Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

while; being afraid that Zoar also might some time or other be destroyed; therefore he retired with his two daughters, and lived in a cave upon a mountain, at a distance from all converse with the world. His daughters grew uneasy at this strange retirement, and thinking that they should both die unmarried, from their father's continuing resolved to go on in this course of life, and so their father's name and family become extinct, they intrigued together, and imposing wine upon their father, went to bed to him, and were with child by him, and had each a son, called Moab and Ammon. The two children grew up, and in time came to have families; and from these two sons of Lot the Moabites and the Ammonites were descended.

About this time Abraham removed southward, and sojourned between Cadesh and Shur at Gerar, a city of the Philistines; where he pretended that Sarah was his sister, as he had formerly done in Egypt; for he thought the Philistines were a wicked people. Abimelech the king of Philistia intended to take Sarah to be his wife; but it pleased GOD to inform him in a dream, that she belonged to Abraham. Abimelech appears to have been a man of eminent virtue, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah had made a deep impression on him. the integrity of his heart, intentions. He restored gave him sheep, oxen,

d Gen. xix. ver. 30. Ver. 33, 34, 35.

He appealed to God, for and the innocency of his Sarah to her husband, and men-servants and women

• Ver. 31, 32.

8 Gen. xx.

servants, and a thousand pieces of silver, and free liberty to live where he would in his kingdom, and reproved Sarah for concealing her being married. He told her, that if she had not disowned her husband, she would have been protected from any other person's fixing his eyes upon her to desire her. He is to thee, said he, a covering of the eyes to, or of all that are with thee; and with all others, i. e. he shall cover or protect thee, from any of those, that are of thy family or acquaintance, or that are not, from looking at thee, to desire thee for their wife.

i

A year was now accomplished, and, A. M. 2108, a son was born of Sarah, and was circumcised on the eighth day, and named Isaac. When he grew old enough to be weaned, Abraham made a very extraordinary feast. Ishmael laughed at seeing such a stir made about this infant; which so provoked Sarah that she would have both him and his mother turned out of doors. Abraham had the tenderness of1 a father for his child; he loved Ishmael, and was loth to part with him, and therefore applyed himself to GoD for direction. GOD was pleased to assure him, that he would take care of Ishmael, and ordered him not to let his affection for either Hagar or her son prevent his doing what Sarah requested; intimating that Ishmael should for his sake be the parent of a nation of people; but that his portion and inheritance was not to be in that land, which was to be given to the des

[blocks in formation]

cendants of Isaac, and therefore that it was proper for him to be sent away, to receive the blessings designed him in another place. Abraham hereupon called Hagar, and gave her water and other necessary provisions, and ordered her to go away into the world from him, and to take her son with her; whereupon she went away, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba."

[ocr errors]

Some commentators are in pain about Abraham's character, for his severity towards Hagar and Ishmael in the case before us. It may perhaps be thought, that the direction by GoD given in this particular, may rather silence the objection, than answer the difficulties; but a little consideration will be sufficient to clear it. It would indeed, as the circumstances of the world now are, seem a very rigorous proceeding to send a woman into the wide world and a little child in arms, with only a bottle of water, and such a quantity of bread as she could carry out of a family, where she had been long maintained in plenty, not to mention her having been a wife to the master of it. But it must be remarked, that though the ambiguity of our English translation, which seems to intimate, that Hagar when she went from Abraham, took the child upon her shoulder, and afterwards that she cast the child under one of the shrubs, does indeed, represent Hagar's circumstances as very calamitous; yet it is evident,

Gen. xxi. 12. 13. • Pool's Synopsis in loc.

• Ver. 15.

" Ver. 14.
Gen. xxi. 14.

that they were far from being so full of distress as this representation makes them. For, 1. Ishmael was not an infant at the time of their going from Abraham, but at least fifteen or sixteen years old. Ishmael was born when Abraham was eighty six,' Isaac when he was a hundred; so that Ishmael was fourteen at the birth of Isaac, and Isaac was perhaps two years old when Sarah weaned him, therefore Ishmael might be sixteen when Abraham sent him and his mother away. Hagar therefore had not a little child to provide for, but a youth capable of being a comfort, and assistant to her. 2. The circumstances of the world were such at this time, that it was easy for any person to find a sufficient and comfortable livelihood in it. Mankind were so few, that there was in every country ground to spare ; so that any one, who had flocks and a family, might be permitted to settle any where, and feed and maintain them, and in a little time might grow and increase and become very wealthy. Besides, the creatures of the world were so numerous that a person who had no flocks or herds, might in the wild and uncultivated grounds, kill enough of all sorts for maintenance, without injuring any one, or being molested for so doing. And thus Ishmael dwelt in the Wilderness, and became an archer. Again, they might let themselves for hire to those who had a great stock of cattle to look after, and find an easy and sufficient maintenance in their service; as good as Hagar and Ishmael had had even with Abraham. We see no reason to think that Hagar met with many difficulties

Gen xvi. 16.

* Gen. xxi. 5.

t Ver. 20.

[ocr errors]

In a few years

in providing for herself, or her son. she saw him in so comfortable a way of living, that she got him a wife out of another country to come and live with him: she took him a wife out of the land of Egypt." 3. Ishmael, and consequently Hagar with him fared no worse, than the younger children used to fare in those days, when they were dismissed in order to settle in the world; for we find that in this manner the children which Abraham had by Keturah were dealt by. Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac; but unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, castward, unto the East country. And much in this manner even Jacob, who was to be heir of the blessing, was sent away from his father. Esau was the eldest son, and as such was to inherit his father's substance; accordingly when his father died, he came from Seir to take what was gotten for him by his father in the land of Canaan; for we have no reason to suppose that Jacob received any thing at Isaac's death; his brother left him only his own substance to increase with in the land yet we find he had enough to maintain his wives and a numerous family, and all this the mere product of his own industry. When he first went from his father, he was sent a long journey to Padan-aram; we read of no servants nor equipage going with him, nor any accommodations prepared for his journey. He was sent, as we now a-days might say, to seek his for

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »