Ver. 1. The Lord appeared to Abram.] After thirteen years’ absence and silence, far aught we read; so that Abram began to conclude, that Ishmael surely was the promised seed, and all the sons he was likely to have to inherit the land. The Church then may err, when she cleaves not close to the word; though God at length will direct her into the right way, as here he did Abram. I am God Almighty.] Or all-sufficient, self-sufficient (so Aquila), independent, absolute, the original, universal good. Aben-Ezra interprets Shaddai, a conqueror: others, a destroyer, which a conqueror must needs be. Eundem victorem et vastatorem esse oportet, saith Cameron. And to this the Scripture alludes when it saith Shod shall come from Shaddai, “Destruction from the Almighty”. (Isaiah 13:6) Some there are that derive Shaddai of Shad a dug, because God feeds his children with sufficiency of all good things, as the loving mother doth the child with the milk of her breasts. Hence the heathen called Diana (and likewise Ceres) πολυμαθον and Mammosam, as if she were the nurse of all living creatures. God is the only satisfactory good, proportionable and fitting to our souls, as the dug to the child’s stomach. Walk before me.] Heb., Indesinenter ambula, Walk constantly, step for step, and keep pace with me. Austin would not, for the gain of a million of worlds, be an athiest for half an hour, because he knew not but God might in that time make an end of him. For “can two walk together and they not agreed?” saith the prophet. (Amos 3:3) “Ye cannot serve the Lord,” saith Joshua to the people that promised fair, (Joshua 24:19) that is, unless ye will serve him entirely, walk uprightly, as Abram here; walk evenly, without halting or halving with him. Holiness must run through the whole life, as the warp doth through the woof: all the parts of our line of life must be straight before God. “As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity,” with openly profane persons, when “peace shall be upon Israel,” (Psalms 125:5) upon all that are “Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile”. (John 1:27 Psalms 32:2) Surely, as an unequal pulse shows a distempered body, so doth uneven walking an unsound soul, -such as is not verily persuaded that God is all-sufficient, able, and ready to reward the upright, and punish the hypocrite. Αυταπκης Ικανος.—Aquila. Ανενδεης.—Plato
Ver. 2. And I will make my covenant.] This is now the fifth confirmation of the Covenant; which shows that it is the alpha and omega, the first, second, and third of our salvation; and it is fit we should be well studied in it, and assured of our interest. For as the mercy seat was no larger than the ark, (Exodus 25:10-17) so neither is the grace of God than the covenant. And as the ark and mercy seat were never separated; so neither is his mercy from his people.
Ver. 3. And Abram fell on his face.] It was fit he should, now that God talked with him. Such a posture of body befits us at the hearing of the word, as may best express our reverence, and further our attention. Balak is bid to rise up to hear Balaam’s parable. (Numbers 23:18) Eglon, though a fat unwieldy man, riseth up from his seat to hear God’s message from Ehud. (Judges 3:20) The people in Nehemiah “stood up” (Nehemiah 8:5) to hear the law read and expounded. Constantine the Great would not be entreated to sit down or be covered at a sermon: no more would our Edward VI, whose custom was also to take notes of what he heard, which (together with his own applications of the word to himself) he wrote in Greek characters, that his servants might not read them. The Thessalonians are commended for this, that they heard Paul’s preaching “as the word of God, and not of man”. (1 Thessalonians 2:13) Had Samuel thought it had been God that called to him (and not Eli), he would not have slept, but fallen on his face before the Lord, as Abram here, who was no novice, but knew well that though God loves to be acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience yet he takes state upon him in his ordinances, and will be trembled at in his word and judgments. Eusebius. Act. and Mon.
Ver. 4. As for me.] Ego ecce. An abrupt speech, to show what haste God made to comfort and confirm Abram, now fallen at his feet. Thou shalt be a father of many nations.] The Israelites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, Keturites, &c., besides all believers. (Galatians 3:28,29)
Ver. 5. Neither shall thy name any more, &c.] This is reckoned for a high favour by those holy Levites. (Nehemiah 9:7) The Jews say, that for honour’s sake, God inserted one of the letters of his own incommunicable name Jehovah into the name of Abram, now Abraham. Sure it is, that by styling himself “the God of Abraham,” he doth him more honour, than if he had engraven the word Abraham upon the firmament, or in the clouds in letters of gold.