Fear not'] The late Dr. Dodd has a good thought on this passage; " I would read," says he, " the second verse in a parenthesis, thus: For Ahram had said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, dfc. Abram had said this in the fear of his heart, upon which the Lord vouchsafed to him this prophetical view, and this strong renovation of the covenant. In this light all follows very properly. Abram had said so and so in ver. 2, upon which God appears and says, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. The patriarch then, ver. 3, freely opens the anxious apprehension of his heart, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed, 6fC., upon which God proceeds to assure him of posterity."
I am thy shield, dfc] Can it be supposed that Abram understood these words as promising him temporal advantages at all corresponding to the magnificence of these promises ■? If he did he was disappointed through the whole course of his life, for he never enjoyed such a state of worldly prosperity as could justify the strong language in the text. Shall we lose sight of Abram, and say that his posterity was intended, and Abram understood the promises as relating to them, and not to himself or immediately to his own family ■? Then the question recurs, Did the Israelites ever enjoy such a state of temporal affluence as seems to be intended by the above promise? To this every man acquainted
This shall not be thine heir; but he that ^ shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and
with their history will, without hesitation, say. No. What then is intended I Just what the words state. God was Abram' s portion, and he is the portion of every righteous soul; for to Abram, and the children of his faith, he gives not a portion in this life: Nothing, says Father Calmet, proves more invincibly the immortality of the soul, the truth of religion, and the eternity of another life, than to see that in this life the righteous seldom receive the reward of their virtue, and that in temporal things they are often less happy than the workers of iniquity.
/ am, says the Almighty, thy shield — thy constant covering and protector, and thy exceeding great reward, TXO n^in I^Dty sekarcha harbeh meod, " that superlatively multiplied reward of thine." It is not the Canaan I promise, but the salvation that is to come through the promised seed. Hence it was that Abram rejoiced to see his day. And hence the Chaldee Targum translates this place. My Word shall be thy strength, <SfC.
Verse 2. What wilt thou give me, seeing I go child less] The anxiety of the Asiatics to have offspring is intense and universal. Among the Hindoos the want of children renders all other blessings of no esteem. See Ward.
And the steward of my house] Abram, understanding the promise as relating to that person who was to spring from his family, in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed, expresses his surprise that there should be such a promise, and yet he is about to die childless! How then can the promise be fulfilled, when, far from a spiritual seed, he has not even a person in his family that has a natural right to his property, and that a stranger is likely to be his heir? This seems to be the general sense of the passage; but who this steward of his house, this Eliezer of Damascus, was, commentators are not agreed. The translation of the Septuagint is at least curious: '06e vloc Maaeic ttjq oiKoyevovg fiov, ovtoq AafiacKog EA/efep' The son of Masek my home-born maid, this Eliezer of Damascus, is my heir; which intimates that they supposed pjyo meshek, which we translate steward, to have been the name of o, female slave, born in the family of Abram, of whom was born this Eliezer, who on account of the country either of his father or mother, was called a Damascene or onB of Damascus. It is extremely probable that our Lord has this passage in view in his parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke xvi. 19. From the name Eliezer, by leaving out the first letter, Liezer is formed, which makes Lazarus in the New Testament, the person who, from an abject and distressed state, was raised to lie in the bosom of Abraham in paradise.
able to number them: and he said unto him, ^ So shall thy seed be.
6 And he ^ beheved in the Lord; and he ^ counted it to him for righteousness.
7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that "^ brought thee out of ° Ur of the Chaldees, p to give thee this land to inherit it.
this whole transaction took place in the evening; see on chap xiii. 14. Abram had either two visions, that recorded in ver. 1, and that in ver. 12, &c.; or what is mentioned in the beginning of this chapter is a part of the occurrences which took place after the sacrifice mentioned ver. 9, &c.: but it is more likely that there was a vision of that kind already described, and afterwards a second, in which he received the revelation mentioned ver. 13—16. After the first vision he is brought forth abroad to see if he can number the stars; and as he finds this impossible, he is assured that as they are to him innumerable, so shall his posterity be; and that all should spring from one who should proceed from his owp bowels — one who should be his own legitimate child.
Verse 6. And he believed hi the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. '\ This I conceive to be one of the most important passages in the whole Old Testament. It properly contains and specifies that doctrine oi justification by faith which engrosses so considerable a share of the epistles of St. Paul, and at the foundation of which is the atonement made by the Son of God: And he (Abram) believed (JOXH heemin, he put faith) in Jehovah, lS HDiyrT'l vaiyachshebeha lo, and he counted it — the faith he put in Jehovah, to HIM for righteousness, DpTi* tsedakah, or justification; though there was no act in the case but that of the mind and heart, no loork of any kind. Hence the doctrine of justification by faith, ivithout any merit of works; for in this case there could be none— *no works of Abram which could merit the salvation of the whole human race. It was the promise of God whicl^ he credited, and in the blessedness of which he became a partaker through faith. See at the close of thd chapter; see also on Rom. iv.
Verse 8. And he said. Lord God] TWTV "'JIX, Adonai Yehovah, my Lord Jehovah. Adonai is the word which the Jews in reading always substitute for Jehovah, as they count it impious to pronounce this name. Adonai signifies my director, basis, supporter, prop, or stay; and scarcely a more appropriate name can be given to that God who is the framer and director of every righteous word and action; the basis or foundation on which every rational hope rests; the supporter of the souls and bodies of men, as well as of the universe in general; the prop and stay of the weak and fainting, and the buttress that shores up the building,
9 And he said unto him, ^ Take me a heifei of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.
10 And he took unto him all these, and ^divided them in the midst, and laid each
which Otherwise must necessarily fall. This word often occurs in the Hebrew Bible, and is rendered in our translation Lord; the same term by which the word Jehovah is expressed: but to distinguish between the two, and to show the reader when the original is mrr' Yehovah, and when "'JTX Adonai, the first is always put in capitals. Lord, the latter in plain Roman characters, Lord. For the word Jehovah see on chap, ii. 4, and on Exod. xxxiv. 6.
Whereby shall I know] By what sign shall I be assured, that I shall inherit this land 1 It appears that he expected some sign, and that on such occasions one was ordinarily given.
Verse 9. Take me a heifer] TOiy eglah, a shecalf; a she-goat, TJ^ ez, a goat, male or female, but distinguished here by the feminine adjective; r\Wml^ meshullesheth, a three-yearling; a ram, 7'^ ayil; a turtle-dove, in tor, from which come turtur and turtle; young pigeon, blU gozal, a word signifying the young of pigeons and eagles. See Deut. xxxii. 11. It is worthy of remark, that every animal allowed or commanded to be sacrificed under the Mosaic law is to be found in this list. And is it not a proof that God was now giving to Abram an epitome of that law and its sacrifices which he intended more fully to reveal to Moses; the essence of which consisted in its sacrifices, which typified the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world?
