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?John Gill's Exposition of the Bible - Genesis (Ch.0~15)?(John Gill) Commentator
John Gill (November 23, 1697-October 14, 1771) was an English Baptist, a
biblical scholar, and a staunch Calvinist. Gill's relationship with hyper-
Calvinism is a matter of academic debate.
He was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire. In his youth, he attended
Kettering Grammar School, mastering the Latin classics and learning Greek
by age eleven. The young scholar continued self-study in everything from
logic to Hebrew. His love for Hebrew would follow Gill throughout his life.
At the age of about twelve, Gill heard a sermon from his pastor, William
Wallis, on the text, "And the Lord called unto Adam, and said unto him,
where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9). The message stayed with Gill and eventually
led to his conversion. It was not until seven years later that young John
made a public profession when he was almost nineteen years of age.
His first pastoral work was as an intern assisting John Davis at Higham
Ferrers in 1718 at age twenty one. He was subsequently called to pastor the
Strict Baptist church at Goat Yard Chapel, Horsleydown, Southwark in 1719.
In 1757, his congregation needed larger premises and moved to a Carter
Lane, St. Olave's Street, Southwark. His pastorate lasted 51 years. This
Baptist Church was once pastored by Benjamin Keach and would later become
the New Park Street Chapel and then the Metropolitan Tabernacle pastored by
Charles Spurgeon.
During Gill's ministry the church strongly supported the preaching of
George Whitefield at nearby Kennington Common.
In 1748, Gill was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the
University of Aberdeen. He was a profound scholar and a prolific author.
His most important works are:
. The Doctrine of the Trinity Stated and Vindicated (London, 1731)
. The Cause of God and Truth (4 parts, 1735-8), a retort to Daniel
Whitby's Five Points
. An Exposition of the New Testament (3 vols., 1746-8), which with his
Exposition of the Old Testament (6 vols., 1748-63) forms his magnum
opus
. A Dissertation on the Antiquity of the Hebrew Language (1767)
. A Body of Doctrinal Divinity (1767)
. A Body of Practical Divinity (1770).
John Gill is the first major writing Baptist theologian. His work retains
its influence into the twenty-first century. Gill's relationship with hyper-
Calvinism in English Baptist life is a matter of debate. Peter Toon has
argued that Gill was himself a hyper-Calvinist, which would make Gill the
father of Baptist hyper-Calvinism. Tom Nettles has argued that Gill was not
a hyper-Calvinist himself, which would make him merely a precursor and hero
to Baptist hyper-Calvinists. Introduction To Genesis This book, in the Hebrew copies of the Bible, and by the Jewish writers, is
generally called Bereshith, which signifies "in the beginning", being the
first word of it; as the other four books of Moses are also called from
their initial words. In the Syriac and Arabic versions, the title of this
book is "The Book of the Creation", because it begins with an account of
the creation of all things; and is such an account, and so good an one, as
is not to be met with anywhere else: the Greek version calls it Genesis,
and so we and other versions from thence; and that because it treats of the
generation of all things, of the heavens, and the earth, and all that are
in them, and of the genealogy of men: it treats of the first men, of the
patriarchs before the flood, and after it to the times of Joseph. It is
called the "first" book of Moses, because there are four more that follow;
the name the Jewish Rabbins give to the whole is ???? ????? ????, "the five
fifths of the law", to which the Greek word "pentateuch" answers; by which
we commonly call these books, they being but one volume, consisting of five
parts, of which this is the first. And that they were all written by Moses
is generally believed by Jews and Christians. Some atheistical persons have
suggested the contrary; our countryman HobbesF1Leviath. par. 3. c. 33.
