39. Therefore men should carefully and accurately look upon the Old Testament, especially the first book of Moses: for the veil of Moses hangs before it; there is always somewhat more signified under the text. Although we will have the text left also standing as a history, and doubt not at all thereof; which is known to God, who has thus suffered it to be described.
40. For the text says, They fell upon the city, and slew all the males, and took all their children and wives captive, and plundered and spoiled all that was in their houses (Gen. xxxiv. 25-29). Which though it does indeed seem that these two men were not able to do it, yet even Jacob himself witnesses that there were no more than these two, when he said to Simeon and Levi, You have raised mischief unto me, that I stink before the inhabitants of this land (Gen. xxxiv. 30). Which stands very right in the figure, that the murdering sword of the Levites has raised such disturbance in the world that Christendom, for their base murdering practices, stinks before the strange nations; so that they say, If they were God's people they would not be such tyrants and outrageous scorners. And they hate them for that very cause; and slay and kill them as a turbulent evil people, that contend only about religion, and kill one another for it; therefore there can be no certainty among them, and their divine service and worship of God must needs be false, say they. For which cause the potent countries of the east are departed from them, and have subjected themselves to a doctrine of reason. As is to be seen by the Turks, which ought further to be considered of.
The Sixty-Third Chapter
How God called Jacob to depart from Shechem, and what happened upon it. And how afterwards Rachel bare Benjamin, and died in the birth; also how Isaac died: And what is to be understood thereby [Gen. xxxv.]
I. WHEN Simeon and Levi had committed that murder, God said to Jacob, Get up, and go to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar to God, who appeared unto you when you did flee from your brother Esau. Then said Jacob unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away from you the strange gods which are among you, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments. And let us arise, and go to Bethel; that I may there make an altar to God, who has heard me in the time of my trouble, and has been with me in the way which I have gone. Then they gave unto him all the strange gods which were in their hands, and their earrings; and he huried them under an oak which was by Shechem. And they went forth: and the fear of the Lord came upon the cities which lay round about them, that they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. Thus Jacob came to Luz, in the land of Canaan, which is called Bethel, with all the people that were with him.
And he built there an altar, and called the place El-Bethel: because
God there appeared to him, when he fled from his brother (Gen. xxxv.
1-7).
39. Therefore men should carefully and accurately look upon the Old Testament, especially the first book of Moses: for the veil of Moses hangs before it; there is always somewhat more signified under the text. Although we will have the text left also standing as a history, and doubt not at all thereof; which is known to God, who has thus suffered it to be described.
40. For the text says, They fell upon the city, and slew all the males, and took all their children and wives captive, and plundered and spoiled all that was in their houses (Gen. xxxiv. 25-29). Which though it does indeed seem that these two men were not able to do it, yet even Jacob himself witnesses that there were no more than these two, when he said to Simeon and Levi, You have raised mischief unto me, that I stink before the inhabitants of this land (Gen. xxxiv. 30). Which stands very right in the figure, that the murdering sword of the Levites has raised such disturbance in the world that Christendom, for their base murdering practices, stinks before the strange nations; so that they say, If they were God's people they would not be such tyrants and outrageous scorners. And they hate them for that very cause; and slay and kill them as a turbulent evil people, that contend only about religion, and kill one another for it; therefore there can be no certainty among them, and their divine service and worship of God must needs be false, say they. For which cause the potent countries of the east are departed from them, and have subjected themselves to a doctrine of reason. As is to be seen by the Turks, which ought further to be considered of.
The Sixty-Third Chapter
How God called Jacob to depart from Shechem, and what happened upon it. And how afterwards Rachel bare Benjamin, and died in the birth; also how Isaac died: And what is to be understood thereby [Gen. xxxv.]
I. WHEN Simeon and Levi had committed that murder, God said to Jacob, Get up, and go to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar to God, who appeared unto you when you did flee from your brother Esau. Then said Jacob unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away from you the strange gods which are among you, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments. And let us arise, and go to Bethel; that I may there make an altar to God, who has heard me in the time of my trouble, and has been with me in the way which I have gone. Then they gave unto him all the strange gods which were in their hands, and their earrings; and he huried them under an oak which was by Shechem. And they went forth: and the fear of the Lord came upon the cities which lay round about them, that they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. Thus Jacob came to Luz, in the land of Canaan, which is called Bethel, with all the people that were with him.
And he built there an altar, and called the place El-Bethel: because
God there appeared to him, when he fled from his brother (Gen. xxxv.
1-7).
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