A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 1. ANd Abraham journeyed from thence, &c.]
The cauſe of this remove is not expreſſed; but in likelyhood it was, becauſe of ſome inconveniency ariſing from the late fearfull deſtruction of Sodom.
Verſ. 2. And Abimelech, king of Gerar, &c.]
Abimelech was the common title of the kings of Paleſtina, as Pharaoh was of the kings of Egypt. Pſal. 34. the title, A Pſalme of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech.
Verſ. 3. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night.]
By that which we reade, verſe 17. So Abraham prayed unto God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-ſervants, &c. it appears that preſently upon the taking of Sarah, the Lord ſtruck Abimelech with a dangerous ſickneſſe, and plagued his Court with a ſtrange diſeaſe: Now in his ſickneſſe the Lord by a dream (the extraordinary glory whereof was undoubtedly ſuch, that Abimelech might eaſily perceive it came from heaven) informs him of the cauſe, and tells him he was a dead man, which muſt be underſtood conditionally, unleſſe he reſtored Abrahams wife, verſ. 7. Now therefore reſtore the man his wife; for he is a Prophet, and he ſhall pray for thee, and thou ſhalt live: and if thou reſtore her not, know thou, that thou ſhalt ſurely die, &c.
Verſ. 4. Wilt thou ſlay alſo a righteous nation.]
That is, him and his people, verſ. 18. For the Lord had faſt cloſed up all the wombes of the houſe of Abimelech.
Verſ. 7. For he is a Prophet.]
They are called Prophets in the Scripture to whom the Lord did more familiarly reveal his will, then to other men, and by whom he did teach and inſtruct others: Such was Abraham, Gen. 18. 17, 18, 19. And the Lord ſaid, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? ſeeing that Abraham ſhall ſurely become a great nation, &c. For I know that he will command his children and his houſhold after him, &c. And of this the Lord gives notice to Abimelech, 1. That he might not dare to detain Sarah, becauſe her husband was not an ordinary man, but a Prophet, one in ſpeciall favour with God, whoſe wrongs God would ſurely avenge, Pſal. 105. 15. Touch not mine Anoynted, and do my Prophets no harm; 2. That he might hope by his prayers (being a man ſo prevalent with God) to have the plague removed that was laid upon them.
Verſ. 12. And yet indeed ſhe is my ſister, &c.]
He addes, to excuſe himſelf, that it was not altogether falſe which he had faid, becauſe it was true in a ſenſe, that ſhe was his ſiſter (as in the ſame ſenſe Lot and he are called brethren, Gen. 13. 8. For we be brethren) namely, becauſe ſhe was the daughter of his father, though not of his mother: And for the clearing this, the Hebrews hold that Sarah was that Iſcah, the daughter of Haran, Abrahams brother, as being the ſonne of Terah, though by another woman; for this being yielded, ſhe was indeed the grandchild of Terah, Abrahams father, and ſo might be called the daughter of his father (as Jethroes daughters are called Revels, who was their grandfather, Exod. 2. 18.) and yet withall not be the daughter of his mother, becauſe deſcended from the former of Terahs wives, whereas Abraham was born of a latter wife.
Verſ. 16. Behold he is to thee a covering of the eyes, &c. thus ſhe was reproved.]
This place is diverſly tranſlated, and accordingly there are ſeverall expoſitions given of it, but according to this tranſlation of ours, the meaning muſt needs be this; Abimelech puts her in mind that her husband ought to be as a veil unto her, to cover her as it were from the eyes and deſires of all others; and therefore Moſes addes, thus ſhe was reproved, that is, though this ſpeech of his may not ſeem at firſt to imply ſo much, yet in truth he did thereby though covertly yet ſharply reprove her; for it was all one as if he had told her, that by denying her husband, ſhe had in a manner unveiled her ſelf, and laid her ſelf open to the unlawfull deſires of other men, and was guilty her ſelf of thoſe dangers, whereinto ſhe had fallen. God had made her husband the guardian of her chaſtity, and by denying him ſhe had expoſed her ſelf to the luſts of others. Thus was godly Sarah, to her greater ſhame, reproved by a profane king, and inſtructed how better to carry her ſelf hereafter.
Verſ. 18. For the Lord had faſt cloſed up all the wombes of the houſe of Abimelech.]
What cloſing up of the wombe this was, it is hard to ſay. Some think onelyonly that God had reſtrained them from conceiving: and this may be; for this judgement might be inflicted and cured, & yet not diſcerned by themſelves. But I rather think it was ſome other extraordinary cloſing of the wombe, 1. Becauſe of that word faſt cloſed, which implies a judgement unuſuall; 2. Becauſe all were cloſed up; 3. Becauſe it is related as an apparent noted cure that followed Abrahams prayer.