A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Verſ. 3. ANd Abraham called the name of his ſonne, Iſaac.]
Which ſignifieth laughter, to wit, becauſe of the joy they had in this their ſonne.
Verſ. 9. And Sarah ſaw the ſonne of Hagar, &c. mocking, &c.]
Iſhmael looking with an envious eye upon Iſaac at all times, was, as it ſeems, ſtung with the joy and jollity that was made at the weaning of him, and this repining of his heart brake forth at this time (as no doubt it had done often formerly) into ſome ſcornfull language and deriſion of him, mocking him as their young maſter, and he that muſt forſooth be heir of all.
Verſ. 10. For the ſonne of this …ondwoman ſhall not be heir with my ſonne.]
Sarah therefore perceived that this mocking proceeded both from Hagars and Iſhmaels repining that Iſaac the younger ſonne ſhould be the heir.
Verſ. 12. And God ſaid unto Abraham.]
By a viſion in the night, as appears by verſ. 14. And Abraham roſe up early in the morning, &c.
Verſ. 14. And took bread, and a bottle of water, &c.]
For the full underſtanding of this, we muſt know, 1. That the caſting of them out, which Sarah required, was not onelyonly putting them out of his houſe, but an abſolute caſting them off, as if he had had nothing to do with them (for might he have provided for them in another place it would not have been ſo grievous to him) 2. That God had enjoyned him to hearken to Sarah in all things, the rather, no doubt, that the miſery of their caſting out might puniſh them for their ſinne, who in mocking Iſaac had deſpiſed the bleſſed ſeed promiſed in him. 3. That Abraham thus yielding to caſt her off, doth onelyonly give her what ſhe could not be without (becauſe ſhe was to go through the wilderneſſe that lay in the way to Egypt) bread, that is, ſuch victualls as ſhe could carry with her, for this in the Scripture is uſually called bread, as we may ſee Mark 6. 36. This is a deſert place, and now the time is farre paſſed, ſend them away, that they may go into the countrey round about, and into the villages, and buy themſelves bread; vvhichwhich bread, Matth. 14. 15. is termed victualls, His Diſciples came to him, ſaying, This is a deſert place, and the time is now paſt, ſend the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themſelves victualls; and a bottle of water, which ſhe might elſe want in thoſe dry barren places.
Verſ. 14. And ſhe wandred in the wilderneſſe of Beerſheba.]
The bottle of vvater might have ſufficed till ſhe had come to ſome place of ſuccour, had ſhe not miſſed the direct way, and wandred up and down, as they might well in thoſe deſert places, not knowing where they were, nor which way to go.
Verſ. 15. And ſhe caſt the child under one of the ſhrubs.]
He that vvas grovving apace to mans ſtature is often in Scripture called a child, as Iſhmael here, vvho vvas about eighteen years old; and Hagar is ſaid to cast the child under a ſhrub, becauſe ſhe left him being ſick and fainting for thirſt, vvhereas before ſhe had ſupported and cheriſhed him.
Verſ. 17. What aileth thee, Hagar?]
Words of expoſtulation, as if he had ſaid, What meaneſt thou thus to take on, having had experience of Gods providence over thee?
Feare not for God hath heard the voice of the lad, where he is.]
Both here and before mention is made of the lads voice, not Hagars; becauſe he it was that was in extremity, and her weeping was for him. God hath heard the voice of the lad, that is, God hath taken notice of his miſery, and will preſerve him: and theſe words where he is, are added to expreſſe, the better to Hagars apprehenſion, that God had taken notice of his danger, and would help him; as if he had ſaid, The child which you have yonder caſt off, as hopeleſſe of his life, God hath heard, and will preſerve and ſuccour him.
Verſ. 19. And God opened her eyes, and ſhe ſaw a well, &c.]
That is, ſhe vvas brought to obſerve and take notice of it, which ſhe did not before, either by reaſon of paſſionate grief, or for ſome other reaſon. For thus it is ſaid of the Diſciples that talked with Chriſt, Luke 24. 16. But their eyes were holden that they ſhould not know him: And, verſ. 31. their eyes were opened, and they knew him.
