And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. Ver. 1. _And the whole earth was of one language._] Unity without verity, is no better than conspiracy. A legion of devils could accord to get into one man; and, though many, yet they speak and act as one in that possession. That infernal... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. Ver. 2. _In the land of Shinar._] Which was a part of the garden of Eden, as most geographers think, fat and fruitful still above belief (Herodot. lib. i. cap. 93; Plin. lib. v... [ Continue Reading ]
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. Ver. 3. _And they said one to another._] One broached this counsel, and the rest soon consented. Let us consider one another to whet on to love and good work... [ Continue Reading ]
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top [may reach] unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. Ver. 4. _Let us build us a city and a tower._] This tower raised a head of majesty, 5164 paces from the ground, havin... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded._ Ver. 5. _And the Lord came down._] _Non motu locali, sed actu iudiciali_ . _ To see the city, & c._] That so his sentence, grounded not upon hearsay, or uncertain information, might be above all cavillation o... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said, Behold, the people [is] one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Ver. 6. _Behold the people is one, &c._] This benefit they abused to their pride and ambition, which they should h... [ Continue Reading ]
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. Ver. 7. _Go to, let us go down._] "Go to," say they: "Go to," saith He. "Let us build to heaven," say they: "Let us go down and see it," saith He. "Let us make us a name," say they: "Let us... [ Continue Reading ]
_So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city._ Ver. 8. _So the Lord scattered them abroad._] Which was the evil they feared, and by this enterprise, sought to prevent. But there is neither counsel, power, nor policy against the L... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. Ver. 9. _The Lord did there confound the language._] A sore cross and hindrance of interchange of commodities... [ Continue Reading ]
These [are] the generations of Shem: Shem [was] an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: Ver. 10. _These are the generations of Shem._] To whose genealogy Moses here returneth, that he may come to the history of Abraham, the father of the faithful.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. Ver. 11. _And Shem lived after he begat, &c._] He saw ten generations, and lived till Isaac was fifty years old, who might well be his pupil, which (if Shem were Melchisedec) is so much the more likely. Heber a... [ Continue Reading ]
And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah: Ver. 12. _And begat Salah._] Cainan, say the seventy interpreters, but not according to the Hebrew verity. See for this the note on _See Trapp on "_ Luk 3:36 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: Ver. 16. _And begat Peleg._] Whether Peleg were Heber's firstborn, Buxtorf _a_ doubteth and disputeth; but without any just cause. But, _cum errat eruditus, errat errore erudito_, saith the Arabic proverb. _b_ a Dissertat. 2 Thes 75 . _ b_ Er... [ Continue Reading ]
And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: Ver. 22. _And begat Nahor._] Who, first of the patriarchs, fell to idolatry: for Laban sware by Nahor's gods.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: Ver. 24. _And begat Terah._] Who also at first "served other gods, beyond the flood". Jos 24:2... [ Continue Reading ]
Now these [are] the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. Ver. 27. _Terah begat Abram._] Who whether he were Terah's firstborn, is a great question; but, being an important man, he is first mentioned. (Abram was not Terah's first born. Genesis 11:32; Gen 12... [ Continue Reading ]
And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. Ver. 28. _And Haran died before his father Terah._] The Hebrews say he died a martyr, being burnt with fire by his countrymen the Chaldees, because he would not worship the fire, which they had made their god... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife [was] Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. Ver. 29. _And the father of Iscah._] The Chaldee Paraphrast addeth _Hi Sara_ ;, the same is Sarah. It was not yet fl... [ Continue Reading ]
But Sarai was barren; she [had] no child. Ver. 30. _But Sarai was barren._] Till she had prayed for a child thirty years, and then she had him with abundance of joy. At first she believed not the promise, but laughed at the unlikelihood, and was checked for it. But when she had better bethought her... [ Continue Reading ]
And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. Ver. 31. _And Terah took, &c._] Being admonishe... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran._ Ver. 32. _Terah died in Haran._] And so fell short of the earthly, but not of the heavenly Canaan; to the which, there is as ready a way and as speedy a passage, from one place, as from another. But as the body, when... [ Continue Reading ]