12.—he will be a wild man; ] Líve in a rambling unsettled state.

- his hand will be against every man,] Ishmael lived by prey and rapine in the wilderness; and his posterity, the Arabs, have all along infested Arabia and the neighbouring countries with their robberies and incursions. They live in a state of continual war with the rest of the world; and are both robbers by land, and pirates by sea. As they have been such enemies to mankind, it is no wonder that mankind have been enemies to them again.

The Arabs, says a modern traveller, are naturally thievish and treacherous: and it sometimes happens that those very persons are overtaken and pillaged in the morning, who were entertained the night before with friendship and hospitality. Neither are they to be accused for plundering strangers only, and attacking almost every person they find unarmed; but for those many implacable and hereditary animosities, which continually subsist among them; literally fulfilling to this day the prophecy to Hagar; that "Ishmael should be a wild man; his hand should be against every man, and every man's hand against him."

-

and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.] Shall tabernacle; for many of the Arabs dwell in tents, and are therefore called Scenites, from a Greek word signifying a tent. They dwelt in tents in the wilderness as long ago as Isaiah's and Jeremiah's time; Is. xiii. 20. Jer. iii. 2. and they do the same at this day. This is very extraordinary, that "his hand should be against every man's, and every man's hand against him;" and yet that he should be able to "dwell in the presence of all his brethren": but extraordinary as it was, this also hath been accomplished both in the person of Ishmael and in his posterity. As for Ishmael himself the sacred historian relates, Chap. xxv. 18. that "he died in the presence of all his brethren." As for his posterity, they dwelt likewise in the presence of all their brethren, the descendants of Abraham. They still subsist a distinct people, and inhabit the country of their forefathers; they have from first to last maintained their indepenslency; and notwithstanding the most powerful efforts for their destruction, still dwell in the presence of all their brethren, and in the presence of all their enemies.

13.-seest me:] Or, takest care of me.

CHAP. XVII.

Verse 5. Neither shall thy name &c.] God promises Abram that he should be " a father of inany nations," and therefore now changes his name to Abraham, which signifies a father of a great multitude.

10. This is my covenant,] This which I am about to mention is a sign or token of the covenant; as the Paschal Lamb is called "the Passover of the Lord," that is, the memorial of the Angel's passing them by, when he smote the Egyptians. But circumcision was such a sign, that they entered thereby into a covenant with God to be His people. For it was not a mere mark, whereby they should be known to be Abraham's seed, and distinguished from other nations; but they were made by this the children of the covenant, and entitled to the blessings of it. This mark was fitly chosen, because it was such a token as no man would have set upon himself, and upon his children, unless it were for faith and religion's sake.

One great end of circumcision was, to keep them from idolatry; and to put them in mind of the covenant made with Abraham, and with every one that was circumcised, that he would worship no other God but the true God.

12. he that is eight days old] The eighth day is the time of circumcision among the Jews. Levit. xii. 3. Luke ii. 21. Phil. iii. 5. Circumcision was a type of Baptism. Christians therefore ought not to defer baptizing their children so long as they often do.

14.-that soul shall be cut off] The meaning of this phrase is much disputed. The simplest sense seems to be, he shall not be accounted one of God's people.

15.-Sarah] "Sarah" means a princess, or the princess, that is, of many nations.

17.-laughed,] Not doubting of the promise, for the Apostle tells us the contrary, Rom. iv. 19. but out of his great joy and admiration. He is therefore not censured for it, as Sarah is, Chap.xviii. A reference seems to be made to this by our Saviour, John viii. 56.

18.-0 that Ishmael might live before thee!] I believe, O Lord, as Thou sayest, that my old age shall be blessed with farther issue, for which Thou wilt reserve Thy special favour. But let not Ishmael, the son Thou hast given me already, be cast out and neglected by Thee: let it please Thee to continue him also to me, with much prosperity.

19.-Isaac:] Which signifies in the Hebrew he has, or shall laugh. He was so called, not from Sarah's laughter, Chap. xviii. 12. but from Abraham's joy.

20. twelve princes shall he beget,] This circumstance is very particular, but it was punctually

fulfilled. Moses has given the names of these twelve princes Chap. xxv. 13, 16. by which we are to understand, not that they were so many distinct sovereigns, but heads of clans or tribes.

21. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac,] My spiritual covenant: Chap. xii. 3. As for the temporal covenant, or promise, Ishmael was marié as much partaker of it as Isaac. St. Paul points out a material difference between these two sons of Abraham. He says that Ishmael, the son of the bond-woman, was born only according to the flesh, in the common course of nature; but that Isaac was born by virtue of the promise, and by the particular interposition of the Divine Power: And that these two sons of Abraham were designed to represent the two covenants of the Law and of the Gospel; the former a state of bondage, the latter of freedom. Gal. iv. 22, 31.

