Verse by Verse

⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you either bad or good.

⁵¹ Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has spoken.”

⁵² And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.

⁵³ Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.

⁵⁴ And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.”

⁵⁵ But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.”

⁵⁶ And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.”

⁵⁷ So they said, “We will call the young woman and ask her personally.”

⁵⁸ Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”

⁵⁹ So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men.

⁶⁰ And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands; and may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them.”

⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

⁶² Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South.

⁶³ And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming.

⁶⁴ Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel;

⁶⁵ for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself.

⁶⁶ And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

⁶⁷ Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Verse 67 is the second mention of love in the Bible.

After such a testimony, there could be no doubt that God had led the servant to select Rebekah as Isaac’s bride. Both her father and her brother, Bethuel and Laban, immediately acknowledged that regardless of their personal feelings in the matter, God had spoken and they must accept His decision. … Immediately the servant went to his store of valuables, and began to lavish gifts of jewelry and beautiful raiment on Rebekah. The bride of a prince must be provided with new clothing and adornments furnished by the father of the prince. … When they arose in the morning, the servant surprised everyone by requesting an immediate departure. … They felt that a minimum of ten days would be necessary for her to make adequate preparations and for them to adjust to the idea of her departure. … After the servant’s reference to the Lord’s leading, Laban and Bethuel’s wife decided to leave the decision up to Rebekah. … She was ready to go immediately! … Rebekah took her nurse with her, as well as her maids. … The family then bestowed a blessing on Rebekah, with prayers for a billionfold progeny, and said their good-byes. — Morris, pages 403-404.

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In the Genesis account, Isaac had last been seen at the place of sacrifice (Genesis 22:13-16). Though his name was frequently on the lips of Abraham, the servant, Rebekah, and others in the narrative, Isaac himself does not appear again until he goes out to meet Rebekah. 

Isaac had apparently made preparations to set up his own tent near Hagar’s well, the well Lahai-roi (Genesis 16:14; 25:11) far in the Negev, the south country, where Hagar had first discovered “the well of the living-and-seeing One.” 

Rebekah saw Isaac … and instinctively knew it was him. When she asked the servant, and he had confirmed it, she literally “fell off” the camel to meet him. She quickly put on a “veil,” actually a garment which covered both face and body, as this was the proper way, in accord with the custom, to first meet her husband-to-be. 

Isaac first took Rebekah into Sarah’s tent, vacant for the three years since his mother’s death, until the formalities of the marriage ceremony could be arranged. Then he married her, and took her into his own tent at Lahai-roi (Genesis 25:11). — Morris, page 405-406.

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The response of Laban and Bethuel to the servant’s account of his mission—i.e., “The matter comes from the Lord, so we cannot speak to you bad or good”—is noncommittal. One must be careful not to infer from their affirmation of Yahweh’s existence and even involvement in the matter that they are committed to Him as their God.  The recognition of other people’s god(s) is “par for the course” throughout the Bible (true “atheists”—the definition of a biblical “fool” (Psalm 14:1)—were rare). Were He truly their God, they would certainly have spoken “good”—i.e., responded in the affirmative that Rebekah was God’s choice. As it is, Laban and Bethuel are not opposed to the marriage (Isaac is, after all, a rather wealthy heir) and they initially acquiesce to the marriage, telling the servant to take her and go. They apparently have second thoughts, however, and—probably hoping to reverse their acquiescence in “face-saving” fashion—they undertake the rather unusual move of summoning Rebekah to consult her wishes in the matter. She again demonstrates her exemplary character (and the propriety of God’s choice) by stating, simply, “I will go”—a response which indicates not just a willingness to recommit socially and geographically, but also theologically (to belief in Yahweh), as born out both by her later actions (cf. Genesis 25:22) as well as the fact that this exact expression is employed to express precisely the same type of recommittment by Ruth (Ruth 1:16). —Wechsler, page 219.

¹⁵ And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah,

who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.

¹⁶ Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up.

¹⁷ And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”

¹⁸ So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink.

¹⁹ And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.”

²⁰ Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. ²¹ And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

²² So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold,

²³ and said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?”

²⁴ So she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.”

²⁵ Moreover she said to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.”

²⁶ Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord.

²⁷ And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

²⁸ So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things.

²⁹ Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well.

³⁰ So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well.

³¹ And he said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”

³² Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

³³ Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told about my errand.” And he said, “Speak on.”

³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.

³⁵ The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

³⁶ And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has.

³⁷ Now my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell;

³⁸ but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’

³⁹ And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’

⁴⁰ But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house.

⁴¹ You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

⁴² “And this day I came to the well and said, ‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go,

⁴³ behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,”

⁴⁴ and she says to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

⁴⁵ “But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’

⁴⁶ And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also.

⁴⁷ Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.

⁴⁸ And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.

⁴⁹ Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

It was when Laban saw the jewelry upon his sister’s hands, that he showed kindness to Eliezer; but Rebekah showed him kindness before she saw. This was characteristic of Laban. — Williams, page 28.

