brimstone and fire from the LORD out of Heaven: i. e.

out of heaven.

It was God's work alone, and immediate

ly, and not to be imputed to natural Caufes. and upon Admah and Zeboim, Deut. 29.23.

Sodom, &c.

25. And he overthrew thofe cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

26. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of falt.

26. A pillar of Salt: Or, a statue of Salt. Not fuch Salt as would diffolve with

Rain, but fuch as would and did continue a lasting Monument of this matter. The word Pillar in the Hebrew implies its confiftence. Jofephus affirms, that this Pillar remained to his time, and he lived after our Saviour's death.

27. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he ftood before the LORD.

27. He stood: See ch. 18. 22. In the way

from the Plains of Mamre, toward Sodom, ch. 18. 2, 16.

28. And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and lo, the Smoak of the country went up as the fmoak of a furnace.

19. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain,

of

that God remembred Abraham
and fent Lot out of the midst
the overthrow when he over-
threw the cities in the which
dwelt.

Lot

30. And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him for he feared to dwell in Zoar, and he dwelt in a cave, he and bis two daughters.

29. Abraham: For the better, as he had whofe fake Lot fared done before, ch.14.16. and for whom he had interceded, chap. 18. v. 23. In the which: i.e. In one of which, viz. in Sodom.

neighbouring places; and having been warned before to go to the Mountain, and his Wife becoming a Pillar of Salt upon her looking back. Two daughters: i. e. Maiden daughters, (v.8.)

31. And the first born said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us; after the manner of all the earth.

31. In the Earth: Or, in the Land: i.e. None hereabouts, in that we are like to be this tract of Land, given in Marriage to.

32. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preferve feed of our far ther.

33. And they made their father drink wine that night, and the firft-born went in, and lay with her father: and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arofe.

33. Perceived not: Being over-burthened with the Wine he

drank. Drunkenness understanding, and deprives Men of their

is an in-let to the

fouleft wickedness. To which I may add, That Lot's not perceiving, may be underftood thus, That he did not perceive who the perfon was that did lie with him. It was indeed his daughter; he might fuppofe her to be a fervant. And this may well be allowed to be his cafe, if it be confidered how far he was overcome with Wine.

34. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firftborn faid unto the younger, Behold, I lay yefternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night alfo, and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preferve feed of our father.

35. And they made their father drink wine that night alfo, and the younger arofe, and lay with him: and he perreived not when he lay down, norben fhe arofe.

36. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

37. And

37. And the first-born bare a fon, and called his name Moab the fame is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

37. Moab: The word implies his Original: viz. That he was from her Father, (as the Greek have

it,) and fhe knowing the truth of this, gives him this

name.

38. And the younger, she also bare a fon, and called his name Benammi: the fame is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

1

38. Called: i. e. She called, as in the Hebrew, both here and verfe 37. Ammi: Or, the Son

Ben

of my People. He was fo called in memory of his Original, he being of her Father, not begotten by a Stranger: (See the Greek.) Both the Children carried in their Names the Memorial of their incestuous Original.

CHAP. XX.

The ARGUMENT.

Abraham removes to Gerar. Abimelech takes Sarah as Abraham's Sifter, for which he is reprehended by God in a dream. He excufeth his fact; expoftulares with Abraham, and reftores Sarah with a reproof: Abraham prays to God, who thereupon healed Abimelech and his Family.

I.

1. AND Abraham journeyed 1. F Rom thence: ie.

in Gerar.

From the Plains

thence toward the fouth countrey, and dwelled between of Mamre, (ch. 18. Cadesh and Shur, and fojourned V. 1.) He removed, as is probable, upon occafion of the deftruction of Sodom; of which he was an Eye-witness, ch. 19.27,28. Gerar: viz. In the Country of the Philiftines, ch. 26. v. 1. When it was, that the matter here spoken of, happened, is not certain, because not revealed. The reafon why this relation comes in, in this place, is obvious e

nough.

nough. We have another inftance here, (we have one in the foregoing Chapter,) that God was not prone to deftroy the innocent and righteous. We must not fuppofe the order of time obferved in this relation, though the likenefs of the argument be. 'Tis probable this might happen not long after Abraham came from Egypt. We have not yet the account of Ifaac's birth; and have no reason to believe that Sarah was in Egypt (where fhe ftaid fome time, v. 17, 18.) whiles fhe was big with Ifaac. That would not be a fit time for this journey, befides her condition in that cafe might foon have been difcovered. What year of Abraham's and Sarah's life this happened in, is not certain.

2. And Abraham faid of Sarah. his wife, She is my fifter: and Abimelech king of Gerar fent, and took Sarah.

2. Said: This was mutually agreed on. See ch. 12. 13. and v. 5 of this Chapter. Took Sarah: Sup

pofing her at liberty, and with an intention to make her his Wife. See v.6.

3. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and faid to bim, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou haft taken: for he is a man's wife.

3. God came: i.e God did reveal himfelf to Abimelech, P 105.14. In a dream no natural and ordiby night: This was

-nary dream, which is commonly attended with vanity, (Ecclef.5.7. Ifa. 29. 7, 8.) and therefore not to be heeded; But a fuper-natural one, fent by God, and bringing with it its evidence and affurance. This is one of the ways by which God revealed himfelf to his Prophets, (Numb 12.6.) And fometimes he thus revealed himself to thofe whom he had not chofen for his peculiar people, for the benefit of thofe whom he had thus chosen: As to Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar and Abimelech, &c. A dead man: i. e. Thou fhalt certainly die. But then there is a condition implied in this (as in other threats :). viz. If he did not reftore unto Abraham his Wife, v.7. See Jonah 3.4. Ezek. 33: 14, 15. Befides, the words imply what punishment Adultery deferves in God's account.

But

9. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and faid unto him, What haft thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me, and on my kingdom a great fin? Thou haft done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

10. And Abimelech faid unto Abraham, what faweft thon, that thou hast done this thing?