First part.
Of Esau and his family in general, and of Esau's wives and his children in particular.
1. in this chapter one must look at the order of the history; because Moses used the figure, which is called hysteron proteron. For what follows after this chapter, until the 40th chapter, should have been set before, before the words, "And Isaac was an hundred and fourscore years old." For all that is described in the next three chapters took place before the death of Isaac, who saw that Dinah was put to sleep, that the Shechemites were strangled, and that the sons of Jacob thus obtained a bloody victory; item, that Deborah and Rachel died, and over which also Joseph was sold into Egypt, and to this also the incest which Judah committed with Tamar.
2 All this can be taken from the chronology. Otherwise it seems that Isaac died immediately after Jacob came to him, which is wrong. For he lived at least thirteen years after Jacob returned from Mesopotamia to Hebron. After that it is certain that Isaac was one hundred and eighty years old when he died. Esau and Jacob were born in the sixtieth year of Isaac's age. If these are subtracted from the hundred and eighty years, the following remain
A hundred and twenty years; that is the age of Esau and Jacob when Isaac died. Joseph was thirty years old, and Isaac died thirteen years after Joseph was sold into Egypt, in the last year before Joseph was delivered from prison.
(3) And the life of this old man was a miserable one, deprived of sight and light from the time he blessed Jacob, from the seventh and seventieth year of his age. For at that time his eyes had already grown dark, as we have heard. Therefore we are to notice that the three following chapters are to be placed between these words, since Moses says, "Jacob came to his father Isaac," and, "Isaac was an hundred and eighty years old." For the reckoning of time reminds us of many things with benefit and explains the histories, often gives cause for many beautiful thoughts. For the pious patriarchs and prophets were true holy martyrs, who suffered many miseries and miseries, for which we are not strong enough to suffer and endure. This I had to say first of all about the Hysterologia, that is, about the fact that the foremost is put last. For since Moses said in the previous chapter that Esau and Jacob came together to bury their father, he thought it would be very fitting in this place that he spoke of Esau, to whom he gives his final farewell in this chapter and of whom he will remember no more hereafter.
V. 1. This is the family of Esau, who is called Edom.
4. the name Edom has always remained in this country. The Latins and Greeks call it Idumaea, as Virgil calls palms from Idumaea. The poisonous and pestilential Jews, however, in all their interpretations call the Roman Empire and Christianity Edom, although they are truly the damned and condemned people. In their prayers they pray against Edom and ask that their Messiah would strangle and kill us, and have foolish opinions beyond measure about the origin of the Roman Empire. Moses did not forget Esau because he is Abraham's offspring, and Esau and Jacob are alike in birth and blood. Esau was born of the very noble blood of Sarah and Rebecca, Abraham and Isaac. Therefore Moses did not want to reject him, but tells his children and his children's children one after the other, and remembers the bodily blessing, of which it was said above Gen. 27, 40: "You will feed on your sword, and it will happen that you will tear your brother's yoke from your neck" 2c.
In the beginning of this first book of Moses it was also said about the lineage of Cain. Although he was rejected, banished and cursed on earth, God gave him room to repent, so that he and his descendants might receive the benefits of the spiritual promise. So the example of divine patience is also praised in Esau, even in those who are rejected. For there is no doubt that Esau and Ishmael took with them the teachings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as the order and manner of sacrifices, especially circumcision. Therefore, many excellent and glorious men were born from the blood of Esau. But the difference is that they did not have the promise of the Messiah. The grace and the blessed seed, the Son of the virgin and Savior of the world, was not promised to them, but they were not rejected because of it, neither they nor their descendants, as others were.
Gentiles. Many Moors, Ammonites and Edomites have turned to the right confession and religion of God Israel according to the calling of God. Many of the Ninevites and Babylonians have been saved by God's grace and mercy, which happened to them by chance, even though Christ was not promised to the Gentiles as he was to the seed of Abraham. Nor has God's word been entrusted to them; for this glory we must give to the seed of Abraham, of which the 147th Psalm v. 20. says: "He does not do this to a Gentile" 2c. Therefore the people of Israel have patriarchs, prophets, God's word; and St. Paul says Rom. 15, 8. 9.: "But I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promise made to the fathers. But that the Gentiles should praise God for mercy, as it is written, Therefore will I praise thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name" 2c. But from the seed of the Gentiles Christ did not come.
(6) Therefore a distinction must be made between the promise and the truth, and between the grace and mercy that comes by chance. We have mercy without the promise, the Jews have it with the promise; "for salvation comes from the Jews," John 4:22, the overcomer of death and the devil comes from the tribe of Judah. Esau and Ishmael lacked this promise, but they are not excluded from mercy, for the histories testify to the opposite. Just as not all of those who had this promise joined the congregation of God; for the children according to the flesh are not God's children, but the children of the promise. Yes, there were many gross vices and abominable sins among the people, such as are not read of in the histories of the Gentiles, such as David being driven out of the land by his own son, and the whole house being defiled with many murders and more wretched than Tantalus or the Pelopides in Greece.
7 Therefore it does not follow that one would say: We have the promise, therefore we are all heirs of it. Just as it does not follow: We do not have the promise, therefore we are not heirs of it.
we are rejected. God has taken some from all nations, so that we should not boast; but "he who boasts, let him boast of the Lord," 1 Cor. 1:31, both he who has the promise and he who does not, "so that God alone may be just and justify him who is of faith in Jesus," Rom. 3:26.
8 Thus Moses describes the lineage of Esau not only for the honor of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose child and son he is, but rather for the reason that we should know that he was made a partaker of the blessing that Jacob had. For he always had free access to the right church and congregation of God, if only he humbled himself and said with earnestness: God will only have mercy on me and let me share in the crumbs that fall from the table of the church, which is in the house of God. Such humility and obedience is pleasing to God, even though you do not have the promise.
9 But if the children of the promise become proud, they lose the blessing. For God wants that St. Peter says 1 Petr. 5, 6: "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in his time" 2c. And for the sake of the cause he humbles and tries his saints so that they do not become proud and hopeful. So I believe that among the descendants of Edom there were many excellent men and they were also full of the Holy Spirit. However, there were also some who were very and bitterly hostile to the people of Israel. As today the papists are also hostile to us, have an abomination against us, consider us cursed and exiled people: however, there are also many of them who are favorable to us and love us, and accept our teachings. And this, I believe, was the cause why Moses included the family of Esau among the number of the saints, and united and joined both him and some of his descendants to the congregation of the saints; for they were made partakers, not of the promise, but of the mercy which the promise gives.
10. in the latin translation this is
The first chapter is very dark and confused. First of all, Moses describes the descendants of Esau who lived during his life; then he describes the family of the wives. Third, the princes and kings. Among them, he indicates, there were some pious people who were converted by hearing the word for a long time. For Seir was not far from Hebron, so they could easily go to their father Isaac and his church. And when the word is revealed in any place, it spreads its brightness and comes to the neighbors now and then. Therefore Moses said that not all who came from Edom were condemned, even though he had been rejected from the promise and had lost the firstborn.
