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Genesis 13:1--17:27

Context
Abram’s Solution to the Strife

13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. 1  He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot. 2  13:2 (Now Abram was very wealthy 3  in livestock, silver, and gold.) 4 

13:3 And he journeyed from place to place 5  from the Negev as far as Bethel. 6  He returned 7  to the place where he had pitched his tent 8  at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai. 13:4 This was the place where he had first built the altar, 9  and there Abram worshiped the Lord. 10 

13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling 11  with Abram, also had 12  flocks, herds, and tents. 13:6 But the land could 13  not support them while they were living side by side. 14  Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live 15  alongside one another. 13:7 So there were quarrels 16  between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. 17  (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) 18 

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. 19  13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go 20  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 21  the whole region 22  of the Jordan. He noticed 23  that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated 24  Sodom and Gomorrah) 25  like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, 26  all the way to Zoar. 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled 27  toward the east.

So the relatives separated from each other. 28  13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain 29  and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13:13 (Now 30  the people 31  of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.) 32 

13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, 33  “Look 34  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 35  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. 36  13:17 Get up and 37  walk throughout 38  the land, 39  for I will give it to you.”

13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live 40  by the oaks 41  of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.

The Blessing of Victory for God’s People

14:1 At that time 42  Amraphel king of Shinar, 43  Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations 44  14:2 went to war 45  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). 46  14:3 These last five kings 47  joined forces 48  in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 49  14:4 For twelve years 50  they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year 51  they rebelled. 52  14:5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated 53  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. 54  14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, 55  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 56  14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, 57  Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against 58  five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. 59  When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, 60  but some survivors 61  fled to the hills. 62  14:11 The four victorious kings 63  took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew 64  Lot and his possessions when 65  they left, for Lot 66  was living in Sodom. 67 

14:13 A fugitive 68  came and told Abram the Hebrew. 69  Now Abram was living by the oaks 70  of Mamre the Amorite, the brother 71  of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty 72  with Abram.) 73  14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew 74  had been taken captive, he mobilized 75  his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders 76  as far as Dan. 77  14:15 Then, during the night, 78  Abram 79  divided his forces 80  against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north 81  of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. 82  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of 83  the people.

14:17 After Abram 84  returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram 85  in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). 86  14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem 87  brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) 88  14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by 89  the Most High God,

Creator 90  of heaven and earth. 91 

14:20 Worthy of praise is 92  the Most High God,

who delivered 93  your enemies into your hand.”

Abram gave Melchizedek 94  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 95  to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow 96  14:23 that I will take nothing 97  belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I 98  who made Abram rich.’ 14:24 I will take nothing 99  except compensation for what the young men have eaten. 100  As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”

The Cutting of the Covenant

15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield 101  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” 102 

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, 103  what will you give me since 104  I continue to be 105  childless, and my heir 106  is 107  Eliezer of Damascus?” 108  15:3 Abram added, 109  “Since 110  you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” 111 

15:4 But look, 112  the word of the Lord came to him: “This man 113  will not be your heir, 114  but instead 115  a son 116  who comes from your own body will be 117  your heir.” 118  15:5 The Lord 119  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 120  the Lord, and the Lord 121  considered his response of faith 122  as proof of genuine loyalty. 123 

15:7 The Lord said 124  to him, “I am the Lord 125  who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans 126  to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But 127  Abram 128  said, “O sovereign Lord, 129  by what 130  can I know that I am to possess it?”

15:9 The Lord 131  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 132  took all these for him and then cut them in two 133  and placed each half opposite the other, 134  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, 135  and great terror overwhelmed him. 136  15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain 137  that your descendants will be strangers 138  in a foreign country. 139  They will be enslaved and oppressed 140  for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. 141  Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, 142  you will go to your ancestors 143  in peace and be buried at a good old age. 144  15:16 In the fourth generation 145  your descendants 146  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” 147 

15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch 148  passed between the animal parts. 149  15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant 150  with Abram: “To your descendants I give 151  this land, from the river of Egypt 152  to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land 153  of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” 154 

The Birth of Ishmael

16:1 Now Sarai, 155  Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, 156  but she had an Egyptian servant 157  named Hagar. 158  16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since 159  the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with 160  my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” 161  Abram did what 162  Sarai told him.

