Discovery BoxGenesis 17:1--19:38
Context17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, 1 the Lord appeared to him and said, 2 “I am the sovereign God. 3 Walk 4 before me 5 and be blameless. 6 17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant 7 between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” 8
17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, 9 and God said to him, 10 17:4 “As for me, 11 this 12 is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 17:5 No longer will your name be 13 Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham 14 because I will make you 15 the father of a multitude of nations. 17:6 I will make you 16 extremely 17 fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. 18 17:7 I will confirm 19 my covenant as a perpetual 20 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. 21 17:8 I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing 22 – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent 23 possession. I will be their God.”
17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep 24 the covenantal requirement 25 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: 26 Every male among you must be circumcised. 27 17:11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder 28 of the covenant between me and you. 17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old 29 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, 30 whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant 31 will be visible in your flesh as a permanent 32 reminder. 17:14 Any uncircumcised male 33 who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off 34 from his people – he has failed to carry out my requirement.” 35
17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; 36 Sarah 37 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. 38 Kings of countries 39 will come from her!”
17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed 40 as he said to himself, 41 “Can 42 a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? 43 Can Sarah 44 bear a child at the age of ninety?” 45 17:18 Abraham said to God, “O that 46 Ishmael might live before you!” 47
17:19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. 48 I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual 49 covenant for his descendants after him. 17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. 50 I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. 51 He will become the father of twelve princes; 52 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. 53
17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) 54 and circumcised them 55 on that very same day, just as God had told him to do. 17:24 Now Abraham was 99 years old 56 when he was circumcised; 57 17:25 his son Ishmael was thirteen years old 58 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 59 by the oaks 60 of Mamre while 61 he was sitting at the entrance 62 to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 18:2 Abraham 63 looked up 64 and saw 65 three men standing across 66 from him. When he saw them 67 he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low 68 to the ground. 69
18:3 He said, “My lord, 70 if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. 71 18:4 Let a little water be brought so that 72 you may all 73 wash your feet and rest under the tree. 18:5 And let me get 74 a bit of food 75 so that you may refresh yourselves 76 since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” 77 “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”
18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take 78 three measures 79 of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” 80 18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, 81 who quickly prepared it. 82 18:8 Abraham 83 then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food 84 before them. They ate while 85 he was standing near them under a tree.
18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, 86 in the tent.” 18:10 One of them 87 said, “I will surely return 88 to you when the season comes round again, 89 and your wife Sarah will have a son!” 90 (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. 91 18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; 92 Sarah had long since passed menopause.) 93 18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 94 “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, 95 especially when my husband is old too?” 96
18:13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why 97 did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really 98 have a child when I am old?’ 18:14 Is anything impossible 99 for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” 100 18:15 Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.” 101
18:16 When the men got up to leave, 102 they looked out over 103 Sodom. (Now 104 Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.) 105 18:17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 106 18:18 After all, Abraham 107 will surely become 108 a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 109 using his name. 18:19 I have chosen him 110 so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep 111 the way of the Lord by doing 112 what is right and just. Then the Lord will give 113 to Abraham what he promised 114 him.”
18:20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against 115 Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant 116 18:21 that I must go down 117 and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. 118 If not, 119 I want to know.”
18:22 The two men turned 120 and headed 121 toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 122 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 123 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 124 of the whole earth do what is right?” 125
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 126 (although I am but dust and ashes), 127 18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy 128 the whole city because five are lacking?” 129 He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
18:29 Abraham 130 spoke to him again, 131 “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”
18:30 Then Abraham 132 said, “May the Lord not be angry 133 so that I may speak! 134 What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
18:31 Abraham 135 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 136 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 137 when he had finished speaking 138 to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. 139
19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while 140 Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. 141 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 142 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” 143 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” 144
19:3 But he urged 145 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, 146 all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. 147 19:5 They shouted to Lot, 148 “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex 149 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! 150 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with 151 a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. 152 Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection 153 of my roof.” 154
19:9 “Out of our way!” 155 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, 156 and now he dares to judge us! 157 We’ll do more harm 158 to you than to them!” They kept 159 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough 160 to break down the door.
