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6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly 7 three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto 8 a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

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A ch. 19. 3.

í ch. 24. 67.
& ver. 14.
12 Ki. 4. 16.

ch. 17. 19, 21; 21. 2; Ro. 9. 9.

"ch. 17. 17; Ro. 4. 19;

n

Heb. 11. 11, 12, 19.

• ch. 31. 35.

ch. 17. 17.
Pet. 3. &

9 Lk. 1. 18.

9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, ' in 10 the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee 'according to the time of life; and, lo," Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the 11 tent door, which was behind him. Now "Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I 13 have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham,1 Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am 14 old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return 15 unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, "Nay; but thou ch. 17. 21; ver. 10: didst laugh. 1

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16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham
17 went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, Shall I hide
18 from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become
a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in
19 him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household
after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment;
that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and
21 because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they
have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if
22 not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went to-
ward Sodom: but Abraham 'stood yet before the LORD.

20

23

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T

h

d

see eh. 17. 1; Nam. 11. 23; Jer. 32 17: Z-ch. 8. 6; M. 19; 19. 26; Lk. 1. 37.

2 Ki. 4. 16
Ps. 44. 21.

Ro. 15. 24: 3 Jno. 6.

2 Chr. 20. 7; Ps 25 14; 107. 43; Am. 3 7; John 15 15.

z ch. 12. 2, 3; 22 18; A c. 3. 25.

a 2 Sam. 7. 20; Ps. 3£ 15: John 15 15; Gal 3. 8.

ch. 17. 23-27: Deu.

4. 9, 10; 6. 7; Jos. 24. 15; Fph. 6. 4. en. 4. 10; 19. 13: Is 39; Jam. 5. 4. deb. 13 13

ch. 11. 5-7; Ex. 3.8 Zeph. 1. 12.

R Deu. & 2; 13 3; Jor 22 22; Jer. 17. 10: 1.k. 16. 15; 2 Cor. 11. 11.

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And Abraham drew near, and said, 'Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with 24 the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also 25 destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? "That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge 26 of all the earth do right? And the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous 27 within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, ' Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, 28 which am but dust and ashes. Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty168; Jer. 5. 1: righteous: 'wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find 29 there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do 30 it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak! Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will 31 not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord. Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And 32 he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once! Peradventure ten shall be 33 found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. And the LORD Jam. 5. 16 went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; deliverance and further history of Lot.

sch. 2 7: 3. 19: Job 4. 19; Ere. 12 7: 1 Cor. 15 47, 48; 2 Cor.

5. 1.

Num. 14. 17-19.

"Judg. 6. 39; Ps. 86. 5.

ch. 18, 1, etc.; Job 31. 32.

19 AND there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gates of ch. 18. 22.
Sodom and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with
2 his face toward the ground; and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray
you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye

people travel barefooted, or with open sandals. It is
often mentioned in Scripture.

1 Rather, within the tent door.'

2 This narrative illustrates the privilege of the believer in his communion with God." On the one hand, we see God's approving testimony to Abraham's piety (ver. 19); the gracious revelation of his purposes (vers. 17, 18); and his readiness to hear and answer his servants' prayers (ver. 26, etc.): on the other, Abraham's humble boldness (ver. 23, etc.) and earnest perseverance in pleading not only for the righteous, but even for the

a

reprobate sinners in Sodom.

a Heb. 13. 2

b ch. 18. 4.

3 It is plainly the duty, as well as the interest, of masters of families, to instruct and inspect the conduct of all under their control.

4 Implying that God's punishments are always indisputably just. See note on ch. vi. 6.

5 This term, which is often used, means an open place at the entrance of the town, which was then, as it is still in some parts of the east, the place of public resort for business or amusement, and the place where the king or the judges sat to administer justice.

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shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will 3 abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

4

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But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: 5 and they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in 6 to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we' may know them. And 7 Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, and said, I 8 pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man, let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; 'for there9 fore came they under the shadow of my roof. And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, "and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon 10 the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their 11 hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

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e see Lk. 24. 28.

d eh. 18. 8.

Pro. 4. 16.

see ch. 13. 13.

Le. 18. 22; Is. 3. 9.

Judg. 19. 22-24.

í ch. 4. 1; Ro. 1. 24, 27; Jude 7.