16:3 So after Abram had lived 163  in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, 164  to her husband to be his wife. 165  16:4 He had sexual relations with 166  Hagar, and she became pregnant. 167  Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. 168  16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! 169  I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, 170  but when she realized 171  that she was pregnant, she despised me. 172  May the Lord judge between you and me!” 173 

16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your 174  servant is under your authority, 175  do to her whatever you think best.” 176  Then Sarai treated Hagar 177  harshly, 178  so she ran away from Sarai. 179 

16:7 The Lord’s angel 180  found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. 181  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 182  my mistress, Sarai.”

16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit 183  to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, 184  “so that they will be too numerous to count.” 185  16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,

“You are now 186  pregnant

and are about to give birth 187  to a son.

You are to name him Ishmael, 188 

for the Lord has heard your painful groans. 189 

16:12 He will be a wild donkey 190  of a man.

He will be hostile to everyone, 191 

and everyone will be hostile to him. 192 

He will live away from 193  his brothers.”

16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” 194  for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” 195  16:14 That is why the well was called 196  Beer Lahai Roi. 197  (It is located 198  between Kadesh and Bered.)

16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. 199  16:16 (Now 200  Abram was 86 years old 201  when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) 202 

The Sign of the Covenant

17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, 203  the Lord appeared to him and said, 204  “I am the sovereign God. 205  Walk 206  before me 207  and be blameless. 208  17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant 209  between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” 210 

17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, 211  and God said to him, 212  17:4 “As for me, 213  this 214  is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 17:5 No longer will your name be 215  Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham 216  because I will make you 217  the father of a multitude of nations. 17:6 I will make you 218  extremely 219  fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. 220  17:7 I will confirm 221  my covenant as a perpetual 222  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. 223  17:8 I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing 224  – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent 225  possession. I will be their God.”

17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep 226  the covenantal requirement 227  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: 228  Every male among you must be circumcised. 229  17:11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder 230  of the covenant between me and you. 17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old 231  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, 232  whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant 233  will be visible in your flesh as a permanent 234  reminder. 17:14 Any uncircumcised male 235  who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off 236  from his people – he has failed to carry out my requirement.” 237 

17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; 238  Sarah 239  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. 240  Kings of countries 241  will come from her!”

17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed 242  as he said to himself, 243  “Can 244  a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? 245  Can Sarah 246  bear a child at the age of ninety?” 247  17:18 Abraham said to God, “O that 248  Ishmael might live before you!” 249 

17:19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. 250  I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual 251  covenant for his descendants after him. 17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. 252  I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. 253  He will become the father of twelve princes; 254  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. 255 

17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) 256  and circumcised them 257  on that very same day, just as God had told him to do. 17:24 Now Abraham was 99 years old 258  when he was circumcised; 259  17:25 his son Ishmael was thirteen years old 260  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.

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[13:1]  1 tn Or “the South [country]” (also in v. 3).

[13:1]  2 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]  3 tn Heb “heavy.”

[13:2]  4 tn This parenthetical clause, introduced by the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), provides information necessary to the point of the story.

[13:3]  5 tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.

[13:3]  6 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[13:3]  7 tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:3]  8 tn Heb “where his tent had been.”

[13:4]  9 tn Heb “to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning” (cf. Gen 12:7-8).

[13:4]  10 tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[13:5]  11 tn Heb “was going.”

[13:5]  12 tn The Hebrew idiom is “to Lot…there was,” the preposition here expressing possession.

[13:6]  13 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]  14 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]  15 tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.

[13:7]  16 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]  17 sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.

[13:7]  18 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]  19 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]  20 tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.

[13:10]  21 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]  22 tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”

[13:10]  23 tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  24 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]  25 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]  26 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 Lord and to the land of Egypt for comparison. Just as the tree in the garden of Eden had awakened Eve’s desire, so the fertile valley attracted Lot. And just as certain memories of Egypt would cause the Israelites to want to turn back and abandon the trek to the promised land, so Lot headed for the good life.

[13:11]  27 tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.

