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Now each of these had handmaids, by their father's donation. Zilpha
was handmaid to Lea, and Bilha to Rachel; by no means slaves, 1
but however subject to their mistresses. Now Lea was sorely troubled at
her husband's love to her sister; and she expected she should be better
esteemed if she bare him children: so she entreated God perpetually; and
when she had borne a son, and her husband was on that account better reconciled
to her, she named her son Reubel, because God had had mercy upon her,
in giving her a son, for that is the signification of this name. After
some time she bare three more sons; Simeon, which
name signifies that God had hearkened to her prayer. Then she
bare Levi, the confirmer of their friendship. After him was born
Judah, which denotes thanksgiving. But Rachel, fearing lest the
fruitfulness of her sister should make herself enjoy a lesser share of
Jacob's affections, put to bed to him her handmaid Bilha; by whom Jacob
had Dan: one may interpret that name into the Greek tongue, a divine
judgment. And after him Nephthalim, as it were, unconquerable in
stratagems, since Rachel tried to conquer the fruitfulness of her sister
by this stratagem. Accordingly, Lea took the same method, and used a counter-stratagem
to that of her sister; for she put to bed to him her own handmaid. Jacob
therefore had by Zilpha a son, whose name was Gad, which may be interpreted
fortune; and after him Asher, which may be called a happy man,
because he added glory to Lea. Now Reubel, the eldest son of Lea, brought
apples of mandrakes 2
to his mother. When Rachel saw them, she desired that she would give her
the apples, for she longed to eat them; but when she refused, and bid her
be content that she had deprived her of the benevolence she ought to have
had from her husband, Rachel, in order to mitigate her sister's anger,
said she would yield her husband to her; and he should lie with her that
evening. She accepted of the favor, and Jacob slept with Lea, by the favor
of Rachel. She bare then these sons: Issachar, denoting one born by
hire: and Zabulon, one born as a pledge of benevolence towards
her; and a daughter, Dina. After some time Rachel had a son, named
Joseph, which signified there should be another added to him.
1 Here we have the difference between slaves for life and servants, such as we now hire for a time agreed upon on both sides, and dismiss again after he time contracted for is over, which are no slaves, but free men and free women. Accordingly, when the Apostolical Constitutions forbid a clergyman to marry perpetual servants or slaves, B. VI. ch. 17., it is meant only of the former sort; as we learn elsewhere from the same Constitutions, ch. 47. Can. LXXXII. But concerning these twelve sons of Jacob, the reasons of their several names, and the times of their several births in the intervals here assigned, their several excellent characters, their several faults and repentance, the several accidents of their lives, with their several prophecies at their deaths, see the Testaments of these twelve patriarchs, still preserved at large in the Authent. Rec. Part I. p. 294-443.
2 I formerly explained these mandrakes, as we, with the Septuagint, and Josephus, render the Hebrew word Dudaim, of the Syrian Maux, with Ludolphus, Antbent. Rec. Part I. p. 420; but have since seen such a very probable account in M. S. of my learned friend Mr. Samuel Barker, of what we still call mandrakes, and their description by the ancient naturalists and physicians, as inclines me to think these here mentioned were really mandrakes, and no other.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
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