Discovery BoxGenesis 15:1--19:38
Context15:1 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
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
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.
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
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
19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while 242 Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. 243 When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.
19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night 244 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” 245 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” 246
19:3 But he urged 247 them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate. 19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep, 248 all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. 249 19:5 They shouted to Lot, 250 “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex 251 with them!”
19:6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 19:7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly! 252 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with 253 a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. 254 Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection 255 of my roof.” 256
19:9 “Out of our way!” 257 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, 258 and now he dares to judge us! 259 We’ll do more harm 260 to you than to them!” They kept 261 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough 262 to break down the door.
19:10 So the men inside 263 reached out 264 and pulled Lot back into the house 265 as they shut the door. 19:11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, 266 with blindness. The men outside 267 wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors 268 said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? 269 Do you have 270 any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? 271 Get them out of this 272 place 19:13 because we are about to destroy 273 it. The outcry against this place 274 is so great before the Lord that he 275 has sent us to destroy it.”
19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. 276 He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy 277 the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. 278
19:15 At dawn 279 the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, 280 or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” 281 19:16 When Lot 282 hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. 283 They led them away and placed them 284 outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they 285 said, “Run 286 for your lives! Don’t look 287 behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! 288 Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! 289 19:19 Your 290 servant has found favor with you, 291 and you have shown me great 292 kindness 293 by sparing 294 my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because 295 this disaster will overtake 296 me and I’ll die. 297 19:20 Look, this town 298 over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. 299 Let me go there. 300 It’s just a little place, isn’t it? 301 Then I’ll survive.” 302
19:21 “Very well,” he replied, 303 “I will grant this request too 304 and will not overthrow 305 the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, 306 for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) 307
19:23 The sun had just risen 308 over the land as Lot reached Zoar. 309 19:24 Then the Lord rained down 310 sulfur and fire 311 on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. 312 19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, 313 including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew 314 from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s 315 wife looked back longingly 316 and was turned into a pillar of salt.
19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went 317 to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward 318 Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. 319 As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. 320
19:29 So when God destroyed 321 the cities of the region, 322 God honored 323 Abraham’s request. He removed Lot 324 from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed 325 the cities Lot had lived in.
19:30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 19:31 Later the older daughter said 326 to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby 327 to have sexual relations with us, 328 according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine 329 so we can have sexual relations 330 with him and preserve 331 our family line through our father.” 332
19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, 333 and the older daughter 334 came and had sexual relations with her father. 335 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 336 19:34 So in the morning the older daughter 337 said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. 338 Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 339 19:35 So they made their father drunk 340 that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. 341 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 342
19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter 343 gave birth to a son and named him Moab. 344 He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. 19:38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. 345 He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.
Psalms 19:10
Context19:10 They are of greater value 346 than gold,
than even a great amount of pure gold;
they bring greater delight 347 than honey,
than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.
Psalms 119:72
Context119:72 The law you have revealed is more important to me
than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. 348
Proverbs 3:14-15
Context3:14 For her 349 benefit 350 is more profitable 351 than silver,
and her 352 gain 353 is better 354 than gold.
3:15 She is more precious than rubies,
and none of the things 355 you desire 356 can compare 357 with her. 358
Proverbs 8:11
Context8:11 For wisdom is better than rubies,
and desirable things cannot be compared 359 to her.
Proverbs 8:18-19
Context8:18 Riches and honor are with me,
long-lasting wealth and righteousness.
8:19 My fruit is better than the purest gold, 360
and what I produce 361 is better than choice silver.
Proverbs 16:16
Context16:16 How much better it is to acquire 362 wisdom than gold;
to acquire understanding is more desirable 363 than silver.
