And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; Ver. 1. _And the Lord appeared unto him._] 1. _Ut proeludium incarnationis_. 2. _Ex philanthropia_ ;" his delight" is "in the habitable part of" God's "earth". Pro 8:31 _ And he sat in the te... [ Continue Reading ]
And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, Ver. 2. _And he lift up his eyes and looked._] As "pursuing hospitality" (that is the apostle's expression, Rom 12:13), and waiti... [ Continue Reading ]
And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Ver. 3. _My Lord._] He directs his speech to one of them, in whom appeared to be most majesty; and whom he afterwards knew to be the Lord by an excellency.... [ Continue Reading ]
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: Ver. 4. _And wash your feet._] Fouled with going barefoot; as in these parts men used to do, because of the great heat.... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. Ver. 5. _For therefore are ye come to your servant._] He meaneth not, that they therefore came to him to taste of his chee... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead [it], and make cakes upon the hearth. Ver. 6. _Make ready quickly._] _Habent aulae suum cito, cito_, saith one. So had Abraham's house here. He, she, the boy, and all hasted, and had their... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave [it] unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. Ver. 7. _And gave it unto a young man._] Here was a well-ordered family; every one knew his office, and did it. In every society, say the politicians, as in a well-tuned harp... [ Continue Reading ]
And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. Ver. 8. _And they did eat._] The angels, as they assumed human shapes, so they did truly eat, according to the present dispensation of the shape so assum... [ Continue Reading ]
And they said unto him, Where [is] Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. Ver. 9. _Behold, in the tent._] David compares a good woman to the vines upon the walls of the house, because she cleaveth to her house. Others to a snail, that carrieth her house on her back. St Paul reckons it fo... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard [it] in the tent door, which [was] behind him. Ver. 10. _According to the time af life._] That is, when this time shall return again; this time twelve month. _See... [ Continue Reading ]
Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] well stricken in age; [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Ver. 11. _Now Abraham and Sarah were old._] So, when we were altogether "without strength," according to the time of life, "Christ died for the ungodly". Rom 5:6... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? Ver. 12. _Sarah laughed._] God's promises seem absurd and ridiculous, many of them, to human reason, which therefore must be silenced, and shut out, as Hagar was; for it will argue ca... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Ver. 13. _Said to Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh?_] The wife's sin reflects upon the husband. But Solomon shows that some wives are so intemperate and wilful, that a man may as wel... [ Continue Reading ]
Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Ver. 14. _Is anything too hard for the Lord?_] He can do all things possible and honourable. He cannot lie, die, deny himself, for that implieth impotency. ... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. Ver. 15. I laughed not: for she was afraid.] And well she might; for as everybody hath its shadow, so hath every sin its fear. Her sin she saw was detected, and her conscience she felt was troubled... [ Continue Reading ]
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. Ver. 16. _To bring them on the way._] A special piece of courtesy, and much spoken of in Scripture. 3Jn 1:6 _Acts 20:38_ _; Acts 21:5_ _Romans 15:24_ 1Co 16:11 Tit 3:13... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Ver. 17. _Shall I hide from Abraham?_] My bosom friend. He shall be both of God's court, and his council. His "secret is with them that fear him". Psa 25:14 The kings of Israel had some one courtier, called the king's friend by a s... [ Continue Reading ]
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? Ver. 18, 19. _Seeing that Abraham, &c._] God's first motive here is, from his own antecedent love to Abraham, as the second from his consequent.... [ Continue Reading ]
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Ver. 19. _For I know him._] God hath a quick eye to see our good works. He weigh... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; Ver. 20. _Because their sin is very grievous._] Or, very heavy; such as the very ground groans under; the axle of the earth is ready to break under it. Sin is a burden to God. Amo 2:13 It was... [ Continue Reading ]
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. _Ver 21. I will go down now, and see, &c._] The Sodomites sinned as freely and securely as if God knew nothing. Now therefore he is come to know, that is, to giv... [ Continue Reading ]
And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. Ver. 22. _Abraham stood yet before the Lord._] And without such to stand and pray, the world could not stand: they bear up the pillars of it. Oh, the price with God, and profit to men, of prayi... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Ver. 23. _And Abraham drew near._] A privilege proper to such as have "a true heart," "full assurance of faith," and "a good conscience". Heb 10:22 "The hypocrite shall not come before him" Job 13:16 He must stan... [ Continue Reading ]
Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that [are] therein? Ver. 24. _Peradventure there be fifty righteous._] Charity presumes the best, hopes the best. The disciples could not imagine that Judas was so very a tr... [ Continue Reading ]
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Ver. 25. _Shall not the Judge, &c._] He "fills his mouth with arguments". Job 23:4 Let us also:... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. Ver. 26. _If I find fifty righteous._] The saints are the salt of the earth, that keep the rest from rotting and putrifying.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which [am but] dust and ashes: Ver. 27. _Which am but dust and ashes._] _Gnaphar veephar_, χονις _et cinus_; none so humble as they that have nearest communion with God. The angels that stand before him, cover t... [ Continue Reading ]
Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for [lack of] five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy [it]. Ver. 28. _Peradventure, &c._] _See Trapp on "_ Gen 18:29 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Gen 18:30 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do [it] for forty's sake. Ver. 29. _And he spake unto him yet again._] _Cum in colloquium descendimus cum Deo, replicemus licet, duplicemus, triplicemus, et quadruplicemus_. _a_ The bol... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said [unto him], Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do [it], if I find thirty there. Ver. 30. _I will not do it, &c._] If God so yielded to Abraham interceding for wicked Sodom, will he not hear us for his l... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for twenty's sake. Ver. 31. _Behold now, I have taken upon me._] _See Trapp on "_ Gen 18:29 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Gen 18:30 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for ten's sake. Ver. 32. _Peradventure ten shall be found there._] Lo, all the slavery and misery they had sustained hath not yet made ten good... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. Ver. 33. _And the Lord went his way._] Abraham bargined with the Lord so long, till he had brought him down from fifty to ten: and mark, that he stopped begging ere God stopped lessening.... [ Continue Reading ]