A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 22 – Chapter 23
CHAP. XXII.
Verſ. 1. GOd did tempt Abraham.]
That is, he did try and prove him. It is ſaid, James 1. 13. that God tempteth no man, to vvit, by ſeeking to ſeduce them, by ſoliciting and provoking them to do that which is evil. Thus men are tempted by Satan, vvho is therefore called, The Tempter, Matt. 4. 3. and, by their own lusts, James 1. 13. but God, in this ſenſe, tempteth no man. He is therefore here ſaid to have tempted Abraham, onelyonly becauſe by enjoyning him to ſacrifice his ſonne Iſaac (in vvhom God had promiſed to make his ſeed as the ſtarres of heaven, and that in his ſeed all the nations of the earth ſhould be bleſſed) God did ſingularly prove and try his obedience and faith, to wit, vvhether he vvould believe ſtill the promiſe made him concerning Iſaac, even vvhen he was enjoyned to do that vvhichwhich might ſeem utterly to overthrovv that promiſe, and do vvhat God commanded, even vvhen reaſon muſt needs conclude, that if he did obey, the promiſe concerning Iſaac could not be performed: Thus God did tempt Abraham. And becauſe the command of ſuch an inhumane fact, as vvas the ſacrificing of his own ſonne, might not ſtartle thoſe that ſhould reade it, or make them think that it vvas rather ſome fit of ſudden phrenſy, or ſome deluſion of Satan, that made him undertake ſuch a thing as this▪ in the very entrance of this ſtory this is therefore expreſſed, that God commanded this, but it vvas onelyonly to try him. God required in Abraham a readineſſe of will, really to do vvhat vvas ſpoken to him, but never intended that he ſhould do it; onelyonly as men uſe to make experiments of the faithfulneſſe of their friends, ſo now God made proof of Abrahams faith and obedience; and that, not becauſe God needed any ſuch way of diſcovering it to himſelf▪ for he knows hovv the hearts of all men ſtand affected, but becauſe he would hereby have it manifeſted to others: ſo that herein alſo the Scripture ſpeaks of God after the manner of men.
And he ſaid, Behold, here I am.]
That is, ready to do whatever thou wilt enjoyn me.
Verſ. 2. Take now thy ſonne, thine onelyonly ſonne.]
So called, both becauſe he was the onelyonly ſonne of the freewoman, and alſo becauſe Iſhmael was now quite caſt out. Chap. 21. 14. And Abraham roſe up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar and the child, and ſent her away, and ſhe departed, &c.
And get thee into the Land of Moriah.]
Which was the place, where afterwards the temple was built, as 2. Chron. 3. 1. Then Solomon began to build the houſe of the Lord at Jeruſalem, in Mount Moriah, &c.
Verſ. 4. Abraham lift up his eyes, and ſaw the place afarre off.]
For by this time God had told him, according to the promiſe before mentioned, verſ. 2. in what particular place of the land of Moriah he was to ſacrifice his ſonne, as it is plainly afterward expreſſed, verſ. 9. They came to the place that God had told him of▪ Now Abrahams ſeeing the place before he came at it, is thus particularly expreſſed, becauſe doubtleſſe the firſt ſight of this place, where he was to perform ſuch a dolefull work, did exceedingly wound his heart, and yet notwithſtanding he ſhrunk not, but perſevered conſtantly in his reſolution of doing what God had enjoyned him.
Verſ. 5. Abraham ſaid to his young men, Abide you here with the aſſe, &c.]
That his ſervants might not oppoſe and hinder him in the vvork he had to do, he enjoyns them to ſtay with the aſſe at the foot of the hill, to wit, the aſſe whereon himſelf rode, or whereon they had brought the wood they were to uſe in the ſacrifice▪ for happely they all went on foot, and onelyonly uſed the aſſe for the carrying of the wood, or perhaps onelyonly Abraham by reaſon of his age did ride, and the reſt went on foot.
And I and the lad will go yonder and worſhip, and come again to you.]
Thus by the all-ruling Providence of God he propheſieth of that, whereof he knew nothing. It cannot be that he diſtinctly knew that he ſhould bring back his ſonne again; for then what great matter was there in this that he did? rather ſurely he ſpake this as a man aſtoniſhed and amazed: neither need we be ſo carefull to clear Abraham from ſeeking by this diſſembling to keep his ſervants from ſuſpecting that vvhichwhich he vvent about; rather let us admire the wiſdome and goodneſſe of God, that he ſuffered Abraham in this greateſt of all humane actions to ſhew a little frailty, that we might not look for perfection here.
Verſ. 6. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Iſaac his ſonne.]
But how vvas he able to carry ſo much wood as vvould ſerve for the burning up of the ſacrifice? I anſwer, 1. it appears by this that he was novv a youth well grown; 2. it may well be that Abraham carried with him ſome leſſer quantity of dry choice wood to begin the fire, reſolving to furniſh himſelf with the reſt upon the mountain; 3. happely Iſaac carried it at ſeverall times, though that be not here expreſſed, but onelyonly ſo much as would ſerve to ſhew how even in this he vvas a Type of Chriſt, John 19. 17. And he bearing his croſſe, went forth, &c.
Verſ. 9. And bound Iſaac his ſonne.]
It is not likely that all particulars are here expreſſed: no doubt Abraham, before he bound him, acquainted him with the commandment of God, and urged the neceſſitie of obedience, the promiſes and power of God, and vvhatever might prepare him to yield himſelf to be ſacrificed, as God had commanded: but theſe Moſes relates not, but onelyonly that Abraham bound him, &c. that ſo vve might know that in not reſiſting▪ but meekly ſuffering his father to proceed, Iſaac was alſo a Type of Chriſt; Mark 15. 1. The chief Prieſts held a conſultation, &c. and bound Jeſus. Acts 8. 32. He was led as a ſheep to the ſlaughter, and like a lamb dumb before the ſhearer, ſo opened he not his mouth.
Verſ. 11. And the Angel of the Lord called unto him.]
That is, Chriſt the …ternall word of his father, who ſpeaketh of himſelf as God, verſ. 12. For now I know thou feareſt God, ſeeing thou haſt not withheld thy ſonne, thine onelyonly ſonne, from me; and is called Jehovah, verſ. …6. And the Angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven the ſecond time, and ſaid, By my ſelf have I ſworn, ſaith the Lord, &c.
Verſ. 13▪ And Abraham lifted up his eyes.]
Hearing this voice from heaven, he looked about, and behind him he eſpies this ram, which he took as ſent of God, to ſupply Iſaacs room; or, it may be, he lifted up his eyes purpoſely to look for a ſacrifice.
Verſ. 14. As it is ſaid to this day, In the mount of the Lord it ſhall be ſeen.]
In the mount, that is, in d…e time and place, or in like manner as once to Abraham; in the mount it ſhall be ſeen, that is, it ſhall be provided for, God will help, and that his children ſhall ſee: for both theſe were implyed in this Proverb, which upon this occaſion grew ſo ordinary in following times, to wit, both that God vvould provide for his ſervants in their extremities, and that it ſhould be done in ſuch a manner, that they ſhould plainly ſee it came from God.
Verſ. 16. By my ſelf have I ſworn, ſaith the Lord.]
This doth not prove that it was not Chriſt, the eternall word of the father, vvho novv ſpake to Abraham; the like we have, Pſal. 2. 7. The Lord hath ſaid unto me, Thou art my ſonne, &c.
Verſ. 17. And thy ſeed ſhall poſſeſſe the gate of his enemies.]
That is, thou ſhalt ſubject them, and bring both their ſtrength and government under command; for by the gate of the enemie is here meant their ſtrength and government; their ſtrength, becauſe there they had their ſtrongeſt fortifications; their government, becauſe there the Magiſtrates ſate in judgement, Deut. 22. 15. Then ſhall the father of the damſell, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damſells virginitie, unto the Elders of the City in the gate.
Verſ. 24. And his Concubine, whoſe name was Reumah, &c.]
The Hebrew vvord tranſlated Concubine ſignifieth a half wife, or divided and ſecondary wife, vvhichwhich vvas a vvife for the bed (and therein differing from a vvhore) but not for honour and government of the family; 1. Kings 11. 3. And he had ſeven hundred wives Princeſſes, and three hundred Con…ubines.
CHAP. XXIII.
Verſ. 2. ANd Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, &c.]
The moſt of Expoſitours hold that both Abraham and Sarah had novv removed their dwelling from Beerſheba to Hebron; and that this therefore vvhichwhich is here ſaid, that Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, is onelyonly to be underſtood of his coming to Sarahs tent: for Abraham and ſhe had ſeverall tents, Gen. 24. 67. And Iſaac brought her into his mother Sarahs tent. Yet many alſo hold that Abraham dwelt ſtill at Beerſheba, & that Sarah, upon ſome occaſion not expreſſed being at Hebron, fell ſick and dyed, and ſo Abraham hearing of it came thither to lament and bury her: which is the more probable, becauſe verſ. 4. as a ſtranger he ſ…es for a burying place, which he would not in that manner have done if he had been a dweller among them (as it is expreſly noted of Ephron that he was) and alſo becauſe Iſaac dwelt afterward near Lahai-roi which was not farre from Beerſheba.
Verſ. 3. And ſpake unto the ſonnes of Heth.]
That is, the Governours, and Elders of the Hittites, the inhabitants of Hebron.
Verſ. 4. Give me a poſſeſſion of a burying place with you, &c.]
That is, give m… liberty to purchaſe, though a ſtranger, a poſſeſſion of a burying place.
Verſ. 10. And Ephron d…velt amongst the children of Heth.]
Others reade, And Ephron ſat amongst the children of Heth, not unfitly: Abraham, not knovving the man, had ſpoken of him as of one abſent: ere Ephrons anſvver therefore be inſerted, Moſes ſhevvs that he ſat there amongſt the other Elders, and ſo immediately replied to Abrahams demand. Hovvever if vve reade it as our tranſlations render it, And Ephron dwelt amongst the children of Heth, it comes all to one. For his dvvelling among them is expreſſed onelyonly to imply, that he being himſelf one of the chief inhabitants of that city ſat at that time amongſt the other Governours and Elders, and ſo preſently anſvvered for himſelf to that requeſt vvhichwhich Abraham had made.
Verſ. 13. But if thou wilt give it, &c.]
Other tranſlations ſupply this imperfect ſpeech thus, if thou be that Ephron, &c. vvhichwhich ſeems to imply, that he had onelyonly formerly heard of him, not ſeen his face.
I will give thee mony for the field.]
Abraham perſiſts to refuſe it of gift; becauſe he vvould not by any bounty of theirs enjoy one foot of that land vvhichwhich God had given him entire for his poſſeſſion.
Verſ. 17. And the field of Ephron, &c.]
That this vvas not that purchaſed burying place, vvhereof Stephen ſpake, Act. 7. 16. is evident; becauſe that vvas in Sichem, this in Hebron; that vvas bought of Emor the father of Sichem, this of Ephron.