Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
5. because that, &c.] The blessing of Isaac is here treated as the reward of the obedience of Abraham; the emphasis is laid on the unity and continuity of the Chosen Family.
my charge my laws ] A strange redundancy of expression, reminding us of the style of Deut. The four words “charge,” “commandments,” “statutes,” “laws,” correspond to the more simple phrase “the way of the Lord” in Gen 18:19. The observance of legal enactments, ascribed to Abraham, is, strictly speaking, an anachronism. Cf. Deu 11:1, “Therefore thou shall love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgements, and his commandments, alway”; 1Ki 2:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 5. Abraham obeyed my voice] meimeri, my WORD. See Ge 15:1.
My charge] misitmarti, from shamar, he kept, observed, &c., the ordinances or appointments of God. These were always of two kinds: 1. Such as tended to promote moral improvement, the increase of piety, the improvement of the age, &c. And 2. Such as were typical of the promised seed, and the salvation which was to come by him. For commandments, statutes, &c., the reader is particularly desired to refer to Le 16:15, &c., where these things are all explained in the alphabetical order of the Hebrew words.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Here was a covenant made between God and Abraham; and as, if Abraham had broken the condition of walking before God required on his part, God had been discharged from the promise made on his part; so contrarily, because Abraham performed his condition, God engageth himself to perform his promise to him, and to his seed. But as that promise and covenant was made by God of mere grace, as is evident and confessed; so the mercies promised and performed to him and his are so great and vast, that it is an idle thing to think they could be merited by so mean a compensation as Abrahams obedience, which was a debt that he owed to God, had there been no such covenant or promise made by God, and which also was an effect of Gods graces to him and in him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice,…. In all things, and particularly in offering up his son at his command:
and kept my charge; whatever was given him in charge to observe; this, as Aben Ezra thinks, is the general, of which the particulars follow:
my commandments, my statutes, and my laws; whether moral, ceremonial, or civil and judicial; all and everyone which God enjoined him, he was careful to observe. Here seems to be something wanting, for the words are not to be joined with the preceding, as if Abraham’s obedience was the cause of the above promises made to Isaac, or to himself: but this is mentioned rather as an example to Isaac, and to stir him up to do the like, as if it was said, because or seeing that Abraham thy father did so and so, do thou likewise.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
5. Because that Abraham obeyed my voice. Moses does not mean that Abraham’s obedience was the reason why the promise of God was confirmed and ratified to him; but from what has been said before, (Gen 22:18,) where we have a similar expression, we learn, that what God freely bestows upon the faithful is sometimes, beyond their desert, ascribed to themselves; that they, knowing their intention to be approved by the Lord, may the more ardently addict and devote themselves entirely to his service: so he now commends the obedience of Abraham, in order that Isaac may be stimulated to an imitation of his example. And although laws, statutes, rites, precepts, and ceremonies, had not yet been written, Moses used these terms, that he might the more clearly show how sedulously Abraham regulated his life according to the will of God alone — how carefully he abstained from all the impurities of the heathen — and how exactly he pursued the straight course of holiness, without turning aside to the right hand or to the left: for the Lord often honors his own law with these titles for the sake of restraining our excesses; as if he should say that it wanted nothing to constitute it a perfect rule, but embraced everything pertaining to absolute holiness. The meaning therefore is, that Abraham, having formed his life in entire accordance with the will of God, walked in his pure service.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
5. Voice charge commandments statutes laws A comprehensive summary of all the various revelations of the divine will . God’s voice denotes more particularly the spoken revelations; his charge the special trusts of promise he had given Abraham to guard; his commandments the occasional precepts given from time to time; his statutes the more permanent prescriptions of his will; his laws the everlasting and unchangeable expressions of his righteousness. Already had God spoken “at sundry times and in divers manners,” (Heb 1:1,) and we note that the son is blessed because of his father’s obedience.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
So did Abraham. Gen 20:5 . See also Gen 12:13 . Reader! do not hastily pass over this verse; but remark, in the perusal, the weakness of the patriarch’s faith. Was it not enough that the Lord had appeared unto him, had assured him of his remembrance, of his covenant engagements, and that he would bless him: nay, that his dwelling in Gerar was by the express command of God. Could Isaac doubt of God’s protection after this, and could he suppose that he would want means effectually to secure the chastity of his wife, so that he must descend to the pitiful conduct of dissembling? Alas! what do we see in this history of Isaac, but another evidence of what our poor faithless and unbelieving nature is, in the midst of all God’s assurances of his love.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Ver. 5. Because that Abraham. ] His obedience was universal to all the wills of God; and is here alleged, not as the meritorious cause, but as an antecedent, of the blessing. Our good works do truly please God in Christ, and move him, after a sort, to do us good; yet not as merits, but as certain effects of Christ’s merits alone, and such as of his merit. a
a Rulloc., De Vocatione, p. 25.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
My. Repeated 5 times for emphasis. The No. of Grace. See App-10
voice, to be heard and believed (Rom 10:17).
charge, to be observed.
commandments, to he obeyed.
statutes, i.e. decrees, to be acknowledged.
laws, i.e. instructions to be followed.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Gen 12:4, Gen 17:23, Gen 18:19, Gen 22:16, Gen 22:18, Psa 112:1, Psa 112:2, Psa 128:1-6, Mat 5:19, Mat 7:24, 1Co 15:58, Gal 5:6, Heb 11:8, Jam 2:21
Reciprocal: Gen 22:12 – now Num 9:23 – they kept 1Ki 15:4 – for David’s 2Ch 13:11 – we keep Psa 19:8 – statutes Eze 18:21 – and keep Zec 3:7 – if thou wilt keep
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
HEREDITARY BLESSING
I will bless thee because that Abraham obeyed My voice.
Gen 26:3; Gen 26:5
The child is blessed for the fathers sake.
I. If I have a godly ancestry, then the covenant of the Lord is made with me. His love was not exhausted with the life and death of my parents; so profoundly did He care for them that His love descends for their sakes on my head. It would be hard indeed to tell how far it will descend, or when its influence will cease; it seems unchangeable as God is Himself.
II. And if I have a godly ancestry, I breathe from the beginning the healthiest atmosphere. The very air of a Christian land and a Christian household is salutary and invigorating. When the Divine commandments and the gracious Gospel have been known for ages, everything is leavened and elevated and ennobled by them. I cannot be too thankful for the difference they make.
III. And if I have a godly ancestry, I have had the best teaching and the sublimest example. I can never estimate how much I owe to the lessons of those who have gone before me, to the holy lives which lie behind me. It is a thought both inspiring and solemnising that I am the heir of such a heritage. Sparta is my birthplacenay, not Sparta, but Zion; let me adorn it.
It is a great responsibility, as well as a great benediction, to be the child of a good father.
Illustration
(1) How varied are the contents of this chapter! It begins with the Divine voice and manifestation, and it seems as though Isaac also was to live on a great level, to the honour of God and the blessing of succeeding generations. But within a few verses he is guilty of meanness to his wife, who had come so far to be his bride, and of abominable falsehood to Abimelech. It would have seemed incredible had we not been familiar with the same rapid changes and contrasts within ourselves. Now we are holding converse with God, and now doing the devils work. Here, on the Mount of Transfiguration, asking that we may abide there always, and anon in the valley quarrelling for superiority. Ah me! What a wonderful God is ours, to bear with us as He does! Shall we not record for ever the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us? In spite of it all, when Isaac sowed in that same land the Lord blessed him, and he received in the same year an hundredfold.
(2) Strong men have sometimes weak sons. Isaac was cast in a very different mould from Abraham. He was naturally yielding and timorous. But the blessing which had been granted to Abraham was continued also to him. I am with thee, and will bless thee, for my servant Abrahams sake. The great distinguishing characteristic of Abrahams life named here is his obedience. Are we sufficiently accurate in keeping Gods charge? And do we realise sufficiently the posthumous blessing which may thus accrue to unborn generations?
(3) It is remarkable, for instance, to trace the ramifications of godly lives, like that of Sir Fowell Buxton or of William Wilberforce. Their children, and childrens children, seem to have been the objects of special Divine regard.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Gen 26:5. My voice, my charge, my commandments This variety of expression seems to be designed to show the universality and exactness of Abrahams obedience, that he readily complied with every intimation of the divine will. He obeyed the original laws of nature, the revealed laws of divine worship, particularly that of circumcision, and all the extraordinary precepts God gave him, as that of quitting his country, and that (which some think is more especially referred to) respecting the offering up of his son, which Isaac himself had reason enough to remember. Those only shall have the benefit of Gods covenant with their parents that tread in the steps of their obedience. It must be observed, however, as the covenant made with Abraham, and Gods promises to him, were made by God of his mere grace and mercy, so the blessings promised and conferred were so very great, that it is idle to imagine they could be merited by so mean a compensation as Abrahams obedience which obedience was a debt that he would have owed to God, if there had been neither covenant nor promise made by God, and which was the effect of Gods grace to and in him.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
26:5 Because that Abraham {c} obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
(c) He commends Abraham’s obedience, because Isaac should be even more ready to follow the same: for as God made this promise of his free mercy, so does the confirmation of it proceed from the same fountain.