Verse 8. Btia, the same is Zoar\ That is, it was called Zcar afier the destruction of 8odom, &c. mentioned in ch. xix.
Verse 1 0. Slime-pits] Places where Asplialtus or Bitimiai spranc; out of the ground; this substance abounded in that country.
Fell there] It either signifies they were defeated on this spot, and many of them slain; or that multitudts of them had perished in the bitumen pits which abounded there: that the place was /«// of pits, vve learn from the Hebrew, which reads here r\"lX3 ni!0 heeroth, beerolh, pits, pits, i. e. multitudes of pits. A bad place to maintain a fight on, or to be obliged to run throui^h, in order to escape.
Verse 11. They took all the goods,.Sfc] This was a pre- •latory war, such as the Arabs carry on to the present day; they pillage a city, town, or caravan, and then escape with the booty- to the wilderness, wliere it would ever be unsafe, and often impossible to pursue them.
Verse 12. Thei/ took Lot, ^c] The people, being exceedingly wicked, had provoked God to afflict them by means of those marauding kings; and Lot also sufiered, being found in company with the workers of iniquity. Every child remembers the fable of the Geese and Cranes; the former being found feeding where the latter were destroying the grain, were all taken iii the same net. Let him that readeth imderstand.
Verse 13. Abram the Uebiru'] See on ch. x. 21. It is Tery likely that Abram had this appellation from his coming front beyond the river Euphrates to enter Canaan; for ns^n ha-abery, which we render the llchrtiU!, comes from yyff ahar, to pass over, or come from beyond. It is supposed by many that he got this name from Eber or Ileber, son of Salah, see ch. xi. 15.; but why he should get a name from Heher, rather than from his own father, or some other of his progenitors, no person has yet been able to discover. We may, therefore, safely conclude, that he bears the appellation of llebrevj or Aberite from the above circumstance, and not from one of his progenitors, of whom we know nothing but the name, and who preceded Abram not less than six generations; and during the whole of that time till the time marked here, none of his descendants were ever called Hebrews: this is a demonstration that Abram was not called the Jlebrew from Ueber; see ch. xi. 15 — 27.
These were confederate n'lth Abi-um] It seems that a kind of convention was made between Abram and the three brothers, Mamre, Eshcol, and Aiier, who were probably all chieftains in the vicinity of Abram's dwelling; all petty princes, similar to the nine kings before mentioned.
Verse 14. lie armed his trained servants] These amounted to three hundred and eighteen in number; and how many were in the divisions of Mamre, Eshcol, and Ancr, we know not; but they and their men certainly accompanied him in thisexpedition; see ver. 24.
Verse 15. And he divided himself against them] It required both considerable courage and address in Abram, to lead him to attack the victorious armies of these four kings with so small a number of troops; and on this occasion both his skill and his • couraoe are exercised. His affection for Lot appears to havebeen his chief motive: he cheerfully risks his life for that nephew, who had lately chosen the best part of the land, and left his uncle to live as he might, on what he did not think v\orthy his own acceptance. But it is the properly of a great and generous mind not only to forgive, but to forget offences; and at all times to repay evil with good.
went out to meet return from tlie slaughter of and of the kings that were the valley of Sluiveh, which dale.
18 And '' Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he trcs ° the priest of 'the most high God.
broii^jlit in by the sacred historian with peculiar interest and tenderness. All who read the account niust be in ])ain for the fate of ■aives and daughters fallen into the Irmds of a ferocious, licentious, and victorious soldkiy. Other spoils the routed contederates might Iwve left behind, and yet, on their swift asses, camels, and dromedaries, have carried ofl'the female captives. However, Abrain had disposed his attack so judiciously, and so promptly executed his measures, tliat not only all the bagga^je, but all \.\\q fanaks also, were recovered. V'crse n. Tlie kin^ of Sodom irenl out to intet him] This could not have been Bern, mentioned ver. 2. for it seems pretty evident, from ver. 10, that both he and Birsha, king of Gomorrah, were slain at the bitumen pits, in the vale of Siddim; but another person, in the mean time, might have succeeded to the government.
^^crse 18. And 3Tck/iizcdek king of Sakiii] A thousand idle stories have been told about this man; and a thousand idle conjectures spent on the subject of his short history given here, and in Heb. vii. At present, it is only necessary to state that he appears to have been as real a personage as Bcra, Binha, or Hhinab, though we have no more of his genealogy than we have of theirs.
Brought forth bread and \viiw] Certainly to refresh Abiani and his men, exhausted with the late battle and fatigues of the journey — not in the way of sacrifice, &c.: this is an idle conjecture.
lie was the priest of the most high God.] He had preserved in his family and among his subjects the worship of the true God, anil tile primitive ])atriarclml institutions: by these, the father of every family w.is botii king and priest; so Melchizedek, being a worshipper of the true God, was priest among the people, as well as kin;r over them.
Melchizedek is called here king of Sakm, and the most judicious interpreters allow that by Salem Jerusakm is meant: that it bore this name anciently is evident from Psal. Ixxvi. 1, 2. " In Jiidah is God known; his name is great in Israel. In Salf.M also is his lahernack, and his dwelhng-place in Zion." From the use made of this part of the sacred history by David, Psal. ex. 4. and by Saint Paul, Heb. vii. 1 — 10. we learn that there was somethmg very mysterious, and at the same time typical, in the person, name, office, residence, and government of this Canaanitish prince. 1. In \\\% person he was a representative anrl type of Christ; sec the scriptures above referred to. 2. His name,
19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, ^ po.sscssor of heaven and earth.
20 And " blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy
Tiyi O*?0 Makhi t'sedek, signifies my righteous king, or king c^ righteousness: this name he probably had from the pure and rit;hteoi!s administration of his government; and this is one of the characters of our blessed Lord, a character which can be applied to him only, as he alone is essentially righteous, and the only potentate: but a holy man, such as Melchizedek, might bear this name as his type or representative. 3. OJice — He was a priest of the most high God — the word- "TO kohcn, which signifies both prince and priest, because the patriarchs sustained this double oflice, has both its root and proper signification in the Arabic; fl'=^ ka/iana, signifies to approach, draw near, have intimate access to — and from hence, to officiate as priest before God, and thus have intimate access to the divine presence; and by means of the sacrifices which he offered, he received counsel and information relative to what was yet to take 2)lace: and hence anolher acceptation of the word, to foretel, predict future events, unfold hidden things, or mysteries; so the lips of the priests pre.served knowledge, and they were often the interpreters of the will of God to the people. Thus we find that Melchizedek, being a priest of the most high God, represented Christ in his sacerdotal character; the word priest being unde^^tood as before explained. 4. His residence — He was king of Salem: dSut Shalam, signifies to make iihole, complete, or perfect; and hence it means peace, which implies the making uliole the breaches made in the political and domestic union of kingdoms, states, families, &c. making an end of discoid, and establishing friendship. Christ is called the Prince of Peace, because by his incarnation, sacrifice, and mediation he procures and establi-hes peace between God and man; heals the breaches and dissentions between heaven and earth, reconciling both — and produces glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace and good-will among men. His residence is peace and quietness, and assurance, for ever, in every believing upright heart. He governs as the Prince and Priest of the most high God; ruling in righteousness, mighty to save: and he ever lives to make intercession (ijr, and save to the uttermost, all who come unto the Father by Him. See on Heb. vii.
• Verse 19. And he blessed hi;n] This was a part of the priest's office, to bless in the name of the Lord, for ever; see the form of this blessing, Num. vi. 23 — 26. and for the meaning of the word to bless, see Gen. ii. 3.
