Genesis 18:19

18:16-22 The two who are supposed to have been created angels went toward Sodom. The one who is called Jehovah throughout the chapter, continued with Abraham, and would not hide from him the thing he intended to do. Though God long forbears with sinners, from which they fancy that the Lord does not see, and does not regard; yet when the day of his wrath comes, he will look toward them. The Lord will give Abraham an opportunity to intercede with him, and shows him the reason of his conduct. Consider, as a very bright part of Abraham's character and example, that he not only prayed with his family, but he was very careful to teach and rule them well. Those who expect family blessings must make conscience of family duty. Abraham did not fill their heads with matters of doubtful dispute; but he taught them to be serious and devout in the worship of God, and to be honest in their dealings with all men. Of how few may such a character be given in our days! How little care is taken by masters of families to ground those under them in the principles of religion! Do we watch from sabbath to sabbath whether they go forward or backward?

Genesis 18:19 . I know Abraham that he will command his children, and his household after him — This is a bright part of Abraham’s character. He not only prayed with his family, but he taught them, as a man of knowledge; nay, he commanded them, as a man in authority, and was prophet and king, as well as priest, in his own house. And he not only took care of his children, but of his household: his servants were catechised servants. Masters of families should instruct, and inspect the manners of all under their roof. And this is given as the reason why God would make known to him his purpose concerning Sodom; because he was communicative of his knowledge, and improved it for the benefit of those that were under his charge.

(19) For I know him, that he will. —This translation has most of the Versions in its favour, and means that Abraham’s good conduct earns for him the Divine condescension. But the Hebrew is, For I have known him in order that he may command his sons, &c. It gives God foreknowledge of the purpose for which He had called Abraham as the reason for thus revealing to him the method of the Divine justice. And this purpose was, that from Abraham should spring a nation whose institutions were to be fraught with Divine truth, whose prophets were to be the means of revealing God’s will to man, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, the Messiah should come. What more fitting than that one appointed to fill so noble a calling should also be raised to the rank of a prophet, and be permitted to share in the Divine counsels? This rendering closely agrees with what is said in Genesis 18:18 about Abraham growing into a mighty nation; and it was the unique and high purpose for which this nation was to be called into being which brought Abraham into so close a relation to Jehovah.

19 . I have known him ] See Amos 3:2 . Personal knowledge is the basis of confidence and love; the choice of Abraham is no arbitrary election, but the result of knowledge. to the end that , &c.] The purpose for which God has known and sought out Abraham is here epitomized; (1) that, through the obedience of him and his folk, a true righteousness, according to “the way of the Lord,” may be propagated; (2) that the Divine fulfilment of the promise may be carried out unhindered. Family life is the sphere of chosen service. For the picture here given of a righteous and godly life, cf. Genesis 17:1 .

For I know him, {i} that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. (i) He shows that fathers ought both to know God's judgments, and to declare them to their children.

For I know him; I know him to be such a one as I am now describing; or I know this concerning him which now follows. Others, I love him, and therefore cannot conceal this from him. Words of knowledge being oft put for love, as Jeremiah 1:5 24:5 Hosea 13:5 Amos 3:2 . That he will command, or instruct, as the word is used, Leviticus 14:5 Deu 20:18 27:4 . It will not be in vain that I tell him this, and give him occasion to pray and to taste my goodness in answering prayers, because he will not smother these things in his own breast, but manifest them to others, and teach them how good God is, who so readily complies with the desires and prayers of men, and how terrible he is to incorrigible sinners, and how evil and bitter a thing it is to sin against God. And so I shall get the end I aim at in all my works, which is, that they may be known for the good of others; that they may learn by such examples. His children and his household, who will live when he is dead. He will so diligently imprint these things in their minds, that they shall never forget them. They shall keep the way of the Lord, i.e. observe and walk in the way of God’s precepts: q.d. He shall not lose his design or labour; for what he teacheth they shall learn and practise. See Psalm 51:15 , &c. To do justice and judgement, i.e. to do all things that are good, and right, and just, both to God and men: compare Psalm 119:121 .

Verse 19. - For I know him, that - literally, for I have known (or chosen, יָדַע being - dilexi, as in Amos 3:2 ) him to the end that (לְמַעַן conveying the idea of purpose; vide Ewald, § 357), the language expressing the idea that Abraham had been the object of Divine foreknowledge and election (Gesenius, Rosenmüller, Delitzsch, Keil, Oehler, Kalisch, Lange), although the reading of the text is substantially adopted by many (LXX., Vulgate, Targums, Luther, Calvin, Dathe, et alii). The latter interpretation assigns as the reason of the Divine communication the knowledge which Jehovah then possessed of Abraham's piety; the former grounds the Divine resolution on the prior fact that Divine grace had elected him to the high destiny described in the language following. It is generally agreed that this clause connects with Ver. 17; Bush regards it as exhibiting the means by which the future promised to Abraham in Ver. 18 should be realized - he will (rather, may) command his children and his household after him (by parental authority as well as by personal example), and they shall keep (rather, that they may keep) the way of the Lord, - i.e. the religion of Jehovah (cf. Judges 2:22; 2 Kings 21:22; Psalm 119:1; Acts 18:25), of which the practical outcome is - to do justice and judgment; - or righteousness and judgment, that which accords with right or the sense of oughtness in intelligent and moral beings, and that which harmonizes with the Divine law (cf.

Ezekiel 18:5) - that (literally, to the end that, in order that, לְמַעַן, ut supra) the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Genesis 18:19Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old TestamentAfter this conversation with Sarah, the heavenly guests rose up and turned their faces towards the plain of Sodom (פּני על, as in Genesis 19:28; Numbers 21:20; Numbers 23:28). Abraham accompanied them some distance on the road; according to tradition, he went as far as the site of the later Caphar barucha, from which you can see the Dead Sea through a ravine, - solitudinem ac terras Sodomae. And Jehovah said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I propose to do?