CHAPTER VI.

THE TRADITIONS OF ISAAC.

WITH chapter twenty-four, the central figure in the Hebrew traditions ceases to be Abraham. The venerable and noble form of the Father of the Faithful lingers on the stage awhile, but in the background, preparing for the final exit. Isaac is the coming man.

Every intelligent reader of the Bible must have noticed the great contrast in the representations of Abraham and of Isaac. Twelve chapters are devoted to the first of the patriarchs, and only three chapters to the second patriarch. Abraham's form is drawn in great detail, and lighted up with warm, bright color. Isaac's figure is only sketched, and is left faint and colorless.

Brief as the story is, it repeats at least one of the incidents of Abraham's life. Isaac seems like a feeble echo of his great father; a negative sort of character, whose story is told in order to link together Abraham and Jacob. Why is this?

It may be that we have in Isaac the type of the quiet, domestic character, which makes little noise in the world, but which is quite as important to a peo

ple as the natures which loom so much larger in its history. These patriarchs undoubtedly stand as types of human relationships; as Ewald happily points out. The Hebrew mind, in working over the national traditions, probably idealized the virtues of domesticity, so dear to the race, in the person of Isaac-who like the happy woman has no history. Hosts of men and women in Israel found thus in this story the comfort that still is found in it by multitudes in America, whose sphere of action centres in the home and its sweet but lowly responsibilities. Yet there are hints in the story that point to another aspect of the Sheikh Isaac, in ancient times. We find Jacob swearing by "the fear of his father Isaac." This expression doubtless refers to the Object of fear who was worshipped by Isaac. There is, however, nothing in the traditions, as preserved for us, that gives any ground for such. a titling of Isaac's God. His quiet life found the sunny side of the divine power above it. We have here, probably, a remembrance of the terror inspired among surrounding tribes by the great patriarch himself; and thus of the awe felt by these peoples toward the Power under whose protection Isaac was found invincible.

2

If we keep in mind the fact already pointed out, that within these traditions of individual patriarchs are embedded traditions of tribal personalities, we "Genesis, xxxi. 53.

1 See Note I to Chapter VI.

shall quickly suspect one reason of the little space assigned to Isaac. In the time when the Hebrews first enter the field of history proper they formed a loose confederation of allied tribes. Each of these tribes probably carried on the stream of oral story its own stock of traditions, in which the special patriarchical hero of that tribe was peculiarly exalted. The relative importance of a tribal hero in later ages would be greatly affected by the position and influence of that tribe itself in the nation. Thus Joseph, as the hero of Ephraim-the leading tribe in the Northern Kingdom--loomed very large. Now we know that one tribe dropped out of separate existence in the course of the earlier history of the nation, though we do not know from what causes. The district occupied by this tribe, Simeon, was that with which Isaac's story is connected. Alone among the prophets, with one exception, Amos mentions the name of Isaac; while he alone uses the name of Isaac interchangeably with that of Jacob, as the patronymic of the nation. He writes:

“And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate,
And the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste;

1

and again: "Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac." Amos came from the region formerly occupied by the Simeonites, the traditional scene of Isaac's life. It

1Amos, vii. 9-15.

seems fair to conclude from this hint that, in the district once occupied by the tribe which had looked up to Isaac with special reverence, there were am pler traditions of him than were known in the rest of the land. There his personality remained clear and impressive, while beyond that region it faded out into indistinctness and comparative insignificance - his glories being eclipsed in the obscuration of Simeon.

One other curious matter may be referred to before taking up the narrative. All through the story of Isaac there runs a series of plays upon the meaning of his name-The Laugher. This looks like the relic of some very ancient legend or myth, that had become inwoven with the tradition of the patriarch; whose key-word lived on after its meaning had become lost, calling forth such various interpretations as are offered in the narrative.

Chapter twenty-four tells the tale of that most solicitous of cares to the parental heart in all lands and in all ages-the concern of Abraham as to a wise marriage of his beloved son. With exquisite grace is this love story told. How fine is the picture of the faithful steward who is so anxious to discharge his errand well! Noble type of the trusted servant! How life-like is the touch that brings out Laban noticing "the earrings, and bracelets on his sister's hands," and saying to the man who could bestow such princely gifts-" Come in, thou blessed of the

Lord!" How simple, yet how graphic the whole narrative! Forever sacred in our dearest associations stands that pair of wedded lovers, of whom, at the moment that makes us supremely happy, we hear in the solemn prayer—“ that as Isaac and Rebekah lived faithfully together, so these persons may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together."

Under this story of Abraham's concern that Isaac should not marry into the surrounding tribes, there probably lies the traditional expression of the exclusive spirit of the Hebrews-their opposition to intermarriages with the Canaanites. That feeling, like most human feelings, was partly noble and partly ignoble. Out of the very strenuousness of the national character grew the aversion to those interminglings which it was rightly felt would weaken the moral earnestness of the people, and would endanger their fidelity to Jehovah and to the higher 'thought of God which was bodied in his worship. But this noble feeling easily passed into the narrow and insulated attitude of the people who became known as 66 the haters of men." Thus easily does a virtue shade off into a vice! Ever constant must be our care lest religion itself come to separate us from our fellows who differ from us; lest it sunder us from the great world that lies outside our creeds and institutions, but not outside of God.