John Calvin Commentary Genesis 25:7

John Calvin Commentary

Genesis 25:7

1509–1564
Protestant
John Calvin
John Calvin

John Calvin Commentary

Genesis 25:7

1509–1564
Protestant
SCRIPTURE

"And these are the days of the years of Abraham`s life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years." — Genesis 25:7 (ASV)

And these are the days. Moses now brings us down to the death of Abraham; and the first thing to be noticed concerning his age is the number of years during which he lived as a pilgrim. For he deserves praise for his wonderful and incomparable patience, for having wandered for a hundred years while God led him about in various directions, contented, both in life and death, with the mere promise of God.

Let those be ashamed who find it difficult to bear the uneasiness of one year, or of a few years, since Abraham, the father of the faithful, was not merely a stranger for a hundred years but was also often driven into exile. Meanwhile, however, Moses expressly shows that the Lord had fulfilled His promise: You shall die in a good old age. For although he fought a hard and severe battle, yet his consolation was neither light nor small, because he knew that, amid so many sufferings, his life was the object of Divine care.

But if looking only to God sustained him throughout his whole life—amid the most boisterous waves, amid many bitter griefs, amid tormenting cares, and, in short, an accumulated mass of evils—let us also learn (so that we do not become weary in our course) to rely on this support: that the Lord has promised us a happy outcome to life, and one truly far more glorious than that of our father Abraham.