19:10 So the men inside 161 reached out 162 and pulled Lot back into the house 163 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, 164 with blindness. The men outside 165 wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors 166 said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? 167 Do you have 168 any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? 169 Get them out of this 170 place 19:13 because we are about to destroy 171 it. The outcry against this place 172 is so great before the Lord that he 173 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. 174 He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy 175 the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. 176
19:15 At dawn 177 the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, 178 or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” 179 19:16 When Lot 180 hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. 181 They led them away and placed them 182 outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they 183 said, “Run 184 for your lives! Don’t look 185 behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! 186 Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! 187 19:19 Your 188 servant has found favor with you, 189 and you have shown me great 190 kindness 191 by sparing 192 my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because 193 this disaster will overtake 194 me and I’ll die. 195 19:20 Look, this town 196 over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. 197 Let me go there. 198 It’s just a little place, isn’t it? 199 Then I’ll survive.” 200
19:21 “Very well,” he replied, 201 “I will grant this request too 202 and will not overthrow 203 the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, 204 for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) 205
19:23 The sun had just risen 206 over the land as Lot reached Zoar. 207 19:24 Then the Lord rained down 208 sulfur and fire 209 on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. 210 19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, 211 including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew 212 from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s 213 wife looked back longingly 214 and was turned into a pillar of salt.
19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went 215 to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward 216 Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. 217 As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. 218
19:29 So when God destroyed 219 the cities of the region, 220 God honored 221 Abraham’s request. He removed Lot 222 from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed 223 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 224 to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby 225 to have sexual relations with us, 226 according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine 227 so we can have sexual relations 228 with him and preserve 229 our family line through our father.” 230
19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, 231 and the older daughter 232 came and had sexual relations with her father. 233 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 234 19:34 So in the morning the older daughter 235 said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. 236 Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 237 19:35 So they made their father drunk 238 that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. 239 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 240
19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter 241 gave birth to a son and named him Moab. 242 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. 243 He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.
Genesis 48:16
Context48:16 the Angel 244 who has protected me 245
from all harm –
bless these boys.
May my name be named in them, 246
and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.
May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”
Genesis 48:2
Context48:2 When Jacob was told, 247 “Your son Joseph has just 248 come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed.
Genesis 22:1
Context22:1 Some time after these things God tested 249 Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham 250 replied.
Revelation 7:14-17
Context7:14 So 251 I said to him, “My lord, you know the answer.” 252 Then 253 he said to me, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. They 254 have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb! 7:15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve 255 him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them. 256 7:16 They will never go hungry or be thirsty again, and the sun will not beat down on them, nor any burning heat, 257 7:17 because the Lamb in the middle of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 258
[17:1] 1 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”
[17:1] 2 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] 3 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] 4 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] 5 tn Or “in my presence.”
[17:1] 6 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] 7 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative indicates consequence. If Abram is blameless, then the
[17:2] 8 tn Heb “I will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:3] 9 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] 10 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] 12 tn Heb “is” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).
[17:5] 13 tn Heb “will your name be called.”
[17:5] 14 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] 15 tn The perfect verbal form is used here in a rhetorical manner to emphasize God’s intention.
[17:6] 16 tn This verb starts a series of perfect verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive to express God’s intentions.
[17:6] 17 tn Heb “exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:6] 18 tn Heb “and I will make you into nations, and kings will come out from you.”
[17:7] 19 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] 20 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:7] 21 tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”
[17:8] 22 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] 23 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:9] 24 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] 25 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] 26 tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”
[17:10] 27 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] 29 tn Heb “the son of eight days.”
[17:13] 30 tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.
[17:13] 31 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] 32 tn Or “an eternal.”
[17:14] 33 tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.
[17:14] 34 tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:14] 35 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] 36 tn Heb “[As for] Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [will be] her name.”
[17:15] 37 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] 38 tn Heb “she will become nations.”
[17:17] 40 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] 41 tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”
[17:17] 42 tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.
