And Abraham said, Beware thou—literally, beware for thyself, the pleonastic pronoun being added by way of emphasis (cf. Genesis 12:1; Genesis 21:16; Genesis 22:5)—that thou bring not my son thither again.
Literally, lest thou cause my son to, return thither; Abraham speaking of Isaac's going to Mesopotamia as a return, either because he regarded Isaac, though then unborn, as having come out with him from Mesopotamia, cf.
Hebrews 7:10 (Wordsworth), or because he viewed himself and his descendants as a whole, as in Genesis 15:16 (Rosenmüller). The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the house of my kindred,—vide Genesis 12:1.
This was the first consideration that prevented the return of either himself or his son. Having emigrated from Mesopotamia in obedience to a call of Heaven, not without a like instruction were they at liberty to return—and who spake unto me,—i.
e. honored me with Divine communications (vide supra)—and (in particular) that sware unto me,—vide Genesis 15:17, Genesis 15:18; the covenant transaction therein recorded having all the force of an oath (cf.
Genesis 22:16)—saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land. Here was a second consideration that negatived the idea of Isaac's return,—he was the God-appointed heir of the soil,—and from this, in conjunction with the former, he argued that the Divine promise was certain of fulfillment, and that accordingly the mission for a bride would be successful.
He shall send his angel before thee,—i.e. to lead and protect, as was afterwards promised to Israel (Exodus 23:20), and to the Christian Church (Hebrews 1:14)—and thou shalt take a wife unto my Ben from thence (meaning, thy mission shall be successful).
And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then shalt thou be clear of this my oath (i.e. at liberty to bold thyself as no longer under obligation in the matter; thy responsibility will at that point cease and determine): only bring not my son thither again—or, observing the order of the Hebrew words, only my son bring not again to that place; with almost feverish entreaty harping on the solemn refrain that on no account must Isaac leave the promised land, since in that would be the culmination of unbelief and disobedience.