Judg. 19. 24;

Ro. 3. 8.

see ch. 18. 5.

eh. 13. 12; 2 Pet. 2. 7,8. "Ex. 2. 14.

see 2 Ki. 6. 18; Job

5. 12-14; Ac. 13. 11.

23; 2 Pet. 2. 7, 9; Rev. 18. 4.

4 ch. 18 20.

12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of P ch. 7. 1; Jos. 6. 22, 13 this place for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great 14 before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons-in-law, 'which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. "But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law.

15

d

C

1 Ch. 21. 15; I. 37.
36; Jule 7.
Mr. 1. 18.

Num. 16. 21, 26, 45;
Jer. 51. 6.
Ex. 9. 21; Is. 22. 22:
Jer. 5. 12, 13; L. 17.
28: 24. 11; 1 Thes.
5. 3.

Nuru. 16. 24, 26;
Rev. 18. 4.

y Heb. 3. 12; 6. 11, 12.
* Deu. 4. 31; Lan, 3.
22; Lk. 18. 13; Ro.
9. 15, 16; Eph, 2. 4.
a Ps. 34. 22; 2 Pet. 2.
6, 7.

b1 Sam. 19. 11; 1 Ki. 19. 3.

ever. 26; Mr. 24. 1618; Lk. 9. 62; Phil. 3. 13, 14.

And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the 16 iniquity [or, punishment] of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: "and they brought him forth, 17 and set him without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither 18 stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. And 19 Lot said unto them, Oh! not so, my Lord: behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil 20 take me, and I die: behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little 1. 27. 11⁄2 Mr. 8. one: Oh! let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live, 21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that 22 I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither, for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore 23 'the name of the city was called Zoar [i. e. little]. The sun was risen upon the

earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

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24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from 25 the LORD out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all 26 the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife 27 looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham 28 gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, 'the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God 'remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he 30 overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt. And Lot went up out of Zoar, and "dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell

29

1 There is much in this narrative to show that Lot's residence in Sodom had greatly injured his character; and to serve as a solemn warning against evil communications and familiarity with sin. But, sinful as Lot's proposal was, it proved his abhorrence of the wickedness of the Sodomites; and his anxiety to preserve the rights of hospitality, which were then and are still regarded, in Asiatic countries, as of most sacred obligation: so that a man who has taken a stranger under his care is bound to protect him, even at the hazard of his own life.

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2 Or, were betrothed to.' Lot may have had other daughters married in the city; or, perhaps, the persons

d Ps. 61. 2; 121. 1; Heb. 6. 18, 19.

* 2 K. 5. 11, 12; John

13. 6-8; Ae. 10. 14. 1 Tim. 1. 14, 16.

25, 26; Mk. 9. 24. A ch. 14. 2. Job 42. 8, 9; Ps. 31. 15; 145. 19.

k see eh, 32. 25, 26; Ex. 32. 10: Deu. 9. 14; Ps. 91. 1-10; Eze. 9. 4; Mk. 6. 5; Rev. 7. 3.

ch. 13. 10; 14. 2. Pro. 27. 1.

"Deu. 29. 23; Job 31.

3; I. 43. 19; Jer.

20. 16; 50. 40; Eze. 16 49, 50; Hos, 11. 8; Am. 4. 11; Zeph. 2.9; Lk. 17. 28, 29; 2 Pet. 2. 6; Jude 7 ch. 14. 3; Ps. 107. 34; Lam. 4. 6.

P ver. 17; Pro. 14. 14; Lk. 17. 32; Heb. 4. 1; 10. 38; 1 John 2. 15, 16.

9 Ps. 5. 3; Hab. 2. 1. ch. 18. 22, 33

Rev. 18. 9: 19 3 ch. 8. 1; 18 23; Ps. 105. 8, 42: 145. 20. u vers. 17, 19.

I see ver 20; Jer. 2. 36; Jam. 1. &

here referred to were the intended husbands of the two who escaped.

3 The Lord will not destroy one grain of the wheat with the chaff.

4 The traces of this awful catastrophe are still visible in the neighbourhood, and afford a perpetual testimony to the truth of Scripture history. Bitumen, sulphur, and salt, with volcanic products, abound. This judgment is often referred to in Scripture as a pattern of the ruin of other remarkably wicked nations (Deut. xxix. 23; Isa. xiii. 19; Jer. xlix. 18; Zeph. ii. 9); and is used as a warning to the ungodly (Matt. x. 15; 2 Pet. ii. 6; Jude 7).

