23
progenitor of the nations of Arabia; through the sons
of Keturah, of the inhabitants of the Troglodytes or Af¬
rica; through Isaac, he possessed Canaan. And the
whole testimony of history pro\ es these nations colored.
THE TWO NATIONS OF ISAAC.
Isaac, the son of Abraham, was forty years old, when
he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the
Syrian, Nahor s son, one of Abraham's brothers, (Gen.
xi. 26, xxiv 47,) and the sister to Laban the Syrian, of
Padanaram. The Syrians were blacks, with long, straight
hair. — (Herodotus, Sec. Sec. Gen. xxv ) $
And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because
she was barren; and the Lord was entreated of him, and
Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled
together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I
thus.' And she went to inquire of the Lord. And the
Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and
two manner of people shall be separated from thy bow¬
els. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled,
behold there were twins in her womb; and the firstborn
was red all over, like a hairy garment, and thev called
his name Esau. — (Gen. xxv. 23, 24, 25.) His brother's
name was Jacob, who was afterwards called Israel.
[The first clothing worn by the ancients, were hairy
garments. — " The Lord God made coats of skins, and
clothed them." — (Gen. iii. 21.) "And they wandered
about in sheep-skins and goat-skins," ram-skins and
badger-skins, dyed red. — (Ex. xxv 5.) Ram-skins dy¬
ed red, were used in the construction of the tabernacle.
Dr. Clarke has proved, from Homer, Pliny, and modern
travellers, that there are rams whose natural color is
red. From this fact, it may be deduced that Esau was
red all over, like a hairy garment.] Esau became a
cunning hunter, a man of the field; and was loved of
Isaac. But he depsised his birthright, and sold it to Ja¬
cob for a mess of red pottage. — (Gen. xxv. 30.) Isaac,
however, blessed Esau his son, and said unto him, Be¬
hold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and
of the dew of heaven from above; and by thy sword
Permalink: http://pid.emory.edu/ark:/25593/p406s