(11) And it is indeed a marvelous thing that in almost all the histories of the holy Scriptures the firstborn are wretched. In Egypt all the firstborn were strangled. But it seems that this is the cause, because the law has a condition with it, and those who have the law generally become angry; for they become proud because of the law, as if it were given for the purpose of helping the firstborn to hope, when it is given for the purpose of keeping humble in the firstborn. Therefore, God has suppressed the pride and pride of the firstborn when they have abused such honor and glory. For everything that is done and said goes to the only firstborn Son of God, Jesus Christ, to whom alone all honor, power and authority are due. Now we will come to the lineage of Esau.
V. 2. 3. Esau took wives from the daughters of Canaan, Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Ahalibamah daughter of Ana, nephew of Zibeon the Hivite; and Basmath daughter of Ishmael, Nebajoth's sister.
12 Just what is said here was also said above in chapter 26, v. 34, but in different words. V. 34, but with different and changed words. For Esau's first wife is there called Judith, and her father Beeri, a Hittite, is here called Elon. For the change
of names is very common in all languages, therefore some useful rules have been given by others, by which many obscure texts are interpreted and explained. The first rule is: All men have commonly two names, as, Martinus Luther, Philippus Melanchthon. The other rule is: The fathers and mothers, sons and daughters are such by nature or by law. The third rule: It often happens that names are given and changed accidentally, as, Jacob is called Israel from the history that happened with him. The others have received names from their offices, as, pastor, parson; Judex, judge; Consul, mayor. It also often happens that changes occur according to age: we call virgins differently in their childhood than when they are adults. Sometimes people get names from their clothes, color and shape, sometimes also from their company. As, Eusebius was called Eusebius Pamphili for the sake of his companion in torture.
(13) So we are to think that the same thing often happened among this people. Judith is called Ada here, and it may well be that she came from her natural father to a stepfather or foster father and that therefore the name was changed. Yes, look at our examples in the papacy, how there has been such a great folly to change the names of those who had sworn an oath to the pope to keep his statutes. I was called Martinus in baptism, then Augustine in the monastery. What could be more shameful or ungodly than to reject the baptismal name and let it go for the sake of the cap that one has put on? So the popes are ashamed to be called by their proper names, which they received in baptism; for they are not worthy to keep the baptismal name either, therefore they receive other names, which they give to themselves. Julius the Second was previously called Julianus. With such a change of names they indicated that they had fallen away from Christ and baptism and had become apostates, and this was very common in all monasteries.
14 So the first wife of Esau was called Judith, which is Judaea. Jewess, in Latin Laudatrix, praise singer. As Leah calls her son Judah, because she recognized the blessing of God and wanted to show her gratitude. It was a beautiful name. It seems, however, that Judith had become naughty, and that therefore the change of the name had come, but not for the better. For Ada means, necklace, ornament. She has had a desire for beautiful clothing and feminine jewelry; since she has become a housewife, she has wanted to be Ada: the cleaned woman, sammetfrau, Kettenfrau 2c. So she lost her beautiful name, that she was no longer called Judith, but Ada, when she sat for and for in front of the mirror and always wanted to clean and adorn herself.
15 The other wife of Esau is Ahalibamah. The Hebrew word ohel means hut; as Moses had said shortly before that Jacob had erected a hut beyond the tower of Eder. In the prophet Ezekiel on 23 Cap. V. 4. it says ohlah, that is, her tabernacle, namely, the woman's; for God speaks there with great wrath against the harlot, who has her own church or congregation and has rejected the law and the priesthood. Moses further indicates that this woman was the right woman, domina, and queen. In the text above, Cap. 26, v. 34, she was called Basmath; as if you wanted to say in Latin, aromatica, suave olens, a fragrant woman of delicious spice or speciation; for she had a good smell and a good name; a fine virgin, a spice wreath, a clove flower. Now she is called Ahalibama, the castle woman, a tabernaculo excelso, the one from the Hohenburg, gracious lady.
16 The third woman is called Basmath, who is called Mahalath in Cap. 28, v. 9, was called Mahalath. It seems that Moses diligently changed the names of the three wives of Esau. This is Ishmael's daughter, of the blood of Abraham, whose granddaughter she was, and is a sibling in the third degree with Jacob and Esau. The word itself means as much as, sick, weak; and Moses gives with it to understand that it is a harlot.
She was a creature that was weak. Therefore they said that she would not live long, and gave her the name of a weakling, aegrotula. This woman alone changed her name for the better; for now she is called Basmath, which is a fragrant balsamic rose and flower. As the two previous women became naughty and lost their good names, so this third woman improved and led her life godly, but not without cross and sorrow.
(17) In the 26th chapter above, v. 35. V. 35, it was said that Esau's two wives were very bitter toward Isaac and Rebecca, that is, they tormented the holy people and the whole household. Judith could easily have changed and become Ada, because the servants would have said: She is not Judith, her manners and life do not rhyme with the name; she is Ada, a dancing woman. Item, the other has a bad smell and is tyrannical. The third came to the house later, and was more praised and loved by everyone. Now follow the children of these wives of Esau.
V. 4. 5. And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, but Basmath bore Reguel. And Ahalibamah bare Jehus, and Jaelam, and Korah. These are Esau's children, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.
18. Ada is the mother of the famous man Eliphaz, the firstborn son of Esau, who is a great-grandson of Abraham and a grandson of Isaac and a son of Esau. Many think that he is one of the three friends of Job. But if this is true, then Job must have lived long before the children of Israel came out of Egypt. For the chronology shows that Eliphaz was seventy or eighty years old when Isaac died. When Esau went to meet his brother Jacob, Eliphaz was at least sixty or five and fifty years old. For Esau took a wife in the fortieth year of his age: from that time until the death of Isaac were eighty years. But the opinion with Job I leave undecided; because one has no testimony of it in the Scriptures. It does not rhyme badly, that it is
any of the great-grandchildren or grandchildren who will have kept the father's name. Ada bore only one son, Basmath also one. From these two wives Esau has two sons. But the wife, domina, and queen Ahalibama bore him three sons: she did it before the others, because she was a mother of three sons. And it is well believed that she was morath, that is, very bitter, especially in the house and among the servants of Isaac.
019 All these children shall be born in the land of Canaan, in the house of Isaac his father. For when Esau was forty years old, he took his first two wives, who were Hittites. Therefore these five children were born while he was still with his father. Jacob went to Mesopotamia in his seventieth and seventieth year; therefore seven and thirty years elapsed between Esau's marriage and the taking of his blessing. For so long did Isaac tarry with it, and Eliphaz and the rest of the children of Esau were also so many years with their grandfather, and heard him preach. They did not see Shem, but Eber and Deborah. So also the wives of Esau have heard old Isaac and Rebekah, and have come to their hundredth year, where they have lived since their father-in-law died; and it is well to be believed that they have forgotten in so long a time of hatred and bitterness. And I believe that Moses wrote this to show that their hearts had finally been soothed, since the brothers were reconciled to each other, and that Eliphaz had been a good, righteous man, since nothing evil about him is found anywhere in Scripture.
V.6-8: And Esau took his wives, his sons, and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his substance, and all his cattle, with all the goods which he had gotten in the land of Canaan, and removed unto a land of Jacob his brother. For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them for the multitude of their cattle. So Esau dwelt in mount Seir. And Esau is Edom.
