Kejadian 11:31--25:18
Konteks11:31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (the son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and with them he set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. When they came to Haran, they settled there. 11:32 The lifetime 1 of Terah was 205 years, and he 2 died in Haran.
12:1 Now the Lord said 3 to Abram, 4
“Go out 5 from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household
to the land that I will show you. 6
12:2 Then I will make you 7 into a great nation, and I will bless you, 8
and I will make your name great, 9
so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 10
12:3 I will bless those who bless you, 11
but the one who treats you lightly 12 I must curse,
and all the families of the earth will bless one another 13 by your name.”
12:4 So Abram left, 14 just as the Lord had told him to do, 15 and Lot went with him. (Now 16 Abram was 75 years old 17 when he departed from Haran.) 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew 18 Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired 19 in Haran, and they left for 20 the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.
12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree 21 of Moreh 22 at Shechem. 23 (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) 24 12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants 25 I will give this land.” So Abram 26 built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country east of Bethel 27 and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped the Lord. 28 12:9 Abram continually journeyed by stages 29 down to the Negev. 30
12:10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt 31 to stay for a while 32 because the famine was severe. 33 12:11 As he approached 34 Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, 35 I know that you are a beautiful woman. 36 12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. 37 12:13 So tell them 38 you are my sister 39 so that it may go well 40 for me because of you and my life will be spared 41 on account of you.”
12:14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 12:15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife 42 was taken 43 into the household of Pharaoh, 44 12:16 and he did treat Abram well 45 on account of her. Abram received 46 sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
12:17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases 47 because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this 48 you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her 49 to be my wife? 50 Here is your wife! 51 Take her and go!” 52 12:20 Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, 53 and so they expelled him, along with his wife and all his possessions.
13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. 54 He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot. 55 13:2 (Now Abram was very wealthy 56 in livestock, silver, and gold.) 57
13:3 And he journeyed from place to place 58 from the Negev as far as Bethel. 59 He returned 60 to the place where he had pitched his tent 61 at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai. 13:4 This was the place where he had first built the altar, 62 and there Abram worshiped the Lord. 63
13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling 64 with Abram, also had 65 flocks, herds, and tents. 13:6 But the land could 66 not support them while they were living side by side. 67 Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live 68 alongside one another. 13:7 So there were quarrels 69 between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. 70 (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) 71
13:8 Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. 72 13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go 73 to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”
13:10 Lot looked up and saw 74 the whole region 75 of the Jordan. He noticed 76 that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated 77 Sodom and Gomorrah) 78 like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, 79 all the way to Zoar. 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled 80 toward the east.
So the relatives separated from each other. 81 13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain 82 and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13:13 (Now 83 the people 84 of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.) 85
13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, 86 “Look 87 from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west. 13:15 I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants 88 forever. 13:16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. 89 13:17 Get up and 90 walk throughout 91 the land, 92 for I will give it to you.”
13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live 93 by the oaks 94 of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.
14:1 At that time 95 Amraphel king of Shinar, 96 Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations 97 14:2 went to war 98 against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 99 14:3 These last five kings 100 joined forces 101 in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 102 14:4 For twelve years 103 they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year 104 they rebelled. 105 14:5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated 106 the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 14:6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is near the desert. 107 14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, 108 and they conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.
14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and prepared for battle. In the Valley of Siddim they met 109 14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, 110 Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against 111 five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. 112 When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, 113 but some survivors 114 fled to the hills. 115 14:11 The four victorious kings 116 took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew 117 Lot and his possessions when 118 they left, for Lot 119 was living in Sodom. 120
14:13 A fugitive 121 came and told Abram the Hebrew. 122 Now Abram was living by the oaks 123 of Mamre the Amorite, the brother 124 of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty 125 with Abram.) 126 14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew 127 had been taken captive, he mobilized 128 his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders 129 as far as Dan. 130 14:15 Then, during the night, 131 Abram 132 divided his forces 133 against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north 134 of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. 135 He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of 136 the people.
14:17 After Abram 137 returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram 138 in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). 139 14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem 140 brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) 141 14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by 142 the Most High God,
Creator 143 of heaven and earth. 144
14:20 Worthy of praise is 145 the Most High God,
who delivered 146 your enemies into your hand.”
Abram gave Melchizedek 147 a tenth of everything.
14:21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.” 14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand 148 to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow 149 14:23 that I will take nothing 150 belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I 151 who made Abram rich.’ 14:24 I will take nothing 152 except compensation for what the young men have eaten. 153 As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”
15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield 154 and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” 155
15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, 156 what will you give me since 157 I continue to be 158 childless, and my heir 159 is 160 Eliezer of Damascus?” 161 15:3 Abram added, 162 “Since 163 you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” 164
15:4 But look, 165 the word of the Lord came to him: “This man 166 will not be your heir, 167 but instead 168 a son 169 who comes from your own body will be 170 your heir.” 171 15:5 The Lord 172 took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
15:6 Abram believed 173 the Lord, and the Lord 174 considered his response of faith 175 as proof of genuine loyalty. 176
15:7 The Lord said 177 to him, “I am the Lord 178 who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans 179 to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But 180 Abram 181 said, “O sovereign Lord, 182 by what 183 can I know that I am to possess it?”
15:9 The Lord 184 said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 15:10 So Abram 185 took all these for him and then cut them in two 186 and placed each half opposite the other, 187 but he did not cut the birds in half. 15:11 When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
15:12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, 188 and great terror overwhelmed him. 189 15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain 190 that your descendants will be strangers 191 in a foreign country. 192 They will be enslaved and oppressed 193 for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. 194 Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, 195 you will go to your ancestors 196 in peace and be buried at a good old age. 197 15:16 In the fourth generation 198 your descendants 199 will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” 200
15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch 201 passed between the animal parts. 202 15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant 203 with Abram: “To your descendants I give 204 this land, from the river of Egypt 205 to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land 206 of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” 207
16:1 Now Sarai, 208 Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, 209 but she had an Egyptian servant 210 named Hagar. 211 16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since 212 the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with 213 my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” 214 Abram did what 215 Sarai told him.
16:3 So after Abram had lived 216 in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, 217 to her husband to be his wife. 218 16:4 He had sexual relations with 219 Hagar, and she became pregnant. 220 Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. 221 16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! 222 I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, 223 but when she realized 224 that she was pregnant, she despised me. 225 May the Lord judge between you and me!” 226
16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your 227 servant is under your authority, 228 do to her whatever you think best.” 229 Then Sarai treated Hagar 230 harshly, 231 so she ran away from Sarai. 232
16:7 The Lord’s angel 233 found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. 234 16:8 He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from 235 my mistress, Sarai.”
16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit 236 to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, 237 “so that they will be too numerous to count.” 238 16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,
“You are now 239 pregnant
and are about to give birth 240 to a son.
You are to name him Ishmael, 241
for the Lord has heard your painful groans. 242
16:12 He will be a wild donkey 243 of a man.
He will be hostile to everyone, 244
and everyone will be hostile to him. 245
He will live away from 246 his brothers.”
16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” 247 for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” 248 16:14 That is why the well was called 249 Beer Lahai Roi. 250 (It is located 251 between Kadesh and Bered.)
16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. 252 16:16 (Now 253 Abram was 86 years old 254 when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) 255
17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, 256 the Lord appeared to him and said, 257 “I am the sovereign God. 258 Walk 259 before me 260 and be blameless. 261 17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant 262 between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” 263
17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, 264 and God said to him, 265 17:4 “As for me, 266 this 267 is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 17:5 No longer will your name be 268 Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham 269 because I will make you 270 the father of a multitude of nations. 17:6 I will make you 271 extremely 272 fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. 273 17:7 I will confirm 274 my covenant as a perpetual 275 covenant between me and you. It will extend to your descendants after you throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 276 17:8 I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing 277 – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent 278 possession. I will be their God.”
17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep 279 the covenantal requirement 280 I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 17:10 This is my requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: 281 Every male among you must be circumcised. 282 17:11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder 283 of the covenant between me and you. 17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old 284 must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants. 17:13 They must indeed be circumcised, 285 whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant 286 will be visible in your flesh as a permanent 287 reminder. 17:14 Any uncircumcised male 288 who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off 289 from his people – he has failed to carry out my requirement.” 290
17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; 291 Sarah 292 will be her name. 17:16 I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. 293 Kings of countries 294 will come from her!”
17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed 295 as he said to himself, 296 “Can 297 a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? 298 Can Sarah 299 bear a child at the age of ninety?” 300 17:18 Abraham said to God, “O that 301 Ishmael might live before you!” 302
17:19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. 303 I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual 304 covenant for his descendants after him. 17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. 305 I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. 306 He will become the father of twelve princes; 307 I will make him into a great nation. 17:21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.” 17:22 When he finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. 308
17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) 309 and circumcised them 310 on that very same day, just as God had told him to do. 17:24 Now Abraham was 99 years old 311 when he was circumcised; 312 17:25 his son Ishmael was thirteen years old 313 when he was circumcised. 17:26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the very same day. 17:27 All the men of his household, whether born in his household or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
18:1 The Lord appeared to Abraham 314 by the oaks 315 of Mamre while 316 he was sitting at the entrance 317 to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 18:2 Abraham 318 looked up 319 and saw 320 three men standing across 321 from him. When he saw them 322 he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low 323 to the ground. 324
18:3 He said, “My lord, 325 if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. 326 18:4 Let a little water be brought so that 327 you may all 328 wash your feet and rest under the tree. 18:5 And let me get 329 a bit of food 330 so that you may refresh yourselves 331 since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” 332 “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”
18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take 333 three measures 334 of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” 335 18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, 336 who quickly prepared it. 337 18:8 Abraham 338 then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food 339 before them. They ate while 340 he was standing near them under a tree.
18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, 341 in the tent.” 18:10 One of them 342 said, “I will surely return 343 to you when the season comes round again, 344 and your wife Sarah will have a son!” 345 (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. 346 18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; 347 Sarah had long since passed menopause.) 348 18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 349 “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, 350 especially when my husband is old too?” 351
18:13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why 352 did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really 353 have a child when I am old?’ 18:14 Is anything impossible 354 for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” 355 18:15 Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.” 356
18:16 When the men got up to leave, 357 they looked out over 358 Sodom. (Now 359 Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.) 360 18:17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 361 18:18 After all, Abraham 362 will surely become 363 a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 364 using his name. 18:19 I have chosen him 365 so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep 366 the way of the Lord by doing 367 what is right and just. Then the Lord will give 368 to Abraham what he promised 369 him.”
18:20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against 370 Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant 371 18:21 that I must go down 372 and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. 373 If not, 374 I want to know.”
18:22 The two men turned 375 and headed 376 toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 377 18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare 378 the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it? 18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge 379 of the whole earth do what is right?” 380
18:26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
18:27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord 381 (although I am but dust and ashes), 382 18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy 383 the whole city because five are lacking?” 384 He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
18:29 Abraham 385 spoke to him again, 386 “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”
18:30 Then Abraham 387 said, “May the Lord not be angry 388 so that I may speak! 389 What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
18:31 Abraham 390 said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
18:32 Finally Abraham 391 said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
18:33 The Lord went on his way 392 when he had finished speaking 393 to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. 394
19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while 395 Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. 396 When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.
19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night 397 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” 398 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” 399
19:3 But he urged 400 them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate. 19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep, 401 all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. 402 19:5 They shouted to Lot, 403 “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex 404 with them!”
19:6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 19:7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly! 405 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with 406 a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. 407 Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection 408 of my roof.” 409
19:9 “Out of our way!” 410 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, 411 and now he dares to judge us! 412 We’ll do more harm 413 to you than to them!” They kept 414 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough 415 to break down the door.
19:10 So the men inside 416 reached out 417 and pulled Lot back into the house 418 as they shut the door. 19:11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, 419 with blindness. The men outside 420 wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors 421 said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? 422 Do you have 423 any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? 424 Get them out of this 425 place 19:13 because we are about to destroy 426 it. The outcry against this place 427 is so great before the Lord that he 428 has sent us to destroy it.”
