miscarriages of them all in the communication and obtaining this bless-
ing ; namely, of Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob. For,
1. Whatever may be spoken in excuse of Isaac, it is certain he failed
greatly in two things. 1st. In his inordinate love to Esau, (whom he
could not but know to be a profane person,) and that on so slight an
account as eating of his venison, Gen. xxv. 28. 2dly. In that he had
not sufficiently inquired into the mind of God, in the oracle that his
wife received concerning their sons. There is no question on the one
hand, but that he knew of it ; nor on the other, that he did not under-
stand it. For if the holy man had known that it was the determinate
will of God, he would not have confradicted it. But this arose from
want of diligent inquiry by prayer, into the mind of God.
2. As for Rebekah, there is no doubt but that she was infallibly
certain that it was the mind and will of God that Jacob should have
the blessing. So far she had a sufficient ground of faith. But her
contrivance for the obtaining of it, when she ought to have committed
the event unto the providence of God, whose word was engaged for it,
cannot be approved ; nor is what she did to be made an example for
imitation.
3. Jacob also had, no doubt, sufficient evidence that the birth-right
was conveyed unto him ; yet, although he followed his mother's instruc-
tions, and obeyed her commands in what he did, his miscarriages in
getting the conveyance of it by his father's blessing, which were not a
few, are not to be excused. But under all these mistakes and miscar-
riages, we may observe two things.
First. That true faith acted itself in all the persons concerned. The
faith of Isaac was true and right in this, that the promise was sure to
his seed by virtue of the covenant, and that he was instrumentally, in
the way of external evidence, to convey it by his solemn benediction.
The first was express in the covenant ; the other he had by immediate
revelation and inspiration ; for his blessing was a prophecy of things to
come, as it is in the text. But he missed it in the application of it
unto the object in his own intention, though in matter of fact, by the
divine disposal of circumstances, he was in the right. This mistake
hindered not but that he blessed Jacob in faith.
One expositor, who abounds in conjectures, and is as unhappy in
them as any man well can be, would have it, that the blessing of Jacob
in faith doth not belong, or is not to be ascribed unto that solemn bless-
mg which he pronounced over him when he mistook the person, sup-
posing him to be Esau, ch. xxvii. 21 — 29, but unto what he said after-
wards concerning him unto Esau, ver. 33, ' I have blessed him, and he
shall be blessed;' than which nothing can be more remote from the
mind of the Holy Ghost. For in these words to Esau, he directly
affirms that he had blessed him, and now only declares the consequent
of it ; namely, that he should enjoy the blessing : ' he shall be blessed.'
Now this hath respect unto that former blessing, which was therefore
in faith, notwithstanding the present mistake of the person, which he
now understood by what he had done, as being under the immediate
conduct of the Spirit of God.
So did true faith act itself both in Rebekah and Jacob, and they
VER. 20.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 459
were in the right from divine revelation, that the promises did belong
to Jacob. Howbeit, they variously miscarried in the way they took for
obtaining a pledge of it in the paternal benediction.
Wherefore it cannot be denied, but that sometimes, when true faith
is rightly fixed on divine promises, that those in whom it is, and who
truly believe, may through darkness, infirmities, and temptations, put
themselves on irregular ways for the accomplishment of them. And as
in these ways they may fail and miscarry, unto the scandal of religion,
and a dangerous concussion of their own faith, so if they do succeed in
such ways, as Jacob did, yet are not their ways accepted or approved
of God, as they will quickly understand. But yet, although these mis-
takes may be such as to vitiate their works, and render them unaccept-
able to God, yet shall they not condemn their persons in the sight of
God, neither here, nor hereafter.
Whereas, therefore, there yet remain many promises to be accom-
plished concerning the church, and its state or condition in this world;
as it is our duty firmly to believe them, so it is our wisdom, not upon
any temptations, provocations, or advantages, to attempt their accom-
plishment in any unwarrantable way and undertaking.
Secondly. We may see herein the infinite purity of the divine will,
effectually accomplishing its own purposes and designs through the
failings and miscarriages of men, without the least mixture with, or
approbation of their iniquities or miscarriages. So did God accomplish
his purpose and promise unto Jacob, by ordering the outward circum-
stances of the irregular actings of him and his mother unto his own
blessed ends. And although he neither commanded nor approved of
these irregularities in them, yet, whereas there was true faith in the
persons themselves, though misguided as unto some outward actions,
and that acted, as they judged, in compliance with his will, without the
least design of injury unto any others, (for they aimed at nothing but
what was their own by his grant and donation,) he accepted their per-
sons, pardoned their sins, and effected the matter according to their
desire.