020 Then there arose dissension among the brethren, and hatred of Esau against Jacob and his parents, after he had lost the blessing. Therefore he departed in such anger, moved also by the multitude of cattle, seeing that therefore the land could not bear them, and went to Seir, whence he had taken Ahalibamah to wife. He followed her to her fatherland. But I think that he went to Seir two or three years after Jacob went to Mesopotamia, because that is how long he stayed with his father. The house of Isaac was in great turmoil at that time, because Esau was talking about slaying his brother and grieved his parents by hating his brother so much. And he divided the paternal inheritance with Jacob, though Jacob was not present; but the parents gave Jacob two portions for the right of the firstborn.
21 Then Moses tells of the blessing in the flesh that happened to Esau, that is, when he remembers the multitude of cattle. For he is of the blood of a very great patriarch, and hath lost nothing, save the promise of the seed. Therefore it is certain that he was very plentiful and rich. Yes, I have no doubt that many of the lineage of Esau were converted to the God of Abraham and Isaac, as the history of the kings indicates. He also kept the circumcision and the teaching of the fathers about the promise.
V. 9, 10: This is the family of Esau, of Edomite descent, in Mount Seir. And these are the names of the sons of Esau: Eliphaz the son of Adah, Esau's wife; Regeuel the son of Basmath, Esau's wife.
(22) Moses repeats the beginning of this chapter, as he usually does; if he wants to add something, he repeats what has been said before. When, in the other book at the 6th Cap. v. 16, he then adds what he said at the beginning: "These are the names of the children of Levi in their families," 2c. so that it would not appear that he was born of a different tribe than Levi.
He does the same here, because he wants to add something more to the previous and explain it more extensively.
023 Five sons were born to Esau in the land of Canaan, among whom Reguel seems to have been a little child, and to have been born after Jacob went into Mesopotamia. His firstborn son Eliphaz was six and thirty years old at that time, so that he was now old enough to marry. This is how long the Hittite wives reigned in the house of Isaac and Rebekah and lived on their goods. And Moses tells this so that he may remind us of the cross and the hardship that the pious holy parents bore because of the keeping and rule of their son's wives, of which he said above, Cap. 26, v. 35; although it is probable that they will finally be somewhat alleviated in time.
024 And the mothers in law are wont by nature to take wives of their sons. But Rebekah is not to be accused of this; for she loved her son Esau, and for his sake his wives and children, as her grandchildren. And she did not deserve to be afflicted by the Hittite women, every one of whom was a proud woman, domina, which women kept according to the customs and habits of their fatherland; for the Hittites were a very mighty people and the very worst among the Cananites. In the prophet Ezekiel at 16. cap. V. 3. it says: "Your mother is of the Hittites" 2c. They had their name from the terror; because they were tyrants and everyone hated: therefore they plagued the holy mother Rebekka at forty years very much. Basmath was despised and reviled by the two, and was kept as a handmaid to follow at their heels; yet she is set before Ahalibamah, that Moses might show that he and the Holy Spirit were hostile to the Hittites. Edom is the name of a country whose father is called Esau, and not of any person. From Esau, who is called Edom, this country Seir got the name.
994 D. IX, 14-ig. Interpretation of Genesis 36:11-14. W. II, I42S-I4SS. 995
V. 11-13. Now Eliphaz's sons were these: Theman, Omar, Zepho, Gaetham and Kenaz. And Thimnah was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son, who bore him Amalek. These are the children of Adah, Esau's wife. But the children of Reguel are these: Nahath, Serah, Samma, Missa. These are the sons of Basmath, Esau's wife.
025 When Jacob returned, Eliphaz was six and fifty years old. And these sons were born unto him at that time, and I hold that they were great lords and rulers, with whom Esau went out to meet his brother Jacob, and to affright him: and though they were reconciled to him, yet in that course they shewed their great glory and power. Theman is famous in the Holy Scriptures, and I believe that the land of Theman got its name from him, which is commemorated in the prophet Jeremiah in the 49th chapter. V. 7: "Is there no more wisdom in Theman?" that is, in Idumea; for it is a part of it.
26 Thimna was the sister of one of the princes of Seir, the Horites. And Ada and Thimna are both Hittites, therefore they got along so much easier. And Amalek, the son of Thimnah, was adopted as a son by Ada, the first wife of Esau. For the sake of the cause Amalek is counted among the sons of Ada. From Amalek came the people famous in the histories of the holy scriptures, of whom it is said in Numbers 24, 20: "Amalek, the first among the nations; but at last thou shalt perish." It has a very distinguished origin. Esau, Isaac, Abraham are his ancestors. That was an excellent nobility, as far as the paternal blood is concerned; and therefore the Amalekites were also very proud and hopeful. But from the mother they were Hittites. .
V.14. Now the children of Ahalibamah, Esau's wife, the daughter of Ana, the nephew of Zibeon, are these whom she bore to Esau: Jehus, Jaelam and Korah.
27 Moses tells the children and grandchildren of Esau, so that he may show what kind of warrior people Esau had when he killed Jacob.
has been drawn towards. But here comes a question: why Ahalibama is called a daughter of Ana and a daughter of Zibeon? For how can she be the daughter of two men? The Jews play a strange game with it and have two shameful opinions, namely, first, that Zibeon was a godless man and a despiser of the marriage state, and therefore he slept with his father Seir's wife and begot Ana, so that Ana was Zibeon's natural son and was taken for his brother in consideration of Seir. The other opinion of the Jews is that Zibeon slept with his son's wife Ana, and thus committed incest with both his mother and his son's wife. Therefore, they consider Ahalibama to be a very incestuous woman, whose father is said to have been born of his father through incest.
28. but I am totally hostile to the Jews and the interpretations of their rabbis. For this is their way, yea, so it is a manifest nonsense in them, that whencesoever they can and may, they gather together the praise of their own, and the shame of the Gentiles. They are the most accursed people, and are held captive and possessed by the devil: and the painting or likeness of the Lord Christ of the splinter and the beam, Luc. 6, 41, rhymes well with them; item, which he also says Matth. 23, 24. of those who are seized by gnats and swallow cameos. For that one Pharisee says of himself Luc. 18, 11: "I am not like other people," all the Jews also unashamedly boast of themselves, saying: "We are God's people, adorned by God with great gifts. And one of their rabbis said: "It is a wonder where one would find a wise man among all the Gentiles. But among the people of Israel there are all excellent wise men.
029 Yea, they are a very vile and hurtful people, and were so in the days of the fathers, under Jacob and David. For, beloved, behold, what glorious deeds they have done. Reuben went up to the bed of Bilhah his father's wife; Judah committed incest with his son's wife. The same bells hang up the
Hypocrites to the Ana, the Ahalibama father, also. But why do they not first see the beam in their eyes? For what is more shameful than Absalom's rebellion against his father David, in that he drives him out of the land, and as much as is in him, strangles him, and defiles his concubines? Now let the rabbis go and boast of the wisdom of the Jews. After that they have always been a rebellious people against the prophets and kings, and have murmured against the Lord, but have most abominably slain the prophets. Therefore I am very hostile to the interpretations of the rabbis, in which they maliciously falsify the holy scriptures with their lies.
30 From this text, because here Ahalibama is called a daughter of Ana and a daughter of Zibeon, they want to conclude that she had two fathers and that Ana should have slept with his mother 2c. This is a right Jewish, that is, an ass-like conclusion, which is also rejected by Lyra and Pagninus. Now that such vices existed among the Gentiles, no one doubts; but of Ana we have no clear text nor testimony of Scripture, from which he would be convicted and overcome, as we have clear histories of Reuben and Judah, item, also of the other brothers who sold Joseph and strangled their old father through sadness and heartache. For thus he wept for his son, whom he had lost, and said Gen. 37:35, "I will go down with sorrow into the pit, to my son," that is, I will die of great heartache; item Gen. 42:38, "Ye shall bring my gray hairs into the pit with sorrow of heart."
