Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-02-07

Inventory Of property. "All his cattle
all his goods. "the cattle Of his getting,
&c. He had large number of servant.
q the time, but they are mol included witl
ms properly. Compare Gen. Xxx. 43
with Gen. XXI. 1918. E-
When ne sent messengers to Esau, il
order to secure his respect, and impress
him with an idea of his state and sway
ne babe them tell him not only Of IL,
RICHES, but of his GREATNESS; that ia.
cob had "oZez, and asses, and foeks, ana
men servaHts, and maid servants" Gen
xxxii. 4, 5. Yet in the present which he
sent. there were no servants though he
seems to have aimed to give it as much
variety as possible. Gen. xxi. IA, Is;
see also Gen. xxxvi. 6, 7; Gen xxxiv.
%. As hocks and herds were the staples
of wealth, a large number of servants pre-.
supposed large possessions Of cattle. which
would require many herdsmen. Further.
When servants are spoken of in connec-
ton with mere property, the terms used
to express the latter do not include the
former.
The Hebrew word Mickn0 is an illus
tration. II is derivative OF Kama, to
procure, to buy, and its meaning is, pos
session, soealth, riches. 1t occurs more
than forty times in the Old Testament
and is applied always to mere property
generally to domestic animals, but never
to servants. In some instances, servants
are mentioned in distinction from the
Mickaa. See Gen. xii. s. "And Abra.
ham took Sarah his Uite, and Lot his
brOther's son. And all their SUBSTANCE
that they had gathered, and the souls that
they had gotIen ~ HarGn, and they sDent
forth IL go into the land of Canaan. -
Substance gathered and souls gotten -
Many will have it, that these souls were
a part of Abraham's substance, (notwith.
sanding the pains here taken to separate
hem from iD-that they were slaves-
probably captives in war, and now, bv
right Of conquest, taken with him in his
migration as part Of his family effects
Who but shareholders, either actually, or
in heart, would torture into the principle
and practice of slavery. such harmless
phrase as "the souls that they had gotten2' =,
Until the slave trade breathed its haze
upon the vision of the church, and smote
her with palsy and decay, commentators
saw no slavery in, "The souls that they
had gotten" In the Targum of Onkelos.
i is thus rendered, THE souls whom
they had brought to obey the law in Ha-
ram, In the Targum of Jonathan, thus ::
s. The souls whom they had made prose-
lytes in Haran." In the Targum of Jeru-
salem, +" The souls proselyted in Haran."
Jarchi, placed by Jewish Rabbis at the
head OF their commentators, thus renders
il: The souls whom they had brought
under the Divine wings" Jerome, one
Of the most learned of the Christian faith
ers: The persons whom they had pros
elyted." The Persian version thus gives
the whole verse, "And Abraham took
Sarah his wife, and Lot his brothers son,
and all their wealth which they had ac-
cumulated, and the souls which they had
made" The Vulgate version thus trans
lates il, Universam substantiam guam
possederant ct animas quas fecerant in
Haran." The entire wealth which thew
possessed, and the souls which they had
made" The Syriac thus, "All their
possessions which they possessed, and the
souls which they had made in Haran.n-
The Arabic, " All their property which
they had acquired. and the souls whom
they had made in Haran." The Samari.
tan, "All the wealth which they had
gathered, and the souls which thew had
made in Haran." Menochius, a common
tator who wrote before our present trans.
lation Of the English Bible, renders il as
uas de idolotraira convert.
erunt"' Those whom they have con.
verted from idolatry."-Panlus Fagius.t
|" Quas instituerant in religione." "Those
whom they had instructed in religion.''-
Luke Francke, a German commentator
who lived two centuries ago." "Quas
legi subjicerant." Those whom thew
had brought to obey the law"
2. The condition of servants in their
masterS families, the priDiieges tckie6
they shared IN COMMON Nth tie children,
and hhsir recognition as equals by tie
tighest officers of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ne doctrine that they aoeye mere commodi.
hes. an absGrdity. The testimony of Paul,
n Gal. Nv. l, gives an insight into the
condition OF servants. "No1c / sag unto
yos, tAaILhe heir, so long as he Is a child,
orFFERRTH NOTHING FROM 4 SERVANT.
Aosgh he be lord Of ALL" g.
That Abraham's servants were volun.
ary-that their interests were identified
With those OF their masters family-that
hey were regarded with great affection
" the household, and that the utmost con-
idence was reposed in them, is shown in
ne arming 3l6 of them for the recovery
4 Lot and his family from captivity. See
ien. xiv. Ia, Is. ....-
When Abraham's servant went to Pa
lanaram. the young Princess Rebekah |