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| Chapter LVIII.—The same is proved from the visions which appeared to Jacob.
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Chapter LVIII.—The same is proved
from the visions which appeared to Jacob.
Then I continued, “I purpose to quote to you
Scriptures, not that I am anxious to make merely an artful display of
words; for I possess no such faculty, but God’s grace alone has
been granted to me to the understanding of His Scriptures, of which grace
I exhort all to become partakers freely and bounteously, in order that
they may not, through want of it,2149
| 2149 Literally, “for this sake.” [Note here and
elsewhere the primitive rule as to the duty of all men to search the
Scriptures.] | incur condemnation in the judgment which God the
Maker of all things shall hold through my Lord Jesus Christ.”
And Trypho said, “What you do is worthy of the
worship of God; but you appear to me to feign ignorance when you say that
you do not possess a store of artful words.”
I again replied, “Be it so, since you think so;
yet I am persuaded that I speak the truth.2150
| 2150 Or, “speak otherwise.”
| But give me your attention, that I may now rather adduce the
remaining proofs.”
“Proceed,” said he.
And I continued: “It is again written by Moses,
my brethren, that He who is called God and appeared to the patriarchs is
called both Angel and Lord, in order that from this you may understand
Him to be minister to the Father of all things, as you have already
admitted, and may remain firm, persuaded by additional arguments. The word of God,
therefore, [recorded] by Moses, when referring to Jacob the grandson of
Abraham, speaks thus: ‘And it came to pass, when the sheep
conceived, that I saw them with my eyes in the dream: And, behold, the
he-goats and the rams which leaped upon the sheep and she-goats were
spotted
with white, and speckled and sprinkled with a dun
colour. And the Angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob, Jacob. And I
said, What is it, Lord? And He said, Lift up thine eyes, and see that the
he-goats and rams leaping on the sheep and she-goats are spotted with
white, speckled, and sprinkled with a dun colour. For I have seen what
Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God who appeared to thee in Bethel,2151
| 2151 Literally, “in the
place of God.” | where thou anointedst a pillar and
vowedst a vow unto Me. Now therefore arise, and get thee out of this
land, and depart to the land of thy birth, and I shall be with
thee.’2152
And again, in
other words, speaking of the same Jacob, it thus says: ‘And having
risen up that night, he took the two wives, and the two women-servants,
and his eleven children, and passed over the ford Jabbok; and he took
them and went over the brook, and sent over all his belongings. But Jacob
was left behind alone, and an Angel2153
wrestled
with him until morning. And He saw that He is not prevailing against him,
and He touched the broad part of his thigh; and the broad part of
Jacob’s thigh grew stiff while he wrestled with Him. And He said,
Let Me go, for the day breaketh. But he said, I will not let Thee go,
except Thou bless me. And He said to him, What is thy name? And he said,
Jacob. And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel
shall be thy name; for thou hast prevailed with God, and with men shalt
be powerful. And Jacob asked Him, and said, Tell me Thy name. But he
said, Why dost thou ask after My name? And He blessed him there. And
Jacob called the name of that place Peniel,2154
| 2154 Literally, “the face of
God.” | for I saw God face to face, and my soul
rejoiced.’2155
And again, in
other terms, referring to the same Jacob, it says the following:
‘And Jacob came to Luz, in the land of Canaan, which is Bethel, he
and all the people that were with him. And there he built an altar, and
called the name of that place Bethel; for there God appeared to him when
he fled from the face of his brother Esau. And Deborah, Rebekah’s
nurse, died, and was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and Jacob called
the name of it The Oak of Sorrow. And God appeared again to Jacob in Luz,
when he came out from Mesopotamia in Syria, and He blessed him. And God
said to him, Thy name shall be no more called Jacob, but Israel shall he
thy name.’2156
He is called God,
and He is and shall be God.” And when all had agreed on these
grounds, I continued: “Moreover, I consider it necessary to repeat
to you the words which narrate how He who is both Angel and God and Lord,
and who appeared as a man to Abraham, and who wrestled in human form with
Jacob, was seen by him when he fled from his brother Esau. They are as
follows: ‘And Jacob went out from the well of the oath,2157
and went toward Charran.2158
| 2158 So, LXX. and N.T.; Heb.
“Haran.” | And he lighted on a spot, and slept
there, for the sun was set; and he gathered of the stones of the place,
and put them under his head. And he slept in that place; and he dreamed,
and, behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, whose top reached to
heaven; and the angels of God ascended and descended upon it. And the
Lord stood2159
| 2159 Literally,
“was set up.” | above it, and He said, I am the
Lord, the God of Abraham thy father, and of Isaac; be not afraid: the
land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy
seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and shall be extended to the
west, and south, and north, and east: and in thee, and in thy seed, shall
all families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee,
keeping thee in every way wherein thou goest, and will bring thee again
into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done all that I
have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said,
Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid,
and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other than the house
of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up in the morning,
and took the stone which he had placed under his head, and he set it up
for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it; and Jacob called the
name of the place The House of God, and the name of the city formerly was
Ulammaus.’ ”2160
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