Annotations on the Bible Volume 1
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A55363.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
Printed for T. Parkhurst. D. Newman. I. Robinson. B. Aylmer. T. Cockrill. B. Alsop.
ANNOTATIONS UPON THE HOLY BIBLE. WHEREIN The Sacred Text is Inserted, and various Readings Annex'd, together with the Parallel Scriptures, the more difficult Terms in each Verse are Explained, seeming Contradictions Reconciled, Questions and Doubts Resolved, and the whole Text opened.
VOL. I.
By the Late Reverend and Learned Divine M r . MATTHEW POOLE.
NEHEM. 8. Verse 8.
They Read in the Book in the Law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the Reading.
ACTS 8. Verse 30, 31.
LONDON, Printed by John Richardson, for Thomas Parkhurst, Dorman Newman, Jonathan Robinson, Brabazon Ailmer, Thomas Cockeril, and Benjamin Alsop, M. DC. LXXXIII.
THE PREFACE
WHEREIN
The Authors of the ensuing Annotations (supplemental to Mr. Poole ) present to the Reader an Historical account of the Translation of the Scriptures into our English Tongue the mighty workings of Divine Providence, conducive to it, and the several Notes or Annotations which have been published, and a particular Account of the Reverend Mr. Pooles and their present undertaking with the Reasons of it.
THE same Reason which teacheth us to conclude, That there is a first Being, and must be a first Cause and Mover (whom we call God) That it is he who hath made us, and not we ourselves, and that we are his people and the Sheep of his Pasture, will also oblige us To enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his Courts with praise, and to be thankful unto him, by fulfilling his will. Which we cannot do, without some Revelation of it, to us. God therefore having ceased to speak to men face to face as to Abraham and Moses, &c. (which he never ordinarily did but to some particular Favorites) we are by reason enforced to conclude that there are some Books in the World in which this Revelation is to be found. The Church of God (the Mother of us all) hath constantly held forth the Books of the Old and New Testament, (which we have in our Bibles ) for this sacred Revelation, which hath justly obliged all her children to look upon them, as hung out to them for that use, upon that Noble pillar the Church; looking into them upon the Churches notice (as the child does upon the Mothers telling it That is the Sun ) every reasonable man finds them of so venerable Antiquity, and discerneth in them such stamps of Divinity. In the majesty of their style, the purity of the matter, the sublimeness and spirituality of the propositions contained in them, the self-denial of the Penmen, the heavenliness of the scope, and end of those sacred writings, the harmony of the parts, the seal of miracles, and principally in the mighty power and efficacy of them upon the souls, and consciences of multitudes, both for conviction and for support, and consolation that he easily concludes, This is the voice of God and not of man, and looks back upon his mother the Church (as a child upon his nurse) thanking her for showing him such a treasure and saying as the Samaritans to their Country-woman John 4. 42. Now we believe these Books are the word of God, not because of thy saying so, but because we have looked into them ourselves, and find them of a different style, nature, and matter, and to have a different scope, end, power and efficacy upon the souls of men, from what any other Writings in the World have. Though the truth is, that until a man comes to be fully persuaded of the truth of them from the same spirit that dictated them, every soul will be as apt to waver in his faith as to them to be the Word of God, as he in Tully, who only believed the Immortality of the Soul from the reading of Plato's Book, which (if I remember right) the Roman Orator expresseth in words to this sense. I have read over Plato's book again and again: but I know not how it comes to pass, so long as I am reading I agree it, but no sooner is the book out of my hands, but de immortalitate animae dubitare coepi, but I begin to doubt whether the soul be immortal yea or no. But how ever, in one degree or other every Christian makes that the Principle of his Religion That the Holy Scriptures of the Old, and New Testament are the Word of God. Some believe it more faintly and incertainly; some more fixedly and firmly; and accordingly the faith of persons as to them, is more or less operative.
This Revelation of the Divine Will was made perfect gradually, (as it pleased God in succeeding times to reveal what was his secret will before, but hid from ages. ) So as (if Chronologers compute right) there were more then 1500 years passed betwixt the writing of the first book of Genesis by Moses, and the Revelation (which was the last) by John, and Divines generally judge that he sealed up the Book, by those words Revelations 22. 18, 19. So that as to things to be believed or done, we are to expect no further Revelation.
When the mighty God even the Lord had thus spoken, and God had thus shined out of Zion the perfection of beauty, it was but reasonable that his people should come to the knowledge of what he had said that they might answer the end of the Revelation both by believing and obeying.
The Old Testament being wrote in the Hebrew Tongue, when great multitudes of them by their captivity in Babylon, had much forgotten, or corrupted their own Language, it was thought reasonable there should be a Caldaick paraphrase; and the wisdom of Divine Providence provided a Septuagint Version as for the benefit of others, so possibly of the Jews themselves the most of whom before Christ's time were more Grecians then Haebricians, and it is generally thought that all the Books of the New Testament were wrote in the Grecian Language.
When it pleased God that the Gospel should be preached to all Nations and the sound of it go to the ends of the Earth, he so also ordered it, that soon after true Religion came into any place some were stirred up to Translate those Holy Books into the Language of that Country, and so far to assist them that though in many lesser things they failed through want of a knowledge of the just propriety of some words in Hebrew or Greek, or the use of particles in those Languages; yet they failed not in anything whereby the Reader might be led into any pernicious error touching his Salvation, and we shall observe the Pen-men of the New Testament giving such a deference to the commonly received Version in their times, that altho the Septuagint Version which we have appears to us more dissonant from the Hebrew then any other, yet most of the Quotations of the Old Testament which we have in the new are apparently from that Version which learneth us, that it is not every private Ministers work to make a new Version of the Scripture: but he ought to acquiesce in the Version which God hath provided for the Church wherein he lives, and not ordinarily or upon light grounds to enter into a dissent to it, and if in anything he sees it necessary to do it yet not to do it (as to a particular text) without great modesty, and a preface of Reverence.
This Translation of the Scriptures into a Language understood by all people in that Country into which the Church came was looked upon so reasonable, and necessary, as it was opposed by none, till the Papists had patched up a Religion, for the upholding of which, it was necessary for them to maintain. That Ignorance was the mother of Devotion, after which it was very difficult in any places where these Spiritual Tyrants had a dominion, to get the Scriptures translated into the Language of that Country. Not to instance in other places I shall give some short account of England. Our Records tell us of a Translation of some part of them into the Saxon Language (which was then a great part of ours) within 700 years after Christ, and of the Translation of the whole, into the same Language by Beda within 40 years after. Beda was himself a Papist, but the mystery of iniquity grew up gradually to its height. Soon after, Bibles which the people could understand were very scarce commodities in England, and thus it continued for 600 years. Wycliffe who lived in the time of Richard the 2d. and died 1384. being the first we know of afterward who Translated the Scriptures into a Language understood by any who were not skilled in some or other of the three learned Languages. That great man easily understood that without the Scriptures in their own Language the people must take all for the Will of God, that their Priests told them was so, and that the Popish Priests were generally of ignorance, and impudence enough to entitle God to any of their own blasphemies and superstitions. But within thirty years after the death of Wickcliff. Anno viz. 1414. The Council (or Conventicle rather) of Constance Decreed all Wycliffe’s Books to the Fire, and though some were spared, yet the battle was so hard, that there were very few that escaped. This was our state till the year 1527 (in all which years the poor people of the Land of our Nativity, were without a teaching Bible (as to the common people) and indeed without a teaching Priest) yea and for sometime after this, as we shall hear.
