Commentary on Genesis John Calvin
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS
25. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25. Et Ismael filius ejus erat tredecim annorum, quando circumcisus est ipse in carne praeputii sui,
26. In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
26. In ipsomet die circumcisus est Abraham et Ismael filius ejus.
27. And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
27. Et omnes viri domus ejus, verna domus, et emptus argento a filio alienigenae, circumcisi sunt cum ipso.
1. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine Moses passes over thirteen years of Abram's life, not because nothing worthy of remembrance had in the meantime occurred; but because the Spirit of God, according to his own will, selects those things which are most necessary to be known. He purposely points out the length of time which had elapsed from the birth of Ishmael to the period when Isaac was promised, for the purpose of teaching us that he long remained satisfied with that son who should, at length, be rejected, and that he was as one deluded by a fallacious appearance. Meanwhile, we see in what a circuitous course the Lord led him. It was even possible that he brought this delay upon himself by his own fault, in having precipitately entered into second nuptials; yet as Moses declares no such thing, I leave it undetermined. Let it suffice to accept what is certain; namely, that Abram being contented with his only son, ceased to desire any other seed. The want of offspring had previously excited him to constant prayers and sighings; for the promise of God was so fixed in his mind, that he was ardently carried forward to seek its fulfillment. And now, falsely supposing that he had obtained his wish, he is led away by the presence of his son according to the flesh, from the expectation of a spiritual seed. Again the wonderful goodness of God shows itself, in that Abram himself is raised, beyond his own expectation and desire, to a new hope, and he suddenly hears, that what it never came into his mind to ask, is granted unto him. If he had been daily offering up importunate prayers for this blessing, we should not so plainly have seen that it was conferred upon him by the free gift of God, as when it is given to him without his either thinking of it or desiring it. Before however we speak of Isaac, it will repay our labor, to notice the order and connection of the words.
First, Moses says that the Lord appeared unto him, in order that we may know that the oracle was not pronounced by secret revelation, but