beare the punishment thereof from God. Thus it accordeth with the words following: and so Thar∣gum Ierusalemy explaineth it: my judgment and my abuse, are delivered into thy hand. judge] or, will judge, if thou looke not to redresse it. But the Greeke translates it prayer-wise, the Lord judge. The speech argueth her great passion, as the like in Exod. 5. 21. Iudg. 11. 27. 1 Sam. 24. 13, 16.
Vers. 6. is in] or, be in thy hand, that is, in thy own power to correct her. good] that is, pleasing: [unspec 6] as the Greeke translateth, use her as pleaseth thee. So in Gen. 45. 16. and often: on the contrary, evill in thy eyes, is displeasing, Gen. 28. 8. afflicted] to humble her, and abate her pride. This seemeth to be by rough handling, or stripes; for a seruant will not be corrected by words, Prov. 29. 19. shee fled] as impatient of correction, whereby she added sinne unto sinne, for she should not have left her place, Eccles. 10. 4. nor bereaved Abram of his child in her body: therefore the Angell sendeth her home againe; vers. 9. But hereby the diffe∣rence betweene the two mothers, (the Law and the Gospel) was also figured.
Vers. 7. Angel] so named of the Greeke Agge∣los: [unspec 7] in Hebrew Maleac, by interpretation a Mes∣senger, or Legate, one sent and imployed in any worke, whether of God or men. And those sent of God, were sometimes men, as Haggai is called the Lords Angel (or Messenger) Hag. 1. 13. and Iohn the Baptist, Mal. 3. 1. Mat. 11. 10. and gene∣rally the Lords Priests under the law, Mal. 2. 7. and ministers under the gospel, Rev. 1. 20. But in speciall, Angels are those heauenly spirits, and fierie flames, that are wise, 2 Sam. 14. 20. and excell in strength, Psal. 103. 20. which are all ministring spirits, sent forth in ministerie, for them who shall bee heires of saluation Heb. 1. 7. 14. And here this Angel was sent, for the good of Abrams family. The Hebrew Doctors opinion of Angels is, that they are (essentiall) formes created, without any materiall sustance or body. And whereas the Pro∣phets say, they saw an Angel like fire, and with wings, &c. it is all spoken of propheticall vision, and by way of darke-parable. Also, that the An∣gels are lower and higher one than another: not in highnesse of place, as when one man sits above a∣nother, but as we speake of two wise men, which excell one another in wisedome, that that man is higher then this. Likewise that there are tenne names that Angels are called by, and accordingly ten degrees of them: and the tenth called Men, are the Angels which spake with the Prophets, & appeared unto them in propheticall visions, for which cause they are called men, as Maimony shew∣eth in Misneh, in Iesudei hatorah chap 2. That there are even ten degrees of Angels, the holy Scriptures shew not: but degrees there are, as the Apostle mentioneth Angels, Principalities, Powers, Thrones, Dominions, Rom. 8. 38. Col. 1. 16. Howbeit we are warned, not to intrude into those things which we have not seene, Colos 2. 18. Sometime this name Angel is giuen to Christ himselfe, who is the Angel of the Couenant, Mat. 3. 1. and of Gods face, Esay 63. 1. in whom Gods name is, Exod. 23. 20. And this Angel which here found Hagar, speaketh as God, I will multiply, vers. 10. and shee calleth him Iehovah, verse 13. of Shur,] that is, lea∣ding towards Shur, which was a City in the wilder∣nesse betweene Canaan and Egypt, called the desert of Shur, Exod. 15. 22. wherein was scant of waters. So that Agar was fleeing into her native Countrey: and in this wildernesse, her posteritie after dwelt, Gen. 25. 18.
Vers. 9. humble] or submit thy selfe. This word [unspec 9] is also used for humbling our selves before God, with prayer, fasting, and suffering afflictions, as Hest. 8. 21. Dan. 10. 12. 1 King. 2. 26. Iam. 4. 10. 1 Pet. 5. 6. And as it is the duty of all ser∣uants to bee submisse, Tit. 2. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 18. so the Law (which is Agar mystically) is as a seruant to the Covenant of Grace in Christ; under which all ought to submit themselves to the justice of God, Rom. 10. 3. Gal. 3. 24.
Vers. 10. multiplying I will multiply] that is, I [unspec 10] will surely much multiply, see this phrase noted on Gen. 2. 17. Here the Angel speaketh in the per∣son of God: and propresieth of the many, that should be Agars seed both in the flesh and in the allegorie, that should seeke for justice by the works of the Law: as did the Israelites, Rom. 9. 31, 32. and 10. 2. 3. 21.
Vers. 11. shalt beare,] or, shalt very shortly bring [unspec 11] forth. The originall word implyeth both the time present and to come; noting the soone accomplish∣ment. So in Iudg. 13. 7. Ismael,] that is, God hath heard, to weet, thy affliction. This shew∣eth the effect of the law, which was added because of transgressions, Gal. 3. 19. and giveth knowledge of sinne, Rom. 3. 20. and so causeth wrath, Rom. 4. 15. whereby the conscience being afflicted, calleth up∣on God for grace, and is heard, Rom. 7. 7. 8-24. 25. Gal. 3. 24. heard:] or hearkened unto, mea∣ning the praiers made in her affliction: as the Chal∣dee translateth it, hath receiued thy prayer.
Vers. 12. a man like a wild asse,] or, as the Chal∣dee [unspec 12] expoundeth it, a wild-asse among men: the Greeke saith onely, a wild man. This was first ac∣complished in Ismaels person, who dwelt in the wildernesse, as a salvage, and was a warlike man, Gen. 21. 20. and the Ismaelites mentioned in Gen. 37. 25. are there by Thargum Ierusalemy called [Sarkain] Saracens, that is by interpretation Theeves or Robbers. Spiritually this signified the wilde and fierce nature of man, which by the law cannot bee tamed, but is made more rebellious; for when the commandement commeth: sinne reviveth, and worketh death in us, by that which is good, that sinne, by the Commandement, might become exceeding sinfull, Rom. 7. 9. 13. The wild asse, liveth in the wildernesse and mountaines, is a beast of an unta∣med nature, and unserviceable to man, Iob 39. 8, 9, 10, 11. therefore the Prophet likeneth rebel∣lious Israel, to a wild asse, Ier. 2. 24. and the nature of the wilde asse, is opposed (as signifying our un∣regenerate estate,) to the nature of a man, in Iob 11. 12. And as here Ismael and his off-spring are called of the Angel, Phere Adam, a Wild-asse Man: so Israel on the contrary are named by the