CHAP. XVIII.

Verse 2.-three men] Three persons, whom he took to be men.

5.-a morsel of bread,] Rather, a loaf of bread; comprehending all necessary provision at a meal.

6.- make cakes upon the hearth,] Modern travellers tell us, that in Eastern countries, as soon as the dough is kneaded, it is made into thin cakes, which are either immediately baked upon the coals, or else in a shallow earthen vessel like a frying pan. Such were the cakes which Sarah made quickly on the hearth.

7.-Abraham ran unto the herd,] It is no disgrace here, says a modern traveller, for persons of the highest character to busy themselves in what we should reckon menial employments. The greatest prince of these countries is not ashamed to fetch a lamb from his herd, and kill it, whilst the princess is impatient till she hath prepared her fire and kettle to dress it. The custom, that still continues, of walking barefoot or only with sandals, requires the ancient compliment of bringing water, upon the arrival of a stranger, to wash his feet, which is generally done by the master of the family.

10.-according to the time of life;] According to the usual time that passes from the conception to the birth of a child.

12.-Sarah laughed] Not as Abraham for joy, but out of distrust: having a greater regard to the order of nature than to God's promise. Abraham laughed because he believed it would be so; Sarah because she believed it could not be so: the same act varies in the manner of doing, and the intention of the doer.

15.-for she was afraid.] This natural fear of Sarah's, accompanied with confusion at being

discovered, betrayed her into this denial, and so caused her to add one sin to another. For this reason perhaps it is, that when the Apostle proposes Sarah as a pattern of obedience to women, he at the same time cautions them against the fear by which she fell. "Whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." 1. Pet. iii. 6.

-Nay; but thou didst laugh.] Sarah only laughed within herself, and is betrayed. How easily can God discover even our most secret sins!

19.-that he will command his children &c.] This was the great glory of Abraham next to his being "the friend of God," that he was "the father of the faithful." And the careful education of children" in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" is so honourable to parents, that God Himself would not pass it by in Abraham without special mention of it to his everlasting commendation. Parents and masters of families, from this example, may learn their duty to instruct their children and servants in the way of the Lord.

21. I will go down &c.] In this passage God speaks after the manner of men; using the language of a good judge, who never passes sentence, much less executes it, till he hath examined the

cause.

32.-I will not destroy it for ten's sake.] The conduct of Abraham on this occasion furnishes a powerful instance of the efficacy of well-directed prayer. Though Abraham did not succeed for the guilty Sodom, his intercession was powerful to save Lot, and the righteous part of his family. And one of the five cities, Zoar, as appears by the next chapter, was saved by the sole intercessions of Lot. These are remarkable and comfortable instances of the mighty efficacy of intercession before the throne of grace. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," not only for himself, but for his family and friends, and for his country, and even for strangers. While the destruction of Sodom, because there were not ten righteous found therein, furnishes a most awful and awakening example, that every obstinate and incorrigible sinner is not only an enemy to himself, but to his family, and to his country, by contributing to swell the tide of national guilt, which will not fail to end in national calamity, whenever the measure of the iniquity of the individuals, that compose the community, shall come to the full.

CHAP. XIX.

Sooner or later, in this life or in the next, a deliverance similar to that of Lot will be granted

F

to the righteous: a destruction, answering to that of Sodom, will be the portion of the wicked. For, as St. Peter argues on the subject, "If God turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked;-the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished."

Verse 3.-unleavened bread,] be soonest ready.

Because it would

5.-that we may know them.] This vile sin, so hateful to God, and repugnant to human nature, continued among the Gentiles till the Apostle's time, as appears from Rom. i. 27. and 1 Cor. vi. 9. It was expressly forbidden by the Law of Moses, Levit. xviii. 22. and thereby made capital, Levit. xx. 13. as it is also by our English laws.

8. Behold now, I have two daughters &c.] If we may not do any evil to procure a positive good, much less may we do one evil, to avoid another. Lot should have resolved, rather to suffer any evil, than to do any. He should rather have risked his own life, and theirs too, in protecting the chastity of his daughters, and the safety of his guests; than have offered to expose his daughters to the lusts of the Sodomites, though it were to redeem his guests from the abuse of more abominable filthiness. There is no perplexity, no necessity, no obligation, no expediency, which should either inforce or persuade us to any sin. The resolution," Let us do evil that good may come," is pronounced by an Apostle to be worthy of condemnation.

--for therefore came they &c.] That they might be protected by me from any ill usage.

10. the men] That is, the Angels in the form of men, who were in Lot's house. They are called men also. Ver. 12.

14.- he seemed as one that mocked] So also do preachers of righteousness commonly seem to wicked and ungodly men: To them preaching seems foolishness, devotion idleness, and Prophets madmen.

