SEV Biblia, Chapter 28:18
Y madrugó Jacob por la mańana, y tomó la piedra que había puesto a su cabecera, y la puso por título, y derramó aceite encima de ella.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Genesis 28:18
Verse 18. And Jacob-took the stone-and set it up for a pillar] He placed the stone in an erect posture, that it might stand as a monument of the extraordinary vision which he had in this place; and he poured oil upon it, thereby consecrating it to God, so that it might be considered an altar on which libations might be poured, and sacrifices offered unto God. See chap. xxxv. 14. The Brahmins anoint their stone images with oil before bathing; and some anoint them with sweet-scented oil. This is a practice which arises more from the customs of the Hindoos than from their idolatry. Anointing persons as an act of homage has been transferred to their idols.
There is a foolish tradition that the stone set up by Jacob was afterwards brought to Jerusalem, from which, after a long lapse of time, it was brought to Spain, from Spain to Ireland, from Ireland to Scotland, and on it the kings of Scotland sat to be crowned; and concerning which the following leonine verses were made:
- Ni fallat fatum,-Scoti quocunque locatum Invenient lapidem,-regnare tenentur ibidem.
Or fate is blind-or Scots shall find Where'er this stone-the royal throne.
Camden's Perthshire.
Edward I. had it brought to Westminster; and there this stone, called Jacob's pillar, and Jacob's pillow, is now placed under the chair on which the king sits when crowned! It would be as ridiculous to attempt to disprove the truth of this tradition, as to prove that the stone under the old chair in Westminster was the identical stone which served the patriarch for a bolster.
And poured oil upon the top of it.] Stones, images, and altars, dedicated to Divine worship, were always anointed with oil. This appears to have been considered as a consecration of them to the object of the worship, and a means of inducing the god or goddess to take up their residence there, and answer the petitions of their votaries. Anointing stones, images, &c., is used in idolatrous countries to the present day, and the whole idol is generally smeared over with oil. Sometimes, besides the anointing, a crown or garland was placed on the stone or altar to honour the divinity, who was supposed, in consequence of the anointing, to have set up his residence in that place. It appears to have been on this ground that the seats of polished stone, on which the kings sat in the front of their palaces to administer justice, were anointed, merely to invite the deity to reside there, that true judgment might be given, and a righteous sentence always be pronounced. Of this we have an instance in HOMER, Odyss. lib. v., ver.406-4x. - ek dĘ elqwn, katĘ arĘ ezetĘ epi xestoisi liqosin, oi oi esan proparoiqe qurawn uyhlawn, deukoi, apostilbontev aleifatov. ois epi men prin nhleuv izesken, qeofin mhstwr atalantov.
The old man early rose, walk'd forth, and sate On polish'd stone before his palace gate; With unguent smooth the lucid marble shone, Where ancient Neleus sate, a rustic throne.POPE.
This gives a part of the sense of the passage; but the last line, on which much stress should be laid, is very inadequately rendered by the English poet. It should be translated,] Where Neleus sat, equal in counsel to the gods; because inspired by their wisdom, and which inspiration he and his successor took pains to secure by consecrating with the anointing oil the seat of judgment on which they were accustomed to sit. Some of the ancient commentators on Homer mistook the meaning of this place by not understanding the nature of the custom; and these Cowper unfortunately follows, translating ""resplendent as with oil;"" which as destroys the whole sense, and obliterates the allusion. This sort of anointing was a common custom in all antiquity, and was probably derived from this circumstance. Arnobius tells us that it was customary with himself while a heathen, ""when he saw a smooth polished stone that had been smeared with oils, to kiss and adore it, as if possessing a Divine virtue."" Si quando conspexeram lubricatum lapidem, et ex olivi unguine sordidatum (ordinatum?) tanquam inesset vis prasens, adulabar, affabar.
And Theodouret, in his eighty-fourth question on Genesis, asserts that many pious women in his time were accustomed to anoint the coffins of the martyrs, &c. And in Catholic countries when a church is consecrated they anoint the door- posts, pillars, altars, &c. So under the law there was a holy anointing oil to sanctify the tabernacle, laver, and all other things used in GOD'S service, Exod. xl. 9, &c.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 16-19 - God manifested himself and his favour, to Jacob, when he was asleep The Spirit, like the wind, blows when and where it listeth, and God' grace, like the dew, tarrieth not for the sons of men. Jacob sought to improve the visit God had made him. Wherever we are, in the city or in the desert, in the house or in the field, in the shop or in the street we may keep up our intercourse with Heaven, if it is not our own fault But the more we see of God, the more cause we see for holy tremblin before him.
Original Hebrew
וישׁכם 7925 יעקב 3290 בבקר 1242 ויקח 3947 את 853 האבן 68 אשׁר 834 שׂם 7760 מראשׁתיו 4763 וישׂם 7760 אתה 853 מצבה 4676 ויצק 3332 שׁמן 8081 על 5921 ראשׁה׃ 7218