On the several animals which God ordered Abram to take, Jarchi remarks: " The idolatrous nations are compared in the Scriptures to bulls, rams, and goats; for it is written, Psa. xxii. 1 3: Many bulls have compassed me about. Dan. viii. 20: The rain which thou hast seen is the king of Persia. Ver. 2 1: The rough goat is the king of Greece. But the Israelites are compared to doves, dfc.; Cant. ii. 14: O my dove, that art in the cleft of the rock. The division of the above carcasses denotes the division and extermination of the idolatrous nations; but the birds not bei7ig divided, shows that the Israelites are to abide for ever." See Jarchi on the place.
Verse 10. Divided them in the midst] The ancient method of making covenants, as well as the original word, have been already alluded to, and in a general M'ay explained. See chap. vi. 18. The word covenant, from con, together, and venio, I come, signifies an agreement, association, or meeting between two or more parties; for it is impossible that a covenant can a
1 1 And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 And when the sun was going down, ^ a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety ^ that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and ^ they shall afflict them four hundred years;
be made between an individual and himself, whether God or man. This is a theological absurdity into which many have run; there must be at least two parties to contract with each other. And often there was • a third party to mediate the agreement, and to witness it when made. Rabbi Solomon Jarchi says, " It was a custom with those who entered into covenant with each other to take a heifer and cut it irftwo, and then the contracting parties passed between the pieces." See this and the scriptures to which it refers particularly explained, chap. vi. 18. A covenant always Bupposed one of these /owr things: 1. That the contracting parties had been hitherto unknown to each other, and were brought by the covenant into a state of acquaintance. 2. That they had been previously in a state of hostility or enmity, and were brought by the covenant into 2, stale oi pacification B,nd friendship. 3. Or that, being known to each other, they now agree V to unite their counsels, strength, property, &c., for the J'.ccomplishment of a particular purpose, mutually sub- • servient to the interests of both. Or, 4. It implies an agreement to succour and defend a third party in cases of oppression and distress. For whatever purpose a covenant was made, it was ever ratified by a sacrifice offered to God; and the passing between the divided parts of the victim appears to have signified that each agreed, if they broke their engagements, to submit to the punishment of being cut asunder; which we find from Matt. xxiv. 51; Luke xii. 46, was an ancient mode of punishment. This is farther confirmed by Herodotus, who says that Sabacus, king of Ethiopia, had a vision, in which he was ordered (leaovQ Siare/j-stv, to cut in two, all the Egyptian priests; lib. ii. We find also from the same author, lib. vii., that Xerxes ordered one of the sons of Pythius fieaov Smte/xsiv, to be cut in tiuo, and one half to be placed on each side of the way, that his army might pass through between them. That this kind of punishment was used among the Persians we have proof from Dan. ii. 5; iii. 29. Story of Susanna, verses 55, 59. See farther, 2 Sam. xii. 31, and 1 Chron. xx. 3. These authorities maybe sufficient to show that iYve passing between the parts of the divided victims signified the punishment to which those exposed themselves who broke their covenant engagements. And that covenant sacrifices were thus divided, even from the remotest antiquity, we learn from Homer, II. A., v. 460.
" They cut the quarters, and cover them with the fat; dividing them into two, they place the raw flesh unon them."
But this place may be differently understood. St. Cyril, in his work against Julian, shows that passing between the divided parts of a victim was used also among the Chaldeans and other people. As the sacrifice was required to make an atonement to God, so the death of the animal was necessary to signify to the contracting parties the punishment to which they exposed themselves, should they prove unfaithful. Livy preserves the form of the imprecation used on such occasions, in the account he gives of the league made between the Romans and Albans. When the Romans were about to enter into some solemn league or covenant, they sacrificed a hog; and, on the above occasion, the priest, or pater patratus, before he slew the animal, stood, and thus invoked Jupiter: Audi, Jupiter! Si prior defecerit publico consilio dolo malo, turn illo die, Diespiter, Populum Romanum sic ferito, ut ego hunc porcum hie hodie feriam; tantoque magis ferito, quanto magis potes pollesque! Livii Hist., lib. i., chap. 24. " Hear, O Jupiter! Should the Romans in public counsel, through any evil device, first transgress these laws, in that same day, O Jupiter, thiis smite the Roman people, as I shall at this time smite this hog; and smite them with a severity proportioned to the greatness of thy power and might!"
But the birds divided he not.] According to the law. Lev. i. 17, fowls were not to be divided asunder, but only cloven for the purpose of taking out the intestines.
Verse 1 1. And ivhen the fowls] ayr\ haayit, birds of prey, came down upon the carcasses to devour them, Ahram, who stood by his sacrifice waiting for the manifestation of God, who had ordered him to prepare for the ratification of the covenant, drove them away, that they might neither pollute nor devour what had been thus consecrated to God.
Verse 12. A deep sleep] riDTin tardemah, the same word which is used to express the sleep into which Adam was cast, previous to the formation of Eve; chap. ii. 21.
A horror of great darkness] Which God designed to be expressive of the affliction and misery into which his posterity should be brought during the four hundred years of their bondage in Egypt; as the next verse particularly states.
Verse 13. Four hundred years] " Which began," says Mr. Ainsworth, " when Ishmael, son of Hagar, mocked and persecuted Isaac, Gen. xxi. 9; Gal. iv. 29; which fell out thirty years after the promise, Gen. xii. 3; which promise was four hundred and thirty years before the law. Gal. iii. 17; and four hundred and thirty years after that promise came Israel out of Egypt, Exod. xii. 41."
14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, ^ will I judge: and afterward ^ shall they come out with great substance.
15 And ^ thou shalt go ^to thy fathers in peace; ^ thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
1 6 But "^ in the fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity ^ of the Amorites ^ is not yet full,
17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking
Verse 14. And also that nation, dSfc] How remarkably was this promise fulfilled, in the redemption of Israel from its bondage, in the plagues and destruction of the Egyptians, and in the immense wealth which the Israelites brought out of Egypt! Not a more circumstantial or literally fulfilled promise is to be found in the sacred writings.
Verse 15. Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace] This verse strongly implies the immortality of the soul, and a state of separate existence. He was gathered to his fathers — introduced into the place where separate spirits are kept, waiting for the general resurrection. Two things seem to be distinctly marked here: 1. The soul of Abram should be introduced among the assembly of the first-born; Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace. 2. His body should be buried after a long life, one hundred and seventy-Jive years, chap. xxv. 7. The body was buried; the soul went to the spiritual world, to dwell among i\\e fathers — the patriarchs, who had lived and died in the Lord. See the note on chap. xxv. 8.
Verse 16. In the fourth generation] In former times most people counted by generations, to each of which was assigned a term of years amounting to 20, 25, 30, 33, 100, 108, or 110; for the generation was of various lengths among various people, at different times. It is probable that the fourth generation here means the same as the four hundred years in the preceding verse. Some think it refers to the time when Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the son of Amram, the son of Kohath, came out of Egypt, and divided the land of Canaan to Israel, Josh. xiv. 1. Others think the fourtli generation of the Amorites is intended, because it is immediately added. The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full; but in the fourth generation they should be expelled, and the descendants of Abram established in their place. From these words we learn that there is a certain pitch of iniquity to which nations may arrive before they are destroyed, and beyond which Divine justice does not permit them to pass.