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Before there was any possibility of being distracted by other girls coming to the well—indeed, before he was done speaking—Rebekah arrived, ready to draw water. … God not only had immediately sent a girl who made the generous offer he had prayed for, but she was a beautiful girl, obviously kind, energetic, strong, and hospitable. … in appreciation for her generous service, the man then took three golden rings (one for the nose—not earrings), all very valuable, and gave them to Rebekah. 

When he learned that this lovely and gracious young woman was none other than Rebekah herself, about whom they had learned back in Hebron, Isaac’s second cousin, he was almost overcome with emotion. He had to stop immediately, bow down and worship the Lord, in audible thanksgiving to the God who had so richly answered his prayer and the prayer of his master Abraham. — Morris, pages 397-398.

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Since he was making a proposal of marriage, it was of course proper to give a clear statement of his master’s financial status, which he did most impressively, ascribing all the credit for Abraham’s wealth to God rather than to his business acumen. He also noted that Isaac had been made sole heir of all this wealth, and its attendant responsibility. Morris, page 401.

1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

² So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh,

³ and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;

⁴ but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

⁵ And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”

⁶ But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there.

⁷ The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

⁸ And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.”

⁹ So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

¹⁰ Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

¹¹ And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.

¹² Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

¹³ Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

¹⁴ Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

Isaac himself was forty years old by this time (Genesis 25:20), which means Abraham was 140. … Abraham knew there must be such a girl [one who loved God, a virgin, one who loved her own family, but would be OK with making her home in Canaan] somewhere, because he trusted God to provide the promised seed through Isaac; and for this Isaac must have the right woman for a wife. He had recently learned of his brother Nahor, and had even learned that Nahor had a young granddaughter named Rebekah (Genesis 22:20, 23). — Morris, page 392-393.

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Abraham was adamant in insisting that Isaac not go, probably because he had learned by then that the heir of God’s promises should stay in the promised land. As a matter of fact, during all his life, Isaac never left Canaan at all (Genesis 26:2-3). If Issac had gone in search of a bride, there might have been too great a temptation for him to stay with her among her own people, rather than to return to Canaan.

Therefore, Abraham sent his servant on the mission. This man was the steward of all his house, the oldest and most trusted one of his servants. If Eliezer was still living (Genesis 15:2), then he doubtless was the man. However, this event took place over fifty years after Eliezer’s name had been mentioned, so me may well have been dead by this time. — Morris, page 393.

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The sign and seal of the oath was a strange one. The servant was to “put his hand under the thigh of Abraham,” while making the promise. The only other occasion on which a similar procedure was used was the time Jacob asked Joseph to put his hand under his thigh and promise he would not bury him in Egypt (Genesis 47:29). the exact meaning of this phrase is obscure. The word “thigh” is frequently also translated “side” or “shaft.” On two important occasions, it refers to the loins. For example, In Genesis 46:26, it obviously refers to the procreative system: “All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins …”

All the ancient Jewish commentators understood this promise to be a euphemism for placing the hand under the male genital organ, and to have a symbolic meaning akin to that of circumcision, so far as the patriarchs were concerned. It was a most solemn oath, in any event, and clearly was related to God’s promise in connection with both the promised land and the promised seed. — Morris, page 394.

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The servant immediately set out to equip a caravan for the journey and for the accomplishment of his mission. This required taking provisions for the long trip, a large quantity of his master’s goods (or “valuables”) as presents for the prospective bride and her family, and enough attendants (Genesis 24:59) for protection and other needs of the journey. … Abraham’s servant knew that the women of the place would come out to the wells to draw water for their households in the early evening, and this seemed the best place to meet them.

Drawing enough water to satisfy the thirst of ten large and tired camels would be a hard and wearisome task, to say the least. He couldn’t really ask a girl to do such a thing. Nevertheless, if she would do it voluntarily, it would be a strong indication that she was the right one. Accordingly, he decided to pray to this specific end. — Morris, page 396.

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To appreciate the truly outstanding character (viz., kindness and graciousness) that this would indicate, one should bear in mind that the servant had with him ten camels, and the typical one-humped camel found throughout the Middle East can take 26-40 gallons in one drink! — Wechsler, page 218.

1 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 

² So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

³ Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,

 ⁴ “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

⁵ And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

 ⁶ “Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”

⁷ Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.

⁸ And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me,

⁹ that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”

¹⁰ Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying,

¹¹ “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!”

¹² Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land;

¹³ and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.”

¹⁴ And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

¹⁵ “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.”

¹⁶ And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

¹⁷ So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded

¹⁸ to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

¹⁹ And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

²⁰ So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.

By the time of Sarah’s death, the family had apparently  moved from Beersheba back to Hebron, which was also known as Kirjath-Arba (the “city of Arba,” the father of the Anakims), where they had lived many years earlier.

Sarah died in Hebron, still in Canaan, the land to which they had migrated, and she died without seeing the fulfillment of the promises (Hebrews 11:13). Sarah died at the age of 127, there in Hebron, and it is significant that she is the only woman in all Scripture whose age at the time of death is given. … Peter’s reference to her (1 Peter 3:5-6) indicates that, as Abraham was considered father of those who believe, so Sarah was considered mother of all believing women.  “For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are [or better, ‘have become’] if you do good and are not afraid with any terror [or, ‘with hysterical fears’].” — Morris, page 386.

