and will. In this first part of Genesis it is likewise proved, that, amongst the beings of this inferior world, man holds the first rank, and was the sole purpose of its creation; in order that he might be instrumental, and lead to, the perfection of the rest of the creation, namely, vegetables and animals. For as the first working up of the raw material is but preparatory of, and conducive to, its final manufacture into the article it is destined to form, so the rest of the creation (vegetables and animals) are but the crude materials to which the wants of man give a final purpose. Therefore, man was the last created, and is more emphatically designated as the workmanship of God,-"On the day that God created man," (Genesis v. 1,) in order to denote that the object of creation was centred in him; for he alone is capable of conceiving and knowing the existence of the Creator. With man the work of creation was completed; and then, and not till then, was said, "Then were completed the heavens and the earth, and all their hosts." (Genesis ii. 1.) For the work is only then completed when its purpose is attained. The whole of this narrative in Genesis is written for the purpose of teaching us, that whatever was done by the Creator was so done in conformity with a fixed plan and will; and throughout this chapter no other name of the Deity is mentioned except ELOHIM, to denote the power of creating or calling beings into existence.

From Genesis ii. 4, "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth," to Genesis iv. 1, "And Adam knew Eve his wife," the second of the three essential principles, namely, Revelation, is evinced. It is there said, "The Lord God commanded man." This is at once revelation and Divine law. Previously, however, we are informed, Gen. ii. 19, "And God brought every beast of the field and every bird of the air unto Adam, to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature that is the name thereof." This was an effect of his being gifted with reason, and therefore more capable than

any other animal of having those Divine laws revealed to him, which he alone is worthy to obey. Therefore, too, he was placed in the Garden of Eden that he might enjoy the tree of life, which grew in the midst of the garden; namely, the Divine laws of revelation of which it is said, "She is a tree of life to all that adhere to her," (Proverbs iii. 18,) and the transgressing of which would cause him to be exiled from that blissful abode. The fate of Adam and Eve is related, to tell man what he has to expect in this world, where "the Serpent," or, as our Rabbies named him, Jetzer harang, ("evil passions,") by means of the woman, who prevented his attaining perfection, will endeavour to cause his exile from the regions of bliss. The name of the Deity introduced throughout the whole of this relation is "the LORD GOD," to denote that, in order to attain perfection, it is not sufficient to believe in the existence of the Creator, merely from the contemplation of nature which he created; (the ELOHIM, or powers of the Creator, of the first chapter ;) but that it is indispensable to acknowledge and believe in revelation, the contemplations of which are more sublime than the former,—— as it is only by means of revelation, or obedience to the Divine laws, that man may, in accordance with the will of God, enjoy the tree of life,— which the mere belief in the existence of the Creator can never accomplish. But, in order to protect man from falling into the error, that, by the variation of these two names, two different beings are designated, the Divine laws, at the time of the giving of the Decalogue tell us, "And Elohim (God) spake all these words," (Exodus xx. 1,) to denote that the same Being who created the world, revealed and gave the law. And he begins the decalogue by saying, "I am the Lord thy God," to denote that this venerated name, which accompanied the first revelation to Adam, and which now dictates the law, is that of the same Being who created the universe. And Moses, in Deuteronomy, when he repeats the relation of the circumstances attending the giving of the Decalogue,

used the words, "These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly," (Deut. iv. 22,) to denote, that, though in Exodus it is said, ELO. HIM spoke," both names appertain to the same Being,-blessed be He! From Genesis iv. 1, "And Adam knew Eve his wife," to Gen. v. 1, "This is the book of the generations of man;" the third essential principle (reward and punishment) is evinced. The history of Cain and Abel completes what the history of Adam has commenced. The punish. ment of Adam was general, and in his person extended to the whole species. His offence was transgressing the will of God. The punishment of Cain was individual, his offence was not only a transgression of the will of God, but likewise the commission of wrong, injustice, and violence. And the Deity cannot, and does not, suffer such wrong to remain unpunished. this narrative is evinced the special providence of the Deity; that, however "long-suffering" the Divine wrath is towards evil-doers, (as it was to Cain,) the punishment is, nevertheless, sure to overtake them as it did him, who eventually came to a violent end; * and entailed perdition on his descendants, who were all destroyed in the flood. And though many men of great intellectual and inventive powers were among them, such as Javal, the father of those who dwelt in tents, and reared cattle," and "Jubal, the father of all players on musical instruments," and "Tubal Cain, the instructer of all that wrought in copper and iron," yet their talents could not screen their descendants from the punishment due to their guilt.

