Seir, 9-14. This is followed by the names of the tribes of the Edomites, who, like those of the Israelites, borrowed their names from those of Esau's nearest descendants, and each of whom had its own head or chieftain, in Hebrew Alluph, as the alluph of the tribe of Teman, etc., 15-19. Afterwards appears the genealogy of Seir the Iorite, 20-30. Then we have the Edomitish kings, 31-39.

And the chapter closes by giving the residences of the Edomitish tribes.' This general view removes the chief difficulties of the chapter. The fourteen alluphim (15-19) before the kings, do not form a successive course, but are contemporaneous; and, after the kings, it is not a new course of pylarchs that is given, but the residences of those before named. Every difficulty,' continues this writer, ' vanishes, when it is considered that the royal power among the Edomites was not raised upon the ruins of the authority of the pylarchs (which would require a considerable course of time for the continuance of the latter, after the expiration of which the course of eight kings might begin), but that both existed contemporaneously, the Edomites having rulers of tribes, and also kings at the same time. The eighth king of the Edomites was evidently

contemporary with the author of the Pentateuch; who mentions the decease of all the preceding kings, but is silent respecting his. The reason is plain: he was king when the author wrote. In the first book of Chronicles, indeed, his death is stated: but that book was composed long after his time. The author of Genesis, with a particularity which appears only in this individual case, mentions the names of his wife, her parent, and grand-parent. What reason can be assigned for this, unless the author was contemporary with the Edomitish king? And the period of his reign falls within the age of Moses.' From what has been said, it appears that the dukes and kings mentioned in this chapter flourished before the time of Moses, and consequently the notice here contained may have been written by him. Inasmuch as he does speak of kings who should rule over the Hebrews (Deut. xvii. 14-20; xxviii. 36), it is not impossible he may have written even the latter clause, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel,' particularly as in ch. xxxv. 11 he recounts the promise of God to Jacob, that 'kings' should descend from him. Still it may have been a marginal note, which in time found its way into the text.

2. Adah the daughter of Elon.'-See the note on ch. xxvi. 34.

9. Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir.'The term Mount Seir,' or rather the mountains of Seir, must be understood with considerable latitude. It was applied indefinitely to that range of mountains which, under the modern names of Djebel Shera and Hasma, rise abruptly on the east side of the Ghor, or depressed plain, which extends from the southern extremity of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Akabah. These mountains form a natural division of the country, which appears to have been well known to the ancients. The plain to the east of the hilly region which these mountains form is much more elevated than the level of the Ghor, which bounds that region on the west of the same mountains; in consequence of which the hills appear with diminished importance as viewed from the eastern or upper plain. This plain terminates to the south by a steep rocky descent, at the base of which begins the desert of Nedjed. It is to a part of this upper plain, and to the mountains which constitute its western limit, that, as Burckhardt thinks, the name of Arabia Petræa, or the Stony, was given by the ancients; the denomination being, however, extended northward, so as to include the eastern plain, together with the mountains which form the eastern boundary of Palestine so far north as the river Jabbok. Speaking of this region, Burckhardt says, 'It might well be called Petræa, not only on account of its rocky mountains, but also of the elevated plain, which is so covered with stones, especially flints, that it may with great propriety be called a stony desert, although susceptible of culture. In many places it is overgrown with herbs; and must once have been thickly inhabited, for the traces of many ruined towns and villages are met with on both sides of the Hadj route between Maan and Akabah, as well as between Maan and the plains of the Haouran; in which direction there are many springs. At present, all this country is desert, and Maan is the only inhabited place in it' (Travels in Syria; different parts of which have been analyzed to furnish this geographical statement). The mountains themselves are described by the same traveller as chiefly calcareous, with an occasional mixture of basalt. The mountainous region which they form, of course, differs from the plain which skirts it on the east. The climate is very pleasant. The air is pure; and although the heat is great in summer, the refreshing breezes which then prevail prevent the temperature from becoming suffocating. The winter, on the other hand, is very cold; deep snow falls, and the frosts sometimes continue to the end of March. This mountainous country is adequately fertile, producing figs, pomegranates, apples, peaches, olives, apricots, and most European fruits. The region has been in all times noted for the salubrity of its air; and Burckhardt observes. there was no part of Syria in which he saw so few invalids.