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At least so far as the record goes, Abraham did not yet own any of the land himself, and so had to purchase hurriedly a plot of ground for a burying place. The only purchase of property he ever made in the land of Canaan was for a grave. The altars and wells which belonged to him were his by result of building them himself, and probably were on land which he was only using or leasing. Though he had many possessions, he himself had no certain dwelling place. “By faith, he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles” (Hebrews 11:9). …

In accordance with the exaggerated formalities of purchasing and selling that have long been practiced in the East, Abraham first asked for someone to mediate between him and Ephron, to transmit his request to be allowed to purchase the land. Although it is difficult to distinguish how much of the Hittite response was sincere and how much mere custom, it does seem significant that they called Abraham “a mighty prince [literally ‘prince of God’] among us.”

Abraham himself was obviously sincere in his offer, as well as respectful and humble before the Hittites. He did not haggle, as they perhaps expected him to, nor would he accept their offer to let him use their sepulchers or to give him their land. Almost certainly, these offers were merely opening gestures of politeness which they expected no one to take seriously. — Morris, pages 387-388.

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As far as Stephen’s statement that Abraham had purchased the field in Shechem is concerned (Acts 7:16), Abraham lived another thirty-eight years after Sarah died (Genesis 17:17; 23:1; 25:7). During that period he meet and married Keturah and had six more sons. It seems plausible that he might have purchased a second parcel of ground for use by his second family, in the region near Shechem, where he had built his first altar in Canaan (Genesis 12:6-7). When Abraham died, however, he was buried with Sarah in Mamre. Keturah and her sons may not have retained possession of the Shechem property, selling it or losing it somehow to the Hivites who had become the chief inhabitants of the region. Then, about eighty-five years after Abraham’s death, when Jacob came to the Schchem area, knowing that this tract had once belonged to his grandfather, he purchased it back again. As Abraham had built an altar there, so Jacob then did the same. — Morris, pages 389-390.

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Hebron has especial significance for the Jewish people (whose current access to it, seeing that it is in the West Bank, is highly restricted) since it is also the burial site of Sarah (23:19), Isaac (35:29), Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob (49:31; 50:13, Acts 7:16), and is also the city from which David ruled for seven and a half years over Judah before being recognized as king by all twelve tribes (see 2 Samuel 5:3-5). — Wechsler, page 215.

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Because Abraham realizes that the Hittites do not recognize his divine right to the land, he does what is necessary to ensure his actual possession of the land will be respected by going through the culturally accepted process of commercial transaction. — Wechsler, page 216.

¹¹ But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.”

¹² And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

¹³ Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

¹⁴ And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

¹⁵ Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,

¹⁶ and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—

¹⁷ blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.

¹⁸ In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

¹⁹ So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

²⁰ Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor:

²¹ Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,

²² Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”

²³ And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.

²⁴ His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

Note that the “angel of the Lord” commended Abraham because “thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.” It is evident here that this “angel of the Lord” is claiming to be none other than the Lord Himself. 

“God will provide himself a lamb,” Abraham had told Isaac. And now God did exactly that, except that it was a ram, rather than a lamb. The complete fulfillment must await the true Lamb, the Lamb of God. The ram was offered up on the altar as a burnt offering in substitution for his son, thus adding the teaching of substitutionary sacrifice to the type. — Morris, page 381.

Wechsler’s take (previous study) is that Isaac himself was the lamb. If that’s true, then Morris’ take (above) doesn’t work.

Abraham named the location Jehovah-jireh, which means “the Lord will provide,” or, alternatively, “the Lord will appear.” — Morris, page 382.

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Since the “mount of the Lord” in Scripture is the Temple Mount (cf. Isaiah 2:2)—i.e., Mount Moriah (cf. 2 Chronicles 3:1), the very mount on which the event of this chapter takes place!—and since nothing material is actually provided for the worshiper who goes there (he brings his own sacrifice), the only thing that can “be provided” (note the passive voice of the verb) is the forgiveness/atonement that the worshiper who comes in faith is seeking. What a vivid “shadow” of God the Father’s “provision” of the one and only sacrifice that could ever take away sin: the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, the seed of Abraham, who offered His blood on the heavenly altar—”one sacrifice for sins for all time” (see Hebrews 9:23-26; 10:12). — Wechsler, page 214.

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To emphasize as strongly as possible that His word would be accomplished, God made an oath to Abraham, swearing by His own name. For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,  that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us (Hebrews 6:13-18). — Morris, pages 382-383. 

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Jesus said: “he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). God told Abraham: “Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,” therefore He would: (1) bless Abraham himself abundantly; (2) make his descendants as innumerable as the stars of heaven or as the sand by the sea; (3) cause his descendants to prevail against their enemies; (4) cause all other nations of the earth likewise to be blessed in Abraham’s seed. All of these blessings were promised to Abraham because “thou has obeyed my voice.” This is the first occurrence of the word “obey” in the Bible, and it stresses that obedience belongs to God first of all, and that obedience to God results in rich blessing. — Morris, page 383.