[13:11]  28 tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”

[13:12]  29 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]  30 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]  31 tn Heb “men.” However, this is generic in sense; it is unlikely that only the male residents of Sodom were sinners.

[13:13]  32 tn Heb “wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.” The description of the sinfulness of the Sodomites is very emphatic. First, two nouns are used to form a hendiadys: “wicked and sinners” means “wicked sinners,” the first word becoming adjectival. The text is saying these were no ordinary sinners; they were wicked sinners, the type that cause pain for others. Then to this phrase is added “against the Lord,” stressing their violation of the laws of heaven and their culpability. Finally, to this is added מְאֹד (mÿod, “exceedingly,” translated here as “extremely”).

[13:14]  33 tn Heb “and the Lord said to Abram after Lot separated himself from with him.” The disjunctive clause at the beginning of the verse signals a new scene.

[13:14]  34 tn Heb “lift up your eyes and see.”

[13:15]  35 tn Heb “for all the land which you see to you I will give it and to your descendants.”

[13:16]  36 tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.

[13:17]  37 tn The connective “and” is not present in the Hebrew text; it has been supplied for purposes of English style.

[13:17]  38 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]  39 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]  40 tn Heb “he came and lived.”

[13:18]  41 tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:1]  42 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) followed by “in the days of.”

[14:1]  43 sn Shinar (also in v. 9) is the region of Babylonia.

[14:1]  44 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]  45 tn Heb “made war.”

[14:2]  46 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]  47 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]  48 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]  49 sn The Salt Sea is the older name for the Dead Sea.

[14:4]  50 tn The sentence simply begins with “twelve years”; it serves as an adverbial accusative giving the duration of their bondage.

[14:4]  51 tn This is another adverbial accusative of time.

[14:4]  52 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]  53 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]  54 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]  55 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.”

[14:8]  56 tn Heb “against.”

[14:9]  57 tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.

[14:9]  58 tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:10]  59 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]  60 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]  61 tn Heb “the rest.”

[14:10]  62 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]  63 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  64 tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”

[14:12]  65 tn Heb “and.”

[14:12]  66 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  67 tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.

[14:13]  68 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]  69 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]  70 tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:13]  71 tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”

[14:13]  72 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]  73 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]  74 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]  75 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]  76 tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:14]  77 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]  78 tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.

[14:15]  79 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:15]  80 tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”

[14:15]  81 tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[14:16]  82 tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:16]  83 tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:17]  84 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  85 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  86 sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.

[14:18]  87 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 Lord declares that the Davidic king is a royal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.

[14:18]  88 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.

[14:19]  89 tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.

[14:19]  90 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]  91 tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.

[14:20]  92 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]  93 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]  94 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:22]  95 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]  96 tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:23]  97 tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the Lord deal with me] if I take,” meaning, “I will surely not take.” The positive oath would add the negative adverb and be the reverse: “[God will deal with me] if I do not take,” meaning, “I certainly will.”

[14:23]  98 tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.

[14:24]  99 tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:24]  100 tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”

[15:1]  101 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]  102 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).

[15:2]  103 tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master, Lord”). Since the tetragrammaton (YHWH) usually is pointed with the vowels for the Hebrew word אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “master”) to avoid pronouncing the divine name, that would lead in this place to a repetition of אֲדֹנָי. So the tetragrammaton is here pointed with the vowels for the word אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God”) instead. That would produce the reading of the Hebrew as “Master, God” in the Jewish textual tradition. But the presence of “Master” before the holy name is rather compelling evidence that the original would have been “Master, Lord,” which is rendered here “sovereign Lord.”

[15:2]  104 tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.

[15:2]  105 tn Heb “I am going.”

[15:2]  106 tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”

[15:2]  107 tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).

[15:2]  108 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]  109 tn Heb “And Abram said.”

[15:3]  110 tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).

[15:3]  111 tn Heb “is inheriting me.”

[15:4]  112 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]  113 tn The subject of the verb is the demonstrative pronoun, which can be translated “this one” or “this man.” That the Lord does not mention him by name is significant; often in ancient times the use of the name would bring legitimacy to inheritance and adoption cases.

[15:4]  114 tn Heb “inherit you.”

