WIVES OF ESAU.
Judith, daughter of Berit, the Hittite.
Basnath, daughter of Elon, the Hittite.
Mahalaad, daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nabajoth, who is mentioned after the two former.
Ada, daughter of Elon, the Hittite.
Akalibama, C. I.
Basnath, daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nabajoth.
The one who is called Ada in [Genesis xxxvi], is called Basnath in Gen. xxvi, namely, the daughter of Elon, the Hittite, and the one who is called Basnath in [Gen. xxxvi], is called Mahalaad in [Gen. xxviii], namely, the sister of Nabajoth, although, nevertheless, Mahalaad, in the passage cited in [Gen. xxviii], is said to have been married after Judith and Basnath, previously mentioned in [Gen. xxvi].
I do not yet see how these names are to be reconciled. And these and similar passages increase the suspicion that the writings of Moses which we have, have been put together by compilers and that errors in writing have crept in at some time.
Finally the most conclusive argument against the authenticity of Moses is the excessive tautology and useless repetition, with always the same amount of difference, as if different passages had been collected from different authors.
(II.) To prove that Moses is subject to suspicion from the testimony, not of his enemies only, but from that of those who openly professed to be his followers and disciples. And this testimony is
(g.) Of Peter, [Acts xv. 10],[14] calling the yoke of Moses insupportable: and hence either God must be a tyrant, which would be inconsistent with his nature, or Peter speaks falsely, or the laws of Moses are not divine.
(h.) Of Paul always speaking slightingly of the laws of Moses, which he would not do if he considered them divine. Thus [Gal. iv].[15] he calls them
(a.) Bondage v. 3, 4, but who would have so called the laws of God.
(b.) Beggarly commands v. 9.[16]
(c.) V. 30,[16] he writes: Cast out the bondwoman and her son. Hagar, the bondwoman, is the covenant of Mount Sinai, which is the law of Moses according to v. 24.[16] But who would tolerate the saying, cast out the law of God and its children, and followers, although Paul himself, as he asserts here and in the following chapter [Gal. iv. 2, 3],[16] does not permit Timothy to be circumcised. Act xvi.[17]
(d.) He calls the law a dead letter, and what else does he not call it? [II. Cor. iii., 6–10][16] and following. Likewise he did not consider its glory worth considering. c. v., 10. Who would say such things of the most holy law of God? If it is just as divine as the gospel it ought to have equal glory, etc., etc.
The testimony of those who are outside of the Jewish or Christian church, is etc., etc.
TANTUM.
[1] (?)Those holding sinecures. [↑]
[2] A sect of East Indian philosophers who went about almost naked, ate no flesh, renounced all bodily pleasures, and simply contemplated nature.
The “Pre-Adamite doctrine,” similar to the above, was published by Isaac de Peyrere about 1655. These fanatics believed that mankind lost none of their innocence by the fall of Adam. Both men and women made their appearance in the streets of Munster, France, in puris naturalibus, as did our first parents in the Garden of Eden, before the fruit incident, which brought so much trouble into the world. The magistrates failed to put them down, and the military had some difficulty in abolishing this absurdity.—A. N. [↑]
[3] An Intercessor, applied to the Holy Spirit. [↑]
[4] Average seems to indicate the VI. Commandment.—A. N. [↑]
[5] [Exodus xxxii, 31, 32]. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. [↑]
[6] [Exodus iv, 24, 25, 26]. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his (?the Lord’s) feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
So he (the Lord) let him (Moses) go: then she said, a bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. [↑]
[7] [Numbers xx, 12]. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. [↑]
[8] [Exodus xxxii. 11]. And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a mighty hand?
[Numbers xii. 8]. With him (Moses) will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparent and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? [↑]
[9] [Exodus xxxiii. 20]. Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee in the place which I have prepared. [↑]
[10] [Matthew V]. Sermon on the Mount, 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, etc. Matt. x, 2? names Apostles. [↑]
[11] [Deuteronomy xviii, 21, 22]. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. [↑]
[12] [Paul to Timothy (I.) I. 4]. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, etc. [↑]
[13] [Genesis xxvi, 34, 35]. And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri, the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon, the Hittite, which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and Rebekah.
[Genesis xxviii, 9]. Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had, Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nabajoth, to be his wife.
[Genesis xxxvi, 2, 3.] Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan, Adah, the daughter of Elon, the Hittite, and Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite, and Bashemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nabajoth. [↑]
[14] [Acts xv. 10]. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? [↑]
[15] [Galatians 3, 4]. Even so we when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. v. 9. But now after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage.
v. 30. Nevertheless what saith the Scripture? cast out the bond-woman and her son: for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman.
v. 24. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount of Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
[Galatians v. 2, 3]. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that is a debtor to do the whole law. [↑]
[16] [II. Cor. iii., 6–10]. Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
[II. Cor. v. 10.] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. [↑]
[17] [Acts xvi, 1, 2, 3]. Then came he to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman which was a Jewess, and believed, but his father was a Greek; which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him, and took and circumcised him, because of the Jews which were in those quarters, for they knew all that his father was a Greek. [↑]