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possess her, if he had known she was a wife; But since," said he, "she accompanied thee in the character of thy sister, I was guilty of no offence." He also intreated him to be at peace with him, and to make God propitious to him; and that if he thought fit to continue with him, he should have what he wanted in abundance; but that if he designed to go away, he should be honourably conducted, and have whatever supply he wanted when he came thither. Upon his saying this, Abraham told him, that his pretence of kindred to his wife was not a falsehood, because she was his brother's daughter, and that he did not think himself safe in his travels abroad without this sort of dissimulation, and that he was not the cause of his distemper, but was only solicitous for his own safety. He said also that he was ready to stay with him, whereupon Abimelech assigned him land and money; and they covenanted to live together without guile, and took an oath at a certain well, called Beersheba,* which may be interpreted the well of the oath, and so it is named by the people of the country unto this day.

Now in a little time Abraham† had a son by Sarah, as God had foretold to him, whom he named Isaac, which signifies laughter; and indeed they so called him because Sarah laughed when God said‡ that she should bear a son, she not expecting such a thing, as being past the age of child-bearing, for she was ninety years old, and Abraham a hundred, so that his son was born to them both in the last year of each of those decimal numbers; and they circumcised him|| upon the eighth

* Gen. xvi. 31.

† An. 1937.

It is well worth observation that Josephus here calls that principal angel who appeared to Abraham, and foretold the birth of Isaac, directly God; which as he had done it before in his coherence, c. 11. and does it afterward, c. 13. and v. 8. is not very strange in a great reader and admirer of Philo, who does it so often; which language of Josephus's here, prepares us to believe those other expressions of his, that Jesus was a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, XVIII. 3. and of God the Word, in his last homily concerning Hades, may be both genuine; nor is the other expression of divine angel, used presently, and before, also of any other signifi

cation.

This circumcision is not after, but on the eighth day : as it is elsewhere expressed by Josephus. The like construction to which we meet with in the New Testament,

day; and from that time the Jews continue the custom of circumcising their sons within that number of days; but as for the Arabians, they circumcise after the thirteenth year, because Ismael, the founder of their nation, who was born to Abraham of the concubine, was circumcised at that age, concerning whom I will hereafter give a particular ac

count.

As for Sarah, she at first loved Ismael, who was born of her handmaid Hagar, with an affection not inferior to that of a mother, for he was brought up in order to succeed in the government; but when she herself had borne Isaac, she was not willing that Ismael should be brought up with him, as being too low for him, and able to do him injuries when their father should be dead. She therefore persuaded Abraham to send him and his mother to some distant country. Now at first he did not agree to what Sarah was zealous for, and thought it an instance of the greatest barbarity to send away a young child, and a woman unprovided of necessaries; but at length he agreed to it, because God was pleased with what Sarah had determined; so he delivered Ismael to his mother, as not yet able to go by himself, and commanded her to take a bottle of water, and a loaf of bread,** and so to depart, and to take necessity for he her guide. But as soon as her necessary provisions failed, she found herself in an evil case; and when the water was almost spent, she laid the young child, who was ready to expire, under a fir-tree, and went on farther, so that he might die while she was absent; but a divine angel came to her, and told her Matthew xxvii. 63. Luke ii. 21. John xx. 26. This is Reland's observation.

§ Josephus here calls Ismael, vov, a young child, or infant, though he were above 13 years of age, as Judas calls himself and his brethren véss, young men, when he was 47, when he had two children; and they were of nuch the same age as is a damsel of 12 years old called audiov, or little child, Mark v. 39-42, five several times. Herod is also said by Josephus to be, vi wavrátαów, a very young man at 25; and Aristobulus is styled radiov, Tavlamadı, a very little child, at 16 years of age. Antiq. XV. 2. Domitian is also called by him πανταπασινέον, very young child, when he went on his German expedition, at about 18 years of age. Of the war, VII. 4. Samson's wife, and Ruth, when she was a widow, are called wardes children, Antiq. V. 8 and 9. Accordingly in Xenophon, we have wardes for children, till 16 or 17 years of age Κύριε Παίδ. Edit. Hutch. page 12.