31 Therefore the forefathers and patriarchs of the Jews are patricides. For thus the best of all always becomes the worst and the most wicked. The angels become devils, the people of God become those who crucify the Son of God, the prophets become false prophets, our listeners and disciples become fanatics, red spirits and heretics. And is it not in vain that Christ says to the Jews Joh. 8, 44: "You are of the father, the devil." Therefore, it is well known that they are a foolish people and that they even go there.
are given in a wrong sense; as they were also exceedingly wicked people in David's and the prophets' times. That is why I use to refute and condemn their glosses as much as I can and may.
It should not be difficult for us to invent many opinions, if it would be proper. We would like to say that Ana also slept with his mother, from which incest Ahalibama was born, or such many other opinions. But in the holy scripture one should not invent anything, where one does not have obvious testimonies of the word. We will hear hereafter that Ana was a very bad boy and an author of a shameful mixture, namely, of donkeys and horses. He was not afraid of God's order and the order of nature, but allowed animals of different kinds to run together, which is contrary to nature, and also contrary to God's order in creation, of which the Holy Scripture says in the first book of Moses, Chapter 1. V. 25: "And God made the beasts of the earth, every one after his kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that is upon the earth after his kind": so it could well have happened that he slept with his mother.
33 And I do not say that the Gentiles were free from such vices and sins, because St. Paul also says Rom. 1, 26. 27. about their unseemly mingling and incest. But because this way of speaking, which Moses uses of Ahalibama, is also used of honest daughters, as afterwards, Gen. 36, 39, of Mehetabeel, who was a daughter of Matred and a daughter of Mesahab: therefore I do not want to draw the words maliciously or falsely on another and strange mind, but will interpret them honestly. For it is common in the holy scriptures that the daughters of their fathers and grandfathers are called daughters. Moses says 2 Mos. 6, 20: "Amram took his wife Jochebed," which is a mother of Moses and a daughter of Levi, his grandfather, that is, his child's daughter; he took her, because she was an orphan, as his wife. Therefore, we do not have any original
We should not try to write about shame and vice, because the Scriptures or history do not force us to do so, as was said before in the examples of the patriarchs of the Jewish people.
34 Then this also serves for the honor of Esau, that we take it for granted that he did not suffer such shame, and that he would not have taken Ahalibama as his wife, if he had known that she was born of blood shame. Therefore, I believe that the Hittite women were both honest women, although they started to become proud and hopeful and to exalt themselves of their gender. And perhaps they also brought idols into Isaac's house, and incited the others to honor them, by which the pious holy parents were greatly angered, and in the first table were very well plagued by idolatry, but in the other by disobedience and courtliness. However, their origin and descent were honest, and Ahalibama was a daughter of Anas as her natural father and Zibeon's daughter as her grandfather.
Second part.
Of the glory and dominion of Esau and his descendants; of their weakness;
and of their kings and princes.
V. 15-19. These are the princes among the children of Esau: the children of Eliphaz, the first son of Esau, were these: Theman the prince, Omar the prince, Zepho the prince, Kenaz the prince, Korah the prince, Gaetham the prince, Amalek the prince. These are the princes of Eliphaz, in the land of Edom, and are children of Adah. And these are the sons of Reguel, the son of Esau: the prince Nahath, the prince Zerah, the prince Samma, the prince Missa. These are the princes of Reguel in the land of the Edomites, and are the children of Basmath, Esau's wife. These are the sons of Ahalibamah, Esau's wife: the prince Jehu, the prince Jaelam, the prince Korah. These are the princes of Ahalibamah the daughter of Ana, Esau's wife. These are Esau's children, and their princes. He is the Edom.
35. Moses first named the family of Esau, now he describes their dignity and power or dominion. Just above in 14 Cap. V. 6, we heard that the Horites dwelt in Seir; they drove out and destroyed the children of Esau. Therefore the whole land of Seir became the inheritance of the Edomites; which can be seen from Deut. 2:4, 5, where it says, "And give unto the people, saying, Ye shall pass through the border of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you," 2c.; item: "The mountain Seir have I given to the children of Esau to possess."
This was the bodily blessing, which God also preferred to give, because Eliphaz and the others kept the circumcision and the divine teaching they had received from their fathers. For Isaac preached beautiful glorious sermons to his children's children; yes, Esau also cultivated the priesthood in place of his father in the absence of Jacob. Therefore, they should not all be considered reprobates. For though they have lost the promise of the future seed, yet have they obtained accidental mercy.
037 Thus Moses tells of the princes whom the Horites drove out; for they took wives of the Horites. After that there was dissension among the sons and daughters, and the sons of Esau prevailed against the inhabitants of the land of Seir; they came not by succession or inheritance to rule. And they chose a king from among these twelve princes, and with united forces they drove the Horites out of the land and from their possession. The Lord gave them the victory, as it was said in the blessing above, "Upon thy sword shalt thou feed." I think they had the land of Seir in the beginning: when Jacob went to Egypt, they began to rule, thinking that Jacob would forget the blessing and let it go. Let him go, they will have said, always away with him, we have become princes and lords in this land:
Now it will be seen which generation is blessed. Thus, the physical blessing always precedes the spiritual one.
038 And from Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau came six princes: but he himself was no prince. And Amalek is also in this number. Why Korah is counted, I can not really know. Because only the children's children and not the sons of Esau are told under this title of the princes. Perhaps it happened that other names were given to them, or that they were adopted as children by others, which is very common in the holy scriptures; as Joseph adopted Ephraim as his right brother.
39 But among the Hebrews aluph means prince, from eleph, that is, a thousand. Therefore the evangelist Matthew Cap. 2, 6. cites the text from the prophet Micah on Cap. 5. V. 1. thus: "And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah art by no means the least of the princes of Judah"; while the prophet says: "among the thousands in Judah"; these are the same words. If one has had several villages and a thousand men under his control, he has been a prince.
V. 20-30. Now the children of Seir the Horite, who dwelt in the land, are these: Lothan, Shobal, Zibeon, Ana, Dison, Ezer, and Disan. These are the princes of the Horites, children of Seir, in the land of Edom. But the children of Lothan were these: Hori and Heman; and Lothan's sister's name was Thimnah. The children of Shobal were these: Alwan, Manahath, Ebal, Sepho and Onam. The children of Ziheon were: Aja and Ana. This is the Aenah who invented mule horses in the desert as he tended his father Zibeon's donkeys. The children of Ana were: Dison and Ahalibama, that is the daughter Ana. The children of Dison were: Hemdan, Esban, Jethran and Charan. The children of Ezer were: Bilhan, Sawan and Man. The children of Disan were: Uz and Aran. These are the princes of the Horites: The prince Lothan, the prince Sobal, the prince Zibeon, the prince Ana, the prince Dison, the prince Ezer, the prince Disan. These are the princes of the Horites who ruled in the land of Seir.