In the year 1527. God put it into the heart of Mr. Tyndale, to Translate the New Testament into English, as also the Five Books of Moses (he being then an exile in Germany for his Religion) but he lost all his papers upon a Shipwrack in his passage to Hamborough, and had his work to begin again, which yet; that faithful, and most unwearied servant of God did accomplish, adding some Prefaces to the several Books, and some Notes to the particular chapters, and verses. The publishing of which much nettled the Popish Bishops in England, and all means were then used to suppress it. Amongst others the then Bishop of London, advised with one Packington a Merchant of that City, concerning the most accommodate mean to that design. The Merchant could think of none so probable, as with a sum of money to buy up the whole impression. The Bishop approving it furnished him with a round sum to that purpose, which the Merchant (being more a Friend to Mr. Tindal then the Bishop knew) sent to Mr. Tyndale, and had the Impression sent him, (some few Copies being (as we must imagine) first sold off) with this money Mr. Tyndale supported himself in his exile, and was also enabled to go on with his Translation of the other part of the Bible, and to prepare a perfect English Bible. In the mean time a passage happened so pleasant, that I shall think it worth the while here to relate it, Sir Thomas More being Lord Chancellor, and having several persons accused for Heresy, and ready for execution, offered to compound with one of them for his Life upon the easy terms of his discovery to him who they were in London that maintained Tyndale beyond Sea. After that the poor man had got as good a security for his Life, as the Honor, and Truth of the Chancellor could give him, he told him, It was the Bishop of London maintained him, by sending him a sum of money, to buy up the impression of his Testaments. The Chancellor smiled, saying, that he believed he said true. Thus was this poor Confessors Life saved. But to return to our story. In the year 1536. Mr. Tyndale was Martyred, at Villefort in Flanders; For Translating into English the New Testament and part of the Old, (saith Sir Richard Baker ) but his great adversary Sir Thomas More was the year before gone to his own place, being executed for Treason. Mr. Tyndale, and Mr. Coverdale (as Mr. Fox telleth us) before Mr. Tindalls death, had translated the whole Bible. But it came out after his death, under the name of Thomas Matthews (with the addition of the Apocrypha Translated by John Rogers ) The Lord Cromwell, with Archbishop Cranmer, presented it to the King, and obtained an order from His Majesty for leave for any of his Subjects to read it, but this was not without the great regret of the Bishops.
About thirteen years after this (or not so much) the Lord Cromwell, obtained Letters from King Henry 8. for a subject of his to Reprint at Paris the Bible in English, the King also wrote a Letter to Bonner (at that time his Embassador in France ) to further it. Grafton and Whitchurch undertook the work, upon what seeming encouragement from Bonner may be read in Mr. Foxes 2d. vol. of his Martyrology pr. 1641. p. 515. 516. But how it came to pass I cannot tell (though Bonners Treachery was suspected in the case) when it was upon the point finished, the Copies were seized, and ordered to be burnt, and the work had wholly ceased, but for the Covetousness of the Officer, who sold four great dry fatts filled with them to an Haberdasher to lay Caps in. By this means having recovered some Copies they came to London, and there made a new impression.
But after this my Lord Cromwell being put to death, the Bishops and Popish-party made so great complaint to the King, (whose warmth for the Reformation much abated in the latter part of his Life) That the Sale of the English Bible was again prohibited, and the Printer imprisoned, and altho the Bishops promised the King they would make a more correct Translation, yet it was never done during that Kings Reign.
But in the year of our Lord 1577. which was tha 19th. or 20th. of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. Some Bishops published a new Translation, but till that time, the Bibles used in Churches, were Tindalls and Coverdales, being allowed by the public Authority of King Edward 6. 1551. 1552. And to this day, the Psalms and the Gospels and Epistles in our Service-Book are according to Tindalls and Coverdales Bibles, which should make us wary in our Censures of that Translation, though we see reason in many things to dissent from it. Only we having a more correct Translation Established by Authority why (for the avoiding the offense of the less knowing people) we have not made use of that, but retained a Translation not undertaken by any public Authority, and confessed to be more imperfect; is what I cannot, nor count myself obliged, to account for. Possibly God for the honor of his Martyr hath so ordered it.
After this, King James coming to the Crown, being a Prince of great Learning and Judgment, and observing the different usage of some words in his age, from the usage of them in K. Hen. 8. or in Qu. Elizabeth's time, and also the several mistakes (though of a minute nature) in those more ancient Versions, was pleased to employ diverse learned men in making a New Translation, which is that which at this day is generally used. With what Reverence to former Translators, what labor, and care and pains they accomplished their work, the Reader may see at large in their Preface prefixed to those Copies that are Printed in Folio, and in their Epistle to K. James in our Bibles of a lesser form, of which Translation (though it may not be without its more minute Errors) yet I think it may be said, that it is hardly exceeded by that of any other Church.
By this History (Reader!) thou mayest understand the mighty workings of Divine Providence, and wonderful goodness of God to this Nation in the plenty we have of Bibles, and that of a very correct Translation (though possibly not in every little thing perfect) Mr. Fox (if we remember right) tells us a story of two Maids in Lincolnshire, that in Qu. Mary's time parted with a considerable part of their estate, for a few leaves of the Bible. How good is God to us, that we for a few shillings can have the whole Revelation of the Divine Will? Considering which, we offer it to the consideration of any thinking English man or Woman, what he or she will answer for his ignorance in the Holy Scriptures, or for the ignorance of his or her Children if (having so much means as we have, to learn to read) any shall neglect the learning of their Children to Read it, or themselves, in case their Parents have neglected them: or being able to Read shall neglect the practice of it. Exercising himself in the Law of the Lord day and night, and living up to the rule of it. The English Bible is come to us at the price of the blood of one Martyr and the unwearied labor of a multitude of Holy and Learned men succeeding one another for more then Sixty years before we had the Translation so perfect as it is now in all hands.
Poor Coristians in Popish Countries either have not this Pot of spiritual food, or must cry out Death is in the pot. Our English Translators in their Preface, observe that of late, the Church of Rome, would seem to bear something of a motherly affection to her Children, and allow them the Scripture in the Mother Tongue, but it is indeed a gift not worthy of its name. They must first get a License in Writing before they use them, and to get that they must approve themselves to their Confessors, to be such as are if not frozen in the dregs, yet soured with the leaven of their superstition. Yet this seemed too much to Clement the Eighth, who therefore frustrated the grant of Pius the fourth. They will allow none to be read but the Douay Bibles, and the Remish Testaments, (the corruptions of which have been sufficiently manifested by many learned men) nor will they trust their people with these, without the License of their own Bishops and Inquisitors. This is the liberty they boast of given to any of their Religion to Read the Scriptures in English. What it is worth let any man judge.
In the mean time, those who are not affected with the mercy of God to us in this particular, must declare themselves neither to have any just value for God, in the mighty workings of his Providence to bring this about, nor yet for the blood of Holy Mr. Tyndale who died in his Testimony to this truth, that no people ought to be deprived of so great a good, nor for the labors and pains of those many Servants of God, who travelled in this great work, and thought no labor in it too much, nor indeed for their own souls, to the Salvation of which, if the Holy Scripture in our own Language doth not highly contribute, we must lay the blame upon ourselves.
But altho we have the Bible in a Language we understand, yet we may see reason to cry out as Bernard does with reference to the Song of Solomon; Here is an excellent Nut but who shall crack it? Heavenly Bread, but who shall break it? For though the Papists and such as have ill will to the good of souls make too great an improvement of the difficulties in Holy Writ, in making them an argument against the people's having them in a Language which they can understand, (for Augustine said true when he said, there are Fords in them wherein Lambs may wade, as well as depths in which Elephants may swim ) and what others observe, is as true, that things necessary to be believed, or done in order to Salvation lie plain and obvious in Holy Writ: yet it is as true that there is much of Holy Writ, of which the generality of people must say as the Eunuch, How can I understand, except some man should guide me. Acts 8. 31. besides the seeming contradictions that are betwixt the Holy Penmen of those Sacred Books, and indeed it is hard to say, what Book of Scripture is so plain that everyone who runneth can read it with understanding (such a vast difference there is betwixt the capacities of those who yet have the same honest hearts.) This hath made wise and learned men not only see a need of larger Commentaries but also of shorter Notes, Annotations; and Paraphrases, &c. Nor is this a late discovery. It is upward of three hundred years since Lyra wrote his short Notes upon the whole Bible, what Vatablus, and Erasmus (though all of them Papists ) have done since is sufficiently known, to say nothing of many others of that Religion. Amongst the Reformed Churches, there hath been a learned Piscator in Germany, Junius and Tremellius elsewhere who did the same thing, but all these wrote their Notes in Latin, not in the peculiar Language of any Country. The ancientest Notes we have in English were those ordinarily known by the name of the Geneva Notes, after two years labor finished 1560. By those good men who flying from Queen Mary's persecution took Sanctuary there. A work so acceptable to Protestants, in the beginning of our Reformation, that their Bible with those Notes annexed was (as is observed by the Authors of our late English Annotations ) Printed above Thirty times over by Qu. Elizabeth's Printers, and their Heirs and Successors. There wanted not one indeed, who Fifty years after, boldly reflected on that excellent work in the most public Pulpit of our University of Oxford, but how grateful his reflections were to the University at that time, may be read in the Preface to the English Annotations, he was in the same Pulpit checked, and confuted by the Doctor of the chair, and suspended by the Governors of the University. The labors of Erasmus in his Paraphrase on the New Testament were so acceptable, that by public order they were to be in every Church, exposed to public view, and use, and (if we mistake not) ought to be so still. After these, were published Diodates Notes written in Italian since translated into English. About the year 1640. some deliberations were taken for the composing, and Printing other English Notes, (the old Geneva Notes not so well fitting our new and more correct Translation of the Bible) these were at first intended to be so short that they might be printed together with our Bibles in Folio or Quarto. But, those Divines who were engaged in it, found, this would not answer their end, it being not possible by so short Notes, to give people any tolerable light into the whole Text: yet they so contracted their work, that it was all dispatched in one Volume: Which though it were at first greedily bought up, yet we cannot say it gave so general a satisfaction (by reason of the shortness of it) as was desired, and expected. So as upon the Second Edition, it came forth quite a new thing, making two just Volumes. This was so acceptable to the World that within sixteen years, it was ready for a third Edition, with some further enlargements. Before which also were published the Dutch Annotations Translated into our Language.
