Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
Ver. 1. AND there was a famine in the Land, &c.] Such a ſcarcity of Proviſions, as were in Abraham's days (XII. 10.) when he was newly come into Canaan, hapned again in the days of Iſaac.
And Iſaac went.] It is not ſaid from whence he went: But it is probable, after the death of Abraham, he went and dwelt where his Father had often done, at Mamre near Hebron. For he was not now at Beerſheba, or the Well Lahai-roi, (which was the laſt place of his habitation that we read of, XXV. 11.) for that was in this very Country of Gerar, to which he now went.
Ʋnto Abimelech.] The Son, it is moſt likely, of him to whom Abraham went: For he is not to be thought the ſame; it being an hundred Years ſince that time. And all the Kings of that Country were, for many Ages, called by the Name of Abimelech; as appears from the Story of David: Who fled to one of that Name called Achiſh in 1 Sam. XXI. 10. but Abimelech in the Title of the XXXIV Pſalm. See Gen. XX. 2.
Ver. 2. And (or for) the LORD appeared to him.] He intended to have gone into Egypt, as Abraham his Father had done in the like Caſe, XII. 10. But God forbad him, (appearing to him either in a Viſion, or a Dream, or as the Glory of the LORD appeared afterward to Moſes and the Congregation of Iſrael upon ſeveral occaſions) and directed him to ſtay in this Country, which was in the way to Egypt: Where he promiſes to provide for him.
Though Egypt was a moſt plentiful Country; yet the King of it at this time, was not ſo good a Man, perhaps, as him that reigned in the Days of Abraham.
Ver. 3. Sojourn in this Land, &c.] He not only promiſes to take care of him at preſent, during the Famine: But renews the Promiſes made to Abraham his Father at ſundry times, and in divers places, XII. 3. XV. 5. XVII. 2, 8. and at laſt confirmed by an Oath, XXII. 16, 17.
I will be with thee, and bleſs thee.] Theſe, and ſuch like words Maimonides ſhows expreſs a ſpecial Providence over thoſe to whom they are ſpoken, and over all belonging to them. More Nevoch. Par. III. cap. 18.
Ʋnto thy Seed will I give all theſe Countries.] Which he repeats again in the next Verſe; having mentioned the vaſt multiplication of his Seed.
Ver. 4. In thy Seed ſhall all the Nations of the Earth be bleſſed.] In this is contained the Promiſe of the Meſſiah, the higheſt Bleſſing God could beſtow: Which he aſſured Abraham ſhould ſpring out of his Family, XXII. 18. and now aſſures the ſame to Iſaac.
Ver. 5. Becauſe that Abraham obeyed my Voice.] In going out of his own Country, when God called him; in circumciſing himſelf and his Family; but eſpecially (XXII. 18.) in offering his Son Iſaac.
And kept my charge.] i. e. Obſerved the Sabbath-Day, ſays Menaſſeh Ben-Iſrael, out of the Hebrew Doctors. L. de Creat. Problem. VIII. But it ſeems more rational to underſtand by this word which we tranſlate charge, all that he commanded him to obſerve: The Particulars of which follow.
My Commandments, my Statutes, and my Laws.] Theſe are nicely diſtinguiſhed by ſome of the Jews; eſpecially Abarbinel: Who, by Commandments, underſtands not only that of Circumciſion, but of expelling Iſhmael: And by Statutes, (Hebr. Chukkothai, which always relates to Ceremonial things) not only binding his Son Iſaac to offer him in Sacrifice, but his offering a Ram afterwards in his ſtead: And by Laws, (which include the Judicial part of Moſes his Writings) his taking a Wife for Iſaac out of another Country; and beſtowing Gifts upon the Children of his Concubines, reſerving the Land for Iſaac. But this may ſeem too curious: And ſo many words may be thought rather to be uſed, only to expreſs his exact Obedience to God in every thing, whether belonging to Religion, or to Juſtice, Mercy, or any other Duty: According to what he required of him, XVII. 1. Walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Ver. 6. And Iſaac dwelt in Gerar.] This is a freſh Inſtance of his conſtant Obedience; in truſting to God's Providence here, and not going down into Egypt, as he was inclined.
Ver. 7. She is my Siſter.] Or, Couſin; for ſo ſhe was. He told part of the Truth, but not all.