The Hebrew word seir means field devil. In the prophet Isaiah, 13 Cap. V. 21, we have it interpreted as field spirits, who are wont to appear in the woods and in the fields and are quite rough and hairy. The pagans called them lares and genii in Latin, household gods; but they are devils, even though they pretend to want to do good to men. And because Edom was born rough, he was called Seir. Therefore the word Seir remains either from the present or from the former inhabitants of the land. And Esau had taken a wife of the daughters of Seir, or of the Horites.
41 For this reason the brotherhood is also remembered in honor of Isaac and Abraham, whose grandson and son he is. For though he was deprived of the blessing, yet the natural inclination remained in the parents, which they had toward their son, that they might not altogether reject him. Just as Cain was not so rejected by his parents, because he had murdered Abel, his brother, that they should not nevertheless have loved him and cared for him as their son. For the natural inclinations are not prevented or overruled, except in those things that are contrary to God's commandments. Therefore, God also honors the kinship of Esau on the part of his wife for Isaac's sake. For what is the use of remembering the Seir and the Horites, who were oppressed and driven out by the new Seirites who came in their place? But they are enumerated and described for the sake of worldly honor and prosperity, propter sanctum saeculare, as they call it, or for the honor of the worldly regiment.
(42) The other cause is that there might be a testimony of the origin or descent of the Edomites, lest they should be accounted illegitimate and bastards. And this is as it were the fourth section of this chapter, wherein the fatherhood of Esau is enumerated.
43 The Horites have their name because they are white. For the word chur means white, and that which shines and is great. The great lords used white silk in the Orient, as today the
Turks use white silk hats. The Roman costume was purple, and the toga. The Orientals had white silk clothes. So in the Gospel it is said of the rich glutton: "He clothed himself with purple and fine linen", Luc. 16, 19. Therefore the Horites were called so by the clothing; as the Romans were called torquati (necklaces).
44 Eliphaz took Thimnah, the sister of Lothan the prince, to wife, and begat Amalek with her. These people are not to be condemned at all, for they have been able to amend and repent from the preaching of Esau. It has been said of Ana before, and the lies of the Jews have also been refuted, that they might delight to defile and revile the Edomites and the Gentiles with them. But such lies are also rejected by others.
(45) For it is another thing to have a manifest testimony of history, as there is none of Ana, that he should have committed incest with his son's wife. And there is also another with some secret deed that should not be brought to light or revealed; as one is wont to say: De occultis non judicat ecclesia: The church does not judge things that are secret; but such deeds should remain secret in confession and be kept secret. And for the sake of the cause, secret confession is to be kept in the church. For the afflicted consciences, weighed down by the horror of sin, reveal their afflictions in such confession, and receive consolation, which they thus cannot grasp in the common sermon. To the same afflicted people, we want confession to be a refuge, namely, to those whose consciences the devil holds captive in his ropes, and whom he charms and makes so weak that they cannot break free and unwind, and feel or see nothing else but that they must be lost and damned. For in this life there is no greater sorrow and misery than the pain and anguish of such a heart that is forsaken and knows no counsel or comfort.
46. such sorrowful hearts shall now have a
The people of the church shall have access to confession, so that they may seek and find counsel with the ecclesiastics. Or if the matter is so gross that they are ashamed to say it before the ecclesiastics, they should otherwise disclose it to another Christian and godly person, whoever he may be, whom they know to be faithful and pious. Before him they shall complain of the things that oppress, afflict, and trouble their conscience, and shall seek counsel from him, saying thus: O counsel, dear brother, my frightened and afflicted conscience, I will hang myself, drown myself, or do any other harm, and die in my sins 2c. Where such a sorrowful man will hear God's word of forgiveness of sins, either from the minister of the word, or else from another Christian, whoever he may be, he will be raised up and receive comfort, by which the poor heart, which the devil has wounded with his arrows, will be healed again.
47. We do not seek or ask what sin or what kind of sin one should confess, but therein lies the most noble power and use of confession, that the poor hearts that groan and struggle with despair may be shown good salutary counsel from God's word, so that they do not even lie under the heavy burden of sins and the terror of the devil, which he tends to make infinitely greater and greater: But especially in peculiar and unusual cases, such as occur from time to time, when the devil drives and disfigures human nature through horrible sin. As happened in Erfurt a long time ago, when I was a confessor there, a horrible case was heard by one of my confreres in secret confession. However, I will now relate the same case here for the sake of those who would like to become pastors or teachers in the church one day.
In Erfurt, a maid of honest friendship, who was demure and pious, served a rich widow. The same widow's son, a young man, took a liking to the maid because she was beautiful, and loved her, and also desired her.
to sleep with her. The maid, however, refused the evil deed (as befits a pious, chaste maid) and several times rejected and drove back the foolish youth. Finally, as he continued to persist in his unseemly behavior, the maid, moved by the shamefulness of the affair to save her good reputation, discipline and piety and to avoid such great shame, told his mother about the whole affair and admonished her to forbid her son, who was secretly stalking her and trying to deprive her of her honor, from doing so. Now that the mother has considered the matter, she does the same with the maid and tells her to consent to her son's love, and that she should appoint a certain hour for them to come together and safely settle the matter of their liking. For she, the mother, wanted to lie down in the maid's bed at just such an appointed time, and by such an opportunity to restrain her son from such wicked undertakings. The maid accepted the advice and made such a covenant with the mother. Then the son came at night at the appointed hour and asked to sleep with the maid, as they had agreed. The mother, however, who had previously resolved to prevent her son's oestrus with such cunning, was overcome by her own evil air and the devil's intervention, so that she let the son sleep with her. From such unseemly coitus and incest a maiden is born. The same, since it was secretly taken away and brought up by others, has finally taken the mother again to herself, for which she was moved by maternal inclination and love.
49 But the same son, knowing nothing about all these things, also loves this maiden and desires that she be given to him as a wife. Then the mother was in great fear, and she advised the son against this and resisted his unseemly lust and desire as much as she could and would have liked. But he goes to and betroths himself to the virgin, and also takes her thus.
The mother was married against her mother's will, because at that time the secret engagements were common and had not been broken. But when the marriage was consummated and the wedding was held, the mother did not know what to do and fell into despair, so that she wanted to kill herself. For she was distressed by the incest that had been committed by the married couple every night, and yet she could not divorce the marriage. Since she knew this alone and could no longer bear the great pain and anguish of her heart alone, she went to her confessor, told him about the deal and asked him for advice and consolation. He does not know what to do about it, and is so frightened by such a horrible deal that he does not know what to advise. Therefore the same case is brought before the jurists; they themselves doubt what might be right in it, as in an unusual case, and think it must be ordered by divine goodness and mercy. But that was not enough, and the poor conscience was not yet rid of its doubts and hesitations. Finally, the matter came before the theologians, who gave a very good verdict. First of all, they asked whether the son knew that his wife was his mother's daughter, conceived by his blood. The mother said that he knew nothing about it. Only God and I know, she said, and the virgin, my son's wife, does not know that she is her husband's sister. Then they asked whether it was a good marriage and how they could get along with each other. The mother said that they lived together in peace and harmony. Therefore they decided: The afflicted conscience of the mother must be counseled with absolution; but the son must also be allowed to marry, since the marriage had long been confirmed by betrothal and the usual church service or wedding day of honor and cohabitation. For the mother would be a single person who alone could not prove or testify to this matter; moreover, great misfortune would result if the spouses were to be divorced from each other.
