A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Verſ. 1. THe Lord came unto Abram in a viſion.]
By this word viſion, is ſometimes meant a Revelation of God given to his ſervants in their ſleep by a dream, which are alſo for diſtinction ſake called nightly viſions, Gen. 46. 2. And God ſpake unto Iſrael in the viſions of the night: but this I cannot conceive to be ſuch, chiefly becauſe we have ſuch a viſion afterwards following this, verſ. 12. A deep ſleep fell upon Abram, and lo an horrour, &c. Again, by viſions, are ſometimes meant thoſe apparitions which the ſervants of God have had being caſt into a trance, which were onelyonly ſpirituall objects of the mind, not of the bodily ſenſe: This ſeems not to be ſuch neither; for many things are here ſaid to have paſſed betwixt God and Abram, which cannot well be thought to have been onelyonly in a trance, and not really done, as the killing and dividing of the heifer of three years old, &c. verſ. 9, 10. and beſides, there would not have been then ſo great difference betwixt this viſion, and that dream or trance mentioned verſ. 12. and therefore I rather conceive this viſion to have been an open apparition, which Abram beheld waking with the eyes of his body, though happely the Lord appeared in a more glorious manner then uſually; and therefore it is now added, that this was done in a viſion.
Fear not Abram, &c.]
This is ſpoken both that he might not be afraid of the majeſty of God, who now in this viſion appeared to him; and alſo to comfort him in regard of that fear and trouble of mind wherewith he was oppreſſed, in regard that after ſo many promiſes from God he continued ſtill childleſſe, as appeareth by his anſwer; and happely alſo to chear him up againſt the fear of thoſe kings he had vanquiſhed, who might now threaten revenge; and therefore God tells him that he would be a ſhield to him to defend him againſt his enemies.
Verſ. 2. And the ſteward of my houſe is this Eliezer of Damaſcus.]
Abram doth not herein complain that Eliezer of Damaſcus, that is, who was born of parents of Damaſcus, was his ſteward; but that he had no other ſtay of his houſe, that is, that he being childleſſe wanted the comfort which other fathers had, he had not a ſonne under him the guide and ſtay of his family, but all was in the hands of a ſervant at preſent, and would be enjoyed by him, he being dead, for want of an heir.
Verſ. 3. And Abram ſaid, Lo, one born in my houſe is mine heir.]
The ſumme of this complaint is onelyonly thus much; That he had no other heir in his houſe, none to inherit that which he had, but onelyonly his home-born ſervant, (for we need not ſuppoſe that Abram had adopted any ſervant and made him his heire) which Abram here bewails as one perplexed betwixt hope and fear, not as rejecting the promiſes of God concerning his ſeed, but as commending to God his ſad eſtate and condition, and intimating his deſire that God would at length remember the promiſe he had made to him, and ſend him an heir.
Verſ. 5. And he brought him forth abroad, &c.]
This therefore was done when the ſtarres might be ſeen, either early in the morning (and if ſo, then was there a whole day ſpent, as there might well be, in thoſe paſſages afterward related) or elſe in the evening; and then it is here related beforehand, not in the order of time wherein it was done: for afterwards Moſes ſpeaks of what was done at ſunſetting, verſ. 17. And it came to paſſe, that when the ſunne went down, and it was dark, &c.
Verſ. 9. And he ſaid, Take me an heifer, &c.]
God appoints theſe things to be thus done, partly as a ſacrifice to be offered to him, partly that they might be as ſignes of the covenant which he now makes with Abram; for, becauſe it was the manner of men when they made a ſolemn covenant to cut beaſts in twain, and to paſſe between the parts thereof, as it were wiſhing the like to themſelves if they brake the covenant, Jer. 34. 18. And I will give (to wit, into their enemies hands) the men that have tranſgreſſed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant, which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and paſſed between the parts thereof; therefore is the Lord pleaſed to uſe the ſame manner here with Abram.
Verſ. 13. Know of a ſurety that thy ſeed ſhall be a ſtranger in a land that is not theirs, and ſhall ſerve them, &c.]
This muſt be underſtood to be ſpoken not onelyonly of their bondage in Egypt, but alſo of the whole time of their ſojourning both in Canaan and Egypt. The whole time of Jacobs going thither till the Iſraelites went forth with Moſes cannot be found above two hundred and fifteen years. The foure hundred years therefore here ſpoken of muſt begin with Iſaacs birth: He was born Anno Mundi 2109. and from thence to the year of Iſraels going out of Egypt is but foure hundred and five years, which ſmall odde number is not reckoned, as it is uſuall in the Scriptures to leave out ſuch ſmall numbers in computation of times.
Verſ. 14. And alſo that nation whom they ſhall ſerve, will I judge.]
This is added particularly concerning Egypt, becauſe there they ſuffered the heavieſt affliction.
Verſ. 16. But in the fourth generation they ſhall come hither again.]
By Generations, I conceive, is meant the ſucceſſion of children, grandchildren, and ſo forth in their ſeverall ages; and in reckoning of theſe foure generations we muſt begin with the children of the Patriarchs, who with their father Jacob went down into Egypt, and were ever reckoned the twelve ſeverall ſtocks, out of which the Iſrael of God did grow in their ſeverall tribes: ſo that the children of the twelve Patriarchs we account the firſt generation, their children the ſecond, and ſo forward; and this promiſe we ſee evidently performed, where we find Eleazar parting the land of Canaan. Joſh. 14. 1. And theſe are the countreys which the children of Iſrael inhe…ited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the Prieſt, &c. diſtributed for i…h…ritance unto them. For Cohath the ſonne of Levi who went with Jacob into Egypt, Gen. 46. 11. we muſt reckon of the firſt generation, Amram his ſonne of the ſecond, Aaron his ſonne of the third, and Eleazar his ſonne of the fourth.
Verſ. 16. For the iniquitie of the Amorites is not yet full.]
That is, the Amorites and thoſe other ſinfull nations mentioned afterwards; this one, amongſt whom Abram now dwelt, being by a figu…ative ſpeech put for all.
Verſ. 18. In that ſame day the Lord made a covenant with Abram.]
This is added to ſhew the end of thoſe viſions formerly related, namely, that they were ſignes of the covenant which that day God had made with Abram.
Ʋnto thy ſeed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, &c.]
That is, from the river Sihor unto the great river Euphrates. Some think that by the river of Egypt here Nilus is meant: but becauſe we reade not that ever the Dominion of the Iſraelites reached ſo farre, and elſewhere in deſcribing the bounds of this land, to wit, Joſh. 13. 3. the river Sihor is mentioned as the river of Egypt, and Jer. 2. 18. Sihor and Euphrates are as here oppoſed one againſt the other, What haſt thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink the waters of Sihor, or what haſt thou to do in the way of Aſſyria to drink the waters of the river? that is, Euphrates, called by way of eminency the river; therefore moſt probably it is thought that by the river of Egypt Sihor is meant. A more difficult queſtion concerning this place is, whether the bounds of the Iſraelites land did ever reach the other way ſo farre as Euphrates. But for this we muſt know that though the land which they inhabited reached no further Northward then Hamath, Numb. 34. 8. which was farre on this ſide Euphrates; yet in the dayes of David and Solomon all that countrey as farre as Euphrates became tributarie to them, as we may ſee 2. Sam. 8. 3, &c. and 1. Kings 4. 21. Solomon reigned over all the kingdomes from the river, (that is, Euphrates) unto the land of the Philiſtines; and in this regard Euphrates is ſometimes made the utmoſt bounds of the Dominions promiſed to Abrams poſteritie.