31 in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to 32 come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she 34 arose.

Le. 18. 6,7; Ps €4.5. #eh. 16. 2, 4; 38. 8.9, Deu. 5. 5.

a see eh. 9. 21; Hab. 2. 15.

Mk. 12. 19.

Pro. 20. 1.

eLk. 21. 34; 1 Cor. 10. 11, 12.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the 4 Jer. 6. 15 younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of 35 our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor 36 when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father De 2 9; 23 3; 38 of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

Abraham at Gerar denies his wife.

h

m

20 AND Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled 2 between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, 'She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, " Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's 4 wife. But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, 'wilt thou slay 5 also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity [or, simplicity; or, sincerity] 6 of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for "I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not 7 to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, *kuow thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

8

e

Ps. 83. 8.

* Den. 2 19; Zeph. 2.8, 9.

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ch. 18 23-25; rer.
18; 1 Chr. 21. 17.
2 Ki. 20. 3; Ps. 7. 8;
2 Cor. 1. 12.

t Job 33 9; Dan. &
22; 1 John 3 21.

"ch. 31. 7: 35 5; Ex
34. 21; 1 Sam. 25
26, 34; Pro. 21. 1.
ch. 39. 9; Le. 6. 2;
Ps. 51. 4.

91 Sam. 7. 5, 8: 12
19, 23; 1 K. 13 6;

2 Ki. 5. 11; Job 42 8; Jer. 27, 18; Jam. 5. 14, 15; 1 John 5. 16 ch. 2. 17.

a Num. 16, 32, 33.

b see ch. 12. 18; Pro. 28.10.

ech. 26 10; Ex. 32 21: Le. 20. 10; Jos 7. 25; Heb. 13. 4. d ch. 34. 7. el. 42. 18; Ps. 36 1 -4; Pro. 8 13; 166 fch. 12. 12; 267.

1 Thes. & 22

A ch. 12. 1, 9, 11, etc.;
Heb. 11. 8.

Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and 9 told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, 'What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? 10 thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech 11 said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?. And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; 12 and they will slay me for my wife's sake. And yet indeed she is my sister; ch. 11. 29; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she 13 became my wife. And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me; at every place whither we shall come, 'say of me, He is my brother. 14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and 15 gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech 16 said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given "thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: "behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and 17 with all other: thus she was reproved. So Abraham prayed unto God and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare 18 children. For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of ch. 12 17; 30. 2; Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

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21 AND the LORD' visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah 2 as he had spoken. For Sarah " conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, 3 at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had ch 17. 1, 17; Ro. 5 commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac 6 was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all

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7 that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a 8 son in his old age. And the child grew, and was weaned:' and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

12

h

i

d Lk. 1. 58; Ro. 12. 15.

e eh. 18. 11, 12

ch. 16. 15. A Gal. 4. 29.

Pro, 22. 10; Gal. 4. 30; see ch. 25. 6; 36. 6, 7.

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, & which she had born unto eh. 16. 1.
10 Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bond-
woman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my
11 son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight
because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy ch. 17. 18.
sight because of the lad, and because of thy bond woman; in all that Sarah hath
said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for 'in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the bond woman will I make a nation, because he is thy
14 seed. And Abraham rose up "early in the morning, and took bread, and a
bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the
child, and sent her away.

15

eb. 17. 19, 21; Ro. 9. 7-9; Heb. 11. 18. ver. 18; ch. 16. 10; 17 20.

"Ps. 119. 60.

Juhn 8. 35

Ps. 50. 15.

And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child3 under one of the shrubs. 16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over 17 against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the ch. 16. 11; Ex. 3. 7; lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad 18 where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will 19 make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. 20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, 'and 21 became an archer. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22

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Abraham's treaty with Abimelech,

a

4 ver. 13.

r Num. 22. 31; see 2 Ki. 6. 17, 18, 20; Lk. 24. 16, 31.

eh. 28 15; 39. 2, 3,21. ch. 16. 12

uch. 24 3,4; 28 1, 2

2, 3; 1 Cor. 14. 25. 2 ch. 26. 28, 29; Jos. 2. 12; Sam. 24. 21. a cb. 20. 14.

6 Rn. 12 18; Heb.6. 16. Pro. 17. 10; Mt. 18

15.

-22.

ch. 26. 31.