As to the first use of “obey,” see the post on Genesis 2:15.

Three times in this promise, God used the word “seed.” At that time, Abraham had only one seed, Isaac, but that seed was to be multiplied and to bring blessing to all. Nevertheless, the fact that God stressed the word in the singular, rather than plural, was significant in that it would be through the Abrahamic nation that the world’s Savior would one day come. “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). And, surely, rich blessings have indeed come through Christ. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). — Morris, page 383.

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[Verses 20-24] represent a sort of parenthesis in the narrative, showing that … Abraham’s brother Nahor still lived back in Mesopotamia, possibly in the city known as Nahor. … Abraham often must have wondered where he could find a wife for his son. If Isaac was to be the father of the great nation as promised, the choice of a proper wife was all-important. … Nahor had married his niece, a girl named Milcah, and he also had a concubine named Reumah. Milcah had had eight sons and Reumah four. Isaac, however, having been born so late in Abraham’s life, was more the age of Nahor’s grandchildren than of his own cousins. The grandchildren of Nahor may have been very numerous, but only two are mentioned: Aram, son of Kemuel, and Rebekah, the daughter of Nahor’s youngest son, Bethuel. The reason Rebekah is mentioned in the narrative (which is part of “the generation of Isaac,” it will be remembered) is of course that she was later to be the one chosen as Isaac’s wife. — Morris, pages 384-385.

1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

² Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

³ So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

⁴ Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.

⁵ And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

⁶ So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.

⁷ But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

⁸ And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

⁹ Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.

¹⁰ And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

The first mention of love in the Bible is here found in the second verse. … As in the prior chapter, so here, there is prompt obedience. Abraham rises early in the morning. There was also faith; he can say to the question of his dearly-loved child, “God will Himself provide Himself the lamb,” and the Holy Spirit says in Hebrews 11:17-19 that the patriarch fully believed that God would raise him up from the dead; “from whence also he received him in a figure.” … The word “Moriah” is a Hebrew word, and means “foreseen by Jehovah.” Here was the threshing floor that David bought, and here Solomon built the temple. — Williams, page 26. 

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Since Genesis 21:34 mentions “many days” and Genesis 22:1 is introduced by the phrase “after these things,” the inference at least is that the narrative of Genesis 22 took place many years after the birth of Isaac. Isaac was no longer a little child, but was certainly at least in his teens, and quite possibly twenty-five or thirty years old. He was thirty-seven when his mother died. While it is true that he is called a “lad” (vs. 5, 12), the Hebrew word (naar) is very flexible in meaning. Most frequently it is translated either as “servant” or as “young man.” In fact, the same word is used here in Genesis 22:5 in connection with the “young men” that went with Abraham and Isaac. — Morris, pages 372-373.

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This is the first occurrence in the Bible of the word translated “tempt.” It does not, of course, mean “tempt to do evil” (note James 1:13). It means “test” or “try” and, in fact, most of the time is translated “prove.” Jesus, for example, was “tempted,” but this does not mean He could have sinned. Rather, He was “proved,” or “approved,” so everyone could see that, in spite of the greatest tests to which He could conceivably be subjected, He would stand spotless and blameless. The engineer may know full well that his design will stand the stress and strain to which it is subjected, because he knows it has been designed properly. Nevertheless, the construction specifications will require that it be tested—not to assure the engineer, but to assure the public, that it will stand. 

So it was with Abraham. God knew what Abraham would do; but Abraham and Sarah, and all around them must know, that the Lord Himself meant more to Abraham than even Isaac did. — Morris, page 374.

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When an important word or concept occurs for the first time in the Bible, usually in the book of Genesis, the context in which it occurs sets the pattern for its primary usage and development all through the rest of Scripture. … “Love” is first mentioned … of the love of a father for his son. “Thy son, whom thou lovest.” Furthermore, it is used in connection with the sacrificial offering of that only, and beloved, son. The deep love of a father for his only son (yet a father who is willing to slay him) is thus inferred to be representative of the most complete and meaningful concept of the very word “love” itself. …

The first occurrence of “love”in the New Testament is in the clearest possible expression of the love of God the Father for His Son. It is found in Matthew 3:17: “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” — Morris, pages 375-376.

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Abraham rode on an ass. … Isaac and the other two young men walked. The journey took them two full days and part of the third. Moriah was near Jerusalem (that is, where Jerusalem would be) and Abraham’s home was in the south, evidently not too far from Beersheba. The total distance was thus about thirty miles. Why would God tell Abraham to go so far, and to just this spot? There is no explanation in the text; but there must have been a reason, since God is not capricious. The answer can only be that God knew this would be the place where later His temple would be built (2 Chronicles 3:1). Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac was to foreshadow all the sacrifices that would later be offered in this place, which in turn were types and shadows of the one great Sacrifice that would be offered one day nearby, when the Father would offer the Son as the Savior of the world. — Morris, page 377.