22 And Abram said to the king of [ Sodom, I ^ have hit up mine hand unto the Loud, the most high God, " the possessor of heaven and earth, 23 That " I will not tale from a thread even to
a slioe-latchet, and that I will not take any thing take their portion
that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Al)ram rich: _
24 Save only that vk^hich tlie young men have eaten, and, the portion of the men " which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them
.a tenth part, of all the spoils he had taken from the confederate kings. Tiiese Ahr.iin gave as a tribute to the most /ligli frod, who, being the possessor of /leaven and earth, dispenses all spiritual and toinporal favours; and demands the gratitude, and submissive loving obedience of all his subjects. Almost all nations of the earth have agreed in giving a tenth part of their property to be emploj'ed in religious uses. The tythes were afterwards granted to the Levites for the use of the sanctuary; and the maintenance of them-.«elves and their families, as they had no other inheritance in
Verse 22. / li'ive lift i/p mine hand] The primitive mode of appealing to God, and calling him to witness a particular transaction: this, no doubt, gtnerally obtained among the faithful, till ciraimcision, the sign of the covenant, was established; after this, in swearing, the hand was often placed on the circumcised part; seech, xxiv. 2. and 9.
Verse 2j. From a thread even to a shoe-latchet] This was certainly a proverbial mode of expression, the full meaning of which is perhaps not known. Atnon^- the Rabbinical writers C\1 chut, or 'D^n chilli, signifies ajillet ivoi-n by young ivomen, to tie up their hair; taken in this sen.sc it will give a good meaning here. As Abram had rescued both the men and women carried off by the cunffderate kings; and the king of Sodom had olVered hiin all the goods, claiming only the persons; he answers, by protesting again.^t the reception of any of their property: " I have vowed unto the Lord, the proprietor of heaven and earth, that 1 will not receive the smallest portion of the prii|)crty either of the women or men, (Vom a girl's fillet to a man's shoe-tie."
Verse 24. Sure only thai vuhich the young men have eaten] His own sei^vants h:ul partaken of the victuals w hich the confederate kings had carried away, see vcr. 11. This was unavoidable, and this is all he claims; but a.s he had no right to pre- Ffrbe the same liberal conduct to his assistants, Aucr, l^hcol, and Manirf, he left them to claim the share that, by right <f conquest, belonged to them of tlie recaptured booty. Wbetlier they were as generous as Abram, we are not told.
The great variety of striking incidents in this chapter the attentive reader has already carefully noted. To read, and; not understumt, is the property of the foolish and the inconsi- | derate. I. We have already seen the danger to which 1 ot ' exposed himeell in preferring a ti;-rtile regiiMi, though peopled vitli the workers of ini(|iiity. His.sorrows coiimuuce in the capfivity of himself and family, and the los.s of all his property; though, by tlie good providence of God, he and ihev were rescued. 2. I-ong observation has proved, that ll»e company a man keeps, is not an indifferent thing — it will either be the means of his salvation or destruction. 3. A generous man cannot be contented with mere personal safetj', while others are in danger; nor with his own prosperity while others are in distress. Abram, hearing of the captivity of his nephew, determines to attempt his rescue, puts himself at the head of his own servants, three hundred and eighteen in number, and the few assistants with which his neighbours, Mamre, Aner, and Eshcol, could furnish him, trusting in I God and the goodness of his cause, he marches off to attack four confederate kings! 4. Though it is not very likely that the armies of those petty kings could have amounted to inany, thousands, yet they were numerous enough to subdue almost the whole land of Canaan, and consequently, humanly speaking, Abram must know that by numbers he could not prevail; and that in this case particularly, tlie battle was the Lord's. 5. While depending on the divine blessing and succour, he knew he must use the means he had in his power, he therefore divided his troops skilfully that he might attack the enemy at different points at the same time; and he chuses the night season to commence his attack, that the smallness of his force might not be discovered. God requires a man to use all the faculties he has given him, in every lawful enterprize; and only in the conscientious u»e of them, can he expect the divine bles.sing: when this is done, the event may be salely trusted in the hands of God. 6. Here is a war umlertaken by Abram on motives the most honourable and conscientious — it was to repel aggression, and to rescue the innocent from the heaviest of sulierings and the worst of slavery; not for the purpose of plunder, nor the extension of his territories; therefore he takes no spoils, and returns peaceably to his own possessions. How happy would the woi'ld be, were every sovereign actuated by the same spirit! 7. We have already noticed the appearance, person, office, &c. of jSIelchizedek; and, without indulging in the wild theories of either ancient or modern vi.sionaries, have considered him as the scriptures do, a type of Christ: all that has been already spoken on this head may be recapitulated in a few words: — 1. The Redeemer of the World is the King of Righteoiisiu'ss, he creates it, maintains it, and rules by it. 2. His empire is the Empire of Peace, this he proclaims to them who are afar ofl", and to them that are nigh; to the Jew and to the Gentile. 3. He is Priest of the most high God, and has laid down his lile for the sin of the world; and through this sacrifice, the blessini; of God is derived on them that believe. Reader, take him for thy kitig as well as thy priest: he saves those only who submit to his authority, and take his spirit for the regulator of their heart, and his word for the director of their conduct. How many do we find among those who wotihl be sorry to be rated so low, as to rank only with nominal Cliristians, talking of Christ as their prophet, priest, and king: who are not taught by his word and spirit; who apply not for redtmption in his blood; and who submit not to liis authorili/! Reader, learn this deep and important truth; " ll'here I tun, there also shall my servant be; and lie that servcih me, him shall my Father honour."
God appears to Abram in a vision, and gives him great encouragement, 1. Ahram's request and complaint, G, 3. Cod promises him a son, 4. and an eiceedinglj/ numerous posteriti/, 5. Jhram credits the promise, and his faith is counted unto him for righteousness, 6. Jehovah proclaims himself, and rencrvs the promise of Canaan to his posteriti/, 7. Ahram requires a sign of its fulfilment, 8. Jehovah directs him to ufer a sacrifice of five different animals, f). JVhirh he accordingly/ does, 10, 11. God reveals to him the affliction of his posteriti/ in Egi/pl, and the duration of that (ffliction, 12, 13. Promises to bring them buck to the land of Canaan with great a^luence, 14 — lO. Renezcs the covenant zcith Abram, and mentions the possessions zchich should be given to his posteriti/, 1 8 — 2 1.
NOTKS ON CH.AP. XV. Verse 1. Tlie word nf tlie Lord came unto Abram] This is the frst place where God is represented as revealing himself by his word. Some learned men suppose that the niiT "IDT Debar Yehovah, translatid here word of tlie Lord, means the same with the Aoyo; tow Qsou of St. John, chap. i. ver. 1. and by the Chaldee paraphrases in the next clause, called nt:'D niemree, my word, and in other ])Iaces, "l NIO'D mcmra dat/ai, the WORD of Jehovah, which tiny appear always to consider as a person, and which they distini;uisli fniui NCjnD pithgama, which signifies merely a word spoken, or an\ part oi speech. There have been various conjectures concerning the manner in which God revealed his will not only to the Patriarchs, but akso to the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles. It seems to have been done in diiVtreiit ways. 1. Ry a personal appearance of him who was allerwards incarnated for the salvation of mankind. '2. By an nudihle voice, sometimes accompanied with emblematical appearances. 3. By visions, which took place either in the nigiit, in ordinary sleep, or when the persons were cast into a temporary trance, by day-light, or when about their ordinary business. 4. By the ministry of angels, appearing in human bodies, and performing certain miracles to accredit their mission. 5. By the powerful agency of the Spirit of Gnd upon the mind, giving it a strong conception, and supernatural persuasion of the truth of the things perceived by the understanding. We shall see all ihcsc exemplified in the course of the work. It was probably in the third sense that the Revelation in the text was given, for it is said, God appeared to Ahram in a vision nirra mcchazch, from nin cliazah, he saw; or according to others, to fix, fasten, settle: hence chozeh, a SEEIi, the person who sees divine things; to whom alone ihey arc revealed, on whose mind they are futened, and in whose
2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt
memory and judgment they are fixed and settled. Hence the vision, what was mentally perceived, and by the evidence to the soul of its divine origin, fixed and settled in the mind.
