Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: Ver. 1. _Now the Lord had said to Abram._] But was not this to command him to do that which was against nature? No, but only against corrupt nature, w... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:_ Ver. 2. _And I will make of thee a great nation._] Why then should the scornful Jews call us nations or Gentiles in contempt? yea, heathen bastards, heathen dogs, as they do at th... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed._ Ver. 3. _And I will bless them that bless thee._] Some there are that will curse those whom God blessed; but nothing so many as they that will rise up and call them bles... [ Continue Reading ]
So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. Ver. 4. _So Abram departed._] He had now enough, having such precious promises, though he previously had nothing else. He parted with his friends and... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. Ver. 5. _And Abram took Sarai his wife._] The faithful com... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land. Ver. 6,7. _And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the Lord appeared to Abram._] The sight of those wicked Canaanites might discourage him, and unsettle his faith. But... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. Ver. 7. _And there builded he an altar to Jehovah._] Although the Canaanite was then in the land. God hath promised, when he cleanseth his Church, tha... [ Continue Reading ]
And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, [having] Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. Ver. 8. _And he removed from thence._] Because his building altars to Jehovah... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. Ver. 9. _Going on still towards the south._] As toward the sun, whereby may be figured, saith an expositor, his progress in faith and grace, as Proverbs 4:18 2 Corinthians 3:18 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine [was] grievous in the land. Ver. 10. _Abram went down into Egypt._] Which the Hebrews much condemn him for, saying that it was out of distrust, and that for this fault of his the Israelites suffered... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou [art] a fair woman to look upon: Ver. 11. _Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman._] And yet she was now sixty-five years of age; wherein she was a figure of "Jerusa... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This [is] his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Ver. 12. _Therefore it shall come to pass, &c._] Note here, saith Pererius, 1. The raging affection of the Egyptians, that made no consc... [ Continue Reading ]
Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. Ver. 13. _Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister._] The truth was here not only concealed, but dissembled. As the moon hath her specks, so the best have their blemishes: a sheep m... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she [was] very fair. Ver. 14. _The Egyptians beheld the woman._] Pleasure is blamed, in Xenophon, for this, that she ever and anon looketh back upon her own shadow, and giveth her eyes leave to rove and r... [ Continue Reading ]
The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. Ver. 15. _The princes also of Pharaoh, &c._] Flattering courtiers please princes' humours, and serve their delights, though to the procuring of their plagues, as here, and in young K... [ Continue Reading ]
And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. Ver. 16. _And he entreated Abram well for her sake._] To the end that he might solicit his sister to yield consent; or might not be a backward friend, at... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. Ver. 17. _And the Lord plagued Pharaoh._] Plagued him with plagues, saith the Hebrew: tormented him with torments, or set him on the rack, saith the Greek. And for this he might thank his court parasites, w... [ Continue Reading ]
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What [is] this [that] thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she [was] thy wife? Ver. 18. _What is this that thou hast done unto me?_] God had reproved Pharaoh, according to that; "He suffered no man to do them wrong, but reproved kings for their... [ Continue Reading ]
_Why saidst thou, She [is] my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take [her], and go thy way._ Ver. 19. _Why saidst thou, She is my sister?_] He might have answered, Because I was afraid. His fear it was that put him upon this exploit. So it did David whe... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had._ Ver. 20. _And Pharaoh commanded._] Thus God comes, as it were, out of an engine, _a_ and helps his people at a pinch. Abram had brought himself into the briars, and could find no way out. Ma... [ Continue Reading ]