†. Gen 35:21 . . Israel journeyed on, and pitched his tent beyond
Migdal-eder.
Although Israel is Jacob's spiritual name, it's also the name of his whole
household (e.g. Gen 34:7) so that when Genesis says "Israel journeyed" it
means everybody associated with Jacob was on the move.
An important technicality to note is that Abraham and Isaac were no more
Israelites than Noah was. The name Israel began with Jacob, and was
carried forward by his sons. In its infancy, Israel was a family name rather
than the name of a nation that it is now. It might sound ridiculous, but in
order for Abraham and Isaac to become Israelites, it would be necessary for
Jacob to legally adopt them.
Migdal-eder is a compound word. Migdal can mean a tower, a rostrum, or a
pyramidal bed of flowers. 'Eder is a proper name, of either a man or a place
name in Palestine. So Migdal-eder could be 'Eder's tower, which may not
have even existed in Jacob's day but was a well known landmark in the
author's.
Migdal appears only three times in Genesis: here, and chapter 11 in
reference to the Tower of Babel. The tower in Babel was probably an
elaborate ziggurat, but 'Eder's tower may have been something very
rudimentary, quite simple to construct, and used for agrarian purposes--
e.g. tending herds; and watching for rustlers and predators --rather than
especially for religious purposes.
†. Gen 35:22a . .While Israel stayed in that land, Reuben went and
lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine; and Jacob found out.
Bilhah was Rachel's maid, and quite a bit older than Reuben. She was also
the mother of two of Reuben's half-brothers: Dan and Naphtali. Exactly why
Reuben took an interest in Bilhah isn't stated. But, it's not like there was a
shortage of girls his own age among the women in Jacob's camp. Jacob had
a lot of hired help, and plenty of slaves too. If Reuben just wanted to sow
some wild oats, it would have been very easy.
Reuben may have been interested in Bilhah for quite a while prior to this
recorded incident; but was kept at bay by Rachel's oversight. Now, with her
dead, and out of the way, the coast was clear for a carnal liaison. Exactly
how Bilhah felt about the affair is not said; but may have been quite
flattered by a younger man's interest; and who's to say it wasn't she wasn't
a cougar at heart.
One possibility, that seems quite reasonable, and actually makes much
better business sense than the motions of a young man's carnal lust, is that
Reuben took a bold step to insure Rachel's maid Bilhah would not ascend to
the position of favored wife over his own mom Leah. He was surely aware of
the sisterly rivalry between Rachel and Leah, since he was in the middle of a
conjugal struggle between the two back in Gen 30:14-16; and he must have
been fully aware of his mom's feelings over being switched on Rachel's
wedding night. By sleeping with Bilhah, and thus "defiling" her, Reuben may
have hoped Jacob would be sufficiently revolted enough by the affair so that
he'd be inclined to avoid Bilhah from then on and turn his full attention upon
Leah.
If the above is true, then it only goes to show just how heartless Reuben
could be. His plan, if successful, would leave Bilhah in living widowhood, and
the clutches of loneliness and sexual frustration for the remainder of her life.
That very scenario was a reality in the case of David and his son Absalom.
(2Sam 15:16, 16:20-22, and 20:2-3)
An additional possibility is that in ancient times, firstborn sons commonly
inherited not only their father's estate, but also his wives and concubines.
Reuben may thus have been claiming his future inheritance. But in so doing,
he was, in reality, whether intentional or not, taking steps to depose Jacob;
and thus gain immediate headship in the clan. This seems likely because the
boys really didn't think much of Jacob's competency. They went over his
head in the incident at Shechem, and were disgusted with Jacob's lack of
strong response to their sister's escapades: an episode which in reality
disgraced the family of Israel. (Gen 34:30-31)
Whatever the true circumstances, and the motives, the thing Reuben did
earned him Jacob's reprimand, and cost him the loss of his privileged
position in the family (Gen 49:3-4). The birthright was transferred to Joseph
(1Chrn 5:1).
†. Gen 35:22b-26 . . Now the sons of Jacob were twelve in number.
The sons of Leah: Reuben-- Jacob's first-born --Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maid: Dan and Naphtali. And the sons of
Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who
were born to him in Paddan-aram.
By the law of that day, a maid's children sired by her mistress's husband,
belonged to the mistress. So that Leah's children, counting Dinah, totaled 9;
and those of Rachel: 4.
Leah was also the mother of Levi the progenitor of Moses, Aaron, and
Elizabeth (Mary's cousin); and of Judah the progenitor of David, Joseph
(Mary's husband) and Christ. Rachel may have been the love of Jacob's life;
but of the two sisters, Leah easily deserves the most honor in Jewish history.
†. Gen 35:27 . . And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, at
Kiriath-arba-- now Hebron --where Abraham and Isaac had
sojourned.
Modern Hebron is located about 33 kilometers (20½ miles) south of
Jerusalem as the crow flies.