19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. 429 He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy 430 the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. 431
19:15 At dawn 432 the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, 433 or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” 434 19:16 When Lot 435 hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. 436 They led them away and placed them 437 outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they 438 said, “Run 439 for your lives! Don’t look 440 behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! 441 Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! 442 19:19 Your 443 servant has found favor with you, 444 and you have shown me great 445 kindness 446 by sparing 447 my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because 448 this disaster will overtake 449 me and I’ll die. 450 19:20 Look, this town 451 over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. 452 Let me go there. 453 It’s just a little place, isn’t it? 454 Then I’ll survive.” 455
19:21 “Very well,” he replied, 456 “I will grant this request too 457 and will not overthrow 458 the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, 459 for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) 460
19:23 The sun had just risen 461 over the land as Lot reached Zoar. 462 19:24 Then the Lord rained down 463 sulfur and fire 464 on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. 465 19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, 466 including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew 467 from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s 468 wife looked back longingly 469 and was turned into a pillar of salt.
19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went 470 to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward 471 Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. 472 As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. 473
19:29 So when God destroyed 474 the cities of the region, 475 God honored 476 Abraham’s request. He removed Lot 477 from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed 478 the cities Lot had lived in.
19:30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 19:31 Later the older daughter said 479 to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby 480 to have sexual relations with us, 481 according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine 482 so we can have sexual relations 483 with him and preserve 484 our family line through our father.” 485
19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, 486 and the older daughter 487 came and had sexual relations with her father. 488 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 489 19:34 So in the morning the older daughter 490 said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. 491 Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 492 19:35 So they made their father drunk 493 that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. 494 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 495
19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter 496 gave birth to a son and named him Moab. 497 He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. 19:38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. 498 He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.
20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev 499 region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident 500 in Gerar, 20:2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.
20:3 But God appeared 501 to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead 502 because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” 503
20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, 504 would you really slaughter an innocent nation? 505 20:5 Did Abraham 506 not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, 507 ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience 508 and with innocent hands!”
20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. 509 That is why I have kept you 510 from sinning against me and why 511 I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed 512 he is a prophet 513 and he will pray for you; thus you will live. 514 But if you don’t give her back, 515 know that you will surely die 516 along with all who belong to you.”
20:8 Early in the morning 517 Abimelech summoned 518 all his servants. When he told them about all these things, 519 they 520 were terrified. 20:9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? 521 You have done things to me that should not be done!” 522 20:10 Then Abimelech asked 523 Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” 524
20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, 525 ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of 526 my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, 527 she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife. 20:13 When God made me wander 528 from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: 529 Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14 So Abimelech gave 530 sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. 20:15 Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.” 531
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver 532 to your ‘brother.’ 533 This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” 534
20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. 20:18 For the Lord 535 had caused infertility to strike every woman 536 in the household of Abimelech because he took 537 Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
21:1 The Lord visited 538 Sarah just as he had said he would and did 539 for Sarah what he had promised. 540 21:2 So Sarah became pregnant 541 and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 21:3 Abraham named his son – whom Sarah bore to him – Isaac. 542 21:4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, 543 Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. 544 21:5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) 545
21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. 546 Everyone who hears about this 547 will laugh 548 with me.” 21:7 She went on to say, 549 “Who would 550 have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”
21:8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared 551 a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 552 21:9 But Sarah noticed 553 the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. 554 21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish 555 that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”
21:11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son. 556 21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset 557 about the boy or your slave wife. Do 558 all that Sarah is telling 559 you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. 560 21:13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”
21:14 Early in the morning Abraham took 561 some food 562 and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, 563 and sent her away. So she went wandering 564 aimlessly through the wilderness 565 of Beer Sheba. 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved 566 the child under one of the shrubs. 21:16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot 567 away; for she thought, 568 “I refuse to watch the child die.” 569 So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. 570
21:17 But God heard the boy’s voice. 571 The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, 572 Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard 573 the boy’s voice right where he is crying. 21:18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 21:19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. 574 She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.
21:20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21:21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. 575 His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt. 576
21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you 577 in all that you do. 21:23 Now swear to me right here in God’s name 578 that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. 579 Show me, and the land 580 where you are staying, 581 the same loyalty 582 that I have shown you.” 583
21:24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.” 584 21:25 But Abraham lodged a complaint 585 against Abimelech concerning a well 586 that Abimelech’s servants had seized. 587 21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, 588 you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”
21:27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a treaty. 589 21:28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs apart from the flock by themselves. 21:29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these 590 seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 21:30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof 591 that I dug this well.” 592 21:31 That is why he named that place 593 Beer Sheba, 594 because the two of them swore 595 an oath there.
21:32 So they made a treaty 596 at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned 597 to the land of the Philistines. 598 21:33 Abraham 599 planted a tamarisk tree 600 in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, 601 the eternal God. 21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time. 602
22:1 Some time after these things God tested 603 Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham 604 replied. 22:2 God 605 said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac 606 – and go to the land of Moriah! 607 Offer him up there as a burnt offering 608 on one of the mountains which I will indicate to 609 you.”
22:3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. 610 He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out 611 for the place God had spoken to him about.
22:4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of 612 the place in the distance. 22:5 So he 613 said to his servants, “You two stay 614 here with the donkey while 615 the boy and I go up there. We will worship 616 and then return to you.” 617
22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand, 618 and the two of them walked on together. 22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, 619 “My father?” “What is it, 620 my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, 621 “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 22:8 “God will provide 622 for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together.
22:9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there 623 and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up 624 his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter 625 his son. 22:11 But the Lord’s angel 626 called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. 22:12 “Do not harm the boy!” 627 the angel said. 628 “Do not do anything to him, for now I know 629 that you fear 630 God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
22:13 Abraham looked up 631 and saw 632 behind him 633 a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he 634 went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.” 635 It is said to this day, 636 “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.” 637
22:15 The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven 22:16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ 638 decrees the Lord, 639 ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, 640 and I will greatly multiply 641 your descendants 642 so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession 643 of the strongholds 644 of their enemies. 22:18 Because you have obeyed me, 645 all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 646 using the name of your descendants.’”
22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together 647 for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed. 648
22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah 649 also has borne children to your brother Nahor – 22:21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 650 22:22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 22:23 (Now 651 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) These were the eight sons Milcah bore to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 22:24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children – Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
23:1 Sarah lived 127 years. 652 23:2 Then she 653 died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 654
23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife 655 and said to the sons of Heth, 656 23:4 “I am a temporary settler 657 among you. Grant 658 me ownership 659 of a burial site among you so that I may 660 bury my dead.” 661
23:5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, 662 23:6 “Listen, sir, 663 you are a mighty prince 664 among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you 665 from burying your dead.”
23:7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, 666 the sons of Heth. 23:8 Then he said to them, “If you agree 667 that I may bury my dead, 668 then hear me out. 669 Ask 670 Ephron the son of Zohar 23:9 if he will sell 671 me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publicly 672 for the full price, 673 so that I may own it as a burial site.”
23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite 674 replied to Abraham in the hearing 675 of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate 676 of his city – 23:11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell 677 you both the field and the cave that is in it. 678 In the presence of my people 679 I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”
23:12 Abraham bowed before the local people 23:13 and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay 680 to you the price 681 of the field. Take it from me so that I may 682 bury my dead there.”
23:14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 23:15 “Hear me, my lord. The land is worth 683 400 pieces of silver, 684 but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”
23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price 685 and weighed 686 out for him 687 the price 688 that Ephron had quoted 689 in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. 690
23:17 So Abraham secured 691 Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, 23:18 as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. 692
23:19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 23:20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site 693 from the sons of Heth.
24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, 694 and the Lord had blessed him 695 in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one 696 in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh 697 24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise 698 by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire 699 a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives 700 to find 701 a wife for my son Isaac.”
24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me 702 to this land? Must I then 703 take your son back to the land from which you came?”
24:6 “Be careful 704 never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. 705 24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, 706 promised me with a solemn oath, 707 ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel 708 before you so that you may find 709 a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, 710 you will be free 711 from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. 712
24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. 713 He journeyed 714 to the region of Aram Naharaim 715 and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well 716 outside the city. It was evening, 717 the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. 718 Be faithful 719 to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, 720 and the daughters of the people 721 who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ 722 In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” 723
24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah 724 with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). 725 24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. 726 She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant 727 ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering 728 her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, 729 she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied 730 her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine 731 if the Lord had made his journey successful 732 or not.
24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka 733 and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels 734 and gave them to her. 735 24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. 736 “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. 737 24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, 738 “and room for you 739 to spend the night.”
24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love 740 for my master! The Lord has led me 741 to the house 742 of my master’s relatives!” 743
24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about 744 these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) 745 Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring 746 and heard his sister Rebekah say, 747 “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing 748 by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, 749 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! 750 Why are you standing out here when I have prepared 751 the house and a place for the camels?”
24:32 So Abraham’s servant 752 went to the house and unloaded 753 the camels. Straw and feed were given 754 to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. 755 24:33 When food was served, 756 he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” 757 “Tell us,” Laban said. 758
24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. 759 The Lord 760 has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him 761 when she was old, 762 and my master 763 has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find 764 a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go 765 with me?’ 766 24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, 767 will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath 768 if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, 769 may events unfold as follows: 770 24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. 771 When 772 the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’
24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, 773 along came Rebekah 774 with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ 775 I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter 776 of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” 777
24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. 778 Our wishes are of no concern. 779 24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become 780 the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” 781
24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he 782 brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. 783
When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” 784 24:55 But Rebekah’s 785 brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord 786 has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return 787 to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” 788 24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want 789 to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”
24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: 790
“Our sister, may you become the mother 791 of thousands of ten thousands!
May your descendants possess the strongholds 792 of their enemies.”
24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with 793 the man. So Abraham’s servant 794 took Rebekah and left.
24:62 Now 795 Isaac came from 796 Beer Lahai Roi, 797 for 798 he was living in the Negev. 799 24:63 He 800 went out to relax 801 in the field in the early evening. 802 Then he looked up 803 and saw that 804 there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up 805 and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked 806 Abraham’s servant, 807 “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. 808 So she took her veil and covered herself.
24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah 809 into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her 810 as his wife and loved her. 811 So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. 812
25:1 Abraham had taken 813 another 814 wife, named Keturah. 25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. 815 The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants 816 of Keturah.
25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines 817 and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. 818
25:7 Abraham lived a total of 819 175 years. 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. 820 He joined his ancestors. 821 25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah 822 near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. 823 There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed 824 his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. 825
25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, 826 whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.
25:13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: 827 Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes 828 according to their clans.
25:17 Ishmael lived a total of 829 137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. 830 25:18 His descendants 831 settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next 832 to Egypt all the way 833 to Asshur. 834 They settled 835 away from all their relatives. 836
[11:32] 1 tn Heb “And the days of Terah were.”
[11:32] 2 tn Heb “Terah”; the pronoun has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[12:1] 3 sn The
[12:1] 4 tn The call of Abram begins with an imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ (lekh-lÿkha, “go out”) followed by three cohortatives (v. 2a) indicating purpose or consequence (“that I may” or “then I will”). If Abram leaves, then God will do these three things. The second imperative (v. 2b, literally “and be a blessing”) is subordinated to the preceding cohortatives and indicates God’s ultimate purpose in calling and blessing Abram. On the syntactical structure of vv. 1-2 see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 37. For a similar sequence of volitive forms see Gen 45:18.
[12:1] sn It would be hard to overestimate the value of this call and this divine plan for the theology of the Bible. Here begins God’s plan to bring redemption to the world. The promises to Abram will be turned into a covenant in Gen 15 and 22 (here it is a call with conditional promises) and will then lead through the Bible to the work of the Messiah.
[12:1] 5 tn The initial command is the direct imperative (לֶךְ, lekh) from the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). It is followed by the lamed preposition with a pronominal suffix (לְךָ, lÿkha) emphasizing the subject of the imperative: “you leave.”
[12:1] 6 sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the
[12:2] 7 tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.
[12:2] 8 sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.
[12:2] 9 tn Or “I will make you famous.”
[12:2] 10 tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.
[12:3] 11 tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the
[12:3] 12 tn In this part of God’s statement there are two significant changes that often go unnoticed. First, the parallel and contrasting participle מְקַלֶּלְךָ (mÿqallelkha) is now singular and not plural. All the versions and a few Masoretic
[12:3] 13 tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings on”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.
[12:4] 14 sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).
[12:4] 15 tn Heb “just as the
[12:4] 16 tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.
