Genesis 15:1--18:33

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 ¹  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” ² 

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, ³  what will you give me since ⁴  I continue to be ⁵  childless, and my heir ⁶  is ⁷  Eliezer of Damascus?” ⁸  15:3 Abram added, ⁹  “Since ¹⁰  you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” ¹¹ 

15:4 But look, ¹²  the word of the Lord came to him: “This man ¹³  will not be your heir, ¹⁴  but instead ¹⁵  a son ¹⁶  who comes from your own body will be ¹⁷  your heir.” ¹⁸  15:5 The Lord ¹⁹  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 ²⁰  the Lord, and the Lord ²¹  considered his response of faith ²²  as proof of genuine loyalty. ²³ 

15:7 The Lord said ²⁴  to him, “I am the Lord ²⁵  who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans ²⁶  to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But ²⁷  Abram ²⁸  said, “O sovereign Lord, ²⁹  by what ³⁰  can I know that I am to possess it?”

15:9 The Lord ³¹  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 ³²  took all these for him and then cut them in two ³³  and placed each half opposite the other, ³⁴  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, ³⁵  and great terror overwhelmed him. ³⁶  15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ³⁷  that your descendants will be strangers ³⁸  in a foreign country. ³⁹  They will be enslaved and oppressed ⁴⁰  for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. ⁴¹  Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, ⁴²  you will go to your ancestors ⁴³  in peace and be buried at a good old age. ⁴⁴  15:16 In the fourth generation ⁴⁵  your descendants ⁴⁶  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” ⁴⁷ 

15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch ⁴⁸  passed between the animal parts. ⁴⁹  15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant ⁵⁰  with Abram: “To your descendants I give ⁵¹  this land, from the river of Egypt ⁵²  to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land ⁵³  of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” ⁵⁴ 

The Birth of Ishmael

16:1 Now Sarai, ⁵⁵  Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, ⁵⁶  but she had an Egyptian servant ⁵⁷  named Hagar. ⁵⁸  16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since ⁵⁹  the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with ⁶⁰  my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” ⁶¹  Abram did what ⁶²  Sarai told him.

16:3 So after Abram had lived ⁶³  in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, ⁶⁴  to her husband to be his wife. ⁶⁵  16:4 He had sexual relations with ⁶⁶  Hagar, and she became pregnant. ⁶⁷  Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. ⁶⁸  16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! ⁶⁹  I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, ⁷⁰  but when she realized ⁷¹  that she was pregnant, she despised me. ⁷²  May the Lord judge between you and me!” ⁷³ 

16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your ⁷⁴  servant is under your authority, ⁷⁵  do to her whatever you think best.” ⁷⁶  Then Sarai treated Hagar ⁷⁷  harshly, ⁷⁸  so she ran away from Sarai. ⁷⁹ 

16:7 The Lord’s angel ⁸⁰  found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. ⁸¹  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 ⁸²  my mistress, Sarai.”

16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit ⁸³  to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, ⁸⁴  “so that they will be too numerous to count.” ⁸⁵  16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,

“You are now ⁸⁶  pregnant

and are about to give birth ⁸⁷  to a son.

You are to name him Ishmael, ⁸⁸ 

for the Lord has heard your painful groans. ⁸⁹ 

16:12 He will be a wild donkey ⁹⁰  of a man.

He will be hostile to everyone, ⁹¹ 

and everyone will be hostile to him. ⁹² 

He will live away from ⁹³  his brothers.”

16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” ⁹⁴  for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” ⁹⁵  16:14 That is why the well was called ⁹⁶  Beer Lahai Roi. ⁹⁷  (It is located ⁹⁸  between Kadesh and Bered.)

16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. ⁹⁹  16:16 (Now ¹⁰⁰  Abram was 86 years old ¹⁰¹  when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) ¹⁰² 

The Sign of the Covenant

17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, ¹⁰³  the Lord appeared to him and said, ¹⁰⁴  “I am the sovereign God. ¹⁰⁵  Walk ¹⁰⁶  before me ¹⁰⁷  and be blameless. ¹⁰⁸  17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant ¹⁰⁹  between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” ¹¹⁰ 

17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, ¹¹¹  and God said to him, ¹¹²  17:4 “As for me, ¹¹³  this ¹¹⁴  is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 17:5 No longer will your name be ¹¹⁵  Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham ¹¹⁶  because I will make you ¹¹⁷  the father of a multitude of nations. 17:6 I will make you ¹¹⁸  extremely ¹¹⁹  fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. ¹²⁰  17:7 I will confirm ¹²¹  my covenant as a perpetual ¹²²  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. ¹²³  17:8 I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing ¹²⁴  – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent ¹²⁵  possession. I will be their God.”

17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep ¹²⁶  the covenantal requirement ¹²⁷  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: ¹²⁸  Every male among you must be circumcised. ¹²⁹  17:11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder ¹³⁰  of the covenant between me and you. 17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old ¹³¹  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, ¹³²  whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant ¹³³  will be visible in your flesh as a permanent ¹³⁴  reminder. 17:14 Any uncircumcised male ¹³⁵  who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off ¹³⁶  from his people – he has failed to carry out my requirement.” ¹³⁷ 

17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; ¹³⁸  Sarah ¹³⁹  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. ¹⁴⁰  Kings of countries ¹⁴¹  will come from her!”

17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed ¹⁴²  as he said to himself, ¹⁴³  “Can ¹⁴⁴  a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? ¹⁴⁵  Can Sarah ¹⁴⁶  bear a child at the age of ninety?” ¹⁴⁷  17:18 Abraham said to God, “O that ¹⁴⁸  Ishmael might live before you!” ¹⁴⁹ 

17:19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. ¹⁵⁰  I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual ¹⁵¹  covenant for his descendants after him. 17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. ¹⁵²  I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. ¹⁵³  He will become the father of twelve princes; ¹⁵⁴  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. ¹⁵⁵ 

17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) ¹⁵⁶  and circumcised them ¹⁵⁷  on that very same day, just as God had told him to do. 17:24 Now Abraham was 99 years old ¹⁵⁸  when he was circumcised; ¹⁵⁹  17:25 his son Ishmael was thirteen years old ¹⁶⁰  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.

Three Special Visitors

18:1 The Lord appeared to Abraham ¹⁶¹  by the oaks ¹⁶²  of Mamre while ¹⁶³  he was sitting at the entrance ¹⁶⁴  to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 18:2 Abraham ¹⁶⁵  looked up ¹⁶⁶  and saw ¹⁶⁷  three men standing across ¹⁶⁸  from him. When he saw them ¹⁶⁹  he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low ¹⁷⁰  to the ground. ¹⁷¹ 

18:3 He said, “My lord, ¹⁷²  if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. ¹⁷³  18:4 Let a little water be brought so that ¹⁷⁴  you may all ¹⁷⁵  wash your feet and rest under the tree. 18:5 And let me get ¹⁷⁶  a bit of food ¹⁷⁷  so that you may refresh yourselves ¹⁷⁸  since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” ¹⁷⁹  “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”

18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take ¹⁸⁰  three measures ¹⁸¹  of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” ¹⁸²  18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, ¹⁸³  who quickly prepared it. ¹⁸⁴  18:8 Abraham ¹⁸⁵  then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food ¹⁸⁶  before them. They ate while ¹⁸⁷  he was standing near them under a tree.