[17:17] 43 tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”
[17:17] 44 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] 45 tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”
[17:18] 46 tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”
[17:18] 47 tn Or “live with your blessing.”
[17:19] 48 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] 49 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:20] 50 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] 51 tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:20] 52 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] 53 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] 54 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] 55 tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.
[17:24] 56 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”
[17:24] 57 tn Heb “circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (also in v. 25).
[17:25] 58 tn Heb “the son of thirteen years.”
[18:1] 59 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:1] 61 tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.
[18:1] 62 tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.
[18:2] 63 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:2] 64 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”
[18:2] 65 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] 66 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] 67 tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.
[18:2] 68 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] 69 sn The reader knows this is a theophany. The three visitors are probably the
[18:3] 70 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] 71 tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”
[18:4] 72 tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.
[18:4] 73 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] 74 tn The Qal cohortative here probably has the nuance of polite request.
[18:5] 75 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] 76 tn Heb “strengthen your heart.” The imperative after the cohortative indicates purpose here.
[18:5] 77 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] 78 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] 79 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] 80 sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.
[18:7] 81 tn Heb “the young man.”
[18:7] 82 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] 83 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:8] 84 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] 85 tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.
[18:9] 86 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.
[18:10] 87 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] 88 tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense.
[18:10] 89 tn Heb “as/when the time lives” or “revives,” possibly referring to the springtime.
[18:10] 90 tn Heb “and there will be (הִנֵּה, hinneh) a son for Sarah.”
[18:10] 91 tn This is the first of two disjunctive parenthetical clauses preparing the reader for Sarah’s response (see v. 12).
[18:11] 93 tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”
[18:12] 95 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] 96 tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[18:13] 97 tn Heb “Why, this?” The demonstrative pronoun following the interrogative pronoun is enclitic, emphasizing the
[18:13] 98 tn The Hebrew construction uses both הַאַף (ha’af) and אֻמְנָם (’umnam): “Indeed, truly, will I have a child?”
[18:14] 99 tn The Hebrew verb פָּלָא (pala’) means “to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing.”
[18:14] 100 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] 101 tn Heb “And he said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’” The referent (the
[18:16] 102 tn Heb “And the men arose from there.”
[18:16] 103 tn Heb “toward the face of.”
[18:16] 104 tn The disjunctive parenthetical clause sets the stage for the following speech.
[18:16] 105 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] 106 tn The active participle here refers to an action that is imminent.
[18:18] 107 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] 108 tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the finite verb that follows.
[18:18] 109 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] 110 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] 111 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] 112 tn The infinitive construct here indicates manner, explaining how Abraham’s children and his household will keep the way of the
[18:19] 113 tn Heb “bring on.” The infinitive after לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) indicates result here.
[18:19] 114 tn Heb “spoke to.”
[18:20] 115 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] 117 tn The cohortative indicates the
[18:21] 118 tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the
[18:21] 119 sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.
[18:22] 120 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] 122 tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the
[18:24] 123 tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).
[18:25] 125 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] 126 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[18:27] 127 tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the
[18:28] 128 tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.
[18:28] 129 tn Heb “because of five.”
[18:29] 130 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:29] 131 tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”
[18:30] 132 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:30] 133 tn Heb “let it not be hot to the
[18:30] 134 tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.
[18:31] 135 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:32] 136 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:33] 137 tn Heb “And the
[18:33] 138 tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”
[18:33] 139 tn Heb “to his place.”
[19:1] 140 tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.
[19:1] 141 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] 142 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
[19:2] 143 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
[19:2] 144 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
[19:3] 145 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] 146 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] 147 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] 148 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:5] 149 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] 150 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
[19:8] 151 tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[19:8] 152 tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”
[19:8] 154 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] 155 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
[19:9] 156 tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”
[19:9] 157 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] 158 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] 159 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
[19:9] 160 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
[19:10] 161 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] 162 tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:10] 163 tn Heb “to them into the house.”
[19:11] 164 tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”
[19:11] 165 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 166 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] 167 tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”
[19:12] 168 tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:12] 169 tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”
[19:12] 170 tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.
