ch. 12.5. Dan: This, fays Jofephus, is one of the Foun tains of the River Jordan. 15. And he divided himself a gainst them, he and his fervants by night, and smote them, and purfued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damafcus. 15. Damafcus: A City of Syria, and in after-times the head thereof, Ifa. 7. 8. 16. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women alfo, and the people. 17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him (after his return from the flaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the king's that were with him) at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. 18. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 17. King's-dale: A place that retained that name unto Da vid's time, and is probably the fame which is mentioned, 2 Sam. 18. 18. 18. Melchizedek: The word fignifies King of Righteousness, Heb. 7. 2. Salem: i. e. Of Jerufalem, fays the Chaldee: Salem fignifies peace, Heb. 7. 2. And Jerufalem is called Salem, Pfal. 76. 2. Bread and Wine: Provifion for the refreshment of Abram upon his return from his Victory, (v.24.) See Jofeph. Antiq. l.1. c. 11. and Heb. 7.1. Prieft: And fo he is called, Heb. 7. 1. And an Eminent type he was of Jefus Chrift, the Son of God, Heb. 7.3. And what follows fpeaks him a Priest, and not any thing which goes before. 19. And he blefed him, and faid, Bleffed be Abram of the most high God, poffeffor of heaven and earth: 19. He bleffed him: i.e. Melchizedek blef fed Abram, Heb.7.1. And this was indeed the Office of a Prieft, Numb. 6. 23. And in this he was a Type of Jefus Chrift, Act. 3.26. . 20. And 20. Bleffed be, &c. i. e. Praifed be, &c. When God bleffeth Man, he beftows benefits upon him, Deut. 28, 1, 2. Man bleffeth God, when he praiseth him for his benefits, Matt. 26.26. with Luk.22. 19. Gave him tithes: i.e. Abram gave to Melchizedek tithes of the fpoils, Heb. 7.4. And in that does acknowledge him fuperior. And we may obferve farther, That Tithes were paid before the Law of Moses. 21. And the king of Sodom faid unto Abram, Give me the perfons, and take the goods to thy felf. 22. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up my hand unto the LORD the most high God, the poffeffor of heaven and earth, 22. Lift up my hand: They that did fwear were wont to lift up their hand: Hence one is put for the other, Exod. 6.8. Abram did at least vow, if not fiwear, Compare Pfal. 2092, CHAP. XV. The ARGUMENT. God encourageth Abram in a vifion. He promifeth him a fon and heir and a very numerous pofterity. Abram's faith. God renews his promife of the Land of Canaan. This promife is confirmed by a Sign, and a Vifion. I. Fter these things the word "A1 of the LORD came unto 1912. Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy fhield, and thy exceeding great reward. 1, IN a Vision: i. e. In a Vision by night, (v.5.) but not in a Dream, (v. 9,10, 12.) Fear not: He might be tempted to fear. He was a Sojourner in a ftrange Land, feparated from Lot, who, with the confederates, was affaulted, and but newly rescued from captivity; God affures him both of Protection and great Bleffings befides. I am thy fhield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2. And Abram faid, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, feeing go childless? and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Dama fcus. 3. And Abram faid, Behold, to me thou haft given no feed; and lo, one born in my house is mine beir. 4. And behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, faying, This fhall not be thine beir; but be that fhall come forth out of thine own bowels fhall be thine heir. 2. Of Damafcus: He was from DamaScus by his Ancestors, in Abram's house, v.3. though he were born 3. No feed: i. e. No child. 4. He that shall come forth, &c. ie. He that fhall be born of thee, or the Son of thine own body, and not that is born in thy houfe onely. 5. And he brought him forth abroad, and faid, Look now toward heaven, and tell the ftars, if thou be able to number them. And he faid unto him, So fhall thy feed be. 6. And he believed in the LORD, and he counted it to him for righteousness. 6. He believed in the Lord: i. e. He trufted in God, believing that he would make his promises good, how unlikely foever they feemed. He against hope believed in God, Rom. 4. 18, 19, 20, 21. And he counted it to him for Righteousness: i. e. God accepted this Faith of Abram; and thereupon he was by God efteemed a Righteous perfon. Thus was God pleafed to accept of Abram before Circumcifion was commanded, and the Law of Mofes was given. It was his Faith that God regarded. Now it was not written for his fake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us alfo, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raifed up Jefus our Lord from the dead, Rom. 4. 23, 24. Pfal. 106. 31. 7. And he faid unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. though it be not expreffed there. 7. That brought thee out: That remove which is mentioned ch.11.31. was by God's fpecial Will, Compare Act.7.2,3. 8. Whereby fhall I know that I shall inherit it,&c. He defires to know more particularly the manner of God's performing this laft promife of his inheriting that Land. For God having proinifed it to him, even his Seed, ( ch. 13. v. 15, 17.) he defires to know who of his Seed fhall inherit it, and when. He queftions not God's veracity, but defires a more diftinct knowledge of this matter. And the following words fully answer this request of his. 9. Take me,&c.Thefe creatures were clean and fit for Sacrifice: But feem not here made ufe of for Sacrifice, but for ConCompare Jer. 9. And he faid unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a fhe goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. firmation of God's Covenant and Promife. 34. 18. 10. And he took unto him all thefe, and divided them in the midft, and laid each piece one against another but the birds divided he not. Abram II. And when the fowls came down upon the carcaffes, drove them away. 10. Divided he not: When they were ufed in Sacrifice, they were not to be divided by the Law made afterwards. 11. Fowls: The Hebrew word is fowl, and feems to imply fome one of the more ravenous fort, and is a fit reprefentation of Pharaoh, who afflicted Abram's feed. Compare Ezek. 17. 3, 7, 12. And one of the Chaldee Paraphrafts expounds fowls here by the Idolatrous people. Carkafes: A fit refemblance of the af Alicted condition of Abram's pofterity. Drove them away: He put them to flight, fays the Chaldee. 12. And when the Sun was going down, a deep fleep fell upon A bram: and lo, an borrour of great darkness fell upon him. 12. Horror of great darkness: A token of the affliction of his feed, predicted in the next verfe. Com pare Efther 8. 16. and Pfal. 88.6. and Pfal. 107. 14. 13. Four hundred years: This time begins at the birth of the Ifraelites deparIfaac, and ends at ture out of Egypt. And in this pace feed, which are here [I.] That it fhould three things were to befall Abram's diftin&ly named; as also, Act. 7.6. be a franger in a land not theirs; and so Isaac and Jacob were. |