[12:4] 17 tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”
[12:4] sn Terah was 70 years old when he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran (Gen 11:26). Terah was 205 when he died in Haran (11:32). Abram left Haran at the age of 75 after his father died. Abram was born when Terah was 130. Abram was not the firstborn – he is placed first in the list of three because of his importance. The same is true of the list in Gen 10:1 (Shem, Ham and Japheth). Ham was the youngest son (9:24). Japheth was the older brother of Shem (10:21), so the birth order of Noah’s sons was Japheth, Shem, and Ham.
[12:5] 18 tn Heb “the son of his brother.”
[12:5] 19 tn For the semantic nuance “acquire [property]” for the verb עָשָׂה (’asah), see BDB 795 s.v. עָשָׂה.
[12:5] 20 tn Heb “went out to go.”
[12:6] 22 sn The Hebrew word Moreh (מוֹרֶה, moreh) means “teacher.” It may well be that the place of this great oak tree was a Canaanite shrine where instruction took place.
[12:6] 23 tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”
[12:6] 24 tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.
[12:7] 25 tn The same Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
[12:7] 26 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[12:8] 27 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[12:8] 28 tn Heb “he called in the name of the
[12:9] 29 tn The Hebrew verb נָסַע (nasa’) means “to journey”; more specifically it means to pull up the tent and move to another place. The construction here uses the preterite of this verb with its infinitive absolute to stress the activity of traveling. But it also adds the infinitive absolute of הָלַךְ (halakh) to stress that the traveling was continually going on. Thus “Abram journeyed, going and journeying” becomes “Abram continually journeyed by stages.”
[12:9] 30 tn Or “the South [country].”
[12:9] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[12:10] 31 sn Abram went down to Egypt. The Abrahamic narrative foreshadows some of the events in the life of the nation of Israel. This sojourn in Egypt is typological of Israel’s bondage there. In both stories there is a famine that forces the family to Egypt, death is a danger to the males while the females are preserved alive, great plagues bring about their departure, there is a summons to stand before Pharaoh, and there is a return to the land of Canaan with great wealth.
[12:10] 32 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” means “to stay for a while.” The “stranger” (traditionally “sojourner”) is one who is a temporary resident, a visitor, one who is passing through. Abram had no intention of settling down in Egypt or owning property. He was only there to wait out the famine.
[12:10] 33 tn Heb “heavy in the land.” The words “in the land,” which also occur at the beginning of the verse in the Hebrew text, have not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[12:11] 34 tn Heb “drew near to enter.”
[12:11] 35 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is deictic here; it draws attention to the following fact.
[12:11] 36 tn Heb “a woman beautiful of appearance are you.”
[12:12] 37 tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.
[12:13] 39 sn Tell them you are my sister. Abram’s motives may not be as selfish as they appear. He is aware of the danger to the family. His method of dealing with it is deception with a half truth, for Sarai really was his sister – but the Egyptians would not know that. Abram presumably thought that there would be negotiations for a marriage by anyone interested (as Laban does later for his sister Rebekah), giving him time to react. But the plan backfires because Pharaoh does not take the time to negotiate. There is a good deal of literature on the wife-sister issue. See (among others) E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” Oriental and Biblical Studies, 62-81; C. J. Mullo-Weir, “The Alleged Hurrian Wife-Sister Motif in Genesis,” GOT 22 (1967-1970): 14-25.
[12:13] 40 tn The Hebrew verb translated “go well” can encompass a whole range of favorable treatment, but the following clause indicates it means here that Abram’s life will be spared.
[12:13] 41 tn Heb “and my life will live.”
[12:15] 42 tn Heb “and the woman.” The word also means “wife”; the Hebrew article can express the possessive pronoun (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §86). Here the proper name (Abram) has been used in the translation instead of a possessive pronoun (“his”) for clarity.
[12:15] 43 tn The Hebrew term וַתֻּקַּח (vattuqqakh, “was taken”) is a rare verbal form, an old Qal passive preterite from the verb “to take.” It is pointed as a Hophal would be by the Masoretes, but does not have a Hophal meaning.
[12:15] 44 tn The Hebrew text simply has “house of Pharaoh.” The word “house” refers to the household in general, more specifically to the royal harem.
[12:16] 45 sn He did treat Abram well. The construction of the parenthetical disjunctive clause, beginning with the conjunction on the prepositional phrase, draws attention to the irony of the story. Abram wanted Sarai to lie “so that it would go well” with him. Though he lost Sarai to Pharaoh, it did go well for him – he received a lavish bride price. See also G. W. Coats, “Despoiling the Egyptians,” VT 18 (1968): 450-57.
[12:16] 46 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
[12:17] 47 tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the
[12:18] 48 tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
[12:19] 49 tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive here expresses consequence.
[12:19] 50 tn Heb “to me for a wife.”
[12:19] 51 tn Heb “Look, your wife!”
[12:19] 52 tn Heb “take and go.”
[12:20] 53 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:1] 54 tn Or “the South [country]” (also in v. 3).
[13:1] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[13:1] 55 tn Heb “And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all which was his, and Lot with him, to the Negev.”
[13:2] 57 tn This parenthetical clause, introduced by the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), provides information necessary to the point of the story.
[13:3] 58 tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.
[13:3] 59 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[13:3] 60 tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[13:3] 61 tn Heb “where his tent had been.”
[13:4] 62 tn Heb “to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning” (cf. Gen 12:7-8).
[13:4] 63 tn Heb “he called in the name of the
[13:5] 65 tn The Hebrew idiom is “to Lot…there was,” the preposition here expressing possession.
[13:6] 66 tn The potential nuance for the perfect tense is necessary here, and supported by the parallel clause that actually uses “to be able.”
[13:6] 67 tn The infinitive construct לָשֶׁבֶת (lashevet, from יָשַׁב, yashav) explains what it was that the land could not support: “the land could not support them to live side by side.” See further J. C. de Moor, “Lexical Remarks Concerning Yahad and Yahdaw,” VT 7 (1957): 350-55.
[13:6] 68 tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.
[13:7] 69 tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.
[13:7] 70 sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.
[13:7] 71 tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.
[13:8] 72 tn Heb “men, brothers [are] we.” Here “brothers” describes the closeness of the relationship, but could be misunderstood if taken literally, since Abram was Lot’s uncle.
[13:9] 73 tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.
[13:10] 74 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.” The expression draws attention to the act of looking, indicating that Lot took a good look. It also calls attention to the importance of what was seen.
[13:10] 75 tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”
[13:10] 76 tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[13:10] 77 sn Obliterated. The use of the term “destroy” (שַׁחֵת, shakhet) is reminiscent of the Noahic flood (Gen 6:13). Both at the flood and in Sodom the place was obliterated by catastrophe and only one family survived (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:178).
[13:10] 78 tn This short temporal clause (preposition + Piel infinitive construct + subjective genitive + direct object) is strategically placed in the middle of the lavish descriptions to sound an ominous note. The entire clause is parenthetical in nature. Most English translations place the clause at the end of v. 10 for stylistic reasons.
[13:10] 79 sn The narrative places emphasis on what Lot saw so that the reader can appreciate how it aroused his desire for the best land. It makes allusion to the garden of the
[13:11] 80 tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.
[13:11] 81 tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”
[13:11] sn Separated from each other. For a discussion of the significance of this event, see L. R. Helyer, “The Separation of Abram and Lot: Its Significance in the Patriarchal Narratives,” JSOT 26 (1983): 77-88.
[13:12] 82 tn Or “the cities of the plain”; Heb “[the cities of] the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[13:13] 83 tn Here is another significant parenthetical clause in the story, signaled by the vav (וו) disjunctive (translated “now”) on the noun at the beginning of the clause.
[13:13] 84 tn Heb “men.” However, this is generic in sense; it is unlikely that only the male residents of Sodom were sinners.
[13:13] 85 tn Heb “wicked and sinners against the
[13:14] 86 tn Heb “and the
[13:14] 87 tn Heb “lift up your eyes and see.”
[13:14] sn Look. Earlier Lot “looked up” (v. 10), but here Abram is told by God to do so. The repetition of the expression (Heb “lift up the eyes”) here underscores how the
[13:15] 88 tn Heb “for all the land which you see to you I will give it and to your descendants.”
[13:16] 89 tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.
[13:17] 90 tn The connective “and” is not present in the Hebrew text; it has been supplied for purposes of English style.
[13:17] 91 tn The Hitpael form הִתְהַלֵּךְ (hithallekh) means “to walk about”; it also can carry the ideas of moving about, traversing, going back and forth, or living in an area. It here has the connotation of traversing the land to survey it, to look it over.
[13:17] 92 tn Heb “the land to its length and to its breadth.” This phrase has not been included in the translation because it is somewhat redundant (see the note on the word “throughout” in this verse).
[13:18] 93 tn Heb “he came and lived.”
[13:18] 94 tn Or “terebinths.”
[14:1] 95 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) followed by “in the days of.”
[14:1] 96 sn Shinar (also in v. 9) is the region of Babylonia.
[14:1] 97 tn Or “king of Goyim.” The Hebrew term גּוֹיִם (goyim) means “nations,” but a number of modern translations merely transliterate the Hebrew (cf. NEB “Goyim”; NIV, NRSV “Goiim”).
[14:2] sn Went to war. The conflict here reflects international warfare in the Early and Middle Bronze periods. The countries operated with overlords and vassals. Kings ruled over city states, or sometimes a number of city states (i.e., nations). Due to their treaties, when one went to war, those confederate with him joined him in battle. It appears here that it is Kedorlaomer’s war, because the western city states have rebelled against him (meaning they did not send products as tribute to keep him from invading them).
[14:2] 99 sn On the geographical background of vv. 1-2 see J. P. Harland, “Sodom and Gomorrah,” The Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 1:41-75; and D. N. Freedman, “The Real Story of the Ebla Tablets, Ebla and the Cities of the Plain,” BA 41 (1978): 143-64.
[14:3] 100 tn Heb “all these,” referring only to the last five kings named. The referent has been specified as “these last five kings” in the translation for clarity.
[14:3] 101 tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to join together; to unite; to be allied.” It stresses close associations, especially of friendships, marriages, or treaties.
[14:3] 102 sn The Salt Sea is the older name for the Dead Sea.
[14:4] 103 tn The sentence simply begins with “twelve years”; it serves as an adverbial accusative giving the duration of their bondage.
[14:4] 104 tn This is another adverbial accusative of time.
[14:4] 105 sn The story serves as a foreshadowing of the plight of the kingdom of Israel later. Eastern powers came and forced the western kingdoms into submission. Each year, then, they would send tribute east – to keep them away. Here, in the thirteenth year, they refused to send the tribute (just as later Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria). And so in the fourteenth year the eastern powers came to put them down again. This account from Abram’s life taught future generations that God can give victory over such threats – that people did not have to live in servitude to tyrants from the east.
[14:5] 106 tn The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to attack, to strike, to smite.” In this context it appears that the strike was successful, and so a translation of “defeated” is preferable.
[14:6] 107 sn The line of attack ran down the eastern side of the Jordan Valley into the desert, and then turned and came up the valley to the cities of the plain.
[14:7] 108 tn Heb “they returned and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh).” The two verbs together form a verbal hendiadys, the first serving as the adverb: “they returned and came” means “they came again.” Most English translations do not treat this as a hendiadys, but translate “they turned back” or something similar. Since in the context, however, “came again to” does not simply refer to travel but an assault against the place, the present translation expresses this as “attacked…again.”
[14:9] 110 tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.
[14:9] 111 tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:10] 112 tn Heb “Now the Valley of Siddim [was] pits, pits of tar.” This parenthetical disjunctive clause emphasizes the abundance of tar pits in the area through repetition of the noun “pits.”
[14:10] sn The word for “tar” (or “bitumen”) occurs earlier in the story of the building of the tower in Babylon (see Gen 11:3).
[14:10] 113 tn Or “they were defeated there.” After a verb of motion the Hebrew particle שָׁם (sham) with the directional heh (שָׁמָּה, shammah) can mean “into it, therein” (BDB 1027 s.v. שָׁם).
[14:10] 114 tn Heb “the rest.”
[14:10] 115 sn The reference to the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah must mean the kings along with their armies. Most of them were defeated in the valley, but some of them escaped to the hills.
[14:11] 116 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 117 tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”
[14:12] 119 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 120 tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.
[14:13] 121 tn Heb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.