[19:13] 171 tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.
[19:13] 172 tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:13] 173 tn Heb “the
[19:14] 174 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] 175 tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.
[19:14] 176 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] 177 tn Heb “When dawn came up.”
[19:15] 178 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] 179 tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[19:16] 180 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:16] 181 tn Heb “in the compassion of the
[19:16] 182 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] 183 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] 185 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] 186 tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:18] 187 tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:19] 188 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] 189 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
[19:19] 190 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
[19:19] 191 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] 192 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
[19:19] 194 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] 195 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
[19:20] 196 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] 197 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
[19:20] 198 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
[19:20] 199 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
[19:20] 200 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
[19:21] 201 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] 202 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
[19:21] 203 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] 204 tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.
[19:22] 205 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] 206 sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).
[19:23] 207 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] 208 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.
[19:24] 209 tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).
[19:24] 210 tn Heb “from the
[19:25] 211 tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:25] 212 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”
[19:26] 213 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:26] 214 tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).
[19:27] 215 tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:28] 216 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
[19:28] 217 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] 218 tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”
[19:29] 219 tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.
[19:29] 220 tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:29] 221 tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the
[19:29] 222 sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.
[19:29] 223 tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”
[19:31] 224 tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”
[19:31] 225 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] 226 tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[19:32] 227 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:32] 228 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] 229 tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.
[19:32] 230 tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:33] 231 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:33] 232 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:33] 233 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] 234 tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”
[19:34] 235 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:34] 236 tn Heb “Look, I lied down with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight.”
[19:34] 237 tn Heb “And go, lie down with him and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:35] 238 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:35] 239 tn Heb “lied down with him.”
[19:35] 240 tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”
[19:37] 241 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:37] 242 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] 243 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.
[48:16] 244 sn The Samaritan Pentateuch reads “king” here, but the traditional reading (“angel”) may be maintained. Jacob closely associates God with an angelic protective presence. This does not mean that Jacob viewed his God as a mere angel, but it does suggest that he was aware of an angelic presence sent by God to protect him. Here he so closely associates the two that they become virtually indistinguishable. In this culture messengers typically carried the authority of the one who sent them and could even be addressed as such. Perhaps Jacob thought that the divine blessing would be mediated through this angelic messenger.
[48:16] 245 tn The verb גָּאַל (ga’al) has the basic idea of “protect” as a near relative might do. It is used for buying someone out of bondage, marrying a deceased brother’s widow, paying off debts, avenging the family, and the like. The meanings of “deliver, protect, avenge” are most fitting when God is the subject (see A. R. Johnson, “The Primary Meaning of √גאל,” Congress Volume: Copenhagen, 1953 [VTSup], 67-77).
[48:16] 246 tn Or “be recalled through them.”
[48:2] 247 tn Heb “and one told and said.” The verbs have no expressed subject and can be translated with the passive voice.
[48:2] 248 tn Heb “Look, your son Joseph.”
[22:1] 249 sn The Hebrew verb used here means “to test; to try; to prove.” In this passage God tests Abraham to see if he would be obedient. See T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 44-48. See also J. L. Crenshaw, A Whirlpool of Torment (OBT), 9-30; and J. I. Lawlor, “The Test of Abraham,” GTJ 1 (1980): 19-35.
[22:1] 250 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:14] 251 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the previous question.
[7:14] 252 tn Though the expression “the answer” is not in the Greek text, it is clearly implied. Direct objects in Greek were frequently omitted when clear from the context.
[7:14] 253 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[7:14] 254 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[7:15] 255 tn Or “worship.” The word here is λατρεύω (latreuw).
[7:15] 256 tn Grk “will spread his tent over them,” normally an idiom for taking up residence with someone, but when combined with the preposition ἐπί (epi, “over”) the idea is one of extending protection or shelter (BDAG 929 s.v. σκηνόω).
[7:16] 257 tn An allusion to Isa 49:10. The phrase “burning heat” is one word in Greek (καῦμα, kauma) that refers to a burning, intensely-felt heat. See BDAG 536 s.v.
