XXII. THE OFFERING OF ISAAC ON MOUNT MORIAH. (1) GOD DID TEMPT ABRAHAM. — Heb., _proved_ him, put his faith and obedience to the proof. For twenty-five years the patriarch had wandered in Palestine, and seen the fulfilment of the promise perpetually deferred, and yet his faith failed not. At length... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE NOW. — _Now_ is not an adverb of time, but an interjection of entreaty, usually coupled with requests, and intended to soften them. It thus makes the words more an exhortation than a command. THINE ONLY SON ISAAC. — The words in the original are more emphatic, being, “Take, I pray, thy son, th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ABRAHAM... — Every preparation for the sacrifice is minutely detailed, as if to show the calmness with which Abraham girded up himself for obedience. He even took the wood ready cleft, not because there was no wood there (Genesis 22:13), but in order that on arriving at the destined place there... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THE THIRD DAY. — We may compare the patriarch’s feelings during these two weary days of travel with those of Hagar as she wandered in the wilderness, and each day felt the death of her child growing nearer and more certain. But hers were human sorrows only, while Abraham was giving up the son on... [ Continue Reading ]
I AND THE LAD WILL... COME AGAIN TO YOU. — In these words Abraham gives utterance to the hope ascribed to him in Hebrews 11:19. The belief in the resurrection of the body was no new thing with Abraham, as it was part of the creed both of Chaldea and Egypt (Tomkins, _Studies,_ p. 127). GOD WILL PROVI... [ Continue Reading ]
ABRAHAM... BOUND ISAAC. — Jewish commentators agree that this was done with Isaac’s consent, nor could it well have been otherwise. Thus his youthful faith was tried equally with that of his father, his future life sanctified, and himself ennobled by being made a type of Christ (1 Peter 2:23).... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD. — Up to this point, the narrative had been Elohistic, but it is the angel of Jehovah who interferes to stop the sacrifice (see on Genesis 16:7).... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHIND. — By a slight change in the shape of a consonant, many ancient authorities read _one ram_ instead of _a ram behind_ (“him” is not in the Hebrew). This correction is almost certain, as nowhere else is the word translated _behind_ used as an adverb of place. The ram was probably that with four... [ Continue Reading ]
JEHOVAH-JIREH. — That is, _Jehovah will provide._ In Genesis 22:8, Abraham had said “Elohim-jireh,” _God will provide._ He now uses Jehovah as the equivalent of Elohim. It is added that hence arose a proverb “In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen,” or rather, _In the mount of Jehovah it shall be... [ Continue Reading ]
BY MYSELF HAVE I SWORN, SAITH THE LORD (JEHOVAH). — This solemn interposition of an oath (Hebrews 6:17), of which the present is the sole instance in Holy Scripture, plainly indicates that this trial of Abraham’s faith was of no common kind, and that its typical teaching is of no ordinary value. Abr... [ Continue Reading ]
NAHOR’S POSTERITY. (20) THY BROTHER NAHOR. — Dwelling so far apart, news would seldom reach Abraham of those whom he had left at Haran. But besides the domestic interest, the knowledge thus conveyed to him was the cause “probably of Abraham’s determination to seek a wife for his son from among his... [ Continue Reading ]
HUZ. — The same name as _Uz_ in Genesis 10:23; Genesis 36:28, the Hebrew in all cases being’Uz. For the various regions supposed to have been _“_the land of Uz,” see Notes on Job 1:1; Jeremiah 25:20. BUZ. — Probably he was the ancestor of Elihu (Job 32:2); but Buz, in Jeremiah 25:23, seems to have... [ Continue Reading ]
CHESED. — He was not the ancestor of the ancient Chasdim or Chaldees, but possibly of the small tribe of robbers with the same name who plundered Job (Job 1:17). Of the rest, no trace remains in history.... [ Continue Reading ]
MAACHAH. — This name appears as that of a small Aramaic people, in Deuteronomy 3:14; Joshua 12:5; 2 Samuel 10:6.... [ Continue Reading ]