** Gen. xxi. 14.

of a fountain hard by, and bid her take care, and bring up the child, because she should be very happy by the preservation of Ismael. She then took courage upon the prospect of what was promised her, and meeting with some shepherds, by their care she got clear of the distresses she had been in.

When the lad was grown up, he married a wife, by birth an Egyptian; from whence the mother was herself derived originally. Of this wife were born to Ismael twelve sons; Nabioth, Kedar, Abdeel, Mabsam, Idumas, Masmaos, Massaos, Chodad, Theman, Jetur, Naphesus, and Kadmas. These inhabited all the country from Euphrates to the Red Sea, and called it Nabatene. They are an Arabian nation, and name their tribes from these, both because of their own virtue, and because of the dignity of Abraham their father.

N

CHAP. XIII.

OF ISAAC, ABRAHAM'S LEGITIMATE SON.

TOW Abraham greatly loved Isaac, as being his only begotten,* and given to him at the borders of old age, by the favour of God. The child also endeared himself to his parents still more, by the exercise of every virtue, and adhering to his duty to his parents, and being zealous in the worship of God. Abraham placed also his own happiness wholly in this prospect, that when he should die he should leave his son in a safe and secure condition, which accordingly he obtained by the will of God; who being desirous to make an experiment of Abraham's religious disposition towards himself, appeared to him, and enumerated all the blessings he had bestowed on him; how he made him superior to his enemies; and that his son Isaac, who was the principal part of his present happiness, was derived from him, and he said that he required this son of his as a sacrifice, and a holy oblation. Accordingly he commanded him to carry him to the moun

*Note that both here and Heb. xi. 17. Isaac is called Abraham's μovoysvn, only begotten son, though he at the same time had another son, Ismael. The Septuagint express the true meaning by rendering the text by dyarnròv the beloved son.

† Gen. xxii. 2.

Here is a plain error in the copies, which say that king David afterwards built the temple on this mount

tain Moriah,† and to build an altar, and offer him for a burnt-offering upon it; for that this would best manifest his religious disposition towards him, if he preferred what was pleasing to God before the preservation of his own son.

Now Abraham thought that it was not right to disobey God in any thing, but that he was obliged to serve him in every circumstance of life, since all creatures that live enjoy their life by his providence, and the kindness he bestows on them; accordingly he concealed this command of God; and his own intentions about the slaughter of his son from his wife, as also from every one of his servants, otherwise he would have been hindered from his obedience to God; and he took Isaac together with two of his servants, and laying what things were necessary for a sacrifice, upon an ass, he went away to the mountain. Now the two servants went along with him two days, but on the third day, as soon as he saw the mountain, he left those servants that were with him till then in the plain, and having his son alone with him, he came to the mountain. It was that mountain upon which king David afterwards built the temple. Now they had brought with them every thing necessary for a sacrifice, excepting the animal that was to be offered. Now Isaac was twenty-five years old, and as he was building the altar, he asked his father what he was about to offer, since there was no animal there for an oblation; to which it was answered, that God would provide himself an oblation, he being able to make a plentiful provision for men out of what they have not, and to deprive others of what they already have, when they put too much trust therein; that, therefore, if God pleased to be present and propitious at this sacrifice he would provide himself with an oblation.

As soon as the altar was prepared, and Abraham had laid on the wood, and all things were entirely ready, he said to his son, "Oson! I poured out a vast number of prayers that Moriah, while it was certainly no other than king Solomon, who built that temple, as indeed Procopius cites it from Josephus; only if we change ἱερὸν into βωμόν, temple into altar, we need not correct the name, for it was David and not Solomon, who built the first altar there, as we learn, 2 Sam. xxiv. 18. &c. 1 Chron. xxi. 22. &c.

|| An. 1922.

