Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Commentary · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
1. The Method.
THis Chapter hath two parts: first, the taking away of Sara Abrahams wife, vers. 1. 2. Secondly, the restoring of her againe: where first is set downe the admonition of Abimelech in a dreame, vers. 3. to 8. then Abimeleches expostulating with Abraham. Thirdly, Abrahams defence, vers. 9. to 14. Fourthly, the restitution of Sarah with large gifts, vers. 14. to 17. Lastly, Abrahams thankfulnesse in praying unto God, and the effect of his prayer, vers. 17, 18.
2. The divers readings.
Ch. cor. S.c.v. 1. Dwelt betweene Recam and Agara. C. betweene Cades and S…r. caet.
v. 2. He feared to say she is my wife, lest the men of the City should stay him for her sake: this is added by the Septuag. which the other have not.
S.H. ad. S. det. Ch. ad. S.C. ad.v. 4. Wilt thou stay the ignorant and just Nation? S.H. the righteous Nation. cater.
v. 5. God came unto Abimelech by night. S. the word came from the face of the Lord to Abimelech in a vision of the night. Ch. the Lord came to Abimelech by a dreame in the night. caeter.
v. 6. The Lord said unto him by dreame. Ch. S. the Lord said unto him, caet. I spared thee. S. I kept thee. H.B.G. I did prohibite thee. T. C. P. chasach. to prohibite.
diff. verb…r.v. 9. That worke that no man ever did, hast thou done to me. S. things which were not worthy to be done. Ch. which are not wont to be done. P. which thou oughtest not to have done. caeter. heb. which shall not be done.
v. 13. When God brought me out of my fathers house. S.H. when God caused me to wander out of my fathers house:Ch. ad. caet. when the people erred after the works of their hands, the Lord applyed me to his feare out of my fathers house. Ch.
S. ad.v. 14. Abimelech tooke a thousand drachma, shillings. S. the rest have not these words.
v. 11. A thousand didrachma. S. a thousand silverlings. H.B.G. a thousand sickles. C. a thousand sickles of silver, Tr. heb. a thousand of silver.
T.….r.v. 16. These things shall be for the price of thy face. S. this shall be a vaile to thine eyes. H.B. this shall bee a vaile of honour. C. he shall be a vaile to thine eyes. T. G.
S.H.c. …. ad.v. 16. Speake all things truly. S. whither soever thou goest, remember thou wast deprehended. H. because I have sent to take thee, and have seene thee in all things, which thou hast said, be thou rebuked. Ch. was thus reproved. B.G. and all this is, that thou maist be learned. T. heb. she reproved her selfe.
v. 17. They were refreshed. C. they bare children. caet. heb. jalad: to bring forth.
3. The Explanation of doubts.
QVEST. I. Wherefore Abraham removed from the Plaine of Mamre, where he had so long dwelt.
Vers. 1. AFterward Abraham departed thence toward the South Countrey, &c. Abraham had now dwelled in the Plaine of Mamre above fourteene yeare before Ismael was borne, who was thirteene yeares old when he was circumcised, Gen. 17.25. Now he removeth from thence, not because of any famine, as Pererius thinketh, for the Scripture maketh mention but of one famine to have fallen in Abrahams dayes, Gen. 26.1, 2. nor yet for hospitality sake, as some Hebrewes: for he was now a sojourner in a strange Countrey. 3. Nor yet forced through the injuries and wrongs offered by his neighbours. 4. But it is most like, that the fearefull spectacle of the ruine of Sodome, with the pestilent and unwholesome ayre thereof rising, moved Abraham to change his dwelling: God so disposing, that Abraham should not continue alwayes in one place, as a possessor, but shift from place to place, as a stranger and sojourner.
QVEST. II. Of the desart of Shur.
Vers. 1. HE dwelt betweene Cadesh and Shur. 1. Those were the names of two desarts: the wildernesse of Shur, was that, into the which the Israelites entred, when they had passed over the red Sea, Exod. 15.22. 2. It is the same which is called the desart of Ethan, as T…status proveth against Lyranus: as may appeare by comparing Exod. 15.22. with Numb. 33.8. 2. This place of Abrahams dwelling is called afterward Beersheba, Gen. 22.32. Iunius.