Fear not} The late Dr. Dodd has a good thought on tlii.s passage: " I would read," says he, " the second verse in a parenthesis, thus, For Abram HAD said. Lord God what ivill thou give me, seeing I go childless, iS'c. Abram had said tins in the fear of his heart, upon which the Lord vouchsafed to him this prophetical viae, 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, / am thy shield, tmd thy exceeding great reward. The Patriarch then, ver. 3. freely opens the anxious apprehension of his heart: behold, to me thou bust yet given no seed, tVupon which (jod proceeds to assure him of))ostcrily."
/ am thi/ shield, iV'.] t.'an it be supposed that 7\bram untlcrstood these words as promising him temporal advantages at all corresponding to the magnificence of these promises? If he did, he was disappoiiited 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 w as intended, and Abram understood the promises as relating to them and not to himself, or immediately to his own family? thin 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 with their history, will, without hesitation, say NO. What then is intended? just what the words state. GOD was Ahram'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, jiroves more invincibly the immortality of the soul, the truth of religion, and the eternity of another
thou give me, * seeing I go childless, steward of my house is this
Behold to me thou hast and lo, " one born in my house IS maic.
4 ^ And, behold the word of the Lord came unto him, saying. This shall not be thine heir; But he that " shall corae tbrth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and
life, than to see that in this life, the rigiileous seldom receive the reward of their virtue, and that in temporal tilings they are often less ha[)py tlian the workers of iniquity.
/ am, saj-s the Almia;l]ty, t/iy sliitld, thy cons-tant covering; and protector, a>ul llijj exceeding great reiuard, 1X0 nSTl "pjU Shekar-ca ha-rehbeh meod, " TH.-iT superlatively multiplied reward of thine." It is not the Canaan I promis?, but the salvalion that is to come through the promised seed. Hem e it was, that Abram rejoiced to see Ins dai/. And hence the Cliaklcc Targum translates this place, Mij WOltD shall be thy strenqth, SfC.
Verse 2. And the sleivard of my /low.sf] Abram understandin; the promise as relating^ to that pei.-;on who was to sprin^r from his family, in whom all the nations of the earth should be bles..ed, expresses his surprize that there should be such a promise, and yet he is about to die childle.ss! How then can the promise be fulfilled, when, far from a spiritual seed, he has not everi^^crson in his family that has a naiural right to his property, jnd that a stranger is likely to be his heir! This seems to be the general sense of the passage, but vho this stei:;ard of his house, this Eliezer of D^vnascus, was commtnt.itcrs are not agreed. The trani-lation of the Septuagint is at least curious oh uioj MaTsa Tni Oixoytvou^ fAou, cuTo; Aa/xa<rxoi Eme^e^. The son of Masck my home-born maid, this Eliezer of Damascus, is my heir; which intimates, tiiat they supposed pcij meshck, which we translate stetvard, to have been the name oCa female slave born in the family of Abram, of whom was born this Eliezer, who, on account eiliier of the country of his father or motlicr, was called a Damascene, or one 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 E//e:er, by leaving out the first letter, Liazcr is formed, which makes Lazarus in the New Testament; tlie person who, from an abject and distressed state, was raised to lie in the bosom of Abram in paradise.
Verse 5. Look now totvard heaven'] It appears that this whole transaction took plare in the evening. See on chap. xiii. 14. and Abram had either two visions, that recorded in vcr. 1. and that in ver. 12, &c. or what is mentioned in the beginning of this chapter is a part of the occur-
6 ^ And he ^ believed in the Lord; and he " counted it to him tor righteousness.
7 % And he said unto him, I am the Lord that ' brouo-ht thee out of " Ur of the Chaldees, ' to give thee this land to inherit it.
8 And he said, Lord God, " whereby sliall I know that I shall inherit it?
rences which took place after the sacrifice mentioned, ver. 9. &c. Rut it is more hkely that there was a vision of that kir.il already described, and afterwards a sccor.d, in which he received the reveUiion mentioned ver. I.') — 16. After the first vision, be is brought forth abrctd, to see if he can number tha stars; and as he finds this impoislble, he is assured that as they are to him innumerable, so shall his posterity be; and that all should spring from one whn should proceed from his own bowel5, one who should be his own legitimate child.
Verse G. And hs believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righ/cousneis-l This I conceive to be one of the most important passages in the whole Old Testament. It properly contains and sp.-cifies that doctrine o^ justification by faitli 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 (ICSn he-emin, he put faith) in Jehovah, h nacTI'l vaiyachM)eah lo, and he counted it, the faith he put in Jehovah, to III.M for righteousness, npIS tsedakah, or justification, though there was no act in the case, but tliiit of the mind and heart; no leork of any kind. Hence the doctrine oijustification by faith, xvit/n.ut any merit of works: for, in this case there could be none — no works of Abram which could merit the salvation of llie whole human race. It was the promise of God which he credited; and iti the bles.sedness of which he became a partaker through faith. See at the close of the chajjtcr; see also on Rom. iv.
Verse 8. And he said, Lord God] HH' 'JIN, Adonai Yehovah, my Lord Jehovah; Ad<'nai 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. tan be given to that God who is the frumer and director of every righteous word and action; the basis or foundation on which every rational hope re—ts; 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, which otherwise must nece.ssarily fall. This word often occurs in the Hebrew Bible, and i% rendered in ' our translation Lord; the same term by which the word
A w.c.r.wM. 9 And he said unto him, ' Take me ^^•^;'"''•'"• a heifer of tliiee years old, and a slie 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 the.se, and ''divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
JeliM'ali is expressed. But to distingiiUh between llie two, and to shew the reader ulnii the original is niiT Yclioiali, and when »J1X Adonai, tlie first is always put in capitals, LORD, the latter in plain Roman cliaraclcrs, Lord. For the word Jehncah, see on chap. ii. 4. and on Exod. xxxiv. 6.
Wha-ebt/ shall I kno-.j] Hy what si'^n shall I be assured lliat I shall inherit thi.s land? — For it appears that he expected some sign, and that on such occasions, one was ordinarily giv( n.
Verse 9. Take men heifer] n^JJ' i-j^clah, nsliecalf; as/iesout, jp I'j, a goat male nr female, but distinguished here by ihefauinjHe adjective, ntt'VtJ'O mciliulleslicth, a tltrcc yearling; a ram, 7'^ aj/il; a turtle dove, ^n tor, from which come turtur, and turtle; young pigeon, 7J1J gozal, a word which signifies the young both of jui^cons and eagles. See Dent, xxxii. 1 1. It is worthy of remark, that every species of animal allowed or coniinanded to be sacrificed unilcr the Mosaic law, is to be found ■in this list. And is it not a proof that God was now giving to Abr.im, an epitome of that law and its sacrifices, which he intended more fully to reveal to Moses; the es.scnce of which consisted in its sarrijkes. 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, 7-u)iis, and goars, for it is written, Psal. xxii. I'i. Many bulls iiaie compassed me about. Dan. viii. 20. Tlie rum uhicit thou hast seen is the king of Persia. Ver. 2 I. The rough goat is the king of Greece. But the Israelites are compared to doves, 8ic. Cant, ii. 14. 0 my dove that art in the cleft of the rock. The division of the above carcases, denotes the division and extermination of the idolatrous nations: but the birds not being divided, shews that the Lraelites are to abide for ever.".See Jarchi on the place.