So that at this day (besides the shorter Geneva Notes ) we have three sorts of Annotations in our own Language, those of famous Diodate. The Dutch Annotations, and those of our own Divines (Originally so wrote) after which, New Annotations may seem superfluous. It seems therefore reasonable that we should give our Readers some short account of our undertaking. We dare say nothing could be further from the thoughts of our Reverend Brother (now at rest with God) who first began this work, then to reflect any dishonor upon those eminent persons who labored before in works of this nature, nor is anything further from our thoughts (they all of them did famously in their generations.) And if it should appear to any of our Readers, that any of us have seen further into any particular Texts then those did who went before us, yet we hope all our Readers will understand there is little honor due to us upon that account, because we had all their shoulders to stand upon.
The pains which our Reverend Brother, ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ,) took in his Synopsis Criticorum, is such, as not only will make his name live in the Churches of Christ, but also eminently fitted him for giving the sense of the whole Scripture in Annotations of this Nature, which he undertook and carried on by his own hand to the fifty eighth of Isaiah, designing that two volumes should comprehend the whole, and that the first should determine with his notes upon the Song of Solomon. What occasioned his first thoughts, and undertaking himself tells us, in his paper of Proposals published with reference to that work, in these words.
1. The whole Text is not Printed in them, so as those who will use them must make use of a Bible also, for the understanding of them. Our Reverend Brother (with whom also we concur) rightly judged, that it would be of more advantage to have the entire Text in the Readers Eye, while he is seeking the sense of any particular place, and while he reads a Chapter, to have a Commentary under his Eye in which he might find the sense of any part of it, and satisfy himself as to any difficulty occurring in it.
Secondly, As some (very eminently learned men,) had been too large in those Annotations (saying almost all that hath been said by any upon the Texts they handled) so others had been as much too short, and that especially in the New Testament (which seems to Christians to need the fullest explication) and others from their variety of learning, had mixed several quotations out of the Fathers, and Critical, and Philological notions possibly not so proper for the end for which such Annotations are designed, which is to give the unlearned Christians the true sense of the Holy Scriptures. That th •… se who can might read and understand the Will of God.
That our Reader may not mistake our design or undertaking, we desire that he should know. That we do not pretend (as some have vainly fancied) to translate Mr. Pooles Synopsis Criticorum (that would have asked six Volumes instead of two) and when it had been done would have signified very little, unless for those who (being learned men) needed no such Translation: possibly in a whole leaf of that book six lines would not serve our purpose. Nor have we had any ambition either to say something that none had said before us (we have observed that those who have had such an itch, have for the most part happened to say, what those who came after them would not subscribe) nor yet to say all that we knew was said before us, (that had been to have confounded our Readers, only with a variety of senses) we have only hinted the senses which in our judgment have seemed fairest, and least constrained, and shortly shown the consonancy of them to other Scriptures. We have avoided all Polemical discourses as no way proper to our design, and very rarely hinted those practical conclusions, which have arose from the Text when opened, (the most we have done of that nature is in our discourses upon the Parables. )
Our Reverend Brother (designing but two Volumes, and the first to end with the Song of Solomon, though since it hath been determined to conclude it with the Prophet Isaiah, that all which he lived to finish might be comprehended in one Volume) had an hard task to contract his discourses so, as to bring them within that compass, and thereby was necessitated not to give the entire sense of each verse in his notes, but only of those words, or Terms in the verse which he conceived to stand in need of explication, referring by letters in the Text to the parts of the Commentary. This was not necessary in such parts of the Scripture where the entire sense of the whole Text is given. Nor indeed as to some parts, is it possible (such we mean as are opened harmonically.) Of which nature are the three first Evangelists. It is confessed by all, that the Evangelists make up but one entire History, though some of them, have some things which the others have not, and they seldom agree in the phrases and circumstances of any one piece of History. This made it reasonable, that with the Interpretation of one Evangelist should be joined, what the others had with reference to the same piece of History. Which method hath been accordingly pursued (being the same in which the most Judicious Mr. Calvin, and others have gone before us) nor indeed could any other course have been taken without a needless writing the same things over again, so as that in our Notes upon Mark, we have only enlarged in the explication of what he hath, which we did not meet with before in Matthew, and in the explication of Luke we have only opened what he hath, which was not in Matthew or Mark, where they all three concurred or but two of them concur'd in any story, we have opened what they all or both say in our Notes upon the first of them, and when we have come to it again in one or both the other we have only referred to our former Notes. John (having little which the other Evangelists have) we have considered by himself mostly, yet sometimes taking in something from him, where we found it completory of anything related by the other Evangelists.
In magnis voluisse sat est. We cannot say that we have left no room for others to come after us, and add to or correct what we have said. But this we can say in truth, that we have not willingly baulked any obvious difficulty, and have designed a just satisfaction to all our Readers, and if any knot yet remain untied, we have told our Readers what hath been most probably said for their satisfaction in the untying of it.
If it had pleased God to have lent a little longer life to our Reverend Brother the work had very probably been done to greater advantage, and more general satisfaction. We are but entered upon his Harvest, and have wanted his sickle, we cannot pretend to any double portion of his Spirit. His mantle dropt from him before he was Translated (we mean his Synopsis ) we have taken that up, out of that great work of his we have taken so much as we judged proper for his design in this work, and made use of a great number of other Authors, some of which he left out or very little considered in his Synopsis upon design to make a further use of them in this English work as thinking their labors more proper for this then his other work.
Our design, good Reader, was not to tell thee, how the Fathers interpreted Texts ( Aquinas, Justinianus and others have done that, work) nor yet to tell thee any Grammatical niceties, or what learned men have critically noted upon Terms or Phrases (that is done in the Synopsis Criticorum ) Nor yet to tell thee what conclusions of Truth may be raised from the verses (that hath been done profitably upon many books of Scripture by Mr. Dickson, Hutchinson, Fergusson, Guild, Durham, and some others, much less to handle the controversies that have risen from any portion of Scripture. Our work hath been only to give thee the plain sense of the Scripture, and to reconcile seeming contradictions where they occurred, and as far as we were able to open Scripture by Scripture which is its own best Interpreter,) comparing things Spiritual with Spiritual, That thy Faith, might not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the wisdom and power of God. If we have reached this end, it is all we aimed at; if thou gettest any good by what we have done, Remember thy Sacrifice is due at another Altar, even his who ministereth seed to the sower, who both watereth the furrows of the field, and blesseth the springing of the Corn, let him have the Praise, and we only thy Prayers, that we may live an useful Life, and die an happy Death, and attain to the Resurrection of the Dead, in which we shall all see, and understand more perfectly then we yet do.
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The server didnit respond in time.GENESIS.
THis Book is called Genesis, i. e. Generation, or Birth, giving an accompt of passages during 2300 years, and upwards, viz. From the Creation of all things, to the death of Joseph. In which History Moses, by Divine inspiration, treats of the Creation of the World, with all the parts, and uses in it, and of it, but chiefly of Man, who alone was made after God's Image; where he lays down God's concessions, and prohibitions to him, and Man's Transgressio •… ▪ together with the woeful effects, and the remedy of them in the promise of a Savior. The Original, Progress, and Preser •… ion of the true Church springing from Abel, and carried on by Seth, Enoch, &c. And the ground, and rise of Apostasi •… begun in Cain, and carried on by his posterity▪ separating themselves from the Holy Seed, till by their monstrous provocations they had brought an universal Deluge to destroy all mankind from off the Earth, excepting only Noah, and his Family; out of which, as the Church did again spring forth, so another cursed race carrying on the former enmity to a greater height, not only fell into Idolatry after it had continued a considerable time in Sem' s race, but breaking out into all Outrages, and Tyrannical oppressions, it was almost extinct among those numerous Nations, that Noah's Posterity sprang out into. But God calling Abraham into the Land of Promise, who was an Idolater in Chaldea, and giving him Temporal, and Spiritual Promises, and especially that of the Messiah coming out of his Loins, and assuring it by a special Covenant Sealed by Circumcision, the Church began now to take Root, and to be imbodyed in Jacob's Family under the name of Israel, and here God undertook the protection of his People and Worship, by the visible presence of Christ her Head, that Angel of the Covenant going continually with them, Comforting, and Defending them, till they came into Egypt, where the Church continued until Joseph's Death, where this Book ends.
