Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Ver. 1. AND it came to paſs after theſe things.] That which follows, fell out while Abraham dwelt at Beer-ſheba, or near it, verſe 19.
God did tempt Abraham.] Proved or tried his Faith, in a very difficult Inſtance. The Hebrews take great notice, that the Name of Elohim (which they call Nomen Judicii) is here uſed; as it is in ſeveral of the following Verſes.
And ſaid unto him, Abraham.] I ſuppoſe there was ſuch a viſible appearance of the Divine Majeſty to him, as he had often ſeen, XV. 1. XVII. 1. XVIII. 1.
Here I am.] A Phraſe, expreſſing readineſs to hearken, and to give anſwer, verſe 7, 12.
Ver. 2. Take now.] Immediately.
Thy Son.] A hard thing, had it been Iſhmael.
Thy only Son Iſaac.] His only Son by Sarah, and the Child of the Promiſe, XXI. 12.
Whom thou loveſt.] Who was far dearer to him than any thing in this World; dearer than his own life: For Men will venture that to preſerve their Children. According to an old ſaying in Euripides:
foreign
Children are to all Mankind, their very Life, or Soul.
Whence it was that Pacatus Drepanius ſaid in his Panegyrick to Theodoſius the Great, Inſtituente Natura plus ferè filios quam nosmetipſos diligimus. We are taught by Nature to love our Sons, in a manner, more than our ſelves. But the love of God in Abraham was ſtronger than either.
Get thee into the Land of Moriah.] So it was called afterwards, from God's appearing there (verſe 14.) for the Deliverance of Iſaac, as many think. Certain it is, that the Temple of Solomon was built upon Mount Moriah, 1 Chron. III. 1. But this Name belonged not only to that Mountain; but to all the Mountainous Country thereabouts: Which is here called the Land of Moriah. Which Aquila tranſlates foreign, conſpicuous: For it is derived from the word Raah, to ſee. And the LXX tranſlate it not amiſs, foreign, high Country: Which is very conſpicuous. But Mount Sion, and Acra, and other neighbouring Mountains being alſo very high, this Name of Moriah belonged to them; becauſe they were very conſpicuous. In ſo much that Mount Sion is often uſed in Scripture for Mount Moriah: For all that Mountainous Country, went by one and the ſame Name.
And offer him there.] The Hebrews obſerve the word is ambiguous, and may be tranſlated, make him to go up: But Abraham underſtood it in the uſual Sence, That he ſhould kill him, as they did the Beaſts for Sacrifices. A very hard injunction; which ſome think God would not have laid upon Abraham, if he had not had a Power thus to diſpoſe of Iſaac, inherent in him, as his Father. See Dr. Taylor, Duct. Dubit. L. III. c. V. Rule 2. n. 1.
Ʋpon one of the Mountains.] There were more Hills than one thereabouts, (Pſalm CXXV. 2.) as I obſerved on the foregoing Verſe. And it may be further here noted, That, in ancient Times, they choſe Mountains, or high Places, whereon to worſhip God and offer Sacrifices, XII. 8. Which God himſelf approved of, till they were prophaned, as the Groves were, (ſee XXI. 33.) and then he commanded Abraham's Poſterity, not to worſhip in high Places, but only in one certain Mountain, where he ordered his Temple to be ſeated. Nothing is plainer in the Gentile Writers than that they choſe Mountains for Places of Worſhip: And herein Celſus the Epicurean compares them with the Jews; obſerving, particularly out of Herodotus, that the Perſians offered Sacrifices to Jupiter, going up, foreign, to the top of the higheſt Mountains, as his words are in Origen, L. V. contra Celſ. It is well known alſo that theſe Mountains were well ſhaded with Trees; ſo that commonly Groves and Mountains are mention'd together, as Places for Religious Worſhip.
Ver. 3. And Abraham roſe up early in the Morning, &c.] Some here take notice of the readineſs of his Obedience, in ſeveral Inſtances. Firſt, That he roſe up early. Secondly, Sadled his Aſs himſelf, (though the Phraſe doth not certainly import ſo much.) Thirdly, Carried Wood ready cleft along with him, for the Offering; leſt he ſhould find none there.
And Iſaac his Son.] It is an Enquiry among the Jews, how old Iſaac was at this time. Some of them ſay ſeven and thirty, whom the Arabick Chriſtian Writers follow, Patricides and Elmacinus. Aben Ezra more probably ſaith he was thirty. But there is no certainty of ſuch things. For I find in the Gemara Sanhedrim, Cap. X. n. 4. it is ſaid, this fell out a little after he was weaned. See verſe 9.