Obs. I. And we may observe, that the failure, error, or mistake of
any one leading person, with respect unto divine promises and their
accomplishment, maybe of dangerous consequence unto others; as here
the failing of Isaac was the occasion of casting Jacob and Rebekah
into all their irregularities.
These things being premised, as unto the story which respect is here
had unto, the words themselves may be briefly opened : and there are
three things in them. 1. What is ascribed unto Isaac, namely, that he
blessed his sons. 2. How he did it, and that was, in faith. 3. What
was the subject-matter of his blessing ; and that was, things to come.
1. He blessed them, tvXnyijae. These patriarchal blessings were
partly euctical, or prayers; partly prophetical, or predictions: and the
matter of them was the promise made to them, with what was contained
in them, and nothing else. They did not pray for, they could not fore-
tell any thing but what God had promised. They were authoritative
applications of God's promises unto the person unto whom they did
belong, for the confirmation of their faith. So far as they were merely
460 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CH. XI.
euctical, or consisted in solemn prayer, they were an effect and duty of
the ordinary parental ministry ; and as such, ought to be used by all
parents. Not as some, by the trifling custom of daily. asking and
giving blessing ; whilst, perhaps, a curse is entailed on families by
wretched examples ; but by solemn reiterated prayer unto that purpose.
But there were two things extraordinary in them. 1. A certain deter-
mination of the promise unto particular persons, as was here done by
Isaac, which falls not within the compass of the ordinary paternal
ministry. We may fail in our most earnest desires, and sincere endea-
vours for the communication of the promise unto this or that child. 2.
Prediction of particular future events, falling within the compass and
verge of the promise; so was it in the solemn blessings of Isaac, Jacob,
and Moses. Herein were they acted by a spirit of prophecy and im-
mediate revelation.
2. Thus he blessed his sons, and he did it inaru, ' by faith.' But yet
here is a difficulty that ariseth on both hands, from the one blessing
and the other. For the blessing of Jacob was from immediate inspira-
tion, and not intended by Isaac to be applied to Jacob ; both which
considerations seem to exclude his faith from any interest in this bene-
diction. And the blessing of Esau related only to temporal things, and
that not with respect to any especial promise.
I answer, that as to the first, or the blessing of Jacob, 1. There was
a proper object of his faith which it was fixed on ; namely, the promise
of the covenant, that 'God would be a God to him and his seed,' and
that ' in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed.' Herein
was his faith exercised in his blessing of Jacob, which was no way im-
peded by his mistake of the person. Faith was acted by the promise,
and was guided as to its object by God's providence. 2. Immediate
inspiration doth no way hinder the actings of faith on preceding revela-
tions. He had the warrant of the word of God before revealed for the
ground of his faith, and his immediate inspiration guided him to act
according to it. And, 3. As for the blessing of Esau, although it
respected only temporal things, yet he gave it him in faith also, in that
it was the fruit of his prayer for him, and contained predictions which
he had received by divine revelation.
o. The subject-matter of both these blessings were, ttsoi jueAAovtwv,
'things to come,' that is, things that were not yet, nor yet to have then-
present accomplishment. For that part of the blessing of Jacob, that
he should be the lord of his brethren, as it is expressed in the blessing
of Esau, ' thou shalt serve thy brother,' was not fulfilled in their days,
there being a great appearance of the contrary. Wherefore the things
contained in these blessings absolutely considered, were future, and yet
for to come, in the days of and among their posterity.
Now the blessing of Jacob did not contain only a better portion in
this world than that of Esau, as Grotius would have it, nor had there
been any need of so great a contest about the difference between the
land of Canaan and that of Edom ; but as it did comprise also the
numerous posterity of Jacob, their quiet habitation, power, and do-
minion in the land of Canaan, so the principal subject of it was the
enclosure of the church, the confinement of the covenant, the enjoy-
VER. 21.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 461
ment of the promise of the blessed seed, to him and his offspring. And
it was the contempt hereof, and not of a double portion of earthly
things, for which Lsau is stigmatized as ' a profane person.'
