It seemeth that she had respect to God’s promise, which could not be accomplished without issue.
It seemeth that she had respect to God’s promise, which could not be accomplished without issue.
Hagar is the person mostly concerned in the story of this chapter, an obscure Egyptian woman, whose name and story we never should have heard of if Providence had not brought her into the family of Abram. Probably she was one of those maid-servants whom the king of Egypt, among other gifts, bestowed upon Abram, ch. 14 16. Concerning her, we have four things in this chapter:—I. Her marriage to Abram her master, ver 1-3. II. Her misbehaviour towards Sarai her mistress, ver 4-6. III. Her discourse with an angel that met her in her flight, ver 7-14. IV. Her delivery of a son, ver 15, 16.
It seemeth that she had respect to God’s promise, which could not be accomplished without issue.
Verses 1-3 Sarai, no longer expecting to have children herself, proposed to Abram to take another wife, whose children she might; her slave, whose children would be her property. This was done without asking counsel of the Lord. Unbelief worked, God's almighty power was forgotten. It was a bad example, and a source of manifold uneasiness. In every relation and situation in life there is some cross for us to bear: much of the exercise of faith consists in patiently submitting, in waiting the Lord's time, and using only those means which he appoints for the removal of the cross. Foul temptations may have very fair pretences, and be coloured with that which is very plausible. Fleshly wisdom puts us out of God's way. This would not be the case, if we would ask counsel of God by his word and by prayer, before we attempt that which is doubtful.
May have. Hebrew, “may be built up,” a metaphorical expression: so God is said to have built up houses for the Egyptian midwives, Exodus i. 21. (Menochius)
I. The maker of this match (would one think it?) was Sarai herself: she said to Abram, I pray thee, go in unto my maid, v. 2. Note, 1. It is the policy of Satan to tempt us by our nearest and dearest relations, or those friends that we have an opinion of and an affection for. The temptation is most dangerous when it is sent by a hand that is least suspected: it is our wisdom therefore to consider, not so much who speaks as what is spoken. 2. God's commands consult our comfort and honour much better than our own contrivances do. It would have been much more for Sarai's interest if Abram had kept to the rule of God's law instead of being guided by her foolish projects; but we often do ill for ourselves.
Or, peradventure. Hebrew, be built by her . She faileth in binding God’s power to the common order of nature, as though God could not give her children in her old age.