Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a
stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
The suffering state of Abram's seed for a long time, Ge 15:13. Let not Abram flatter himself with the hopes of nothing but honour and prosperity in his family; no, he must know, of a surety, that which he was loth to believe, that the promised seed should be a persecuted seed. Note, God sends the worst first; we must first suffer, and then reign. He also lets us know the worst before it comes, that when it comes it may not be a surprise to us, Joh 16:4. Now we have here,
(1.) The particulars of their sufferings.
[1.] They shall be strangers; so they were, first in Canaan (Ps 105:12) and afterwards in Egypt; before they were lords of their own land they were strangers in a strange land. The inconveniences of an unsettled state make a happy settlement the more welcome. Thus the heirs of heaven are first strangers on earth, a land that is not theirs.
[2.] They shall be servants; so they were to the Egyptians, Ex 1:13. See how that which was the doom of the Canaanites (Ge 9:25), proves the distress of Abram's seed: they are made to serve, but with this difference, the Canaanites serve under a curse, the Hebrews under a blessing; and the upright shall have dominion in the morning, Ps 49:14.
[3.] They shall be suffers. Those whom they serve shall afflict them; see Ex 1:11. Note, Those that are blessed and beloved of God are often sorely afflicted by wicked men; and God foresees it, and takes cognizance of it.
(2.) The continuance of their sufferings--four hundred years. This persecution began with mocking, when Ishmael, the son of an Egyptian, persecuted Isaac, who was born after the Spirit, Ge 21:9, and Gal 4:29. It continued in loathing; for it was an abomination to the Egyptians to eat bread with the Hebrews, Ge