And went unto the place.] That is, toward the Place: Which he did not ſee, till the third Day after he ſet out.
Ver. 4. On the third Day.] It was not much above one Day's journey from Beerſheba to Moriah: But an Aſs goes ſlowly; eſpecially being loaded, as this was, with a burden of Wood; and with Proviſions, we muſt ſuppoſe, for their Journey: And Abraham, and his Son, and Servants, went on foot, and could not travel far on a Day, (Iſaac being but young) for it doth not appear, they had more than one ſingle Aſs, verſe 5.
And ſaw the place afar off.] It is moſt reaſonable to ſuppoſe, that God had given him ſome Token or Sign, whereby he ſhould know it. And I cannot but think it highly probable, that the Divine Glory appeared in the place, where he was to make the Oblation. Which Conjecture I find confirmed by R. Elieſer, among other of the Jews, who ſays, That when God bad him go to the place, he would tell him of, verſe 2. and there offer his Son; he askt how he ſhould know it? And the Anſwer was, Whereſoever thou ſeeſt my Glory, there I will ſtay, and wait for thee, &c. And accordingly now, he beheld a Pillar of Fire reaching from Heaven to the Earth, and thereby knew this was the Place. See Pirke Elieſer, c. 31.
Ver. 5. Go yonder and worſhip.] This confirms the fore-mentioned Conjecture, That the Divine Glory appearing upon the Mountain, he went thither to worſhip God.
And come again to you.] He either ſpeaks of himſelf alone; or, believed God would reſtore Iſaac to Life, though he did ſlay him.
Ver. 6. And laid it upon Iſaac his Son.] A Figure of Chriſt, who carried his own Croſs, John XIX. 17. according to the Roman Cuſtom. Philo's Reflection upon Iſaac's carrying the Wood for his own Sacrifice is, That nothing is more laborious than Piety.
Ver. 7. Behold, the Fire and the Wood, &c.] It appears by this, that he had not hitherto acquainted Iſaac with his Intention.
Ver. 8. So they went both of them together.] It ſeems they ſtaid a while, (as they were going together, verſe 6.) till Iſaac had finiſhed this Diſcourſe with his Father; and then they proceeded.
Ver. 9. Built an Altar there.] Of Turf, ſome think; or, of ſuch Stone as he could gather there.
And bound Iſaac his Son.] Both his Hands, and his Feet; as it is explained in Pirke Elieſer, Cap. XXXI. When the Gentiles offered humane Sacrifices, they tied both their Hands behind their Backs, as appears from Ovid, L. III. de Pont. Eleg. 2. and other Authors. Whether Iſaac was thus bound, it matters not; but we cannot doubt that Abraham had now acquainted him with the Will of God, and perſuaded him willingly to comply and ſubmit unto it: Wherein he pre-figured Chriſt the more exactly, who laid down his Life of himſelf, and no Man (without his Conſent) could take it from him, as he ſpeaks, John X. 17, 18. We have reaſon to believe this of Iſaac, becauſe he being younger and ſtronger could have made reſiſtance, had he been ſo minded. Joſephus ſays he was twenty five Years old, L. I. Antiq. 14. And Bochartus makes him twenty eight; the word Naar, which we tranſlate Lad, being uſed for one of that Age; nay, Joſeph is called ſo when he was thirty Years old, Hierozoic. P. I. L. III. c. 9. This is certain, That he was old enough to carry ſuch a load of Wood, (Verſe 6.) as was ſufficient to make a fire to offer up a Burnt-Offering. There are thoſe alſo, who think Iſaac was laid upon the Altar to be offered, in that very Place where Chriſt was crucified. And thus much is true, That though Mount Calvary was without Jeruſalem; and therefore different from Mount Moriah, on which the Temple ſtood: Yet they were ſo near, and it's likely only Parts of one and the ſame Mountain, that they were anciently both comprehended under the Name of Moriah.