CHAP. I.
IN the beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth .
2. And the Earth was without form and void , and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters .
3. And God said Let there be Light: And there was Light .
4. And God saw the Light, that it was good : and God divided the Light from the Darkness .
5. And God called the Light Day, and the Darkness he called Night: and the Evening and the Morning were the first day .
6. And God said, Let there be a Firmament in the midst of the Waters , and let it divide the Waters from the Waters.
7. And God made the Firmament , and divided the Waters which were under the Firmament, from the Waters which were above the Firmament , and it was so .
8. And God called the Firmament Heaven: And the Evening and the Morning were the second day.
9. And God said, Let the Waters under the Heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry- land appear : And it was so.
10. And God called the dry- land Earth, and the gathering together of the Waters he called Seas : and God saw that it was good .
11. And God said, Let the Earth bring forth Grass , the Herb yielding Seed , and the Fruit-tree yielding Fruit after his kind , whose Seed is in itself , upon the Earth: And it was so.
12. And the Earth brought forth Grass, and Herb yielding Seed after his kind: And the Tree yielding Fruit, whose Seed was in itself, after his kind▪ And God saw that it was good .
13. And the Evening and the Morning were the third Day.
14. And God said, Let there be Lights in the Firmament of the Heaven, to divide the Day from the Night: And let them be for Signs , and for Seasons , and for days , and years .
15. And let them be for Lights in the Firmament of the Heaven, to give Light upon the Earth: And it was so.
16. And God made two great Lights , the greater Light to rule the Day , and the lesser Light to rule the Night: He made the Stars also.
17. And God set them in the Firmament of the Heaven, to give Light upon the Earth:
18. And to rule over the day, and over the night, and to divide the Light from the Darkness: And God saw that it was good .
19. And the Evening and the Morning were the fourth day.
20. And God said, Let the Waters bring forth abundantly the moving Creature that hath Life, and Fowl that may fly above the Earth, in the open Firmament of Heaven.
21. And God Created great Whales , and every living Creature that moveth, which the Waters brought forth abundantly after their kind, and every winged Fowl after his kind , and God saw that it was good.
22. And God blessed them , saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the Waters in the Seas , and let Fowl multiply in the Earth .
23. And the Evening and the Morning were the fifth day.
24. And God said, Let the Earth bring forth the living Creature after his kind, Cattle , and creeping thing , and the Beast of the Earth after his kind: And it was so.
25. And God made the Beast of the Earth after his kind, and Cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the Earth after his kind: And God saw that it was good.
26. And God said , Let us make man in our Image, after our likeness : and let them have dominion over the Fish of the Sea, and over the Fowl of the Air, and over the Cattle , and over all the Earth , and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth.
27. So God Created man in his own Image, in the Image of God Created he him. Male and Female Created he them .
28. And God blessed them , and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the Earth , and subdue it, and have dominion over the Fish of the Sea, and over the Fowl of the Air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the Earth.
29. And God said, Behold, I have given you every Herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the Earth, and every Tree in the which is the fruit of a Tree yielding Seed, to you it shall be for meat .
30. And to every Beast of the Earth, and to every Fowl of the Air, and to everything that creepeth upon the Earth, wherein there is Life, I have given every green Herb for meat: And it was so.
31. And God saw everything that he had made: And behold it was very good. And the Evening and the Morning were the sixth day,
CHAP. II.
1. THus the Heavens and the Earth were finished, and all the Host of them .
2. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: And he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3. And God Blessed the seventh day , and sanctified it : because that in it he had rested from all his Work , which God Created and made .
4. These are the Generations of the Heavens, and of the Earth, when they were Created, in the day that the LORD God made the Earth and the Heavens.
5. And every Plant of the Field, before it was in the Earth , and every Herb of the Field before it grew : for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the Earth, and there was not a man to till the ground .
6. But there went up a mist from the Earth, and watered the whole face of the ground .
7. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of Life : and Man became a living Soul .
8. And the LORD God Planted a Garden East-ward in Eden : And there he put the man whom he had formed .
9. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every Tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for Food, the Tree of Life also in the midst of the Garden , and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil .
10. And a River went out of Eden to water the Garden, and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads .
11. The name of the first is Pison ; that is it which compasseth the whole Land of Havilah , where there is Gold.
12. And the Gold of that Land is good , there is Bdellium , and the Onyx stone .
13. And the name of the second River is Gihon : The same is it that compasseth the whole Land of Ethiopia .
14. And the name of the third River is Hiddekel : That is it which goeth toward the East of Assyria. And the fourth River is Euphrates.
15. And the LORD God took the Man, and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress it , and to keep it .
16. And the LORD God commanded the Man , saying, of every Tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat :
17. But of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: For in the day in which thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die .
18. And the LORD God said , It is not good , that the man should be alone: I will make him an help meet for him .
19. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every Beast of the Field, and every Fowl of the Air, and brought them unto Adam , to see what he would call them: And whatsoever Adam called every living Creature, that was the name thereof .
20. And Adam gave Names to all Cattle, and to the Fowl of the Air, and to every Beast of the Field, but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him .
21. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam , and he slept, and he took one of his Ribs , and closed up the Flesh , instead thereof .
22. And the Rib, which the LORD God had taken from Man, made he a Woman, and brought her unto the Man
23. And Adam said , this is now Bone of my Bones, and Flesh of my Flesh : She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.
24. Therefore shall a man leave his Father and his Mother and shall cleave unto his Wife : And they shall be one Flesh .
25. And they were both naked, the Man and his Wife; and were not ashamed .
CHAP. III.
1. NOw the Serpent was more subtle than any Beast of the Field , which the LORD God had made; and he said unto the Woman , yea, hath God said , ye shall not eat of every Tree of the Garden?
2. And the Woman said unto the Serpent, we may eat of the Fruit of the Trees of the Garden:
3. But of the Fruit of the Tree, which is in the midst of the Garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it , lest ye die
4. And the Serpent said unto the Woman, ye shall not surely die .
5. For God doth know , that in▪ the day ye •… at▪ thereof, then your eyes shall be opened : and ye▪ shall be as God's , knowing Good and Evil .
6. And when the Woman saw that the Tree was good for Food, and that it was pleasant to the Eyes , and a Tree to be desired to make one Wise ; she took of the Fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her Husband with her , and he did eat .
7. And the Eyes of them both were opened , and they knew that they were naked, and they fewed Fig-leaves together, and made themselves Aprons .
8. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day , and Adam and his Wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God , amongst the Trees of the Garden.
9. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou ?
10. And he said, I heard thy voice in the Garden: And I was afraid, because I was naked , and I hid myself .
11. And he said, who told thee that thou wast naked , hast thou eaten of the Tree, whereof I commanded thee , that thou shouldst not eat?
12. And the man said, the Woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree, and I did eat .
13. And the LORD God said unto the Woman, what is this that thou hast done ? And the Woman said, the Serpent beguiled me ▪ and I did eat .
14. And the LORD God said unto the Serpent , because thou hast done this , thou 〈◊〉 cursed above all Cattle, and above every Beast of th •… Field ▪ upon thy belly shalt thou go , and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy Life.
15. And I will put enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed : It shall bruise thy head , and thou shalt bruise his heel .
16. Unto the Woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow , and thy conception: In sorrow thou shalt bring forth Children : And thy desire shall be to thy Husband, and he shall rule over thee .
17. And unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy Wife , and hast eaten of the Tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.
18. Thorns also and Thistles , shall it bring forth to thee : And thou shalt eat the Herb of the Field .
19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat Bread till thou return unto the ground: for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art , and unto dust shalt thou return :
20. And Adam called his Wives name Eve , because she was the Mother of all living .
21. Unto Adam also, and to his Wife; did the LORD God make coats of skins and clothed them .
22. And the LORD God said , Behold, the Man is become , as one of us , to know Good and Evil , and now lest he put forth his hand , and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat and live forever :
23. Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence he was taken .
24. So he drove out the Man: And he placed, at the East of the Garden of Eden, Cherubims , and a flaming Sword , which turned every way , to keep the way of the Tree of Life .
CHAP. IV.