Ver.-e 10. Divided them in the midst] The ancient method of making covenants, as well as the original word, have been already alliidtd to, and, in a general way, explained. See chap, vi. IS. 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 be made between an individual and hiiiiscH', wlicther (jod or man; this is a doi trinal absurdity into winch manv linve run: there mus-t be at least two parties to contract with each other. And often tiiere was a third jjarty. to mediate Ihe agreement, and to witness it when md<le. Rabbi.Solomnn.larchi says, " That it was a custom with thost- uho entered into covenant with each other, to take a lieiftr and cut it in two, and then, the contracting parties passed betw( en the pieces." See this and the scriptures to which if reliiM-p particularly e\-|ilamed clirip. vi. IS. A covenant aivays supposed oiieof these four things, 1. That the contracting parties had been hitherto wiknoiinto each other, and were brought by the covenant into a state oi acquaintance. 2. Thai
; find from Mat. xxiv. 51. Luke xii. 46. was an ancient mode that ihe passing betiveen the parts of the divided victims, si"-nified the punishment to which those ex posed themselves who broke
" They cut the quarters and cover them with the fat; dividing them into two, they place the raw flesh upon them." Bvit this place may be diftercntly understood.
St. Cyril, in his work against.Lilian, shews ihat passing betxeecn the ilividcd pans of a victim, was used also anion"' the Ch.ildeans and other people. As the sacrifice was required to: make an atonement to God, so the death of the animal was ne- Ij cpssary to signify to the contracting parties, the punishment to 11 which they exposed themselves, should they prove unfaithful. jl Livy preserves the form of the inqirecation used on such ' orca-ions, in the account he gives of the league made between the Romans and Albans. A\'lien the Romans were about to 1 enltr into some solemn league or covenant, ihey 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 conxilio dolo ' malo, tiim ilto die, Diespitcr, Populum liomanum sic ferito,, ut ego hunc porcuni hie liodic ferium: tantoque majus ferito
12 % And when the sun was going down, " a deep sleep fell upon Abram: and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon hiiii.
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety, " that tliy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and ' they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14 And also that nation, whom they shall j serve, '' will I judge: and afterward, " shall they come out with great substance.
quanta mnjus poles pollesre! LlVII Hist Chap. '2'i. " Htar, O Jupiter — siiould tlie Romans in public counsel tlir<iui;h any fvil device, first transy:res'^ tlitse laws, in that.^aine day, OJnpiltr, thus smite the Roman per.plc, as I shall at tliis tid.e smite this hog: and smite them with a severity proportioiud to the greatness of thy power and misiht!"
But tlie birds dixided he not.'] According- to the law, Lev.-i. n. fouls were not to be divided asunder, but only cloven, lor the purpose of takinir out the intestines.
Verse 1 1. Ami iilieii the fowl ] 0»j;n lia-w/if, birds of prey came doum jqmn the carcases, to devour them; Abram, who stood by his sacrifice waiting for the manifestation of Got), who had ordered him to prepare for the ratification of the covenant, drove them a-jjuij, that they might neither /)o//!(;c nor devour what had bec^dius consecrated to God.
Verse 12. A dcepsleqt] nOTin tardemah the same word which is u>ed to ex])re5s the sleep into which Adam was cast, previously to the creation of Eve. Chap. ii. 21.
A horror of s,rcat diirkncss] Which God designed to be expre.ssive of the aillictioii and nii.sery into wlueh his postirity sliould be brought, during tiie ^bwr hundred years of their bondage in Egypt; as the next verse particularly states.
Verse 1 3. Four hundred years] Which began, says Mr. yVinsworth, when Ishmael son of H agar mocked and persecuted Jsaac, Gen. xxi. 9. Gal. iv. 29. which fell out thirty years after the promise: Gen. -xii. 3. which promise was./b«r hundred and thiriy years hetorc the Idw, Gal. iii. 17; and four hundred and thirty years after that promi.se, caine Israel out of Egypt, Exod. XII. 41. On this latter passage, see the note.
Verse 14. Ami also that nation, ^c] How remarkably was this promi.se fulfilled, in the redemption of Israel from if! bondage, in the plagues and destruction of the Egyptians, and in ttie immense wealth which the Israelites brought out of Fgypl! Not a more circumstantial, or literally iulfilltd promisv, IS to be found in the sacred writings.
Verse 15. 'J'hou shall!;o to thy fatlters in peace] Does not this verse strongly imply the immorlality of the soul, and a state of separate cxiilLcnce? ile was gathered to his fathers, intro-
15 And ^ thou shalt go ^ to thy fathers in peace; ""thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
IG 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 wt.s darlc, behold a smoking fnrnacc, and " a burning lamp that " passed between those pieces.
18 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
duced into the place where separate spirits are kept, waiting for tlie general resurrection. Two things seem to be distinctly marked here. 1. The soi'l of Abram should be introduced among the assembly of the first-born; Thou shalt '^0 to thy fathers in peace. 2. His body should be buried after a long li'e, 0)ie hundred and seventy-five years, chap. xxv. 7. The body was buried — the soul went to the spiritual world, to dwell among the Fathers, the patriarch.', who had lived and died in the Lord. Seethe note on chap. xxv. 8.
Verse 1 6. In the fourth generarion] In former times, most ancient people counted by generations, to each of which was assigned a term of years sometimes amounting to 20, 25, 30, 33, 100, 108 and 110; for the £^mi')Yi</o;Mvas of various lengths among various jieople, at ddVerent times. It is probable that the four'h generation here, means the same as the four hundred years in the preceding verse. Some think, it refers to the time when Eliezar the son of Aaron, the son of Amrain, the son of Kohath, came out of Egypt, and divided the land of Canaan to Israel, Josh. xiv. I. others think the fourth generation of the Amorites is intended; because it is immediaiely added, the iniquity of the Amorites is aot yet fall; 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.
Vorse 17. Smoking furnace, and u burning lump] Probably the smoking furnace might be designed as an emblem of the.sore afflictions of the Israelites in Egypt; but the burning lamp was certainly the symbol of the divine presence, which, parsing between the pieces, ratified the covenant with Abram, as the Ibllowing verse immediately states.
Verse 18. The Lord made a covenant] nns n"13 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, I making the covenant. The same form of speech obtained unto the great river, the river ' Euphrates: 9 The ^ Kenitcs, and the Kenizzites, and tlie ni-.ionsf the Romans; ami because, in cnakinsf their covenants, they always slew an animal, either by culling.its throat, or knocking it down with a stone or ax, after which tlifV dividud the parts as we ha\T alieady >een, hence anion^- theui fierciUae fedus, to smite a ruvcnaiit; and scindevc fadus, to cleait a covenant, were terms, which signified siinplj-, to iiirikc or,mter into a covenant.
Fiojn the river of Ea^pt] Not the Nile, but the river called Sichor, which was before or on the border of Esfypt, near to the Isthmus of.Suez, see Josli. xiii.:5.; though some think, tiiat, 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. 2 Chron. ix. 26.
Verse 19. The Kenites, i^c] Here are ten nations mentioned, thouffh afterwards, reckoned but seven; see Dcut. vii. 1. Acts xiii. 1 y. Probably some of them which existed in Abram's tin,e, 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. I. The condescension of Gov in revealinjj himself to mankind in a variety of ways, so as to render it absolutely evident, that he had spoken, that he loved mankind, and that he had made every requisite provision for iheir eternal welfare. So unequivocal were the discoveries which God made of himselfj that on the minds of those to whom they were made, not one doubt was left, relative cither 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 maikrd, so positively promised, and so highly inteitsting, as to make them objects of attention, meniorj and desire, till they did come; and of i^rutitude, because of the permanent blessedness they communicated, through all generations, af.er the facts had taken place.
20 And tlie Hittites, and the Pe rizzites, and the " llephaims.
21 And the "^ Amorites, aud the Canaanites, and the Girgasliites, and the Jcbusites.
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 spiriuiul, supernatural and divine; and, 2. That no human power could suffice to produce it. 'I'his, Abram believed while he was yet uncircuincised, and this faith was accounted to him for righteousness or justific.ition, God thereby teaching, that he would pardon, accept and receive into favour all who sliould believe on the I.ord Jesus Chri.st. And this very case has ever since been the standard of justification by faith; and the experience ofmillions of men built on this foiiii<ktion, has sufficiently attested the truth and solidity of the ground on which it was budded.
