y Removing from place to place, ſtill hoping to meet with bet- ter Neigbours, and to fiee himſelf from that perpetual Vexation which he had in beholding their Wickedneſs. z ( 7. e. J The Sou- thern part of the Land of Canaan towards Egypr. |
to 4 And there was a famine in the land a: hd Abram went down into Egypt to ſojourn there : ty the famine was grievous 1n the land.
a Or, In that land of Canaan, a Land eminently fruitfu!, Dev: 8: 7, 8. This was paitly to puniſh that Peoples Sins, Pſal: 107. 34. partly to try Abrams Faith.
11 And it came to paſs, when he was come near ro enter into Egypt, that he ſaid unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to
look upon 6.
b Queſt. How could ſhe be ſo fair,when ſhe wasabove ſixty Years old ? nſw. She was ſo both comparatively to the Egyptians, and ſimply in her ſelf, and that mighr be from divers cauſes ; 1. From the :greater vigour of Nature 1a that Age of the World. 2. Be- 3 From Cods ſingular Providence, ordering it thus for 4bram's tryal, and for the manifeſtation of his ſpecial Providence, watching over him and his.
12 Therefore it ſhall come to paſs, when the Egypti= ans 7 (hall ſee thee, that they ſhall ſay,7 his is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will fave thee alive.
+ Who were a very luſtful People ; which made Abram more Cautious.
13 Say, T pray thee, thou art my ſiſter c: that it may be well with me for thy fake ; and my ſoul ſhall live becauſe of thee,
c So ſhe was either, x. More generally, as his Niece ; for Ne- phews and Nieces are in Scripture called Brethren and Siſters, as Gen: 13:8, x1. Or rather, 2+ Properly, ( 7. e.) by the iather's ſide, Gen: 20: 12. So this exprefiion was true, but ambiguous,
and. intended to deceive the Egyptians, and therefore unwarran-
table. And here Abram, the Father of the Faithful, elſewhere celebrated for the ſtrength of his Faith, betrays his Infirmity and diſtruſt of God's Providence and Promiſe, and this Fa& was not withour great danger both to himſelf and Sara.
14 4 And it came to paſs, that when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians - beheld the woman, that ſhe was vety fair.
15 The Princes d alſo of Pharaoh e ſaw her, and commended her before Pharaoh : and the woman was taken f into Pharaohs houſe g. +
d (7. e.) The officers and Courtiers , whoſe great deſign was to gain their Princes Favour by gratifyzng his Luſts. e A name common to all the Kings of Ezypr now, and for many Ages after. f (7. e. ) Taken and brought, one word for two. So the word take 1s uſed, Gen: 15: 6, 10, Exod: 18: 2. and 27: 20, Of £ Not to his Bed, but the Houſe of his Women, where they were purified and prepared for the King's Preſence and Society, as E#: 2: 8, 9. that in due time ſhe might be his Concubine or Wife. Thus even the Ceremonies of Courts, ſerve the Providence of God, and give opportunity for working her deliverance.
16 And he entreated Abram well for her fake s and he had * ſheep, and oxen, and he-aſles, and men-
ſervants, and maid-ſervants, and ſhe-aſſes, and camels. fon, * To
+ $0
Cha Ds X[l. |
Heb: in ing and Journeyings
"0
12.
THe bret]
: See.
Ti: 1 Exoi 2:13
: AQ:
Chap. XIIL.
* Chap: T0; 16:
* Chap.
I2. 7.
been impertinent to mention it in this place.
17 And the LOR D * plagued Pharaoh h and his | for our imitation. þ Or ; or, between, &c. aus for or, as E:x0a: 21: 17:
houſe ; with great plagues, becauſe of Sarai Abrams wife k. | |
þ Moſt probably with ſome notable Diſtemper of his Body, which did both chaſtiſe him. for, and hinder him in the execution of his Luft. 7 (i.e. ) His: Servants ; who being tome one War, fome another, partners ofh1s Sin, ars juſily made partners 1n his Plagues. And if any were innocent inthis matter, they were obnox10us to God far other Sins. Belides, as they were puniſhed upon the occaſion of PB irno's Sin, ſo Phazavh was punithed 1n their Puniſhmenrs k (i.e ) For the a& of Violence towards her: -For the word -oken, Perſ. 15. implies, that it was by conſtraint, and not with 4rom's and with her conſent; which it is not probable that either of chem would give in thar caſe. 2, For an intention of uncleanneſs. For God who is the ſearcherand judge of Mens Hearts, may juſtly, 2nd dorh ofcen puniſh Men for their evil purpoſes. Compare Gen. 20 3, 4. |
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and faid, Wha zs this 1hat thou haſt done unto me ? Why didft thou not
tell me that ſhe was thy wife / ? 122} ed.
1 How great an injury haſt thou done to me in concealing this from me thar ſhe was thy Wife? How knew Pharaoh this? Anſw. 1. He gueſſed it from the quality of his Plague; which alſo awakened his Conſcience. . 2. Upon a ſerious enquiry into the Cauſe of this Plague, he underſtood it either by Divine Inſtin&, as Gen- 20. 3. or by Sara:'s Cont:flion, whom doubtleſs he ſeverely examined about
GENESIS. | Chap. Alif.
. ** » 6 of y 3 7 F- 1” herch Ls * To wit, by Pharaol's gift over and above his own. Elſe it had | g The elder, and wifer, and worthter perſon relinqu'fh
. . . . » - . l 1 | own right ro his inferiour for peace ſake, leaving us a noble exampie
and Pſal: 8: 5: compared with Matth: 15: 14: Heb: 2: 6: for there \ was nv ſtrife between Abram and Lot; thongh he feared it might ? paſs from the feet ro the head. 7 ( i: e..) Both by nature near Kinſmen, as the word Brother is ofc uſed ; and in the Faith and Religion too ; amongſt whem Contenrions are very Indecent and Scandalous.
9 Is not the whole. land before thee & ? Separate thy ſelf, I pray thee, from me * if rh.u it take 1 the lefc hand, then I will go to the righr: orif thou depart to the right hand, then 1 will go to the lefr.
k ( 7. e.) Open to thy view, and free ro chuſe which part thou Pleafſeſt, as thou c2uſt agree with the Owners : I give thee full power ro chute before me. See a like phraſe, Gen: 20: 15: and 34: 1, 21: and 47:6. 1 This andthe foliowing Supplement are eafiiy gathered both from the words of this and the 11 Yerſe, and from rhe nature of the thing. And the Hebrew Language being a conciſe or ſhort Language, ſuch Supplements are frequently neceſſary, and very
uſual. Compare 2 Chron: 10: 12: with 1 Kings 12: 11: 2 Sam: 23: 8: with 1 Chron: 11: 11:
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan », that it was well watered every where,
before the LORD deſtroyed Sodom and Gomorrah
it. And ſhe, being awakened ' by this warning, durſt no longer |
conceal her ſe!f, and thought ſhe might ſecurely make her telf ;
known. ; fl :