()f the regularly-appointed sacrificial wor- amongst the inhabitants, or, observing the Bhip (Le,;t. vii. 15, 81; Dent. xii. 7, 17; coincidence between his finding e. well just tJ-ide Kurtz, 'Sacrificial Worship,'§ 79)-and at the time of covenant~ with Abimolcch they did eat and drink. and tho fact that his fathers tree.ty was e.lso Ver. 81.-Alld they roae up betimes in connected with a. well, he wished to confirm the morning, and aware one to another:- and perpetuate the ea.rly name which had literally, a man to hi.s brother. On the been assigned to the town. It is not certain <leriva tion of the verb to swear from the that tltis wrui Abraham's well which had word for seven, see eh. xxi. 23-and Isaac been rediscovered ; the probability is that it sent them away, and they departed from was another, since at Bir-es-Shebe. two wells him in peace. are still in existence (vide eh. xxi. 31 )- Ver. 32.-And it came to pass the same unto this day-an expression used throu<>h• day (i. e. the day of the treaty), that Isaac's out Gonesis to describe events separated f1~m servants came, and told him concerning the the age of Moses by several centuries (vide well which they had digged, - the oper- eh. xix. 37, 38 ; xxii. 14 ; x:xxii 32j. ntion of sinking this well had probably com- Ver. 34.-Alld Esau was forty years old- menced on the day of .Abimelech"s arrival at literally, a son of Joi·ty years; the age of Beersheba (V'ide ,er. 25). Almost immedi- Isaac when he married Rebeko.h (eh. x:xv. ately on the king's departure the well-dig- 20)-when he took to wife J"udith (Jehu- gers returned to the patriarch's encampment dilh, "Celebrated," ;, Praised," if Shemitic; to report the success of their operations- but the name is probably Phrenician) the and said unto him, We have fonnd water. daughter of Beeri-("of a well" I "The Well-finder," vide eh. xxxvi. 24)-the Hit- The LXX., mist.aking i~, to him, for N\ not, tite, and Be.shemath (" Sweet-smelling," read, "We h.ave not found water;" the in- "Fragrant" 1) the daughter of Elon the correctness of which is sufficiently declared Bittite)-adding to them afterw:mla Maha- by what follows. lath the daughter of Ishmael, and sister or Ver. 33. - And he called it Shebah Nebajoth (eh. x:xviii. 9). On Esau"s wives ("Oath;" which he would certainly not vide eh. xx:xvi. 2, 3. h.ave done bad it not been a well): there- Ver. 35.-Which were a grief of mind fore the ll8llle of the city (which ultimately (literally, bitterness of spirit) unto Isaac ~thered round the well) is Beer&heba- and to Rebekah-possibly because of their 1. e. the well of the oath (vide eh. :r::xi. personal characters, but chiefly because of 31). I=c must have perfectly understood their Canaanitish descent, and because in that the place had been so named by his marrying them Esau had not only violatefl father three qnarters of a century previous ; the Divine law which forbade polygamy, but but either the name had been forgotten by also evinced an utterly irreligioUB and un- others, or bad not come into general use spiritual disposition. -.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 23--35.-.A good man's environment. I. IsAAC AND JErrovAn. 1. Jelw- vali's grace to Isaac. (1) Revealing his presence. "The Lord appeared unto him." Similar discoveries are now made to saints in "night" seasons, nnd at locnlitios liko BeersbeLa, previously consecrated by gracious revelations of himself. (2) Pro- claiming Lis character. "I am the God of thy father;" on nppellation that must lmve sounded dear to Abraham's son, but not more than the God of our Lord Jesus Christ is to Christians. (3) Comforting his servant. " Fear not, for I om with thee." So a Christian bas the best right to preserve equanimity nmid life's vicissi- tudes nnd tribulations, Christ's command (Matt. x. 31 ; Luke xii. 32) ; and the best reason, Christ's presence (Matt. xviii. 20; xxviii. 20). (4) Renewing his promises. "I will bless tLee and multiply thy seed." God renews his promises when he reYives their impressions on the heart, which he does for his own glory ns the faithful PromiHer, and for his people's comfort as necessity requires. 2. Isaac's gratitude to Jehovah,. (1) Building an altar; on net expressive of Isaac's personal uevotion (1 These. v. 18). (2) Invoking God's name; referring to the public recital of God's goodness (vide eh. xii. 8). It becomes saints to remember God's mercies (Pa. xlviii. 9 ; ciii. 1, 2), and to speak of them to others (Pa. !xvi. 16 ; lxxviii. 4). (3) Pitching a tent and digging o well ; indicative of Isaac's confidence in God. Grateful acknowledgment of past mercies, public celebration of present mercies, Lope~ul expectation of future mercies, are duties incumbent •1pon all, but especially on samts. OH, XXVIJ, 1-14,] THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 333