Although this is the first mention of a visit from Jacob since returning from
up north, it probably wasn't the first instance: just the first one mentioned
when his whole family, and the entire troupe-- servants and animals --came
with him.
Isaac was around 135 when Jacob left home to escape his sibling's wrath in
chapter 28. His eyes were going bad even then, and by now, many years
later, Isaac was probably quite blind. Since there is neither a record of his
reactions, nor of a cordial response to his son's visit; it's possible Isaac had
gone senile as well as blind.
†. Gen 35:28 . . Isaac was a hundred and eighty years old
At the time of Isaac's death, Jacob was 120 years old, having been born
when his dad was 60 (Gen 25:26). When Jacob was 130, Joseph was 39 (cf.
Gen 41:46, 53, 54; 45:6, 47:9). So that when Joseph was sold into Egyptian
slavery at 17 (Gen 37:2), Jacob's age was 108; which was 12 years prior to
Isaac's death.
The insertion of Isaac's passing in the Bible record at this point, is sort of
like a parenthesis because, chronologically, it's too soon. Joseph's sale,
coming up ahead, preceded Isaac's demise at least 12 years.
†. Gen 35:29a . . So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was
gathered to his people, being old and full of days.
Jesus said the very hairs of our head are numbered. Well . . so's our
breaths. Finally, one day, after countless thousands, we inhale that very last
one, and it oozes back out as a ghastly rasp.
What some people see as a glass that's half full, and others see as half
empty. Engineers see the glass as overkill: it's too big. Well . . in Isaac's
case, the glass was full up to the top. On Sept 11, 2003, the actor John
Ritter died of a torn aorta just one week shy of his 55th birthday. That is
way too young to take your last breath. His glass wasn't full yet. With
adequate health care, John Ritter may have lived another 25 years.
†. Gen 35:29b . . And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
A death in the family often brings its members closer together than a birth.
By this time, Jacob and his brother were older and wiser, had mended their
fences, and were getting on with their lives; refusing to hold any grudges.
Esau, I believe, by this time fully understood what happened concerning the
stolen birthright-- that it was God's intention for Jacob to have it in the first
place --and he was peaceably resigned to accept it.
After the funeral, Esau will begin planning to move away from the region; no
longer having a paternal tie to the land wherein his father lived. It's not
uncommon for children to settle within driving distance while their parents
are living. But when your parents are dead, there's not much reason to stay
in the neighborhood anymore-- and for some, it might be just the excuse
they need to finally move away.
Cont.
/
Migdal-eder.
Although Israel is Jacob's spiritual name, it's also the name of his whole
household (e.g. Gen 34:7) so that when Genesis says "Israel journeyed" it
means everybody associated with Jacob was on the move.
An important technicality to note is that Abraham and Isaac were no more
Israelites than Noah was. The name Israel began with Jacob, and was
carried forward by his sons. In its infancy, Israel was a family name rather
than the name of a nation that it is now. It might sound ridiculous, but in
order for Abraham and Isaac to become Israelites, it would be necessary for
Jacob to legally adopt them.
Migdal-eder is a compound word. Migdal can mean a tower, a rostrum, or a
pyramidal bed of flowers. 'Eder is a proper name, of either a man or a place
name in Palestine. So Migdal-eder could be 'Eder's tower, which may not
have even existed in Jacob's day but was a well known landmark in the
author's.
Migdal appears only three times in Genesis: here, and chapter 11 in
reference to the Tower of Babel. The tower in Babel was probably an
elaborate ziggurat, but 'Eder's tower may have been something very
rudimentary, quite simple to construct, and used for agrarian purposes--
e.g. tending herds; and watching for rustlers and predators --rather than
especially for religious purposes.
†. Gen 35:22a . .While Israel stayed in that land, Reuben went and
lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine; and Jacob found out.
Bilhah was Rachel's maid, and quite a bit older than Reuben. She was also
the mother of two of Reuben's half-brothers: Dan and Naphtali. Exactly why
Reuben took an interest in Bilhah isn't stated. But, it's not like there was a
shortage of girls his own age among the women in Jacob's camp. Jacob had
a lot of hired help, and plenty of slaves too. If Reuben just wanted to sow
some wild oats, it would have been very easy.
Reuben may have been interested in Bilhah for quite a while prior to this
recorded incident; but was kept at bay by Rachel's oversight. Now, with her
dead, and out of the way, the coast was clear for a carnal liaison. Exactly
how Bilhah felt about the affair is not said; but may have been quite
flattered by a younger man's interest; and who's to say it wasn't she wasn't
a cougar at heart.
