_A.M. 2106. B.C. 1898._ We have here, (1,) _ Abraham's sin in denying his wife, and Abimelech's sin thereupon in taking her, Genesis 20:1._ (2,) _ God's discourse with Abimelech in a dream upon this occasion, Genesis 20:4._ (3,) _ Abimelech's discourse with Abraham, Genesis 20:8._ (4,) _ The go... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Abraham sojourned in Gerar_ Which belonged to the Philistines. We are not told upon what occasion he removed; whether terrified by the destruction of Sodom, or, as some of the Jewish writers say, because he was grieved at Lot's incest with his daughters, and the reproach which the Canaanites ca... [ Continue Reading ]
_But God came to Abimelech in a dream_ It appears by this that God revealed himself by dreams, which evidenced themselves to be divine and supernatural, not only to his servants the prophets, but even to those that were out of the pale of the church; but then usually it was with some regard to God's... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wilt thou also slay a righteous nation?_ He probably referred to the late destruction of Sodom and the cities of the plain, which, no doubt, must have caused great consternation, if not also some degree of reformation, in that neighbourhood. As Abimelech's plea was not rejected by the Lord, there i... [ Continue Reading ]
_I withheld thee_, &c. It is God that restrains men from doing the ill they would do; it is not from him that there is sin, but it is from him that there is not more sin, either by his influence on men's minds, checking their inclination to sin, or by his providence, taking away the opportunity of c... [ Continue Reading ]
_He is a prophet_ A person favoured with peculiar intercourse with God, who is made acquainted with his will and purposes in an extraordinary way, and is the interpreter of that will, and the revealer of those purposes to others. This seems to be the meaning of the appellation _prophet_, first, as w... [ Continue Reading ]
_I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me_ There are many places and persons that have more of the fear of God in them than we think they have; perhaps they are not called by our name, they do not wear our badges, they do not tie themselves to that which we have... [ Continue Reading ]
_When God caused me to wander from my father's house_ Then we settled this matter. It may be, that God denied Abraham and Sarah the blessing of children so long, to punish them for this sinful compact they had made to deny one another: if they will not own their marriage, why should God own it? But... [ Continue Reading ]
_He_, or _this, is to thee a covering of the eyes_ For the words may be expounded either of the money given to Abraham to buy a veil for the covering of her face, and to be worn in token of her subjection to her husband; or of Abraham, that he must be a covering of her eyes, that she should look at... [ Continue Reading ]