Commentary on Genesis John Calvin (continued)
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS
25. And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:
25. Et filii Bilhah ancillae Rachel, Dan et Nephthali.
26. And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were
26. Et filii Zilpah ancillae Leah, Gad et Aser. Isti sunt filii Iahacob, qui nati sunt in Padan Aram. born to him in Padanaram.
27. And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
27. Et venit Iahacob ad Ishac patrem suum in Mamre civitatem Arbah: haec est Hebron, in qua habitavit Abraham et Ishac.
28. And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.
28. Et fuerunt dies Ishac, centum anni et octoginta anni.
29. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
29. Et obiit Ishac, et mortuus est, et collectus est ad populos suos, senex et satur dierum: et sepelierunt eum Esau et Iahacob filii ejus.
1. And God said unto Jacob. Moses relates that when Jacob had been reduced to the last extremity, God came to his help in the right time, and as at the critical juncture. And thus he shows, in the person of one man, that God never deserts his Church which he has once embraced, but will procure its salvation. We must, however, observe the order of his procedure; for God did not immediately appear to his servant, but suffered him first to be tormented by grief and excessive cares, that he might learn patience, deferring his consolation to the time of extreme necessity. Certainly the condition of Jacob was then most miserable. For all, on every side, might be so incensed against him that he would be surrounded with as many deaths as there were neighboring nations: and he was not so stupid as to be insensible of his danger. God suffered the holy man to be thus tossed with cares and tormented with troubles, until, by a kind of resurrection, he restored him, as one half-dead. Whenever we read this and similar passages, let us reflect that the providence of God watches for our salvation, even when it most seems to sleep. Moses does not say how long Jacob was kept