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In a figure (or “type”— Hebrews 11:19) Abraham’s only-begotten son was raised from the dead. The antitype can, of course, be nothing else than the resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God, from the dead, after He offered Himself up to the Father as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. — Morris, page 378.

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In response to God’s call Abraham states simply “Here I am,” which indicates not simply that he is present, but, more importantly, that he is available—i.e., ready and willing to undertake whatever the task to which God might call him. This commences, in fact, a series of biblical examples in which individuals characterized by strong and growing faith respond to God’s call—whatever it might be—with an affirmation of ready and unconditional obedience—in each case expressed by the same simple statement, “Here I am!” (thus Jacob [Genesis 46:2], Moses [Exodus 3:4], Samuel [1 Samuel 3:4], and Isaiah [Isaiah 6:8]). And in every one of these instances, notably, the specific content of God’s call or commission is revealed only after the individual has expressed his readiness (and so committed himself) to serve. — Wechsler, page 209-210.

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Abraham arrived at the place of sacrifice on the third day, the Christological significance of which is centered in the fact that this was not only the day on which he prepared to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, but also the day on which “he received him back as a type” (Hebrews 11:19)—i.e., as a type of Him who was likewise received back “on the third day” as the “first fruits of those who are asleep” (Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:20). Abraham’s strong faith—and the basis for the statement in Hebrews that “he considered that God is able to raise (Isaac) from the dead”—is represented by his statement to his young men (i.e., servants) that he and Isaac would go up the mountain to worship and then return (both verbs in Hebrew are plural). For this to happen, clearly, God must be able not only to resurrect Isaac from the dead, but also to reconstitute him from the ashes of being offered as a burnt offering (which shows, incidentally, that the manner of interment is inconsequential for the believer, the resurrection of whom is also characterized by recreation; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The basis for Abraham’s faith, in turn, is God’s unconditional promise in the immediately preceding chapter that “through Isaac your descendants shall be named” (Genesis 21:12; cf. Hebrews 11:18), which, since Isaac was not yet married, could not happen if he remained dead. — Wechsler, pages 211-212.

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In response to Isaac’s question Abraham finally reveals all—though gently and in words imbued with confident faith. However, the typical translation of his response—to wit, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son”—leaves something to be desired, since it logically contradicts the expectation that God would resurrect Isaac … Abraham’s answer may be literally rendered “God is providing the lamb …”—which translation thus resolves any contradiction, for it is therefore to Isaac that Abraham is referring. … This understanding of Abraham’s response further underscores the intense typological significance of this event by presenting yet another titular linkage between Isaac and Jesus—namely, the description of both as a “lamb” specifically provided by God (cf. John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7). In this respect it is also significant that Isaac, like Jesus, is not forced to be a sacrifice, but in fact willingly undertakes this role as placed upon him by his father (cf. Mark 10:45; John 10:18). … Finally, concerning the nature of God’s provision in both cases, it may be noted that the verb translated “provide” in verses 8 and 14 is, literally, the same verb meaning “to see” used throughout chapter one (as in Genesis 16:13, etc.) that typically denotes God’s assessment and/or provision of that which though it may not be “good” for man, is always best. — Wechsler, pages 212-213.

²² And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.

²³ Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”

²⁴ And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

²⁵ Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had seized.

²⁶ And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.”

²⁷ So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.

²⁸ And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

²⁹ Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”

³⁰ And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.”

³¹ Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.

³² Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.

³³ Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.

³⁴ And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.

Everlasting God (Hebrew El Olam) [v.33]. The Hebrew Olam is used in Scripture: (a) of secret or hidden things (e.g. Leviticus 5:2, “hidden”; 2 Kings 4:27, “hid”; Psalm 10:1, “hide”); (b) of an indefinite time or age (Leviticus 25:32, “at any time”, Joshua 24:2, “in old time”). Hence the word is used to express the eternal duration of the Being of God (Psalm 90:2, “from everlasting to everlasting”); it is also the Hebrew synonym of the Greek aion, age. — Scofield, page 32.

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Abraham was quite willing to make a treaty [with Abimelech, the king of the Philistines]. However, one bone of contention had developed, and Abraham used this occasion as the means to get that problem cleared up. Abraham had dug a well at Beersheba and, although Beersheba was not in the country of Abimelech, some of Abimelech’s servants had raided the area and had captured the well from Abraham’s servants. The foray had not been known to Abimelech and he quickly agreed to return the well to Abraham. In return, Abraham gave sheep and oxen to Abimelech, thus giving him back at least a portion of the gift Abimelech had pressed on him earlier (Genesis 20:14). Also, Abraham selected seven ewe lambs, and indicated to Abimelech that these (the number seven representing completeness, sealing the covenant, and symbolizing Abraham’s permanent right to the well) were to be a special witness. Both men agreed fully to the treaty, and the place was therefore named Beersheba, which means both “well of the oath” and “well of the seven.” … Abraham would eventually come back to Beersheba to dwell (Genesis 22:19); but for the present he went back to the place where he had been living in the land of the Philistines, where he continued to live for many years, until, in fact, Isaac was a grown man. — Morris, page 372. 