50 This statement and judgment of the theologians, among whom the matter was heard in secret, is to be greatly commended. For the law must prevail and take its place where one acts publicly in court, and not in conscience. And the gate of absolution, that I call it so, shall never be shut before the poor sinner. Let him fall as low as he always wants. And I have told the story for the sake of the young theologians, who either now administer the ministry of preaching, or who would like to come to the ministry some day, that they act carefully with the frightened consciences; that they do not put ropes on those who confess their sin, or do not grieve the sorrowful and grieved hearts any more or further. In secret matters, it is very difficult to judge; therefore, learned and prudent pastors are needed, who do not weigh down or confuse the poor consciences, but save them, raise them up, and heal them again, which consciences the devil has heard and caught in his snares.
51 Another case is said to have happened with an adulteress who became pregnant by an adulterer and gave birth to a bastard, and then brought him to her husband and the other children as if he had been born in wedlock. But since she was grieved in her heart because of the adultery she had committed and that the legitimate children should be unfairly deprived of the inheritance, which part would fall to the bastard, it was asked: How should she be advised? Whether she should confess the sin to her husband and children, and ask them to let the bastard also be a co-heir to the property? because some have advised the same. But because it seemed that this would not be done without danger, the others advised otherwise. Finally, the Holy Spirit gave the woman very good advice. For when she had been seriously ill and was lying in bed, and there was no longer any hope of life, she gathered her seven children together before her and said to them, "My dear children, I am your mother.
I pray that you will forgive me. For I confess that through human weakness I fell into the great grave sin of adultery, from which an illegitimate son was born among you; but who he is I will not say. But I pray that you will consider him legitimate and not exclude him from the inheritance. They were all heartily willing and inclined to do so, and it was very dear to every child that the bastard had not been named. For no one among them wanted to bear this disgrace, and after that the brothers were able to get along well. The mother, however, having heard the comfort of forgiveness of sin, kept to it in her last moments and in the agony of death and became blessed through right faith and knowledge of the grace and mercy of God in Christ.
(52) Therefore, what is secret should not be so easily said, as the Jews do with the ana, and even more falsely and untruthfully. Then in such cases one must help the afflicted consciences, so that they may be delivered and snatched out of the devil's jaws, so that the precious blood of Christ may not be lost on them.
053 And it is ascribed unto Ana, that he invented the mule horses. For when he was grazing his father's herd in the desert, he let the donkeys run with the mother horses, and that is where the mule horses came from. Pliny in the 8th book and 44th chapter describes extensively and with many words, how in many ways such mixtures happened among the pagans, which is against the nature and creation of things. Therefore it is a shameful and unseemly invention. And he further says that the third kind, coming from different kinds of animals, is barren. For God did not want that such kind should be spread further.
(54) Although I doubt the Hebrew word Domini and cannot say anything certain about its meaning, for the Jews, because of the hatred they bear against the Gentiles, are very bold to invent vices, to defile and revile them with them. And the usual points have been invented only later in the Hebrew language, on it we
We cannot rely on it everywhere with certainty. So it may well be that he invented the shem and the pools, which are often mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. And Jerome is also of the opinion and the text itself is not against it; although it is added that he had tended the donkeys. However, I do not want to say anything certain about it, although I have followed the rabbis in the German translation. It seems, however, as if it wanted to rhyme very well, therefore that in the desert little water is, that either this or however another tribe would be attributed that they invented the lakes. And the Hebrew letters and punctuation, if they be rightly written, rhyme well with it; for jamim means lakes: and is a very great gift and benefit with the lakes, especially in places where it is very dry, and in the desert. But where he would have understood the mouth horses, then also the mother horses should have been thought thereby, which Moses did not do.
V.31-39: Now the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before the children of Israel had kings are these: Bela was king in Edom, a son of Beor; and his city was called Dinhabah. And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bazrah reigned in his stead. And when Jobab was dead, Husham the king of the Themanites reigned in his stead. And when Husham was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote the Midianites in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith. When Hadad died, Samla of Masrek reigned. And when Samla was dead, Saul reigned over Rehoboth by the water. And when Saul was dead, Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead. And when Baal Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pagu; and his wife's name was Mehetabeel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mesahab.
055 Moses hath hitherto described the princes of the family of Esau, or Edom; and after them the princes of Seir, and of the Horites, which were kinsmen to Esau and his children by affinity. And these valiant mighty men destroyed the children of Edom, and their land
which was then called Edomaea or Idumaea. Today it has lost the name, and from the time of Jerome it was called Gabalena. For as the kingdoms are changed, so also the names change. Now he also calls the kings of Edom. For we have said before that God honored in them the patriarch Isaac and Rebekah; as He honors Abraham and Sarah also above, that for their sake He blesses Ishmael and promises him many heirs. For thus he speaks to Abraham in 17 Cap. V. 20: "For Ishmael's sake I have also heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and will make him a great nation." These gifts God gave to the Ishmaelites for Abraham's sake. And no doubt the Ishmaelites also kept the circumcision and other ceremonies, perhaps also the doctrine and faith of the promised Seed, and thus came to the church and congregation of Abraham; whereas many fell away from the house and lineage of Abraham and became Gentiles.
(56) In this way God gave Mount Seir, or the land of the Horites, to the Edomites, from whom they were exterminated, and it seems that they remained steadfast in the faith and religion of the fathers, Abraham and Isaac. But since the Horites did not want to improve and change and abolish the idolatrous false worship, they were destroyed. So now the bodily blessing of Esau is described here by Moses, from which he also came to the spiritual blessing. Although the Lord Christ could not be expected from the seed of Esau, it was not denied to him or his children that they could not also use the common benefits of the promise with the people of Israel. As we see in the books of the kings, that the Edomites were at times friends and subjects of the kings of Judah, as in the days of David, who brought Idumea under him and conquered it, but at times also fell away again, as under the king Joram.
57 Therefore all these things are described for the sake of the fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and in honor of them, and that no one may think that the way is closed to the Edomites for the grace and blessing of the promised seed.
(58) But it is asked, Whether these princes and kings were before Moses, or after Moses? If they were after Moses, he could not have written this, but this addition was made by another, as the last part is in the fifth book of Moses. For he did not say of himself Deut. 34:10: "And there arose no prophet in Israel after Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. There are other things that are told there about the grave of Moses. Unless you want to say that he saw and prophesied these things beforehand through a prophetic spirit. But because the Holy Spirit describes and praises these kings and princes, we should also keep their memory.
(59) The princes listed above, v. 15 and following, were before the kings, and did not rule one after the other, but they ruled at the same time, so that each ruled over his cities, servants and subjects in his appointed place, and that the land was divided into twelve or more principalities. Among them were many glorious men, as Isaac's and Rebekah's grandsons, though their mothers came from the godless family of the Horites.
The kings who are listed in this place came in the place of the princes. For they have seen that it would be necessary to have only one supreme ruler, so that the whole country would be united under one head in one community, so that they could protect themselves much better against their neighbors, the Philistines, Arabs and Egyptians, who were their enemies. This is now the monarchy and regiment of the kings of Edom.