QVEST. III. Of Gerar where Abraham sojourned.
SOjourned in Gerar. 1. This was the South bounds of Palestina, as is evident, Gen. 10.19. Sidon, Gerar, Sodome, Lasha, are set downe as the foure utmost parts of the Countrey of Canaan: Sidon, Gerar, from the North to the South on the West side; Sodome, Lasha, from the South to the North-eastward. 2. This Gerar was at the first a kingdome by it selfe, distinguished from the five principalities of the Philistians, Iun. It was the chiefe City of the region called Gerarti…, Hierome. 3. Here Abraham did sojourne with Isaack twenty five yeares; from hence he went to sacrifice his sonne in the land of Moriah, Gen. 22.1. Perer.
QVEST. IV. How Sara retained her favour and beauty at ninetie yeares of age.
Vers. 2. ABimelech sent and tooke Sara. Sara was now ninety yeares old, how could she at these yeares retaine such beauty, as that she should be desired of Kings? 1. Neither is the history transported, as Lyranus thinketh upon this reason: for Abraham removed not from the Plaine of Mamre, till after the overthrow of Sodome. 2. Some thinke that this beauty in Sara was miraculous, as the Hebrewes. 3. But we need not seeke a miracle, other reasons may be alleaged; 1. Women then at ninety might be as fresh, as now, at forty: for as seventy or eighty is now the full age of women, so then they lived an hundred and thirty: Sara died at an hundred twenty seven yeares, Perer. 2. Moderate diet, and chaste life, might be a great helpe: but especially Gods blessing, as Moses, Iosua, Caleb, retained their strength and vigor in their old age, Deut. 34.7. Ios. 14.11. Luther. And as Sarah had a childe at ninety, so it is like her favour and colour was, as it useth to be in childe-bearing women, Mercer. 3. The not bearing, or nursing of children was a great meane to preserve her favour, Perer. 4. Her inward parts and other womenly gifts might commend her, as well as her favour: and this comelinesse of her person was a singular gift from God among the rest, Calvin. These reasons may be yeelded that Sarah at those yeares did keepe her beautie, which consisteth of three things, the softnesse of the flesh, the smoothnesse of the skinne, the sweetnesse or freshnesse of the colour, Perer.
QVEST. V. Why the Lord dealt more mercifully with Abimelech than with Pharao.
Vers. 3. GOd came to Abimelech. The Lord dealeth more mercifully with Abimelech than with Pharao, for the like offence: Pharao was not admonished by dreame, but forced by plagues to confesse his sinne, Gen. 12. 1. We need not with Rupertus, to runne to allegories: who by these two afflictions of Abraham in the taking away of his wife, would have the two captivities of the Israelites signified: one in Egypt, where the Egyptians suffered many plagues, the other under the Chaldeans, from whence they were delivered by Cyrus with good conditions. 2. Neither is the reason hereof, because Pharao was a more wicked King, though Abimelech seeme to bee the honester man: for the beginning of Gods mercy is from him, not from us. 3. But the difference of this proceeding commeth from the mercifull disposition of God; who will have mercy on whom he will, Rom. 9.15.
QVEST. VI. Of divine dreames and the diversity thereof.