In

the Deity deigns to bestow his providential care on the lowly beings of this inferior world, and to aid and protect them against their powerful oppressors. Accordingly the prophet says, "Thus saith the high and lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is HOLY, I dwell on high in holiness, and with the contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite," Isaiah lvii. 15. In this narration of Cain we see that the exercise of this providence is tempered by mercy; and that the gates of repentance are opened to those who are sincerely contrite: "Verily, if thou doest well, thou wilt be forgiven." (Genesis iv. 6.) This is not in conformity with the attribute of strict justice; and, accordingly, throughout the whole of this relation, the name ELOHIM," expressive of strict justice, is not once introduced.

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That part of Genesis ii. 4, commencing with the words, "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth," is a preface and introduction to the giving of the first law; and the subsequent passage, (verse 1,) "This is the book of the generations of man," is intended as a title-page of what is to follow; as if the words had been, "This book will treat of man; and the subject is accordingly entered upon: "In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him, male and female created he them." The variations in the construction here made use of are intended to convey to man a most important truth, illustrative of the individual reward and punishment, one of the three essential principles that have been treated of; namely, that such reward or punishment results from, and is a consequence of, the reason with which he is gifted, and by means of which he is in "the likeness of God;" that is to say, having an individual aim and purpose, distinct from the aim and purpose of his species. In this respect he resembles the beings of an order superior to his own, and is not, like inferior animals, merely the member of a species.

Man unites within himself a two

fold nature.

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Gifted with reason, he, like the angels, forms an individual being, having a peculiar and distinct purpose; therefore, it is said, "In the likeness of God created he him," in the singular number. In his corporeal capacity, however, man, like other animals, is but member of a species, and comprised in its general purpose, which is denoted by the words, "Male and female created he them," in the plural number. To this our Rabbies referred in the Medrash Rabba,* on the words, Let us make man in our image: With whom did the Deity consult?" R. Joshua, the son of Levy saith, "With the works of heaven and earth." Until the sixth day of creation, before man was formed, there were but two different classes of beings throughout the universe: The superior ones, whose existence and purpose is individual; and the inferior ones, whose existence and purpose is not individual, but collective, as members of a race or species. The Deity, about to produce a being composed of, and uniting within himself, the qualities of both these distinct classes, said to both, Let us make man in our image: Like you, superior ones, having an individual purpose: you, inferior ones, a member of a species and comprised in its general purpose." All these precepts of the Divine laws Abraham taught, in the passage of Genesis xxiv. 7: "The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and my native land, and who spoke to me and swore to me;" namely, that the same who has created the superior beings has likewise created the inferior ones; and that man, composed of, and uniting within himself, both classes, is capable of receiving Divine revelation, and of being an object of special providence.

CHAPTER XIL

Like

THE doctrine, that the world was

created out of nothing, although necessarily admitted by every one who believes the Divine laws, as every one who believes in the law of Moses necessarily admits that "the earth opened its mouth and swal

Vide Note, page 11.

lowed Korah and what to him belonged," (Numbers xvi. 32,) —is, nevertheless, not indispensable to a belief in the Divine laws, so that it would be wrong to maintain they cannot subsist without that precept: And those of our wise men who held, that the law of Moses commenced with an account of the creation of the world out of nothing, because it intended to convey that the belief therein was an essential principle of the Divine laws, are greatly in error.

He who with Aristotle believes, that the world is increate, as he does not concede to the Deity the power even to enlarge the wings of a fly,will assuredly not admit the miracles of the law of Moses; but must, by reason of his system, refuse to believe that the Holy One (blessed be HE!) has the power at once to turn a stick into a serpent, water into blood, and the like. This opinion will, therefore, not allow the possibility of divine laws.

But, as it is possible to believe the eternity of matter, out of which the Deity created the world, according to his fixed plan and will; he who entertains that opinion allows the creative power of the Deity, and does not, therefore, need, by reason of his system, to refuse his belief to the miracles related in the law of Moses, as none of those miracles assert the creation of something out of nothing, but merely the transmuting of one substance into another: As, for instance, the changing of a stick into a serpent, or water into blood, and the like. For, although these are substances of a different nature, yet the creative power of the Deity might so temper their admixture,-as, for instance, to impregnate one part of the water with air, another with fire, and a third with earth, and thus create blood, not only apparent, but real, as is said in Exodus vii. 21, "And the fish in the river died, and the river stank."

is contrary to the Divine law, acYet even this qualified opinion cording to which we are bound to believe that the creation was formed out of nothing. Not that this belief is an essential principle of the Divine laws, because they are not utterly irreconcilable with the opinion, that

E

found again in two other names, Eloha, and Elohei. The last always governs the genitive, as Elohei hashamaim, "the God of the heavens," but Elohim is nominative. And though both names are always pronounced with a vau, yet they are never written so; but Eloha, without a yod, always has the vau, except in Deuteronomy xxxii. 17, They sacrificed to devils," to Eloha, ("who are not God"); where it wants the vau, because it is here not intended to express the name of God. To explain all this, we observe :

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The first name denotes God abstractedly, as he cannot be conceived; and relates solely to his own being without any relative connexion whatever; thus, as the Rabbies explained Numbers, vi. 27. "They shall pronounce my name over the children of Israel." My name " The name which solely relates to me;" it therefore has no relation to any thing but to Himself alone. But the name Elohim denotes the emanation of all good, which brings Him in relation with his creatures; and his creative power, which gave existence to all beings: Whence this name only is alluded to in the history of the creation; and whenever the powers of creation, as evinced in nature, are mentioned by any of the sacred writers, this name, as in direct connexion with creation, is expressed. When, therefore, the prevailing idea of holy writ is to indicate the Deity abstractedly, LORD is placed before Elohim; but when the prevailing idea refers to the powers of creation, Elohim precedes LORD.

For this cause no adjective can precede these names, because it cannot be appended to the Deity abstractedly: Nor can it follow the first name except by means of Elohim, as it is only in consequence of creation that his creatures can append any attribute to his name. Thence, likewise, the first name is sometimes punctuated with the vowel-points of Elohim, but not the reverse; for although we may, from the emanation of his omnipotence, become conscious of his Being abstractedly, yet we cannot conceive

how the creative powers could emanate from that Being which is altogether abstracted, and beyond our comprehension. As the name denoting the creative power is an emanation of that abstract Being which we cannot conceive, but only be conscious of, all the names derived from the same root, namely, Elohim, Eloha, and Elohei, contain half of the first name of four letters, either the Yod and He or the He and Vau, and never more than two letters out of the four: Thence Elohim and Elohei are never written Malah,* or in full," but always wanting the Vuu; whereas Eloha, with the single exception we have mentioned above, is never written chaser, or, "short of the vau;" so that two out of the four letters are always embodied.

As this name Elohim thus denotes the relation between the creative power that bestows, and his creatures that receive, it is likewise in Hebrew applied to those created beings who by means of their official situation, bestow on others who receive. Thence angels are called Elohim, as they are the Divine instruments to bestow his blessings on the world. Thence, too, the name was imparted to idols, as their worshippers considered them the dispensers of every thing. It is further extended to Judges, who dispense justice to their inferiors. But, when thus applied, the name Elohim is always plural; whereas when limited to its original purpose of expressing the noun proper of the Deity, it is singular; as we likewise find the plural termination (yod mem) applied to other nouns proper, which nevertheless are singular, as Ephraim, Mizraim [Egypt]. Perhaps, the plural termination is appended, to express the collection of powers of the Creator, and their relation to the various creatures which separately enjoy their efflux.

*Malah and chaser-The orthography of the Holy Scriptures varies sometimes; as certain words are in some places spelt with a letter, which at other times is omitted. The Masoretic writers call the first malah or complete, and the last chaser or "incomplete."