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God here prompts Abimelech, along with Phicol the commander of his army, to make an oath of peace with Abraham on behalf of their people (i.e., the Philistines; cf. Genesis 26:1). This is especially significant when one considers that Abraham himself perversely misrepresented how a believer in the true God should behave toward others, having gravely offended and sinned against Abimelech in the previous chapter. Yet, contrary to human expectation, Abimelech is drawn—not to Abraham, but to the God of Abraham, whom he affirms is with Abraham in all that he does. — Wechsler, page 208.

⁹ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.

¹⁰ Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.”

¹¹ And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

¹² But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.

¹³ Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.”

¹⁴ So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.

¹⁵ And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs.

¹⁶ Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.

¹⁸ Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”

¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.

²⁰ So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

²¹ He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The Hebrew word for “child” [v. 14] (yeled), meaning one begotten or one born, was used for anyone up to young manhood (cp. same word translated “young man” in Genesis 4:23). Ishmael was now about fifteen years old (cp. Genesis 16:16; 21:5). —Scofield, page 31.

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The effect of the birth of Isaac was to make manifest the character of Ishmael. Ishmael hated him, and so did his mother. Prompted by her he sought to murder Isaac (Galatians 4:29), and with his mother was justly expelled. Both merited the severer sentence of death. Thus the birth of Isaac which filled Sarah’s heart with mirth, filled Hagar’s with murder.

Isaac and Ishmael symbolize the new and the old natures in the believer. Sarah and Hagar typify the two covenants of works and grace, of bondage and liberty (Galatians 4). The birth of the new nature demands the expulsion of the old. It is impossible to improve the old nature. The Holy Spirit says in Romans 8:7, that “it is enmity against God, that it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” If therefore it cannot be subject to the law of God, how can it be improved? How foolish therefore appears the doctrine of moral evolution! The Divine way of holiness is to “put off the old man” just as Abraham “put off” Ishmael. Man’s way of holiness is to improve the “old man,” that is, to improve Ishmael. The effort is both foolish and hopeless. Of course the casting out of Ishmael was “very grievous in Abraham’s sight,” because it always costs a struggle to cast out this element of bondage, that is, salvation by works. For legalism is dear to the heart. Ishmael was the fruit, and to Abraham the fair fruit of his own energy and planning. But Hagar, the bondwoman, represents the covenant of the law, and that her son represents all who are of “works of law,” that is, of all who seek righteousness on the principle of works of righteousness. But the bondwoman cannot bring forth a free man! The Son alone makes free, and He makes free indeed. Sarah, the free-woman, symbolizes the covenant of grace and liberty. “So then, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free” (Galatians 4:31).

The weaning of the son and heir of an Eastern chieftain is a great event. It oftentimes does not take place till the boy is upwards of 5 years of age. This is especially the case if the mother believes that he will be her only child. Eastern women are of the opinion that the longer they nourish a child the stronger he will be when a man. It is reasonable therefore to conclude that Isaac was sufficiently grown so as to make it possible for Ishmael to seek his life. The word “persecuted” in Galatians 4:29, is understood by some Greek scholars to imply murder, and Scripture confirms it (See Genesis 3:15, Romans 8:7).

At this feast the young chieftain is presented to the tribe in the special dress appropriate to him as heir and priest. It must therefore have become evident to Hagar, that her son was definitely displaced, and this fact no doubt engendered the anger which incited Ishmael’s action. Both mother and son merited death; the milder punishment of banishment was commanded by God; and it was in keeping with the custom of the time, directly a son reached 17 years of age, to send him forth to seek his own fortune. Because he was Abraham’s son God guarded his footsteps, heard his prayer (v. 17), and caused his mother to see a well.

The mighty words “in Isaac shall thy seed be called” are explained in Galatians 3:16, as referring to Christ.— Williams, pages 25-26.

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Archaeology has revealed that there were numerous settlements at this time in the vicinity of what later was known as Beersheba, and it seems that Hagar and Ishmael set out in this direction. However, they lost their way. … God heard them, and the “angel of God” (the same divine personage, undoubtedly, the preincarnate Christ, who had come to Hagar’s help once before in the desert, before Ishmael was born) called to her out of heaven. He assured Hagar that He had heard their prayers and that, as He had promised long ago, He would take care of them and make Ishmael a great nation. 

It is more than coincidental that, in Genesis 16:7, this divine being is called “the angel of Jehovah.” Here He is called “the angel of Elohim.” The reason for the change is that Jehovah is God’s covenant name, and Hagar was in the first instance still under the roof and protection of Abraham. Now, however, she has become a “stranger to the covenant of promise” [Ephesians 2:12], and therefore the name of God which is used is the name associated with creation and power, rather than redemption. …

Apparently rather than going on to an uncertain reception in an unknown town, they decided to remain where God had met with them and promised to care for them, there in the “wilderness of Paran,” a desert region in what is now the Sinai peninsula. Hagar, in fact, became so identified with Mount Sinai that Paul could say “this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia” (Galatians 4:25). — Morris, pages 370-371.