18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, ¹⁸⁸  in the tent.” 18:10 One of them ¹⁸⁹  said, “I will surely return ¹⁹⁰  to you when the season comes round again, ¹⁹¹  and your wife Sarah will have a son!” ¹⁹²  (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. ¹⁹³  18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; ¹⁹⁴  Sarah had long since passed menopause.) ¹⁹⁵  18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ¹⁹⁶  “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, ¹⁹⁷  especially when my husband is old too?” ¹⁹⁸ 

18:13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why ¹⁹⁹  did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really ²⁰⁰  have a child when I am old?’ 18:14 Is anything impossible ²⁰¹  for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” ²⁰²  18:15 Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.” ²⁰³ 

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

18:16 When the men got up to leave, ²⁰⁴  they looked out over ²⁰⁵  Sodom. (Now ²⁰⁶  Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.) ²⁰⁷  18:17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? ²⁰⁸  18:18 After all, Abraham ²⁰⁹  will surely become ²¹⁰  a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ²¹¹  using his name. 18:19 I have chosen him ²¹²  so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep ²¹³  the way of the Lord by doing ²¹⁴  what is right and just. Then the Lord will give ²¹⁵  to Abraham what he promised ²¹⁶  him.”

18:20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against ²¹⁷  Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant ²¹⁸  18:21 that I must go down ²¹⁹  and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. ²²⁰  If not, ²²¹  I want to know.”

18:22 The two men turned ²²²  and headed ²²³  toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. ²²⁴  18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare ²²⁵  the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it? 18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge ²²⁶  of the whole earth do what is right?” ²²⁷ 

18:26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

18:27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord ²²⁸  (although I am but dust and ashes), ²²⁹  18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy ²³⁰  the whole city because five are lacking?” ²³¹  He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

18:29 Abraham ²³²  spoke to him again, ²³³  “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”

18:30 Then Abraham ²³⁴  said, “May the Lord not be angry ²³⁵  so that I may speak! ²³⁶  What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

18:31 Abraham ²³⁷  said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

18:32 Finally Abraham ²³⁸  said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

18:33 The Lord went on his way ²³⁹  when he had finished speaking ²⁴⁰  to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. ²⁴¹ 

Genesis 4:1

The Story of Cain and Abel

4:1 Now ²⁴²  the man had marital relations with ²⁴³  his wife Eve, and she became pregnant ²⁴⁴  and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created ²⁴⁵  a man just as the Lord did!” ²⁴⁶ 

Genesis 24:6

24:6 “Be careful ²⁴⁷  never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. ²⁴⁸ 

Psalms 137:9

137:9 How blessed will be the one who grabs your babies

and smashes them on a rock! ²⁴⁹ 

[15:1]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.

[15:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “I am going.”

[15:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”

[15:2]  ⁷ tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).

[15:2]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb “And Abram said.”

[15:3]  ¹⁰ tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).

[15:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “is inheriting me.”

[15:4]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “inherit you.”

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

[15:4]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”

[15:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “will inherit you.”

[15:5]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ²⁰ 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]  ²¹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ²² 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]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ tn Heb “And he said.”

[15:7]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”

[15:8]  ²⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:8]  ²⁹ tn See note on the phrase “sovereign Lord” in 15:2.

[15:8]  ³⁰ tn Or “how.”

[15:9]  ³¹ tn Heb “He”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ³² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ³³ tn Heb “in the middle.”

[15:10]  ³⁴ tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”

[15:12]  ³⁵ tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”

[15:12]  ³⁶ tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”

[15:13]  ³⁷ 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]  ³⁸ 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]  ³⁹ tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴¹ 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]  ⁴² tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.

[15:15]  ⁴³ sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.

[15:15]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “in a good old age.”

[15:16]  ⁴⁵ 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]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[15:16]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

[15:17]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “these pieces.”

[15:18]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[15:18]  ⁵¹ 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]  ⁵² sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.

[15:19]  ⁵³ tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:21]  ⁵⁴ 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]  ⁵⁵ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.

[16:1]  ⁵⁶ 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]  ⁵⁷ 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]  ⁵⁸ 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]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.

[16:2]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).

[16:2]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.

[16:2]  ⁶² tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”

[16:3]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”

[16:3]  ⁶⁵ 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]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.

[16:4]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)

[16:4]  ⁶⁸ 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]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”

[16:5]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”

[16:5]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “saw.”

[16:5]  ⁷² 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]  ⁷³ tn Heb “me and you.”

[16:6]  ⁷⁴ tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”

[16:6]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “in your hand.”