1. AND Adam knew Eve his Wife, and she Conceived and bare Cain , and said, I have gotten a Man from the LORD .
2. And she again bare his Brother Abel : and Abel was a Keeper of Sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground .
3. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, an offering unto the LORD.
4. And Abel, he also brought of the Firstlings of his Flock, and of the fat thereof . And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering.
5. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect: And Cain was very wroth , and his countenance fell .
6. And the LORD said unto Cain , why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen ?
7. If thou doest well , shalt thou not be accepted ? And if thou doest not well sin lieth at the door : And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him .
8. And Cain talked with Abel his Brother : And it came to pass, when they were in the Field , that Cain rose up against Abel his Brother, and slew him .
9. And the LORD said unto Cain, where is Abel thy Brother ? And he said, I know not: Am I my Brothers Keeper ?
10. And he said, what hast thou done ? The voice of thy brothers Blood crieth unto me from the ground .
11. And now art thou cursed from the Earth , which hath opened her mouth to receive thy Brothers blood from thy hand .
12. When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength . A fugitive and vagabond shalt thou be in the Earth.
13, And Cain said unto the LORD, my punishment is greater than I can bear.
14. Behold , thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the Earth , * and from thy face shall I be hid, and I shall be a fugitive, and a vagabond in the Earth: And it shall come to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me .
15. And the LORD said unto him, therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold . And the LORD set a mark upon Cain , lest any finding him should kill him.
16. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD , and dwelt in the Land of Nod , on the East of Eden.
17. And Cain knew his Wife , and she conceived and bare Enoch, and he built a City , and called the Name of the City after the name of his Son Enoch .
18. And unto Enoch was born Irad: And Irad begat Mehujael, and Mehujael begat Methusael, and Methusael begat Lamech.
19. And Lamech took unto him two Wives , the Name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20. And Adah bare Iubal: He was the Father of such as dwell in Tents , and of such as have Cattle .
21. And his Brothers name was Iubal: He was the Father of all such as handle the Harp and Organ .
22. And Zillah she also bare Tubal-Cain , an Instructer of every Artificer in Brass, and Iron : And the Sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah .
23. And Lamech said unto his Wives, Adah, and Zillah , Hear my voice, ye Wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: For I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt .
24. If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold, truly Lamech seventy and seven-fold .
25. And Adam knew his Wife again, and she bare a Son, and called his name Seth : For God, said she , hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel , whom Cain slew.
26. And to Seth, to him also there was born a Son; and he called his name Enos , then began men to call upon the Name of the LORD .
CHAP. V.
1. THis is the book of the Generations of Adam : In the day that▪ God Created Man , in the likeness of God made he him .
2. Male and Female created he them , and blessed them , and called their Name Adam , in the day when they were created.
3. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years , and begat a Son in his own likeness, after his image , and called his name Seth.
4. And the days of Adam, after he had begotten Seth, were eight hundred years: And he begat Sons and Daughters .
5. And all the days that Adam lived; were nine hundred and thirty years , and he died.
6. And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos.
7. And Seth lived after he begat Enos, eight hundred and seven years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
8. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.
9. And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan.
10. And Enos lived after he begat Cainan, eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
11. And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died.
12. And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel.
13. And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel, eight hundred and forty years and begat Sons and Daughters.
14. And all the days of Cainan, were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.
15. And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Iared.
16. And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Iared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
17. And all the days of Mahalaleel, were eight hundred ninety and five years, and he died.
18. And Iared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch.
19. And Iared lived after he begat Enoch, eight hundred years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
20. And all the days of Iared were nine hundred sixty and two years, and he died.
21. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah .
22. And Enoch walked with God , after he begat Methuselah, three hundred years, and begat Sons and Daughters .
23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years.
24. And Enoch walked with God: And he was not , for God took him .
25. And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech.
26. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech, seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
27. And all the days of Methuselah, were nine hundred sixty and nine years , and he died .
28. And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a Son.
29. And he called his name Noah , saying , this same shall comfort us concerning our work, and toil of our hands , because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
30. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah, five hundred ninety and five years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
31. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years, and he died.
32. And Noah was five hundred years old: And Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
CHAP. VI.
1. AND it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the Earth, and Daughters were born unto them .
2. That the Sons of God saw the Daughters of men , that they were fair , and they took them Wives of all which they chose .
3. And the LORD said , my spirit shall not always strive with man , for that he also is flesh , yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years .
4. There were Giants in the Earth in those days: And also after that , when the Sons of God came in unto the Daughters of men , and they bare Children to them, the same became mighty men, which were of old , men of Renown.
5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the Earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually .
6. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the Earth, and it grieved him at his Heart .
7. And the LORD said, I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the Earth: both Man and Beast , and the creeping thing, and the Fowls of the Air: For it repenteth me that I have made them.
8. But Noah found grace in the Eyes of the LORD.
9. These are the Generations of Noah : Noah was a just man, and perfect in his Generations , and Noah walked with God .
10. And Noah begat three Sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth .
11. The Earth also was corrupt before God , and the Earth was filled with violence .
12. And God looked upon the Earth, and behold, it was corrupt: For all Flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth.
13. And God said unto Noah, the end of all Flesh is come before me ; for the Earth is filled with violence through them z : And behold, I will destroy them with the Earth .
14. Make thee an Ark of Gopher▪ wood: rooms shalt thou make in the Ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch .
15. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of : The length of the Ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits .
16. A window shalt thou make to the Ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above , and the door of the Ark shalt thou set in the side thereof: With lower, second and third stories shalt thou make it.
17. And behold I, even I , do bring a Flood of Waters upon the Earth, to destroy all Flesh , wherein is the breath of Life, from under Heaven: And everything that is in the Earth shall die .
18. But with thee will I establish my Covenant : And thou shalt come into the Ark; thou, and thy Sons, and thy Wife, and thy Sons Wives with thee.
19. And of every living thing of all flesh two , of every sort shalt thou bring into the Ark, to keep them alive with thee: They shall be Male and Female.
20. Of Fowls after their kind , and of Cattle after their kind: Of every creeping thing of the Earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee , to keep them alive.
21. And take thou unto thee of all Food that is eaten , and thou shalt gather it to thee, and it shall be for Food for thee, and for them.
22. Thus did Noah, according to all that God commanded him, so did he .
CHAP. VII.
1. AND the LORD said unto Noah, come thou and all thy House into the Ark, for thee have I seen righteous before me in this Generation .
2. Of every clean Beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens , the Male and his Female: and of Beasts that are not clean, by two, the Male and his Female.
3. Of Fowls also of the Air by sevens , the Male and the Female, to keep Seed alive upon the face of all the Earth.
4. For yet seven days , and I will cause it to Rain upon the Earth forty days and forty nights: And every living substance that I have made, will I destroy from off the face of the Earth.
5. And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him .
6. And Noah was six hundred years old, when the Flood of Waters was upon the Earth.
7. And Noah went in, and his Sons, and his Wife, and his Sons Wives with him into the Ark, because of the Waters of the Flood.
8. Of clean Beasts, and of Beasts that are not clean, and of Fowls, and of everything that creepeth upon the Earth,
9. There went in two and two unto Noah into the Ark, the Male and the Female, as God had commanded Noah.
10. And it came to pass after seven days, that the Waters of the Flood were upon the Earth.
11. In the six hundredth year of Noah's Life , in the second month , the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the Fountains of the great deep broken up , and the Windows of Heaven were opened.
12. And the Rain was upon the Earth forty days and forty nights .
13. In the self same day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the Sons of Noah, and Noah's Wife, and the three Wives of his Sons with them, into the Ark.
14. They, and every Beast after his kind, and all the Cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth after his kind, and every Fowl after his kind, every Bird of every sort .
15. And they went in unto Noah into the Ark, two and two of all Flesh wherein is the breath of Life .
16. And they that went in, went in Male and Female of all Flesh, as God had commanded him: And the LORD shut him in .
17. And the Flood was forty days upon the Earth: And the Waters increased , and bare up the Ark, and it was lift up above the Earth.
18. And the Waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the Earth; and the Ark went upon the face of the Waters.
19. And the Waters prevailed exceedingly upon the Earth, and all the high Hills that were under the whole Heaven were covered .
20. Fifteen Cubits upwards did the Waters prevail ; and the Mountains were covered.
21. And all Flesh died that moved upon the Earth, both of Fowl, and of Cattle, and of Beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth, and every man.
22. All in whose nostrils was the breath of Life , of all that was in the dry Land, died .
23. And every living substance was destroyed, which was upon the face of the ground, both Man and Cattle, and the creeping things, and the Fowl of the Heaven, and they were destroyed from the Earth : And Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the Ark.