[15:4]  115 tn The Hebrew כִּי־אִם (ki-im) forms a very strong adversative.

[15:4]  116 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]  117 tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”

[15:4]  118 tn Heb “will inherit you.”

[15:5]  119 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  120 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]  121 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  122 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]  123 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).

[15:7]  124 tn Heb “And he said.”

[15:7]  125 sn I am the Lord. The Lord initiates the covenant-making ceremony with a declaration of who he is and what he has done for Abram. The same form appears at the beginning of the covenant made at Sinai (see Exod 20:1).

[15:7]  126 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 b.c.

[15:8]  127 tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”

[15:8]  128 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:8]  129 tn See note on the phrase “sovereign Lord” in 15:2.

[15:8]  130 tn Or “how.”

[15:9]  131 tn Heb “He”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  132 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  133 tn Heb “in the middle.”

[15:10]  134 tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”

[15:12]  135 tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”

[15:12]  136 tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”

[15:13]  137 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]  138 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]  139 tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  140 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]  141 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]  142 tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.

[15:15]  143 sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.

[15:15]  144 tn Heb “in a good old age.”

[15:16]  145 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]  146 tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[15:16]  147 tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

[15:17]  148 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]  149 tn Heb “these pieces.”

[15:18]  150 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[15:18]  151 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]  152 sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.

[15:19]  153 tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:21]  154 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]  155 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.

[16:1]  156 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]  157 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]  158 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]  159 tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.

[16:2]  160 tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).

[16:2]  161 tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.

[16:2]  162 tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”

[16:3]  163 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]  164 tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”

[16:3]  165 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]  166 tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.

[16:4]  167 tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)

[16:4]  168 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]  169 tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”

[16:5]  170 tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”

[16:5]  171 tn Heb “saw.”

[16:5]  172 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]  173 tn Heb “me and you.”

[16:6]  174 tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”

[16:6]  175 tn Heb “in your hand.”

[16:6]  176 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”

[16:6]  177 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:6]  178 tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”

[16:6]  179 tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:7]  180 tn Heb “the messenger of the Lord.” Some identify the angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ because in some texts the angel is identified with the Lord himself. However, it is more likely that the angel merely represents the Lord; he can speak for the Lord because he is sent with the Lord’s full authority. In some cases the angel is clearly distinct from the Lord (see Judg 6:11-23). It is not certain if the same angel is always in view. Though the proper name following the noun “angel” makes the construction definite, this may simply indicate that a definite angel sent from the Lord is referred to in any given context. It need not be the same angel on every occasion. Note the analogous expression “the servant of the Lord,” which refers to various individuals in the OT (see BDB 714 s.v. עֶבֶד).

[16:7]  181 tn Heb “And the angel of the Lord found her near the spring of water in the desert, near the spring on the way to Shur.”

[16:8]  182 tn Heb “from the presence of.”

[16:9]  183 tn The imperative וְהִתְעַנִּי (vÿhitanni) 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]  184 tn Heb “The Lord’s angel said, ‘I will greatly multiply your descendants….” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:10]  185 tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”

[16:11]  186 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”

[16:11]  187 tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.

[16:11]  188 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]  189 tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.

[16:12]  190 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]  191 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]  192 tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”

[16:12]  193 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]  194 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]  195 tn Heb “after one who sees me.”

[16:14]  196 tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.

[16:14]  197 sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿer lakhay roi) 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]  198 tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:15]  199 tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”

[16:16]  200 tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.

[16:16]  201 tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”