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Isaac proved, in principle, to be to the household of Abraham what the implantation of the new nature is in the soul of a sinner. It was not Ishmael changed, but it was Isaac born. The son of the bondwoman could never be anything else but that. He might become a great nation, he might dwell in the wilderness and become an archer, he might become the father of twelve princes, but he was the son of the bondwoman all the while. On the contrary, no matter how weak and despised Isaac might be, he was the son of the free-woman. His position and character, his standing and prospects, were all from the Lord. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). 

Regeneration is not a change of the old nature, but the introduction of a new;—it is the implantation of the nature or life of the Second Adam, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, founded upon the accomplish redemption of Christ, and in full keeping with the sovereign will or counsel of God. …

Nor does the introduction of this new nature alter, in the slightest degree, the true, essential character of the old. This latter continues what it was, and the full display of its evil character is in opposition to the new element. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other” (Galatians 5:17).—Mackintosh, page 218-219.

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The birth of Isaac did not improve Ishmael, but only brought out his real opposition to the child of promise. He might have gone on very quietly and orderly till Isaac made his appearance; but then he showed what he was by persecuting and mocking at the child of resurrection. What then was the remedy? To make Ishmael better? By no means; but, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.” — Mackintosh, pages 220-221.

1 And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.

² For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

³ And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.

⁴ Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

⁵ Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶ And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”

⁷ She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

⁸ So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.

In spite of all Satan’s efforts Isaac, the progenitor and type of the Messiah is born; and born at the “set time,” that is, the “exact time” of which God had spoken to Abraham. … His birth was a miracle; but at the same time it must not be forgotten that human life at that period was very much longer than today, so that a woman of 90 was not at all so aged as would appear in present times. Sarah’s father lived for 200 years; at the time of Isaac’s birth Shem was about 560 years of age; and there must have been many thousands of persons at the time who had already lived through two or three centuries.

The chapter presents a new creation, hence the Divine title “Elohim” and not “Jehovah” appears throughout it, until verse 33 is reached. In this verse God is “Jehovah” because it touches His covenant relationship as a Savior….

Isaac means “laughter.” His advent filled the mouth of Sarah with laughter, and caused all that heard to laugh with her. — Williams, page 25.

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Finally, after twenty-five years in the land of Canaan, waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise, Abraham’s faith was rewarded. The apostle Paul has a beautiful commentary on this.

(As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Romans 4:17-22).

Abraham, therefore, is offered throughout the New Testament as the prototype of those who are justified by faith. The apostle Paul stresses that this imputed righteousness was received by Abraham even before he was circumcised (Romans 4:9-12) and long before the Mosaic law was given (Galatians 3:16-18), so that salvation depends neither on the ritual nor the moral law, but only on God’s grace received through faith. Abraham is called “the father of all them that believe” (Romans 4:11) and “the father of us all” (Romans 4:16). Further, Scripture assures us that “they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham” and that “they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham” (Galatians 3:7, 9).

Sarah also, though of doubtful mind for a time, became strong in faith. “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered a a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised” (Hebrews 11:11). — Morris, pages 365-366.

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Sarah was “young” enough again, not only to have a child, but to nurse him (verse 7); Abraham was “young” enough again not only to father Isaac, but also six other sons of his wife Keturah, after Sarah died (Genesis 25:2)! When God miraculously heals, it is not a partial healing, but a complete and instant restoration. — Morris, page 366-367.

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There is such a thing as God’s “set time”—His “due season,” and for this the faithful must be content to wait. The time may seem long, and hope deferred may make the heart sick; but the spiritual mind will ever find its relief in the assurance that all is for the ultimate display of God’s glory. “For the vision is for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will assuredly come, it will not tarry … but the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:3-4). — Mackintosh, page 217.

1 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar.

2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”

4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also?

5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.

7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid.

9 And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.”

10 Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”

11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.

12 But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, ‘He is my brother. ’ ”

14 Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him.

15 And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.”

16 Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked.

17 So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children;

18 for the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

For some unknown reason, Abraham at this time decided to take a trip down through the Negev and into Gerar, the capital city at that time of the land of the Philistines, near the Egyptian border. This was a prosperous city, as revealed by archaeological excavations there, and it may be that Abraham had some kind of business dealings in mind. The city controlled a lucrative caravan route and Abraham by this time was a wealthy and powerful chieftain.

The Philistines were Hamitic peoples (Genesis 10:14) who apparently settled at various times along the seacoast, coming probably from Crete. The name of Palestine was derived from their name. Though most of them did not arrive until many centuries later, apparently early contingents of them had settled there by the time of Abraham. — Morris, pages 359-360

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His [Abraham’s] fall on this occasion was deeper than on the prior one; for he now had the Divine promise that within that very year Sarah should become the mother of a miraculous child. — Williams, page 24

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If it be objected that this whole occurrence is incredible, because no heathen prince would desire to marry a woman upwards of 90 years of age, or to conceive such a passion for her that, to secure her, he would murder her husband—the very fate which Abraham feared for himself—it may be replied that, first, this was Satan’s second effort to bring about the birth of the Messiah by the intervention of a heathen father, and that therefore he would, and could, incite Abimelech to this action; and, in the second place, it is not unreasonable to believe, from the fact that Sarah nourished Isaac from his birth until he was between 3 and 5 years of age, that God must have miraculously renewed her youth, so that she became sufficiently youthful in appearance to suitably become the wife of Abimelech. — Williams, page 24.