[14:13] 122 sn E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103) suggests that part of this chapter came from an outside source since it refers to Abram the Hebrew. That is not impossible, given that the narrator likely utilized traditions and genealogies that had been collected and transmitted over the years. The meaning of the word “Hebrew” has proved elusive. It may be related to the verb “to cross over,” perhaps meaning “immigrant.” Or it might be derived from the name of Abram’s ancestor Eber (see Gen 11:14-16).
[14:13] 123 tn Or “terebinths.”
[14:13] 124 tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”
[14:13] 125 tn Heb “possessors of a treaty with.” Since it is likely that the qualifying statement refers to all three (Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner) the words “all these” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear.
[14:13] 126 tn This parenthetical disjunctive clause explains how Abram came to be living in their territory, but it also explains why they must go to war with Abram.
[14:14] 127 tn Heb “his brother,” by extension, “relative.” Here and in v. 16 the more specific term “nephew” has been used in the translation for clarity. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen 11:27).
[14:14] 128 tn The verb וַיָּרֶק (vayyareq) is a rare form, probably related to the word רֵיק (req, “to be empty”). If so, it would be a very figurative use: “he emptied out” (or perhaps “unsheathed”) his men. The LXX has “mustered” (cf. NEB). E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103-4) suggests reading with the Samaritan Pentateuch a verb diq, cognate with Akkadian deku, “to mobilize” troops. If this view is accepted, one must assume that a confusion of the Hebrew letters ד (dalet) and ר (resh) led to the error in the traditional Hebrew text. These two letters are easily confused in all phases of ancient Hebrew script development. The present translation is based on this view.
[14:14] 129 tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:14] 130 sn The use of the name Dan reflects a later perspective. The Danites did not migrate to this northern territory until centuries later (see Judg 18:29). Furthermore Dan was not even born until much later. By inserting this name a scribe has clarified the location of the region.
[14:15] 131 tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.
[14:15] 132 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:15] 133 tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”
[14:15] 134 tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.
[14:16] 135 tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:16] 136 tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:17] 137 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 138 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 139 sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.
[14:18] 140 sn Salem is traditionally identified as the Jebusite stronghold of old Jerusalem. Accordingly, there has been much speculation about its king. Though some have identified him with the preincarnate Christ or with Noah’s son Shem, it is far more likely that Melchizedek was a Canaanite royal priest whom God used to renew the promise of the blessing to Abram, perhaps because Abram considered Melchizedek his spiritual superior. But Melchizedek remains an enigma. In a book filled with genealogical records he appears on the scene without a genealogy and then disappears from the narrative. In Psalm 110 the
[14:18] 141 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.
[14:18] sn It is his royal priestly status that makes Melchizedek a type of Christ: He was identified with Jerusalem, superior to the ancestor of Israel, and both a king and a priest. Unlike the normal Canaanites, this man served “God Most High” (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן, ’el ’elyon) – one sovereign God, who was the creator of all the universe. Abram had in him a spiritual brother.
[14:19] 142 tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.
[14:19] 143 tn Some translate “possessor of heaven and earth” (cf. NASB). But cognate evidence from Ugaritic indicates that there were two homonymic roots ָקנָה (qanah), one meaning “to create” (as in Gen 4:1) and the other “to obtain, to acquire, to possess.” While “possessor” would fit here, “creator” is the more likely due to the collocation with “heaven and earth.”
[14:19] 144 tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.
[14:20] 145 tn Heb “blessed be.” For God to be “blessed” means that is praised. His reputation is enriched in the world as his name is praised.
[14:20] 146 sn Who delivered. The Hebrew verb מִגֵּן (miggen, “delivered”) foreshadows the statement by God to Abram in Gen 15:1, “I am your shield” (מָגֵן, magen). Melchizedek provided a theological interpretation of Abram’s military victory.
[14:20] 147 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:22] 148 tn Abram takes an oath, raising his hand as a solemn gesture. The translation understands the perfect tense as having an instantaneous nuance: “Here and now I raise my hand.”
[14:22] 149 tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:23] 150 tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the
[14:23] 151 tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.
[14:24] 152 tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:24] 153 tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”
[15:1] 154 sn The noun “shield” recalls the words of Melchizedek in 14:20. If God is the shield, then God will deliver. Abram need not fear reprisals from those he has fought.
[15:1] 155 tn Heb “your reward [in] great abundance.” When the phrase הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ (harbeh mÿod) follows a noun it invariably modifies the noun and carries the nuance “very great” or “in great abundance.” (See its use in Gen 41:49; Deut 3:5; Josh 22:8; 2 Sam 8:8; 12:2; 1 Kgs 4:29; 10:10-11; 2 Chr 14:13; 32:27; Jer 40:12.) Here the noun “reward” is in apposition to “shield” and refers by metonymy to God as the source of the reward. Some translate here “your reward will be very great” (cf. NASB, NRSV), taking the statement as an independent clause and understanding the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a substitute for a finite verb. However, the construction הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ is never used this way elsewhere, where it either modifies a noun (see the texts listed above) or serves as an adverb in relation to a finite verb (see Josh 13:1; 1 Sam 26:21; 2 Sam 12:30; 2 Kgs 21:16; 1 Chr 20:2; Neh 2:2).
[15:1] sn Abram has just rejected all the spoils of war, and the
[15:2] 156 tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master,
[15:2] 157 tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.
[15:2] 158 tn Heb “I am going.”
[15:2] 159 tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”
[15:2] sn For the custom of designating a member of the household as heir, see C. H. Gordon, “Biblical Customs and the Nuzu Tablets,” Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 2:21-33.
[15:2] 160 tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).
[15:2] 161 sn The sentence in the Hebrew text employs a very effective wordplay on the name Damascus: “The son of the acquisition (בֶּן־מֶשֶׁק, ben-mesheq) of my house is Eliezer of Damascus (דַּמֶּשֶׁק, dammesheq).” The words are not the same; they have different sibilants. But the sound play gives the impression that “in the nomen is the omen.” Eliezer the Damascene will be Abram’s heir if Abram dies childless because “Damascus” seems to mean that. See M. F. Unger, “Some Comments on the Text of Genesis 15:2-3,” JBL 72 (1953): 49-50; H. L. Ginsberg, “Abram’s ‘Damascene’ Steward,” BASOR 200 (1970): 31-32.
[15:3] 162 tn Heb “And Abram said.”
[15:3] 163 tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).
[15:3] 164 tn Heb “is inheriting me.”
[15:4] 165 tn The disjunctive draws attention to God’s response and the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, translated “look”) mirrors Abram’s statement in v. 3 and highlights the fact that God responded to Abram.
[15:4] 166 tn The subject of the verb is the demonstrative pronoun, which can be translated “this one” or “this man.” That the
[15:4] 167 tn Heb “inherit you.”
[15:4] 168 tn The Hebrew כִּי־אִם (ki-’im) forms a very strong adversative.
[15:4] 169 tn Heb “he who”; the implied referent (Abram’s unborn son who will be his heir) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:4] 170 tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”
[15:4] 171 tn Heb “will inherit you.”
[15:5] 172 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[15:6] 173 tn The nonconsecutive vav (ו) is on a perfect verbal form. If the composer of the narrative had wanted to show simple sequence, he would have used the vav consecutive with the preterite. The perfect with vav conjunctive (where one expects the preterite with vav consecutive) in narrative contexts can have a variety of discourse functions, but here it probably serves to highlight Abram’s response to God’s promise. For a detailed discussion of the vav + perfect construction in Hebrew narrative, see R. Longacre, “Weqatal Forms in Biblical Hebrew Prose: A Discourse-modular Approach,” Biblical Hebrew and Discourse Linguistics, 50-98. The Hebrew verb אָמַן (’aman) means “to confirm, to support” in the Qal verbal stem. Its derivative nouns refer to something or someone that/who provides support, such as a “pillar,” “nurse,” or “guardian, trustee.” In the Niphal stem it comes to mean “to be faithful, to be reliable, to be dependable,” or “to be firm, to be sure.” In the Hiphil, the form used here, it takes on a declarative sense: “to consider something reliable [or “dependable”].” Abram regarded the God who made this promise as reliable and fully capable of making it a reality.
[15:6] 174 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the
[15:6] 175 tn Heb “and he reckoned it to him.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix refers back to Abram’s act of faith, mentioned in the preceding clause. On third feminine singular pronouns referring back to verbal ideas see GKC 440-41 §135.p. Some propose taking the suffix as proleptic, anticipating the following feminine noun (“righteousness”). In this case one might translate: “and he reckoned it to him – [namely] righteousness.” See O. P. Robertson, “Genesis 15:6: A New Covenant Exposition of an Old Covenant Text,” WTJ 42 (1980): 259-89.
[15:6] 176 tn Or “righteousness”; or “evidence of steadfast commitment.” The noun is an adverbial accusative. The verb translated “considered” (Heb “reckoned”) also appears with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) in Ps 106:31. Alluding to the events recorded in Numbers 25, the psalmist notes that Phinehas’ actions were “credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.” Reference is made to the unconditional, eternal covenant with which God rewarded Phinehas’ loyalty (Num 25:12-13). So צְדָקָה seems to carry by metonymy the meaning “loyal, rewardable behavior” here, a nuance that fits nicely in Genesis 15, where God responds to Abram’s faith by formally ratifying his promise to give Abram and his descendants the land. (See R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 40.) In Phoenician and Old Aramaic inscriptions cognate nouns glossed as “correct, justifiable conduct” sometimes carry this same semantic nuance (DNWSI 2:962).
[15:6] sn This episode is basic to the NT teaching of Paul on justification (Romans 4). Paul weaves this passage and Psalm 32 together, for both use this word. Paul explains that for the one who believes in the
[15:7] 177 tn Heb “And he said.”
[15:7] 178 sn I am the
[15:7] 179 sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium
[15:8] 180 tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”
[15:8] 181 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:8] 182 tn See note on the phrase “sovereign
[15:9] 184 tn Heb “He”; the referent (the
[15:10] 185 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:10] 186 tn Heb “in the middle.”
[15:10] 187 tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”
[15:10] sn For discussion of this ritual see G. F. Hasel, “The Meaning of the Animal Rite in Genesis 15,” JSOT 19 (1981): 61-78.
[15:12] 188 tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”
[15:12] 189 tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”
[15:13] 190 tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, with the Qal infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect from יָדַע (yada’, “know”). The imperfect here has an obligatory or imperatival force.
[15:13] 191 tn The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger, “sojourner, stranger”) is related to the verb גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to stay for awhile”). Abram’s descendants will stay in a land as resident aliens without rights of citizenship.
[15:13] 192 tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”
[15:13] 193 tn Heb “and they will serve them and they will oppress them.” The verb עִנּוּ, (’innu, a Piel form from עָנָה, ’anah, “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly”), is used in Exod 1:11 to describe the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt.
[15:14] 194 tn The participle דָּן (dan, from דִּין, din) is used here for the future: “I am judging” = “I will surely judge.” The judgment in this case will be condemnation and punishment. The translation “execute judgment on” implies that the judgment will certainly be carried out.
[15:15] 195 tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.
[15:15] 196 sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.
[15:15] 197 tn Heb “in a good old age.”
[15:16] 198 sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.
[15:16] 199 tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[15:16] 200 tn Heb “is not yet complete.”
[15:16] sn The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit. The justice of God is apparent. He will wait until the Amorites are fully deserving of judgment before he annihilates them and gives the land to Israel.
[15:17] 201 sn A smoking pot with a flaming torch. These same implements were used in Mesopotamian rituals designed to ward off evil (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 113-14).
[15:17] 202 tn Heb “these pieces.”
[15:18] 203 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[15:18] 204 tn The perfect verbal form is understood as instantaneous (“I here and now give”). Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, indicating certitude (“I have given” meaning it is as good as done, i.e., “I will surely give”).
[15:18] sn To your descendants I give this land. The
[15:18] 205 sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.
[15:19] 206 tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[15:21] 207 tn Each of the names in the list has the Hebrew definite article, which is used here generically for the class of people identified.
[16:1] 208 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.
[16:1] 209 sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.
[16:1] 210 tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.
[16:1] 211 sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)
[16:2] 212 tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.
[16:2] 213 tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).