16.- lingered,] How apt is the sinner to linger and to put off his repentance! How often is God forced, as it were, to arrest him by sickness or some grievous calamity, and so to drag him from perdition!

22.-I cannot do any thing] Having made thee this promise, I must defer the vengeance till thou art safe there. "Zoar" signifies little: for the name of it was Bela before. Chap. xiv. 2.

25.-overthrew those cities,] The plain where these cities stood was afterwards overflowed by the waters of the Jordan, which formed "the dead

sea," or "Lake of Sodom," called also" the Lake Asphaltites, because of the Asphaltus or Bitumen, with which it abounded; and the Salt Sea," because the Hebrews call nitre and bitumen salt.

26. But his wife looked back] She not only lagged behind, but turned about and stood still, bewailing and regretting perhaps, the loss of the cities. There are in Lot's story two very notable memorials of God's judgment. The Lake of Sodom, and Lot's wife's pillar. The one, the punishment of resolute sin; the other of faint virtue. The Sodomites are an example of impenitent wilful sinners: and Lot's wife, of unpersevering and relapsing righteous persons.

- a pillar of salt.] It is probable that some of the dreadful shower, which destroyed the cities, overtook her; and falling upon her, wrapped her body in a sheet of salt and sulphureous matter; which hardened into a crust, and made her appear like a pillar of salt, her body being, as it were, candied with it. Josephus, the Jewish historian, says, that the pillar was remaining in his time.

31.-there is not a man &c.] No one of our family and kindred in the land we are in, whom we may marry, and have children by.

33.-made their father drink wine] We must be convinced of the frailty of nature, without the grace of God, when we read the account of Lot's intemperance after so great a deliverance; and if we have any concern for our salvation, we shall dread a vice, which will lead a man to the greatest crimes. 36. Thus were both the daughters of Lot &c.] Nothing can excuse the horrible wickedness of Lot's daughters. We should remember however, that all through the Old Testanient, women were more than usually desirous of having children, in hopes of giving birth to the Messiah, the promised " seed of the woman, who should bruise the serpent's head." It is probable that the sacred writer in relating this and other histories (such as the solicitude of Isaac to remove the barrenness of Rebekah, the contention between the wives of Jacob, &c.) was desirous of showing, that the expectation of this great object of the Jewish hopes prevailed in all times, and influenced the opinions and manners of every generation.

CHAP. XX.

Verse 3.-thou art but a dead man,] That is, thou shalt certainly die if thou restore not Abraham his wife.

4.-a righteous nation?] That is, me and my people, who have not knowingly done any thing wrong in taking this woman.

6. I also withheld thee from sinning] The mercy of God is to be acknowledged whenever He graciously withholds any man from running into

those sins, to which his own corrupt nature would carry him.

10. What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?] What didst thou observe in my country, that made thee think we would meddle with thy wife? What tokens of injustice or impurity didst thou see among us?

16.- he is to thee a covering of the eyes,] By way of gentle reproof Abimelech advises her not to use any more artifices by disowning Abraham for her husband; but to place herself under his care, which would be a protection to her; or (as the words may signify) to wear a veil over her face, in token of her being a married woman, to prevent such misfortunes for the future.

17.-healed Abimelech,] Removed the cause of barrenness from Abimelech and his family, which seems to have been inflicted on him in mercy to prevent him from committing sin with Sarah,

CHAP. XXI.

Verse 1. visited Sarah] Bestowed on her the promised blessing. Chap. xvii. 19, and xviii. 10. The word "visit" signifies, either, in a bad sense, to inflict punishment (Exod. xx. 5.) or, in a good sense as here, to confer blessings. (Exod. iii. 16.) 6.-to laugh,] That is, to rejoice exceedingly. 9.- the son of Hagar-mocking.] He derided perhaps the festivity observed at Isaac's weaning, looking on himself as the first born.

12. in Isauc shall thy seed be called.] The promised seed, the Messiah, shall not descend from Ishmael, but from Isaac.

14.- bread, and a bottle of water,] Which includes all sort of provision for their present necessity, till they came to the place, to which, in all probability, he directed them. Their wandering about in the desert, appears to have been the effect of their accidentally mistaking their way; and not to have been intended by Abraham.

-and the child,] Ishmael, though called "a child," was not less than sixteen or seventeen years old; and was consequently a youth capable of being a support to his mother. See note on

Jer. i. 6.

any hard usage in their ejectment. Whatever was the nature of their offence, there is no reason to accuse Abraham's conduct; since it was pursuant to a Divine direction, was agreeable to the practice of the times, and no more than what other fathers in those days imposed upon their younger

sons.

25.-reproved Abimelech] Before he sware, he thought it necessary to settle a right understanding between them: and therefore argued with Abimelech about a well of water, digged by Abraham's servants, which Abimelech's had injuriously taken from him.