3. The foundation of the doctrine iLself is laid in the covenant made between God and Abram, in behalf of all the families of the earth; and this covenant is 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, were to partake of the benefits of it by faith; hence faith, not uorks, is the only condition, on whicji, God, through Christ, forgives sin.s 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 stands open, and Je-sus is still the lamb slain before the throne, every human soul must ratify the covenant for himself; and no man does so, but he, wh» conscious of his guilt, accepts the sacrifice which God has provided for him. Reader, hast thou done so? And, with a heart unio righteousness, dost thou continue to believe on the Son of God } How inerritul is God, who has found out such a way <if salvation, by providing a Saviour every way suitable to miserable, fallen, sinful man! One, who is holy, harmless, uudtfiled and separate from sinners; and who, bein'T lii<rh«r than the heavens, raises up his faithful follow eis to the throne of his own eternal glory! Reader, give (iod the praise, and avail thyself of the sin-oflering which lieth at the door.
Sural having no child, gives Hagar her maid to Abram for zcifc, 1 — 3. She conceives and despises her tnisfress, 4 Sarai is offended, and upbraids Abram, 5. Abram vindicates himself, and IJagar being hardly used by her mistress, runs arc ay, 6. She is met by an angel, and cotiiisdUd to return to her mistress, 7, g. God promises great 1 1/ I o multipli/ her seed, 10. Gives the name of Ishmaet to the child that should be burn of her, 11. ShehS kis disposition and character, 1'2. Hagar cal/.\ the name of the Lord uho spake to her, Tliou God seest mc, U. She calls the name of the zcell at which the Angel met her, Beer-lahai-roi, 44. Ishmael is born in the SGtk year of ylbiam's age, 15, l6.
Hagar. " And
Sarai said nnto Abram, Behold now the Loud " iiatli restrained me from bearing: I pray ' thee, go in nnto my maid; it may be that I may ^ obtain chikh'en by her. And Abram " Iiearkened to the voice of Sarai. A..M.'j(.9j. 3 ^nj Sarai Abram's wife took "•^•'^"- Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram "'had (hwlt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram, to be his wife. 4 % And he went in nnto Hagar, and she
conceived: and when she saw that a. m. 2093. i she had conceived, her mistress was '^' ^°"' j '' despised in her eyes.
5 And Sarai said nnto Abram, My wrong he \ upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bo- ' som; and when she saw that she had conceived,
I Ayas 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 *" dealt hardly with her, '' she fled from her face.
7 ^ And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, ' by the ii)untain in the way to ' Shur.
Verse I. She had an hanilmuid, an E'^yptian] As llairar was an Epyplian, St. Chiyjfoslom's eoiijecture i^ very probable, that she was one of those female slaves which Pliaraoli gave to Abram when he sojourned in Kgypt; see chap. xii. 16. Her name, ijn hagar, signifies a stranger or sojourner; and it is hkcly, she <jot 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 femalf slaves constituted a p.irt of the private patrimony or possessions of the wife; and that she had a right, accordini;- to the u.';ap;es of those times, to disjiose of them as she pleased, the liusband having no authority in the case.
/ mai/ obtain children bj/ her] The slave, being the absor hue property of the mistress, not only her person, but the fruits «f her labour, with all her children, were her owner's property also. The children, therefore, which were born of the slave, M-ere considered as the cluidrcn of the mistress. It was on this ground that Sarai gave her slave to Abram; and we find, vhat must noeessarily be the conscquenre in all cases of polygamy, that strifes and contentions took place.
Verse 5. Mi/ 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 be did to her, in consequence of which conduct, the shivc became ])clulant. To remove all suspicion of tiiis kind,.Abram delivers up Hagar into her hand, who was certainly under his protection, while she was his concubine or secondary wife; hut this r\giht given to him by Surui, he restores, 10 prevent her jealousy and uneasiness.
Verse 6. Sarai dealt hardly iviih her] rjjfn teancah, she afjlictcd her — the term implying stripes und hard usage, to bring down the body and humble the mind- If the slave was to blame in thi.t businrs-s, the mistress is not less liable to censure..She alone, had brought her into those circumstances, in which, it van natural for her to value herself beyond her mistress.
j Verse 7. The angel of the Lord] That.lesus Christ in a i body suited to the dignity of his nature, frequently appeared I to the patriarchs, has been already intimated. That the per- I son mentioned here, was greater than any created being, is suliiciently evident from the following particulars:
1. From his promising to perform what God alone could do, and foretelling what God alone could know. " I will viulliply thy seed exceedingly," l>;c. ver. 10. " Thou art xvith child, and shult bear a son," ^c. ver. 11. " He shall be a xiild man," cVc ver. 12. All this shews a prejcjracf which is proper to God alone.
2. Hagar considers the person who spoke to her as God: calls him '?N* el, and addresses him in the way of worship, which had he been a created angel, he would have refused; see Rev. xix. 10. xxii. 9.
3. Moses, who relates the transaction, calls this angel, expressly, JEHOVAH: for, says he, she called mn» Diy siiem yehox-ah, the.name of the LoRD that spake toiler, ver. 13. Now this is a name, never given to any created being.
4. This person who is here called nirr In'jO nialeak yehorah, the Angel of the Lord, is the same who is called ^NJn "l.S'Son hurmnuleak ha-goel, the redeeming An^el, or, the Angel, the Redeemer, Gen. xlviii. 16. VJJ3 yho maleak panaiv, the
Angel of God's presence, Isa. Ixiii. 9. and nnan HN'^c maleak ha-herith, the Angel of the Covenant, Mai. iii. 1. And is the same person which the Septuagint, Isai. ix. 6. term M£»/aA))f 'QouM; AyysMi, the An'zel of the great Counsel or Design, viz. of redeeming man and filling the earth with righteousness.
5. I'hese things cannot be spoken of any human or created being; for the Ano::'/e(/?f, works, bfc. attributed to this person, ^•e such as belong lo God; and as in all these cases, there is a most evident /HVMnn/ appearance,.Jesus Christ alone can be meant, for of God the Father, it has been ever true, that)io man hath at any time seen his shape, nor has he ever limited himself to any definable personal appearance.
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 Loud said unto her, '' I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
Verse 8. Ilu^ar, Sarai's maiil] Tills mode of adiiress is used, to sliew lier tliat slie was known; and to remind her, that she was the propertij of another.
Verse 10. / •jjUI ntukiph/ thy seed cxceedinuli/] ^Vho says this.'' The person wlio is called the An^cl of the Lord; and he certainly speaks with all that authority which is proper to God.
Verse 11. And shah call Ids name Ishmat-I] 7NTOti" yis/itndel, from i'QC shama, he heard, and Sn El God; for, says the Angel, THE LouD HATH heard ihtj uffiiciion. Tiiiis the name of ihe child, must ever keep the mother in remembrance of God's merciful interposition in her behalf; and remind (he child and the man, that he was an object of God's gracious and providential goodness. AtTlictions and distresses have a voice in tlie ears of God, even when prayer is restrained— but how much more powerfully do they speak when endured in meekness of spiiit, with confidence in, and supplication to the Lord!
