1
Ge 28:1-19.
繁體中文
英文原文
Ge 28:1-19.
JACOB'S DEPARTURE.
1. Isaac called Jacob and blessed him--He entered fully into Rebekah's feelings, and the burden of his parting counsel to his son was to avoid a marriage alliance with any but the Mesopotamian branch of the family. At the same time he gave him a solemn blessing--pronounced before unwittingly, now designedly, and with a cordial spirit. It is more explicitly and fully given, and Jacob was thus acknowledged "the heir of the promise."
6
無標題
繁體中文
6-9. 以掃見以撒已經給雅各祝福等等——他想要討好父母，並盡可能使那最後的遺命被撤銷，便在為時已晚之時才聰明起來（見
Mt 25:10），
盼望藉着在一件事上使父母滿意，來補償他從前一切的過失。但他只是使壞的變得更壞，雖然他沒有娶「迦南的女子為妻」，卻娶了神所棄絕的家族之女。這表明了一種局部的改革，卻沒有悔改，因為他沒有給出減輕對他兄弟報復之意的證據，也沒有培養那能使父親喜悅的敬虔之靈——他像米迦一樣（見
Jud 17:13）。
英文原文
6-9. when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, &c.--Desirous to humor his parents and, if possible, get the last will revoked, he became wise when too late (see
Mt 25:10),
and hoped by gratifying his parents in one thing to atone for all his former delinquencies. But he only made bad worse, and though he did not marry a "wife of the daughters of Canaan," he married into a family which God had rejected. It showed a partial reformation, but no repentance, for he gave no proofs of abating his vindictive purposes against his brother, nor cherishing that pious spirit that would have gratified his father--he was like Micah (see
Jud 17:13).
10
無標題
繁體中文
10. 雅各出來等等——他離開父家是一種羞辱的逃亡；因為害怕被他報復心切的哥哥追趕或攔截，他沒有走大路，而是走偏僻荒涼的小徑，這使旅程更加漫長而危險。
英文原文
10. Jacob went out, &c.--His departure from his father's house was an ignominious flight; and for fear of being pursued or waylaid by his vindictive brother, he did not take the common road, but went by lonely and unfrequented paths, which increased the length and dangers of the journey.
11
無標題
繁體中文
11. 到了一個地方——經過強行軍，他到了伯特利，距別是巴約四十八英里，不得不在露天的田野過夜。
拾起一塊石頭等等——「土壤的性質正是對雅各躺臥之處那多石地帶之記載的現成註釋」〔CLARKE 的遊記〕。
英文原文
11. he lighted upon a certain place--By a forced march he had reached Beth-el, about forty-eight miles from Beer-sheba, and had to spend the night in the open field.
he took of the stones, etc.--"The nature of the soil is an existing comment on the record of the stony territory where Jacob lay" [CLARKE'S Travels].
12
無標題
繁體中文
12. 夢見……一個梯子——有些作者認為這裏所指的不是字面上的梯子，因為要想像一個底部立在地上、頂部通天、卻沒有任何東西可供其上端倚靠的梯子，是再奇異而更不自然不過的。他們認為，他那用作枕頭的小石堆，正是向他想像中顯現之物的縮影模型，後者是一座巨大的山嶽，其兩側在岩石中呈鋸齒狀，使它看起來像一架攀爬的梯子。毫無疑問，這原文字詞的這種用法在早期希伯來人中是常見的；因為 JOSEPHUS 描述托勒邁（亞柯）城時，說它被一座山所環繞，這山因其突出的兩側而被稱為「梯子」，而通到城裏的階梯，原文稱之為梯子
(Ne 3:15)，
雖然它們不過是岩石側面鑿出的一級級石階。但無論向雅各心目中呈現的是一架普通的梯子，還是如上所述的山嶽，這異象的目的是為着這孤獨的逃亡者在目前的境況和未來的前景上，提供安慰、鼓勵和信心。他白天的思想必定是痛苦的——他會責備自己，使自己陷入流亡和困乏——更重要的是，雖然他已得到父親的饒恕，他卻大有理由害怕神已經離棄了他。獨處給人反思的時間；正是在這時候，神開始使雅各接受一系列的宗教教導和訓練。為了驅散他的恐懼，平息他內心的波動，沒有比那巨大梯子的異象更合適的了——這梯子從他自己直達天上，天使在其上不斷地從神自己那裏上去下來，執行他們仁愛的使命
(Joh 1:51)。
英文原文
12. he dreamed . . . and behold a ladder--Some writers are of opinion that it was not a literal ladder that is meant, as it is impossible to conceive any imagery stranger and more unnatural than that of a ladder, whose base was on earth, while its top reached heaven, without having any thing on which to rest its upper extremity. They suppose that the little heap of stones, on which his head reclined for a pillow, being the miniature model of the object that appeared to his imagination, the latter was a gigantic mountain pile, whose sides, indented in the rock, gave it the appearance of a scaling ladder. There can be no doubt that this use of the original term was common among the early Hebrews; as JOSEPHUS, describing the town of Ptolemais (Acre), says it was bounded by a mountain, which, from its projecting sides, was called "the ladder," and the stairs that led down to the city are, in the original, termed a ladder
(Ne 3:15)
though they were only a flight of steps cut in the side of the rock. But whether the image presented to the mental eye of Jacob were a common ladder, or such a mountain pile as has been described, the design of this vision was to afford comfort, encouragement, and confidence to the lonely fugitive, both in his present circumstances and as to his future prospects. His thoughts during the day must have been painful--he would be his own self-accuser that he had brought exile and privation upon himself--and above all, that though he had obtained the forgiveness of his father, he had much reason to fear lest God might have forsaken him. Solitude affords time for reflection; and it was now that God began to bring Jacob under a course of religious instruction and training. To dispel his fears and allay the inward tumult of his mind, nothing was better fitted than the vision of the gigantic ladder, which reached from himself to heaven, and on which the angels were continually ascending and descending from God Himself on their benevolent errands
(Joh 1:51).