Ver. 10. Abraham ſtretched forth his Hand, &c.] His Obedience proceeded ſo far, that it evidently appeared he was fully reſolved to do as he was bidden: For the Knife was juſt at Iſaac's Throat, ready to do the execution. Inſomuch that God made account of it, as if it had been actually done, and accepted his Obedience as foreign, as intirely perfect, and abſolutely compleated, as Philo ſpeaks. And yet there have been thoſe, who diſparage this Obedience, by endeavouring to make the World believe, that the Sacrificing of Children was in uſe before Abraham's time. And the very firſt thing that hath been alledged, as a proof of it, is the very Objection in Philo, made by cavilling Calumniators (as he calls them) who ſaid, Why ſhould ſuch Praiſe be beſtowed on Abraham, foreign, as if he had attempted a thing altogether new, which private Men, and Kings, and whole Nations do upon occaſion? The learned Reader cannot but know that one of our own Countrymen, (Sir J. Marſham in Canon. Chronic. §. V.) hath ſet this in the front of all his Arguments, to prove that Abraham was not the firſt who ſacrificed his Son: Without acquainting the Reader with Philo's Anſwer to this, which quite overthrows all his Pretenſions. For he ſays (Lib. de Abrahamo, p. 375, 376. Edit. Pariſ.) That ſome Barbarians have done this, following the Cuſtom of their Country, or being in great diſtreſs, &c. But nothing of this Nature could move Abraham to it, for the Cuſtom of Sacrificing Children was neither in Babylon, nor Meſopotamia, nor Chaldaea, where he had lived a long time: No, nor (as it follows a little after) in that Country where he then lived; But foreign, he was to be the Beginner of a perfectly new and unuſual Example. What plainer Confutation can there be of what the fore-named Author pretends, than this: Which he moſt diſingenuouſly concealed? Nor is there more ſtrength in what follows in him, out of Sanchuniathon; who ſays that Saturn offered his only Son. For by Saturn it is evident he meant Abraham, as appears by the Name of that Son, whom ſuch like Authors call JEƲD; which is plainly the very ſame with JEHID, as Iſaac is called in the Second Verſe of this Chapter. I omit the reſt, which is of the like ſtamp.
Ver. 11. And the Angel of the LORD called to him, &c.] That is, the LORD himſelf, by his Angel. See upon XVIII. 10. To which I ſhall here add, That, whether it be ſaid in theſe Holy Books, the LORD ſaid any thing, or an Angel ſpake, we are always to underſtand both to have been preſent: For the Angels ever attend upon the Divine Majeſty; and being Miniſters of his, do nothing but by his Order. Therefore when he is ſaid to ſpeak, it is by them; and when they are ſaid to ſpeak, it is from him. It is the LORD therefore that ſpeaks, whoſoever be the Miniſter. Of which St. Auſtin gives a demonſtration from this very place, L. III. de Trinilate, Cap. XI. In the beginning of this Chapter, verſe 1, 2. we read that God tempted Abraham, and bad him go and offer to him his Son: But here the Angel of the LORD called to him and bad him not to do it. What is the meaning of this? Will they (whoſe Opinion he there oppoſes) ſay that God commanded Iſaac to be ſlain, and that his Angel forbad it: And that Abraham obeyed the Angel who bad him ſpare his Son, againſt the Command of God, who bad him ſlay him? This Sence is ridiculous and not to be endured. The plain meaning is, That God ſpake both times; in the one Caſe and in the other: But by an Angel who was his Miniſter. That's the reaſon Angels ſometimes ſpeak as if they were the LORD, becauſe they ſpeak in his Name: Juſt as when a Publick Crier pronounces the Sentence of a Judge, Non ſcribitur in geſtis, ille praeco dixit, ſed ille Judex, it is not written in the Records, That the Crier, but the Judge pronounced that Sentence.
And thus R. Jehuda underſtood this Paſſage, whoſe gloſs is this (in Pirke Elieſer, cap. 31.) He, i. e. the Lord, made his Voice to be heard from between the two Cherubims, and ſaid, Lay not thy hand upon the Lad. I do not know whether it be worth obſerving, That God is not called in all this Story (as the Jews note) by the Name of Jehovah, till now: Which being, ſay they, Nomen miſericordiae, is moſt agreeable to this part of the Story, as Elohim was to the former part, verſe 1.
Abraham, Abraham.] He ingeminates his Name, that he might make him attend to what he ſaid, and put a ſtop to his proceedings.
Ver. 12. Now I know thou feareſt God, &c.] Thou haſt given ſufficient proof of the regard thou haſt to God and his Commands. It is apparent from what thou haſt done; and thou needeſt do no more to evidence it. And ſo Hackspan tranſlates the word know in this place, now I have proved, or approved, as Pſalm I. ult. Matth. VII. 23. Which Proofs do not argue Ignorance, no more than Queſtions do, Gen. III. 9. John VI. 5, 6.
