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Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name [was] Keturah.

Then again Abraham, … — After Sarah’s death, though Calvin thinks otherwise. His body, dry and dead forty years before, is now, by God’s blessing, made lively and lusty.

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And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

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And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

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And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these [were] the children of Keturah.

Ephah, and Epher. — These five were, haply, the founders of the families of those five kings of Midian mentioned in Numbers 31:8 .

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And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

Abraham gave all, … — So Isaiah 19:25 , Assyria is the work of God’s hand, and Israel his inheritance.

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But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

Abraham gave gifts. — So doth God to reprobates; but they are giftless gifts, better be without them. Eχθρων αδωπα δωπα και οικ ονησιμα - Soph. Saepe Deus dat iratus quod negat propitius. God gives wealth to the wicked, non aliter ac siquis crumenam auto plenam latrinae inieciat. Gasp. Ens. The Turkish empire, saith Luther, as great as it is, is but a crust cast to the dogs by the rich householder, Panis mica quam dives pater familias proiecit canibus. or as Joseph’s cup, …

Eastward, to the east country. — To both the Arabias, which were countries rough but rich; looked rudely, but, searched regularly, afforded great store of fine gold, precious stones, and pleasant odours.

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And these [are] the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

!!An hundred threescore and fifteen years. — He was sixty-five when he came out of Haran: a whole hundred years he was a stranger in the land, contenting himself with the bare promise of God, and "dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise." Hebrews 11:9 Salmanticensis giveth him this eulogy: Erat modestus, mimineque invidus, spiritu depresso, animoque humili, et munificus admodum. Beatus ipse, et beati filii eius post eum.

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Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full [of years]; and was gathered to his people.

Gave up the ghost. — Deficit; leniter, expiravit. Describit Moses placidam et optatam, quasi, ευθανασιαν; which in Abraham, God’s friend, is no wonder. But how could that apostate, Julian, say, in truth, Vitam reposcenti naturae, tanquam debitor bonae fidei, rediturus, exulto? Sure it was but a copy of his countenance, but not of his dying countenance; for no wicked man alive can look death in the face with blood in his cheeks.

Died in a good old age. — Or, with a good hoar head, after a hundred years’ troublesome pilgrimage in the Promised Land. We, if for one year we suffer hardship, think it a great business. Non quia dura, sed quia molles patimur, saith Seneca.

An old man, and full of years. — The godly have oft a satiety of life: as willing they are to leave the world, as men are wont to be to rise from the board when they have eaten their fill,

“ Cur non ut plenus vitae conviva recedis? ”

said the heathen poet: and they feign that when Tithonus might have been made immortal, he would not, because of the miseries of life. This made Plotinus the Platonist account mortality a mercy, Aug., De Civ. Dei., lib. iv. cap. 10. and Cato protest, that if any god would grant him, of old to be made young again, he would seriously refuse it. Siquis Deus mihi largiatur, ut ex hac aetate repuerascam, et in cunis vagiam, valde recusem. - Cato ap. Cic., De Senect. As for me, said Queen Elizabeth, in a certain speech, I see no such great cause why I should be fond to live, or afraid to die. Card. Elisabeth, fol. 325. And again, while I call to mind things past, behold things present, and expect things to come, I hold him happiest that goeth hence soonest.

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