Vers. 3. IN a dreame by night. 1. The visions which are shewed in the day are more excellent than those which fall upon men in the night, if all other circumstances be alike: not onelyonly for that, it must be a greater propheticall power, which can sequester the soule from the thoughts and cares of the day wherein it is occupied, than in the silence of the night, which is Aquinas reason, but because all the powers of the soule, when the body is watching, are in their operation and working, and so better prepared for heavenly contemplation: an argument hereof may be this; that dreames in the night have beene shewed to naturall and carnall men, as to Pharao, Nebuchadnezer; but visions of the day are shewed to the faithfull, as to Daniel and Peter, Act. 10. 2. Yet the person of Abimelech considered, who was in the day occupied in the affaires of his kingdome, the night was a fitter season for him to be drawne to heavenly meditation, Muscul. 3. There are two sorts of divine dreames,Divine dreams how to be …. one which is by representations and similitudes of other things, such were the dreames of Pharao and Nebuchadnezer; the other is a more excellent kinde, when one heareth God speake to him, as Abimelech here, or an Angell, as Ioseph, Matth. 1. or some man, as Paul, Act. 16.9. And these more noble dreames, are for the most part shewed to the servants of God, Perer. 4. But we must take heed, that we ascribe not too much to dreames, and to make those divine that are not, which may be thus discerned. 1. The dreames which God sendeth are good and godly, not favouring of any carnall thing. 2. They are sent upon grave and weighty occasions. 3. And for the most part to men fearing God. 4. And they leave a certaine perswasion and inward sense of God… presence in the soule, Muscul.
QVEST. VII. Why the Lord saith of Abraham, he is a Prophet.
Vers. 7. DEliver the man his wife againe, for he is a Prophet, and he shall pray, &c. 1. Some make this clause, for he is a Prophet, a reason of the former sentence, of delivering his wife: because he being a Prophet did know that he had not come neare her, and therefore Abimelech need not doubt to deliver her, Iunius, Perer. 2. Or he is a Prophet and deare unto me, and the wrong offered to him▪ I will revenge as done unto my selfe, Iun. 3. Because he is a Prophet, marvell not that this punishment is laid upon thee, for doing wrong to such an excellent man, Calvin. 4. But it is better referred to the words following: he is a Prophet and an holy man, and therefore shall pray for thee, and his prayers shall prevaile, Musculus.
QUEST. VIII. Of divers kindes of prophesying.
THis word Prophet, or to prophesie, is diversly taken in Scripture. 1. He is called a Prophet to whom things secret and hid, were revealed, and the knowledge of things to come by the spirit of God: such in times past were called seers, 1 Sam. 9.9. 2. They were called Prophets among the heathen, whosoever could foretell things to come, as some did by the subtilty of Satan: so Saint Paul calleth Epimenides, the Cretensian Prophet, Tit. 1.3. Thirdly, they were called Prophets, that had a speciall gift to indite hymnes and songs to the praise of God, 1 Chron. 25.3. Ieduthun is said to have prophesied upon the harpe. 4. They were said to prophesie, which did imitate onelyonly the Prophets outward gesture, when they were beside themselves; as Saul prophesied, when the evill spirit came upon him, 1 Sam. 18.10. that is his outward gesture and behaviour, was as of a man beside himselfe. 5. They were so called Prophets, that were Expounders and Interpreters of Scriptures; so is it taken, 1 Cor. 14. so Aaron was Moses Prophet, Exod. 7.1. that is, his spokesman, Exod. 3.16.
QVEST. IX. Two sorts of Prophets.
BUt a Prophet is taken properly the first way; whereof there were two sorts. 1. They were called Prophets, which had secrets revealed unto them to publish by writing and preaching to the people: and in this sense the word Nabi a Prophet, commeth of Nub, which is to speake. 2. They also were called Prophets, who though they preached not, yet God revealed many things unto them, and used them familiarly: and in this sense Nabi shall be derived of ban, which is to understand: of this sort was Abraham a Prophet. To stat. Oleaster. ex Perer.
QVEST. X. How Sarah is said to be Abrahams sister.
Vers. 12. YEt in very deed she is my sister, &c. 1. Neither is their opinion sound, that thinke Sarah to have beene Abrahams owne sister by his father, not by his mother: sic Lyppoman, Satus, Cajetanus: for such mariages were not in use among the faithfull in Abrahams time. 2. Neither was she the daughter of Terah his brother, adopted by Terah: for Abraham saith, she was the daughter of his father. 3. Therefore Chrysostomes sentence is to have bin preferred, that holdeth Sara to have bin the daughter of Haran Arbahams brother, whom Thare had by one woman, Abraham by another: this Haran died a long time before his father,Chrys hom. 45. in Gen. so that Sarah after the death of her father, might very well be called the daughter of Terah, because he was her grandfather, and he was also in stead of her father being dead. 5. And whereas Abraham saith, In very deed shee is my sister… he saith not that she was properly his sister, being his Neece, but he saith, In very deed, to free himselfe from the suspition of lying. See more of this matter, Gen. 11.4.18.