Verſ. 20. And became an archer.]
This is expreſſed to ſhew, not onelyonly that he did by this means nouriſh himſelf with beaſts killed by ſhooting, but alſo that he was a warriour, and ſo that oracle was fulfilled, Gen. 16. 12. And he will be a wild man, &c.
Verſ. 21. And he dwelt in the wilderneſſe of Paran.]
next adjoyning to the deſart of Sinai, through which the Iſraelites went. Num. 10. 12. And the children of Iſrael took their journeys out of the wilderneſſe of Sinai, and the cloud reſted in the wilderneſſe of Paran.
Verſ. 24. And Abraham ſaid, I will ſwear.]
Though this countrey of Abimelechs was a part of the land promiſed to Abraham, yet he knowing that it was his poſterity onelyonly, that were in time to come actually to enjoy it, and to root out the inhabitants thereof, and that himſelf was to live as a ſtranger and ſojourner in the land, no marvell it is though he acknowledged Abimelechs ſovereigntie in that land, and took an oath for himſelf, that he would no way hutt either him, or his ſonne, or his ſonnes ſonne after him.
Verſ. 27. And Abraham took ſheep and oxen, and ſent them unto Abimelech.]
Beſides that it was the cuſtome to give ſome ſuch gifts at the making of covenants, theſe ſeem to have been given by Abraham by way of Homage to Abimelech, as the king of the countrey.
Verſ. 30. For theſe ſeven ew-lambes ſhalt thou take of my hand, That they may be a witneſſe unto me, &c.]
That is, the receiving of theſe ſeven ew-lambes, ſhall be as a witneſſe that this well formerly taken from me, verſ. 25. is now acknowledged to be mine, that ſo all controverſie about it for the time to come may be prevented.
Verſ. 3…. And they returned into the land of the Philiſtines.]
That is, That part of the land where the Philiſtines dwelt: for otherwiſe Beerſheba, where they had now covenanted with Abraham, was alſo in the land of Paleſtina, verſ. 34. And Abraham ſojourned in the land of the Philiſtines many dayes.
Verſ. 33. And Abraham planted a Grove in Beerſheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, &c.]
That is, in the Grove▪ which he had planted in Beerſheba, which no doubt he purpoſely planted for this religious uſe, that under the ſhade of thoſe trees they might the more commodiouſly offer up ſacrifices, and perform all other the publick duties of Gods worſhip and ſervice, which within their tents they could not do. And hereby Moſes gives us to underſtand, 1. That Abraham did at length here enjoy ſome ſettled reſt, and dwelt here a long time together, to vvit, whilſt his new planted Grove was grown up and fit for the ſervice he intended it; 2. That at this time the uſe of Groves in Gods worſhip was not unlawfull: However afterward, vvhen men began to eſteem ſuch places holy, and to think ſuperſtitiouſly that God vvas better vvorſhipped there then in other places, and ſo it became a generall cuſtome amongſt all Idolatrous nations to ſet up their Idoles in Groves, and there to ſacrifice to their falſe Gods, the Lord did thereupon by his lavv forbid the Iſraelites all planting of Groves for religious uſes, Deut. 16. 21. Thou ſhalt not plant thee a Grove of any trees near unto the Altar, &c. & this planting of Groves became one of the chief abominations for vvhichwhich God reproved the Iſraelites in future times, Judg. 3. 7. And the children of Iſrael did evil in the ſight of the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God, and ſerved Baalim and the Groves. 1. Kings 14. 15. For the Lord ſhall ſmite Iſrael, as a reed is ſhaken▪ in the water, and he ſhall root up Iſrael out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, &c. becauſe they have made their Groves, provoking the Lord to anger; yet, I ſay, at preſent it vvas no ſinne in Abraham; both becauſe as yet God had not forbidden it, and Abraham did it onelyonly for conveniency to ſhelter them from the heat, not as think…ng God vvas better vvorſhipped in Groves then in other places.