I might have thee for my son; when thou wast || come into the world, there was nothing that could contribute to thy support for which I was not greatly solicitous; nor any thing wherein I thought myself happier than to see thee grown up to man's estate; and that I might leave thee, at my death, the successor to my dominion; but since it was by God's will that I became thy father, and is now his will that I relinquish thee, bear this consecration to God with a generous mind; for I resign thee up to God, who hath thought fit now to require this testimony of honour to himself on account of the favours he hath conferred on me, in being to me a supporter and defender. Accordingly thou, my son, wilt now die, not in any common way of going out of the world, but sent to God, the father of all men, before hand, by thy own father, in the nature of a sacrifice. I suppose he thinks thee worthy to leave this world, neither by disease, by war, nor any other severe way by which death usually comes upon men, but so that he will receive thy soul with prayers and holy offices of religion, and will place thee near to himself, and thou wilt there be to me a succourer and supporter in my old age, on which account I principally brought thee up; and thou wilt thereby procure me God for my comforter instead of thyself."

Now Isaac was of such a generous disposition as became the son of such a father, and was pleased with this discourse, and said that he was not worthy to be born at first, if he should reject the determination of God and of his father, and should not resign himself up readily to both their pleasures; since it would have been unjust if he had not obeyed, even if his father alone had so resolved: so he went immediately to the altar to be sacrificed; and the deed had been

* It seems both here, and in God's parallel blessing to Jacob, c. 19. that Josephus had yet no notion of the hidden meaning of that most important and most eminent promise, In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed; he saith not of seeds, as of many, but as of one; and to thy seed, which is Christ, Gal. iii. 16. Nor is it any wonder, he being, I think, as yet not a Christian and had he been a Christian, yet since he was till the latter part of his life no more than an Ebonite Christian, who above all the apostles rejected and despised St. Paul, it would be no great wonder if he did not now follow his interpretation. In the mean time we have in effect St. Paul's exposition in the testament of Reuben in Authent. Rec. part 1. page 302, who charges his sons "To worship

done if God had not opposed it, for he called loudly to Abraham by his name, and forbade him to slay his son, and said it was not out of a desire of human blood that he was commanded to slay his son, nor was he willing that he should be taken away from him whom he had made his father, but to try the temper of his mind, whether he would be obedient to such a command: since, therefore, he now was satisfied as to the surprising readiness he shewed in his piety, he was delighted in having bestowed such blessings upon him, and that he would not be wanting in all sort of concern about him; and that his son should live to a very great age, that he should live a happy life, and bequeath a large principality to his children, who should be good and legitimate. He foretold also that his family should increase into many nations, and that those patriarchs should leave behind them an everlasting name; that they should obtain the possession of the land of Canaan, and be envied by all men. When God had said this, he produced to them a ram,† which did not appear before, for the sacrifice; so Abraham and Isaac receiving each other un-. expectedly, and having obtained the promises of such great blessings, embraced one another; and when they had sacrificed, they returned to Sarah, and lived happily together, God affording them his assistance in all things they desired.

CHAP. XIV.

OF THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF SARAH, ABRAHAM'S WIFE

NOW

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TOW Saraht died a little while afterward, having lived one hundred and twenty-seven years. They buried her in Hebron, the Canaanites publicly allowing

the seed of Judah, who should die for them in visible and invisible wars, and should be among them an eternal king." Nor is that observation of a learned foreigner of my acquaintance to be despised, who takes notice, that as seeds in the plural must signify posterity, so seed in the singular may signify either posterity, or a single person; and that in this promise of all nations being happy in the seed of Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob, &c. it is always used in the singular; to which I shall add, that it is sometimes, as it were, paraphrased by the son of Abraham, the son of David, &c. which is capable of no such ambiguity. See Boyle's Lectures, page 247–272.

† Gen. xxii. 13.

Gen. xxiii 1. 2. An. 1900.

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