QVEST. XI. How much the sickle was in values.
Vers. 16. A Thousand peeces or sickles of silver. The common sickle neither was of so little value, as one Ribera affirmeth out of Budeus, as equivolent to the Atticke drachma, or groat, which is the eighth part of an ounce. 2. Nor yet doth it countervaile foure drachmaes or groats, as Iosephus. 3. Nor an whole ounce, as Hierome. 4. But the common sickle doth weigh ten gerahs: the sickle of the Sanctuary was double, of twenty gerahs in weight: Exod. 30.13. and every gerah did weigh sixteene barley cornes: so that the common sickle did weigh 160. barley cornes, that is two drachmaes and somewhat more, Iunius. and therefore the 70. translate the sickle didrachma, a double groat: that is a quarter of an ounce, about fourteene pence starling.
QVEST. XII. Who is said to be the vaile of Sarahs eyes.
Vers. 16. HE is a vaile of thine eyes to all that are with thee, &c. 1. This is neither to be referred to the gift which Abimelech gave. 1. As though he had given it for a recompence for taking Sarah away, as the Septuagint read, and Chrysostome expoundeth. 2. Or to buy Sarah and her maid vailes to hide their beauty, that others be not intangled, ex Perer. 3. Or that it was a gift of honour, to shew that Sarah was both chaste and innocent. Latine translat. and the great Bible: so also Rasi.
2. It is not understood of this excuse or dissimulation which Sarah used, as though the sense should be this: that she might use this vaile or colour of the truth among her ownr: for they could not bee deceived, but among strangers she should plainly confesse her selfe to be Abrahams wife, Lyranus, T…status: for what needed Sarah to use any such excuse, where she was knowne?
3. Some doe referre it as well to Abraham, as to the gift, and to all that now hapned, that they were signes of Sarahs chastity, Mercer.
But the better interpretation is, to apply it to Abraham, that he should be the veile of her eyes. 1. That no man knowing her to be Abrahams wife, should looke upon her to desire her. Aben Ezra, Caje…n. 2. It also putteth Sara in minde of her subjection to Abraham, whereof the veile is a signe, 1 Cor. 11.…0. 3. Oleaster also further stretcheth it; that Abraham was her veile, that is, her just excuse, that she did this, for his cause, being by him perswaded: but the former exposition is the better.
QUEST. XIII. How Sarah was reproved.
SHe was thus reproved. 1. The 70. reade, speake the truth, that is, that I am innocent, and touched the… no…: but this reading dissenteth from the originall. 2. So doth the Latine; remember thou art deprehended: Lyppoman saith, it should be read reprehensam, reprehended, not deprehensam, deprehended. 3. Iunius readeth, all this is done that thou maist be learned. 4. But the better reading is, all this was, that she… might be reproved, or in all this she reproved her selfe: so that they seeme to be the words rather of the writer concerning Sarah, than of Abimelech to Sarah.
QUEST. XIV. Whether Abimelech were smitten with any disease.
Vers. 17. GOd healed Abimelech, &c. for the Lord had shut up every wombe. 1. Aben Ezra is not right, that thinketh, that Abimelech himselfe was stricken with no disease: but that he is said so to be, because his wife and maidens were punished: for the text it selfe saith, that God healed Abimelech: and it is most like, that God sent upon him some infirmity in his secrets, whereby he was kept from comming neare to Sarah.
QUEST. XV. What the shutting up of the wombe signifieth.