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Possibly Abimelech (evidently a standard name for Philistine kings, like Pharaoh in Egypt) viewed union with [Sarah] as of political value, since Abraham was a powerful and rich chieftain. Abimelech already had a harem and, as considered customary in those days, kings had a right to take any woman they  might choose into their harem, whether for personal or political motives. — Morris, pages 360-361.

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Regardless of their mistake, however, God would not allow His promise to Abraham and Sarah to be broken. Before Abimelech had touched Sarah, God struck him with some kind of lethal infirmity (verses 3, 17), evidently of such nature as to prevent his coming in to her (verse 6). Furthermore, He “closed up the wombs” (verse 18) of the others in his harem and household. It may even be that the plague was about to be imposed on the entire nation, or at least Abimelech feared that it might (verse 4). — Morris, page 361.

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Before [Abimelech] asked Abraham to pray for him, as God had instructed him, he first delivered Abraham and Sarah a stinging rebuke for their deception, which had almost resulted in such a calamity to his nation. There is no indication that God Himself rebuked Abraham, though certainly He was not pleased with what he had done. …

Abraham gave the excuse that, since the Philistines had no fear of God, they might otherwise have slain him and taken his wife anyway. Abimelech did not deny this, so possibly the fear was well grounded, as far as Abimelech’s own intentions were concerned. — Morris, page 362.

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A divine principle, however, shines forth in this sad chapter, and that is, that God in His amazing grace is not ashamed to be called the God of a poor, feeble, imperfect, and stumbling man, if there is, in spite of all the weakness, faith and love in the heart. This principle appears again in the prophecy of Balaam, when Jehovah’s word is “I have not seen perverseness in Israel”: and, again, as to Joshua the high priest (Zechariah 3), God answers Satan, not by pointing to any  moral beauty in Joshua, but to what He Himself had done for him in snatching him as a brand from the fire. Similarly, on this occasion, He owns Abraham as His prophet; and if the patriarch by his own faithlessness had deeply degraded himself, so as to be justly rebuked by the heathen prince, yet God, in His faithfulness, clothes him with dignity and honours him in the presence of Abimelech. …

Thus it is emphasized that natural goodness and integrity, as in the case of Abimelech, do not necessarily make a man a child of God, and, on the other hand, a temporary moral lapse through fear does not unmake the believer a member of the household of faith. The apostle Peter’s case is also an illustration of this truth. — Williams, pages, 24-25.

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Abimelech was told Abraham was a prophet not that Abraham might predict the future, but so he might pray for him. This is the first occurrence of the word in the Bible, and shows that “prophecy” is not primarily prediction, but rather speaking the words of God, as inspired by Him. — Morris, page 363.

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Abimelech also “reproved” Sarah for her part in this deception, saying that Abraham should be “to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other.” It is not completely clear what these words mean, but most likely they were intended to stress to Sarah that, since Abraham was her husband and also God’s prophet, she had no need to fear the lustful attentions of other men. He himself was a sufficient veil over her eyes to prevent other men from looking on her in this way. — Morris, page 363.

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In contrast to this previous episode [in Genesis 12:10-20], however, in which the text occupies four verses with consideration of Abraham’s sinful motives (i.e., fear of famine, fear of death), in the present instance we are told simply that “Abraham said of Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister.'” Though the same lack of faith is undoubtedly motivating Abraham to lie again about his relationship, the text focuses in this instance on the response to Abraham’s sin—and inevitably therefore on the contrast between Abraham’s response and that of Abimelech—which in turn serves to underscore God’s grace and faithfulness in upholding His covenant with Abraham (whereas the explicit focus on Abraham’s depraved motives in chapter 12 serves to underscore God’s grace in establishing His covenant). — Wechsler, pages 204-205.

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In marked contrast to Abimelech’s behavior, Abraham refuses to acknowledge his lie, seeking instead to excuse himself for two reasons that are (at best) only “half-truths” themselves—to wit: (1) because he thought that there was no fear of God among the Philistines of Gerar—which Abimelech’s behavior has clearly disproven; and (2) because Sarah actually is Abraham’s sister (i.e., half-sister) by the same father—though this can hardly be claimed as a justifiable interpretation of one’s introducing one’s wife as one’s sister”! To Abimelech’s credit—and as an undoubted example to the reader—he does not press the matter, but rather, having done his part in confronting the sinner with his sin, leaves the hoped-for conviction and repentance of Abraham as something to be worked about between the latter and his God. Indeed, to top it all off Abimelech goes beyond what anyone could justly ask of him and freely gives a thousand pieces of silver to Abraham as a public vindication of Sarah’s purity—and who can blame him for giving vent to a slight bit of sarcasm when he tells Sarah that he gave this money not to her husband but to her brother! — Wechsler, pages 205-206.