Annotations.
THings] Hebr. words: that is, things spoken of: so in vers. 20. See the notes on Gen. 15. 1. [unspec 1] tempt] that is, try or prove. The originall word hath the signification of lifting up as for a signe, or essaying of some high thing. And God tempteth men, when he requireth some great or high expe∣riment of their faith, love, and obedience; as here and in Exod. 15. 25. 26. Deut. 8. 2. and 13. 3. But tentation often signifieth a soliciting and provo∣king to evill, which Satan doth, Mat. 4. 1. 3. and mans owne corruption, Iam. 1. 14. In which sense God tempteth no man, Iam. 1. 13. for it alwayes ten∣deth to evill; but God tempteth us, to doe us good at the end, Deut. 8. 26. 1 Cor. 10. 13. And this is spoken of God after the manner of men: for hee both knoweth long before what is in man, and what himselfe will doe, Psal. 139. 2 Iohn 2. 25. and 6. 6.
Vers. 2. onely son] Paul calleth him onely begotten [unspec 2] son, Heb. 11. 17. for he had no other of Sarah the freewoman: also Ismael of Hagar, was cast out of his house, Gen. 21. 14. Isaak] who was parti∣cularly designed for the hope of all Abrahams seed to be called in him, Gen. 21. 12. which speciall point the Apostle observeth in this tentation, Heb. 11. 18. So Abrahams obedience was tryed in of∣fering his son; and his faith, in offring him con∣cerning whom he had received the promise.
Morijah] the Greeke calleth it the high land: for it was a mountainy country, and this high mount was seene far off, vers. 4. The Chaldee nameth it of the service of God, there now performed, and after increased: for upon this mount Morijah, did Solomon build the Temple, for Gods worship, 2 Chron. 3. 1. And by the Iewes tradition, here Adam, and Noe sacrificed, and served God: see the notes on Gen. 8. 20. and 4. 3. burnt offering] Hebr. an ascension: so called, because it went all up in fire, burned upon the Altar. See Gen. 8. 20. Levit. 1.
Vers. 3. rose early] so it seemeth this was spoken [unspec 3] to Abraham in the night: and here his ready obe∣dience is commended; as on the contrary, the like hast is noted of Balaam for evill, hastning to curse Abrahams children, which God forbad, Num∣bers 22. 21.
Vers. 4. the third day] As the number seven is of [unspec 4] speciall use in Scripture, because of the Sabbath day, Gen. 2. 2. so three is a mysticall number, be∣cause of Christs rising from the dead the third day Mat. 17. 23. 1 Cor. 15. 4. as he was crucified at the third houre of the day, Marke 15. 25, and Isaak as he was a figure of Christ, in being the onely son of his father, and not spared, but offered for a sacri∣fice, Rom. 8. 32. so in sundry particulars, as this third day, in which Christ also was to be perfected, Luke 13. 32. and the carying of the wood, vers. 6. as Christ did the tree whereon he dyed, Ioh. 19. 17 the binding of Isaak, vers. 9. as Christ was bound, Mat. 27. 2. and in other like, he was a figure of the Lambe of God, sacrificed for the sinnes of the world. So Moses craved leave for three dayes jour∣ney into the wildernesse, for to sacrifice, Exod. 5. 3. and three dayes they went therein, ere they found water to drinke, Exod. 15. 22. and three dayes iour∣ney the Arke of the Lords covenant went before them, to search out a resting place for them, Num. 10. 33. Against the third day, the people were to be ready to receive Gods Law, Exod. 19. 11. and after three dayes, to passe over Iordan into Canaan, Ios. 1. 11. The third day Ester put on the (apparell of the) kingdome, Est. 5. 1. and in that day Eze∣kiah went up to the Lords house, recovered as from death, 2 King. 20. 5. and that day, is it wherin the Prophet saith, God will raise us up, and wee shall live in his sight, Hos. 6. 2. And in the third day (as well as in the seventh) the uncleane person was to puri∣fie himselfe, Num. 19. 12. with many other the like memorable things, which the Scriptures speak of the third day, not without mystery. See Gen. 40. 12. 13. and 42. 17. 18. Ion. 1. 17. Ios. 2. 16. Vn∣to which we may adde a Iewes testimony (in Bre∣shith rabba, commenting upon this place) that there are many a three dayes, in the holy Scripture, of which one is the resurrection of the Messias.
Vers. 5. bow downe] or, worship, to weet, God: for [unspec 5] in praying unto (or serving) God, they used to bow their bodies, in signe of reverence and honor; and sometime to kneele, sometime to bend downe the head, sometime to prostrate themselves, or fall on their faces. See these gestures distinguished, in the annotations on Exod. 4. 31. we will returne] A∣braham in faith obeying God, did account that God was able to raise up Isaak even from the dead, Heb. 11. 19. therefore he thus spake, and prophe∣sied of his returne with himselfe, when he went to kill him.
Vers. 6. upon Isaak] so Christ bare the wood [unspec 6]