For he feared to ſay, &c.] He imitated his Father; as Children are apt to do.
Ver. 8. Sporting with Rebekah his Wife.] Uſing ſuch familiarity with her, and blandiſhments, as were not allowable between Brethren and Siſters; but common between Man and Wife, even openly. As embracing her in his Arms, and kiſſing her, perhaps, very often: He having an exceeding great love to her, XXIV. 67.
Ver. 9. Of a ſurety, ſhe is thy Wife.] It ſeems he took Iſaac to be ſo good a Man, that he lookt upon the Liberties he took with Rebekah, as tokens of conjugal Love, not of inceſtuous Deſires.
Ver. 10. Brought guiltineſs upon us.] It is likely the Puniſhment inflicted upon his Father and Family, (XX. 17.) only for taking Sarah into his Houſe, with an intention to make her his Wife, was yet in memory among them.
Ver. 11. He that toucheth this Man or his Wife, &c.] This looks like a modeſt word, as it is uſed, XX. 6. and 1 Cor. VII. 1. But the Chaldee Paraphraſt (and the Hebrew Doctors) interpret it of not doing them any injury: Becauſe he ſpeaks of the Man, as well as his Wife; and ſo it is explained verſe 29.
Ver. 12. Then Iſaac ſowed in that Land.] Moſt take this to have been in the time of Famine: Which makes it the greater wonder, that the Ground ſhould then bring forth ſo plentifully. But it ſeems more likely to me, that the Dearth was at an end: For it is ſaid Verſe 8. that he had been in that Country a long time, when Abimelech ſaw him ſporting with his Wife.
An hundred fold.] This, in it ſelf, is not wonderful; though, at this time, it was a ſingular Bleſſing of God, after there had been ſome time ago a dearth; and, perhaps, the Soil not rich, which afforded ſo large a crop. Otherwiſe, Varro ſays (L. I. de Re Ruſtica, c. 44.) that in Syria, about Gadera, and in Africa about Byzacium, they reap'd an hundred Buſhels for one, (ex modio naſci centum.) Pliny and Solinus ſay the ſame of that Country Byzacium: In ſo much that Bochartus fanſies the Metropolis of that rich Country, viz. Adrumetum, had its Name from hence; ſignifying in the Phoenician Language, as much as, the Region of an hundred fold. Lib. I. Canaan, cap. 24. Nay, ſome places in Africa were ſo rich that they produced two hundred, yea three hundred fold, as he ſhows out of ſeveral good Authors in the 25th Chapter of that Book. Whence he thinks Africa had its Name; being as much as foreign, Terra Spicarum, a Land of Ears of Corn. All which I have noted, that this Paſſage may not ſeem incredible to any Reader.
And the LORD bleſſed him.] Or, for the LORD bleſſed him. This is the reaſon of the fruitfulneſs of that Soil; which naturally would not have yielded ſo much.
Ver. 13. And the Man waxed great, &c.] I ſuppoſe he had many ſuch friutful Years; ſo that his Riches increaſed till he grew very great, and bought more Cattle than he had before. For in them conſiſted the ancient Riches, as Servius tells us on the firſt of Virgil's Eclogues. Omne Patrimonium apud majores peculium dicebatur, a pecoribus; in quibus univerſa eorum ſubſtantia conſtabat. Ʋnde etiam PECƲNIA dicta fuit, à PECƲLIO. The ſame alſo we find ſaid by Columella.
Ver. 14. Great ſtore of Servants.] The Margin hath, ſtore of Husbandry. Which is very likely; becauſe he was incouraged in it, by his great Crops: Which could not likewiſe but increaſe the Number of his Servants. The Arabick ſet forth by Erpenius hath only, a great revenue, or vaſt increaſe: Which among the Eaſtern People, as I ſaid, was principally from their Cattle. But God bleſſed him with abundance of Corn alſo.
Ver. 16. Thou art much mightier than we.] As the People envied him, verſe 14. ſo the King himſelf, it ſeems, began to fear him. And therefore deſired him, in a friendly manner, to leave his Country. For they were not yet grown ſo wicked, as to attempt to deſtroy thoſe who lived quietly among them; when they apprehended they would become richer and ſtronger than themſelves.
Ver. 17. The Valley of Gerar.] Where that was, is uncertain; but at ſome diſtance from the City where Abimelech dwelt, and near to which Iſaac had inhabited before.