[16:2] sn The Hebrew expression translated have sexual relations with does not convey the intimacy of other expressions, such as “so and so knew his wife.” Sarai simply sees this as the social custom of having a child through a surrogate. For further discussion see C. F. Fensham, “The Son of a Handmaid in Northwest Semitic,” VT 19 (1969): 312-21.
[16:2] 214 tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.
[16:2] 215 tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”
[16:2] sn Abram did what Sarai told him. This expression was first used in Gen 3:17 of Adam’s obeying his wife. In both cases the text highlights weak faith and how it jeopardized the plan of God.
[16:3] 216 tn Heb “at the end of ten years, to live, Abram.” The prepositional phrase introduces the temporal clause, the infinitive construct serves as the verb, and the name “Abram” is the subject.
[16:3] 217 tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”
[16:3] 218 sn To be his wife. Hagar became a slave wife, not on equal standing with Sarai. However, if Hagar produced the heir, she would be the primary wife in the eyes of society. When this eventually happened, Hagar become insolent, prompting Sarai’s anger.
[16:4] 219 tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.
[16:4] 220 tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)
[16:4] 221 tn Heb “and she saw that she was pregnant and her mistress was despised in her eyes.” The Hebrew verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to despise, to treat lightly, to treat with contempt.” In Hagar’s opinion Sarai had been demoted.
[16:5] 222 tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”
[16:5] 223 tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”
[16:5] 225 tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.
[16:5] 226 tn Heb “me and you.”
[16:5] sn May the
[16:6] 227 tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”
[16:6] 228 tn Heb “in your hand.”
[16:6] 229 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”
[16:6] 230 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:6] 231 tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”
[16:6] 232 tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:7] 233 tn Heb “the messenger of the
[16:7] 234 tn Heb “And the angel of the
[16:8] 235 tn Heb “from the presence of.”
[16:9] 236 tn The imperative וְהִתְעַנִּי (vÿhit’anni) is the Hitpael of עָנָה (’anah, here translated “submit”), the same word used for Sarai’s harsh treatment of her. Hagar is instructed not only to submit to Sarai’s authority, but to whatever mistreatment that involves. God calls for Hagar to humble herself.
[16:10] 237 tn Heb “The
[16:10] 238 tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”
[16:11] 239 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”
[16:11] 240 tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.
[16:11] 241 sn The name Ishmael consists of the imperfect or jussive form of the Hebrew verb with the theophoric element added as the subject. It means “God hears” or “may God hear.”
[16:11] 242 tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.
[16:11] sn This clause gives the explanation of the name Ishmael, using a wordplay. Ishmael’s name will be a reminder that “God hears” Hagar’s painful cries.
[16:12] 243 sn A wild donkey of a man. The prophecy is not an insult. The wild donkey lived a solitary existence in the desert away from society. Ishmael would be free-roaming, strong, and like a bedouin; he would enjoy the freedom his mother sought.
[16:12] 244 tn Heb “His hand will be against everyone.” The “hand” by metonymy represents strength. His free-roaming life style would put him in conflict with those who follow social conventions. There would not be open warfare, only friction because of his antagonism to their way of life.
[16:12] 245 tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”
[16:12] 246 tn Heb “opposite, across from.” Ishmael would live on the edge of society (cf. NASB “to the east of”). Some take this as an idiom meaning “be at odds with” (cf. NRSV, NLT) or “live in hostility toward” (cf. NIV).
[16:13] 247 tn Heb “God of my seeing.” The pronominal suffix may be understood either as objective (“who sees me,” as in the translation) or subjective (“whom I see”).
[16:13] 248 tn Heb “after one who sees me.”
[16:13] sn For a discussion of Hagar’s exclamation, see T. Booij, “Hagar’s Words in Genesis 16:13b,” VT 30 (1980): 1-7.
[16:14] 249 tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.
[16:14] 250 sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” The text suggests that God takes up the cause of those who are oppressed.
[16:14] 251 tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[16:15] 252 tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”
[16:15] sn Whom Abram named Ishmael. Hagar must have informed Abram of what the angel had told her. See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.
[16:16] 253 tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.
[16:16] 254 tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”
[16:16] 255 tn The Hebrew text adds, “for Abram.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons; it is somewhat redundant given the three occurrences of Abram’s name in this and the previous verse.
[17:1] 256 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”
[17:1] 257 tn Heb “appeared to Abram and said to him.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) and the final phrase “to him” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
[17:1] 258 tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1-8 he appeared to Abram, introduced himself as El Shaddai, and announced his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeated these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing on Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prayed that his sons would be treated with mercy when they returned to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (see 29:31; 30:22-24; 35:16-18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, told him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (see Gen 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob referred to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew
[17:1] 259 tn Or “Live out your life.” The Hebrew verb translated “walk” is the Hitpael; it means “to walk back and forth; to walk about; to live out one’s life.”
[17:1] 260 tn Or “in my presence.”
[17:1] 261 tn There are two imperatives here: “walk…and be blameless [or “perfect”].” The second imperative may be purely sequential (see the translation) or consequential: “walk before me and then you will be blameless.” How one interprets the sequence depends on the meaning of “walk before”: (1) If it simply refers in a neutral way to serving the
[17:2] 262 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative indicates consequence. If Abram is blameless, then the
[17:2] 263 tn Heb “I will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:3] 264 tn Heb “And Abram fell on his face.” This expression probably means that Abram sank to his knees and put his forehead to the ground, although it is possible that he completely prostrated himself. In either case the posture indicates humility and reverence.
[17:3] 265 tn Heb “God spoke to him, saying.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:4] 267 tn Heb “is” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).
[17:5] 268 tn Heb “will your name be called.”
[17:5] 269 sn Your name will be Abraham. The renaming of Abram was a sign of confirmation to the patriarch. Every time the name was used it would be a reminder of God’s promise. “Abram” means “exalted father,” probably referring to Abram’s father Terah. The name looks to the past; Abram came from noble lineage. The name “Abraham” is a dialectical variant of the name Abram. But its significance is in the wordplay with אַב־הֲמוֹן (’av-hamon, “the father of a multitude,” which sounds like אַבְרָהָם, ’avraham, “Abraham”). The new name would be a reminder of God’s intention to make Abraham the father of a multitude. For a general discussion of renaming, see O. Eissfeldt, “Renaming in the Old Testament,” Words and Meanings, 70-83.
[17:5] 270 tn The perfect verbal form is used here in a rhetorical manner to emphasize God’s intention.
[17:6] 271 tn This verb starts a series of perfect verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive to express God’s intentions.
[17:6] 272 tn Heb “exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:6] 273 tn Heb “and I will make you into nations, and kings will come out from you.”
[17:7] 274 tn The verb קוּם (qum, “to arise, to stand up”) in the Hiphil verbal stem means “to confirm, to give effect to, to carry out” (i.e., a covenant or oath; see BDB 878-79 s.v. קוּם).
[17:7] 275 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:7] 276 tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”
[17:8] 277 tn The verbal root is גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to reside temporarily,” i.e., as a resident alien). It is the land in which Abram resides, but does not yet possess as his very own.
[17:8] 278 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:9] 279 tn The imperfect tense could be translated “you shall keep” as a binding command; but the obligatory nuance (“must”) captures the binding sense better.
[17:9] 280 tn Heb “my covenant.” The Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) can refer to (1) the agreement itself between two parties (see v. 7), (2) the promise made by one party to another (see vv. 2-3, 7), (3) an obligation placed by one party on another, or (4) a reminder of the agreement. In vv. 9-10 the word refers to a covenantal obligation which God gives to Abraham and his descendants.
[17:10] 281 tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”
[17:10] 282 sn For a discussion of male circumcision as the sign of the covenant in this passage see M. V. Fox, “The Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision in the Light of the Priestly ‘ot Etiologies,” RB 81 (1974): 557-96.
[17:12] 284 tn Heb “the son of eight days.”
[17:13] 285 tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.
[17:13] 286 tn Heb “my covenant.” Here in v. 13 the Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) refers to the outward, visible sign, or reminder, of the covenant. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.
[17:13] 287 tn Or “an eternal.”
[17:14] 288 tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.
[17:14] 289 tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:14] sn The meaning of “cut off” has been discussed at great length. An entire tractate in the Mishnah is devoted to this subject (tractate Keritot). Being ostracized from the community is involved at the least, but it is not certain whether this refers to the death penalty.
[17:14] 290 tn Heb “he has broken my covenant.” The noun בְּרִית (bÿrit) here refers to the obligation required by God in conjunction with the covenantal agreement. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.
[17:15] 291 tn Heb “[As for] Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [will be] her name.”
[17:15] 292 sn Sarah. The name change seems to be a dialectical variation, both spellings meaning “princess” or “queen.” Like the name Abram, the name Sarai symbolized the past. The new name Sarah, like the name Abraham, would be a reminder of what God intended to do for Sarah in the future.
[17:16] 293 tn Heb “she will become nations.”
[17:17] 295 sn Laughed. The Hebrew verb used here provides the basis for the naming of Isaac: “And he laughed” is וַיִּצְחָק (vayyitskhaq); the name “Isaac” is יִצְחָק (yitskhaq), “he laughs.” Abraham’s (and Sarah’s, see 18:12) laughter signals disbelief, but when the boy is born, the laughter signals surprise and joy.
[17:17] 296 tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”
[17:17] 297 tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.
[17:17] 298 tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”
[17:17] 299 sn It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God (v. 15).
[17:17] 300 tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”
[17:18] 301 tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”
[17:18] 302 tn Or “live with your blessing.”
[17:19] 303 tn Heb “will call his name Isaac.” The name means “he laughs,” or perhaps “may he laugh” (see the note on the word “laughed” in v. 17).
[17:19] 304 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:20] 305 sn The Hebrew verb translated “I have heard you” forms a wordplay with the name Ishmael, which means “God hears.” See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.
[17:20] 306 tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:20] 307 tn For a discussion of the Hebrew word translated “princes,” see E. A. Speiser, “Background and Function of the Biblical Nasi’,” CBQ 25 (1963): 111-17.
[17:22] 308 tn Heb “And when he finished speaking with him, God went up from Abraham.” The sequence of pronouns and proper names has been modified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:22] sn God went up from him. The text draws attention to God’s dramatic exit and in so doing brings full closure to the scene.
[17:23] 309 tn Heb “Ishmael his son and all born in his house and all bought with money, every male among the men of the house of Abraham.”
[17:23] 310 tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.
[17:24] 311 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”
[17:24] 312 tn Heb “circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (also in v. 25).
[17:25] 313 tn Heb “the son of thirteen years.”
[18:1] 314 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:1] 315 tn Or “terebinths.”
[18:1] 316 tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.
[18:1] 317 tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.
[18:2] 318 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:2] 319 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”
[18:2] 320 tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to what he saw. The drawn-out description focuses the reader’s attention on Abraham’s deliberate, fixed gaze and indicates that what he is seeing is significant.
[18:2] 321 tn The Hebrew preposition עַל (’al) indicates the three men were nearby, but not close by, for Abraham had to run to meet them.
[18:2] 322 tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.
[18:2] 323 tn The form וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (vayyishtakhu, “and bowed low”) is from the verb הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (hishtakhavah, “to worship, bow low to the ground”). It is probably from a root חָוָה (khavah), though some derive it from שָׁחָה (shakhah).
[18:2] 324 sn The reader knows this is a theophany. The three visitors are probably the
[18:3] 325 tc The MT has the form אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Master”) which is reserved for God. This may reflect later scribal activity. The scribes, knowing it was the
[18:3] 326 tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”
[18:4] 327 tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.
[18:4] 328 tn The word “all” has been supplied in the translation because the Hebrew verb translated “wash” and the pronominal suffix on the word “feet” are plural, referring to all three of the visitors.
[18:5] 329 tn The Qal cohortative here probably has the nuance of polite request.
[18:5] 330 tn Heb “a piece of bread.” The Hebrew word לֶחֶם (lekhem) can refer either to bread specifically or to food in general. Based on Abraham’s directions to Sarah in v. 6, bread was certainly involved, but v. 7 indicates that Abraham had a more elaborate meal in mind.
[18:5] 331 tn Heb “strengthen your heart.” The imperative after the cohortative indicates purpose here.
[18:5] 332 tn Heb “so that you may refresh yourselves, after [which] you may be on your way – for therefore you passed by near your servant.”
[18:6] 333 tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.
[18:6] 334 sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.
[18:6] 335 sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.
[18:7] 336 tn Heb “the young man.”
