Wesley Corpus

Though perhaps Bilhah was the greater criminal, yet Reuben's crime was so provoking that for it he lost his birth - right and blessing, Ge 49:4. And Israel heard it - No more is said, that is enough; he heard it with the utmost grief and shame, horror and displeasure. And Jacob came unto Isaac his father - We may suppose he had visited him before since his return, for he sore longed after his father's house, but never 'till now brought his family to settle with him, or near him. Probably he did this now upon the death of Rebekah, by which Isaac was left solitary. The age and death of Isaac are here recorded, though it appears by computation that he died not 'till many years after Joseph was sold into Egypt, and much about the time that he was preferred there. Isaac, a mild quiet man, lived the longest of all the patriarchs, for he was one hundred and eighty years old: Abraham was but one hundred and seventy - five. Isaac lived about forty years after he had made his will, Ge 27:2. We shall not die an hour the sooner, but abundance the better, for our timely setting of our heart and house in order. Particular notice is taken of the amicable agreement of Esau and Jacob in solemnizing their father's funeral, Ge 35:29, to shew how God had wonderfully changed Esau's mind, since he vowed his brother's murder, upon his father's death, Ge 27:41. God has many ways of preventing ill men from doing the mischief they in tended; he can either tie their hands, or turn their hearts. Chapter XXXVI In this chapter we have an account of the posterity of Esau, who were from him, were called Edomites; Because he was the son of Isaac, for whose sake this honour is put upon him. Because the Edomites were neighbours to Israel, and their genealogy would be of use to give light to the following stories of what passed between them. To shew the performance of the promise to Abraham, that he should be the father of many nations, and of that answer which Rebekah had from the oracle she consulted, Two nations are in thy womb; and of the blessing of Isaac, Thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth.