창세기 25:21 주석

The sacred historian, in this chapter, I. Takes his leave of Abraham, with an account, I. Of his children by another wife (Gen 25:1-4). 2. Of his last will and testament (Gen 25:5, Gen 25:6). 3. Of his age, death, and burial (Gen 25:7-10). II. He takes his leave of Ishmael, with a short account, 1. Of his children (Gen 25:12-16). 2. Of his age and death (Gen 25:17, Gen 25:18). III. He enters upon the history of Isaac. 1. His prosperity (Gen 25:11). 2. The conception and birth of his two sons, with the oracle of God concerning them (Gen 25:19-26). 3. Their different characters (Gen 25:27, Gen 25:28). 4. Esau's selling his birthright to Jacob (Gen 25:29-34).

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 25 This chapter contains an account of Abraham's marriage with another woman, and of the children he had by her and of their posterity Gen 25:1; of Abraham's disposal of his substance; and his sons, Gen 25:5; of the years of his life, his death and burial, Gen 25:7; of the children of Ishmael, and of the years of his life, and of his death, Gen 25:12; and of the sons of Isaac the fruit of prayer, and of the oracle concerning them before they were born, and of their temper and disposition, conduct and behaviour, Gen 25:19.

And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife,.... Was very earnest and constant in his supplications for her, as the word signifies, as is observed by Jarchi; or, "before his wife" (a), she being present, and joining with him in his prayers: the reason was: because she was barren; which appeared by the length of time they had been married, which was near twenty years, see Gen 25:26. The Jewish writers (b) say, that, after twenty years, Isaac took her and went with her to Mount Moriah, to the place where he was bound, and prayed that she might conceive; putting the Lord in mind of the promise he there made of the multiplication of Abraham's seed, Gen 22:17, and the Lord was entreated of him; he granted him his request; for, though God has purposed and promised to do many things for his people, yet he will be sought unto by them to do them for them: and Rebekah his wife conceived; two sons at once, as it follows. (a) "praesente uxore sua", Munster, Fagins. (b) Pirke Eliezer, c. 32. Targum. Jon. in loc. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 3. 1.

First of all consider why it is that many holy women in the Scriptures are related to have been barren, as Sarah herself, and now Rebekah. But also Rachel, Israel’s beloved, was barren. Hanna also, the mother of Samuel, is recorded to have been barren. But also in the Gospels Elizabeth is related to have been barren. Yet in all these instances this term is used because after sterility they all gave birth to a holy person.

And Rebecca conceived, and by her patience she untied the knot of sterility. But let us consider what the prophetic and apostolic soul gives birth to and how it gives birth. She went, it says, to inquire of the Lord (Gen. XXV, 22), because the infants in her womb were rejoicing. And she received this answer: Two nations are in your womb (Ibid., 23); for she presumes nothing of her own accord, but in all things she seeks the highest God as the ruler of her plans. In fullness of peace and piety, she joins together two peoples by her faith and preaching, and she encloses them as in her own womb. She is rightly called sister more than wife, because she adopts the name of a gentle and peaceful soul of shared piety rather than a special bond; and because she considers herself more bound to all than to one.

Isaac too demonstrated the power of prayer when he prayed over Rebekah, and she gave birth.

One question is worth raising initially: If she and her husband were conspicuous for their good life and both concerned for chaste living, why was she barren? We cannot find fault with their life or say barrenness was the result of sin. To grasp the full extent of this remarkable circumstance, remember that it was not only herself who was barren but also the good man’s mother, Sarah; and not only his mother but also his daughter-in-law—I mean Jacob’s wife Rachel.What is the meaning of this gallery of sterile people? All were good people, all virtuous, all given testimony by God; of them he said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” And blessed Paul says, “Hence God is not ashamed to be called their God.” There is great commendation of them in the New Testament; great praise of them in the Old. In each case they were distinguished and remarkable men, yet all had barren wives. They spent a long period in a childless condition. So whenever you see a man and wife of virtuous life experiencing childlessness, whenever you see pious people devoted to religion yet childless, don’t think it is the result of sin. After all, many reasons for God’s designs are beyond our understanding, and we ought to thank God for everything and brand as wicked only those living in sin, not those without children. It frequently happens, in fact, that God works things for our good without our realizing the reason for what happens. Hence in every case we should marvel at his wisdom and praise his ineffable love.