[18:7] 337 tn The construction uses the Piel preterite, “he hurried,” followed by the infinitive construct; the two probably form a verbal hendiadys: “he quickly prepared.”
[18:8] 338 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:8] 339 tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.
[18:8] 340 tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.
[18:9] 341 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.
[18:10] 342 tn Heb “he”; the referent (one of the three men introduced in v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some English translations have specified the referent as the
[18:10] 343 tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense.
[18:10] sn I will surely return. If Abraham had not yet figured out who this was, this interchange would have made it clear. Otherwise, how would a return visit from this man mean Sarah would have a son?
[18:10] 344 tn Heb “as/when the time lives” or “revives,” possibly referring to the springtime.
[18:10] 345 tn Heb “and there will be (הִנֵּה, hinneh) a son for Sarah.”
[18:10] 346 tn This is the first of two disjunctive parenthetical clauses preparing the reader for Sarah’s response (see v. 12).
[18:11] 348 tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”
[18:12] 350 tn It has been suggested that this word should be translated “conception,” not “pleasure.” See A. A. McIntosh, “A Third Root ‘adah in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 24 (1974): 454-73.
[18:12] 351 tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[18:13] 352 tn Heb “Why, this?” The demonstrative pronoun following the interrogative pronoun is enclitic, emphasizing the
[18:13] 353 tn The Hebrew construction uses both הַאַף (ha’af) and אֻמְנָם (’umnam): “Indeed, truly, will I have a child?”
[18:14] 354 tn The Hebrew verb פָּלָא (pala’) means “to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing.”
[18:14] 355 sn Sarah will have a son. The passage brings God’s promise into clear focus. As long as it was a promise for the future, it really could be believed without much involvement. But now, when it seemed so impossible from the human standpoint, when the
[18:15] 356 tn Heb “And he said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’” The referent (the
[18:16] 357 tn Heb “And the men arose from there.”
[18:16] 358 tn Heb “toward the face of.”
[18:16] 359 tn The disjunctive parenthetical clause sets the stage for the following speech.
[18:16] 360 tn The Piel of שָׁלַח (shalakh) means “to lead out, to send out, to expel”; here it is used in the friendly sense of seeing the visitors on their way.
[18:17] 361 tn The active participle here refers to an action that is imminent.
[18:18] 362 tn Heb “And Abraham.” The disjunctive clause is probably causal, giving a reason why God should not hide his intentions from Abraham. One could translate, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation?”
[18:18] 363 tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the finite verb that follows.
[18:18] 364 tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings upon”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 18:18 (like 12:2) predicts that Abraham will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.
[18:19] 365 tn Heb “For I have known him.” The verb יָדַע (yada’) here means “to recognize and treat in a special manner, to choose” (see Amos 3:2). It indicates that Abraham stood in a special covenantal relationship with the
[18:19] 366 tn Heb “and they will keep.” The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the subjective nuance of the preceding imperfect verbal form (translated “so that he may command”).
[18:19] 367 tn The infinitive construct here indicates manner, explaining how Abraham’s children and his household will keep the way of the
[18:19] 368 tn Heb “bring on.” The infinitive after לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) indicates result here.
[18:19] 369 tn Heb “spoke to.”
[18:20] 370 tn Heb “the outcry of Sodom,” which apparently refers to the outcry for divine justice from those (unidentified persons) who observe its sinful ways.
[18:21] 372 tn The cohortative indicates the
[18:21] sn I must go down. The descent to “see” Sodom is a bold anthropomorphism, stressing the careful judgment of God. The language is reminiscent of the
[18:21] 373 tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the
[18:21] 374 sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.
[18:22] 375 tn Heb “And the men turned from there.” The word “two” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied here for clarity. Gen 19:1 mentions only two individuals (described as “angels”), while Abraham had entertained three visitors (18:2). The implication is that the
[18:22] 377 tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the
[18:24] 378 tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).
[18:25] 380 sn Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right? For discussion of this text see J. L. Crenshaw, “Popular Questioning of the Justice of God in Ancient Israel,” ZAW 82 (1970): 380-95, and C. S. Rodd, “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?” ExpTim 83 (1972): 137-39.
[18:27] 381 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[18:27] 382 tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the
[18:28] 383 tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.
[18:28] 384 tn Heb “because of five.”
[18:29] 385 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:29] 386 tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”
[18:30] 387 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:30] 388 tn Heb “let it not be hot to the
[18:30] 389 tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.
[18:31] 390 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:32] 391 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:33] 392 tn Heb “And the
[18:33] 393 tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”
[18:33] 394 tn Heb “to his place.”
[19:1] 395 tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.
[19:1] 396 tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.
[19:1] sn The expression sitting in the city’s gateway may mean that Lot was exercising some type of judicial function (see the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 19:8; Jer 26:10; 38:7; 39:3).
[19:2] 397 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
[19:2] 398 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
[19:2] 399 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
[19:3] 400 tn The Hebrew verb פָּצַר (patsar, “to press, to insist”) ironically foreshadows the hostile actions of the men of the city (see v. 9, where the verb also appears). The repetition of the word serves to contrast Lot to his world.
[19:4] 401 tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.
[19:4] 402 tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.
[19:5] 403 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:5] 404 tn The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) is used here in the sense of “to lie with” or “to have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1). That this is indeed the meaning is clear from Lot’s warning that they not do so wickedly, and his willingness to give them his daughters instead.
[19:5] sn The sin of the men of Sodom is debated. The fact that the sin involved a sexual act (see note on the phrase “have sex” in 19:5) precludes an association of the sin with inhospitality as is sometimes asserted (see W. Roth, “What of Sodom and Gomorrah? Homosexual Acts in the Old Testament,” Explor 1 [1974]: 7-14). The text at a minimum condemns forced sexual intercourse, i.e., rape. Other considerations, though, point to a condemnation of homosexual acts more generally. The narrator emphasizes the fact that the men of Sodom wanted to have sex with men: They demand that Lot release the angelic messengers (seen as men) to them for sex, and when Lot offers his daughters as a substitute they refuse them and attempt to take the angelic messengers by force. In addition the wider context of the Pentateuch condemns homosexual acts as sin (see, e.g., Lev 18:22). Thus a reading of this text within its narrative context, both immediate and broad, condemns not only the attempted rape but also the attempted homosexual act.
[19:7] 405 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
[19:8] 406 tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[19:8] 407 tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”
[19:8] 409 sn This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.
[19:9] 410 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
[19:9] 411 tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”
[19:9] 412 tn Heb “and he has judged, judging.” The infinitive absolute follows the finite verbal form for emphasis. This emphasis is reflected in the translation by the phrase “dares to judge.”
[19:9] 413 tn The verb “to do wickedly” is repeated here (see v. 7). It appears that whatever “wickedness” the men of Sodom had intended to do to Lot’s visitors – probably nothing short of homosexual rape – they were now ready to inflict on Lot.
[19:9] 414 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
[19:9] 415 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
[19:10] 416 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “inside” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:10] 417 tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:10] 418 tn Heb “to them into the house.”
[19:11] 419 tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”
[19:11] 420 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 421 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “visitors” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 422 tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”
[19:12] 423 tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:12] 424 tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”
[19:12] 425 tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.
[19:13] 426 tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.
[19:13] 427 tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:13] 428 tn Heb “the
[19:14] 429 sn The language has to be interpreted in the light of the context and the social customs. The men are called “sons-in-law” (literally “the takers of his daughters”), but the daughters had not yet had sex with a man. It is better to translate the phrase “who were going to marry his daughters.” Since formal marriage contracts were binding, the husbands-to-be could already be called sons-in-law.
[19:14] 430 tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.
[19:14] 431 tn Heb “and he was like one taunting in the eyes of his sons-in-law.” These men mistakenly thought Lot was ridiculing them and their lifestyle. Their response illustrates how morally insensitive they had become.
[19:15] 432 tn Heb “When dawn came up.”
[19:15] 433 tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.
[19:15] 434 tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[19:16] 435 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:16] 436 tn Heb “in the compassion of the
[19:16] 437 tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).
[19:17] 438 tn Or “one of them”; Heb “he.” Several ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read the plural “they.” See also the note on “your” in v. 19.
[19:17] 440 tn The Hebrew verb translated “look” signifies an intense gaze, not a passing glance. This same verb is used later in v. 26 to describe Lot’s wife’s self-destructive look back at the city.
[19:17] 441 tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:18] 442 tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:19] 443 tn The second person pronominal suffixes are singular in this verse (note “your eyes,” “you have made great,” and “you have acted”). Verse 18a seems to indicate that Lot is addressing the angels, but the use of the singular and the appearance of the divine title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ’adonay) in v. 18b suggests he is speaking to God.
[19:19] 444 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
[19:19] 445 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
[19:19] 446 sn The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.
[19:19] 447 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
[19:19] 449 tn The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (davaq) normally means “to stick to, to cleave, to join.” Lot is afraid he cannot outrun the coming calamity.
[19:19] 450 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
[19:20] 451 tn The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”
[19:20] 452 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
[19:20] 453 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
[19:20] 454 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
[19:20] 455 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
[19:21] 456 tn Heb “And he said, ‘Look, I will grant.’” The order of the clauses has been rearranged for stylistic reasons. The referent of the speaker (“he”) is somewhat ambiguous: It could be taken as the angel to whom Lot has been speaking (so NLT; note the singular references in vv. 18-19), or it could be that Lot is speaking directly to the
[19:21] 457 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
[19:21] 458 tn The negated infinitive construct indicates either the consequence of God’s granting the request (“I have granted this request, so that I will not”) or the manner in which he will grant it (“I have granted your request by not destroying”).
[19:22] 459 tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.
[19:22] 460 tn Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tso’ar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mits’ar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).
[19:23] 461 sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).
[19:23] 462 tn The juxtaposition of the two disjunctive clauses indicates synchronic action. The first action (the sun’s rising) occurred as the second (Lot’s entering Zoar) took place. The disjunctive clauses also signal closure for the preceding scene.
[19:24] 463 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.
[19:24] 464 tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).
[19:24] 465 tn Heb “from the
[19:24] sn The text explicitly states that the sulfur and fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah was sent down from the sky by the
[19:25] 466 tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:25] 467 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”
[19:26] 468 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:26] 469 tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).
[19:26] sn Longingly. Lot’s wife apparently identified with the doomed city and thereby showed lack of respect for God’s provision of salvation. She, like her daughters later, had allowed her thinking to be influenced by the culture of Sodom.
[19:27] 470 tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:28] 471 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
[19:28] 472 tn Or “all the land of the plain”; Heb “and all the face of the land of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:28] 473 tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”
[19:28] sn It is hard to imagine what was going on in Abraham’s mind, but this brief section in the narrative enables the reader to think about the human response to the judgment. Abraham had family in that area. He had rescued those people from the invasion. That was why he interceded. Yet he surely knew how wicked they were. That was why he got the number down to ten when he negotiated with God to save the city. But now he must have wondered, “What was the point?”
[19:29] 474 tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.
[19:29] 475 tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:29] 476 tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the
[19:29] sn God showed Abraham special consideration because of the covenantal relationship he had established with the patriarch. Yet the reader knows that God delivered the “righteous” (Lot’s designation in 2 Pet 2:7) before destroying their world – which is what he will do again at the end of the age.
[19:29] 477 sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.
[19:29] 478 tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”
[19:31] 479 tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”
[19:31] 480 tn Or perhaps “on earth,” in which case the statement would be hyperbolic; presumably there had been some men living in the town of Zoar to which Lot and his daughters had initially fled.
[19:31] 481 tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[19:32] 482 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:32] 483 tn Heb “and we will lie down.” The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive is subordinated to the preceding cohortative and indicates purpose/result.
[19:32] 484 tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.
[19:32] 485 tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:32] sn For a discussion of the cultural background of the daughters’ desire to preserve our family line see F. C. Fensham, “The Obliteration of the Family as Motif in the Near Eastern Literature,” AION 10 (1969): 191-99.
[19:33] 486 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:33] 487 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:33] 488 tn Heb “and the firstborn came and lied down with her father.” The expression “lied down with” here and in the following verses is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[19:33] 489 tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”
[19:34] 490 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:34] 491 tn Heb “Look, I lied down with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight.”
[19:34] 492 tn Heb “And go, lie down with him and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:35] 493 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:35] 494 tn Heb “lied down with him.”
