Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.
Ver. 8. Therefore Abimelech rose early, &c.] He "made haste, and delayed not to keep God's commandments". Psa 119:60 This is a check to our dulness, whom so many exhortations and menaces of God's mouth move not to amend. Some are semper victuri, as Seneca saith. They defer so long till the drawbridge be taken up, till the gale of grace be blown over, till the bridegroom goes by, and so are shut out with the foolish virgins, for their lingering and futuring. Nolite vero tempus in nugis terere, vel Cras, ut ille, Seria, reiectis in hilari compotatione, literis indiciis hodie morituri, protelare. At the next puff of breath thou mayest blow away thy life; or, by not discerning thy time, thou mayest lose thy soul, as Saul did his kingdom. Opportunities are headlong. a
And called all his servants.] Nature taught infidels to take care of their own families. Socrates is said to have called philosophy down from heaven to earth; b that is, to have directed men to be good at home, and setting aside other studies, chiefly to mind,
“ Aedibus in propriis quae pravae aut recta gerantur. ”
Cato said that he could pardon all men's faults, save only the faults of his own family. And Augustus, when he went about to restrain garish attire, and looseness of life in others, was jeered and upbraided at Rome with the excesses and enormities of his own household. He had three untoward children whom he was wont to term tres vomicas, tria carcinomata so many mattery impostumes, ulcerous sores. His wife Livia was thought to be too familiar with her friend and physician, Eudemus; Pliny calls him her paramour. Tacitus saith, he was specie artis, frequens secretis. All this might be without his fault, but not without his reproach. c The malicious Pharisees could object it to our Saviour - "thy disciples wash not," "thy disciples fast not," &c.; as if he were much to blame for suffering such things. And surely, he is not a complete Christian, walks not "in a perfect way," that is not good "at home," Psa 101:2 that is, not relatively good. The fifth commandment is called by Philo, εντολη μικτη, a mixed commandment, and made a part of the first table. It is therefore set between both tables of the law, saith another, because all we get from God or men we bring it home to our houses - as Abimelech here relates his divine dream to his servants - the place of well employing it.
And the men were sore afraid.] This fear freed them; for according to men's fear, so is God's displeasure. Psa 90:11 Cavebis si pavebis. Rom 11:21 But they that tremble not in hearing, shall be crushed to pieces in feeling, said that martyr. d This was a sign that the Israelites feared God, when they believed God, and his servant Moses. Exo 4:31 The best way of prevention is to tremble at God's judgments, while they hang in the threatenings. But frequentissimum initium calamitatis securitas, saith Paterculus. Sola igitur securitas est, nunquam esse securum, sed semper pavidum et trementem, saith another. e Should servants fear their masters Col 3:22 because they have power over the flesh, and not we fear God? &c.
a εις αυριον τασπουδαια, vox erat Archiae illius Thebanorum praefecti
b Wolfius in Tiliani tab. Philosoph.
c Oττιτοι εν μεγαροισι κακων, αγαθων τε τετυκται - Dio in Vita. - Sueton. in Aug., cap. 65.
d Bradford Of Repent.
e R. Grosthead.