c Left they ſhould ſlay him for his beautiful Wifes ſake, as himſelf tells us, Yerſe 11. For though Sarah was ninety years old, yer ſhe retained her Beauty in good meaſure, partly becauſe ſhe had nor been broken by bearing and nurſing of Children, partly becauſe in that age of the World Men and Women as they lived longer, ſo they did nor ſo ſoon begin to decay, as now they do ; and partly, becauſe of God's ſpecial Blefling upon her. 4 Nor withour violence, for it is not to be thought that either Abraham or Sarah would conſent | eo it, 7 A 2 But God* came to Abimelech in a dream eby night, 1 Pſal: and faid to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man *, for 395" '©. the woman which thou haſt taken f: for ſhe is f a mans | F Heb. wife. | married e God then uſed to manifeſt his Mind in Dreams, not only to zo an Hyi- his People, but even to Heathens for their ſakes, or in things where- } band. in they were concerned. * Thou deſerveſt a preſent and untimely = Death ; and if thou proceedeſt in thy intended Wickedneſs, it ſhall be inflicted upon thee. f Both for thy injuſtice in taking her away by force, and For thy intentions to abuſe her, though nor yet exe- cuted. ;
| 4 But Abimelech had not come near her g: and he
faid, LORD, wilt thou ſlay alſo a righteous 5 nation z ? g (#. e. ) Had not yer lien with her. A modeſt Expreſſion, like .thar of knowing a woman, Gen: 4: 1 or going in to her, Gen: 6: 4: or rouching her, Prov: 6: 29. 1 Cor: 7: 1: by which we are taught to uſe Modeſty in our Speeches, and nor, with the rude Cynicks, to expreſs
| * Chap:
this. - -& Withour any adulterons deſign in my Heart, or outward ations - tendingro it, being wholly ignorant of what thou now informeſt
me. 2 --6 And God ſaid unto him in a dream, Yea I know that thou didfſt his in the integrity of thy hear 1; for I | alſo withheld thee »: from ſinning » * againſt me ]: ] therefore ſuffered I thee nor to teuch her. * Chap: _ Z(5. e.) That thou didft not this knowingly and maliciouſly, but d:'9: imprudently and inconfiderarly, which is indeed an extenuation of i1&E6:2: thy Sin, rhongh nor a total excuſe. Compare 1 Kings 9: 4: 1 Chron: al: + 29:1. mPartly by my reſtraining Grace, and partly TP} powerful $1; 45 Providence, and the Plague mentioned, Yerſe 17. » Which plainly Yn ſhews that izaviance is notalways an excule for Sin. See Luke 12: 48. | o This Sin, though dire&ly committed againſt Abraham and Sarah only,'is fad to be agaipſt God, as other ſuch Sins are, Gen: 39: 9: Pal: 5 1: 4:\ becauſe 1t was againſt God's command wrirten in Men's Minds, though nor yer publiſhed by expreſs Word or Writing ; and - againſt Gog's Honour ; and thar here in a particular manner, becauſe it would have rendred Tſaac's Original, and thereby God's Promiſe, doubtful. ph b _ 7 Now therefore reſtore the man his wife ; for he js
- a prophet p, and he ſhall pray for thee *, and thou ſhalc | live : andif thou reſtore her nor, know thou that thou. ſhalt farely die, thou, and all thar are thine 9.
p A perſon very dear to me, and familiarly acquainted with me, and therefore the injuries done to him, I take as done re my felt. See Pſalm: 105: 15, * Whichis one part of a Propher's Work, Fer: 14: 11: and 15. 1. q Which was not unjuſt, becaule they all had Sins of their own, for which they deſerved Death whenſeever God thoughr fir ro inflift it ; and Ged might take this occaſion to do it, that in puniſhing rhem he mighr alſo puniſh the King, whoſe SubjeQts they were. | : :
\ 8 Therefore Abimelech roſe early in the morning, and called ali his fervancs r, and told all theſe things in their ears: and: che men were ſore afraid. ;
r His Counſellors and principal Officers, as that word is uſed, 2 Kings 1: 2: and 10:13, |
_
D—_ — - ——_— _—
(Z # kJ -
, my kingdom a great fin ? Þ thou haſt done deeds unto
'$ A Chap. d.0.G
'9 Then Abimelech called Abraham; and ſaid unto him, What haſt thou done unto us «5? and what have [ offended thee, that * thou haſt brought on me and on * Chap: 26: 105; me that ought not to be done.
s How great @ danger haft thou expoſed us to ? - * Even the Heathens, who thought Fornication 'harmleſs, judge Adultery to be a very great and heinous Crime. See Gen: 38: 24: Levit: 20: 10: Deut: 22: 22: Ezek: 16: 38: and 23: 45, 47. Or, A great puniſhment, as rhis word is oft uſed ; which ſeems better to anſwer to his offending Abraham now mentioned. x» And Abimelech ſaid unto Abraham, What ſaweſt thou, that thou haſt done this thing * ?
Whart levity or miſcarriagedidfſt thou diſcern in us which moved thee to deal thus with us ? 1: And Abraham ſaid, Becauſe I thought, Surely the fear of God « js not in this place ; and they will ſlay me for my wifes ſake.
#% (5.e.) True Piety, or the Knowledge of the true God, which 1s the only effectual reſtraint from the groſleſt wickednels.
I2 And yet indeed ſhe is my liſteur x ; ſhe 5s the daughter y of my father, but not the daughter of my mother z : and jhe became my wife «. |
x My near Kinſwoman ; even as Lot upon the ſame account is called 4braham's Brother, Gen: 13:8. y(35.e ) The Grand-daughter : For Grand-children are commonly called the Sons and Daughters of their Grand-parents, as Gen: 31: 28. Exod: 2: 18. And beſides, her Father Haran dying before her Grand-father, ſhe was left more 1mmediatly under his Care and Education, and therefore was more peculiarly reputed Terah's Daughter, and Abraham's Siſter. See Gen: II: 29, z Becauſe Haran was Abraham's Brother only by the Father's ſide ; for Terah had Haron by another Wife. a How could 4braham marry one ſo near cf kin to him ? Ayſw. There were larger allow- ances for Marriages in thoſe rimes, as it was convenient there ſhould be ; neither had God as yer given thofe prohibitions, Levit. 18. Beſides, among all Nations, the Mother's fide was more regarded than che Father's in all prohibitions of Marriage.
13 And it came to paſs, when God cauſed me to wander b from my fathers houſe, that I ſaid unto her, This is thy kindneſs which thou ſhalt ſhew unto me ; At every place whicher we ſhall come, *ſay of me, He is my brother.
b This wore he uſeth, becauſe + God did not dire& him to any certain place, but ſent him out he knew not whither, Heb: 11: 8, And being rotravel and ſojourn amongſt perſons of divers tempers and manners, and all Pagans, he thought this equivocal enion convenient for his ſecurity. | |