-le להורתם) yishmor that thou mayest teach them ישמר משמרתי .Heb

5. Kept my charge, my commandments, &c. mishmarti, kept my keeping; i. e. my ordinances; a general term for whatever God commands or ordains for man's observance. Comp. Lev. 8. 35.-22. 9. Deut. 11. 1. The variety of terms here 7. The men of the place asked him of employed, many of which did not come his wife. As the word answering to into common use till some ages after-'him' is wanting in the original, the idea wards, seems intended to convey the idea probably is, that the men of the place

m

ed him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

8 And it came to pass when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

ch. 12. 13. & 20. 2. 13.
• ch. 24. 16.

a Prov. 29. 25

in the first instance asked of each other respecting her, made her a frequent topic of conversation. But the result was that these inquiries came at length to Isaac himself, and he was prompted to answer them in the manner described.

9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and P thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us. 11 And Abimelech charged all

P eh. 20. 9.

have gone before us, are so many rocks on which others have split; and the recording of them is like placing buoys over them, for the security of future mariners.'-Fuller. But the incident teaches another and quite as important a lesson, viz. that in swerving at all from the strict path of duty, we may be furnishing a precedent to others of whom we little dream. No man knows, in doing wrong, what use will be made of his example.

8. Isaac was sporting with Rebekah. That is, taking freedoms, using familiarities with her, such as exceeded those that were common between brothers and sisters. The original is prix metzahek, a derivative from pry tzahak, the root from which Isaac's name comes, on the import of which see Note on Gen, 21. 9.

¶ He said, she is my sister, &c. Isaac here falls into the same infirmity which had dishonored his father in Egypt. Influenced by a fear unworthy of a friend of God, he gives an equivocating answer, the criminality of which was aggravated by the extraordinary manifestations of the divine goodness so recently vouchsafed to him. He is indeed entitled to the same apology that was made for Abraham on a similar occasion, viz. that according to common usage in respect to the words 'brother' and 'sister', he was not guilty of a positive falsehood; for Rebekah was his 9. Of a surety she is thy wife. But cousin, and the terms above-mentioned why was this a necessary inference? are used indiscriminately of all kindred. Might not Isaac justly have subjected Still, it may be properly said to have himself to evil imputations? Might he been taking advantage of a quibble, and not have been guilty of great crimes unas such, was a conduct wholly unbe-der the covert of his alleged relationship coming one who had so much reason to to Rebekah? The answer to this is repose an unlimited confidence in the divine protection. He was in all probability prompted to this expedient by the example of his father in similar circumstances, forgetting that the infirmities of pious men are not to be imitated, but avoided. "The falls of them that VOL. II. 7

highly creditable to the patriarch. It is clear that his general deportment at Gerar had been so uniformly upright and exemplary, that Abimelech knew not how to entertain an ill opinion of his condurt; and though his words were inconsistent with his conduct in the present

his people, saying, He that touch-land, and received in the same year eth this man or his wife shall surely an hundred-fold: and the LORD be put to death. s blessed him:

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12 Then Isaac sowed in that

r

instance, yet, judging from his whole de- now therefore we may not touch them,' portment, he comes to the conclusion i. e. hurt them. Job 1. 11, But put forth rather that his words had been somehow thy hand now, and touch all that he hath,' false, than that his actions had been i. e. injure, blast, or destroy. Ps. 105. 15, wrong. Such is usually the paramount Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and influence of a good life. do my prophets no harm,' i. e. injure not, as implied in the latter or exegetical clause. The conduct of Abimelech on this occasion was as worthy of a good king, as that of Isaac had been unworthy of a servant of God.

10. Might lightly have lien with. Heb. kimat shakav, within a little had lien with. Chal. It lacked but a little of one of the people's lying with her.' The word 'lightly' in our translation seems to be equivalent to easily.'

12. Isaac sowed in that land. A gen-¶ Shouldest have brought guiltiness tleman who had spent many years in upon us. Heb. asham, gross or Persia gave us the following information shameful crime, a term applied both to while conversing about the pastoral sin and the punishment of sin. It is tribes (Eelauts) which form a large part here rendered by the Gr. ayvotar, igno- of its population;-There are some rance, a kindred term to which is applied that live in their tents all the year; and also by the apostle, from the Septuagint others that build huts for the winter, usage, to the sins or 'errors' (ayvonμarwy which they abandon in the summer, ignorances, or ignorant trespasses) of and often return to them in the winter. the people, Heb. 9. 7, for which atone- They then begin to grow corn in the viment was made every year. In Paul's cinity, and leave a few old persons to use of it, it doubtless denotes that class look after it. As the cultivation increasof sins which were committed rather es, a greater number of persons stay at through inadvertence than presumption the huts in the summer also, until at and wilfulness; and such a distinction is last nearly all the tribe remains to atvery appropriate here. The sin which tend to the cultivation, only sending out the king of Gerar intimates might have a few with the flocks. Thus the wanbeen brought upon his people, would dering tribes gradually change from a have been strictly one of inadvertence | pastoral to an agricultural people. May or ignorance on his part-an ayvota. not this illustrate the situation of our His words show, however, that it was pastoral patriarch when he began to a deeply fixed persuasion in the minds cultivate? And may not the prospect of heathen nations, that the violation of which it involved of Isaac's permanent the marriage covenant was a sin of deep settlement in Gerar with his powerful die, and one which merited, and was clan, account for the visible uneasiness likely to draw after it, the divine indig-of the king and people of that district, nation.

11. He that toucheth, &c. That is, injureth, or wrongeth, either by word or deed, in person, honor, or possessions. Thus Josh. 9. 19, We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel;

and for the measures which they took to prevent such settlement? We thus also see the process by which a wandering and pastoral people gradually become settled cultivators.' Pict. Bib.