[19:35] 495 tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”
[19:37] 496 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:37] 497 sn The meaning of the name Moab is not certain. The name sounds like the Hebrew phrase “from our father” (מֵאָבִינוּ, me’avinu) which the daughters used twice (vv. 32, 34). This account is probably included in the narrative in order to portray the Moabites, who later became enemies of God’s people, in a negative light.
[19:38] 498 sn The name Ben-Ammi means “son of my people.” Like the account of Moab’s birth, this story is probably included in the narrative to portray the Ammonites, another perennial enemy of Israel, in a negative light.
[20:1] 499 tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”
[20:1] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[20:1] 500 tn Heb “and he sojourned.”
[20:3] 502 tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.
[20:3] 503 tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.
[20:4] 504 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[20:4] 505 tn Apparently Abimelech assumes that God’s judgment will fall on his entire nation. Some, finding the reference to a nation problematic, prefer to emend the text and read, “Would you really kill someone who is innocent?” See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 149.
[20:5] 506 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:5] 507 tn Heb “and she, even she.”
[20:5] 508 tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”
[20:6] 509 tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”
[20:6] 510 tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”
[20:6] 511 tn Heb “therefore.”
[20:7] 512 tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.
[20:7] 513 sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.
[20:7] 514 tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.
[20:7] sn He will pray for you that you may live. Abraham was known as a man of God whose prayer would be effectual. Ironically and sadly, he was also known as a liar.
[20:7] 515 tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.
[20:7] 516 tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.
[20:8] 517 tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”
[20:8] 518 tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”
[20:8] 519 tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”
[20:8] 520 tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[20:9] 521 tn Heb “How did I sin against you that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?” The expression “great sin” refers to adultery. For discussion of the cultural background of the passage, see J. J. Rabinowitz, “The Great Sin in Ancient Egyptian Marriage Contracts,” JNES 18 (1959): 73, and W. L. Moran, “The Scandal of the ‘Great Sin’ at Ugarit,” JNES 18 (1959): 280-81.
[20:9] 522 tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.
[20:10] 523 tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”
[20:10] 524 tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.
[20:11] 525 tn Heb “Because I said.”
[20:11] 526 tn Heb “over the matter of.”
[20:12] 527 tn Heb “but also.”
[20:13] 528 tn The Hebrew verb is plural. This may be a case of grammatical agreement with the name for God, which is plural in form. However, when this plural name refers to the one true God, accompanying predicates are usually singular in form. Perhaps Abraham is accommodating his speech to Abimelech’s polytheistic perspective. (See GKC 463 §145.i.) If so, one should translate, “when the gods made me wander.”
[20:13] 529 tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”
[20:14] 530 tn Heb “took and gave.”
[20:15] 531 tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”
[20:16] 532 sn A thousand pieces [Heb “shekels”] of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 11.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces (about 25 pounds).
[20:16] 533 sn To your ‘brother.’ Note the way that the king refers to Abraham. Was he being sarcastic? It was surely a rebuke to Sarah. What is amazing is how patient this king was. It is proof that the fear of God was in that place, contrary to what Abraham believed (see v. 11).
[20:16] 534 tn Heb “Look, it is for you a covering of the eyes, for all who are with you, and with all, and you are set right.” The exact meaning of the statement is unclear. Apparently it means that the gift of money somehow exonerates her in other people’s eyes. They will not look on her as compromised (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:74).
[20:18] 535 tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”
[20:18] 536 tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[20:18] sn The
[20:18] 537 tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[21:1] 538 sn The Hebrew verb translated “visit” (פָּקַד, paqad ) often describes divine intervention for blessing or cursing; it indicates God’s special attention to an individual or a matter, always with respect to his people’s destiny. He may visit (that is, destroy) the Amalekites; he may visit (that is, deliver) his people in Egypt. Here he visits Sarah, to allow her to have the promised child. One’s destiny is changed when the
[21:1] 539 tn Heb “and the
[21:2] 541 tn Or “she conceived.”
[21:3] 542 tn Heb “the one born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.” The two modifying clauses, the first introduced with an article and the second with the relative pronoun, are placed in the middle of the sentence, before the name Isaac is stated. They are meant to underscore that this was indeed an actual birth to Abraham and Sarah in fulfillment of the promise.
[21:4] 543 tn Heb “Isaac his son, the son of eight days.” The name “Isaac” is repeated in the translation for clarity.
[21:4] 544 sn Just as God had commanded him to do. With the birth of the promised child, Abraham obeyed the
[21:5] 545 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause underscores how miraculous this birth was. Abraham was 100 years old. The fact that the genealogies give the ages of the fathers when their first son is born shows that this was considered a major milestone in one’s life (G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:80).
[21:6] 546 tn Heb “Laughter God has made for me.”
[21:6] 547 tn The words “about this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[21:6] 548 sn Sarah’s words play on the name “Isaac” in a final triumphant manner. God prepared “laughter” (צְחֹק, ysÿkhoq ) for her, and everyone who hears about this “will laugh” (יִצְחַק, yitskhaq ) with her. The laughter now signals great joy and fulfillment, not unbelief (cf. Gen 18:12-15).
[21:7] 550 tn The perfect form of the verb is used here to describe a hypothetical situation.
[21:8] 552 sn Children were weaned closer to the age of two or three in the ancient world, because infant mortality was high. If an infant grew to this stage, it was fairly certain he or she would live. Such an event called for a celebration, especially for parents who had waited so long for a child.
[21:9] 554 tn The Piel participle used here is from the same root as the name “Isaac.” In the Piel stem the verb means “to jest; to make sport of; to play with,” not simply “to laugh,” which is the meaning of the verb in the Qal stem. What exactly Ishmael was doing is not clear. Interpreters have generally concluded that the boy was either (1) mocking Isaac (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) or (2) merely playing with Isaac as if on equal footing (cf. NAB, NRSV). In either case Sarah saw it as a threat. The same participial form was used in Gen 19:14 to describe how some in Lot’s family viewed his attempt to warn them of impending doom. It also appears later in Gen 39:14, 17, where Potiphar accuses Joseph of mocking them.
[21:9] sn Mocking. Here Sarah interprets Ishmael’s actions as being sinister. Ishmael probably did not take the younger child seriously and Sarah saw this as a threat to Isaac. Paul in Gal 4:29 says that Ishmael persecuted Isaac. He uses a Greek word that can mean “to put to flight; to chase away; to pursue” and may be drawing on a rabbinic interpretation of the passage. In Paul’s analogical application of the passage, he points out that once the promised child Isaac (symbolizing Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promise) has come, there is no room left for the slave woman and her son (who symbolize the Mosaic law).
[21:10] 555 tn Heb “drive out.” The language may seem severe, but Sarah’s maternal instincts sensed a real danger in that Ishmael was not treating Isaac with the proper respect.
[21:11] 556 tn Heb “and the word was very wrong in the eyes of Abraham on account of his son.” The verb רָעַע (ra’a’) often refers to what is morally or ethically “evil.” It usage here suggests that Abraham thought Sarah’s demand was ethically (and perhaps legally) wrong.
[21:12] 557 tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”
[21:12] 558 tn Heb “listen to her voice.” The idiomatic expression means “obey; comply.” Here her advice, though harsh, is necessary and conforms to the will of God. Later (see Gen 25), when Abraham has other sons, he sends them all away as well.
[21:12] 559 tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.
[21:12] 560 tn Or perhaps “will be named”; Heb “for in Isaac offspring will be called to you.” The exact meaning of the statement is not clear, but it does indicate that God’s covenantal promises to Abraham will be realized through Isaac, not Ishmael.
[21:14] 561 tn Heb “and Abraham rose up early in the morning and he took.”
[21:14] 562 tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.
[21:14] 563 tn Heb “He put upon her shoulder, and the boy [or perhaps, “and with the boy”], and he sent her away.” It is unclear how “and the boy” relates syntactically to what precedes. Perhaps the words should be rearranged and the text read, “and he put [them] on her shoulder and he gave to Hagar the boy.”
[21:14] 564 tn Heb “she went and wandered.”
[21:14] 565 tn Or “desert,” although for English readers this usually connotes a sandy desert like the Sahara rather than the arid wasteland of this region with its sparse vegetation.
[21:15] 566 tn Heb “threw,” but the child, who was now thirteen years old, would not have been carried, let alone thrown under a bush. The exaggerated language suggests Ishmael is limp from dehydration and is being abandoned to die. See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 2:85.
[21:16] 567 sn A bowshot would be a distance of about a hundred yards (ninety meters).
[21:16] 569 tn Heb “I will not look on the death of the child.” The cohortative verbal form (note the negative particle אַל,’al) here expresses her resolve to avoid the stated action.
[21:16] 570 tn Heb “and she lifted up her voice and wept” (that is, she wept uncontrollably). The LXX reads “he” (referring to Ishmael) rather than “she” (referring to Hagar), but this is probably an attempt to harmonize this verse with the following one, which refers to the boy’s cries.
[21:17] 571 sn God heard the boy’s voice. The text has not to this point indicated that Ishmael was crying out, either in pain or in prayer. But the text here makes it clear that God heard him. Ishmael is clearly central to the story. Both the mother and the
[21:17] 572 tn Heb “What to you?”
[21:17] 573 sn Here the verb heard picks up the main motif of the name Ishmael (“God hears”), introduced back in chap. 16.
[21:19] 574 tn Heb “And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.” The referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:21] 575 sn The wilderness of Paran is an area in the east central region of the Sinai peninsula, northeast from the traditional site of Mt. Sinai and with the Arabah and the Gulf of Aqaba as its eastern border.
[21:21] 576 tn Heb “And his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.”
[21:22] 577 sn God is with you. Abimelech and Phicol recognized that Abraham enjoyed special divine provision and protection.
[21:23] 578 tn Heb “And now swear to me by God here.”
[21:23] 579 tn Heb “my offspring and my descendants.”
[21:23] 580 tn The word “land” refers by metonymy to the people in the land.
[21:23] 581 tn The Hebrew verb means “to stay, to live, to sojourn” as a temporary resident without ownership rights.
[21:23] 583 tn Heb “According to the loyalty which I have done with you, do with me and with the land in which you are staying.”
[21:24] 584 tn Heb “I swear.” No object is specified in the Hebrew text, but the content of the oath requested by Abimelech is the implied object.
[21:25] 585 tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to argue; to dispute”; it can focus on the beginning of the dispute (as here), the dispute itself, or the resolution of a dispute (Isa 1:18). Apparently the complaint was lodged before the actual oath was taken.
[21:25] 586 tn Heb “concerning the matter of the well of water.”
[21:25] 587 tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to steal; to rob; to take violently.” The statement reflects Abraham’s perspective.
[21:26] 588 tn Heb “and also.”
[21:27] 589 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[21:29] 590 tn Heb “What are these?”
[21:30] 591 tn Heb “that it be for me for a witness.”
[21:30] 592 sn This well. Since the king wanted a treaty to share in Abraham’s good fortune, Abraham used the treaty to secure ownership of and protection for the well he dug. It would be useless to make a treaty to live in this territory if he had no rights to the water. Abraham consented to the treaty, but added his rider to it.
[21:31] 593 tn Heb “that is why he called that place.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive, “that is why that place was called.”
[21:31] 594 sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of the oath” or “well of the seven.” Both the verb “to swear” and the number “seven” have been used throughout the account. Now they are drawn in as part of the explanation of the significance of the name.
[21:31] 595 sn The verb forms a wordplay with the name Beer Sheba.
[21:32] 596 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[21:32] 597 tn Heb “arose and returned.”
[21:32] 598 sn The Philistines mentioned here may not be ethnically related to those who lived in Palestine in the time of the judges and the united monarchy. See D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 238.
[21:33] 599 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:33] 600 sn The planting of the tamarisk tree is a sign of Abraham’s intent to stay there for a long time, not a religious act. A growing tree in the Negev would be a lasting witness to God’s provision of water.
[21:33] 601 tn Heb “he called there in the name of the
[21:34] 602 tn Heb “many days.”
[22:1] 603 sn The Hebrew verb used here means “to test; to try; to prove.” In this passage God tests Abraham to see if he would be obedient. See T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 44-48. See also J. L. Crenshaw, A Whirlpool of Torment (OBT), 9-30; and J. I. Lawlor, “The Test of Abraham,” GTJ 1 (1980): 19-35.