X'erse 12. He iiill be a wild Jtnni] D"tS N15 pliere adam. As the root of this word does not appear m the Hebrew Bible, it^ is probaljly found in the Arabic "j farra, to run away, to run wild, and hence the v:ild ass, lioin its Jlcelness and its untameiible nature. XV"hal is said of the wild ass. Job xxxix. 5 — S. afibrds the very best description that can be given of the Ishniaeliles, Bedouins, and wanderinc; Arabs, the descendants of Ishmacl. " \\'ho hath sent out the wild-ass (S"^D phcra) free? or who hath loosed the bands ("irj.' drod) of the hrayer? Who.«c house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings. He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardcth he the crying of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he seareheth after #Tcry green thing." Nothing can be more descriptive of the u-andcrin:;, luvAcss, freehootinij; life of the Arabs than this.
God himself Ims sent tliem out free; he has loosed them from all political n -traint. The wilderness 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 Jired habitations; for their multitude, they are not afraid; for when they make depredations on cities and towns, they retire into the de.sert willi so much preei])itancy, that all pursuit is cUidtd: in this respect, the crying of the
I 1 1 And the angel of the Lord said a-m.ws. ' unto her. Behold thou art with child, ^'iL'Zli:
and shalt bear a son, 'and slialt call his name: " Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy 1 affliction.
j 12 ' And he will be a wild man; his hand idll: be against cveiy man, and every man's hand
against him; ' and he shall dwell in the presence
drirer is disregarded. They may be said to have no lands; and yet the rauj^e of the tnoun'ains is their pasture, they pitch their tents and feed tUeir /locks wherever they please; and they search after every green thin-^, are continually lookingafter prey, and seize on every kind of properly that comes in their way.
It is farther said, his hand sliall be aiiaitist every man, and every man's hand against him — Many potentates among the Abyssinians, Persians, Kgyplians, and Furies, have endeavoured to subjugate the wandering or wild Arabs; but though they have had temporary triumphs, they have been iiltimalely 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 monument of his providential care, and an incontestible argument of the truth of Divine Revelation. Had the I'entatcuch no other argument to evince its divine origin, the account of Ishmael and the prophecy concerning his descendants, collated with their hLstory and manner of life, during a period of nearly.faw)- thousand years, would be sudicient. Indeed the ari;unieiit is so absolutely demonstrative, that the man who would attempt its refiilation, in the sight of reason and common sense, would stand convicted of the most ridiculous presumption, and excessive folly.
The country which these i'ree descendants of Ishmael may be properly said to possess, stretches fr.im Aleppo to the Arabian sea; and from Egypt to the Persian gul|)ii. A tract of land not less than ISOO miles in length, by DOG in breadth; see chap. xvii. 20.
Verse 13. x4nd she called the name of the Lord] She invoked ^?1p^M vu-tikru, lite name of Jehovah who spake unto her, thus. Thou (iod seest me! She found that the eye of a merciful God liad been upon her in all her wanderings and adlictions; and her words siein to intimate that she hud been seeking the divine help and protection, (or she says. Have I also, or hate I not also looked after him that sceth tne?
This last clause of tiie verse, is very obscure; and is rendered diftereutly 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 was generally supposed, that if God apjieared to any, they must be consumed by his glories. 'I'liis is lietiuently
spake unto her. Thou God seest me: tor she said. Have I also here, looked
1,5 ^ And * Haaar bare Abram a
alluded to in the sacred writings. As the word nHX acharey which we render.simply itfcer, in otliei- places, signifies the last <!w/s or ufler limes; see on E.xod. x.xxiii. 2.3. it may probably have a similar meanini;- hero, and indeed this makes a consistent sen>e; Have I hcra also seen the LATTER PL'RPGSES or DKSlGN.s of him who seeth me? An exclamation, which may be at once reierred to that discovery which God made in the preceding- verse, of \\\s future stale of her descendants.
Verne 1 4. Whenfure the ivell was called Beer-lahai-roi'] It appears, from ver. 7. that Hagar had sat down by a fountain or well ot water in the wilderness of Shur, at which the angel of the Lord found her; and, to commemorate the wonder!' d discovery which God had made of himself, slie called the name of the well 'N"l TlS "IXS Beer-la-chay-roi, " A well to the Living One wlio seeth me." Two things seem impiitd here, 1. a dedication of the well to Him who had appeared to her; and, 2. faith in the promise: for he who is tiie Living One, existing in all generations, must have it ever in his power to accomplish promises which are to be fulfilled tiirouj^ii the whole lapse of time.
Verse Ij. And Hagar dare Abram a sm:, §c.] It appears, therefore, that Hagar retiiriicd at the command of the angelj believing the promise that God had made to her.
Called his soks name — Ishinael.] i inding, by the account of Hagar, that God had designed that he should be so called. " Ishmael," says AinMvorlli, " is the first man in the world, whose name was given Iimi of God before he was born."
In tiie |)iecediiig chapUr we have a very detaiUd account of the covenant which God made with Abram, which stated, that his.Seed should posses.s ('aii;ian; and tins promise, on tilt Divine authority, lie stedliistly believed; and in simplicity of heart wailed for its accomphshmcnt. Sarai was not like minded; as she had no child herself, and was now getting old, fjie thou.;lit it necessary to secure t!;f inheritance by such means as wert in her -poxier; she, therefore, as we have seen, gave her slave to Abram, tliat she m ght have ciiddren by her. We do not find Abram remonstrating on the subject — and why is he blan>ed? God had not as yet tu'.d him huw 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. Cor,ciibinage, under that dispensation, was perfectly la'vful; iherelore he could, with ecjua! justice aiid am'- cenec, when it ''.a.s lawful, in itscll', and now urged by tlie eiptess desire of Sural, take Hagar to wife. And it is very likely that he mi-lii (haik that /us po.-.terity, wiieilur by uije or corxubine, as both were lawful, might be that intended by
son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, ' Ishmael.
16 And Abram xvas fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
the promise. " It is very difficult to believe that a promise, which refers to some natural event, can possibly be lulfiHed but through some natural means. And yet, what is nature, but an instrument in (lod's hands.' What we call natural eftceis, are all performed by supernatural agency: lor nature, that is, the whole.sy^teai of inanimate things, is as inert as any of the particles of matter of the aggregate of which it is composed; and can be a cause to no ejf'cct, but as it is ex- ~cited by sovereign power. This is a doctrine of sound philosophy; and should be carefully considered by all, that men may see that, without an over-ruling and universally energetic Providence, no ctl'ect whatever can be brought aliout. But, besides these general influences of God in nature, which arc all exhibited by what men call general laws, he chuses often to act snpcrnaturally, i. e. indepeiidantly of) or against, these general laws, that we may see that there is a God, who doe.s not confine himself to one way of working, but with 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 imjilicitly 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 doth not the eye of (iod atllet his heart.' The poor slave, the stranger, the Egyptian, sufilring under the severity of her hasty, unbelieving mistress, is seen by the allwise and merciful CJod. He permits her to go to the desart, provides the.spring to quench her thirst, and sends the Angtl of the Covenant to instruct and corafoi t her. How gracious is God! He permits us to get into distressing circumstances, that he may give us effectual relieti and in such a \iay loo, that the excellence of the power may appear lo be of him, and that we may learn to trust in bim in all our distresses, God dtlighis to do his creatures good.
In.dl 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 u;;s, is, and ever will be the ceccinomy jf grace. " The Father hath si.iit mo: — and no man cometh unto the Father but by me." God forbid that he should have cause to complain of us: "Vt: will not come uiiio me, that ye might have hl'c."
In the niniiif-vinth i/cur of Ahram's life, God again appears to him, aunoitnces ki^ name as Goo Ai.michtv and commands him to zcal/c perferllif before him, 1. Proposes to renetc the covenant, '2. Jbram's prostration, 3. The covenant specified, 4. Jhram's name changed to Aekaham, and the reason e;iven, 5. The. privileges of the covenant enumerated, 6— «. The conditions of the covenant to lie observed, not onli/ hj Abraham, but all his posteriti/, (J. Circumcision appointed as the sicn or token of the covenant, 10, 11. The aae atzvhich, and the persons on tihom, this was to be performed, {1, IJ. The danger of ne<rlectin'r this rite 14. Sarai's name changed to Sarah, and a particular promise made to her, IJ, 1(1 Abraham's joij at tJK prospect of the peiformance of a matter nhich, in the course of nature, rras impossible, 17. His request fur the preservation ami prosperiti/ of Ishmacl, 18. The birth and Idesscdness of Isaac foretold, \[). Great prosperity promised to Mmnel, 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.