[16:6]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”

[16:6]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:6]  ⁷⁸ tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”

[16:6]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:7]  ⁸⁰ 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]  ⁸¹ 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]  ⁸² tn Heb “from the presence of.”

[16:9]  ⁸³ tn The imperative וְהִתְעַנִּי (vÿhit’anni) is the Hitpael of עָנָה (’anah, here translated “submit”), the same word used for Sarai’s harsh treatment of her. Hagar is instructed not only to submit to Sarai’s authority, but to whatever mistreatment that involves. God calls for Hagar to humble herself.

[16:10]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”

[16:11]  ⁸⁶ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”

[16:11]  ⁸⁷ tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.

[16:11]  ⁸⁸ 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]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.

[16:12]  ⁹⁰ 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]  ⁹¹ 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]  ⁹² tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”

[16:12]  ⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “after one who sees me.”

[16:14]  ⁹⁶ tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.

[16:14]  ⁹⁷ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” The text suggests that God takes up the cause of those who are oppressed.

[16:14]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:15]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”

[16:16]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.

[16:16]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”

[16:16]  ¹⁰² 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]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:1]  ¹⁰⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “in my presence.”

[17:1]  ¹⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁹ 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]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “I will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:3]  ¹¹¹ 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]  ¹¹² 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]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “I.”

[17:4]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “is” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).

[17:5]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “will your name be called.”

[17:5]  ¹¹⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁷ tn The perfect verbal form is used here in a rhetorical manner to emphasize God’s intention.

[17:6]  ¹¹⁸ tn This verb starts a series of perfect verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive to express God’s intentions.

[17:6]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:6]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “and I will make you into nations, and kings will come out from you.”

[17:7]  ¹²¹ 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]  ¹²² tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:7]  ¹²³ tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”

[17:8]  ¹²⁴ 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]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:9]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ 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]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”

[17:10]  ¹²⁹ 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]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “sign.”

[17:12]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “the son of eight days.”

[17:13]  ¹³² tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.

[17:13]  ¹³³ 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]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “an eternal.”

[17:14]  ¹³⁵ tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.

[17:14]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:14]  ¹³⁷ 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]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “[As for] Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [will be] her name.”

[17:15]  ¹³⁹ 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]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “she will become nations.”

[17:16]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “peoples.”

[17:17]  ¹⁴² 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]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”

[17:17]  ¹⁴⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.

[17:17]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”

[17:17]  ¹⁴⁶ 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]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”

[17:18]  ¹⁴⁸ tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”

[17:18]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Or “live with your blessing.”

[17:19]  ¹⁵⁰ 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]  ¹⁵¹ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:20]  ¹⁵² 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]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:20]  ¹⁵⁴ 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]  ¹⁵⁵ 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]  ¹⁵⁶ 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]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.

[17:24]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:24]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (also in v. 25).

[17:25]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “the son of thirteen years.”

[18:1]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ¹⁶² tn Or “terebinths.”

[18:1]  ¹⁶³ tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.

[18:1]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.

[18:2]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:2]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[18:2]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to what he saw. The drawn-out description focuses the reader’s attention on Abraham’s deliberate, fixed gaze and indicates that what he is seeing is significant.

[18:2]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The Hebrew preposition עַל (’al) indicates the three men were nearby, but not close by, for Abraham had to run to meet them.

[18:2]  ¹⁶⁹ tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:2]  ¹⁷⁰ tn The form וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (vayyishtakhu, “and bowed low”) is from the verb הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (hishtakhavah, “to worship, bow low to the ground”). It is probably from a root חָוָה (khavah), though some derive it from שָׁחָה (shakhah).

[18:2]  ¹⁷¹ sn The reader knows this is a theophany. The three visitors are probably the Lord and two angels (see Gen 19:1). It is not certain how soon Abraham recognized the true identity of the visitors. His actions suggest he suspected this was something out of the ordinary, though it is possible that his lavish treatment of the visitors was done quite unwittingly. Bowing down to the ground would be reserved for obeisance of kings or worship of the Lord. Whether he was aware of it or not, Abraham’s action was most appropriate.