would have it, that these books are called his, not from his being the
author of them, but from his being the subject of them; not because they
were written by him, but because they treat of him: but certain it is that
Moses both wrote them, and was read, as he was in the Jewish synagogues,
every sabbath day, which can relate to no other writings but these, John
1:45. And Spinosa, catching at some doubts raised by Aben Ezra on
Deuteronomy 1:1 concerning some passages which seemed to him to have been
added by another hand, forms objections against Moses being the author of
the book of Genesis; which are sufficiently answered by
CarpzoviusF2Introduct. ad Libr. Bib. V. T. c. 4. sect. 2. . Nor can Ezra be
the author of the Pentateuch, as Spinosa suspects; since it is plain these
writings were in being before his time, in the times of Josiah, Amaziah,
yea, of David, and also of Joshua, 2 Chronicles 34:14 nay, they are even
referred to in the book of Ezra as the writings of Moses, Ezra 3:2 to which
may be added, in proof of the same, Deuteronomy 31:9. Nor are there any
other writings of his authentic; what are ascribed to him, as the Analepsis
of Moses, his Apocalypse, and his Last Will and Testament, are apocryphal.
That this book of Genesis particularly was written by him, is evident from
the testimony of Philip, and even of our Lord Jesus Christ, who both
testify that he wrote concerning the Messiah, John 1:45 as he did in this
book, where he speaks of him as the seed of the woman that should break the
serpent's head; as the seed of Abraham, in whom all the nations of the
earth should be blessed; and as the Shiloh, to whom the gathering of the
people should be, Genesis 3:15. Nor is there any reason to believe that he
wrote this book from the annals of the patriarchs, since it does not
appear, nor is it very probable, that they had any; nor from traditions
delivered down from one to another, from father to son, which is more
probable, considering the length of the lives of the patriarchs: but yet
such a variety of particulars respecting times, places, persons, their
genealogies and circumstances, so nicely and exactly given, can scarcely be
thought to be the fruit of memory; and much less is it to be imagined that
he was assisted in it by Gabriel, when he lived in solitude in Midian: but
it is best of all to ascribe it to divine inspiration, as all Scripture is
by the apostle, 2 Timothy 3:16 for who else but God could have informed him
of the creation, and the manner and order in which every creature was
brought into being, with a multitude of things recorded in this book? the
design of which is to lead men into the knowledge and worship of the one
true God, the Creator of all things, and of the origin of mankind, the fall
of our first parents, and their posterity in them; and to point at the
means and method of the recovery of man by the Messiah, the promised seed;
and to give an account of the state and case of the church of God, in the
times of the patriarchs, both before and after the flood, from Adam, in the
line of Seth, to Noah; and from Noah to the times of Joseph, in whose death
it ends: and, according to UsherF3Annal. Vet. Test. p. 17. , it contains an
history of two thousand, three hundred, and sixty nine years. 01 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 1
This chapter contains an account of the creation of the universe, and all
things in it; asserts the creation of the heaven and earth in general, and
describes the state and condition of the earth in its first production,
Genesis 1:1 and then proceeds to declare the work of each of the six days
of creation, and to give an account of light, its separation from darkness
and the names of both, the work of the first day, Genesis 1:3 of the
firmament, its use and name, the work of the second day, Genesis 1:6 of the
appearance of the earth, and the production of grass, herbs, and trees in
the earth, the work of the third day, Genesis 1:9 of the sun, moon, and
stars, their situation, and use, the work of the fourth day, Genesis 1:14
of the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea, the work of the fifth
day, Genesis 1:19 of all kinds of cattle, and beasts, and creeping things,
Genesis 1:24 and then of man, created male and female, after the image of
God, having a grant of dominion over the rest of the creatures, the fruit
of divine consultation, Genesis 1:26 and of a provision of food for man and
beast, Genesis 1:29. And the chapter is concluded with a survey God took of
all his works, and his approbation of them; all which were the work of the
sixth day, and closes the account of the creation in that space of time,
Genesis 1:31.
Verse 1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. By the heaven some
understand the supreme heaven, the heaven of heavens, the habitation of
God, and of the holy angels; and this being made perfect at once, no
mention is after made of it, as of the earth; and it is supposed that the
angels were at this time created, since they were present at the laying of
the foundation of the earth, Job 38:6 but rather the lower and visible
heavens are meant, at least are not excluded, that is, the substance of
them; as yet being imperfect and unadorned; the expanse not yet made, or
the ether and air not yet stretched out; nor any light placed in them, or
adorned with the sun, moon, and stars: so the earth is to be understood,
not of that properly so called, as separated from the waters, that is, the
dry land afterwards made to