The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 316

EXPOSITION. Ver. 23.-And Abraham drew near. I. e. his complete design, perhaps regnrding such to Jehovah; not simply locally, ~ut also an absolute reversal of the Divine purpose a, spiritually. The religious use of WJ~ as a exceedin~ the legitimate bounds of creatur~ performing religious services to God, or a supplication; but with what might be cha- J1ious turning of the m~d to God, is found racterised as holy adroitness he veils his 1n Exod. xxx. 20; Isa. xxu. 13; Jer. xxx. 21; ulterior aim, and commences his petition l\t and in n sirnilnr sense lnil;w is employed in e. point somewhat removed from that to the New Testnment (cf. Heb. iv. 16; x. 22; which he hopes to come. Assuming it as J emes iv. 8). The Jonathan 'l'argum explains, settled that the fair Pentapolis ia to be "and Abraham prayed." And said. Com- destroyed, he practicnlly asks, with e. strange mencing tho sublimest net of human in- mixture of humility and boldness, if J e- tercession of which Scripture preserves e. hovnh has considered that this will involve record, being moved thereto, if not by an a sad commingling in one gigantic overthrow immetliate rcg11rd for Lot (Lnnge), at le11st of both the Jighteous e.nd the wicked. by a sense of compassion towards the in- Ver. 24. - Peradventure there be firty habitants of Sodom, "communis erga righteous within the city. A charitnbl~ qui?uzue populos mise1·icordia" (Calvin), supposition, as tl1e evont showed, though at which was heightened and intensified by his first sight it might not appear so to Abraham; own previous experience of forgiviug grace and the bare possibility or Sodom's- not (Keil). Wilt thou also destroy the righteous Sodom alone (Kalisch), but the Pentl\polis- with the wicked 1 The question presupposes coutoining so many good men was enough that God had, according to the resolution of to afford 11. basis for the argument which ver. 17, explained to the patriarch his inten- followed. Wilt thou also destroy and not tion to destroy the cities of the plain. The ape.re-literally, take azi-ay (sc. the iniquity) object the patriarch contemplated in his i. e. remove tho punishment from - the intercession was not simply th~ preservation ploce (not tlw godly portion of the city of any godly remnant that might be found merely, but the entiro population ; a com- within the doomed towns, but the rescue of plete tliscovcry of Abrah,uu's design) for the their eutire popnlntions from the impending fifty righteous that are therein 1 jndi:ment,- only he does not at first discover Yer. 25. -That be far from thee-liter~lly 250 THE BOOl{ OF GENESIS. [<;u. xvnr. 23--38.