Gen 25:1-2 | Clarke | e4.org | CHAPTER XXV Abraham marries Keturah , 1. Their issue , 2-4. Makes Isaac his heir , 5; but gives portions to the sons of his concubines, and sends them eastward from Isaac, to find settlements , 6. Abraham's age , 7, and death , 8. Is buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael in the cave of Machpelah , 9, 10. God's blessing upon Isaac , 11. The generations of Ishmael , 12-16. His age , 17, and death , 18. Of the generations of Isaac , 19, who was married in his fortieth year , 20. Rebekah his wife being barren, on his prayer to God she conceives , 21. She inquires of the Lord concerning her state , 22. The Lord's answer , 23. She is delivered of twins , 24. Peculiarities in the birth of her sons Esau and Jacob, from which they had their names , 25, 26. Their different manner of life , 27, 28. Esau, returning from the field faint, begs pottage from his brother , 29, 30. Jacob refuses to grant him any but on condition of his selling him his birthright , 31. Esau, ready to die, parts with his birthright to save his life , 32. Jacob causes him to confirm the sale with an oath , 33. He receives bread and pottage of lentiles, and departs , 34. NOTES ON CHAP. XXV Verse 1. Then again Abraham took a wife ] When Abraham took Keturah we are not informed; it might have been in the lifetime of Sarah; and the original vaiyoseph, and he added, &c. , seems to give some countenance to this opinion. Indeed it is not very likely that he had the children mentioned here after the death of Sarah; and from the circumstances of his age, feebleness, &c., at the birth of Isaac, it is still more improbable. Even at that age, forty years before the marriage of Isaac, the birth of his son is considered as not less miraculous on his part than on the part of Sarah; for the apostle expressly says, , that Abraham considered not his own body NOW DEAD, when he was about a hundred years old , nor the DEADNESS of Sarah's womb ; hence we learn that they were both past the procreation of children, insomuch that the birth of Isaac is ever represented as supernatural . It is therefore very improbable that he had any child after the birth of Isaac; and therefore we may well suppose that Moses had related this transaction out of its chronological order, which is not unfrequent in the sacred writings, when a variety of important facts relative to the accomplishment of some grand design are thought necessary to be produced in a connected series. On this account intervening matters of a different complexion are referred to a future time. Perhaps we may be justified in reading the verse: "And Abraham had added, and had taken a wife (besides Hagar) whose name was Keturah," &c. The chronology in the margin dates this marriage with Keturah A. M. 2154, nine years after the death of Sarah, A. M. 2145. Jonathan ben Uzziel and the Jerusalem Targum both assert that Keturah was the same as Hagar . Some rabbins, and with them Dr. Hammond, are of the same opinion; but both Hagar and Keturah are so distinguished in the Scriptures, that the opinion seems destitute of probability.

‏ Genesis 25:1-2

CHAPTER XXV

Abraham marries Keturah, 1.

Their issue, 2-4.

Makes Isaac his heir, 5;

but gives portions to the sons of his concubines, and sends them eastward from Isaac, to find settlements, 6.

Abraham's age, 7,

and death, 8.

Is buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael in the cave of Machpelah,

9, 10.

God's blessing upon Isaac, 11.

The generations of Ishmael, 12-16.

His age, 17,

and death, 18.

Of the generations of Isaac, 19,

who was married in his fortieth year, 20.

Rebekah his wife being barren, on his prayer to God she conceives, 21.

She inquires of the Lord concerning her state, 22.

The Lord's answer, 23.

She is delivered of twins, 24.

Peculiarities in the birth of her sons Esau and Jacob, from which they had their names, 25, 26.

Their different manner of life, 27, 28.

Esau, returning from the field faint, begs pottage from his brother, 29, 30.

Jacob refuses to grant him any but on condition of his selling him his birthright, 31.

Esau, ready to die, parts with his birthright to save his life, 32.

Jacob causes him to confirm the sale with an oath, 33.

He receives bread and pottage of lentiles, and departs, 34.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXV

Verse 1. Then again Abraham took a wife] When Abraham took Keturah we are not informed; it might have been in the lifetime of Sarah; and the original vaiyoseph, and he added, &c., seems to give some countenance to this opinion. Indeed it is not very likely that he had the children mentioned here after the death of Sarah; and from the circumstances of his age, feebleness, &c., at the birth of Isaac, it is still more improbable. Even at that age, forty years before the marriage of Isaac, the birth of his son is considered as not less miraculous on his part than on the part of Sarah; for the apostle expressly says, Ro 4:19, that Abraham considered not his own body NOW DEAD, when he was about a hundred years old, nor the DEADNESS of Sarah's womb; hence we learn that they were both past the procreation of children, insomuch that the birth of Isaac is ever represented as supernatural. It is therefore very improbable that he had any child after the birth of Isaac; and therefore we may well suppose that Moses had related this transaction out of its chronological order, which is not unfrequent in the sacred writings, when a variety of important facts relative to the accomplishment of some grand design are thought necessary to be produced in a connected series. On this account intervening matters of a different complexion are referred to a future time. Perhaps we may be justified in reading the verse: "And Abraham had added, and had taken a wife (besides Hagar) whose name was Keturah," &c. The chronology in the margin dates this marriage with Keturah A. M. 2154, nine years after the death of Sarah, A. M. 2145. Jonathan ben Uzziel and the Jerusalem Targum both assert that Keturah was the same as Hagar. Some rabbins, and with them Dr. Hammond, are of the same opinion; but both Hagar and Keturah are so distinguished in the Scriptures, that the opinion seems destitute of probability.

Verse 2. Zimran] Stephanus Byzantinus mentions a city in Arabia Felix called Zadram, which some suppose to have been named from this son of Keturah; but it is more likely, as Calmet observes, that all these sons of Abraham resided in Arabia Deserta; and Pliny, Hist. Nat., lib. vi., c. 28, mentions a people in that country called Zamarenians, who were probably the descendants of this person.

Jokshan] Several learned men have been of opinion that this Jokshan was the same as Kachtan, the father of the Arabs. The testimonies in favour of this opinion see in Dr. Hunt's Oration, De Antiquitate, &c., Linguae Arabicae, p. 4. Calmet supposes that the Cataneans, who inhabited a part of Arabia Deserta, sprang from this Jokshan.

Medan, and Midian] Probably those who peopled that part of Arabia Petraea contiguous to the land of Moab eastward of the Dead Sea. St. Jerome terms the people of this country Madinaeans; and Ptolemy mentions a people called Madianites, who dwelt in the same place.

Ishbak] From this person Calmet supposes the brook Jabbok, which has its source in the mountains of Gilead, and falls into the sea of Tiberias, took its name.

Shuah.] Or Shuach. From this man the Sacceans, near to Batanla, at the extremity of Arabia Deserta, towards Syria, are supposed to have sprung. Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job's friends, is supposed to have descended from this son of Abraham.