Verse 17. Smoking furnace and a burning lamp] Probably the smoking furnace might be designed as an emblem of the sore afflictions of the Israelites in
1 8 In the same day the Lord ^ made a covenant with Abram, saying, ^ Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river ^ Euphrates:
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the "" Rephaims,
2 1 And the ^ Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Egypt; but the burning lamp was certainly the symbol of the Divine presence, which, passing between the pieces, ratified the covenant with Abram, as the following verse immediately states.
Verse 18. The Lord made a covenant] IT'IJ HU carath berith signifies to cut a covenant, or rather the covenant sacrifice; for as no covenant was made without one, and the creature was cut in two that the contracting parties might pass between the pieces, hence cutting the covenant signified making the covenant. The same form of speech obtained among the Romans; and because, in making their covenants they always slew an animal, either by cutting its throat, or knocking it doion with a stone or axe, after which they divided the parts as we have already seen, hence among the percutere fcedus, to smite a covenant, and scindere fcedus, to cleave a covenant, were terms which signified simply to make or enter into a covenant.
From the river of Egypt] Not the Nile, but the river called Sichor, which was before or on the border of Egypt, near to the isthmus of Suez; see Josh, xiii. 3; though some think that by this a branch of the Nile is meant. This promise was fully accomplished in the days of David and Solomon. See 2 Sam. viii. 3, &c., and 2 Chron. ix. 26.
Verse 19. The Kenites, <^c.] Here are ten nations mentioned, though afterwards reckoned but seven; see Deut. vii. 1; Acts xiii. 19. Probably some of them which existed in Abram's time had been blended with others before the time of Moses, so that seven only out of the ten then remained; see part of these noticed Gen. x.
In this chapter there are three subjects which must be particularly interesting to the pious reader. 1. The condescension of God in revealing himself to mankind in a variety of ways, so as to render it absolutely evident that he had spokoi, that he loved mankind, and that he had made every provision for their eternal welfare. So unequivocal were the discoveries which God made of himself, that on the minds of those to whom they were made not one doubt was left, relative either to the truth of the subject, or that it was God himself who made the discovery. The subject of the discovery also was such as sufficiently attested its truth to all future generations, for it concerned matters yet in futurity, so distinctly marked, so positively promised, and so highly interesting, as to make them objects of attention^ memory, and desire, till they did come; and of gratitude, because of the permanent blessedness they communicated through all generations after the facts had taken place.
2. The way of salvation by faith in the promised Saviour, which now began to be explicitly declared. God gives the promise of salvation, and by means in which it was impossible, humanly speaking, that it should take place; teaching us, 1. That the whole work was spiritual, supernatural, and Divine; and, 2. That no human power could suffice to produce it. This Abram believed while he was yet uncircumcised, and this faith was accounted to him for righteousness or justification; God thereby teaching that he would pardon, accept, and receive into favour all who should believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And this very case has ever since been the standard of justification by faith; and the experience of millions of men, built on this foundation, has sufficiently attested the truth and solidity of the ground on which it was built.
3. The foundation of the doctrine itself is laid in the covenant made between God and Abram in behalf of all the families of the earth, and this covenant ia ratified by a sacrifice. By this covenant man is bound to God, and God graciously binds himself to man. As this covenant referred to the incarnation of Christ; and Abram, both as to himself and posterity, was to partake of the benefits of it by faith; hence faith, not works, is the only condition on which God, through Christ, forgives sins, and brings to the promised spiritual inheritance. This covenant still stands open; all the successive generations of men are parties on the one side, and Jesus is at once the sacrifice and Mediator of it. As therefore the covenant still starifls open, and Jesus is still the Lamb slain before the throne, every human soul must ratify the covenant for himself; and no man does so but he who, conscious of his guilt, accepts the sacrifice which God has provided for him. Reader, hast thou done so "? And with a heart unto righteousness dost thou continue to believe on the Son of God \ How merciful is God, who has found out such a way of salvation by providing a Saviour every way suitable to miserable, fallen, sinful man! One who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners; and who, being higher than the heavens, raises up his faithful followers to the throne of his own eternal glory! Reader, give God the praise, and avail thyself of the sin-offering which lieth at the door.
Sarai, having no child, gives Hagar her maid to Abram for wife, 1—3. She conceives and despises her mis tress, 4. Sarai is offended and upbraids Abram, 5. Abram vindicates himself; and Hagar, being hardly used by her mistress, runs away, 6. She is met by an angel, and counselled to return to her mistress, 7—9. God promises greatly to multiply her seed, 10. Gives the name of Ishmael to the child that should be bom of her, 11. Shoivs his disposition and character, 12. Hagar calls the name of the Lord who spoke to her. Thou God seest me, 13. She calls the name of the well at which the angel met her, Beer-laharoi, 14. Ishmael is horn in the 86th year of Abram' s age, 15, 16.
Verse 1. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian] As Hagar was an Egyptian, St. Chrysostom's conjecture is very probable, that she was one of those female slaves which Pharaoh gave to Abram when he sojourned in Egypt; see chap. xii. 16. Her name "ijn hagar signifies a stranger or sojourner, and it is likely she got this name in the family of Abram, as the word is pure Hebrew.
Verse 2. Go in unto my maid.] It must not be forgotten that female slaves constituted a part of the private patrimony or possessions of a wife, and that a
tlie Lord ^ hath restrained me from bearing: I pray ^ thee, go in unto my maid; it maybe that I may ^ obtain children by her. And Abram ^ hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
she had a right, according to the usages of those times, to dispose of them as she pleased, the husband having no authority in the case.
I may obtain children by her.] The slave being the absolute property of the mistress, not only her person, but the fruits of her labour, with all her children, were her owner's property also. The children, therefore, which were born of the slave, were considered as the children of the mistress. It was on this ground that Sarai gave her slave to Abram; and we find, what must necessarily be the consequence in all cases of polygamy, that strifes and contentions took place.
Abram ^ had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram
4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was ^ despised in her eyes.
5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: ^ the Lord judge between me and thee.
6 ^ But Abram said unto Sarai, ^ Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her ° as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai p dealt
Verse 3. And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar — and gave her to her husband — to be his ivife.] There are instances of Hindoo women, when barren, consenting to their husbands marrying a second wife for the sake of children; and second marriages on this account, without consent, are very common. — Ward.
Verse 5. My wrong be upon thee] This appears to be intended as a reproof to Abram, containing an insinuation that it was his fault that she herself had not been a mother, and that now he carried himself more affectionately towards Hagar than he did to her, in consequence of which conduct the slave became petulant. To remove all suspicion of this kind, Abram delivers up Hagar into her hand, who was certainly under his protection while his concubine or secondary wife; but this right given to him by Sarai he restores, to prevent her jealousy and uneasiness.
Verse 6. Sarai dealt hardly loith her] TSl^T\ tean- 7ieha, she afflicted her; the term implying stripes and hard usage, to bri7ig down the body and humble the mind. If the slave was to blame in this business the mistress is not less liable to censure. She alone had brought her into those circumstances, in which it was natural for her to value herself beyond her mistress.
Verse 7. The angel of the Lord] That Jesus Christ, in a body suited to the dignity of his nature, frequently appeared to the patriarchs, has been already intimated. That the person mentioned here was greater than any created being is sufficiently evident from the following particulars: —
1. From his promising to perform what God alone could do, ^.nA foretelling what God alone could know; " I will multiply thy seed exceedingly,^'' dSfC, ver. 10; " Thou art with child, and shall bear a son," dfc, ver. 11;" He will be a wild man," (SfC, ver. 12. All this shows a prescience which is proper to God alone.
2. Hagar considers the person who spoke to her as God, calls him hiX El, and addresses him in the way
7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, ' by the fountain in the way to ® Shur.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence earnest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and * submit thyself under her hands.
10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, " I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
1 1 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt
3. Moses, who relates the transaction, calls this angel expressly Jehovah; for, says he, she called Da^ mn'' shem Yehovah, the name of the Lord that spake to her, ver. 13. Now this is a name never given to any created being.
4. This person, who is here called mri'' "j^^Sd malach Yehovah, the Angel of the Lord, is the same who is called Sxjn ixbon hammalach haggoel, the redeeming Angel or the Angel the Redeemer, Gen. xlviii. 16; r JD "ixbn malach panaiv, the Angel of God's presence, Isa. Ixiii. 9; and nnDH "^X^D malach habberith, the Angel of the Covenant, Mai. iii. 1: and is the same person which the Septuagint, Isa. ix. 6, term fieyalr]^ povlrjg ayyeloc, the Angel of the Great Counsel or Design, viz., of redeeming man, and filling the earth with righteousness.
5. These things cannot be spoken of any human or created being, for the knowledge, works, 4"C., attributed to this person are such as belong to God; and as in all these cases there is a most evident personal appearance, Jesus Christ alone can be meant; for of God the Father it has been ever true that no man hath at any time seen his shape, nor has he ever limited himself to any definable personal appearance.
In the way to Shur.] As this was the road from Hebron to Egypt, it is probable she was now returning to her own country.
Verse 8. Hagar, Sarai's maid] This mode of address is used to show her that she was knoion, and to remind her that she was the property of another.
Verse 10. I ivill multiply thy seed exceedingly] Who says this 1 The person who is called the Angel of the Lord; and he certainly speaks with all the authority which is proper to God.
Verse 1 1. And shalt call his name Ishmael] nyoiif Yishmael, from I'nty shama, he heard, and Sx El, God;
bear a son, ^ and shalt call his name '^ Ishmael; because the Lord
hath heard thy affliction. 12 ^ And he will be a wild man; his hand
will be against every man, and every man's
for, says the Angel, the Lord hath heard thy affliction. Thus the name of the child must ever keep the mother in remembrance of God's merciful interposition in her behalf, and remind the child and the man that he was an object of God's gracious and providential goodness. Afflictions and distresses have a voice in the ears of God, even when prayer is restrained; but how much more powerfully do they speak when endured in meekness of spirit, with confidence in and supplication to the Lord!
Verse 13. He will be a wild man] DIN S^liJ pere adam. As the root of this word does not appear in the Hebrew Bible, it is probably found in the Arabic J^ farra, to run away, to run loild; and hence the wild assi from its fleetness and its untamable nature. What is said of the wild ass. Job xxxix. 5-8, affords the very best description that can be given of the Ishmaelites, {the Bedouins and wandering Ai-abs,) the descendants of Ishmael: " Who hath sent out the wild ass (X"13 pere) free? or who hath loosed the bands (in;? arod, of the brayer ] Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings. He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing." Nothing can be more descriptive of the wandering,lawless, freebootingMie of the Arabs than this.
God himself has sent them out free — he has loosed them from all political restraint. The xvilderness is their habitation; and in the parched land, where no other human beings could live, they have their dwellings. They scorn the city, and therefore have no fixed habitations; for their multitude, they are not afraid; for when they make depredations on cities and towns, they retire into the desert with so much precipitancy that all pursuit is eluded. In this respect the crying of the driver is disregarded. They may be said to have no lands, and yet the range of the mountains is their pasture — they pitch their ^eni^ and feed their flocks wherever they please; and they search after every green thing — are continually looking after prey, and seize on every kind of property that comes in their way.
It is farther said. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. — Many potentates among the Abyssinians, Persians, Egyptians, and Turks, have endeavoured to subjugate the wandering or wild Arabs; but, though they have had temporary triumphs, they have been ultimately unsuccessful. Sesostris, Cyrus, Pompey, and Trajan, all endeavoured to conquer Arabia, but in vain. From the beginning to the present day they have maintained their independency, and God preserves them as a lasting monu-
Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him ^ that seeth rae?
14 Wherefore the well was called ^ Beerlahai-roi; ^ behold, it is ^ between Kadesh and Bered.
the well of him that liveth and seeth me. "'Num. xiii. 26.
ment of his providential care, and an incontestable argument of the truth of Divine Revelation. Had the Pentateuch no other argument to evince its Divine origin, the account of Ishmael and the prophecy concerning his descendants, collated with their history and manner of life during a period of nearly /owr thousand years, would be sufficient. Indeed the argument is so absolutely demonstrative, that the man who would attempt its refutation, in the sight of reason and common sense would stand convicted of the most ridiculous presumption and folly.
The country which these free descendants of Ishmael may be properly said to possess, stretches from Aleppo to the Arabian Sea, and from Egypt to the Persian Gulf; a tract of land not less than 1800 miles in length, by 900 in breadth; see chap. xvii. 20.
Verse 13. And she called the name of the Lord] She invoked (J^lpfll vattikra) the name of Jehovah who spake unto her, thus: Thou God seest me! She found that the eye of a merciful God had been upon her in all her wanderings and afflictions; and her words seem to intimate that she had been seeking the Divine help and protection, for she says. Have I also (or have I not also) looked after him that seeth me?
This last clause of the verse is very obscure, and is rendered differently by all the versions. The general sense taken out of it is this, that Hagar was now convinced that God himself had appeared unto her, and was surprised to find that, notwithstanding this, she was still permitted to live; for it is generally supposed that if God appeared to any, they must be consumed by his glories. This is frequently alluded to in the sacred writings. As the word ''inN acharey, which we render simply after, in other places signifies the last days or after times, (see on Exod. xxxiii. 23,) it may probably have a similar meaning here; and indeed this makes a consistent sense: Have I here also seen the LATTER PURPOSES Or DESIGNS of him who seeth me? An exclamation which may be referred to that discovery which God made in the preceding verse of the future state of her descendants.
Verse 14. Wherefore the loell loas called Beer-lahai-roi] It appears, from ver. 7, that Hagar had sat down by a fountain or well of water in the wilderness of Shur, at which the Angel of the Lord found her; and, to commemorate the wonderful discovery which God had made of himself, she called the name of the well 'Nl TlS IND beer-lachai-roi, "A well to the Living One who seeth me." Two things seem implied here: 1. A dedication of the well to Him who had appeared to her; and, 2. Faith in the promise; for he who is the Living One, existing in all generations, must have
15 And ^ Hagar bare Abram a
it ever in his power to accomplish promises which are to be fulfilled through the whole lapse of time.
Verse 15. And Hagar bare Abram a son, <^c.] It appears, therefore, that Hagar returned at the command of the angel, believing the promise that God had made to her.
Called his son''s name — Ishmael.] Finding by the account of Hagar, that God had designed that he should be so called. " Ishmael," says Ainsworth, " is the first man in the world whose name was given him of God before he was born."
In the preceding chapter we have a very detailed account of the covenant which God made with Abram, which stated that his seed should possess Canaan; and this promise, on the Divine authority, he steadfastly believed, and in simplicity of heart waited for its accomplishment. Sarai was not like minded. As she had no child herself, and was now getting old, she thought it necessary to secure the inheritance by such means as were in her power; she therefore, as we have seen, gave her slave to Abram, that she might have children by her. We do not find Abram remonstrating on the subject; and why is he blamed 1 God nad not as yet told him how he was to have an heir; the promise simply stated. He that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir, chap. xv. 4. Concubinage, under that dispensation, was perfectly lawful; therefore he could, with equal justice and innocence, when it was lawful in itself, and now urged by the express desire of Sarai, take Hagar to wife. And it is very likely that he might think that his posterity, whether by wife or concubine, as both were lawful, might be that intended by the promise.
It is very difficult to believe that a promise which refers to some natural event can possibly be fulfilled but through some natural means. And yet, what is nature but an instrument in God's hands? What we call natural effects are all performed by supernatural agency; for nature, that is, the whole system of inanimate things, is as inert as any of the particles of matter of the aggregate of which it is composed, and can
1 6 And Abram was fourscore and A. M. 2094, six years old when Hagar bare ' Ishmael to Abram.
be a cause to no effect but as it is excited by a sovereign power. This is a doctrine of sound philosophy, and should be carefully considered by all, that men may see that without an overruling and universally energetic providence, no effect whatever can be brought about. But besides these general influences of God in nature, which are all exhibited by what men call general laws, he chooses often to act supernaturally, i. e., independently of or against these general laws, that we may see that there is a God who does not confine himself to one way of working, but loith means, without means, and even against natural means, accomplishes the gracious purposes of his mercy in the behalf of man. Where God has promised let him be implicitly credited, because he cannot lie; and let not hasty nature intermeddle with his work.
The omniscience of God is a subject on which we should often reflect, and we can never do it unfruitfully while we connect it, as we ever should, with infinite goodness and mercy. Every thing, person, and circumstance, is under its notice; and dotli not the eye of God affect his heart? The poor slave, the stranger, the Egyptian, suffering under the severity of her hasty, unbelieving mistress, is seen by the allwise and merciful God. He permits her to go to the desert, provides the spring to quench her thirst, and sends the Angel of the covenant to instruct and comfort her. How gracious is God ' He permits us to get into distressing circumstances that he may give us effectual relief; and in such a way, too, that the excellence of the power may appear to be of him, and that we may learn to trust in him in all our distresses. God delights to do his creatures good.
In all transactions between God and man, mentioned in the sacred writings, we see one uniform agency; the great Mediator in all, and through all; God ever coming to man by him, and man having access to God through him. This was, is, and ever xvill be the economy of grace. " The Father hath sent me: — and no man cometh unto the Father but by me." God forbid that he should have cause to complain of us, " Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life."
In the ninety-ninth year of Abram's life God again appears to him, announces his name as God Almiohtv, and commands him to walk perfectly before him, 1; proposes to renew the covenant, 2. Abram''s prostration, 3. The covenant specified, 4. Abram'' s name changed to Abraham, and the reason given, 6. The privileges of the covenant enumerated, 6-8. The conditions of the covenant to be observed, not only by Abraham but all his posterity, 9. Circumcision appointed as a sign or token of the covenant, 10, II. The age at which and the persons on whom this was to be performed, 12, 13. The danger of neglecting this rite, 14. Sarai's name changed to Sarah, and a particular promise made to her, 15, 16. Abraham's joy at the prospect of the performance of a matter which, in the course of nature, was impossible, 17. His request for the preservation and prosperity of Ishmael, 18. The birth and blessedness of Isaac foretold, 19. Great prosperity promised to Ishmael, 20. But the covenant to be established not in his, but in Isaac''s posterity, 21. Abraham, Ishmael, and all the males in the family circumcised, 23-27. 110 a
AND when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord I * appeared to Abram, and said unto him, ^ I I am the Almighty God, •= walk before me, and \ be thou ^ perfect.*
2 And I will make my covenant between me I and thee, and ^ will multiply thee exceedingly.
Verse 1. The Lord appeared to Abram] See on chap. XV.
/ am the Amighty God] 'TB? Sx "'JX ani El shaddai, lam God all-sufficient; from mt^ shadah, to shed, to pour out. I am that God who pours out blessings, who gives them richly, abundantly, continually.
Walk before me] ''J37 ■]7nr\n hithhallech lephaiiai, set thyself to walk — be firmly purposed, thoroughly determined to obey, before me; for my eye is ever on thee, therefore ever consider that God seeth thee. Who can imagine a stronger incitement to conscientious, persevering obedience 1
Be thou perfect.] D'Dn (THI vehyeh thamtm, and thou shall be perfections, i. e., altogether perfect. Be just such as the holy God would have thee to be, as the almighty God can make thee; and live as the allsufficient God shall support thee; for he alone who makes the soul holy can preserve it in holiness. Our blessed Lord appears to have had these words pointedly in view. Matt. v. 48: Eaeade vfieig TeAeioi, uanep 6 Uarijp vfiuv 6 ev tolq ovpavotc releiog earr Ye shall BE perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is pe7fect. But what does this imply? Why, to be saved from all the power, the guilt, and the contamination of sin. This is only the negative part of salvation, but it has also a positive part; to be made perfect — to be perfect as our Father who is in heaven is perfect, to be filled with the fulness of God, to have Christ dwelling continually in the heart by faith, and to be rooted and grounded in love. This is the state in which man was created, for he was made in the image and likeness of God. This is the state froin which man fell, for he broke the command of God. And this is the state into which every human soul must be raised, who would dwell with God in glory; for Christ was incarnated and died to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. What a glorious privilege! And who can doubt the possibility of its attainment, who believes in the omnipotent love of God, the infinite merit of the blood of atonement, and the all-pervading and all-purifying energy of the Holy Ghost? How many miserable souls employ that time to dispute and cavil against the possibility of being saved from their sins, which they should devote to praying and believing that they might be saved out of the hands of their enemies! But some may say, " You overstrain the meaning of the term; it signifies only, be sincere; for as perfect obedience is impossible, God accepts of sincere obedience." If by sincerity the objection means good desires, and
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be ^ a father of " many, (nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but ^ thy name shall be ^ Abraham; j
generally good purposes, with an impure heart and spotted life, then I assert that no such thing is implied in the text, nor in the original word; but if the word sincerity be taken in its proper and literal sense, I have no objection to it. Sincere is compounded of sine cera, "without wax;" and, applied to moral subjects, is a metaphor taken from clarified honey, from which every atom of the comb or wax is separated. Then let it be proclaimed from heaven, Walk before me, and be sincere! purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump unto God; and thus ye shall be perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. This is sincerity. Reader, remember that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin. Ten thousand quib bles on insulated texts can never lessen, much less destroy, the merit and efficacy of the great Atonement.
Verse 3. And Abram fell on his face] The eastern method of prostration was thus: the person first went down on his knees, and then lowered his head to his knees, and touched the earth with his forehead. A very painful posture, but significative of great humiliation and reverence.
Verse 5. Thy name shall be Abraham] Ab-ram D'IDX literally signifies a high or exalted father. Ab-ra-ham Dn"l!3X differs from the preceding only in one letter; it has n he before the last radical. Though this may appear very simple and easy, yet the true etymology and meaning of the word are very difficult to be assigned. The reason given for the change made in the patriarch's name is this: For a father of many 7iations have I made thee, WW |1Dn DN ab-hamongoyim, " a father of a multitude of nations." This has led some to suppose that CDm^X Abraham, is a contraction for '^^TiVX 3"! 3N ab-rab-hamon, "the father of a great multitude."
Aben Ezra says the name is derived from Jion I'^K abir-hamon, " a powerful multitude."
Rabbi Solomon Jarchi defines the name cabalistically, and says that its numeral letters amount to two hundred and forty-eight, which, says he, is the exact number of the bones in the human body. But before the n he was added, which stands for five, it was five short of this perfection.
Rabbi Lipman says the T\ he being added as the fourth letter, signifies that the Messiah should come in the fourth millenary of the world.
^ for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make ^ nations of thee, and ° kings shall come out of thee.
( 7 And I will p establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, i to be a God unto thee, and to ^ thy seed after
8 And ^ I will give unto thee, and to thy
Having enumerated so many opinions, that of William Alabaster, in his Apparatus to the Revelation, should not be passed by. He most wisely says that ab-ram or ab-rom signifies father of the Romans, and consequently the pope; therefore Abraham was pope the first! This is just as likely as some of the preceding etymologies.
From all these learned as well as puerile conjectures we may see the extreme difficulty of ascertaining the true meaning of the word, though the concordance makers, and proper iiame explainers find no difficulty at all in the case; and pronounce on it as readily and authoritatively as if they had been in the Divine council when it was first imposed.
Hottinger, in his Smegma Orientate, supposes the word to be derived from the Arabic root f'zJ rahama, which signifies to be very numerous. Hence *J>j t_j 1 ab raham would signify a copious father ox father of a multitude. This makes a very good sense, and agrees well with the context. Either this etymology or that which supposes the inserted n he to be an abbreviation of the word pDH hamon, multitude, is the most likely to be the true one. But this last would require the word to be written, when full, pon DT DX ab-ram-hamon.
The same difficulty occurs, verse 15, on the word Sarai "'"iK', which signifies my prince or princess, and Sarah mty, where the whole change is made by the substitution of a n Ae for a ' i/od. This latter might be translated jori«cc55 in general; and while the former seems to point out her government in her oion family alone, the latter appears to indicate her government over the nations of which her husband is termed the father or lord; and hence the promise states that she shall be a mother of nations, and that kings of people should spring from her. Sec vcr. 15, 16.
Now as the only change in each name is made by the insertion of a single letter, and that letter the same in both names, I cannot help concluding that some mystery was designed by its insertion; and therefore the opinion of Clarius and some others is not to be disregarded, which supposes that God shows he had conferred a peculiar dignity on both, by adding to their names one of the letters of his own; a name by which his eternal power and Godhead are peculiarly pointed out. 11?
seed after thee, the land * wherein A.M. 2107 "^ thou art a stranger, all the land —: 1
of Canaan, for an everlasting possession: and ■^ I will be their God.
9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy^ seed after thee, in their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you, and thy seed after thee; '^ Every man-child among you shall be circumcised.
From the difficulty of settling the etymology of these two names, on which so much stress seems to be laid in the text, the reader will see with what caution he should receive the lists of explanations of the proper names in the Old and New Testaments, which he so frequently meets with, and which I can pronounce to be in general false or absurd.
Verse 7. An everlasting covenant] D7lJ^ TT'^S berith olam. See on chap. xiii. 15. Here the word olam is taken in its own proper meaning, as the words immediately following prove — to be a God unto thee, and thy seed after thee; for as the soul is to endure for ever, so it shall eternally stand in need of the supporting power and energy of God; and as the reign of the Gospel dispensation shall be as long as sun and moor, endure, and its consequences eternal, so must the covenant be on which these are founded.
Verse 8. Everlasting possession] Here D 7 1;? o/am appears to be used in its accommodated meaning, and signifies the completion of the Divine counsel in reference to a particular period or dispensation. And it is literally true that the Israelites possessed the land of Canaan till the Mosaic dispensation was terminated in the complete introduction of that of the Gospel. But as the spiritual and temporal covenants are both blended together, and the former was pointed out and typified by the latter, hence the word even here may be taken in its own proper meaning, that of ever-during, or eternal; because the spiritual blessings pointed out by the temporal covenant shall have no end. And hence it is immediately added, / ivill be their God, not for a time, certainly, but /or ever and ever. See the notes on chap. xxi. 33.
Verse 10. Everyman-child — shall be circumcised.] Those who wish to invalidate the evidence of the Divine origin of the Mosaic law, roundly assert that the Israelites received the rite of circumcision from the Egyptians. Their apostle in this business is Herodotus, who, lib. ii., p. 116, Edit. Steph. 1592, says: " The Colchians, Egyptians, and Ethiopians, are the only nations in the world who have used circumcision an' apxvc, from the remotest period; and the Phoenicians and Syrians who inhabit Palestine acknowledge they received this from the Egyptians." Herodotus cannot mean Jews by Phoenicians and Syrians; if he does he is incorrect, for no Jew ever did or ever could
be '^ a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And yhe that is eight days old ^ shall be circumcised among you, every man-child
' in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
1 3 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be ciixs-umcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised man-child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that
acknowledge this, with the history of Abraham in his hand. If Herodotus had written before the days of Abraham, or at least before the sojourning of the children of Israel in Egypt, and informed us that circumcision had been practised among them an' apxrjC, from the beginning, there would then exist a possibility that the Israelites while sojourning among them had learned and adopted this rite. But when we know that Herodotus flourished only 484 years before the Christian era, and that Jacob and his family sojourned in Egypt more than 1800 years before Christ, and that all the descendants of Abraham most conscientiously observed circumcision, and do so to this day, then the presumption is that the Egyptians received it from the Israelites, but that it was impossible the latter could have received it from the former, as they had practised it so long before their ancestors had Bojourned in Egypt.
Verse 1 1. Aiid it shall be a toke?i] nixS leoth, for a sign of spiritual things; for the circumcision made in the flesh was designed to signify the purification of the heart from all unrighteousness, as God particularly showed in the law itself. See Deut. x. 16; see also Rom. ii. 25-29; Col. ii. 11. And it was a seal of that righteousness or justification that comes by faith, Rom. iv. 11. That some of the Jews had a just notion of its spiritual intention, is plain from many passages in the Chaldee paraphrases and in the Jewish writers. I borrow one passage from the book Zohar, quoted by Ainsworth: " At what time a man is sealed with this holy seal, (of circumcision,) thenceforth he seeth the holy blessed God properly, and the holy soul is united to him. If he be not worthy, and keepeth not this sign, what is written 1 By the breath of God they perish, (Job iv. 9,) because this seal of the holy blessed God was not kept. But if he be worthy, and keep it, the Holy Ghost is not separated from him."
Verse 12. He that is eight days old] Because previously to this they were considered unclean, Lev. xii. 2, 3, and circumcision was ever understood as a consecration of the person to God. Neither calf, lamb,
15 And God said mito Abraham, As for/ Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name' Sarai, but '' Sarah shall her name be.
1 6 And I will bless her, " and give thee a \ son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and ^ she shall be a mother ® of nations; kings ' of people shall be of her.
1 7 Then Abraham fell upon his face, ^ and laughed, and said in his heart. Shall a child ^ be born unto him that is a hundred years j old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years' old, bear?
nor kid, was offered to God till it was eight days old for the same reason, Lev. xxii. 27.
Verse 1 3. He that is born in thy house] The son of a servant; he that is bought ivith thy money — a slave on his coming into the family. According to the Jewish writers the father was to circumcise his son; and the master, the servant born in his house, or the slave bought with money. If the father or master neglected to do this, then the magistrates were obliged to see it performed; if the neglect of this ordinance was unknown to the magistrates, then the person himself, when he came of age, was obliged to do it.
Verse 14. The uncircumcised — shall be tut off from his people] By being cut off" some have imagined that a sudden temporal death was implied; but the simple meaning seems to be that such should have no right to nor share in the blessings of the covenant, which we have already seen were both of a temporal and spiritual kind; and if so, then eternal death was implied, for it was impossible for a person who had not received the spiritual purification to enter into eternal glory. The spirit of this law extends to all ages, dispensations, and people; he whose heart is not purified from sin cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Reader, on ivhat is thy hope of heaven founded?
Verse 15. Thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah] See on ver. 5.
Verse 16. I ivill bless her, Sfc] Sarah certainly stands at the head of all the women of the Old Testament, on account of her extraordinary privileges. I am quite of Calmet's opinion that Sarah was a type of the blessed Virgin. St. Paul considers her a type of the New Testament and heavenly Jerusalem; and as all true believers are considered as the children of Abraham, so sW. faithful holy women are considered the daughters of Sarah, Gal. iv. 22, 24, 26. See also 1 Pet. iii. 6.
Verse 17. Then Abraham — laughed] I am astonished to find learned and pious men considering this as a token of Abraham's weakness of faith or unbelief, when they have the most positive assurance from
18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might hve before thee!
1 9 And God said, ^ Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and ^ will multiply him exceedingly; ' twelve princes shall he beget, ^ and I will make him a great nation.
the Spirit of God himself that Abraham was not wealt but strong in the faith; that he staggered not at the promise through unbelief, but gave glory to God, Rom. iv. 19, 20. It is true the same word is used, chap, xviii. 12, concerning Sarah, in whom it was certainly a sign of doubtfulness, though mixed with pleasure at the thought of the possibility of her becoming a mother; but we know how possible it is to express both faith and unbelief in the same way, and even pleasure and disdain have been expressed by a smile or laugh. By laughing Abraham undoubtedly expressed his joy at the prospect of the fulfilment of so glorious a promise; and from this very circumstance Isaac had his name, pnv yitschak, which we change into Isaac, signifies laughter; and it is the same word which is used in the verse before us: Abraham fell on his face, pn^f 1 vaiyitschak, and he laughed; and to the joy which he felt on this occasion our Lord evidently alludes, John viii. 56: Your father Abraham REJOICED to see my day; and he sato it, and ivas glad. And to commemorate this joy he called his son's name Isaac. See the note on chap. xxi. 6.
Verse 18. O that Ishmael might live before thee!] Abraham, finding that the covenant was to be established in another branch of his family, felt solicitous for his son Ishmael, whom he considered as necessarily excluded; on which God delivers that most remarkable prophecy which follows in the 20th verse, and which contains an answer to the prayer and wish of Abraham: And as for Ishmael I have heard thee; so that the object of Abraham's prayer was, that his son Ishmael might be the head of a prosperous and potent
Verse 20. Ttuelve princes shall he beget, <^c.] See the names of these twelve princes, chap. xxv. 12—16. From Ishmael proceeded the various tribes of the Arabs, called also Saracens by Christian writers. They were anciently, and still continue to be, a very numerous and powerful people. " It was somewhat wonderful, and not to be foreseen by human sagacity," says Bishop Newton, " that a man's whole posterity should so nearly resemble him, and retain the same inclinations, the same habits, and the same customs, throughout all ages! These are the only people besides the Jews who have subsisted as a distinct people a 114
21 But my covenant will I esj;a- a.m. 2107. blish with Isaac, ' which Sgxah
shall bear unto thee at th^^s set lime in th^ next year.
*22 And he left off taljdng witji him, and / "'^Q^d went up from Abraham.
23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the "^ selfsame day, as God had said unto
from the beginning, and in some respects they very much resemble each other. 1. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are descended from Abraham, and both boast of their descent from the father of the faithful. 2. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are circumcised, and both profess to have derived this ceremony from Abraham. 3. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, had originally twelve patriarchs, who were their princes or governors. 4. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, marry among themselves, and in their own tribes. 5. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are singular in several of their customs, and are standing monuments to all ages of the exactness of the Divine predictions, and of the veracity of Scripture history. We may with more confidence believe the particulars related of Abraham and Ishmael when we see them verified in their posterity at this day. This is having, as it were, ocular demonstration for our faith." See Bp. Newton's Second Dissertation on the Prophecies, and see the notes on chap. xvi. 12.
Verse 2 1. My covenant will I establish tvith Isaac\ All temporal good things are promised to Ishmael and his posterity, but the establishment of the Lord's covenant is to be with Isaac. Hence it is fully evident that this covenant referred chiefly to spiritual things — to the Messiah, and the salvation which should be brought to both Jews and Gentiles by his incarnation, death, and glorification.