27.-Abraham took-and gave them &c] In token of amity, or as an expression of gratitude. Presents are considered in the East to be essential to humane and civil intercourse: they are so much a part of Eastern manners, that without them an inferior will never be at peace in his own mind, or think that he has a hold of his superior for his favour and protection. The refusing of a present in that country (however it is understood in ours) is just as great an affront, as coming into the presence of a superior without a present at all.

30. And he said, For these seven &c.] That is, thy acceptance of these seven lambs shall be an acknowledgment, that this well belongs to me.

31.-Beer-sheba ;] That is, The well of the oath. The greatest length of the land of Israel is denoted in Scripture by the distance from Beer-sheba, in the South, to Dan, in the North.

33.- planted a grove] For a solemn and retired place wherein to worship God. Hence, some think the custom of planting groves was derived to the Gentiles: who so profaned them by images, and filthiness, and sacrifices to dæmons, that God commanded them, by the Law of Moses, to be cut down.

CHAP. XXII.

Verse 1.-God did tempt Abraham,] That is, prove or try him, as the word here used signifies in Deut. viii. 2. and xiii. 3. that it might be known to others what Abraham was. See Ver. 12.

2. Take now-thine only son] A hard thing, even had it been Ishmael: but this was his only son by Sarah, and the child of promise. This command was a noble manifestation of Abraham's faith and obedience. Severe as it was, he duti fully submitted and obeyed, because it was the command of God.

upon one of the mountains] God approved of men worshipping and sacrificing upon mountains or high places, till they were profaned, as the groves were, see note on Chap. xxi. 33. and then He commanded Abraham's posterity not to worship in high places.

3.-went unto the place of which God had told him.] Isaac was the very person to whom God had promised signal blessings and a numerous posterity: so that the former promises and the last command seemed to contradict each other, and consequently might have staggered a less confirmed piety than that of Abraham. He concluded that God would provide some method to reconcile this seemingly cruel command with His goodness and with His promises. And this method

could be no other than to raise up Isaac, and to restore him to a second life. Upon this supposition, the immorality and the cruelty of killing a son would be removed, and the death of Isaac would be only a short sleep followed by a resurrection. "Abraham," says the Apostle to the Hebrews," offered up his son, accounting that God was able to raise him from the dead: from whence also he received him in a figure." That is, Abraham was persuaded, that God could raise his son from the dead, and according to his faith it was done unto him: he did receive him raised from the dead, in a figurative sense, when the sentence of his death was recalled, and when he brought him away from the altar.

12. for now I know that thou fearest God,] Before this, God had declared, "I know Abraham." Chap. xviii. 19. But now He knew him by a new proof: and, which is the constant scripture-sense of His trying any one, He manifested him by the trial to angels, to men, to himself.

14.-Jehovah jirah:] That is, The Lord will see or provide. God having there provided a ram for a sacrifice, instead of Isaac.

obedience. It is to no purpose to believe the Gospel, if by our practice we contradict it. Both faith and obedience are jointly necessary to salvation: and what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.

19. So Abraham returned] The sacrifice of Isaac should be viewed in the resemblance which it hath to that of Christ. No wonder it was so extraordinary a transaction in itself, since it was intended to prefigure the most extraordinary and mysterious one that the world ever saw. In both cases we see a kind Father causing his beloved, only, and innocent Son to suffer death. Isaac was heir to the promises of the temporal Canaan : through Christ we claim the inheritance of the heavenly. Isaac carried the wood, on which he was bound, in order to be offered up: Christ carried the cross, on which He was afterwards nailed and put to death. Isaac disputed not his father's will, though it was to cost him his life: Jesus Christ became obedient even to death. The place where God appointed the former should die, and where the latter died actually, was the very same. And the lamb, which Abraham said "God would provide," naturally turns our thoughts to Him, whom the Baptist calls the Lamb of God.

These things indeed the Patriarch could not understand, unless they were revealed to him: for the likeness of two objects cannot be discerned, till both appear. Perhaps he was told the intent; and thus " saw the day" of Christ, and "was glad."

CHAP. XXIII.

Verse 3.- from before his dead,] That is, from the place where he sate mourning over the dead. 6.- in the choice of our sepulchres] Meaning perhaps, the choicest or best.

10.- of all that went in at the gate of his city,] That is, of all the citizens or inhabitants.

The gates of cities were the places where the governors and elders met to hear complaints, administer justice, and transact public affairs. Hence that passage in the Psalmist, "They shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate;" that is, when they are accused by them before the court of magistrates.

15.-four hundred shekels] The value of the shekel is not exactly known: but it appears from Josephus, the Jewish historian, to have been something less than half-a-crown of our money.

CHAP. XXIV.

Verse 2.-Put-thy hand under my thigh:] A rite used in those days when a man took an oath. Chap. xlvii. 29. Some think that putting the hand under the thigh was a token of subjection and homage, done by a servant to his lord.