ND when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord 'appeared to Abram, and said unto him, ^ I am the Ahnighty God, "walk betbre me, and be thou '' perfect'.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and Svill multiply thee exceedingly.
Verse 1. The Lord appeared to Abrani] See on oil. xv.
Walk bej'otc 7«f] UD? "l^mn hith-hukk Icpanui, set thyself to lucdk — be firmly purposed, thoroughly detennined to obey — before me — for my eye is ever on thee, therefore ever consider that God stelh thee. Who can imagine a stronger incitement to conscientious, persevering obedience?
Be thou perfect.] Q'On n»ni vehet/eh laiiiim, And thou shall be perfections, i.e. allogtther perfect; bejnst such as the /lo/y God would have ihee to be, such as the idmi'^hli/ God can make theCj and live as the uH-siiffwiait God shall support thee: for he.ilone 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. itTEo-fc WiUE/f TiXiiot, aaTTip 0 Trartj^ i/ju-av o cv toi; lu^avotf Ti>,£ios sa-Tt, I'l- SHALL KK pcjfccl, us your lather who is in heaven is perfect. But what docs this imply? Why, to be saved from all the power, the guilt, and the contamination of sin. This is only the ne^atite 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 lieart by faith, and to be rooted and grounded in love. This is the slate!« which man was created; for he was made in tlie image and likeness of God. This is the state /;o;« which
3 And Abram Mcll on his face: and God talked witli him, saying,
5 ^ Neitlier shall t!iy name any more be called Abram, but "thy name sliall be 'Abraham;
man fell; for hi: broke the command of God. And this is the state into whicU every human soul must be raised, who would dwell with God in glory; for Chri.si was incarnated, and died to put away sin by tlie'sacrificc of himself. What a glorious privilege!.And who can doubt the possibility of ite 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 anain.n the po..*sibility of being saved from their sin.;, which thev should devote to praying and believing that they mi<*-ht be saved out of the hands of their enemies! But sonic 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 generally good purposes, with an impure heart and spotted life, then I assert, that no such thing is implied in the text, nor in ihe original word: but if the word sincerity be taken in its proper and literal.'iensc, I have no objection to it. Sincere is compounded of sine-cerd, "without ua,\;" and, applied to mora!.sulijects, is a metaphor taken from clarified honey, fiom which every atom of the coinb or wax is separated. Then let it be proclaimed from heaven — Walk before me, and be SI.NCliUK! 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 perlect. This is sincerity' — Reader, remember that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin. Ten thousand quibbles on
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 "" establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, " to be
8 And ■ ^ I will give unto thee, and a.ji. 2107. to thy seed after thee, the land !;_'!!!: "wherein' thou art a stranger, all the land 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 tliy seed after thee, in their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep,
insulated texts, can never le.^scn, much less destroy, the merit aod eflkary of llie Great Atonement.
Vcr.se 3. And Abram fell on his /act] Tile eastern method of pro-stration was llius: tlie person first went down on liis knees, and tlien lowered his liead to his knees, and touched the earth with his foreiiead. A very painful posture, but si;{nificative of great humiliation and reverence. See on Ew<d. iv. 31.
Verse b. T/it/ name ahull be Abrahani] Abram D1 2N li4erally si^nififs a hr'j;h or exalted father. Ab-ra-hnm Drn3X dilVers from the preceding only in one letter: it has n hi hefore the last radical. Though this may appear very simple and easy, yet tJte true elymolosy and meaning of the word are very difficult to be assigned. The reason given by God for the change made in the P;itriarch's name is this, for a father of many nations have I made //icc-^DIJ pOH ^^^ Ab-hamongoi/im, " a father of a multitude of nations." Tiiis ha« led some to suppose, that Br;i3K Abraham is a contraction for I'On 31 3S Ah-rab-hamon, " the tiitlier of a great multitude."
Aben Esra saj^s, the name is derived JVom jrcn T2X Abirhamim, "a powerful muhitude."
lltthbi Solomon Jarchi defines the name cahalistically, and says that its numeral letters amount to t-xo hundred and forty- [ ei^ltl; which, says he, is the exact number of the bones in the human body! hut before the n hi was added, which stands for five, it was five short of this pirtectton!
Rabbi Lipm-tn says, the n he being added as the fourth letter, signifies that tlte Messiah should come in the fourth millenary of the world '.
Clarius and others think, that the n he, which is -one of the letters of the Tetragrammaton, (or word of four letters, niH' VelloVftll) was added for the sake of dii^nity, God associating the Patriarch more nearly to himself, by thus imparting to him a portion of his own name.
Having enumerated so many opinions, that of William Alabaster, in his A/iparalus to the Hnelatimi, should not be passed by. Me most wisely says, that Ab-rum, or rom, sigui- ^ei father of the Romam, and con-equenlly the pope; llierefi're Abrahani was pope the first! This is just as likely as some of the preceding etymologies.
I' rom all these leariR-d, as well as puerile conjectures, we may.see the extreme Wilficulty of ascertaining the true meaning of the word, Ihougli.the roiicordancetnuLerf, and proper aame-expluMcrs, find no difficulty at all in the case; and pronounce on it, as readily and authoritatively, as if they had been in tlie Divine council when it was first impo.sed.
liottirigcr, in his Smegma Orientulc, supposes the word to ne derived from the Arabic root ^ rahuma, which signifies to be very numerous. Hence ^i, (__j! ab raham would signify a copious father, or father of a multitude. T^liis makes a very good sense, and agrees well with the context. Either this etymology, or that which supposes the inserted n /(etobe a part of the name of God, or an abbreviation of the word Jion haiiion,muhi'ude, is ihe most likely to be the true one. But tins last would require the wo:d to be written, « hen full, JIOT D1 3N* Ab-rum-hamon.
The same difficulty occurs verse 15. on the word Sural, fySf. which signifies 7ny prince or princess; and Sarah,.TilT, where the whole change is made by the substitution of a T\ he for a ' yod. This latter might be translated prince.is in general; and while the former seems to point out her government in her c~j:n family alone, the latter apptars to indicate her government over the nations of which her husband is termed the father, or lord; and hence the promise states, that she sh/fll be a mother if nations, and that kings of people should spring from her. — See ver..15, lb.
Now, as the only cliange in each name is made by the \ insertion of a single letter, and that letter, the same in both' names, I -cannot litl]) concluding, that some mystery was ' designed by its insertion; and therefore the opinion of Clariiis anil some others, is not to be disregarded, which supposes that God shews be had conferred a peculiar dignity on both, by adding to tiieir names one of the letters of his own; a name by which his eternal power and godhead are peculiarly pointed oiyt.
From the difficulty of settling the etymology of these two! name.s, on whicb so much stress seems to be laid in the text, the reader will see with what caution he should receive the Lists (f Explanations of the proper names in the Old and New Testaments, which he so frequently meets witli, many of which, from close examination, 1 can pronounce to be false or absurd.
See on ch. xiii. 15. Here the word ulani is taken in its prove — to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee; for as between me and you, and thy scedi| 13 He that is born in thy house, after thee; 'Every num-child among!' and he that is bought with thy mo
11 And ye sliall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be ^ a token of the covenant bctv.-ixt me and you.
12 And Mie that is eight days old "shall be circiuncised among you, every man-child in; your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, Avhich is not of thy seed.
the reign of the Gospel dispensation shall be as long as sun a:id moon endure, and its consequences eternal, so must the covenant be on which these are founded.