The mountains of Seir were in the first instance occupied by a people called the Horim, or Horites, who are mentioned in Gen. xiv. among those whose country was ravaged by Chedorlaomer and his allies. These people are supposed to have taken their name from the chief or leader who, with his tribe or family, first settled there, and whose name (Hor) is preserved in the mountain, in this range, on which Aaron died. The name 'Seir,' applied to this region, is doubtless derived from the chief of that name, who is mentioned in v. 20 as the head of the family. The extent of territory occupied by the Horites cannot be very precisely ascertained; but there is no room to suppose that it reached so far south of the Dead Sea, or spread so far west towards the Mediterranean as the land of Edom' of aftertimes certainly did. The land of Seir,' of the patriarchal times, seems to have been immediately to the east and south of the Dead Sea. In this land Esau settled himself permanently after the death of his father; and as his descendants increased, they were enabled to extirpate the original inhabitants, and occupied the land in their stead (Deut. ii. 12, 22). The country then took the name of the land of Edom; a denomination which appears to have extended with the progressive extension of the Edomite power, whence it is necessary that, in speaking of the land of Edom, we should be careful to distinguish times. In the times of Moses and Joshua, and even under the kings of Judah, it was confined to the region of Mount Seir; but in that direction it had, before the time of Solomon, extended to the Gulf of Akabah. In 1 Kings ix. 26, we read, 'King Solomon made a navy of ships at Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom; and if Ezion-geber was both on the shore of the Red Sea and in the land of Edom, the dominions of the Edomites must have extended to the Arabian Gulf. It is not until a much later period that we find the country to the south of Palestine called the land of Edom; and it therefore appears that the Edomites availed themselves of the depressed state into which the Jews were brought by the Assyrian and Babylonian kings to extend themselves westward from their mountains towards the Mediterranean, and ultimately to encroach upon the southern province of Palestine itself, making Hebron their capital. It is proper, in this view, to distinguish the whole extent of the land of Edom into two parts. One comprehended the whole range of Seir, with the neighbouring plain. Bozra (see notes on Isa. xxxiv. 6; Jer. xlix. 13), in the part east of Palestine, and Petra, more towards the Arabian Gulf, were its chief towns. The latter city is supposed to be the 'Selah' and 'Joktheel' of the Bible (see note on 2 Kings xiv. 7); and is described in ancient history as the capital of the Nabathæans; for those Edomites who remained in Seir, after a large colony had gone to occupy the south of Judæa, during the captivity of the Jews, joined themselves with the descendants of that Nebajoth, son of Ishmael, whose full sister Esau had married (v. 3), and they were ever after called Nabathæans. After this the land of Edom, and what was exclusively known as Idumæa to the Greeks and Romans, must be understood of the branch dominion south of Palestine. It will be useful to attend to this distinction between the Edomites south of Judæa, and the Edomites as mixed and identified with the Nabathæans in the region of Seir.

The Israelites, in their passing from Egypt to Canaan, were directed to abstain from hostilities with the descendants of Esau; and when the Edomites refused the children of Israel a passage through their territory, Moses was enjoined to make a large circuit round their dominions, in order to avoid any inimical collision with them. Saul, the first king of Israel, warred successfully against the Edomites; but it was left to his successor, David, to complete their subjugation, after a long and sanguinary contest (2 Sam. viii. 14; 1 Kings xi. 16). Then was realized the prophecy of Isaac, that the elder brother should serve the younger. There are several indications that the Edomites submitted to the yoke with great impatience; and they did not omit to avail themselves of the opportunities which the