Proverbs 23:23
Context23:23 Acquire 364 truth and do not sell it –
wisdom, and discipline, and understanding.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17
Context8:16 When I tried 365 to gain 366 wisdom
and to observe the activity 367 on earth –
even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night 368 –
8:17 then I discerned all that God has done: 369
No one really comprehends what happens 370 on earth. 371
Despite all human 372 efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp 373 it. 374
[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,
[15:2] 4 tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[15:9] 31 tn Heb “He”; the referent (the
[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] 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
[16:7] 81 tn Heb “And the angel of the
[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
[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
[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
[17:2] 109 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative indicates consequence. If Abram is blameless, then the
[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] 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.
[17:12] 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.”
[17:17] 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
[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
[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
[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] 195 tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”
[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
[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
[18:15] 203 tn Heb “And he said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’” The referent (the
[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
[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
[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.
[18:21] 219 tn The cohortative indicates the
[18:21] 220 tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the
[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
[18:22] 224 tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the
[18:24] 225 tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).
[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
[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
[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
[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.”
[19:1] 242 tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.
[19:1] 243 tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.
[19:2] 244 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
[19:2] 245 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
[19:2] 246 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
[19:3] 247 tn The Hebrew verb פָּצַר (patsar, “to press, to insist”) ironically foreshadows the hostile actions of the men of the city (see v. 9, where the verb also appears). The repetition of the word serves to contrast Lot to his world.
[19:4] 248 tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.
[19:4] 249 tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.
[19:5] 250 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:5] 251 tn The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) is used here in the sense of “to lie with” or “to have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1). That this is indeed the meaning is clear from Lot’s warning that they not do so wickedly, and his willingness to give them his daughters instead.
[19:7] 252 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
[19:8] 253 tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[19:8] 254 tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”
[19:8] 256 sn This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.
[19:9] 257 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
[19:9] 258 tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”
[19:9] 259 tn Heb “and he has judged, judging.” The infinitive absolute follows the finite verbal form for emphasis. This emphasis is reflected in the translation by the phrase “dares to judge.”
[19:9] 260 tn The verb “to do wickedly” is repeated here (see v. 7). It appears that whatever “wickedness” the men of Sodom had intended to do to Lot’s visitors – probably nothing short of homosexual rape – they were now ready to inflict on Lot.
[19:9] 261 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
[19:9] 262 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
[19:10] 263 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “inside” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:10] 264 tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:10] 265 tn Heb “to them into the house.”
[19:11] 266 tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”
[19:11] 267 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 268 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “visitors” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 269 tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”
[19:12] 270 tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:12] 271 tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”
[19:12] 272 tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.
[19:13] 273 tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.
[19:13] 274 tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:13] 275 tn Heb “the
[19:14] 276 sn The language has to be interpreted in the light of the context and the social customs. The men are called “sons-in-law” (literally “the takers of his daughters”), but the daughters had not yet had sex with a man. It is better to translate the phrase “who were going to marry his daughters.” Since formal marriage contracts were binding, the husbands-to-be could already be called sons-in-law.
[19:14] 277 tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.
[19:14] 278 tn Heb “and he was like one taunting in the eyes of his sons-in-law.” These men mistakenly thought Lot was ridiculing them and their lifestyle. Their response illustrates how morally insensitive they had become.
[19:15] 279 tn Heb “When dawn came up.”
[19:15] 280 tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.
[19:15] 281 tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[19:16] 282 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:16] 283 tn Heb “in the compassion of the
[19:16] 284 tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).
[19:17] 285 tn Or “one of them”; Heb “he.” Several ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read the plural “they.” See also the note on “your” in v. 19.
[19:17] 287 tn The Hebrew verb translated “look” signifies an intense gaze, not a passing glance. This same verb is used later in v. 26 to describe Lot’s wife’s self-destructive look back at the city.
[19:17] 288 tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:18] 289 tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:19] 290 tn The second person pronominal suffixes are singular in this verse (note “your eyes,” “you have made great,” and “you have acted”). Verse 18a seems to indicate that Lot is addressing the angels, but the use of the singular and the appearance of the divine title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ’adonay) in v. 18b suggests he is speaking to God.
[19:19] 291 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
[19:19] 292 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
[19:19] 293 sn The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.