Verse 22. God went up from Abraham.] Ascended evidently before him, so that he had the fullest proof that it was no human being, no earthly angel or messenger, that talked with him; and the promise of a son in the course of a single year, at this set time in the next year, ver. 21, which had every human probability against it, was to be the sure token of the truth of all that had hitherto taken place, and the proof that all that was farther promised should be fulfilled in its due time. Was it not in nearly the same way in which the Lord went up from Abraham, that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven in the presence of his disciples? Luke xxiv. 51.
I. —. old and nine, ° when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
to it. A rite so painful, so repugnant to every feeling of delicacy, and every way revolting to nature, could never have sprung up in the imagination of man. To this day the Jews practise it as a Divine ordinance; and all the Arabians do the same. As a distinction between them and other people it never could have been designed, because it was a sign that was never to appear. The individual alone knew that he bore in his flesh this sign of the covenant, and he bore it by the order of God, and he knew it was a sign and seal of spiritual blessings, and not the blessings themselves, though a proof that these blessings were promised, and that he had a right to them. Those who did not consider it in this spiritual reference are by the apostle denominated the concision, Phil. iii. 2, i. e., persons whose flesh was cut, but whose hearts were not purified.
1. God, in renewing his covenant with Abram, makes an important change in his and Sarai's name; a change which should ever act as a help to their faith, that the promises by which God had bound himself should be punctually fulfilled. However difficult it may be for us to ascertain the precise import of the change then made, we may rest assured that it was perfectly understood by both; and that, as they had received this name from God, they considered it as placing them in a new relation both to their Maker and to their posterity. From what we have already seen, the change made in Abram's name is inscrutable to us; there is something like this in Rev. ii. 17: To him that overcometh ivill I give a ivhite stone, and a NEW NAME — which no man knoweth, saving he^ that receiveth it. The full import of the change made in a soul that enters into covenant with God through Christ, is only known to itself; a stranger intermeddleth not with its joy. Hence, even men of learning and the world at large have considered experimental religion as enthusiasm, merely because they have not understood its nature, and have permitted themselves to be carried away by prejudices which they have imbibed perhaps at first through the means of ignorant or hypocritical pretenders to deep piety; but while they have the sacred writings before them, their prejudices and opposition to that without which they cannot be saved are as unprincipled as they are absurd.
2. God gives Abraham z. precept, which should be observed, not only by himself, but by all his posterity; for this was to be a permanent sign of that covenant which was to endure for ever. Though the sign is now changed from circumcision to baptism, each of them equally significant, yet the covenant is not changed
26 In the selfsame day was Abra- a. M.2107. ham circumcised, and Ishmael his — — '. 1-
27 And p all the men of his house, bom in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
in any part of its essential meaning. Faith, in God through the great sacrifice, remission of sins, and sanctification of the heart, are required by the new covenant as well as by the old.
3. The rite of circumcision was painful and humiliating, to denote that repentance, self-denial, dfC, are absolutely necessary to all who wish for redemption in the blood of the covenant; and the putting aioay this filth of the flesh showed the necessity of a pure heart and a holy life.
4. As eternal life is the free gift of God, he has a right to give it in what way he pleases, and on what terms. He says to Abraham and his seed, Ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and he that doth not so shall he cut off from his people. He says also to sinners in general. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Repent, and believe the Gospel; and, Except ye repent, ye shall perish. These are the terms on which he will bestow the blessings of the old and new covenants. And let it be remembered that stretching out the hand to receive an alms can never be considered as meriting the bounty received, neither can repentance or faith merit salvation, although they are the conditions on which it is bestowed.
5. The precepts given under both covenants were accompanied with a promise of the Messiah. God well knows that no religious rite can be properly observed, and no precept obeyed, unless he impart strength from on high; and he teaches us that that strength must ever come through the promised seed. Hence with the utmost propriety, we ask every blessing through him, in whom God is well pleased.
6. The precept, the promise, and the rite, were pre ■ faced with, " I am God all-suflicient; walk before me, and be thou perfect." God, who is the sole object of religious worship, has the sole authority to prescribe that worship, and the rites and ceremonies which shall be used in it; hence he prescribed circumcision and sacrifices under the old law, and baptism and the eucharist under the Gospel; and to render both effectual to the end of their institution, faith in God was indispensably necessary.
7. Those who profess to believe in him must not live as they list, but as he please§. Though redeemed from the curse of the law, and from the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish Church, they are under the law to Christ, and must ivalk before him — be in all things obedient to that moral law which is an emanation from the righteousness of God, and of eternal obligation; and let it ever be remembered that Christ is " the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him." Without faith and obedience there can be no holiness, and without holiness none can see the Lord. Be all that
God would have thee to be, and God will be to thee all that thou canst possibly require. He never gives a precept but he offers sufficient grace to enable thee to perform it. Believe as he would have thee, and act as he shall strengthen thee, and thou wilt believe all things savingly, and do all things well.
The Lord appears unto Abraham in Mamre, 1. Three angels, in human appearance, come towards his tent, 2. He invites them in to wash and refresh themselves, 3-5; prepares a calf, bread, butter, and milk, for their entertainment; and himself serves them, 6-8. They promise that within a year Sarah shall have a son, 9, 10. Sarah, knowing herself and husband to be superannuated, smiles at the promise, 11, 12. One of the three, who is called the Lord or Jehovah, chides her, and asserts the sufficiency of the Divine poiver to accomplish the promise, 13, 14. Sarah, through fear, denies that she had laughed or showed signs of unbelief, 15. Abraham accompanies these Divine persons on their way to Sodom, 1 6; and that one ivho is called Jehovah informs him of his purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, because of their great wickedness, 17—21. The two former proceed toward Sodom, while the latter (Jehovah) re7nains with Abraham, 22. Abraham intercedes for the inhabitants of those cities, entreating the Lord to spare them provided fifty righteous persons should be found in them, 23-25. The Lord grants this request, 26. He pleads for the same mercy should only forty-five be found there; which is also granted, 27, 28. He pleads the same for forty, which is also granted, 29; for thxity, ivith the same success, 30; ybr twenty, and receives the same gracious answer, 3 1; for ten, and the Lord assures him that should ten righteous persons be found there, he will not destroy the place, 32. Jehovah then departs, and Abraham returns to his tent, 33.
favour in thy sight, pass not a\vay,\ I pray thee, from thy servant ^
4 Let ^ a Httle water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under ' the tree:
5 And ^ I will fetch a morsel of bread, and / ^ comfort ye your ^ hearts; after that ye shall J pass on: ^ for therefore * are ye come to your, servant. And they said. So do, as thou hast said, i
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto(
I \ ND the Lord appeared unto"\ V him in the * plains of Mamre:l
and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the| day:
/ 2 ^ And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: ^ and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3 And said. My Lord, if now I have found