24. And the Waters prevailed upon the Earth an hundred and fifty days .
CHAP. VIII.
1. AND God remembered Noah , and every living thing , and all the Cattle that was with him in the Ark: And God made a Wind to pass over the Earth, and the Waters asswaged.
2. The Fountains also of the deep, and the windows of Heaven were stopped, and the Rain from Heaven was restrained.
3. And the Waters returned from off the Earth continually: And after the end of the hundred and fifty days the Waters were abated.
4. And the Ark rested in the seventh month , on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the Mountains of Ararat .
5. And the Waters decreased continually until the tenth month: In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the Mountains seen.
6. And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the Ark which he had made.
7. And he sent forth a Raven , which went forth to and fro , until the Waters were dried up from off the Earth .
8. Also he sent forth a Dove from him to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground.
9. But the Dove found no rest for the sole of her foot , and she returned unto him into the Ark: For the Waters were on the face of the whole Earth. Then he put forth his hand, and took her , and pulled her in unto him into the Ark.
10. And he stayed yet other seven days, and again he sent forth the Dove out of the Ark.
11. And the Dove came in to him in the Evening , and lo, in her mouth was an Olive-leaf n plucked off: So Noah knew that the Waters were abated from off the Earth.
12. And he stayed yet other seven days, and sent forth the Dove, which returned not again unto him anymore .
13. And it came to pass in the six hundredth and one year, in the first month, the first day of the month the Waters were dried up from off the Earth: And Noah removed the covering of the Ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.
14. And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month was the Earth dried .
15. And God spake unto Noah, saying,
16. Go forth of the Ark , thou, and thy Wife, and Sons, and thy Sons Wives with thee:
17. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all Flesh, both of Fowl, and of Cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth, that they may breed abundantly in the Earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the Earth :
18. And Noah went forth, and his Sons, and his Wife, and his Sons Wives with him:
19. Every Beast, every creeping thing, and every Fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the Earth after their kinds, went forth out of the Ark.
20. And Noah built an Altar unto the Lord , and took of every clean Beast, and of every clean Fowl, and offered Burnt-offerings on the Altar .
21. And the Lord smelled a sweet savor , and the Lord said in his Heart , I will not again curse the ground anymore for man's sake, for the imagination of man's Heart is evil from his youth: Neither will I again smite anymore everything living as I have done.
22. While the Earth remaineth , Seed-time, and Harvest, and Cold, and Heat, and Summer, and Winter, and Day and Night shall not cease.
CHAP. IX.
1. AND God blessed Noah and his Sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Earth.
2. And the fear of you, and the dread of you shall be upon every Beast of the Earth, and upon every Fowl of the Air, upon all that moveth upon the Earth, and upon all the Fishes of the Sea ; into your hand are they delivered .
3. Every moving thing , that liveth , shall be meat for you , even as the green herb have I given you all things .
4. But Flesh with the Life thereof , which is the blood thereof , shall you not eat .
5. And surely your blood of your Lives will I require : At the hand of every Beast will I require it , and at the hand of Man, at the hand of every man's Brother will require the Life of Man.
6. Whoso sheddeth man's blood , by man ▪ shall his blood be shed : For in the image of God made he man .
7. And yet, be ye fruitful, and multiply , bring forth abundantly in the Earth, and multiply therein.
8. And God spake unto Noah, and to his Sons with him, saying,
9. And I, behold I establish my Covenant with you, and with your Seed after you.
10. And with every living Creature that is with you, of the Fowl, of the Cattle, and of every Beast of the Earth with you, from all that go out of the Ark, to every Beast of the Earth :
11. And I will establish my Covenant with you, neither shall all Flesh be cut off anymore by the Waters of a Flood, neither shall there anymore be a Flood , to destroy the Earth.
12. And God said, This is the token of the Covenant , which I make between me and you, and every living Creature that is with you, for perpetual Generations.
13. I do set my Bow in the Cloud , and it shall be for a token of a Covenant between me and the Earth.
14. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a Cloud over the Earth , that the Bow shall be seen in the Cloud.
15. And I will remember my Covenant which is between me and you, and every living Creature of all Flesh: and the Waters shall no more become a Flood to destroy all Flesh.
16. And the Bow shall be in the Cloud, and I will look upon it, that I may remember the Everlasting Covenant , between God and every living Creature of all Flesh that is upon the Earth.
17. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the Covenant which I have established between me and all Flesh, that is upon the Earth.
18. And the Sons of Noah that went forth of the Ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: And Ham is the Father of Canaan .
19. These are the three Sons of Noah: And of them was the whole Earth overspread .
20. And Noah began to be an Husbandman , and he planted a Vineyard.
21. And he drank of the Wine, and was drunken , and he was uncovered within his Tent.
22. And Ham , the Father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his Father, and told his two Brethren without .
23. And Shem and Japheth took a Garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their Father, and their faces were backward, and they saw not their Fathers nakedness.
24. And Noah awoke from his Wine , and knew what his younger Son had done unto him.
25. And he said , Cursed be Canaan , a Servant of Servants shall he be unto his Brethren.
26. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem ; and Canaan shall be his Servant.
27. God shall enlarge Japheth , and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem , and Canaan shall be his Servant .
28. And Noah lived after the Flood three hundred and fifty years .
29. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years , and he died.
CHAP. X.
THis Chapter, though it may seem to some unprofitable as consisting almost wholly of Genealogies, yet hath indeed great and manifold uses: 1. To show the true original of the several Nations, about which all other Authors write idly, fabulously and falsely, and thereby to manifest the Providence of God in the Government of the World and Church, and the Truth and Authority of the Holy Scriptures. 2. To discover and distinguish from all other Nations, that People or Nation in which God's Church was to be, and from which Christ was to come. 3. That Noah's Prophecy concerning his three Sons might be better understood, and the accomplishment of it made evident. 4. To explain divers prophetical predictions and other passages of Scripture, as will appear in the sequel. For the better understanding of this Chapter, compare with it, 1 Chron. 1 from ver. 4. to 24. And consider these three things. 1. In the search of these Genealogies we must avoid both carelessness for the reasons now mentioned, and excessive curiosity about every particular person here named, and the people sprung from him, which is neither necessary, nor profitable, nor indeed possible now to find out, by reason of the great changes of names through length of time, loss of ancient Records, differences of Languages, extinction of Families, conquest and destruction of Nations, and other causes. It may suffice that divers of them and those the most eminent are evident and discernible at this day, as will appear in the progress, by which we may and ought to presume the Truth of the rest, whose Names are lost in the public confusions of the World in former Ages, of whom I shall therefore be silent, and only speak of the principal persons and that briefly. 2. The same People which were originally seated in one place, did ofttimes thift there places, or at least sent forth Colonies, and that sometimes into places far distant from their▪ Brethren, as appears from the ancient and famous expeditions mentioned in Sacred and Profane story. So you must not wonder if you meet with the same People in divers Countries. 3. In general, the World was divided into three parts, whereof the more Eastern parts were allotted to Shem and his Issue, the more Southern parts to Ham, and the more Northern parts of it to Japheth.
1. NOW these are the Generations of the Sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth: And unto them were Sons born after the Flood.
2. The Sons of Japheth : Gomer and Magog , and Madai , and Javan , and Tubal , and Meshech , and Tiras .
3. And the Sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz , and Riphath , and Togarmah .
4. And the Sons of Javan: Elisha , and Tarshish , Kittim , and Dodanim .
5. By these were the Isles of the Gentiles divided in their Lands: Everyone after his tongue , after their Families , in their Nations.
6. And the Sons of Ham : Cush and Mizraim , and Phut , and Canaan .
7. And the Sons of Cush: Sheba , and Havilah , Sabtah , and Raamah , and Sabtecha . And the Sons of Raamah; Sheba , and Dedan .
8. And Cush begat Nimrod : he began to be a mighty one in the Earth.
9. He was a mighty Hunter before the LORD : Wherefore it is said , Even as Nimrod the mighty Hunter before the LORD.
10. And the beginning of his Kingdom was Babel , and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh , in the Land of Shinar .
11. Out of that Land went forth Asshur , and built Nineveh , and the City Rehoboth , and Calah.
12. And Resen, between Nineveh and Calah: The same is a great City.
13. And Mizraim begat Ludim , and Anamim, and Lehabim and Naphtuhim.
14. And Pathrusim , and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim ) and Caphtorim.
15. And Canaan begat Sidon his First-born , and Heth .
16. And the Jebusite , and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,
17. And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
18. And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hemathite: And afterward were the Families of the Canaanites spread abroad .