AND it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief ch. 20. 2; 26. 26. captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all thatch. 12. 2: 26. 28; 39. 23 thou doest: 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 24 wherein thou hast sojourned. And Abraham said, I will swear. And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well' of water, which Abimelech's servants 26 had violently taken away. And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this se ch. 26. 15, 18, 20 27 thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day. And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of 28 them made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by 29 themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe 30 lambs which thou hast set by themselves? And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I 31 have digged this well. Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba [i. e. The ch. 26. 33. 32 well of the oath]; because there they sware both of them. Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. And Abraham planted a grove [or, tree] in Beer-sheba, and called there on 34 the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

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Abraham, being tried, offers Isaac, and obtains new promises. 22 AND it came to pass 'after these things that 2 said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold,

1 Probably when he was three years old.

2 Formed of a kid-skin, the legs of which were used to fasten over the shoulder of the bearer.

3 Rather, 'placed the youth.' Ishmael was now seventeen years old, but probably less able than his mother to bear the heat; and so leaned upon her until he sank exhausted under one of the shrubs, the retem, with which this desert still abounds. See 1 Kings xix. 5.

4 Directed her attention to that which in her anxiety she had overlooked.

5 God protected and prospered him.

6 This is the name of a district between Egypt and Edom, and extending from Beersheba nearly to Sinai, which is still inhabited by wandering tribes of Arabs,

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who boast their descent from Ishmael, and retain the customs of the patriarchs.

7 The possession of wells of good water is a matter of great importance in such a country; and often becomes an occasion of contention between different tribes.

8 A number to which peculiar sacredness is still attached, and from which the Hebrew name for an oath is probably derived.

9 That is, 'proved his faith and obedience.' Th remarkable words of ver. 2 indicate how severe a tes this was. Abraham's faith was supported by the conviction that God could raise up Isaac from the dead (Heb. xi. 19). This extraordinary obedience was rewarded by fresh pro

mises (vers. 15-18), confirmed by a solemn oath. 21

3

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now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt 4 offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then 5 on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the 6 lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son: and he took the 7 fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for 8 a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9

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V

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, aud laid 10 him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and 11 took the knife to slay his son. And the angel3 of the LORD called unto him out 12 of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said,

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Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for "now I know that thou fearest God, 'seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only 13 son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

14

15

4

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh [i. e. The LORD will see, or, provide]; as it is said to this day, In the mounts of the LORD it shall be seen.

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d Ps. 105. 9; Lk. 1. 73; Heb. 6 13, 14.

see ch. 12 2; 13 16

And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 and said, "By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done 17 this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the hea- ch. 15. 5; Jer. 33. 22. ven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess 18 the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed' shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 'because thou hast obeyed my voice.

19

20

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So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to " Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

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Nahor's family; death and burial of Sarah.

AND it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, 21 Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor; Huz his 22 firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, and Chesed, and 23 Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begat' Rebekah: 24 these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother. And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

23 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the 2 years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is " Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, 4 saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: "give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

3

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And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to 8 the children of Heth. And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind

1 The distance is about fifty miles, and takes more

than twenty hours with camels.

2 Heb., see;' perhaps, 'choose.' See ver. 14.

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ch. 13. 16 A ch. 24. 60.

i Mic. L. Q.

A ch. 12. 3; 18. 18; 26
4; P. 717, Ac. 3
25; Gal. 3. 8, 9, 16,
18, 8, 9.
vers, 3, 10: ch. 26. 5;
1 Sm. 2. 30.
m ver. 5.

" ch. 21. 31.

eh. 11. 29.

P Job 1. 1.
9 Job 32 2.
ch. 24, 15.
called, Rom, 9, 10,
Rebecca.

Jos. 14. 15; Judg.
1. 10.
eh. 13. 18; ver. 19;
2 Sam. 2. 1, 11.

ch. 17. 8: 1 Chr. 23 15; P, 106. 12; Heb. 11. 9, 13. 9 Ac. 7. 5.

ch. 12. 2: 13. 2; 14 14; 24. 35.

6 The place where kings and judges held their courts. The meaning is, 'Thy seed shall rule over their enemies.' 7 Or, through thy seed.' This, as explained in Gal. iii. 16, intimates that the Messiah should be of the posterity of Abraham.

8 A short account of this family is given here, because of the subsequent connection of Isaac with it by marriage. This information seems to have led Abraham to send thither. See chap. xxiv. 5.

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