These things are told for our benefit so that we may give evidence of much goodwill and not pry into God’s plans. Yet we need to explain the reason why these women were barren. What, then, is the reason? So that when you see the Virgin giving birth to our common Lord you may not be incredulous. Exercise your mind, it is saying, on the womb of these sterile women, so that when you see an infertile and sealed womb opened for childbearing by God’s grace, you may not be surprised to hear that a maiden gave birth. Or rather, feel surprise and amazement but don’t refuse faith in the marvel. So when the Jew says, “How did the Virgin give birth?” say to him, “How did the sterile old woman give birth?” In that case, you see, there were two impediments, her advanced age and the imperfect condition of nature, whereas with the Virgin there was one impediment, her not having experienced marriage. Consequently the barren woman prepares the way for the virgin.

(Verse 21.) And Rebecca his wife conceived, and the sons within her were moved. Concerning this movement, the Seventy Interpreters rendered it as ἐσκίρτων, which means they were playing or kicking; which Aquila translated as they were breaking in the womb. But Symmachus rendered it as διέπλεον, which means they were carried on the surface like a ship.

Thus Isaac, the son of the promise, who as a figure of our Redeemer became obedient to his father even unto death, was born of parents who were old. He had a mother who had long been barren. Thus Jacob, the patriarch Joseph, Samson, [who was] the bravest of the chieftains, and Samuel, [who was] the most distinguished of the prophets, [all] had as their progenitors [mothers who were] for a long time barren in body but always fruitful in virtues. In this way their dignity would be known from the miraculous nativity of those who were born, and it might be proven that they would be famous in their lives, since at the very outset of their lives they transcended the norms of the human condition.

Abraham marries Keturah, Gen 25:1. Their issue, Gen 25:2-4. Makes Isaac his heir, Gen 25:5; but gives portions to the sons of his concubines, and sends them eastward from Isaac, to find settlements, Gen 25:6. Abraham's age, Gen 25:7, and death, Gen 25:8. Is buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael in the cave of Machpelah, Gen 25:9, Gen 25:10. God's blessing upon Isaac, Gen 25:11. The generations of Ishmael, Gen 25:12-16. His age, Gen 25:17, and death, Gen 25:18. Of the generations of Isaac, Gen 25:19, who was married in his fortieth year, Gen 25:20. Rebekah his wife being barren, on his prayer to God she conceives, Gen 25:21. She inquires of the Lord concerning her state, Gen 25:22. The Lord's answer, Gen 25:23. She is delivered of twins, Gen 25:24. Peculiarities in the birth of her sons Esau and Jacob, from which they had their names, Gen 25:25, Gen 25:26. Their different manner of life, Gen 25:27, Gen 25:28. Esau, returning from the field faint, begs pottage from his brother, Gen 25:29, Gen 25:30. Jacob refuses to grant him any but on condition of his selling him his birthright, Gen 25:31. Esau, ready to die, parts with his birthright to save his life, Gen 25:32. Jacob causes him to confirm the sale with an oath, Gen 25:33. He receives bread and pottage of lentils, and departs, Gen 25:34.

Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife - Isaac and Rebekah had now lived nineteen years together without having a child; for he was forty years old when he married Rebekah, Gen 25:20, and he was threescore years of age when Jacob and Esau were born, Gen 25:26. Hence it is evident they had lived nineteen years together without having a child. The form of the original in this place is worthy of notice: Isaac entreated Jehovah, לנכח אשתו lenochach ishto, directly, purposely, especially, for his wife. Ainsworth thinks the words imply their praying together for this thing; and the rabbins say that "Isaac and Rebekah went on purpose to Mount Moriah, where he had been bound, and prayed together there that they might have a son." God was pleased to exercise the faith of Isaac previous to the birth of Jacob, as he had exercised that of Abraham previous to his own birth.

SONS OF ABRAHAM. (Gen 25:1-6) Abraham took a wife--rather, "had taken"; for Keturah is called Abraham's concubine, or secondary wife (Ch1 1:32); and as, from her bearing six sons to him, it is improbable that he married after Sarah's death; and also as he sent them all out to seek their own independence, during his lifetime, it is clear that this marriage is related here out of its chronological order, merely to form a proper winding up of the patriarch's history.

Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife--Though tried in a similar way to his father, he did not follow the same crooked policy. Twenty years he continued unblessed with offspring, whose seed was to be "as the stars" [Gen 26:4]. But in answer to their mutual prayers (Pe1 3:7), Rebekah was divinely informed that she was to be the mother of twins, who should be the progenitors of two independent nations; that the descendants of the younger should be the more powerful and subdue those of the other (Rom 9:12; Ch2 21:8).

