Genesis 17:1--22:24

The Sign of the Covenant

17:1 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.

Three Special Visitors

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 

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

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 

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

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.

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev ²⁴⁴  region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident ²⁴⁵  in Gerar, 20:2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

20:3 But God appeared ²⁴⁶  to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead ²⁴⁷  because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” ²⁴⁸ 

20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, ²⁴⁹  would you really slaughter an innocent nation? ²⁵⁰  20:5 Did Abraham ²⁵¹  not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ²⁵²  ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience ²⁵³  and with innocent hands!”

20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. ²⁵⁴  That is why I have kept you ²⁵⁵  from sinning against me and why ²⁵⁶  I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed ²⁵⁷  he is a prophet ²⁵⁸  and he will pray for you; thus you will live. ²⁵⁹  But if you don’t give her back, ²⁶⁰  know that you will surely die ²⁶¹  along with all who belong to you.”

20:8 Early in the morning ²⁶²  Abimelech summoned ²⁶³  all his servants. When he told them about all these things, ²⁶⁴  they ²⁶⁵  were terrified. 20:9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? ²⁶⁶  You have done things to me that should not be done!” ²⁶⁷  20:10 Then Abimelech asked ²⁶⁸  Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” ²⁶⁹ 

20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ²⁷⁰  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ²⁷¹  my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, ²⁷²  she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife. 20:13 When God made me wander ²⁷³  from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: ²⁷⁴  Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”

20:14 So Abimelech gave ²⁷⁵  sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. 20:15 Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.” ²⁷⁶ 

20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver ²⁷⁷  to your ‘brother.’ ²⁷⁸  This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” ²⁷⁹ 

20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. 20:18 For the Lord ²⁸⁰  had caused infertility to strike every woman ²⁸¹  in the household of Abimelech because he took ²⁸²  Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

The Birth of Isaac

21:1 The Lord visited ²⁸³  Sarah just as he had said he would and did ²⁸⁴  for Sarah what he had promised. ²⁸⁵  21:2 So Sarah became pregnant ²⁸⁶  and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 21:3 Abraham named his son – whom Sarah bore to him – Isaac. ²⁸⁷  21:4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, ²⁸⁸  Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. ²⁸⁹  21:5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) ²⁹⁰ 

21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. ²⁹¹  Everyone who hears about this ²⁹²  will laugh ²⁹³  with me.” 21:7 She went on to say, ²⁹⁴  “Who would ²⁹⁵  have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”

21:8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared ²⁹⁶  a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ²⁹⁷  21:9 But Sarah noticed ²⁹⁸  the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. ²⁹⁹  21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish ³⁰⁰  that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”

21:11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son. ³⁰¹  21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset ³⁰²  about the boy or your slave wife. Do ³⁰³  all that Sarah is telling ³⁰⁴  you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. ³⁰⁵  21:13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”

21:14 Early in the morning Abraham took ³⁰⁶  some food ³⁰⁷  and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, ³⁰⁸  and sent her away. So she went wandering ³⁰⁹  aimlessly through the wilderness ³¹⁰  of Beer Sheba. 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved ³¹¹  the child under one of the shrubs. 21:16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot ³¹²  away; for she thought, ³¹³  “I refuse to watch the child die.” ³¹⁴  So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. ³¹⁵ 

21:17 But God heard the boy’s voice. ³¹⁶  The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, ³¹⁷  Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard ³¹⁸  the boy’s voice right where he is crying. 21:18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 21:19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. ³¹⁹  She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.

21:20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21:21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. ³²⁰  His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt. ³²¹ 

21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you ³²²  in all that you do. 21:23 Now swear to me right here in God’s name ³²³  that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. ³²⁴  Show me, and the land ³²⁵  where you are staying, ³²⁶  the same loyalty ³²⁷  that I have shown you.” ³²⁸ 

21:24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.” ³²⁹  21:25 But Abraham lodged a complaint ³³⁰  against Abimelech concerning a well ³³¹  that Abimelech’s servants had seized. ³³²  21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, ³³³  you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”

21:27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a treaty. ³³⁴  21:28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs apart from the flock by themselves. 21:29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these ³³⁵  seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 21:30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof ³³⁶  that I dug this well.” ³³⁷  21:31 That is why he named that place ³³⁸  Beer Sheba, ³³⁹  because the two of them swore ³⁴⁰  an oath there.