No Body (that I know of) hath better explained this whole Matter than Moſes Maimonides, whoſe words are theſe, (More Nevochim, P. III. c. 24.) This Story of Abraham makes good two great Foundations of the Law. One is, to ſhow us how far the Fear and Love of God extends it ſelf. For here was a Command to do that, with which the loſs of Money, or of Life it ſelf is not to be compared; nay, that from which Nature abhorred, viz. That a Man very Rich and in great Authority, who earneſtly deſired an Heir, which was born to him, when he had no hope of one, in his old Age; ſhould ſo overcome his natural Affection to him, (which could not but be exceeding great) as to forgo all the Expectations he had from him, and Conſent, after a Journey of three Days, to ſlay this Son with his own Hands. This is the greateſt thing that ever was performed. For, if he had done it, in that moment when he was commanded, it might have been thought a ſudden, precipitant, and inconſiderate Act: But to do it, ſo many Days after he received the Command, upon mature deliberation, is the higheſt Proof of his Obedience; and that this Act proceeded from nothing but from the Fear and Love of God. For he did not make haſte to ſlay his Son, out of any fright he was in, leſt God ſhould have ſlain him, or taken away his Eſtate, if he had diſobeyed: But took time to conſider of it, that he might ſhow to all Men what one ought to do for the Love and Fear of God, and not for fear of Puniſhment, or hope of worldly Reward: For the Angel ſaith, Now I know thou feareſt God.
The Second thing we are taught by this Hiſtory is, That the Prophets were fully aſſured of the Truth of thoſe things, which God ſpake to them, either in Dreams, or in Viſions, or any other way: Which they believed as ſtrongly, as things of Senſe. For if Abraham had in the leaſt doubted whether this were the Will of God or no, which he received either in a Viſion, or a Dream, he would never have conſented to a thing, which Nature abhorred.
This very Story is told by Alexander Polyhiſtor, as Euſebius relates out of him, L. IX. Praepar. Evang. §. XIX.
Ver. 13. Abraham lift up his Eyes.] From looking upon Iſaac, or upon the Angel.
And looked.] He heard, we may ſuppoſe, a buſtling Noiſe, which the Ram made, when it was caught in the Thicket: Which made him look that way, from whence the Noiſe came.
And behold, behind him a Ram, &c.] Bochart gives many Reaſons to prove that the moſt ancient reading, and much better was, Behold, one Ram: Achar, which we tranſlate behind, being put for Achad, one or a ſingular Ram, P. I. Hierozoic. L. II. c. 49. But it is not material which way we take it: Nor need we enquire how the Ram came there. Nothing is more common than for Sheep to go aſtray; and by God's Providence this Ram was caught in a Thicket not far from Abraham: Whereby he made good what Abraham had told his Son, God will provide a Lamb for a Burnt-Offering. In which this Ram was a notable Type of Chriſt, who was a Sacrifice provided by God, not by Man; as this Ram was brought by Divine Providence to be offered, not by Abraham.
And Abraham took the Ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering, inſtead of his Son.] Saying, as R. S. repreſents it, Lord, accept this Sacrifice, as if my Son himſelf were ſlain, and his Blood ſhed, and his Skin flea'd off, and he were burnt and reduced to Aſhes.
And the Ram being accepted inſtead of his Son, may be thought to ſignifie that the offering of the bleſſed Seed, God's only Son, ſhould be ſuſpended till future times, and that in the mean ſeaſon the offering the Blood of Beaſts ſhould ſerve as a Pledge (to uſe the words of Mr. Mede) of that Expiation which the bleſſed Seed of Abraham ſhould one day make, Diſcourſe XXV. where he obſerves, that the more lively to expreſs this, God ſo diſpoſed, That the very Place where the Ram was offered inſtead of Iſaac, ſhould be the Place of Sacrifice for Iſrael. For there it was, where the LORD anſwered David by Fire from Heaven, (1 Chron. XXI. 26.) and ſo deſigned it for the Place he had choſen for his Altar: There David pitched him a Tabernacle, 1 Chron. XXII. 1. and there Solomon built him an Houſe, 2 Chron. III. 1.
Ver. 14. Jehovah-jireh.] The LORD will ſee or provide: That is, take care of their Safety who ſted-faſtly obey him.
As it is ſaid to this day.] Which is thus called to this day. Or, as others interpret it, now it is a proverbial Speech when Men are in great ſtraits, in the Mount of the LORD it ſhall be ſeen: Where a double variation is obſerved, from what was ſaid before: For here is Jehovah inſtead of Elohim, (verſe 12.) and then Jeraeh, inſtead of jireh, i. e. the Paſſive inſtead of the Active: Signifying, that the LORD will not only ſee or provide, but make himſelf conſpicuous, by ſo providing, that all ſhall behold the Care he takes of thoſe that fear him.
