Whom did Abraham marry after the death of Sarah, and how many children had he by her? v. 1, 2.

'Again took ;' Heb. ' added and took.'-' Wife;' called concubine, 1 Chron. 1. 32. The preternatural physical strength imparted to Abraham in order to the fulfilment of the Divine promises, was continued it seems for many years, for Isaac was now forty, so that it was in effect the permanent renewal of his youth.

Did the descendants of any of these sons of Keturah shortly afterward fall from the faith of Abraham into idolatry? Num. 25. 17, 18.

What descendant of the family of Shuah is elsewhere spoken of? Job 2. 11.

'Sheba ;' Gr. 'Saba.' Of his posterity, called 'Sabeans,' were those marauders who robbed Job of his oxen and asses, Job 1. 15.-Sons of Keturah;' i. e. descendants of Keturah; a very common sense of the wordson.' This branch of Abraham's family formed settlements in Arabia Felix as far as to the Red Sea.

How did Abraham dispose the matter of the inheritance among his sons, and whither did he send the seed of Keturah? v. 5, 6.

Of whom was Isaac in this respect a lively figure? Heb. 1. 2; Gal. 3. 29; 1 Cor. 3. 21-23.

By what name are some of these sons of the concubines afterward introduced into the sacred narrative? Judg. 6. 3; Job 1. 3.

It is highly probable that Job himself was descended from this stock, on which account he is said to have been the greatest of all the men of the east.' Arabia might be called the east-country,' or, the land of the east,' in respect to Palestine.

What was Abraham's age at his death, and what is said of his dissolution and his burial? v. 7-9.

He therefore sojourned as a stranger and a pilgrim in the land of promise 100 years; he survived Shem 25 years; his father Terah 100 years; his wife Sarah 38 years; living after Isaac's marriage 35 years, and consequently seeing his two grandsons, Jacob and Esau; and finally finishing his course A. M. 2183, and after the flood 527.-Old age;' Heb. ' grayness,' or hoary age.' -An old man and full (of years;') i. e. full,' in the sense of satisfied, satiated; being weary of the toils and troubles of this life, and longing for a better. Targ. Jon. saturated with all good.'-To his people; Heb. to his peoples.' From Gen. 15. 15, it would appear that this phrase is equivalent to 'to his fathers.' The import of gathering,' in this and similar passages, seems to be that of being associated with the pious dead; of going into the invisible abodes of the righteous. For it is to be observed that in no clear instance is it spoken of any but good men. On the contrary, of the wicked rich man Job says, ch. 27. 19, He shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered ;' i. e. he shall not be united to the society of the good in another world. Buried ;' i. e. deposited, entombed. -From this circumstance it is to be inferred that Isaac and Ishmael had now become reconciled, and were living on amicable terms with each other, the feuds of the children being in this case, as they should be in every other, buried in the graves of their common parents.

How did it fare with Isaac after his father's death, and where did he dwell? v. 11.

Blessed Isaac.' Not that he had received no blessing before this, but God now began to bless him in a more signal manner than he had done previously.

How many were the sons of Ishmael, and

why is the catalogue of his posterity introduced in this place? v. 13-16.

Ans. In order to shew the fulfilment of the promise, Gen. 17. 20.- According to their generations;' i. e. according to the order of their respective nativities. From these twelve sons of Ishmael the Arab race derive their origin. His sons, and those of Isaac and Israel, appear to have been always related to each other, somewhat as the Mohammedan and Christian nations of the world now are.

How many were the years of the life of Ishmael, and what is said of his death? v. 17. 'Was gathered unto his people.' From this expression, so uniformly applied to the faithful, it may be reasonably inferred that Ishmael died a good man. This event happened A. M. 2231, 573 years after the flood, 48 years after the death of Abraham, and when Isaac was about 123.