Ver. 18. Which they had digged in the days of Abraham.] He choſe to open the old ones, rather than dig new; both becauſe he was certain there to find a Spring of Water, and becauſe it was moſt eaſie, and leſs obnoxious to Cenſure or Envy: And becauſe he would preſerve his Father's Memory; for which reaſon he did not give them new Names, but thoſe they had in his Father's Days.
Ver. 19. They digged in the Valley, &c.] In proceſs of time, they found a neceſſity of more Water; and ſo digged till they met with a new Spring, in the Valley.
Ver. 20. The Water is ours.] Becauſe it was found in their Soil, as Menochius obſerves. But they having let the Ground to Iſaac, the Water was truly his, as long as the Contract laſted.
Ver. 21. And they digged another Well.] I ſuppoſe in the ſame Valley: For rather than contend, he receded from his right in the other Well.
Ver. 22. He removed from thence.] To avoid ſtrife, he quitted that part of the Country, and went to another: Where he was not diſturbed in his Paſturage.
For now the LORD hath made room for us.] He was ſtreightned before for want of ſufficient Water for his Flock: Which now he enjoyed in abundance.
And we ſhall be fruitful in the Land.] Increaſe more than formerly: Now that they could water their Flocks quietly and plentifully.
Ver. 23. Went up from thence to Beer-ſheba.] Where he and his Father had anciently lived, XXI. 33. XXV. 11.
Ver. 24. And the LORD appeared unto him the ſame Night.] As he had done before he came to Gerar, verſe 2.
I am the God of Abraham.] Who was ſo kind to him, and made a Covenant with him.
I am with thee.] My ſpecial Providence is over thee; as was explained before, verſe 3.
Ver. 25. Built an Altar there.] To offer Sacrifice unto the LORD.
Called upon the Name of the LORD.] As Abraham had done before him, in this very place, XXI. 33.
And pitched his Tent there.] Reſolved to ſettle in this place.
Ver. 26. Phicol, &c.] The ſame Name and the ſame Office that he had, who is mentioned XXI. 22. but he was not the ſame Man, no more than Abimelech the ſame King. It is probable this was a Name of ſome Dignity among them; like that of Tribunus or Dictator among the Romans: Which paſſed from one to another.
Ver. 28. We ſaw certainly the LORD was with thee, &c.] We have obſerved ſuch a ſpecial Providence over thee, that we come to eſtabliſh a perpetual Friendſhip with thee, by a ſolemn Oath, if thou wilt conſent to our deſire. They were afraid, it ſeems, leſt being diſobliged by their ſending him out of their Country, he ſhould fall upon them, one time or other; being mightier than they, as they acknowledged, verſe 18.
Ver. 29. Have ſent thee away in peace.] They remember him how they diſmiſſed him peaceably; and did not go about to ſeize upon his Eſtate, while he lived among them: Which they make an Argument, why he ſhould contract a nearer Friendſhip with ſuch civil People.
Thou art now the bleſſed of the LORD.] This looks like an high Complement, or flattering Expreſſion.
Ver. 30. He made them a Feaſt, &c.] So Covenants were made, by eating and drinking together.
Ver. 32. Told him concerning the Well they had digged, &c.] They had begun to dig before Abimelech and Phicol came, verſe 25. and now they came at a Spring of Water.
Ver. 33. He called it Sheba.] From the Oath which was lately made between him and Abimelech. It had been called ſo before by Abraham, XXI. 31. but that Name, perhaps, was forgotten, and ſo he revived it, as he had done others, verſe 18.
Ver. 34. The Daughter of Beeri the Hittite, &c.] Joſephus ſaith theſe two Men, Beeri and Elon, whoſe Daughters Eſau married, were Dynaſtae, powerful Men among the Hittites: Which is not improbable. But his Father ſure had given the ſame charge to him, that Abraham had done concerning his own Marriage, XXIV. 3. and then it was a very undutiful, nay, an impious action, to marry with thoſe People, who were under the Curſe of God. The Scripture might well call him prophane: Who ſeems not to have regarded either the Curſe or the Bleſſing of the Almighty.
Ver. 35. A grief of mind.] His very marrying with them, ſorely afflicted his Father and Mother. Or, as others interpret it, their Idolatry and bad Manners extreamly grieved them.