One possibility, that seems quite reasonable, and actually makes much
better business sense than the motions of a young man's carnal lust, is that
Reuben took a bold step to insure Rachel's maid Bilhah would not ascend to
the position of favored wife over his own mom Leah. He was surely aware of
the sisterly rivalry between Rachel and Leah, since he was in the middle of a
conjugal struggle between the two back in Gen 30:14-16; and he must have
been fully aware of his mom's feelings over being switched on Rachel's
wedding night. By sleeping with Bilhah, and thus "defiling" her, Reuben may
have hoped Jacob would be sufficiently revolted enough by the affair so that
he'd be inclined to avoid Bilhah from then on and turn his full attention upon
Leah.
If the above is true, then it only goes to show just how heartless Reuben
could be. His plan, if successful, would leave Bilhah in living widowhood, and
the clutches of loneliness and sexual frustration for the remainder of her life.
That very scenario was a reality in the case of David and his son Absalom.
(2Sam 15:16, 16:20-22, and 20:2-3)
An additional possibility is that in ancient times, firstborn sons commonly
inherited not only their father's estate, but also his wives and concubines.
Reuben may thus have been claiming his future inheritance. But in so doing,
he was, in reality, whether intentional or not, taking steps to depose Jacob;
and thus gain immediate headship in the clan. This seems likely because the
boys really didn't think much of Jacob's competency. They went over his
head in the incident at Shechem, and were disgusted with Jacob's lack of
strong response to their sister's escapades: an episode which in reality
disgraced the family of Israel. (Gen 34:30-31)
Whatever the true circumstances, and the motives, the thing Reuben did
earned him Jacob's reprimand, and cost him the loss of his privileged
position in the family (Gen 49:3-4). The birthright was transferred to Joseph
(1Chrn 5:1).
†. Gen 35:22b-26 . . Now the sons of Jacob were twelve in number.
The sons of Leah: Reuben-- Jacob's first-born --Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maid: Dan and Naphtali. And the sons of
Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who
were born to him in Paddan-aram.
By the law of that day, a maid's children sired by her mistress's husband,
belonged to the mistress. So that Leah's children, counting Dinah, totaled 9;
and those of Rachel: 4.
Leah was also the mother of Levi the progenitor of Moses, Aaron, and
Elizabeth (Mary's cousin); and of Judah the progenitor of David, Joseph
(Mary's husband) and Christ. Rachel may have been the love of Jacob's life;
but of the two sisters, Leah easily deserves the most honor in Jewish history.
†. Gen 35:27 . . And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, at
Kiriath-arba-- now Hebron --where Abraham and Isaac had
sojourned.
Modern Hebron is located about 33 kilometers (20½ miles) south of
Jerusalem as the crow flies.
Although this is the first mention of a visit from Jacob since returning from
up north, it probably wasn't the first instance: just the first one mentioned
when his whole family, and the entire troupe-- servants and animals --came
with him.
Isaac was around 135 when Jacob left home to escape his sibling's wrath in
chapter 28. His eyes were going bad even then, and by now, many years
later, Isaac was probably quite blind. Since there is neither a record of his
reactions, nor of a cordial response to his son's visit; it's possible Isaac had
gone senile as well as blind.
†. Gen 35:28 . . Isaac was a hundred and eighty years old
At the time of Isaac's death, Jacob was 120 years old, having been born
when his dad was 60 (Gen 25:26). When Jacob was 130, Joseph was 39 (cf.
Gen 41:46, 53, 54; 45:6, 47:9). So that when Joseph was sold into Egyptian
slavery at 17 (Gen 37:2), Jacob's age was 108; which was 12 years prior to
Isaac's death.
The insertion of Isaac's passing in the Bible record at this point, is sort of
like a parenthesis because, chronologically, it's too soon. Joseph's sale,
coming up ahead, preceded Isaac's demise at least 12 years.
†. Gen 35:29a . . So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was
gathered to his people, being old and full of days.
Jesus said the very hairs of our head are numbered. Well . . so's our
breaths. Finally, one day, after countless thousands, we inhale that very last
one, and it oozes back out as a ghastly rasp.
What some people see as a glass that's half full, and others see as half
empty. Engineers see the glass as overkill: it's too big. Well . . in Isaac's
case, the glass was full up to the top. On Sept 11, 2003, the actor John
Ritter died of a torn aorta just one week shy of his 55th birthday. That is
way too young to take your last breath. His glass wasn't full yet. With
adequate health care, John Ritter may have lived another 25 years.
†. Gen 35:29b . . And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
A death in the family often brings its members closer together than a birth.
By this time, Jacob and his brother were older and wiser, had mended their
fences, and were getting on with their lives; refusing to hold any grudges.
Esau, I believe, by this time fully understood what happened concerning the
stolen birthright-- that it was God's intention for Jacob to have it in the first
place --and he was peaceably resigned to accept it.
After the funeral, Esau will begin planning to move away from the region; no
longer having a paternal tie to the land wherein his father lived. It's not
uncommon for children to settle within driving distance while their parents
are living. But when your parents are dead, there's not much reason to stay
in the neighborhood anymore-- and for some, it might be just the excuse
they need to finally move away.
Cont.
/
