14:1 At that time 1 Amraphel king of Shinar, 2 Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations 3 14:2 went to war 4 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). 5 14:3 These last five kings 6 joined forces 7 in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 8 14:4 For twelve years 9 they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year 10 they rebelled. 11 14:5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated 12 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. 13 14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, 14 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 15 14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, 16 Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against 17 five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. 18 When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, 19 but some survivors 20 fled to the hills. 21 14:11 The four victorious kings 22 took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew 23 Lot and his possessions when 24 they left, for Lot 25 was living in Sodom. 26
14:13 A fugitive 27 came and told Abram the Hebrew. 28 Now Abram was living by the oaks 29 of Mamre the Amorite, the brother 30 of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty 31 with Abram.) 32 14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew 33 had been taken captive, he mobilized 34 his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders 35 as far as Dan. 36 14:15 Then, during the night, 37 Abram 38 divided his forces 39 against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north 40 of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. 41 He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of 42 the people.
14:17 After Abram 43 returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram 44 in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). 45 14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem 46 brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) 47 14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by 48 the Most High God,
Creator 49 of heaven and earth. 50
14:20 Worthy of praise is 51 the Most High God,
who delivered 52 your enemies into your hand.”
Abram gave Melchizedek 53 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 54 to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow 55 14:23 that I will take nothing 56 belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I 57 who made Abram rich.’ 14:24 I will take nothing 58 except compensation for what the young men have eaten. 59 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 60 and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” 61
15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, 62 what will you give me since 63 I continue to be 64 childless, and my heir 65 is 66 Eliezer of Damascus?” 67 15:3 Abram added, 68 “Since 69 you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” 70
15:4 But look, 71 the word of the Lord came to him: “This man 72 will not be your heir, 73 but instead 74 a son 75 who comes from your own body will be 76 your heir.” 77 15:5 The Lord 78 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 79 the Lord, and the Lord 80 considered his response of faith 81 as proof of genuine loyalty. 82
15:7 The Lord said 83 to him, “I am the Lord 84 who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans 85 to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But 86 Abram 87 said, “O sovereign Lord, 88 by what 89 can I know that I am to possess it?”
15:9 The Lord 90 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 91 took all these for him and then cut them in two 92 and placed each half opposite the other, 93 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, 94 and great terror overwhelmed him. 95 15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain 96 that your descendants will be strangers 97 in a foreign country. 98 They will be enslaved and oppressed 99 for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. 100 Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, 101 you will go to your ancestors 102 in peace and be buried at a good old age. 103 15:16 In the fourth generation 104 your descendants 105 will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” 106
15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch 107 passed between the animal parts. 108 15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant 109 with Abram: “To your descendants I give 110 this land, from the river of Egypt 111 to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land 112 of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” 113
16:1 Now Sarai, 114 Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, 115 but she had an Egyptian servant 116 named Hagar. 117 16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since 118 the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with 119 my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” 120 Abram did what 121 Sarai told him.
16:3 So after Abram had lived 122 in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, 123 to her husband to be his wife. 124 16:4 He had sexual relations with 125 Hagar, and she became pregnant. 126 Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. 127 16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! 128 I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, 129 but when she realized 130 that she was pregnant, she despised me. 131 May the Lord judge between you and me!” 132
16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your 133 servant is under your authority, 134 do to her whatever you think best.” 135 Then Sarai treated Hagar 136 harshly, 137 so she ran away from Sarai. 138
16:7 The Lord’s angel 139 found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. 140 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 141 my mistress, Sarai.”
16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit 142 to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, 143 “so that they will be too numerous to count.” 144 16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,
“You are now 145 pregnant
and are about to give birth 146 to a son.
You are to name him Ishmael, 147
for the Lord has heard your painful groans. 148
16:12 He will be a wild donkey 149 of a man.
He will be hostile to everyone, 150
and everyone will be hostile to him. 151
He will live away from 152 his brothers.”
16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” 153 for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” 154 16:14 That is why the well was called 155 Beer Lahai Roi. 156 (It is located 157 between Kadesh and Bered.)