[18:3]  ¹⁷² tc The MT has the form אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Master”) which is reserved for God. This may reflect later scribal activity. The scribes, knowing it was the Lord, may have put the proper pointing with the word instead of the more common אֲדֹנִי (’adoni, “my master”).

[18:3]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”

[18:4]  ¹⁷⁴ tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.

[18:4]  ¹⁷⁵ tn The word “all” has been supplied in the translation because the Hebrew verb translated “wash” and the pronominal suffix on the word “feet” are plural, referring to all three of the visitors.

[18:5]  ¹⁷⁶ tn The Qal cohortative here probably has the nuance of polite request.

[18:5]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “a piece of bread.” The Hebrew word לֶחֶם (lekhem) can refer either to bread specifically or to food in general. Based on Abraham’s directions to Sarah in v. 6, bread was certainly involved, but v. 7 indicates that Abraham had a more elaborate meal in mind.

[18:5]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “strengthen your heart.” The imperative after the cohortative indicates purpose here.

[18:5]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “so that you may refresh yourselves, after [which] you may be on your way – for therefore you passed by near your servant.”

[18:6]  ¹⁸⁰ tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.

[18:6]  ¹⁸¹ sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.

[18:6]  ¹⁸² sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.

[18:7]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “the young man.”

[18:7]  ¹⁸⁴ tn The construction uses the Piel preterite, “he hurried,” followed by the infinitive construct; the two probably form a verbal hendiadys: “he quickly prepared.”

[18:8]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:8]  ¹⁸⁶ tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:8]  ¹⁸⁷ tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.

[18:9]  ¹⁸⁸ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.

[18:10]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (one of the three men introduced in v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some English translations have specified the referent as the Lord (cf. RSV, NIV) based on vv. 1, 13, but the Hebrew text merely has “he said” at this point, referring to one of the three visitors. Aside from the introductory statement in v. 1, the incident is narrated from Abraham’s point of view, and the suspense is built up for the reader as Abraham’s elaborate banquet preparations in the preceding verses suggest he suspects these are important guests. But not until the promise of a son later in this verse does it become clear who is speaking. In v. 13 the Hebrew text explicitly mentions the Lord.

[18:10]  ¹⁹⁰ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense.

[18:10]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “as/when the time lives” or “revives,” possibly referring to the springtime.

[18:10]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “and there will be (הִנֵּה, hinneh) a son for Sarah.”

[18:10]  ¹⁹³ tn This is the first of two disjunctive parenthetical clauses preparing the reader for Sarah’s response (see v. 12).

[18:11]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “days.”

[18:11]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”

[18:12]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “saying.”

[18:12]  ¹⁹⁷ tn It has been suggested that this word should be translated “conception,” not “pleasure.” See A. A. McIntosh, “A Third Root ‘adah in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 24 (1974): 454-73.

[18:12]  ¹⁹⁸ tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[18:13]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “Why, this?” The demonstrative pronoun following the interrogative pronoun is enclitic, emphasizing the Lord’s amazement: “Why on earth did Sarah laugh?”

[18:13]  ²⁰⁰ tn The Hebrew construction uses both הַאַף (ha’af) and אֻמְנָם (’umnam): “Indeed, truly, will I have a child?”

[18:14]  ²⁰¹ tn The Hebrew verb פָּלָא (pala’) means “to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing.”

[18:14]  ²⁰² sn Sarah will have a son. The passage brings God’s promise into clear focus. As long as it was a promise for the future, it really could be believed without much involvement. But now, when it seemed so impossible from the human standpoint, when the Lord fixed an exact date for the birth of the child, the promise became rather overwhelming to Abraham and Sarah. But then this was the Lord of creation, the one they had come to trust. The point of these narratives is that the creation of Abraham’s offspring, which eventually became Israel, is no less a miraculous work of creation than the creation of the world itself.

[18:15]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “And he said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:16]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “And the men arose from there.”

[18:16]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “toward the face of.”