21:32 So they made a treaty ³⁴¹  at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned ³⁴²  to the land of the Philistines. ³⁴³  21:33 Abraham ³⁴⁴  planted a tamarisk tree ³⁴⁵  in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, ³⁴⁶  the eternal God. 21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time. ³⁴⁷ 

The Sacrifice of Isaac

22:1 Some time after these things God tested ³⁴⁸  Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham ³⁴⁹  replied. 22:2 God ³⁵⁰  said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac ³⁵¹  – and go to the land of Moriah! ³⁵²  Offer him up there as a burnt offering ³⁵³  on one of the mountains which I will indicate to ³⁵⁴  you.”

22:3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. ³⁵⁵  He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out ³⁵⁶  for the place God had spoken to him about.

22:4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of ³⁵⁷  the place in the distance. 22:5 So he ³⁵⁸  said to his servants, “You two stay ³⁵⁹  here with the donkey while ³⁶⁰  the boy and I go up there. We will worship ³⁶¹  and then return to you.” ³⁶² 

22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand, ³⁶³  and the two of them walked on together. 22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, ³⁶⁴  “My father?” “What is it, ³⁶⁵  my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, ³⁶⁶  “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 22:8 “God will provide ³⁶⁷  for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together.

22:9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there ³⁶⁸  and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up ³⁶⁹  his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter ³⁷⁰  his son. 22:11 But the Lord’s angel ³⁷¹  called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. 22:12 “Do not harm the boy!” ³⁷²  the angel said. ³⁷³  “Do not do anything to him, for now I know ³⁷⁴  that you fear ³⁷⁵  God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”

22:13 Abraham looked up ³⁷⁶  and saw ³⁷⁷  behind him ³⁷⁸  a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he ³⁷⁹  went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.” ³⁸⁰  It is said to this day, ³⁸¹  “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.” ³⁸² 

22:15 The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven 22:16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ ³⁸³  decrees the Lord, ³⁸⁴  ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, ³⁸⁵  and I will greatly multiply ³⁸⁶  your descendants ³⁸⁷  so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession ³⁸⁸  of the strongholds ³⁸⁹  of their enemies. 22:18 Because you have obeyed me, ³⁹⁰  all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ³⁹¹  using the name of your descendants.’”

22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together ³⁹²  for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed. ³⁹³ 

22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah ³⁹⁴  also has borne children to your brother Nahor – 22:21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), ³⁹⁵  22:22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 22:23 (Now ³⁹⁶  Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) These were the eight sons Milcah bore to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 22:24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children – Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

Isaiah 29:13

29:13 The sovereign master ³⁹⁷  says,

“These people say they are loyal to me; ³⁹⁸ 

they say wonderful things about me, ³⁹⁹ 

but they are not really loyal to me. ⁴⁰⁰ 

Their worship consists of

nothing but man-made ritual. ⁴⁰¹ 

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

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

[17:2]  ⁷ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative indicates consequence. If Abram is blameless, then the Lord will ratify the covenant. Earlier the Lord ratified part of his promise to Abram (see Gen 15:18-21), guaranteeing him that his descendants would live in the land. But the expanded form of the promise, which includes numerous descendants and eternal possession of the land, remains to be ratified. This expanded form of the promise is in view here (see vv. 2b, 4-8). See the note at Gen 15:18 and R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 35-54.

[17:2]  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]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I.”

[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.

[17:11]  ²⁸ tn Or “sign.”

[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.”

[17:16]  ³⁹ tn Heb “peoples.”

[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]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “terebinths.”

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

[18:3]  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 Lord, may have put the proper pointing with the word instead of the more common אֲדֹנִי (’adoni, “my master”).

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

[18:10]  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]  ⁹² tn Heb “days.”

[18:11]  ⁹³ tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”

[18:12]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “saying.”

[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 Lord’s amazement: “Why on earth did Sarah laugh?”

[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 Lord fixed an exact date for the birth of the child, the promise became rather overwhelming to Abraham and Sarah. But then this was the Lord of creation, the one they had come to trust. The point of these narratives is that the creation of Abraham’s offspring, which eventually became Israel, is no less a miraculous work of creation than the creation of the world itself.

