1583 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the vale of Siddim [was full of] slimepits,.... Or "wells" or "fountains of slime" or bitumen (s); a liquid of a pitchy nature, cast out of fountains, and which was used for a cement in buildings; such fountains were near Babylon, [See comments on Genesis 11:3]; so that this place was naturally prepared for what it was designed to be, a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah,.... They entered these cities and pillaged them, and carried off everything valuable in them, that was portable or could be driven, as their cattle, c. they did not burn these cities, nor take possession of them, and leave garrisons in them, which shows them to be petty princes that came for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son,.... The son of Haran, his elder brother, who was now, as the Jews say (x), fifty years of age: who dwelt in Sodom, or near it, in the country adjacent to it, see Genesis 13:12; and so being a neighbour of the men of Sodom, and a sojourner among them, he partakes of their punishment; and this was a just...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And there came one that escaped,.... Both the sword of the enemy and the slimepits; either one of the inhabitants of Sodom, who had an acquaintance with Lot and a friendship for him, and knew his relation to Abram; or one of Lot's family, that might escape being taken and carried captive: for not Michael the prince, so called, because when the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive,.... That is, his brother's son Lot, as in Genesis 14:12; which was contrary to the law of nations; since Lot was only a sojourner, and not an inhabitant n Sodom, and therefore had no concern in the quarrel between the kings, and this justified Abram's taking up arms on his behalf: he armed...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he divided himself against them, he and his servants by night,.... Together with his confederates; and very probably their whole three was divided into four parts, under their four leaders; and this might be done in order to attack the four kings and their soldiers, who might be in four separate bodies; or to fall upon their camp in the four...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he brought back all the goods,.... Taken from Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 14:11; and also brought again his brother Lot; his brother's son, Genesis 14:12, for whose sake chiefly he engaged in this enterprise: and his goods; money, cattle, c. and the women also, and the people not only that belonged to Lot, but to Sodom and Gomorrah, who had...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him,.... While Abram was in pursuit of the four kings, the king of Sodom came down from the mountain whither he and those that escaped with him fled, and came to Sodom: and from hence he went out, not alone, but accompanied with his retinue, to meet Abram: after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine,.... Both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem say, this is Shem the son of Noah, and which is the sense of the Jewish writers in general, and of many Christian ones; but, though it is highly probable he was living at this time, yet it is not easy to account for it why his name should be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he blessed him,.... Melchizedek blessed Abram, which was one part of his office as a priest, to wish and pray for a blessing on others, see Numbers 6:23, c. and herein typified Christ, who really blesses or confers blessings on all his people, even spiritual blessings, such as redemption, remission of sins, and justifying righteousness,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And blessed be the most high God,.... Let his name be praised, and thanks be given to him for all mercies temporal and spiritual, since all flow from him, and particularly for the mercies Abram and others through him were now made partakers of; for whoever were the instruments, God was the efficient cause, and to him all the glory was to be given:...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram,.... After the conversation between him and Melchizedek was over: give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself; meaning by "persons" or "souls", as in the original, his own subjects that had been taken and carried away by the four kings, and were now brought back by Abram; and by "the goods", those of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Abram said to the king of Sodom,.... In reply to his request: I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord; which was both a gesture of praying and of swearing, and both may be intended here; when he set out on his expedition, it is very probable he prayed to God for success, and swore that if he prospered him, that he would receive no profit or...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
That I will not [take] from a thread even to a shoelatchet,.... That is, from a thread used in sewing garments to, a shoelatchet, or the string which fastens the shoes to the foot, the least belonging to that; or from the hair lace of the head, to the shoelatchet of the foot; that is, he would take nothing of his from head to foot: the meaning is,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Save only that which the young men have eaten,.... His three hundred and eighteen trained servants, and those of his confederates, who having recovered the victuals taken away from the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, had eaten of it for their refreshment, as it was but just and right they should: and the portion of the men which went with me;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Genesis 15 This chapter informs us of a gracious appearance of God to Abram, and of a kind promise made unto him, Genesis 15:1; of Abram's request for an heir, Genesis 15:2; of an answer to it, that he should have one, and even a numberless seed, Genesis 15:4; which he gave credit to, Genesis 15:6; upon which he has a fresh promise...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
After these things,.... The battle of the kings, the captivity of Lot, the rescue of him and his goods, and of those of Sodom and Gomorrah by Abram, and the conversation that passed between him, and the kings of Sodom and Salem: the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision; Christ, the essential Word, appeared to Abram in an human form,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless,.... As if he should say, what signifies what thou givest me of temporal blessings, if thou withholdest from me the blessing of a child; from whom it might be hoped and believed would spring the promised Messiah, in whom all nations of the earth shall be blessed. All my wealth...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Abram said, behold, to me thou hast given no seed,.... He had bestowed many temporal blessings on him, as well as spiritual ones, having given himself in covenant, and all things in it, but he had not given him a child: and lo, one born in my house is mine heir; meaning either Eliezer or his son, whom he had made his heir, or intended to make...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And behold, the word of the Lord [came] unto him,.... Either having disappeared, and then came a second time, or he again spoke unto him: saying, this shall not be thine heir; this Eliezer, this servant of thine, as thou hast made him, or hast intended to make him, giving up all hopes of having issue by Sarai: but he that shall come forth out of...