Ver. 15. And the Angel of the LORD called, &c.] This confirms what was noted on verſe 12. that it was God himſelf, who called to Abraham to ſtay his Hand, and now ſays, By my ſelf have I ſworn, ſaith the LORD, &c. What can be clearer, as Hackspan gloſſes, (Diſput. II. de Nominibus Divinis, n. 16.) than that we are to turn away our Eyes from the Angel, and fix them upon God; who bleſſed Abraham, and is called the LORD, for whoſe ſake (verſe 12.) Abraham ſpared not his only Son. In all like Caſes therefore, which exceed the Angelical Dignity, we are always to underſtand, ſome ſuch words as theſe, here mentioned, Neum Jehovah, thus ſaith the LORD.
Ver. 16. By my ſelf have I ſworn, &c.] I obſerved upon XII. 7. and XVII. 6. That God inlarged his Mercies to Abraham, proportionable to his Obedience. Which is apparent in this great and laſt Trial of all, the offering his Son: Which was rewarded by the Ratification of God's former Promiſe or Covenant, by a moſt ſolemn Oath: By my ſelf have I ſworn, I will multiply thy Seed, &c. This was promiſed before, but not confirmed by an Oath: And beſides the very Promiſe is now more Affectionate, (if I may ſo ſtile it) in bleſſing I will bleſs thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thee, &c. In the latter end alſo of the Bleſſing, there ſeems to be couched the higheſt of all Bleſſings, That God would make his own only Son ſuch a Sacrifice as Abraham was ready to have made his Son Iſaac: That all the Nations of the World (verſe 18.) might be bleſſed in him, i. e. all that would follow the Faith of Abraham. So Abarbinel himſelf interprets it upon XII. 3.
Ver. 17. Poſſeſs the Gates, that is, the Cities of his Enemies.] And conſequently their Country. For the Gates being taken, thereby they entred into their Cities: And their Cities being ſurrendred, the Country was conquered.
Ver. 18. In thy Seed ſhall all the Nations of the Earth be bleſſed.] God promiſed to make Abraham's Seed as numerous as the Stars of Heaven, XV. 5. which Promiſe he aſſures him here ſhall be fulfilled in Iſaac, verſe 17. But moreover directs him to expect after the multiplying of his Poſterity, One particular Seed, who ſhould bring a Bleſſing to all Mankind. This Singularity St. Paul obſerves and preſſes very much, Gal. III. 16. applying it to the Meſſiah. And it is further obſervable, that there is an increaſe of Sence in theſe words, as there is in the former. For he doth not ſimply ſay, foreign, they ſhall be bleſſed, but foreign, ſhall bleſs themſelves, or count themſelves bleſſed in him: To ſhow, as Jacobus Altingius thinks, that this Perſon ſhould not ſtand in need of any Bleſſing himſelf, as the reſt of Abraham's Seed did: But be the Author of all Bleſſings unto others, who ſhould derive them from him alone, L. II. Schilo. c. 2.
Becauſe thou haſt obeyed, &c.] As a Reward (the word in the Hebrew ſignifies) for obeying my Voice.
Ver. 19. Went together to Beer-ſheba.] Where he had for ſome time ſetled his abode, XXI. 33.
Ver. 20. Milcah hath born Children, &c.] The following Genealogy is ſet down to ſhow, whence Rebekah the Wife of Iſaac was deſcended. For ſhe alone of all Bethuel's Daughters (which is probable were many) is mentioned, verſe 23.
Ver. 21. Huz his firſt-born.] There were two other of this Name. One the Son of Aram, X. 23. another of the Poſterity of Eſau, XXXVI. 28. But this Ʋz here mentioned, is be from whom Job deſcended: Whoſe Country was called Auſitis, (ſo the LXX tranſlate Ʋz, Job I. 1.) and his Poſterity called Auſitae by Ptolemy; who were a People of Arabia Deſerta, near Chaldaea, not far from Euphrates.
Buz.] From whom came Elihu the Buzite, Job XXXII. 2. a People in ſome part of the ſame Country, or near it.
Aram.] Who inhabited, perhaps, ſome part of Syria: Which had the Name of Aram from another, mentioned X. 23.
Ver. 22. Cheſed.] He was the Father of the Chaldaeans, who are called Chaſdim in Scripture from this Cheſed or Chaſad, as ſome read it. Where the reſt that follow ſetled, or whether they had any Poſterity or no, I cannot find. It's likely they never grew to make a Nation or a Family, and ſo left no Name behind them.
Ver. 24. And his Concubine.] This was not an ill Name in theſe ancient Times: But ſignifies a Wife, who was not the Miſtreſs of the Family; but only taken for the increaſe of it, by Procreation of Children. Such Wives were generally Servants; whereas the Prime Wife was a Free-Woman; or made ſo by being married to govern the Family, and bring Children to inherit the Eſtate.