2. THe shutting up of the wombe, is not to bee understood (as Pererius doth) of the difficulty of bringing forth: for then the children being ready for birth, and staying longer than their time, should have beene suffocated: and the text saith, the Lord had shut up every wombe: but all were not great with childe at one instant. Neither need we with Calvin, because in so short a time (Sarah being conceived with childe of Isaack, and not yet delivered) there could be no experience or triall of their sterility and barrennesse, to say the history is transposed, and was done before: for Abraham till now had no occasion to sojourne in Gerar: therefore the meaning is, that the women were hindred from conception, so signifieth the shutting up of the wombe: as the opening of the wombe betokeneth aptnes to conceive: as we reade, Gen. 29.31. The Hebrewes affirme, that not onelyonly in the women, but the men also all their pores and passages were stopped, as well of the mouth to take meat, as of other places that expell them:Hebrewes fansies. and that the hens could not lay their egges: but the text beareth it not.
4. Places of Doctrine.
1. Doct. Adultery a sinne punishable with death.
Vers. 3. THou art but dead, &c. God threatneth death to Abimelech conditionally, if he did not restore Abrahams wife, Iun. whereby we see, that in the justice of God, adulterie is a sinne to be punished by death: as Iudas adjudged Thamar to the fire for whoredome, Gen. 38.24. Where the law then is more gentle, than to inflict the punishment of death upon adulterers, they may thanke the lenity of the Magistrate, which useth not that rigour which may well stand with justice.
2. Doct. Ignorance excuseth not sinne.
Vers. 6. I Kept thee, that thou shouldest not sinne against mee, &c. Abimelech then if hee had touched Sarai, though he did not know her to be anothers wife, had sinned: ignorance then excuseth not sinne, though it doe some what extenuate and qualifie it, Muscul. as it is in the Gospell, He that knew not his masters will, and yet did commit many things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes, Luk. 12.48. he that sinneth willingly shall receive more stripes, and he that falleth of ignorance shall have some also.
3. Doct. The whole family blessed because of the Master.
Vers. 7. THou shalt die the death, and all thou hast: as the sin of the Master of the house bringeth a judgement upon the whole familie; so the Lord also sheweth mercy to the whole house for the masters sake. Luk. 19.9. This day is salvation come into this house, because he is become the sonne of Abraham.
5. Places of confutation.
1. Confut. No perfect righteousnesse in this life.
Vers. 5. WIth an upright minde, and innocent hands, &c. This place is no ground for their opinion, that thinke a man in this life may attaine to perfect justice: for Abimelech doth not absolutely cleare himselfe from all sinne: but onelyonly in this particular, in this degree of sinne, that he had not committed willingly any act of uncleannesse with Sarah, Calvin: as the Prophet David useth to plead for himselfe, Psal. 7.3. If I have done this thing, if there be any wickednesse in my hands, &c. he onelyonly purgeth himselfe from the suspition of a particular fact.
2. Confut. The Scripture sendeth us not to pray to the dead, but to be holpen by the prayers of the living.
V…s. 7. HE is a Prophet, and shall pray for thee, &c. Neither doth this place make for the invocation of Saints that are departed: for God sendeth not Abimelech to Noah, or any other departed to pray for him, but to Abraham then living, Calvin. The living then may pray for the living, which duty may be mutually performed in charity, while one knoweth anothers necessities. But for the living to pray to, or for the dead, which know not their wants, and they are already certainly disposed of in an unchangeable state, as the living are not, it hath no warrant upon any precept or example of Scripture, or any sound reason drawne from thence.
3. Confut. Against the heresie of the Tritheists.
Vers. 13. WHen God caused me to wander out of my fathers house, &c. The word is …lohim, Gods, in the plurall number, which maketh some to understand the Angels: Vatablus, Calvin: but God, and not the Angels first called Abraham from his Country & fathers house, Act. 7.3. Some thinke that Abraham thus spake according to the phrase and speech of the heathen: but Abraham doth every where professe himselfe by erecting of altars, a worshipper of the onelyonly true God. Wherefore this place is truly translated, God caused me: sic P.T.B.G.S.H. onelyonly the Chalde readeth in the plurall number very corruptly, when the people erred after the works of their hands. Notwithstanding this text doth no wayes favour the heresie of the Tritheists, that make divers Gods: for in that here a verbe of the plurall number, hi… g…, is joyned with elohim, it sheweth the Trinity of persons: in that sometime a verbe of the singular number is put unto it: as Gen. 1.1. bara: it betokeneth the unity of the God-head.