13
無標題
繁體中文
13. 耶和華站在梯子以上，說——為使雅各不至於不知道異象的用意，他聽見了神的聲音；而神名字的宣告，連同聖約的更新，以及對個人保護的保證，立刻在他心中產生了最肅穆而振奮的效果。
英文原文
13. The Lord stood above it, and said--That Jacob might be at no loss to know the purport of the vision, he heard the divine voice; and the announcement of His name, together with a renewal of the covenant, and an assurance of personal protection, produced at once the most solemnizing and inspiriting effect on his mind.
16
無標題
繁體中文
16. 雅各睡醒了——他的話和他的行為，都是一個心思被肅穆敬畏、懇切敬虔和活潑感恩之情所充滿之人的表現
(Jer 31:36)。
英文原文
16. Jacob awaked out of his sleep--His language and his conduct were alike that of a man whose mind was pervaded by sentiments of solemn awe, of fervent piety, and lively gratitude
(Jer 31:36).
18
無標題
繁體中文
18, 19. 雅各立起石頭等等——單是立起石頭，也許是作為將來的記念，以標明那個地點；這習俗至今在東方仍很普遍，為記念一個宗教的誓願或承諾。但把油澆在其上，是一種奉獻。因此他給它起了一個新名，伯特利，即「神的家」
(Ho 12:4)；
當人考慮到在炎熱國家中坐在露天的石頭旁或石頭上——正如這地方的石頭——「大片裸露的岩石，其中有些像德魯伊紀念碑的支石墓那樣矗立」〔STANLEY〕——是常見的習慣時，把一塊石頭稱為家，便不顯得勉強或不自然了。
英文原文
18, 19. Jacob set up a stone, etc.--The mere setting up of the stone might have been as a future memorial to mark the spot; and this practice is still common in the East, in memory of a religious vow or engagement. But the pouring oil upon it was a consecration. Accordingly he gave it a new name, Beth-el, "the house of God"
(Ho 12:4);
and it will not appear a thing forced or unnatural to call a stone a house, when one considers the common practice in warm countries of sitting in the open air by or on a stone, as are those of this place, "broad sheets of bare rock, some of them standing like the cromlechs of Druidical monuments" [STANLEY].
20
Ge 28:20-22.
繁體中文
Ge 28:20-22。
雅各的許願。
20. 雅各許了一個願——他的話不當被理解為暗示疑慮，更不是陳明他將自己獻給神的條件或條款。若將「若」改作「既然」，這話便成為雅各信心合宜的表達——證明他確實已經接受了那應許。在伯特利的雅各身上常常默想，是何等造就人的事。
英文原文
Ge 28:20-22.
JACOB'S VOW.
20. Jacob vowed a vow--His words are not to be considered as implying a doubt, far less as stating the condition or terms on which he would dedicate himself to God. Let "if" be changed into "since," and the language will appear a proper expression of Jacob's faith--an evidence of his having truly embraced the promise. How edifying often to meditate on Jacob at Beth-el.
Ge 28:1-19.
雅各啟程。
1. 以撒叫了雅各來，給他祝福——他完全體會利百加的心情，他臨別對兒子的勸告中心，是要避免與米所波大米以外的家族通婚。同時他鄭重地給他祝福——這祝福先前是無意中說出的，如今卻是出於有意，並出自誠心。這祝福更明確、更完備地賜下，雅各由此被確認為"應許的後嗣"。