19. And the Border of the Canaanites was from Sidon , as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza . As thou goest unto Sodom and Gomorrhah, and Admah, and Zeboim , even unto Lasha .
20. These are the Sons of Ham, after their Families, after their Tongues, in their Countries, and in their Nations.
21. Unto Shem also the Father of all the Children of Eber , the Brother of Japheth the Elder , even to him were Children born.
22. The Children of Shem; Elam , and Asshur , and Arphaxad , and Lud , and Aram .
23. And the Children of Aram, Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
24. And Arphaxad begat Salah; And Salah begat Eber.
25. And unto Eber were born two Sons: And the Name of one was Peleg, for in his days was the Earth divided , and his Brothers Name was Ioktan.
26. And Ioktan begat Almodad , and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Ierah,
27. And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
28. And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba ,
29. And Ophir , and Havilah , and Io •… ab: All these were the Sons of Ioktan.
30. And their dwelling was from Mesha as thou goest unto Sephar , a Mount of the East.
31. These are the Sons of Shem, after their Families, after their Tongues, in their Lands, after their Nations.
32. These are the Families of the Sons of Noah, after their Generations, in their Nations, and by these were the Nations divided in the Earth after the Flood.
CHAP. XI.
1. AND the whole Earth was of one Language, and of one speech .
2. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the East , that they found a Plain in the Land of Shinar , and they dwelt there.
3. And they said one to another, go to, let us make brick , and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for Stone, and slime had they for Morter.
4. And they said, Go to, let us build us a City, and a Tower whose top may reach unto Heaven , and let us make us a Name , lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole Earth .
5. And the LORD came down to see the City, and the Tower which the Children of men built.
6. And the LORD said , behold, the People is one, and they have all one Language, and this they begin to do, and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
7. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their Language , that they may not understand one another's speech .
8. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the Earth : And they left off to build the City.
9. Therefore is the Name of it called Babel, because the LORD did there confound the Language of all the Earth, and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the Earth.
10. These are the Generations of Shem , Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the Flood.
11. And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years , and begat Sons and Daughters.
12. And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah.
13. And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah, four hundred and three years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
14. And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber.
15. And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
16. And Eber lived four and thirty years and begat Peleg.
17. And Eber lived after he begat Peleg, four hundred and thirty years , and begat Sons and Daughters.
18. And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu.
19. And Peleg lived after he begat Reu, two hundred and nine years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
20. And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug.
21. And Reu lived after he begat Serug, two hundred and seven years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
22. And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor.
23. And Serug lived after he begat Nahor, two hundred years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
24. And Nahor lived nine and twenty years and begat Terah.
25. And Nahor lived after he begat Terah, an hundred and nineteen years, and begat Sons and Daughters.
26. And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram , Nahor, and Haran.
27. Now these are the Generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran: And Haran begat Lot.
28. And Haran died before his Father Terah in the Land of his Nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
29. And Abram and Nahor took them Wives: The Name of Abram's Wife was Sarai, and the Name of Nahors Wife, Milcah, the Daughter of Haran , the Father of Milcah, and the Father of Iscah .
30. But Sarai was barren, she had no child .
31. And Terah took Abram his Son , and Lot the Son of Haran, his sons son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his Son Abram's wife, and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the Land of Canaan: and they came unto Haran , and dwelt there.
32. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.
CHAP. XII.
1. NOW the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy fathers house , unto a land that I will show thee .
2. And I will make of thee a great Nation, and I will bless thee , and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing .
3. And I will bless them that bless thee▪ and curse him that curseth thee : and in thee shall all families of the Earth be blessed •… .
4. So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5. And Abram took Sarai his Wife, and Lot his Brothers Son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran, and they went forth to go into the Land of Canaan: and into the Land of Canaan they came.
6. And Abram passed through the Land unto the place of Shechem , unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the Land .
7. And the LORD appeared unto▪ Abram , and said, Unto thy seed will I give this Land ▪ and there built he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
8. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the East of Beth-el , and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the West , and Hai on the East: and there he built an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
9. And Abram journeyed , going on still towards the South .
10. And there was a Famine in the Land , and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there: for the famine was grievous in the Land.
11. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his Wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair Woman to look upon .
12. Therefore it shall come to pass; when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his Wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13. Say I pray thee, thou art my Sister , that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
14. And it came to pass, that when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the Woman, that she was very fair.
15. The Princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaohs house .
16. And he entreated Abram well for her sake, and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels.
17. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues, because of Sarai Abram's wife .
18. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife ?
19. Why saidest thou, she is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife : now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.
20. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him : and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
CHAP. XIII.
1. AND Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him into the South
2. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
3. And he went on his journeys from the South, even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Hai.
4. Unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD .
5. And Lot also which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7. And there was a strife between the herds-men of Abram's cattle, and the herds-men of Lots cattle: and the Canaanite , and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land .
8. And Abram said unto Lot , Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and my herds-men and thy herds-men, for we be Brethren .
9. Is not the whole land before thee ? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right: or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
10. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan , that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrhah, even as the garden of the LORD , like the land of Egypt , as thou comest unto Zoar .
11. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan: And Lot journeyed East , and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12. Abram dwelt in the Land of Cannaan, and Lot dwelt in the Cities of the plain, and pitched his Tent toward Sodom.
13. But the men of Sodom were wicked, and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
14. And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him , Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, North-ward, and South-ward, and East-ward, and West-ward.
15. For all the Land which thou seest : to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. .
16. And I will make thy Seed as the dust of the Earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the Earth, then shall thy Seed also be numbered:
17. Arise, walk through the Land in the length of it, and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
18. Then Abram removed his Tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre , which is in Hebron , and built there an Altar unto the LORD.
CHAP. XIV.
1. AND it came to pass in the days of Amraphel King of Shinar, Arioch King of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer King of Elam, and Tidal King of Nations .
2. That these made War with Bera King of Sodom, and with Birsha King of Gomorrah, Shinab King of Admah, and Shemeber King of Zeboiim, and the King of Bela which is Zoar.
3. All these were joined together in the Vale of Siddim, which is the salt Sea.
4. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer , and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5. And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the Kings that were with him , and smote the Rephaims in Ashtaroth-Karnaim , and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims , in Shaveh-Kiriathaim .
6. And the Horites in the Mount Seir, unto El-paran , which is by the wilderness.
7. And they returned and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh , and smote all the Country of the Amalekites , and also the Amorites that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar.
8. And there went out the King of Sodom, and the King of Gomorrah, and the King of Admah, and the King of Zeboim, and the King of Bela (the same is Zoar,) and they joined Battle with them in the Vale of Siddim.
9. With Chedorlaomer the King of Elam, and with Tidal King of Nations, and Amr •… phel King of Shinar, and Arioch King of Ellasar; four Kings with five.
10. And the Vale of Siddim was full of slimepits : And the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there: And they that remained, fled to the Mountain.
11. And they took all the goods of Sodom, and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
12 And they took Lot , Abram's brothers Son (who dwelt in Sodom) and his Goods, and departed.
13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew , for he dwelt in the Plain of Mamre the Amorite, Brother of Eshcol, and Brother of Aner: And these were confederate with Abram .
14 And when Abram heard that his Brother was taken Captive; he armed his trained Servants born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan .
15 And he divided himself against them, he and his Servants by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hoba, which is on the left hand of Damascus:
16 And he brought back all the goods , and also brought again his Brother Lot, and his goods, and the Women also, and the People.
17 And the King of Sodom went out to meet him (after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the Kings that were with him) at the Valley of Shaveh, which is the Kings dale .
18 And Melchizedek King of Salem brought forth Bread and Wine . And he was the Priest of the most High God .
19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of Heaven and Earth.
20 And blessed be the Most High God, which hath delivered thine Enemies into thy hand: And he gave him Tithes of all .
21 And the King of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the Goods to thyself.
22 And Abram said to the King of Sodom, I have lift up my hand unto the LORD, the Most High God, the possessor of Heaven and Earth.
23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet , and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldst say, I have made Abram rich .
24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me , Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre: Let them take their portion.
CHAP. XV.
1 AFter these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a Vision , saying, Fear not, Abram : I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward .
2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing * I go childless and the Steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus .
3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed; and lo, one born in my house is mine heir .
4 And behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir: but he that shall come forth out of thine own Bowels shall be thine heir.
5 And he brought him forth abroad; and said, Look now towards Heaven, and tell the Stars , if thou be able to number them : and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in the LORD , and he counted it to him for righteousness .
7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
8 And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon .
10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst , and laid each piece one against another : but the birds divided he not x.