Where did his descendants dwell, and what is affirmed in the concluding clause of v. 18? 'He died; Heb. he fell.' As the term 'fall' is seldom used in the Scriptures in reference to dying,' except in cases of sudden and violent death, as where one falls' in battle, the probability is that it here signifies that his territory or possessions fell to him in the presence of his brethren, or immediately contiguous to their borders. Accordingly the Gr. and the Chal. both render it,' And he dwelt before his brethren; evidently regarding it as the fulfilment of the promise, ch. 16. 12, And he shall dwell in the presence of his brethren.' Moreover, as tribes and nations are often called by the names of their individual founders, as Israel, Moab, Midian, &c, and as the rest of the verse speaks solely of the posterity of Ishmael, we doubt not that 'he' is a collective term referring not to Ishmael personally, but to the body of his descendants. We would therefore render the clause,

They fell (i. e. their lot or inheritance fell to them) in the presence of all their brethren.' A similar usage of the term occurs, Num. 34. 2, This is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance.' Josh. 23. 4, Behold I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain; Heb. I have caused to fall unto you.' Ps. 78. 55,Divided them an inheritance by line;' Heb. made to fall to them an inheritance.' Ps. 16. 6, The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, and I have a goodly heritage.'

How old was Isaac at the period of his marriage? v. 19, 20.

'Generations;' i. e. the history of the occurrences that took place in regard to him. Although the

birth of Jacob and Esau here stands in the order of narration subsequent to the death of Ishmael, yet in the order of time it occurred 63 years prior to it. But Moses being about to resume the history of Isaac's line, here concludes all that he has to say of Ishmael, that the thread of the narrative may not be afterward interrupted.

What circumstance diminished his domestic happiness, and to what was the removal of it owing? v. 21.

For his wife.' Rather, before his wife ;' in her presence; united with her in joint supplication.

What did she learn by her inquiries respecting the mutual struggling of her yet unborn children? v. 22, 23.

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Struggled;' or Heb. 'bruised themselves by struggling." Inquired; probably through the medium of some prophet then living; perhaps of Abraham or Heber, who were both alive at that time.-' Shall be separated from thy bowels;' i. e. shall be separated from each other from the time of their birth. These two people were the Edomites and the Israelites. Chal. Two kingdoms shall be divided from the

womb.'-The elder shall serve the younger.' Heb. the greater shall serve the less ;' i. e. the greater in dignity, which pre-eminence was founded on the birthright naturally pertaining to the elder. The Heb. 'Rab,' great, from which great men and masters among the Jews were called 'Rabbies,' signifies a superior in dignity.

When was this prediction fulfilled? 2 Sam. 8. 14.

This subjection of the Edomites, the sons of Esau, to David, who with the nation of Israel were descended from Jacob, was the temporal fulfilment of the promise; it received a spiritual fulfilment when Jacob obtained from Esau his birthright, and became possessed also of the blessing.

How does the Lord speak by the prophet of these two nations? Mal. 1. 2-4.

Hated;' i. e. loved less; in which sense the word 'hate' frequently occurs. See note on Gen. 29. 31. How does the Apostle Paul allude to this part of the sacred history? Rom. 9. 10-13.

What were the names given the two children at their birth, and what gave rise to them?

Red; Heb. Admoni,' rubicund, or red; a word derived from the same root with Edom,' another appellation by which Esau was called. This color, the color of blood, denoted the fierce, cruel, and 1 sanguinary disposition by which Esau and his posterity should be characterized. See Gen. 27. 40, 41; Obad. 1. 10; Ezek. 25. 12. Thus the cruel persecuting Dragon of the Apocalypse, Rev. 12. 3, is depicted of a red color for the same reason. The Jewish writers remark of Esau, that his person was red, his meat was red, Gen. 25. 30, his land was red, Gen. 32. 3, and he that taketh vengeance upon him is red, Cant. 5. 10. Dressed in red apparel, Is. 63. 1, 2.- Like an hairy garment;' Heb. all of him like