division of the Hebrew nation into two kingdoms, at variance with each other, offered, for the recovery of their independence. After that division, the dominion over Edom remained with Judah; sometimes governed by tributary princes (1 Kings iii. 9), at others by viceroys appointed by the kings of Judah (1 Kings xlii. 28). But in the reign of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, they revolted, and made themselves a king' (2 Chron. xxi. 8-10); and they succeeded in maintaining their national independence against him and his immediate successors. They were again subdued by King Amaziah (1 Kings xiv. 7; 2 Chron. XXV. 11); but in the reign of Ahaz they again and finally recovered their independence. Thus, as Isaac had foretold, Esau broke the yoke of the younger brother from off his neck. They were obliged to submit to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon; and a body of them were present with his army at the siege, and took an active part in the final sack of the city, dealing severely with the citizens (Ps. cxxxvii. 1; Lament. iv. 21; Ezek. xxxv.; Obad. 11-14). This conduct was strongly denounced by the prophets, who foretold the future overthrow of Edom. The Jewish traditions state, that during the desolation of Israel and Judah, the Edomites greatly increased in numbers and power, extending their dominions westward, and sending colonies far abroad. This must no doubt be understood of the collective body; but what follows must be restricted to the people of Idumæa south of Palestine. When the Jews were restored from their captivity, they remained for a long time in too weak a state to engage in any contest with the encroaching Idumæans. But when, at an after-period, the latter invaded Judæa while Judas Maccabæus was engaged in opposing the tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes, they were defeated with great slaughter by the Jewish general, who retaliated the incursion, and demolished the chief fortresses of Idumæa (1 Macc. v. 3, 65; 2 Macc. x. 15; xii. 32, sq.). Another of the same family, John Hyrcanus, brought the Edomites into still further subjection, compelling them to receive circumcision, and to submit to the other rites and observances of the Hebrew law (Joseph. Antiq. xiv. 1, 3). Their subsequent history is connected with that of Judæa; and the only circumstance of note is, that Herod the Great, whom the Romans made king of Judæa, was of Idumæan extraction. When Jerusalem was threatened by Vespasian, the Idumæans, whom Josephus describes as 'a tumultuous and disorderly nation-delighting in mutation -and hastening to a battle as if it were to a feast'-were invited to Jerusalem by the 'Zealots.' They proceeded thither with 20,000 men, and being admitted during the night, committed fearful havoc among the people and the party opposed to the Zealots; but they afterwards repented of what they had done and withdrew from the city. After this we hear little of the Idumæans. Origen says that in his time (A.D. 185-253) the Edomites had ceased to be a distinct people; they were numbered with the Arab tribes, and spoke the Syriac language.

15. Duke.'-It would have been desirable to avoid giving to these ancient chiefs of Edom a modern European title, even though the application were substantially correct. It suggests associations having no congruity with a time so ancient and a people so remote. Some such general title as 'prince,' or an Oriental one, as 'emir,' would have been better. The original is alluph, which seems to be formed from, in the sense of a family or subdivision

of a tribe; and to denote the head of a family, clan, or tribe. It might therefore be rendered by chieftain;' in which sense it is taken by the modern German translators, who have stammfürst, tribe-chief.'

This

24. This was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.'-The words DID AN NP matza eth hay-yemim, translated found the mules,' have occasioned much discussion. The common opinion, apparently adopted by our translators, is that this Anah was the first who coupled the ass and horse to produce the mongrel breed called mules. This opinion has the authority of the Jewish rabbins and of the Arabic version, and is allowed by several commentators of authority. The objections to this are, that the word matza never means to invent,' but to find,' in the common sense of the term, or to acquire, discover, or encounter;' that mules are never elsewhere called yemim, but 0*779 pheredim; that Anah fed asses only, not horses; and that there is no mention of mules in Palestine till the time of David. Bochart, by whom these objections are strongly urged, is of opinion that the word rendered 'mules' really denotes the Emim, a gigantic people whose territories bordered on that of the Horim, and with whom it is supposed that Anah and his herdsmen had a remarkable encounter as they fed the asses in the wilderness. opinion has the sanction of the Samaritan text and version; and to the same doctrine leans Onkelos, whose Targum renders the word by giants,' or strong powerful men; and another rabbi (Abraham Sepharat) holds that the yemim were demons or satyrs. The Septuagint preserves the original word as a proper name, in the singular number; while others render it as a proper name in the plural, which it certainly should be, if taken as a proper name at all. The Syriac translates the greatly disputed word as 'waters,' and is followed by St. Jerome, who renders it aquas calidas, warm springs or waters,' and in his note makes a remark on the diversity of opinions which prevail on the subject, and says that the word has, in the Punic language, the signification which he assigns to it. Gesenius concurs in this interpretation; and we are certainly disposed to conclude that waters of some kind or other are intended. The probability is, that Anah, while feeding his father's asses, discovered some remarkable springs, and this would certainly, in that arid region, be considered an event of suffi cient importance to be recorded; and it might be the asses which led him to make the discovery, as those animals, as well as camels, have the reputation of being very sagacious in the discovery of water. This interpretation may perhaps be held to derive confirmation that, on the east side of the Dead Sea, in or sufficiently near to the region indicated, there is a place which was celebrated by the Greeks and Romans for its warm baths, and called by them Callirhoe. These springs are fully described by Irby and Mangles (Travels, p. 467). And towards the southern extremity of the Dead Sea, and therefore close to if not within the territory of the Horites, are other thermal springs, to which the discovery of Anah might, with still greater probability, be referred. This at least shows that the interpretation is in accordance with the physical characteristics of the region in which the circumstance occurred.

31. Before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.-See the note on v. 1.