The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 300

iii. I), the right always to pray (Luke xviii. 1; John xv. 7; Heb. iv. 16 i James iv. 2), the promise of g-uidance (Ps. nxii. 8;. Isa. :xu. 21), For what hast thou g·lven up all tl1is? Is thy present lot better? In deepest love these questions are asked. God pleads by providen~e (Ps. c:xi:x, 67) 1 by the entering of the word (Pa. cxjx. 130; Hob. iv. 12), by the "still small voice" of the Holy Spirit. II. " \\'HITHER WILT THOU Go?" How many have never really considered .. Hast thou renounc~d thy heavenly portion? God forbid. Then is thy life heaven- ward? Are thy sms blotted out? Hast thou accepted the free gift of so.lvo.tion? I am not sure of that. And why not? Is it not that thou hast not cared enoug·h to entertain the question as a practical one? (cf. Ezek. xx. 49; :x:x.:xiii. 32). Mean- while thou art not standing still. The day of grace is passing away (of. Jer. viii, 20). St.ill Cl1rist pleads (Rev. iii. 20). But day by day the ear becomes more dull and the aims and habits of life more bard to change. 11 Return," was the Lord'~ word to Hagar. Take again thy place in God's family (of. Luke :xv. 20), Fear not to bear thy cross. There is a welcome and joy in heaven over every returning wandercr.-M. EXPOSITION. CIT.APTER XVII. world-wide titles of tho Most High since it was known to Balaam (Numb. xxiv. 4, IU), Ver. I.-And when Abram was ninety and is constantly used in Joh (' Speaker's years old and nine-consequently an in- Commentary'). Said in Exod. vi. 2, 3 to terval of thirteen years had elapsed since the have been the name by .which God was birth of J shmael ; the long delay on the known to the patriarchs, it is regarded by the, part of God being probably designed ns partitionists as characteristic of the Elohist chastisement for Abram's second nuptials (Tuch, Bleek, Colenso, Davidson, Ewald), and (Calvin), and at least corresponding with accordingly to that writer the present chapter Abram's nndue haste (Lange)-the Lord is assigned, an:l the Jehovah of this verse ex- appeared to Abram-lest he should regard plained as an alteration of the original Elo-' lshmael's birth as a complete fulfilment of hist's narrative ; but the 1rpwrov ,/,tvoo~ of the promise (Menochius), and be satisfied this criticism !mks in the identification of EI- mth Hagar's child as the expected seed Shaddai with Elohim, whereas it is not Elo- (Calvin)-a.nd sa.id to him, I am the Al- him, but Jehovah, who reveals himself as El mighty God-El Slw.ddai, found six times Shaddai not alone in the Pentateuch, but iu in Genesis and thirty-one times in Job, the historical and prophetical books as well composed of El, God, and _Shadd~i; not a (cf. Ruth i. 20, 21 ; vide Keil's Introduction, 'IW1ii.en compositum (from ~ = i ~ and ''3) pt. i. § 2 ; div. i. § 25). Walk before me., Literally, set thyself to walk,' as in eh. signifying qui suificuns est (Aquinas, Sym- machus, Theodoret, Saadias, Maimonides, Cal- xiii. 17, in my presende, as if conscious of vin), but either a pluralis excellentia:, from my inspection and solicitous of my approval ; the singular ir;i, powerful-root ij~, to be not behind me, o.s if sensible of shortcom- ings, nnd desirous to elude observation. strong (Gesenius, Rosenmiiller, Wordsworth), The phrase intimates a less exalted piety or a singular from the same root with the than the corresponding phrase used of Enoch substantive termination '-• as in \atl, the (v. 24) and Noah (eh. vi. 9). And be thou festal, •r;i•~!, the old man, •~ 1i;,, the thorn- perfect. Tawim, aµtµ1rro, (LXX.), used of grown (Keil; Oehler, Lange); descriptive of Noah in eh. vi. 9, nnd rendered riX1101:- God as revealing himself violently in his (LXX. ), while perhaps retrospectively glanc- might, hence correctly rendered 1ravrorparwp i11g at .Abram's sin in marrying Hngar, imli- by the LXX. in Job (Oehler); distinguish- cates that absolute stan<lard of morn! nttnin- iug Jeho\'ah, the God of salvation, from Elo- ment, viz., completeness of being in respect hiw, the God who creates nature so that it is of purity, which the supreme Lawgiver sets and supports it that it may stand, as "the before his intelligent creatures (cf. Matt. v. 8). God who compels nature to do what is con- Ver. 2.-And I will make my covenant trary to itself, and subdues it to bow and between me and thee. Literally, I will giv~ minister to grace" (Delitzsch); characterising (cf. eh. ix. 9, 11, 12). Neither nn additionnl Johovah tbe covenant God, "as possessing covenant to tl,at descrihe<l in eh. xv. (Rosen- the power to realise his promises, even when miillcr), nor a dilferent traditional o.ccouut the order of nature preaent.ed no prospect of of the transaction con taincd in eh. xv. their fulfilment, and the powers of nature (Tuch, Bleek), nor the original Elohistic were insufficient to secure it" (Keil) ; per- narratfre of which that in eh. xv. was a luq,~, like Elohim and Adonai, one of tbe later imitation (Knobel); bnt an intimation en. xvn. 1---14.] THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 233