the North, and to the South: and IN THEE AND THY SEED AL THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH SHAL BE BLESSED. 15And I wil be thy keeper whither so-euer thou goest, and wil bring thee back into this land: neither wil I leaue thee, til I shal haue accomplished al things which I haue said. 16And when Iacob was awaked out of sleep, he said: Indeed our Lord is in this place, and I wist not. 17And trembling he said: How terrible is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and the gate of heauen. 18And Iacob arising in the morning tooke the stone, which he had laid vnder his head, and ″ erected it for a title, powring oyle vpon the top. 19And he called the name of the citie House of God.* Bethel, which before was called Luza. 20And he ″ vowed a vow, saying: If God shal be with me, and shal keepe me in the way, by the which I walke, and shal giue me [1] bread to eate, and rayment to put on, 21and I shal be returned prosperously to my fathers house, the Lord shal be my God, 22and this stone, which I haue erected for a title, shal be called the House of God: and of al things that thou shalt giue to me, I wil offer tithes to thee.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAP. XXVIII.
Why Iacob trauailed in poore estate.11. Tooke of the stones.) Iacob trauailing into a strange countrie went in such poore estate, the better to hide his departure from Esau, who otherwise might haue killed him by the way. It was also thus disposed by God, that Iacobs faith and confidence might, to his greater merit, be exercised; and that Gods prouidence might more manifestly appeare, as it did in his returne after twentie yeares, when with most grateful mind he recounted Gods benefits saying (Gen. 32:) With my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan, and now with two troups I do returne.
A notable example of Gods comfort to the afflicted.12. A ladder.) He that was in temporal distresse, was maruelously comforted spiritually, by seeing a ladder that reached from the earth to heauen; Angels passing vp and downe the same, and the Sonne of God leaning vpon it, as he that reigneth both in heauen and earth, who in particular promised him, and his seed that whole land, that he and his seed should be blessed, Al nations belieuing in Christ are blessed in him.yea that in His Seed al nations should be blessed, and that he would keep and protect him where-soeuer he went. How al this was performed is briefly rehersed in the booke of wisdome chap. 10.
Erecting and annointing of Altars is a religious office being done to Gods honour.18. Erected it, powring oyle.) To erect a stone, and powre oyle vpon it, was no wise superstitious in Iacob. Neither did he learne it of Idolaters: for he abhorred and detested al idolatrical obseruances But as S. Iustinus Martyr, S. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Eusebius and others testifie, idololatrical superstition did rather imitate true religious ceremonies. For the diuel alwayes affecting that honour which he seeth done to God, perswaded those whom he seduced and blinded with errours, to serue him in such manner of external rites, as God was serued, that therby he might either haue like
- ↑ To whom enough is not enough, to him nothing is enough. Aulus Gell.