[22:1] 604 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:2] 605 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:2] 606 sn Take your son…Isaac. The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.
[22:2] 607 sn There has been much debate over the location of Moriah; 2 Chr 3:1 suggests it may be the site where the temple was later built in Jerusalem.
[22:2] 608 sn A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.
[22:2] 609 tn Heb “which I will say to.”
[22:3] 610 tn Heb “Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey.”
[22:3] 611 tn Heb “he arose and he went.”
[22:4] 612 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.”
[22:5] 613 tn Heb “And Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[22:5] 614 tn The Hebrew verb is masculine plural, referring to the two young servants who accompanied Abraham and Isaac on the journey.
[22:5] 615 tn The disjunctive clause (with the compound subject preceding the verb) may be circumstantial and temporal.
[22:5] 616 tn This Hebrew word literally means “to bow oneself close to the ground.” It often means “to worship.”
[22:5] 617 sn It is impossible to know what Abraham was thinking when he said, “we will…return to you.” When he went he knew (1) that he was to sacrifice Isaac, and (2) that God intended to fulfill his earlier promises through Isaac. How he reconciled those facts is not clear in the text. Heb 11:17-19 suggests that Abraham believed God could restore Isaac to him through resurrection.
[22:6] 618 sn He took the fire and the knife in his hand. These details anticipate the sacrifice that lies ahead.
[22:7] 619 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This is redundant and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[22:7] 620 tn Heb “Here I am” (cf. Gen 22:1).
[22:7] 621 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood.’” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here and in the following verse the order of the introductory clauses and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[22:8] 622 tn Heb “will see for himself.” The construction means “to look out for; to see to it; to provide.”
[22:8] sn God will provide is the central theme of the passage and the turning point in the story. Note Paul’s allusion to the story in Rom 8:32 (“how shall he not freely give us all things?”) as well as H. J. Schoeps, “The Sacrifice of Isaac in Paul’s Theology,” JBL 65 (1946): 385-92.
[22:9] 623 sn Abraham built an altar there. The theme of Abraham’s altar building culminates here. He has been a faithful worshiper. Will he continue to worship when called upon to make such a radical sacrifice?
[22:9] 624 sn Then he tied up. This text has given rise to an important theme in Judaism known as the Aqedah, from the Hebrew word for “binding.” When sacrifices were made in the sanctuary, God remembered the binding of Isaac, for which a substitute was offered. See D. Polish, “The Binding of Isaac,” Jud 6 (1957): 17-21.
[22:10] 625 tn Heb “in order to slaughter.”
[22:11] 626 sn Heb “the messenger of the
[22:12] 627 tn Heb “Do not extend your hand toward the boy.”
[22:12] 628 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Do not extend…’”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the context for clarity. The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[22:12] 629 sn For now I know. The test was designed to see if Abraham would be obedient (see v. 1).
[22:12] 630 sn In this context fear refers by metonymy to obedience that grows from faith.
[22:13] 631 tn Heb “lifted his eyes.”
[22:13] 632 tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) draws attention to what Abraham saw and invites the audience to view the scene through his eyes.
[22:13] 633 tc The translation follows the reading of the MT; a number of Hebrew
[22:13] 634 tn Heb “Abraham”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[22:14] 635 tn Heb “the Lord sees” (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה, yÿhvah yir’eh, traditionally transliterated “Jehovah Jireh”; see the note on the word “provide” in v. 8). By so naming the place Abraham preserved in the memory of God’s people the amazing event that took place there.
[22:14] 636 sn On the expression to this day see B. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until this Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.
[22:14] 637 sn The saying connected with these events has some ambiguity, which was probably intended. The Niphal verb could be translated (1) “in the mountain of the Lord it will be seen/provided” or (2) “in the mountain the Lord will appear.” If the temple later stood here (see the note on “Moriah” in Gen 22:2), the latter interpretation might find support, for the people went to the temple to appear before the Lord, who “appeared” to them by providing for them his power and blessings. See S. R. Driver, Genesis, 219.
[22:16] 638 tn Heb “By myself I swear.”
[22:16] 639 tn Heb “the oracle of the
[22:17] 640 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.
[22:17] 641 tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).
[22:17] sn I will greatly multiply. The
[22:17] 642 tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
[22:17] 644 tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).
[22:18] 645 tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.
[22:18] sn Because you have obeyed me. Abraham’s obedience brought God’s ratification of the earlier conditional promise (see Gen 12:2).
[22:18] 646 tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 26:4). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)
[22:19] 647 tn Heb “and they arose and went together.”
[22:19] 648 tn Heb “and Abraham stayed in Beer Sheba. This has been translated as a relative clause for stylistic reasons.
[22:20] 649 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to the statement.
[22:21] 650 sn This parenthetical note about Kemuel’s descendant is probably a later insertion by the author/compiler of Genesis and not part of the original announcement.
[22:23] 651 tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is important but parenthetical to the narrative. Rebekah would become the wife of Isaac (Gen 24:15).
[23:1] 652 tn Heb “And the years of Sarah were one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”
[23:2] 653 tn Heb “Sarah.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“she”) for stylistic reasons.
[23:2] 654 sn Mourn…weep. The description here is of standard mourning rites (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD3 149-50). They would have been carried out in the presence of the corpse, probably in Sarah’s tent. So Abraham came in to mourn; then he rose up to go and bury his dead (v. 3).
[23:3] 655 tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”
[23:3] 656 tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.
[23:4] 657 tn Heb “a resident alien and a settler.”
[23:4] 658 tn Heb “give,” which is used here as an idiom for “sell” (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.
[23:4] 659 tn Or “possession.”
[23:4] 660 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.
[23:4] 661 tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:5] 662 tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”
[23:6] 663 tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”
[23:6] 664 tn Heb “prince of God.” The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, “mighty prince.” The word for “prince” probably means “tribal chief” here. See M. H. Gottstein, “Nasi’ ‘elohim (Gen 23:6),” VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, “Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew,” VT 3 (1953) 215-16.
[23:6] 665 tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:7] 666 tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).
[23:8] 667 tn Heb “If it is with your purpose.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here has the nuance “purpose” or perhaps “desire” (see BDB 661 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ).
[23:8] 668 tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:8] 670 tn Heb “intercede for me with.”
[23:9] 671 tn Heb “give.” This is used here (also a second time later in this verse) as an idiom for “sell”; see the note on the word “grant” in v. 4.
[23:9] 672 tn Heb “in your presence.”
[23:10] 674 tn Or perhaps “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.
[23:10] 675 tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.
[23:10] 676 sn On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate,” BASOR 144 (1956): 20-23; and G. Evans, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate: A Discussion of Professor Speiser’s Paper,” BASOR 150 (1958): 28-33.
[23:11] 677 tn Heb “give.” The perfect tense has here a present nuance; this is a formal, legally binding declaration. Abraham asked only for a burial site/cave within the field; Ephron agrees to sell him the entire field.
[23:11] 678 tn The Hebrew text adds “to you I give [i.e., sell] it.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[23:11] 679 tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”
[23:13] 682 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.
[23:15] 683 tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:15] 684 sn Four hundred pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).
[23:16] 685 tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”
[23:16] 686 tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”
[23:16] 687 tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:16] 689 tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[23:16] 690 tn Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.
[23:17] 691 tn Heb “And it was conveyed.” The recipient, Abraham (mentioned in the Hebrew text at the beginning of v. 18) has been placed here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:18] 692 tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:18] sn See G. M. Tucker, “The Legal Background of Genesis 23,” JBL 85 (1966):77-84; and M. R. Lehmann, “Abraham’s Purchase of Machpelah and Hittite Law,” BASOR 129 (1953): 15-18.
[23:20] 693 tn Heb “possession of a grave.”
[24:1] 695 tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[24:2] 696 tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).
[24:2] 697 sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.
[24:3] 698 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.
[24:3] 699 tn Heb “because you must not take.”
[24:4] 700 tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”
[24:5] 702 tn Heb “to go after me.”
[24:5] 703 tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.
[24:6] 704 tn Heb “guard yourself.”
[24:6] 705 tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:7] 706 tn Or “the land of my birth.”
[24:7] 707 tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”
[24:7] 708 tn Or “his messenger.”
[24:7] 709 tn Heb “before you and you will take.”
[24:8] 710 tn Heb “ to go after you.”
[24:8] 711 sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.
[24:9] 712 tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”
[24:10] 713 tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.
[24:10] 714 tn Heb “and he arose and went.”
[24:10] 715 tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:10] sn Aram Naharaim means in Hebrew “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia.
[24:11] 716 tn Heb “well of water.”
[24:11] 717 tn Heb “at the time of evening.”
[24:12] 718 tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).
[24:12] 719 tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”
[24:13] 720 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
[24:14] 722 sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.
[24:14] 723 tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”
[24:15] 724 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.
[24:15] 725 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:16] 726 tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.
[24:17] 727 tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:18] 728 tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”
[24:19] 729 tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:20] 730 tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”
[24:21] 732 tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).
[24:22] 733 sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).
[24:22] 734 sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).
[24:22] 735 tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[24:23] 736 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:24] 737 tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:25] 738 tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:25] 739 tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[24:27] 740 tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”
[24:27] 741 tn Heb “As for me – in the way the
[24:27] 742 tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.
[24:27] 743 tn Heb “brothers.”
[24:28] 744 tn Heb “according to.”
[24:29] 745 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.
[24:30] 746 tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[24:30] 747 tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”
[24:30] 748 tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.
[24:31] 749 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:31] 750 sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the
[24:31] 751 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.
[24:32] 752 tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:32] 753 tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).
[24:32] 754 tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.
[24:32] 755 tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”
[24:33] 756 tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”
[24:33] 757 tn Heb “my words.”
[24:33] 758 tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”
[24:33] tn Heb “and he said, ‘Speak.’” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:35] 759 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.
[24:35] 760 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the
[24:36] 761 tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:36] 762 tn Heb “after her old age.”
[24:36] 763 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:38] 764 tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”
[24:39] 765 tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.
[24:39] 766 tn Heb “after me.”
[24:40] 767 tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the
[24:41] 768 tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).
[24:42] 769 tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”
[24:42] 770 tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[24:43] 771 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
[24:43] 772 tn Heb “and it will be.”
[24:45] 773 tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.
[24:45] 774 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.
[24:47] 775 tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:48] 776 tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).
[24:49] 777 tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.
[24:50] 778 tn Heb “From the
[24:50] 779 tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.
[24:51] 780 tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[24:51] 781 tn Heb “as the
[24:53] 782 tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:54] 783 tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”
[24:54] 784 tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”
[24:55] 785 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:56] 786 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.
[24:56] 787 tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[24:57] 788 tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”
[24:58] 789 tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.
[24:60] 790 tn Heb “and said to her.”
[24:60] 791 tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”
[24:60] sn May you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands. The blessing expresses their prayer that she produce children and start a family line that will greatly increase (cf. Gen 17:16).
[24:60] 792 tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.
[24:61] 793 tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”
[24:61] 794 tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:62] 795 tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.
[24:62] 796 tn Heb “from the way of.”
[24:62] 797 sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.
[24:62] 798 tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.
[24:62] 799 tn Or “the South [country].”
[24:62] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[24:63] 800 tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:63] 801 tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).
[24:63] 802 tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”
[24:63] 803 tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.
[24:63] 804 tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.
[24:64] 805 tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”
[24:65] 806 tn Heb “and she said to.”
[24:65] 807 tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:65] 808 tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:67] 809 tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.
[24:67] 810 tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:67] 811 tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”
[24:67] 812 tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.
[25:1] sn Abraham had taken another wife. These events are not necessarily in chronological order following the events of the preceding chapter. They are listed here to summarize Abraham’s other descendants before the narrative of his death.
[25:1] 814 tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”
[25:3] 815 sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.
[25:6] 817 tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”
[25:6] 818 tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”
[25:7] 819 tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.
[25:8] 820 tn Heb “old and full.”
[25:8] 821 tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
[25:9] 822 sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).
[25:10] 823 tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.
[25:11] 824 sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).
[25:11] 825 sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.
[25:12] 826 sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).
[25:13] 827 tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”
[25:16] 828 tn Or “tribal chieftains.”
[25:17] 829 tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”
[25:17] 830 tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
[25:18] 831 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:18] 832 tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.
[25:18] 833 tn Heb “as you go.”
[25:18] 834 sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.
[25:18] 836 tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.