Ver. 21. — YliaTti Iokw€ airo9vr)GKd)v ticacrrov twv vlwv Iwcr^ tuXo-
yr)(Tt' Kai TrpocrtKvvnatv £7rt to anpov Tt)Q pahoov avrov.
AiroSv^aicwv, morions, moriturus, cum moreretur, 'when he drew
nigh to death,' the present tense ; that which was then in the next dis-
position to the actual death that shortly ensued ; probably a few days
before his death.
'Ekcnttov, singulos filiorum, for kuciTtpov, or ufi^u), 'each,' or both.
Utrumque. Syr. in bob, ' every one,' both the sons of Joseph dis-
tinctly.
E-irt to aicpov rtjc /oa€3ou avrov. Vul. Lat. Et adoravit fastigium
virgae ejus, ' he adored the top of his rod ;' leaving out the preposition
£7ri, ' on,' it corrupts the sense, and forceth the meaning of the words to
be, ' of Joseph's rod,' whence a vain and foolish opinion hath been fan-
cied about adoring or worshipping of creatures, as remote from the
sense of this place as from truth. The Syriac properly, i^i by "t:Di
mtain, * he bowed,' or adored, ' on the top of his own staff'.' Beza
supplies innixus, which we render ' leaning.'
Ver. 21. — By faith Jacob, when he ivas dying, blessed both the sons
of Joseph, (each of them,) and worshipped, leaning on the top of
his staff.
There are two things mentioned in the words. 1. That Jacob
blessed the sons of Joseph. 2. That he worshipped, leaning on the
top of his staff. But they did not fall out in the order in which they
are here expressed. The latter of them is recorded before the former,
Gen. xlvii. 31, 'And Israel bowed himself on the bed's head.' To
which is added, that after these things, Joseph brought his children to
him, ch. xlviii. 1.
From ch. xlvii. 28, to the end of the book of Genesis, an account
is given us of the dying of Jacob, and what he did in order thereunto,
as the apostle expresseth it,
space of time, or how many days it took up, is uncertain, probably not
many. The first thing he did in order hereunto, was to send for his
son Joseph, to give him charge concerning his burial in the land ot
Canaan, which was an act and duty of faith with respect to the pro-
mise, ver. 29 — 31. This being done, it is said, that 'Israel bowed
himself on his bed's head,' that is, he bowed himself and worshipped
God. This is but once mentioned in the whole story, but an intimation
is given therein of what Jacob did on the like occasions, especially in
all the passages of his dying acts and words. When he had spoken or
done any thing, his way was to retire immediately to God with acknow-
ledgment of his mercy, and requests of more grace. And such indeed
is the frame and carriage of holy men in their dying seasons. For as
they have occasion to attend to other things sometimes, so on all advan-
462 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [cH. XI.
tages they bow down their souls, and bodies so far as they are able, in
acts of faith, prayer, and thankfulness.
The person here whose faith is instanced in, is Iaica>€, ' Jacob ;' but
there is some difficulty in the choice of the particular act or duty which
the apostle chooseth to give instance in. For Jacob, as he abounded
in trials and temptations above all the other patriarchs, so he gave sun-
dry illustrious testimonies of his faith, seeming to be of greater evidence
than this of blessing the sons of Joseph. Especially that was so which
is recorded by the Holy Spirit in Hosea xii. 3, 4, ' By his strength he
had power with God, yea he had power over the angel and prevailed ;
he wept, and made supplication to him, he found him in Bethel, and
there he spake with us.' In comparison hereof, this act of blessing the
sons of Joseph is of an inferior consideration.
This is the only difficulty of this place, which yet by expositors is
taken no notice of. But if we look into the thing itself, we shall find
that it was divine wisdom in the apostle, whereby he fixed on this in-
stance of the faith of Jacob. For in his blessing of the sons of Joseph,
the good man being near to death, he makes a recapitulation of all the
principal concernments of his life, as it was a life of faith ; and we shall
therefore consider some of those circumstances which manifest how
proper this instance was to the purpose of the apostle.
1. It was the exercise of his faith in his old age; and not only so,
but then when he had a certain prospect of the sudden approach of his
death, Gen. xlvii. 29, xlviii. 21. We have therefore herein a testimony
that notwithstanding all the trials and conflicts which he had met
withal, with the weaknesses and disconsolations of old age, that he
abode firm in faith, and vigorous in the exercise of it. His natural
decays did not cause any abatement in his spiritual strength.