Received in the same year, &c. Heb.

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found, implying that it was more than he looked for; an increase far exceeding his most sanguine expectations. Chal. He found in that year a hundredfold more than he thought of.' This was the evident effect of the special blessing of God.

13. Went forward. Heb. 757 yelek halok, went or walked going; i. e. kept continually increasing. The Heb. term for 'walk' or 'go' is frequently used in the sense of continued increase or growing intensity. Thus, 2 Sam. 3. 1, 'Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David waxed stronger and stronger;' Heb. Went on or walked, and became strong. Jon. 1. 11, 'For the sea wrought, and was tempestuous; Heb. The sea walked and was tempestuous. See Note on Gen. 3. 8.

15 For all the wells w which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us: for thou art much mightier than we.

w ch. 21. 30. x Exod. 1. 9.

vanity attaches to every earthly good; prosperity begets envy, and from envy proceeds injury.'-Fuller.

15. All the wells, &c. A more effectual mode of expressing envy or enmity could not well have been devised, as it was in effect to destroy the flocks and herds which could not subsist without water. In those countries a good well of water was a possession of immense value; and hence in predatory wars it was always an object for either party to fill the wells with earth or sand, in order to distress the enemy. The same mode of taking vengeance on enemies has been practised in more recent times. The Turkish emperors give annually to every Arab tribe near the road by which the Mahommedan pilgrims travel to Mecca, a certain sum of money, and a certain number of vestments, to keep 14. Great store of servants. Heb. them from destroying the wells which avuddah rahbah, much ser- lie on that route, and to escort the pilvice; abstract col. sing. for concrete. grims across their country. D'Herbelot Thus Ezek. 1. 1, 'I was among the cap-records an incident exactly in point, tives; Heb. I was among the captivity. which seems to be quite common among It is an idiom of frequent occurrence. the Arabs. Gianabi, a famous rebel in Ainsworth and the marg. give' husband- the tenth century, gathered a number ry', as does the Gr. yewoyia, implying of people together, seized on Bassorah not only the collective body of servants and Caufa; and afterwards insulted the belonging to a thrifty agricultural es- reigning caliph, by presenting himself tablishment, but also the various work boldly before Bagdad, his capital; after in tillage, &c. which they performed. which he retired by little and little, fillThe same thing is said of Joh 1. 3. ing up all the pits with sand, which -¶ And the Philistines envied him. had been dug on the road to Mecca The original p kana, which is usually for the benefit of the pilgrims.'-Paxrendered as here by the Gr. 3ndow, to ton. Had the Philistines merely forced be zealous, has, when used in a bad sense, their way to these wells, and drank of the import of a jealous, envious, indig- them, it might have been excused; but nant zeal. 'Here again we see how to stop them, was an act of downright

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17 ¶ And Isaac departed thence, | ped them after the death of Abraand pitched his tent in the valley of ham: and he called their names Gerar, and dwelt there. after the names by which his father had called them.

18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father: for the Philistines had stop

barbarity, and a gross violation of the treaty of peace which had been made between a former Abimelech and Abraham. Gen. 21. 25-31. But envy considers that which is lost to another as gained to itself, and not only delights in working gratuitous mischief, but will even punish itself in a measure to have the malicious satisfaction of doing a still greater injury to an enemy.

19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

y ch. 21. 31

according to Parkhurst, from ahal, the usual term for pitching tents, as fixing or fastening down a tent differs from stretching it out.

18. Isaac digged again, &c.

Heb. yashov vayahpor, returned and dug; i. e. re-dug; not returned to Gerar. Gr. παλιν ώρυξε, dug again - Called their names, &c. This would appear a triffe among us, be16. Go from us; for thou art much cause water is so abundant that it is mightier than we. It is not, perhaps, to scarcely valued, and nobody thinks of be inferred that this request expresses perpetuating his name in the name of the personal feelings of Abimelech to- a well. But in those deserts, where wards Isaac; but perceiving the temper water is so scarce, and wells and springs of his people, he entreated him quietly are valued more, and as they are there to depart. The reason he gave for it, the general permanent monuments of that he was much mightier than they,' geography, it is also an honor to have was framed perhaps in part to apologise given them names.'-Burder. It is clear, for his people's jealousy, and in part to that wherever Abraham sojourned he soften his spirit by a complimentary improved the country; yet it would style of address. Had Isaac been dis- seem that wherever the Philistines folposed to act upon Abimelech's admis-lowed him, it was their study to mar his sion, he might, instead of removing at improvements, and they were willing his request, have resolved to stand his ground, alleging the covenant made with his father, and his own improvements of his lands; but being a man of peace, and willing to act upon the maxim of the wise man, that 'yielding pacifieth great offences,' he waves all dispute, and meekly retires to the valley of Gerar,' either beyond the borders of Abimelech's territory, or at least farther off from his metropolis.

17. Pitched his tent. Heb. yihan. This is a common term in reference to military encampments, and denotes somewhat of a permanent residence, in opposition to frequent removals and migrations. The root hanah, differs,

But as

even to deprive themselves of the bene-
fits of his labors rather than to suffer
them to remain undisturbed.
these waters would be doubly sweet to
Isaac from having been first tasted by
his beloved father, he resolves to open
them again, and, to show his filial affec-
tion still more, he chooses to call them
by the same names by which his father
had called them-names which proba-
bly carried with them some interesting
memorials of the divine favor towards
Abraham. Many of our enjoyments,
both civil and religious, are the sweeter
for being the fruits of the labor of our
fathers; and if they have been corrupt-
ed by adversaries since their days, we