6. Places of Morall observation.
1. Observ. The righteous may fall often into the same infirmity.
Vers. 2. ABraham said of Sarah, she is my sister. Abraham had once thus offended before, and had forgotten by this pretence, what danger Sarah was like to have beene brought into, and yet he falleth into the same infirmity againe. Therefore it is sometime seene, that even the children of God may in the same thing shew their weaknesse often, Calvin. As Iehosaphat being reproved by Iehu for joyning in league with Ahab, did forget himselfe, and was afterward confederate with his wicked sonne Ahaziah, and was the second time reproved by Eliazer another Prophet, 2 Chron. 19.2. and 20.37.
2. Observ. Good Princes doe submit themselves to their lawes.
Vers. 9. ABimelech said to Abraham, what hast thou done, &c. Abimelech signifieth, my father the King: which sheweth, that Kings at the beginning were fathers, and nourishers of their Countrey: but afterward, they which knew not God, became in stead of Abimelachim, Oebimelachim, that is, our enemie the King, Muscul. Happy then is that people, that hath a King for a common father. Beside here Abimelech though a King, taketh not himselfe to be lawlesse, to doe what him li…t: as cruell Caligula said to his grandmother Antonia, Memento omnia mihi licere & in omnes: Remember that all things are lawfull for me toward all men: Sueton. in Calig.land wicked Iulia to Antonius Caracalla, soliciting him to incestuous marriage, when he answered, Vellam si liceret, I would, if it were lawfull, replied impudently againe, Si libet, licet, an nescis te imperatorem esse, leges dare non accipere: If you will you may; know you not, that you are Emperour, and gave lawes, but receive none? That state is like then to fl…urish, where even Kings, as Abimelech doe submit themselves here to good lawes. As Plato hath an excellent saying, In qua civitate lex subdita est, video ibi perniciem paratam in qua vero lex domina est principium, ibi video salutem: In what City the law is subject, Plat. l. 4. de legib.I see destruction at hand, but where the law swayeth even the Prince, I see health to that place: ex Perer.
3. Observ. God divers wayes keepeth us from sinne.
Vers. 6. I Keepe thee, that thou shouldest not sinne against me. It is God that keepeth his children from sinne: either by the instinct of his spirit, or the instruction of his word, the guard and guiding of Angels, or by diseases: as Abimelech was here restrained, vers. 17. or by the counsell and advice of others, as David was stayed from shedding of bloud by Abigail. 1 Sam. 25. Calvin.
4. Observ. Things voluntarily taken must be restored.
Vers. 7. DEliver the man his wife againe, &c. Unlesse then that things violently taken from others, be restored, there is no mercy to be expected, Muscul. therefore Zacheus being truly called, doth restore largely, what he had wrongfully scraped together, Luk. 19.
5. Observ. Adulterie bringeth generall calamities vponupon the whole citie or kingdome.
Vers. 9. THou hast brought on me, and on my kingdome this great sinne. Adulterie is called a great sinne, not onelyonly because of the uncleannes and filthines of it, but because of the punishment that followeth, and the calamites that sometime overtake the whole Citie and kingdome for that sinne in their governors. As the whole citie of Sechem was put to the sword for ravishing of Dinah Iacobs daughter, Gen. 34. the whole kingdome of David smarted for his sinne committed against Vriah concerning Bersheba, 2 Sam. 12. The like examples are found in forren histories; how Troy was destroyed for the taking away of Helen; the name and office of Kings expelled out of Rome for the ravishing of Lucretia by Se…. Tarquin. Perer.
6. Observ. Barrennesse a due reward of incontinent life.
Vers. 18. THe Lord had shut up every wombe, &c. Sterility and barrennesse i… a just punishment for incontinent life, that they which seeke for issue of strange flesh, should bee without fruit at home, Muscul. This may well be seene in Salomon, who of his 300. Concubines, and 700. Wives, left but one sonne, Rehoboam, and him not very wise, to succeed him.