2. In this blessing of Joseph and his sons, he did solemnly recog-
nize, plead, and assert the covenant made with Abraham, ' God before
whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk,' Gen. xlviii. 15. That
is, with whom God made the everlasting covenant, and who walked
therein before him all their days. This is the life of faith, namely, to
lay hold on the covenant, which he did herein expressly.
3. As he made a solemn acknowledgment of all spiritual mercies by
virtue of the covenant, so he added thereunto that of all temporal mer-
cies also, ' The God which fed me all my life long unto this day.' It
was a work of faith to retain a precious thankful remembrance of divine
providence, in a constant provision of all needful temporal supplies,
from first to last, during the whole course of his life.
4. He reflects on all the hazards, trials, and evils that befel him, and
the exercise of his faith in them all. 'Redeemed me from all evil.'
Now all his dangers were past, all his evils conquered, all his fears
removed, he retains by faith a sense of the goodness and kindness of
God in rescuing him out of them all.
5. In particular, he remembers the acting of his faith in the matter
recorded by Hosea, before mentioned, and therein of his faith in the
Son of God in an especial manner, as he was the angel of the cove-
nant, the angel, the redeemer. 'The angel,' saith he, ' that redeemed me
from all evil, bless the lads.' That by this angel, the person of the Son
VER. 21.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 4G3
of God, as he was to be the Messenger of the covenant arid the Re-
deemer of the church, is intended, I have proved elsewhere ; and it
was the sense of all the ancient writers of the church ; however, some
of the Roman church would abuse this testimony to give countenance
to the invocation of angels, which is little less than blasphemy.
Wherefore in the recognition hereof did faith most eminently act itself.
6. The discerning of the sons of Joseph, one from the other when
he was blind; the disposal of his hands, his right hand to the head of
Ephraim, and his left to the head of Manasseh, contrary to the desire
of their father, and the proposal of them to him, with the prediction
of their future condkion many ages after, were all evidences of the
especial presence of God with him, and consequently of his own faith
in God.
7. There were other circumstances also that rendered this benedic-
tion of Jacob an eminent act of faith. As, 1. That he laid the foun-
dation of it in an especial revelation, Gen. xlviii. 3, ' And Jacob said
unto Joseph, God Almighty (God in covenant with me) appeared unto
me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,' &c. 2. That he did
solemnly by divine warrant adopt Ephraim and Manasseh to be his
children, whereby they came to have the interest of distinct tribes in
Israel, ver. 5. And hereby, 3. He gave the right of the birth-right as
to a double portion, forfeited by Reuben, to Joseph. 4. He remem-
bers the kindness of God in this, that whereas his beloved wife Rachel
died immaturely of her second son, ver. 7, yet God would give him a
numerous posterity by her, the thing which both he and she so greatly
desired.
On all these considerations it is evident that the apostle, for great
and weighty reasons, fixed on this instance of faith in Jacob, that he
' blessed both the sons of Joseph.' And we may see that,
Obs. I. It is an eminent mercy when faith not only holds out to the
end, but waxeth strong towards the last conflict with death, as it was
with Jacob.
Obs. II. It is so also to be able by faith, in the close of our pilgrim-
age, to recapitulate all the passages of our lives, in mercies, trials,
afflictions, so as to give glory to God with respect to them all, as Jacob
did in this place.
Ob. III. That which enlivens, and encourageth faith as to all other
things, is a peculiar respect to the angel, the Redeemer by whom all
grace and mercy is communicated to us.
Obs. IV. It is our duty so to live in the constant exercise of faith,
as that we may be ready and strong in it when we are dying.
Obs. V. Though we should die daily, yet there is a peculiar dying
season, when death is in its near approach, which requires peculiar
actings of faith.
The latter clause of the words, or the other instance of the faith of
Jacob, that ' he worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff,' hath a pecu-
liar difficulty in it, from a difference between the words of the apostle
and those of Moses concerning the same thing. The words in Moses
are, nwn tiJNTby b*TW Trrnm, that is, ' And Israel bowed himself on
the bed's head.' This the Septuagint render by, Km jrpootKvvtiatv
464 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [cH. Xl.
i
top of his rod.' The Vulgar Latin in that place followeth the original.