[19:19] 294 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
[19:19] 296 tn The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (davaq) normally means “to stick to, to cleave, to join.” Lot is afraid he cannot outrun the coming calamity.
[19:19] 297 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
[19:20] 298 tn The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”
[19:20] 299 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
[19:20] 300 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
[19:20] 301 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
[19:20] 302 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
[19:21] 303 tn Heb “And he said, ‘Look, I will grant.’” The order of the clauses has been rearranged for stylistic reasons. The referent of the speaker (“he”) is somewhat ambiguous: It could be taken as the angel to whom Lot has been speaking (so NLT; note the singular references in vv. 18-19), or it could be that Lot is speaking directly to the
[19:21] 304 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
[19:21] 305 tn The negated infinitive construct indicates either the consequence of God’s granting the request (“I have granted this request, so that I will not”) or the manner in which he will grant it (“I have granted your request by not destroying”).
[19:22] 306 tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.
[19:22] 307 tn Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tso’ar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mits’ar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).
[19:23] 308 sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).
[19:23] 309 tn The juxtaposition of the two disjunctive clauses indicates synchronic action. The first action (the sun’s rising) occurred as the second (Lot’s entering Zoar) took place. The disjunctive clauses also signal closure for the preceding scene.
[19:24] 310 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.
[19:24] 311 tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).
[19:24] 312 tn Heb “from the
[19:25] 313 tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:25] 314 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”
[19:26] 315 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:26] 316 tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).
[19:27] 317 tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:28] 318 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
[19:28] 319 tn Or “all the land of the plain”; Heb “and all the face of the land of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:28] 320 tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”
[19:29] 321 tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.
[19:29] 322 tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:29] 323 tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the
[19:29] 324 sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.
[19:29] 325 tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”
[19:31] 326 tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”
[19:31] 327 tn Or perhaps “on earth,” in which case the statement would be hyperbolic; presumably there had been some men living in the town of Zoar to which Lot and his daughters had initially fled.
[19:31] 328 tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[19:32] 329 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:32] 330 tn Heb “and we will lie down.” The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive is subordinated to the preceding cohortative and indicates purpose/result.
[19:32] 331 tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.
[19:32] 332 tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:33] 333 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:33] 334 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:33] 335 tn Heb “and the firstborn came and lied down with her father.” The expression “lied down with” here and in the following verses is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[19:33] 336 tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”
[19:34] 337 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:34] 338 tn Heb “Look, I lied down with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight.”
[19:34] 339 tn Heb “And go, lie down with him and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:35] 340 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:35] 341 tn Heb “lied down with him.”
[19:35] 342 tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”
[19:37] 343 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:37] 344 sn The meaning of the name Moab is not certain. The name sounds like the Hebrew phrase “from our father” (מֵאָבִינוּ, me’avinu) which the daughters used twice (vv. 32, 34). This account is probably included in the narrative in order to portray the Moabites, who later became enemies of God’s people, in a negative light.
[19:38] 345 sn The name Ben-Ammi means “son of my people.” Like the account of Moab’s birth, this story is probably included in the narrative to portray the Ammonites, another perennial enemy of Israel, in a negative light.
[19:10] 346 tn Heb “more desirable.”
[19:10] 347 tn Heb “are sweeter.” God’s law is “sweet’ in the sense that, when obeyed, it brings a great reward (see v. 11b).
[119:72] 348 tn Heb “better to me [is] the law of your mouth than thousands of gold and silver.”
[3:14] 349 tn Heb “her profit.” The 3rd person feminine singular suffix on the noun is probably a genitive of source: “from her.”
[3:14] 350 tn Heb “profit.” The noun סַחַר (sakhar, “trading profit”) often refers to the financial profit of traveling merchants (Isa 23:3, 18; 45:14; HALOT 750 s.v.). The related participle describes a traveling “trader, dealer, wholesaler, merchant” (e.g., Gen 37:28; Prov 31:14; Isa 23:2; Ezek 27:36; HALOT 750 s.v. סחר qal.2). Here the noun is used figuratively to describe the moral benefit of wisdom.
