"this is the King Messiah {h}." And the same Rabbi
elsewhere {} observes, on those words in Gen. xix. 32,
that we may preserve seed of our father," it is not
"written, that we may preserve a son of our father,
ú ' but that we may preserve seed of our father;
"that seed which is he that comes from another
"place; and what is this ? this is the King Messiah."
Now as Abraham had the promise of a son, and his
wife was barren, he took the method he did that he
might have one, the son of the promise, a type of the
Messiah, and from whom he should spring; and this
is sufficient to justify him in it: besides, he did not
deal treacherously with Sarah his wife, for it was with
her good will and by her authority he did this thing;
but do you take heed to your spirit, that no one of you
deal treacherously with the wife of his youth, to leave
her, and marry the daughter of a strange God: and
much the same sense Jarchi takes notice of as the
Agadah, or the interpretation of their ancient Rabbins.
Some render the words, and not one does this; that is,
dents treacherously with the wife of his youth, that
has the residue of the spirit, or the least spark of the
sph, it of God in him; and how should any one do it,
seeking a godly seed ? therefore take heed to your
spirit, &c.; so De Dieu. But according to others the
sense is," there is not one of you that does according to
"the law, whose spirit remains with him that is not
"mixed with the daughter of a strange god ;" which
is Aben Ezra's note. But according to Abarbinel the
sense is, not one only has done this, committed this
evil, in marrying more and strange women; not some
only, and the rest have the spirit with them, and
keep it pure from this sin; so that a godly seed can-
not be procreated from you; therefore take heed to
your spirit.
Vet. 16. For the Lord the God of Israel saith, that
he hateth putting away, &c.] The divorcing of wives;
for though this was suffered because of the hardness
of their hearts, it was not approved of by the Lord;
nor was it from the beginning; and it was disagreeable,
and even hateful to him, Matt. xix. 8. in the margin
of some Bibles the words are rendered, if he hate her,
put her away; and so the Targum," but if thou hatest
"her, put her away ;" to which agree the Vulgate
Latin, Septuagint, and Arabic versions; and this sense
made mention of in both Taimuds, and is thought
to be agreeable to the law in Dent. xxiv. 3. though
the law there speaks of a fact that might be, and not
of what ought to be; wherefore the former sense is
best; and this other seems to have been at first cal-
culated to fayour the practice of the Jews, who put
away their wives through hatred to them. The Jews
were very much inclined to divorce their wives upon
very trivial occasions; if they did not dress their food
well, were not of good behaviour, or not so modest as
became the daughters of Israel; if they did not find
favour with their husbands; and, especially, if they
had entertained a hatred of them: so says R. Judah {k},
"if he hate her, let him put her away :" but this is
by some of them restrained to a second wife; tbr of
the first they say," it is not proper to be hasty to put
"away a first wife; but a second, if he hates her,
"let him put her away U' and R. Eleazer says {}, who-
ever divorces his first wife, even the altar sheds tears
for him, referring to the words in vet. 13. and di-
vorces of this kind they only reckon lawful among the
Israelites, and found it upon this passage.; for so they
make God to speak after this manner {n}," in Israel I
"have granted divorces; among the nations of the
"world I have not granted divorces. R. Chananiah,
"in the name ofR. Phinehas, observes, that in every
"other section it is written, the Lord of hosts; but
"here it is written, the God of lsrael, to teach thee
"that the/holy blessed God does not put his name to
"divorces (or allow them) but in Israel only. R.
"Chayah Rabba says, the Gentiles have no divorces."
But some of them have better understanding of these
words, and more truly give the sense of them thus, as
R. Jochanan does, who interprets them," the putting
"away of the wife is hateful ø ." it is so to God, and
ought not to be done by men but in case of adultery,
as our Lord has taught, Matt. v. 32. and xix. 9. and
which was the doctrine of the school of Shamreal ia
Christ's time, who taught," that no man should di-
"vorce his wife, unless he found in her filthiness;"
i.e. that she was guilty of adultery; though this Mai-
monides restrains to the first wife, as before: but the
house of Hillell, who lived in the same time, was of a
different mind, and taught that" if she burnt his
"tbod ;" either over-dressed or over-salted it, ac-
cording to Dent. xxiv. 1. R. Akiba says, if he found
another more beautiful than her, according to Dent.
xxiv. 1, he might divorce her {p}; of the form of a di-
vorce, see the note on Matt. v. al. Those interpreters
among Christians that go this way don't look upon
this as an approbation of divorce, on account of hatred;
but that so to do is better than to retain them with
hatred of them, seeing it was connived at, or than
to take other wives with them. For one coveverb vio-
lence with his garment, or on his garment, saith the
Lord of .ho.sts; as he that puts away his wife does her
an open injury, which though he may cover, pretend-
ing the law, which connives at divorces; yet the vio-
lence done to his wife is as manifest as the garment
upon his back: though those who think the former
words are an instruction to put away w ires, when hated,
consider this as a reason why they should do !so ;. be-
cause, by retaining them, and yet hating them, and
taking other wives to them, is doing them a real in-
jury, whatever cover or pretence may be used; be-
cause, if dismissed, they might be loved by, and mar-
ried to, other men. Aben Ezra seems to have hit the
sense of these words, when he makes this to be the
object of God's hatred, as well as the former; his note
is," the Lord hateth him that putteth away his wife
" that is pure, and he hates him that covereth; or God
"sees his violence which is done in secret." Mr. Po-
cock proposes a conjecture, which is very ingenious


{h} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 23. fol. 20. 4. Midrash Ruth, fol. 36. 1.
{i} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 51. fol. 46. 1. Midrash Ruth, fol. 35. 4.
{k} T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 90. 2.
{l} Maimon. Hilchot Gerushin, c. 10, 21, 22.
{m} T. Bab. Gittin, ib.
{n} T. Hieros. Kiddushin, c. 1. fol. 58. 3.
{o} T. Bab. Gittin, ut supra.
{p} Misn. Gittin, c. 9. sect. 10.