61 Now this list, where the kings and princes of Esau are listed one after another, reminds us that the spiritual promises are fulfilled very slowly. For St. Paul says 1 Cor. 15, 46: "The spiritual body is not the first, but the second.
the natural, then the spiritual." God adorned the lineage of Esau with many great bodily gifts. He gave him children and children's children, and all kings and princes. Jacob has the spiritual blessing and promise, namely, when it is said to him, "Be a lord over your brothers," 2c. of which we have heard above, chap. 27: But he is a poor, miserable shepherd, and must wander about with his children in the wilderness, strangeness and misery. How then is God true, because He does not fulfill the promise made to Jacob, but blesses and increases Esau and makes him very great, from whom the blessing has been taken? Yes, the physical descendants and heirs of Esau have boasted that, since they were princes in the land, the firstborn would also be with them, but Jacob was rejected. The flesh thinks that it does not rhyme with divine truth, and is greatly angered by the hope of those who are great and rich because of the gifts of the flesh.
62. but one must answer this from the 2nd Psalm v. 4: "He who dwells in heaven laughs at them, and the LORD mocks at them." And as the pagan poet said: Tolluntur in altum, ut lapsu graviore ruant, that is: They are lifted up high, that they may fall so much harder. Which rhymes very nicely with the saying in Psalm 73 v. 18: "But you put them on the slippery slope and bring them down" 2c. Yes, this is the happiness of the wicked: they rise up and become proud when it is well with them, because of the glory of the flesh; as the Edomites boasted and said: We have the kingdom, we hold the land of Seir and the Horites; Jacob is a beggar and a vagrant, always afflicted with all kinds of miseries and calamities, with frost and heat; he is a poor wretched man in all places, he has disobedient children and they are bad boys; Reuben has gone up to his mother's bed, Dinah has been made asleep by Shechem; for this reason he has no blessing.
63 For this reason God allows this to happen, so that faith may be exercised and tested, and so that we may learn to cling to the word alone and not look at what is visible and tangible, but rather keep to it, that it may be seen.
and that against all feeling and judgment of reason we keep the comfort of which St. Paul says 2 Cor. 4:9: "We suffer persecution, but we are not forsaken. We are oppressed; but we do not perish. "2c. For that which is outwardly seen with the eyes faileth and perisheth: but that which is promised, and which is not seen, is sure and constant. But one must wait for it in faith, and bear with patience the delay and postponement before the promise is fulfilled. For in its time it will be seen.
(64) But what honor and glory the kings and princes of Edom had, the glory of the promise of the seed is far greater and more excellent, as is the glory of the prophets, of the miraculous deliverance from Egypt and salvation from other enemies, and of the glorious and beautiful victories that the people of Israel had, so that even the blessing of Edom cannot be compared with these gifts. Yet Jacob is still like a rotten and withered log, buried in the ground; but in his time he will grow green. What soon blossoms and is lovely to look at is not permanent and does not last long. And here the verse of the poet also has place, since he says: O formose puer, nimium ne crede colori: Beware of what goes high. But look at those and marvel at those who have the promise. For the divine majesty is wont to exalt the hopeful, that they may be seen standing in great flourish, and ever increasing. But this is added, which is said before from the 73rd Psalm v. 18. "You set them on the slippery slope, and bring them down to the ground." So God deceives the devil and the world and mocks them.
(65) With whom then is the promise and the faith, they must suffer frost and hunger, and are despised and rejected. As one is said to have said: He does not ask anything special about the doctrine of religion, nor does he understand it; but this he knows very well, that those who serve God and the emperor are the most miserable people. The wicked, however, boast of the rule and the regiment. And this they do justly; for God fills them with
the belly with goods; he gives them kingdoms and goods of this world, as it is written in the 17th Psalm v. 14: "They that have children's substance, and leave the rest to their young. He also gives physical goods to the saints or believers, but slowly and through much tribulation, so that their faith may be exercised and they may come to understand the gifts of God and use them rightly and well.
(66) Therefore let us abide in the multitude that hath the word, though they be despised and rejected. The wicked, the hopeful, and the covetous grow up fine and become great in this world; they grow up so that everyone thinks, "They will do it," so that the godly begin to be angry and impatient, as the 73rd Psalm v. 13 says: "Shall it be in vain that my heart lives blamelessly, and I wash my hands in innocence? But he answers this, saying v. 18, 19: "I see that they are set on the slippery; they are suddenly brought to nought; they perish, and come to an end with terror." Therefore this serves as a lesson for us, so that we do not get angry with the common troubles that last forever in the world. After that, those who among the Edomites and the Ishmaelites have recognized this honor and these benefits, which were shown to them by God for the sake of the blood of the patriarchs, to honor the same with it, and have been grateful to God for it, these have also had access to God's grace and to eternal blessedness. The greater part, however, have been godless, hopeful and proud; therefore they have also been lost.
But the kings, I say, were in the days of Moses. For the princes were born to Esau before the death of Isaac, and reigned in the land of Seir, while Jacob yet dwelt in Mesopotamia. For when he came again out of Mesopotamia, they went out to meet him armed with their father, and kept their reign twenty or thirty years, until the death of Isaac. Then it began that the flesh and the bodily blessing were in flux; but the kings reigned longer than two hundred years. After that other princes came. Therefore you can see how the glory of the flesh was so great.
has become with those who have not had the promise of the seed.
68 Meanwhile Jacob is miserable in the foreign land, with whom was the flower of blessing; but there is seen in him only drought and barrenness. And when the Edomites saw this, they defied him and mocked him, saying, "Is this the blessing that Jacob has cunningly taken from our father Esau? How just is God's judgment, who has not left such violence unavenged! Behold, we have princes and kings; the Israelites are poor servants and captives, subject to all kinds of misfortunes, miseries and hardships. And the priests and lawyers have also praised the same; just as today the Turkish and Papal priests also know how to praise the great fortune on their part. There have been few of the godly who have known how to arm themselves against such great trouble, who have also seen the promise and thus concluded: God cannot forget his promise, and one day a beautiful branch will come out of the barren clump, which will finally grow and bear fruit.
(69) But I hold that these kings were worldly pious men, and that some of them were saints, since the Holy Ghost deigns to enumerate and praise them. Their histories and history, as well as the description of their regiment and their cities, are unknown to us, although there is no doubt that among the Jews there were still some remembrances of them. The children of Esau will have described the glorious deeds and the state of the whole regiment.
The first king was Behor. Since he died, Jobab of Bazra reigned in his place. This succession, that one ruled after the other, was not kept with the princes above. Bazra is a famous city in Idumea, and is remembered in Isaiah Cap. 63, 1. and Jeremiah; although Isaiah uses the same word, called catachresis by the figure, and thereby understands Jerusalem. There is also another Bazra, located in stony Arabia. Augustine and Ambrose hold
that this Jobab is of the family of Esau, and think that it is Job: and such an opinion has many signs, from which it can be taken away. For therefore the letters and names of the friends rhyme, of whom Eliphaz the Themanite, as it appears, came from Theman in the land of Edom; item, Baldad and Sophar. If this is true, it rhymes well with history. For Job was a very wise and understanding man in the law and words of the Lord, and accepted the doctrine and circumcision of his father Esau.
(71) Lyra disputes this, because there is a difference between the letters used to begin the names. For Jobab is written with the letter, but Job with the a. But I answer that it is not unusual in the Scriptures for the letter a to be written and the letter j to be omitted, and vice versa, both at the beginning and at the end, and also in the middle of the word. Therefore it is a weak proof. With our nobility this name has also remained, Jos, that is, Job, Jobst 2c.