11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses , Abram drove them away .
12 And when the Sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram and lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him .
13. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs , and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years .
14. And also that nation whom they shall serve , will I judge : and afterward shall they come out with great substance .
15. And thou shalt go to thy Fathers in peace, thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 But in the fourth generation , they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full .
17. And it came to pass that when the Sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
18. In that same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this Land, from the river of Egypt , unto the great river, the river Euphrates .
19. The Kenites , and the Kenizzites , and the Kadmonites :
20. And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims:
21. And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
CHAP. XVI.
1. NOW Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children, and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing, I pray thee go in unto my maid: it may be that I may obtain children by her . and Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai .
3. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram, to be his wife .
4. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes .
5. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee : I have given my maid into thy bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee .
6. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand : do to her as it pleaseth thee . And when Sarai dealt hardly with her i, she fled from her face .
7. And the Angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur :
8. And he said, Hagar Sarai's maid , whence camest thou? And whither wilt thou go ? and she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael: because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12. And he will be a wild man : his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him : and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren .
13. And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me : for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me ?
14. Wherefore the well was called Beerlahai-roi ; behold it is between Cadesh and Bered.
15. And Hagar bare Abram a Son and Abram called his sons name, which Hagar bare Ishmael.
16. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
CHAP. XVII.
1. AND when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God , walk before me , and be thou perfect .
2. And I will make my covenant between me and thee , and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3. And Abram fell on his face , and God talked with him, saying,
4. As for me, behold my covenant is with thee; and thou shalt be a father of many nations .
5. Neither shall thy name anymore be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham : for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and Kings shall come out of thee .
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their Generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee , and to thy seed after thee.
8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession ; and I will be their God.
9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou , and thy Seed after thee in their Generations.
10 This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy Seed after thee: every man-child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your fore-skin ; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old , shall be circumcised among you: every man-child in your generations , he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger , which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy Money, must needs be Circumcised: And my Covenant shall be in your Flesh, for an Everlasting Covenant .
14 And the uncircumcised man-child, whose Flesh of his fore-skin is not circumcised , that soul shall be cut of from his People : He hath broken my Covenant .
15 And God said unto Abraham, as for Sarai thy Wife, thou shalt not call her Name Sarai, but Sarah shall her Name be.
16 And I will bless her, and give thee a Son also of her: Yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of Nations: Kings of people shall be of her.
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed and said in his heart, shall a Child be born unto him that is an hundred years old, and shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear?
18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee !
19 And God said, Sarah thy Wife shall bear thee a Son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac , and I will establish my Covenant with him, for an Everlasting Covenant, and with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee , behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly: twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac whom Sarah shall bear unto thee, at this set time, in the next year.
22 And he left of talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
23 And Abraham took Ishmael his Son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's▪ house, and circumcised the flesh of their fore-skin in the self-same day , as God had said unto him.
24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his fore-skin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 In the self-same day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
CHAP. XVIII.
1 AND the LORD appeared unto him, in the plains of Mamre, and he sat in the tent door , in the heat of the day .
2 And he lift up his eyes, and looked: and lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground .
3 And said, My LORD, if now I have found favor in thy sight *, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet , and rest yourself under the tree.
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts, after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant . And they said, so do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth .
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat .
9 And they said unto him , Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent .
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life , and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door which was behind him .
11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women .
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself , saying, After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my Lord being old also?
13. And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, shall I of a surety bear a Child which am old?
14 Is anything too hard for the LORD x? at the time appointed will I return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied , saying, I laughed not, for she was afraid : and he said, Nay, but thou didst laugh.
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked towards Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way .
17 And the LORD said, shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do.
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the Earth shall be blessed in him .
19 For I know him , that he will command his children and his household after him , and they shall keep the way of the LORD , to do justice and judgment ; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham, that which he hath spoken of him .
20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrhah is great, and because their sin is very grievous:
21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me: and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the LORD .
23 And Abraham drew near , and said, wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the City , wilt thou also destroy, and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25. That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous shall be as the wicked, that be far from thee: shall not the judge of all the Earth do right .
26 And the LORD said, if I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the City, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes :
28 Peradventure, there shall lack five of the fifty righteous, wilt thou destroy all the City for lack of five ? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there: And he said, I will not do it for forties sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh, let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there: And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there: And he said, I will not destroy it for twenties sake.
32 And he said, Oh, let, not the LORD be angry. and I will speak yet but this once : Peradventure ten shall be found there: And he said, I will not destroy it for tens sake.
33 And the LORD went his way: as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
CHAP. XIX.
1. AND there came two Angels to Sodom at even , and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom : and Lot seeing them, rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.
2 And he said, Behold now my Lord's, turn in, I pray you, into your servants house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways . And they said, Nay, but we will abide in the street all night .
3 And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house: and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread , and they did eat.
4 But before they lay down , the men of the City, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter .
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them .
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him.
7 And said, I pray you, brethren , do not so wickedly.
8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man ; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes , only unto these men do nothing: for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof .
9 And they said, stand back . And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn , and he will needs be a judge : now will we deal worse with thee then with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness , both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the City, bring them out of this place.
13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sonsin-law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get ye out of this place, for the LORD will destroy this City: but he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law.
15. And when the morning arose, then the Angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters which are here , lest thou be consumed, in the iniquity of the City.
16. And while he lingered , the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the City.
17 And it came to pass when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life , look not behind thee , neither stay thou in all the plain, escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
18 And Lot said unto them , Oh, not so, my LORD.
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast shown unto me in saving my life, and I cannot escape to the mountain , lest some evil take me, and I die.
20 Behold now, this City is near to flee unto, and it is a little one : O let me escape thither: ( is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
21 And he said unto him, see, I have accepted thee concerning this thing, that I will not overthrow this City for the which thou hast spoken.
22 Haste thee, escape thither: for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither : therefore the name of the City was called Zoar.
23 The sun was risen upon the Earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
24. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom, and upon Gomorrhah , brimstone and fire , from the LORD out of Heaven.
25 And he overthrew those 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 Salt .
27. And Abraham gat up early in the morning, to the place where he stood before the LORD.
28. And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrhah, and toward all the Land of the plain, and beheld, and lo, the smoke of the Country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
29 And it came to pass when God destroyed the Cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham , and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the Cities in the which Lot dwelt.
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 his two daughters.
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 .
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine , and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father .
33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the first-born went in, and lay with her father, and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose .
34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the first-born said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also, and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
35 And they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose, and lay with him: and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37 And the first-born bare a son, and called his name Moab : the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi : the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
CHAP. XX.
1 AND Abraham journeyed from thence towards the south country , and dwelt between Cadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, she is my sister : and Abimelech King of Gerar sent and took Sarah .
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man , for the woman which chou hast taken : for she is a man's wife.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her : and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation ?
5 Said he not unto me, she is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother; in the integrity of my heart, and innocence of my hands have I done this.
6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart : for I also withheld thee from sinning against me , therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife: for he is a prophet , and he shall pray for thee , and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou, that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine .
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants , and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him, what hast thou done unto us ? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me, and on my Kingdom a great sin ? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing ?
11 And Abraham said, because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place: and they will slay me for my wifes sake.
12 And yet indeed she is my sister : she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother ; and she became my wife .
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my fathers house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
14 And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men-servants, and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee , dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver : behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes unto all that are with thee , and with all other h: thus she was reproved .
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants, and they bare children.
18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
CHAP. XXI.
1 AND the LORD visited Sarah , as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age , at the set time, of which God had spoken to him.
3 And Abraham called the name of his Son, that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh , so that all that hear will laugh with me .
7 And she said, who would have said upto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck ? for I have born him a Son in his old age.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned : and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking :
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham , cast out this bondwoman and her son, for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight , because of his son .
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight, because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman : in all that Sarah hath said unto thee hearken unto her voice: for in Isaac shall thy seed be called .
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman, will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning , and took bread , and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar (putting it on her shoulder) and the child, and sent her away : and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba .
15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16 And she went, and sat her down over against him, a good way off, as it were a bow-shot: for she said, let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice and wept .
17 And God heard the voice of the lad , and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, what aileth thee, Hagar? fear not: for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is .
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand: for I will make him a great nation.
19 And God opened her eyes , and she saw a well of water, and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
20 And God was with the lad, and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an Archer .
21 And he dwelt in th wilderness of Paran : and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt .
22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech , and Phicol, the chief captain of his host, spake unto Abraham, saying, God