Adoravit Israel Deum conversus ad lectuli caput, ' And Israel wor-
shipped God, turning to the head of the bed.' The apostle in this
place, makes use of the words as they are in the translation of the
LXX., and the difficulty is increased by the Vulgar translation in this
place, which leaving out the preposition eni, renders the words, ' And he
adored the top of his staff,' or rod; that is, say some, the sceptre of
Joseph. This verbal difference is sufficiently belaboured by critical
expositors of all sorts, I shall give a brief account of my thoughts con-
cerning it.
1. The words of Moses are the close of the forty-seventh chapter of
Genesis. { And Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.'
Whereas this may denote only a natural action of the old man, who
having sat up to confer with his son Joseph, being infirm and weary,
when he had finished his discourse and taken the oath of his son, he
bowed himself to the head of the bed. But the Vulgar Latin hath
well supplied ' God,' 'he adored God towards the bed's head,' that is,
by bowing down to him. And so mnrrcrr, is most frequently used to
express an act of divine adoration, and that it was such is here declared
by the apostle.
2. That Jacob worshipped the top of Joseph's staff or sceptre, which
he carried as an ensign of his authority and power, is rejected by all
sober expositors. It hath, indeed, a double countenance given unto it
in the Vulgar translation. 1. By the omission of the preposition tin,
' on' or ' upon,' which must include leaning on, or some word of the
same importance ; and, 2. By rendering avrov by ejus, and referring it
to Joseph ; whereas it is often used for tavrov, or reciprocally, ' his
own ;' which must be here supposed, or it answers not the original.
And as for any worship of Jacob, performed unto Joseph, it is most re-
mote from the text. For not only at that instant had Joseph put his
hand under his father's thigh, and sworn unto him, wherein he acknow-
ledged his superiority ; but also a little after, he bowed himself unto
him, with his face to the earth, ch. xlviii. 12.
3. The apostle doth not in this Epistle, tie himself unto the express
words of the original text in his allegations out of the Old Testament,
but only gives the certain sense and meaning of the Holy Ghost in
them.
4. The word in the original is, rrua, which may have a different pro-
nunciation, by a different supply of vowels ; and so a different signifi-
cation. If we read it mittah, it signifies a ' bed,' as we render it in
Genesis ; if we read it matteh, it signifies a 'staff' or a ' rod' on which
a man may lean ; both from the same verb rra:, to * extend,' to ' incline.'
And hence doth the difference arise. And we may observe concerning
it,
1st. It is certain that in the days of Hierome, the Hebrew reading
was unquestionably mittah, a ' bed,' as it is now ; for he blames the
LXX. for misinterpreting the word. Quest. Hebr.
2dly. Hereon some say, that the translation of the LXX. being in
common use among the Jews in all their dispersions, and even in Judea
VER. 22.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 465
itself, that the apostle freely followed it in compliance with them ; there
being nothing in it discrepant from the truth as to the substance of it.
What is my judgment of this conjecture, I have elsewhere declared.
3dly. Others say, the apostle makes use of this variety in expression
to represent the entire posture and action of Jacob in this adoration.
For whereas he was very weak and infirm, being near the time of his
death, which is observed in the story, upon the coming of Joseph to
him, he sat upon the side of his bed, with his staff in his hand, a
posture which he may be easily conceived to be in. At the end of his
discourse with him, addressing himself unto the solemn adoration of
God, he so bowed towards the bed's head, as that he supported himself
in a posture of reverence for his divine meditation. Wherefore,
4thly. Although I will not contend that the word in that place hath
a double signification of a bed and a staff, yet this is the true solution of
this difficulty. The apostle did not design a precise translation of the
words of Moses, but intended only to express- the same thing. And
whereas that was undoubtedly the posture of Jacob in the worshipping
of God, which we have declared, the apostle useth his liberty in ex-
pressing it by his leaning on his staff. For that he did both, namely
bow towards the head of the bed, and at the same time, lean on his
staff, we are assured by comparing the divine writers together.
5thly. There is an expression like unto it concerning David, 1 Kings
i. 47, n3i2)?Drr by "f^an Trnun, ' and the king bowed himself on his bed,'
that is, he bowed down towards the bed's head in his great weaknesses