[16:16]  202 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]  203 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:1]  204 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]  205 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 mss, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the LXX, and Syriac) as the one who provides abundant blessings, including “blessings of the breast and womb” (49:25). (The direct association of the name with “breasts” suggests the name might mean “the one of the breast” [i.e., the one who gives fertility], but the juxtaposition is probably better explained as wordplay. Note the wordplay involving the name and the root שָׁדַד, shadad, “destroy”] in Isa 13:6 and in Joel 1:15.) Outside Genesis the name Shaddai (minus the element “El” [“God”]) is normally used when God is viewed as the sovereign king who blesses/protects or curses/brings judgment. The name appears in the introduction to two of Balaam’s oracles (Num 24:4, 16) of blessing upon Israel. Naomi employs the name when accusing the Lord of treating her bitterly by taking the lives of her husband and sons (Ruth 1:20-21). In Ps 68:14; Isa 13:6; and Joel 1:15 Shaddai judges his enemies through warfare, while Ps 91:1 depicts him as the protector of his people. (In Ezek 1:24 and 10:5 the sound of the cherubs’ wings is compared to Shaddai’s powerful voice. The reference may be to the mighty divine warrior’s battle cry which accompanies his angry judgment.) Finally, the name occurs 31 times in the Book of Job. Job and his “friends” assume that Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world (11:7; 37:23a) who is the source of life (33:4b) and is responsible for maintaining justice (8:3; 34:10-12; 37:23b). He provides abundant blessings, including children (22:17-18; 29:4-6), but he can also discipline, punish, and destroy (5:17; 6:4; 21:20; 23:16). It is not surprising to see the name so often in this book, where the theme of God’s justice is primary and even called into question (24:1; 27:2). The most likely proposal is that the name means “God, the one of the mountain” (an Akkadian cognate means “mountain,” to which the Hebrew שַׁד, shad, “breast”] is probably related). For a discussion of proposed derivations see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 70-71. The name may originally have depicted God as the sovereign judge who, in Canaanite style, ruled from a sacred mountain. Isa 14:13 and Ezek 28:14, 16 associate such a mountain with God, while Ps 48:2 refers to Zion as “Zaphon,” the Canaanite Olympus from which the high god El ruled. (In Isa 14 the Canaanite god El may be in view. Note that Isaiah pictures pagan kings as taunting the king of Babylon, suggesting that pagan mythology may provide the background for the language and imagery.)

[17:1]  206 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]  207 tn Or “in my presence.”

[17:1]  208 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 Lord, then the second imperative is likely sequential. (2) But if it has a positive moral connotation (“serve me faithfully”), then the second imperative probably indicates purpose (or result). For other uses of the idiom see 1 Sam 2:30, 35 and 12:2 (where it occurs twice).

[17:2]  209 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative indicates consequence. If Abram is blameless, then the Lord will ratify the covenant. Earlier the Lord ratified part of his promise to Abram (see Gen 15:18-21), guaranteeing him that his descendants would live in the land. But the expanded form of the promise, which includes numerous descendants and eternal possession of the land, remains to be ratified. This expanded form of the promise is in view here (see vv. 2b, 4-8). See the note at Gen 15:18 and R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 35-54.

[17:2]  210 tn Heb “I will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:3]  211 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]  212 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]  213 tn Heb “I.”

[17:4]  214 tn Heb “is” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).

[17:5]  215 tn Heb “will your name be called.”

[17:5]  216 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]  217 tn The perfect verbal form is used here in a rhetorical manner to emphasize God’s intention.

[17:6]  218 tn This verb starts a series of perfect verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive to express God’s intentions.

[17:6]  219 tn Heb “exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:6]  220 tn Heb “and I will make you into nations, and kings will come out from you.”

[17:7]  221 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]  222 tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:7]  223 tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”

[17:8]  224 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]  225 tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:9]  226 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]  227 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]  228 tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”

[17:10]  229 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.

[17:11]  230 tn Or “sign.”

[17:12]  231 tn Heb “the son of eight days.”

[17:13]  232 tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.

[17:13]  233 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]  234 tn Or “an eternal.”

[17:14]  235 tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.

[17:14]  236 tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:14]  237 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]  238 tn Heb “[As for] Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [will be] her name.”

[17:15]  239 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]  240 tn Heb “she will become nations.”

[17:16]  241 tn Heb “peoples.”

[17:17]  242 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]  243 tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”

[17:17]  244 tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.

[17:17]  245 tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”

[17:17]  246 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]  247 tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”

[17:18]  248 tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”

[17:18]  249 tn Or “live with your blessing.”

[17:19]  250 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]  251 tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:20]  252 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]  253 tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:20]  254 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]  255 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.

[17:23]  256 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]  257 tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.

[17:24]  258 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:24]  259 tn Heb “circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (also in v. 25).

[17:25]  260 tn Heb “the son of thirteen years.”



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