16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. 158 16:16 (Now 159 Abram was 86 years old 160 when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) 161
4:9 Two people are better than one,
because they can reap 162 more benefit 163 from their labor.
1 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) followed by “in the days of.”
2 sn Shinar (also in v. 9) is the region of Babylonia.
3 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”).
4 tn Heb “made war.”
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 sn The Salt Sea is the older name for the Dead Sea.
9 tn The sentence simply begins with “twelve years”; it serves as an adverbial accusative giving the duration of their bondage.
10 tn This is another adverbial accusative of time.
11 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.
12 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.
13 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 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.”
15 tn Heb “against.”
16 tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.
17 tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
18 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.”
19 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).
20 tn Heb “the rest.”
21 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.
22 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
23 tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”
24 tn Heb “and.”
25 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
26 tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.
27 tn Heb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.
28 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).
29 tn Or “terebinths.”
30 tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”
31 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.
32 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.
33 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).
34 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.
35 tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
36 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.
37 tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.
38 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39 tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”
40 tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.
41 tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
42 tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
43 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
44 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
45 sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.
46 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
47 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.
48 tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.
49 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.”
50 tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.
51 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.
52 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.
53 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
54 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.”
55 tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
56 tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the
57 tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.
58 tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
59 tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”
60 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.
61 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).
62 tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master,
63 tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.
64 tn Heb “I am going.”
65 tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”
66 tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).
67 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.
68 tn Heb “And Abram said.”
69 tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).
70 tn Heb “is inheriting me.”
71 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.
72 tn The subject of the verb is the demonstrative pronoun, which can be translated “this one” or “this man.” That the
73 tn Heb “inherit you.”
74 tn The Hebrew כִּי־אִם (ki-’im) forms a very strong adversative.
75 tn Heb “he who”; the implied referent (Abram’s unborn son who will be his heir) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
76 tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”
77 tn Heb “will inherit you.”
78 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
79 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.
80 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the
81 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.
82 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).
83 tn Heb “And he said.”
84 sn I am the
85 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
86 tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”
87 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
88 tn See note on the phrase “sovereign
89 tn Or “how.”
90 tn Heb “He”; the referent (the
91 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
92 tn Heb “in the middle.”
93 tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”
94 tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”
95 tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”
96 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.
97 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.
98 tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”
99 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.
100 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.
101 tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.
102 sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.
103 tn Heb “in a good old age.”
104 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.
105 tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
106 tn Heb “is not yet complete.”
107 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).
108 tn Heb “these pieces.”
109 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
110 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”).
111 sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.
112 tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
113 tn Each of the names in the list has the Hebrew definite article, which is used here generically for the class of people identified.
114 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.
115 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.
116 tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.
117 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.)
118 tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.
119 tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).
120 tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.
121 tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”
122 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.
123 tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”
124 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.
125 tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.
126 tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)
127 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.
128 tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”
129 tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”
130 tn Heb “saw.”
131 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.
132 tn Heb “me and you.”
133 tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”
134 tn Heb “in your hand.”
135 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”
136 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
137 tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”
138 tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
139 tn Heb “the messenger of the
140 tn Heb “And the angel of the
141 tn Heb “from the presence of.”
142 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.
143 tn Heb “The
144 tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”
145 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”
146 tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.
147 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.”
148 tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.
149 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.
150 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.
151 tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”
152 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).
153 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”).
154 tn Heb “after one who sees me.”
155 tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.
156 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.
157 tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
158 tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”
159 tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.
160 tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”
161 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.
162 tn Heb “they have.”
163 tn Heb “a good reward.”
164 tn Grk “And now.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
165 sn Joppa was a seaport on the Philistine coast, in the same location as modern Jaffa.
166 tn Grk “a certain Simon.”
167 tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname. See also MM 118.
168 tn Grk “But getting up, go down.” The participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
169 tn The term means “without doubting” or “without deliberation.” It is a term of conscience and discernment. In effect, Peter is to listen to them rather than hesitate (BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 6).