INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 18 Another appearance of God to Abraham is here recorded; three persons are seen by him in an human form, whom he kindly invites to stop with him, and generously entertains them, Genesis 18:1; they inquire concerning Sarah his wife, and one of them renews the promise of her... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM IN THE PLAINS OF MAMRE,.... That is, to Abraham; and very likely this appearance of God was quickly after the affair of the circumcision, to show his approbation of his ready obedience to his command; and at this time he was in the plains, or at the oaks of Mamre, the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES AND LOOKED,.... To see if he could observe any passengers coming that way: AND, LO, THREE MEN STOOD BY HIM; having perhaps descended at once from heaven upon the spot near where Abraham sat; for these, whoever they were, appeared in an human form, and they were took by Abr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID, MY LORD,.... He addressed himself to one of them who appeared to him to be the greatest and most honourable, either by the appearance of his countenance, or by his dress, or by the situation in which he was between the other two, and by their carriage and behaviour to him: IF NOW I HAVE F... [ Continue Reading ]
LET A LITTLE WATER, I PRAY YOU, BE FETCHED, AND WASH YOUR FEET,.... Which was very refreshing to travellers in hot countries, who walked barefoot or in sandals; and this he proposes to be done by one of his servants, whose business it was, only desires they would give him leave to order it, 1 Samuel... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL FETCH A MORSEL OF BREAD,.... A piece or a loaf of bread, as De Dieu shows the word signifies; bread being put for all the necessaries of life: AND COMFORT YE YOUR HEARTS; eat to refresh your spirits and renew your strength, that ye may be able to pursue your journey: and AFTER THAT YE S... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ABRAHAM HASTENED INTO THE TENT UNTO SARAH,.... In order to acquaint her with his guests, and to give proper instructions for providing food for them; and this he hasted to do, being hearty in the entertainment of them, and that he might not keep them too long from their journey: AND SAID, to Sa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ABRAHAM RAN UNTO THE HERD,.... While Sarah and her maids were kneading the dough and making the cakes: AND FETCHED A CALF TENDER AND GOOD; a fine fat calf, which was reckoned very delicious food, and much in use with the ancients q and generally made a part in any grand entertainment, and was a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOOK BUTTER AND MILK,.... Jarchi says, it was the fat of the milk gathered from the top of it, he means cream, and is different both from butter and from milk: this was either Abraham himself, who took and brought these, as Sarah or her maidens might bring the cakes when baked; or else Abraha... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM, WHERE [IS] SARAH THY WIFE?.... One of them put the question; and so the Septuagint version renders it, "and he said unto him", the principal of them, whom Abraham at first addressed and called him "my Lord", and was no other than the Son of God in an human form; and various t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID,.... The same that put the question, Jehovah himself, as appears by what follows: I WILL CERTAINLY RETURN UNTO THEE ACCORDING TO THE TIME OF LIFE; not by a personal appearance as now, but by the fulfilment of his promise which he had before given to Abraham, that he should have a son by... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW ABRAHAM AND SARAH [WERE] OLD, [AND] WELL STRICKEN IN AGE,.... The one being ninety nine years of age, and the other eighty nine; and which is observed to make it the more surprising that they should have a son at such an age; and what follows still makes it more so: [AND] IT CEASED TO BE WITH S... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE SARAH LAUGHED WITHIN HERSELF,.... Not for joy of a son, and as pleased with it, believing so it would be; but as disbelieving it, and perhaps deriding it, and confuting it with a laugh, which, though it did not appear in her countenance, was secretly in her heart: SAYING, not with her mou... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO ABRAHAM,.... This discovers who the person was that had been conversing with Abraham, that he was a divine Person, as appears by his name "Jehovah", as well as by his knowledge of Sarah's behaviour; he did not turn himself to her, that it might be more manifest that it was not... [ Continue Reading ]
IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?.... Whose power is infinite; or "too wonderful" x, so wonderful and beyond all belief, that it can never be thought it will be done by him; and why then should it be thought incredible or impossible that Sarah should have a child, though she is old? Or, is "anythin... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SARAH DENIED, SAYING, I LAUGHED NOT,.... Some render the words, "Sarah lied" z; and indeed it was no other than a lie, to say she did not laugh when she did; which she might be tempted to say in her confusion, partly because the back of the speaker was to her, and he could not see her, and part... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN ROSE UP FROM THENCE,.... From their seats at Abraham's table under the tree, all three of them: AND LOOKED TOWARD SODOM; set their faces and steered their course that way, by which it appeared they intended to go thither: the Targum of Jonathan says, that he that brought the news to Sar... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID,.... Either unto Abraham himself, so leading on to what he was about to make known to him; and without supposing this it will be difficult to account for Abraham's intercession for Sodom upon this: or to the two angels with him; not as consulting them whether he should or no do wha... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING THAT ABRAHAM SHALL SURELY BECOME A GREAT AND MIGHTY NATION,.... Which was fulfilled in the nation of Israel, so called, not so much for the largeness of the place they dwelt in, and the number of its inhabitants, as for the law of God that was given them, and the worship of God kept up among... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I KNOW HIM,.... Not only by his omniscience, but with a special knowledge, such as is accompanied with peculiar love and affection; and so Jarchi says, it is expressive of love. God loved Abraham, he was a peculiar favourite of his, and therefore he would reveal his secrets to him, see Amos 3:2;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, to the ministering angels, the two angels that were with him in the likeness of men; or to Abraham, at least in his hearing, by which he understood that Sodom and other cities were about to be destroyed for their sins: BECAUSE THE CRY OF SODOM AND... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL GO DOWN NOW,.... The Son of God in an human form now with Abraham, who proposes to go from the place where he was, which perhaps was on higher ground, to the plain in which Sodom and Gomorrah stood; and whither it seems certain he did go down, after he had done talking with Abraham, see Genes... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN TURNED THEIR FACES FROM THENCE,.... From the place to which Abraham brought them on; these were only two of them, for the third continued with Abraham: AND WENT TOWARDS SODOM; and are the two angels said to come thither at evening, Genesis 19:1: BUT ABRAHAM STOOD YET BEFORE THE LORD; b... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ABRAHAM DREW NEAR,.... To the Lord; he approached nearer to him, to have more close and intimate conversation with him on the subject of the destruction of Sodom, which he perceived, by what had been said, was like to be; he drew nigh to God in prayer; so the Targum of Jonathan, "and Abraham pr... [ Continue Reading ]
PERADVENTURE THERE BE FIFTY RIGHTEOUS WITHIN THE CITY,.... Within the Pentapolis, which consisted of five cities; and so ten righteous persons are supposed to be in each, as Jarchi observes, agreeably to the Targum of Jonathan; "perhaps there may be fifty righteous persons in the city who pray befo... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT BE FAR FROM THEE TO DO AFTER THIS MANNER,.... He represents it as a thing unbecoming the divine Majesty, and contrary to the nature and perfections of God, TO SLAY THE RIGHTEOUS WITH THE WICKED; which is true of eternal punishment, but not of temporal calamities, in which the righteous are oft... [ Continue Reading ]
IF I FIND IN SODOM FIFTY RIGHTEOUS WITHIN THE CITY,.... Sodom is particularly mentioned because Lot dwelt there, and being the metropolis, and the city of greatest note, as Jarchi observes, it is put for the rest; and the sense is, if fifty righteous persons could be found in all the five cities, me... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ABRAHAM ANSWERED AND SAID,.... In a very humble and modest manner, encouraged by the answer given him: BEHOLD NOW, I HAVE TAKEN UPON ME TO SPEAK UNTO THE LORD; suggesting that it was bold and daring in him, and was what he was unfit for and unworthy of; or, "I have begun to speak" e; and since... [ Continue Reading ]
PERADVENTURE THERE SHOULD LACK FIVE OF THE FIFTY RIGHTEOUS,.... Or there should be but forty five; for Abraham perceived, by the Lord's answer, that there were not fifty righteous persons in the place: WILT THOU DESTROY ALL THE CITY FOR [LACK OF] FIVE? Abraham proceeds gradually in his requests, an... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SPAKE [UNTO HIM] YET AGAIN, AND SAID,.... Being encouraged by such a gracious answer: PERADVENTURE THERE SHALL BE FORTY FOUND THERE; forty righteous persons; and, from preceding passages, it must be supplied, "wilt thou destroy and not spare the place for their sakes?'' AND HE SAID, I WILL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO HIM, OH, LET NOT THE LORD BE ANGRY, AND I WILL SPEAK,.... He feared, through his importunity, he should be wearisome to him and incur his displeasure; this being often the case among men, especially when inferiors are soliciting their superiors, and, not content with one favour, are... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, BEHOLD NOW, I HAVE TAKEN UPON ME TO SPEAK UNTO THE LORD,.... Genesis 18:27: PERADVENTURE THERE SHALL BE TWENTY FOUND THERE; wouldest thou destroy it, such a number being in it; or, wouldest thou spare it for their sakes? AND HE SAID, I WILL NOT DESTROY [IT] FOR TWENTY'S SAKE; if there... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, OH, LET NOT THE LORD BE ANGRY, AND I WILL SPEAK YET BUT THIS ONCE,.... This should be the last request he should make on this account, and therefore he desired he might be heard without any marks of his displeasure; PERADVENTURE TEN SHALL BE FOUND THERE: how would the place be dealt wi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD WENT HIS WAY, AS SOON AS HE HAD LEFT COMMUNING WITH ABRAHAM,.... It is great and wonderful condescension for God to commune with a creature; it is an act of sovereignty how long he will continue to do so; communion with him always is not to be expected in this life; he communes for a wh... [ Continue Reading ]