Verse 8. Evcrtuilini; possession] Here dSv ohim appears to be used in its occommodaled meaning', and.signifies the conip'etioa 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 <sf 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 eier-during, or eternal; because the spiritual blessings pointed out by the temporal covenant slwli have no end. And hence it is immediately added, I 'xill be their God, not for a lime certainlj', but for ever and ever. — See the notes on ch. xxi. 33.
^^crse 10. Eiery male child — sliall be circumcised.} Those who wish to invalidate the evidence of the divine origin of the Mosaic law, roimdly assert, that the. Israelites received the rite of circumcision from the Egyptians. Their apostle in this business is Herod.itus, who. Lib. ii. p. 116. Edit. Steph. 15i"2. says, "The Colcliians, Egyptians, and Ethiopians, are the only nations in the world who have usecl circumcision octt' apyjti fro'n tbe remotest period; and the Plia?nicians and Syrians who inhabit Palestine, acknowlcdgo thty received «his from the Egyptians." Herodotus cannot i mean Jc.^s by Phoenicians and Syrians: if he does, he is incorrect; for no Jew ever did, or ever could, acknoivled'^e this, with the history of Abraham in liis hand. If Herodotus had written before the days of Abraham, or at least before tlie sojourning of the children of Israel in Egypt, and informed us that circumcision had been practised among tllem aw' afx>^f from the beginning, there would then exist a possibility that the Israelites, while sojourning nmons^ them, had learned and adopted this rite. But when we know that Herodotus flourished ouly four Inmdred and eighty-four years before the Christiap JEra, and thai Jacob and hi.s family sojourned in Egypt more than eighteen hundred years before Christ, and that all the descendants of Abraham most conscientiously observed circumcision, and do so lo 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
ney, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised man-child w'hosc flesh of his foreskin is not circiuncised, that soul ^shall be cut olf from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
1.5 ^ And God said unto. Abraham, As for Sarai thy wile, thou shalt not call her name
from the former, as they had practised it so long before their ancestors had sojourned in l''gypt.
Verse 1 1. And it shall be a token] nis"? leoih, for a sign of spiritual things: for the circumcision made in the fle.sli was designed to signify the purification of the heart from all unriglitcousness, as God particularly shewed in the law itself. See Deut. x. 16. See also Rom. ii. 25 — 29. Coloss. ii. 11. And it was a seal of that righteousness, or justification, that comes bj/ faith, Rom. iv. 11. That some of the Jews had a just notion of its spiritual intention, is plain from many passages in the ClialdL-e paraphrases, and in the Jewish writers. I borrow one ]iassage from the book Zohar, quoted by Ainsworth; " At what time a man is sealed with this holv seal (of circumcision) thenceforth he seetii 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 }' By the breath of God they perish, (Job iv. 9.) becF.use this seal of the holy blessed God was not kept. But if he be worthy, and ketp 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, and might not be oflcred to God, Lev. xii. 2, 3. and circumcision was ever understood as a consecration of the person to God. Neither calf, lamb, nor kid, was oftlred to God till it was eight days old, for the same reason. Lev. xxii. 21.
Vci>e 1 3. He that is born in thy house] The son of a servant— he that is bought ivith thy /noney — a slave, on his comino' into the ftimilj'. 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 lie came of age to discern the command of God, was obliged to do it.
Verse 1 4. The uncirrtiwcised — shall lie cut ojf from his people] By being cut off, some have imagined that a sudden temporal death was implied; but the simple tncaning seem$ to be, that such.should have no right lo, nor share in, the blessings of tlie covenant, vhich we have already seen were both of a temporal and spiritual kind; and if so, then eternal dtath was implied; for it was impossible for a person vho liad not received the spiritual purification, to enter inlo
16 And I will bless her, " and give thee a son aL;o of her: yea, 1 will bless her, and 'she shall be a viothcr "^ of nations j kings of people shall be of her.
1 7 Then Abraham fell upon his face, " and laughed, and said in his heart. Shall a cJiild be born unto him that. is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
IS And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
eternal glory. The spirit of tins law extends to all ages, dispensations, and people — he whose heart is not piiritied from sin, cannot enter into the kingdom of God. — Reader, on iilidt is thy hope of heaven founded.?
Verse 15. Thou shall nut cull her name Sarai, but Sarah'\— See ■ n verse 5.
. Verse 16. I 'xitl bless her, Sfc] Sarah certainly stands at the head of all the women of the Old Testament, on account of lu-r extraordinary privileges. I am q*ilte of Cahnet's opinion, tiiougli I cannot pusli the parallel so far as he does, that.Sarah was a type of the blessed Virgin. St. Paul consiiiers her a type of the Nevj Testament, and heavenly Jerusalem; and as all true bcliercfs are considered as the children of Abraham,.so z\\ fail/iful, holj/, xoomcn, are considered •the daughters of Sarah, Gal. iv. 22, 24, 26. See also 1 Pet. iii. 6.
Verse 11. Then Abraham — lauahcd] I am astonished to find learned and pious men considering this as a token of Abraham's u-eakness of faith, or unbclUf, when they have the most positive assurance from the Sprit of God himself, that Abraham ivas not v;cak; hut strong, in the fuilh — tliat he atag!;crcd not at the promise through unbelief, but gave glort/ to God, lloni. iv. 1 9, 20. It is true, the same word is used ch. xviii. 12. concerning Sarah, in whom it was certainly a sign of doubtfulne.ss, thou£;h mixed with pleasure at the thought of the po>si!jilily of her becoming a mother; but we know how possible it is lo express both faith and unbelief iii the.same way; a;id even pleasure and disdain h;ive been expressed by a smile or laugh. By laughing, Abrahain undoubtedly expres-ed his ^yy at the prospect of llie liilfilmtnt <if so glorious a promise: and from this very circumstance Isaac had his name. pns» Yitschak, which wc change into Isaac, signifies laughter; and "it is the same worfl which is used in tlie verse before us^ — Abraham fell on his face — pns" va yitschak, and he law^hcd — and to the joy which he kit on this o'.casion, our Lord evidently alludes, John viii. 5G. Your father Abraham KCJOICED to see my day; and he saw it, and uui CiUlD. And to commemorate this joy, which he felt when God gave him the promise, he called his son's name Is-iuc. — See the note on ch. xxi. 6.
19 And God said, '^ Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I Avill establish my co\'enant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and w;ill make him fruitful, and ^ will multiply him exceedingly; ^ twelve princes shall he beget, ' and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac,
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 remaiikable prophecy, which follows in the 20th verse, and which contains an answer to the prayer and wish of Abraiiam — -And as for Iskniacl, I have lieard iliee; so that the object of Abraham's prayer was, that his son Ishmael might be tlie head of a prosperous and potent
Verse 20. Twelve princes shall he beget, IfC."] See the names of these twelve princes, ch. 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 Bislioj) 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 j)eople 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 /athcr 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. 1 he 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 cu.-toms, and are standing monuments to all ages, of the exactness of the divine predictions, and of the veracity of Scripture history. Vv'e maj', with more confidence, believe the particulars related of Abraham and Ishmael, when we see them verified in their po.sterity 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 ch. xvi. 12.
Verse '2 1. My covenant will I establish with Isaac] All temporal good things are promised lo 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 re-
■A.M.vii.r. » which Sarali sliall bear unto thee at ^' ^'' '''•'^' this set time in the next year.. 22 And he left oft' talking '.uth him, and ''God
2~3 ^ And Abraham ♦ took Ishmael his son, and all that -were born in his house, and ail that were bouglit with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's liouse; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the "^ selfsame day, as God had said inito
/erred chiefly to spiritual ihint^s — to the Messiah, and tlie salvation which shoidd he brougiil lo both Jews and Gentiles by his incarnation, death, and glorification.