[18:16]  ²⁰⁶ tn The disjunctive parenthetical clause sets the stage for the following speech.

[18:16]  ²⁰⁷ tn The Piel of שָׁלַח (shalakh) means “to lead out, to send out, to expel”; here it is used in the friendly sense of seeing the visitors on their way.

[18:17]  ²⁰⁸ tn The active participle here refers to an action that is imminent.

[18:18]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “And Abraham.” The disjunctive clause is probably causal, giving a reason why God should not hide his intentions from Abraham. One could translate, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation?”

[18:18]  ²¹⁰ tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the finite verb that follows.

[18:18]  ²¹¹ tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings upon”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 18:18 (like 12:2) predicts that Abraham will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[18:19]  ²¹² tn Heb “For I have known him.” The verb יָדַע (yada’) here means “to recognize and treat in a special manner, to choose” (see Amos 3:2). It indicates that Abraham stood in a special covenantal relationship with the Lord.

[18:19]  ²¹³ tn Heb “and they will keep.” The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the subjective nuance of the preceding imperfect verbal form (translated “so that he may command”).

[18:19]  ²¹⁴ tn The infinitive construct here indicates manner, explaining how Abraham’s children and his household will keep the way of the Lord.

[18:19]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “bring on.” The infinitive after לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) indicates result here.

[18:19]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “spoke to.”

[18:20]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “the outcry of Sodom,” which apparently refers to the outcry for divine justice from those (unidentified persons) who observe its sinful ways.

[18:20]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “heavy.”

[18:21]  ²¹⁹ tn The cohortative indicates the Lord’s resolve.

[18:21]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the Lord, who is well aware of the human capacity to sin, finds it hard to believe that anyone could be as bad as the “outcry” against Sodom and Gomorrah suggests.

[18:21]  ²²¹ sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.

[18:22]  ²²² tn Heb “And the men turned from there.” The word “two” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied here for clarity. Gen 19:1 mentions only two individuals (described as “angels”), while Abraham had entertained three visitors (18:2). The implication is that the Lord was the third visitor, who remained behind with Abraham here. The words “from there” are not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[18:22]  ²²³ tn Heb “went.”

[18:22]  ²²⁴ tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the Lord remained standing before Abraham.” This reading is problematic because the phrase “standing before” typically indicates intercession, but the Lord would certainly not be interceding before Abraham.

[18:24]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).

[18:25]  ²²⁶ tn Or “ruler.”

[18:25]  ²²⁷ sn Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right? For discussion of this text see J. L. Crenshaw, “Popular Questioning of the Justice of God in Ancient Israel,” ZAW 82 (1970): 380-95, and C. S. Rodd, “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?” ExpTim 83 (1972): 137-39.

[18:27]  ²²⁸ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[18:27]  ²²⁹ tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the Lord.

[18:28]  ²³⁰ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.

[18:28]  ²³¹ tn Heb “because of five.”

[18:29]  ²³² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:29]  ²³³ tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”

[18:30]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:30]  ²³⁵ tn Heb “let it not be hot to the Lord.” This is an idiom which means “may the Lord not be angry.”

[18:30]  ²³⁶ tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.

[18:31]  ²³⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:32]  ²³⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:33]  ²³⁹ tn Heb “And the Lord went.”

[18:33]  ²⁴⁰ tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”

[18:33]  ²⁴¹ tn Heb “to his place.”

[4:1]  ²⁴² tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.

[4:1]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:1]  ²⁴⁴ tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:1]  ²⁴⁵ tn Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8:22). The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.

[4:1]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “with the Lord.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with” in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – the Lord.” They suggest that the woman thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the incarnate Lord, the Messiah who would bruise the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable allegorical interpretation of Gen 3:15 (see the note there on the word “heel”).

[24:6]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “guard yourself.”

[24:6]  ²⁴⁸ tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[137:9]  ²⁴⁹ sn For other references to the wholesale slaughter of babies in the context of ancient Near Eastern warfare, see 2 Kgs 8:12; Isa 13:16; Hos 13:16; Nah 3:10.