Abraham's Marriage to Keturah is generally supposed to have taken place after Sarah's death, and his power to beget six sons at so advanced an age is attributed to the fact, that the Almighty had endowed him with new vital and reproductive energy for begetting the son of the promise. But there is no firm ground for this assumption; as it is not stated anywhere, that Abraham did not take Keturah as his wife till after Sarah's death. It is merely an inference drawn from the fact, that it is not mentioned till afterwards; and it is taken for granted that the history is written in strictly chronological order. But this supposition is precarious, and is not in harmony with the statement, that Abraham sent away the sons of the concubines with gifts during his own lifetime; for in the case supposed, the youngest of Keturah's sons would not have been more than twenty-five or thirty years old at Abraham's death; and in those days, when marriages were not generally contracted before the fortieth year, this seems too young for them to have been sent away from their father's house. This difficulty, however, is not decisive. Nor does the fact that Keturah is called a concubine in Gen 25:6, and Ch1 1:32, necessarily show that she was contemporary with Sarah, but may be explained on the ground that Abraham did not place her on the same footing as Sarah, his sole wife, the mother of the promised seed. Of the sons and grandsons of Keturah, who are mentioned in Ch1 1:32 as well as here, a few of the names may still be found among the Arabian tribes, but in most instances the attempt to trace them is very questionable. This remark applies to the identification of Zimran with Ζαββάμ (Ptol. vi. 7, 5), the royal city of the Κιναιδοκολπῖται to the west of Mecca, on the Red Sea; of Jokshan with the Κασσανῖται, on the Red Sea (Ptol. vi. 7, 6), or with the Himyaritish tribe of Jakish in Southern Arabia; of Ishbak with the name Shobek, a place in the Edomitish country first mentioned by Abulfeda; of Shuah with the tribe Syayhe to the east of Aila, or with Szyhhan in Northern Edom (Burckhardt, Syr. 692, 693, and 945), although the epithet the Shuhite, applied to Bildad, points to a place in Northern Idumaea. There is more plausibility in the comparison of Medan and Midian with Μοδιάνα on the eastern coast of the Elanitic Gulf, and Μαδιάνα, a tract to the north of this (Ptol. vi. 7, 2, 27; called by Arabian geographers Madyan, a city five days' journey to the south of Aila). The relationship of these two tribes will explain the fact, that the Midianim, Gen 37:28, are called Medanim in Gen 37:36.

Isaac's marriage, like Abraham's, was for a long time unfruitful; not to extreme old age, however, but only for 20 years. The seed of the promise was to be prayed for from the Lord, that it might not be regarded merely as a fruit of nature, but be received and recognised as a gift of grace. At the same time Isaac was to be exercised in the patience of faith in the promise of God. After this lengthened test, Jehovah heard his prayer in relation to his wife. לנוכח, Gen 25:21 and Gen 30:38, lit., opposite to, so that the object is before the eyes, has been well explained by Luther thus: quod toto pectore et intentus in calamitatem uxoris oraverit. Sicut quando oro pro aliquo, propono illum mihi in conspectum cordis mei, et nihil aliud video aut cogito; in eum solum animo intueor. Gen 25:22-23 When Rebekah conceived, the children struggled together in her womb. In this she saw an evil omen, that the pregnancy so long desired and entreated of Jehovah would bring misfortune, and that the fruit of her womb might not after all secure the blessing of the divine promise; so that in intense excitement she cried out, "If it be so, wherefore am I?" i.e., why am I alive? cf. Gen 27:46. But she sought counsel from God: she went to inquire of Jehovah. Where and how she looked for a divine revelation in the matter, is not recorded, and therefore cannot be determined with certainty. Some suppose that it was by prayer and sacrifice at a place dedicated to Jehovah. Others imagine that she applied to a prophet - to Abraham, Melchizedek, or Shem (Luther); a frequent custom in Israel afterwards (Sa1 9:9), but not probable in the patriarchal age. The divine answer, couched in the form of a prophetic oracle, assured her that she carried two nations in her womb, one stronger than the other; and that the greater (elder or first-born) should serve the less (younger). הפּרד ממּעיך: "proceeding from thy womb, are separated." Gen 25:24-26 When she was delivered, there were twins; the first-born was reddish, i.e., of a reddish-brown colour (Sa1 16:12; Sa1 17:42), and "all over like a hairy cloak," i.e., his whole body as if covered with a fur, with an unusual quantity of hair (hypertrichosis), which is sometimes the case with new-born infants, but was a sign in this instance of excessive sensual vigour and wildness. The second had laid hold of the heel of the first, i.e., he came into the world with his hand projected and holding the heel of the first-born, a sign of his future attitude towards his brother. From these accidental circumstances the children received their names. The elder they called Esau, the hairy one; the younger Jacob, heel-holder: יעקב from עקב (denom. of עקב heel, Hos 12:3), to hold the heel, then to outwit (Gen 27:36), just as in wrestling an attempt may be made to throw the opponent by grasping the heel.