Genesis 21:23

_NOW THEREFORE SWEAR UNTO ME HERE BY GOD THAT THOU WILT NOT DEAL FALSELY WITH ME, NOR WITH MY SON, NOR WITH MY SON'S SON: BUT ACCORDING TO THE KINDNESS THAT I HAVE DONE UNTO THEE, THOU SHALT DO UNTO ME, AND TO THE LAND WHEREIN THOU HAST SOJOURNED._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

23._That thou wilt not deal falsely with me _(441) Literally it is, ‘If thou shalt lie;’ for, among the Hebrews, a defective form of speech is common in taking oaths, which is to be thus explained: ‘If thou shouldst break the promise given to me, we call upon God to sit as Judge between us, and to show himself the avenger of perjury.’ But ‘to lie,’ some here take for dealing unjustly and fraudulently; others for failing in the conditions of the covenant. I simply understand it as if it were said, ‘Thou shalt do nothing perfidiously with me or with my descendants.’ Abimelech also enumerates his own acts of kindness, the lore effectually to exhort Abraham to exercise good faith; for, seeing he had been humanely treated, Abimelech declares it would be an act of base ingratitude if he did not, in return, endeavor to repay the benefits he had received. The Hebrew word חסד (che

22-34 Abimelech felt sure that the promises of God would be fulfilled to Abraham. It is wise to connect ourselves with those who are blessed of God; and we ought to requite kindness to those who have been kind to us. Wells of water are scarce and valuable in eastern countries. Abraham took care to have his title to the well allowed, to prevent disputes in future. No more can be expected from an honest man than that he be ready to do right, as soon as he knows he has done wrong. Abraham, being now in a good neighbourhood, stayed a great while there. There he made, not only a constant practice, but an open profession of his religion. There he called on the name of the Lord, as the everlasting God; probably in the grove he planted, which was his place of prayer. Abraham kept up public worship, in which his neighbours might join. Good men should do all they can to make others so. Wherever we...

Verse Genesis 21:23. _NOW THEREFORE SWEAR UNTO ME_] The oath on such occasions probably meant no more than the mutual promise of both the parties, when they slew an animal, poured out the blood as a sacrifice to God, and then passed between the pieces. See this ceremony, Genesis 15:18, and on Genesis 15:9; Genesis 15:10. _ACCORDING TO THE KINDNESS THAT I HAVE DONE_] The simple claims of justice were alone set up among virtuous people in those ancient times, which constitute the basis of the famous _lex_ _talionis_, or law of _like for like, kind office for kind office_, and breach fo

- The Birth of Isaac 7. מלל _mı̂lēl_ “speak,” an ancient and therefore solemn and poetical word. 14. חמת _chêmet_ “bottle,” akin to חמה _chāmâh_, “surround, enclose,” and הוּם _chûm_ “black. באר שׁבע _b__e__êr_-_sheba‛_, Beer-sheba‘, “well of seven.” 22. פיכל _pı̂ykol_, Pikhol, “mouth or spokesman of all.” 23. נין _nı̂yn_ “offspring, kin;” related: “sprout, flourish.”...

EXPOSITION GENESIS 21:22 AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THAT TIME,—possibly in immediate sequence to the incident of the preceding chapter, but, "according to the common law of Hebrew narrative, probably not long after the birth of Isaac." (Murphy)—THAT ABIMELECH—the king of Gerar (Genesis 20:2; Genesis 26:1, Genesis 26:16)—AND PHI-CHOL—if the name be Shemitic, "mouth of all," _i.e._ spokesman of all (Murphy), ruler of all (Gesenius); or "_the _distinguished" (Furst); believed to have been a titular designation of the Philistine monarch's grand v

NOW THEREFORE SWEAR UNTO ME HERE BY GOD,.... By the true and living God, by whom only an oath is to be taken, who was Abraham's God, and whom Abimelech seems to have known and to have been a worshipper of; and therefore moves for an oath to be taken by him, which he knew would be sacred and binding to Abraham, could he prevail upon him to swear: THAT THOU WILT NOT DEAL FALSELY WITH ME, NOR WITH MY SON, NOR WITH MY SON'S SON; perhaps he had heard that God had promised to give the whole land of Canaan to him and his posterity, and among the rest his kingdom, which was a part of it; and, seeing him grow great and powerful, he could not tell how soon it might be ere he was put in the possession of it, whether in his own time, or his son's, or his grandson's; and therefore desires Abraham that he would swear to do no hurt to them whenever it should be; [but] according to the kindness I have...

CHAPTER 21 ISAAC AND ISHMAEL AND THE COVENANT WITH ABIMELECH _ 1. Isaac's birth (Genesis 22:1) 2. His circumcision (Genesis 22:4)_ 3. Ishmael mocking (Genesis 22:9) 4. Sarah's demand (Genesis 22:10) 5. God speaks to Abraham (Genesis 22:12) 6. Hagar and Ishmael cast out (Genesis 22:14) 7. The intervention of God (Genesis 22:17)

GENESIS 12:1 TO GENESIS 25:18. THE STORY OF ABRAHAM. In this section the three main sources, J. E, P are present. Gunkel has given strong reasons for holding that J is here made up of two main sources, one connecting Abraham with Hebron, the other with Beersheba and the Negeb. The former associates Abraham with Lot. (For details, see ICC.) On the interpretation to be placed on the figures of Abraham and the patriarchs, see the Introduction. The interest, which has hitherto been diffused over the fortunes of mankind in general, is now concentrated on Abraham and his posterity, the principle of election narrowing it down to Isaac, Ishmael being left aside, and then to Jacob, Esau being excluded....

KINDNESS. Fig, _Metonymy_ (of Cause). App-6. See Genesis 20:13....