[3:14] 351 tn The noun סַחַר (“profit”) is repeated in this line for emphasis. The two usages draw upon slightly different nuances, creating a polysemantic wordplay. The moral “benefit” of wisdom is more “profitable” than silver.
[3:14] 352 tn Heb “her yield.” The 3rd person feminine singular suffix on the noun is probably a genitive of source: “from her.”
[3:14] 353 tn Heb “yield.” The noun תְּבוּאָה (tÿvu’ah, “product; yield”) is normally used of crops and harvests (BDB 100 s.v. 1). Here it is figurative for the moral benefit of wisdom (BDB 100 s.v. 2.b).
[3:14] 354 tn The phrase “is better” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
[3:15] 355 tn Heb “all of your desires cannot compare with her.”
[3:15] 356 tn Heb “your desires.” The 2nd person masculine singular suffix on the noun probably functions as subjective genitive.
[3:15] 357 tn The imperfect tense verb יָסַד (yasad, “to establish be like; to resemble”) has a potential nuance here: “can be compared with.”
[3:15] 358 tn Heb “All of your desires do not compare with her.”
[8:11] 359 tn The verb יִשְׁווּ (yishvu, from שָׁוָה, shavah) can be rendered “are not comparable” or in a potential nuance “cannot be compared” with her.
[8:19] 360 tn The two synonyms, “than gold, than fine gold” probably form a hendiadys here to express “the very finest gold.”
[8:19] 361 sn The language of the text with “fruit” and “ingathering” is the language of the harvest – what the crops yield. So the figure is hypocatastasis, comparing what wisdom produces to such crops.
[16:16] 362 tn The form קְנֹה (qÿnoh) is an infinitive; the Greek version apparently took it as a participle, and the Latin as an imperative – both working with an unpointed קנה, the letter ה (he) being unexpected in the form if it is an infinitive construct (the parallel clause has קְנוֹת [qÿnot] for the infinitive, but the ancient versions also translate that as either a participle or an imperative).
[16:16] 363 tn The form is a Niphal participle, masculine singular. If it is modifying “understanding” it should be a feminine form. If it is to be translated, it would have to be rendered “and to acquire understanding is to be chosen more than silver” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). Many commentaries consider it superfluous. NIV and NCV simply have “to choose understanding rather than silver!”
[23:23] 364 tn Heb “buy” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT); CEV “Invest in truth.”
[8:16] 365 tn Heb “I applied my heart.”
[8:16] 367 tn Heb “and to see the business which is done.”
[8:16] 368 tn Heb “for no one sees sleep with their eyes either day or night.” The construction גַם …כִּי (ki… gam) expresses a concessive sense: “even though” (e.g., Ps 23:4; Prov 22:6; Eccl 4:14; Isa 1:15; Lam 3:8; Hos 8:10; 9:16); cf. HALOT 196 s.v. גַּם 9; BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 6; 473 s.v. כִּי 2.c.
[8:17] 369 tn Heb “all the work of God.”
[8:17] 370 tn Heb “the work that is done.”
[8:17] 371 tn Heb “under the sun.”
[8:17] 372 tn Heb “his”; the referent (man, in a generic sense) has been specified in the translation as the adjective “human” for clarity.
[8:17] 374 tn The term “it” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
[8:17] 375 tn The particle אִם (’im, “even if”) introduces the protasis in a real conditional clause (“If a wise man …”); see IBHS 636-37 §38.2d; R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 74, §453.
[8:17] 376 tn The imperfect tense verb יֹאמַר (yo’mar, “to say”) functions in a modal sense, denoting possibility (see IBHS 508 §31.4e; R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 31, §169).
[8:17] 377 tn Heb “he cannot find”; or “he does not find.”
[8:17] 378 tn The term “it” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is an implied direct object and has been supplied in the translation for smoothness and stylistic reasons.