Seventy-two: But be it as it may, the Hebrews say that Job came from Nahor, Abraham's brother, of the family of Bethuel and Laban in Syria. The same origin, they say, is also supposed to have Balaam, and is very credible and rhymes well with Scripture. Therefore, if one may make assumptions, it seems that the city of Haran was a church and a good school in Mesopotamia, where Job and his like came together, item, Balaam. For the word was spread in the same family.
(73) Therefore, as Abraham and Isaac appointed and governed their church, so did Nahor, and the teaching came from these patriarchs and rulers of the church to their heirs. From these churches and schools came the prophets, teachers and patriarchs, among whom Job was also. But I cannot conclude with certainty whether he came from Esau or from Nahor: this is known for certain, that he belongs to that family of Shem, which is, as it were, the collateral line of Christ. For the teaching remained with Shem, and from him it went to Idumea,
Mesopotamia, Arabia and Syria, then through Joseph also to Egypt.
Thus God has gathered and preserved the church and congregation from the beginning. As in the papacy, baptism, the keys, the Lord's Supper and other pure articles of faith have remained, while the pope has made other articles, such as the relics and invocation of the saints, of purgatory; so that he has falsified and mixed up the sound doctrine. Thus Jerusalem was full of altars and idols; and yet God always maintains the Church in the world among the hypocrites and idolaters.
Therefore, let us leave the disputation of Job's origin undecided. The friends mentioned in his history were undoubtedly wise and learned men. Balaam was also a good prophet, but except for the gold: since that comes, he lets himself be bribed and seduced with it. For the sake of the Themanites, however, I am more of the opinion that Job came from Esau. For Arabia is nearer to Judah and is better known there, although Mesopotamia is also near. The Arabs stretch out over almost the entire Orient. And Job complains in Cap. 1, v. 17 that he received his loss from Sheba, that is, from the Chaldeans. But we cannot say anything certain about this. For it is a very confused thing and a great disorder with the proper names in the Hebrew language for the sake of changing the letters, even those that are called literae substantiales, the consonants that actually make up the word, as Hadad and Hadar are such proper names. Item Moses, 2 Mos. 2, 22., calls his son Gersom, as if one wanted to say in Latin advena ibi, Here guest; and yet the whole scripture is called Gerson through and through.
Hadad defeated the Midianites: the victory was given to him by God in honor of Isaac, although Midian was also Abraham's son. However, I believe that the former was pious, and the latter proud and hopeful, and that he used idolatrous worship along with the teachings of Abraham. That is why he was overcome and defeated in the field of Moab, when they were with
They met each other when they had gone through another country from their own lands, so that they wanted to fight with each other. These are the stories that happened around the time they went down to Egypt.
(77) Saul of Rehoboth, that is, of the broad water, by the water, that is, of the water that was near it, Nahar or Phrath; as we say, by the Elbe, or by the Rhine. But there was a union and confederacy among the blood friends, the Jdumeans; and they also made friends with the inhabitants of Mesopotamia.
78. if one reverses Baal Hanan, it is called Hannibal, in Latin, vir gratiosus, a favorable man, John. Among the eight kings, however, there are only three who have cities, namely, Bela, Hadad and Hadar. They seem to have been good stewards who made their land and cities bigger and bigger in good peace, built cities and established good order with laws, judgment and justice.
79 Mehetabeel was a noble and excellent woman, because Moses praised her above all others. The word means. One who has done good in the sight of God, or who has been beneficent because of God, as if to say, Theodosia. It is also called her lineage, that she was born of a famous lineage and of honest parents. And is as it were such a description as that of Ahalibama was, since we have said that one should reject the poisonous lies of the Jews. For she may well be called a daughter of her father, and also a daughter of her grandfather, who took her father's place and brought her up when her father died; which is still thus decreed and held in imperial law.
80 I also believe that this Hadar was the last king of the Edomites, and that Jephthah speaks of him in the book of Judges in chapter 11, v. 13. v. 13, that when Israel came out of Egypt, the king of the Edomites asked that they might pass through his land, but they could not obtain it from him. Therefore, I believe that God punished such hopefulness in him, and that the monarchy and the royal regiment
Edom was again divided into several principalities. Two years after they came out of Egypt, the people of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land, but because they sinned against the Lord, they had to go back again and travel around the land of Edom. This journey they accomplished in eight and thirty years, so long did they wander about the mountains of Edom. So, in my opinion, this Hadar was the last king. Since he died, the princes who are listed last succeeded him.
V.40-43: So the princes of Esau are called in their families, Oertern and Namm: The prince Thimna, the prince Aiwa, the prince Jetheth, the prince Ahalibama, the prince Ela, the prince Pinon, the prince Kenas, the prince Theman, the prince Mibzar, the prince Magdiel, the prince Jram. These are the princes of Edom, as they were accustomed in their inheritance. And Esau is the father of the Edomites.
81. After the kings, and since the monarchy and the royal regiment was disturbed because of the sin of King Hadar, who would not allow the children of Israel to pass through Idumea, now these princes follow, each in his place, and in his lineage and name, as Moses says. And he shows that there was no such succession, since one ruled after the other, as there was among the kings.
82 But the order of history rhymes well. For the kingdom of Edom lasted two hundred years, during which time Jacob and his descendants were in Egypt. After they returned from Egypt, Idumea was again divided into principalities and ruled by princes until the time of David, who conquered Idumea and brought it under his rule. Even though the outer descendants were of the royal tribe, they are not counted. Later, under Joram, the king of Edom will be remembered again, since the Idumeans fell away from the kings of Judah.
(83) Therefore the lineage of Esau is quite appropriate to the history of the two patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob. For therein see
we see the great honor and glory of the flesh and of godless people in this life, who have glory, wealth and happiness in full. They are lords and rulers in the world, and either despise the godly or oppress them, as the Edomites despised Jacob with his descendants with great pride. On the other hand, Jacob, who has the promise and is a great high patriarch in the whole world, as well as a ruler of the true church and congregation of God, is miserably oppressed and afflicted because of many misfortunes in his house and many other miseries, so that it seems as if he is even deprived of the spiritual blessings and grace of God. But finally, at the end follows what is written in the hymn of praise of the Virgin Mary Luc. 1, 52: "He pushes the mighty from their seats, and lifts up the lowly." This is the conclusion and the end with the ungodly and the godly; as Christ says Luc. 6, 24. 25: "Woe to you who are rich, for you have lost your comfort. Woe to you who are full, for you will hunger" 2c. On the other hand, Matth. 5, 4: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."
(84) Wherefore we ought to take heed that we rather cleave unto the poor, and to them that mourn, which have the promise, than unto the ungodly. For even though the wicked have great happiness for a time, they will finally be overthrown and destroyed: but the godly, who are oppressed for a time, have certain refuge, help and comfort in God, who is with the afflicted and sustains them, soothes their sorrow, and the little host, which again comes out of its sorrow and misery, will finally be graced with eternal glory and life. And we should not become fainthearted, nor should we despair, even if we have to bear great toil and labor, as well as much misery and misfortune; but we should certainly take it for granted that the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, is present with us, who protects, guides and governs all those who are troubled and weighed down in this world, as He promised in Matthew 28:20: "I am with you always, even to the end of the world. To whom be praise and glory with the eternal Father and Holy Spirit forever and ever, amen.