[18:15]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “And he said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[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 Lord.

[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 Lord.

[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.

[18:20]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “heavy.”

[18:21]  ¹¹⁷ tn The cohortative indicates the Lord’s resolve.

[18:21]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the Lord, who is well aware of the human capacity to sin, finds it hard to believe that anyone could be as bad as the “outcry” against Sodom and Gomorrah suggests.

[18:21]  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 Lord was the third visitor, who remained behind with Abraham here. The words “from there” are not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[18:22]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “went.”

[18:22]  ¹²² tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the Lord remained standing before Abraham.” This reading is problematic because the phrase “standing before” typically indicates intercession, but the Lord would certainly not be interceding before Abraham.

[18:24]  ¹²³ tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).

[18:25]  ¹²⁴ tn Or “ruler.”

[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 Lord.

[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 Lord.” This is an idiom which means “may the Lord not be angry.”

[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 Lord went.”

[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]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “shadow.”

[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 Lord.” The repetition of the divine name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “he” for stylistic reasons.

[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 Lord to them.”

[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]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “escape.”

[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]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “lest.”

[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 Lord here. Most English translations leave the referent of the pronoun unspecified and maintain the ambiguity.

[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 Lord from the heavens.” The words “It was sent down” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[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 Lord not destroy the righteous with the wicked. While the requisite minimum number of righteous people (ten, v. 32) needed for God to spare the cities was not found, God nevertheless rescued the righteous before destroying the wicked.

[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.

[20:1]  ²⁴⁴ tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”

[20:1]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

[20:3]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “came.”

[20:3]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.

[20:3]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.

[20:4]  ²⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[20:4]  ²⁵⁰ tn Apparently Abimelech assumes that God’s judgment will fall on his entire nation. Some, finding the reference to a nation problematic, prefer to emend the text and read, “Would you really kill someone who is innocent?” See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 149.

[20:5]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:5]  ²⁵² tn Heb “and she, even she.”

[20:5]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”

[20:6]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”

[20:6]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”

[20:6]  ²⁵⁶ tn Heb “therefore.”

[20:7]  ²⁵⁷ tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.

[20:7]  ²⁵⁸ sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.

[20:7]  ²⁵⁹ tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.

[20:7]  ²⁶⁰ tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.

[20:7]  ²⁶¹ tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.

[20:8]  ²⁶² tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”

[20:8]  ²⁶³ tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”

[20:8]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”

[20:8]  ²⁶⁵ tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[20:9]  ²⁶⁶ tn Heb “How did I sin against you that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?” The expression “great sin” refers to adultery. For discussion of the cultural background of the passage, see J. J. Rabinowitz, “The Great Sin in Ancient Egyptian Marriage Contracts,” JNES 18 (1959): 73, and W. L. Moran, “The Scandal of the ‘Great Sin’ at Ugarit,” JNES 18 (1959): 280-81.

[20:9]  ²⁶⁷ tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.

[20:10]  ²⁶⁸ tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”

[20:10]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.

[20:11]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “Because I said.”

[20:11]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[20:12]  ²⁷² tn Heb “but also.”

[20:13]  ²⁷³ tn The Hebrew verb is plural. This may be a case of grammatical agreement with the name for God, which is plural in form. However, when this plural name refers to the one true God, accompanying predicates are usually singular in form. Perhaps Abraham is accommodating his speech to Abimelech’s polytheistic perspective. (See GKC 463 §145.i.) If so, one should translate, “when the gods made me wander.”

[20:13]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”

[20:14]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “took and gave.”

[20:15]  ²⁷⁶ tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”

[20:16]  ²⁷⁷ sn A thousand pieces [Heb “shekels”] of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 11.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces (about 25 pounds).

[20:16]  ²⁷⁸ sn To your ‘brother.’ Note the way that the king refers to Abraham. Was he being sarcastic? It was surely a rebuke to Sarah. What is amazing is how patient this king was. It is proof that the fear of God was in that place, contrary to what Abraham believed (see v. 11).

[20:16]  ²⁷⁹ tn Heb “Look, it is for you a covering of the eyes, for all who are with you, and with all, and you are set right.” The exact meaning of the statement is unclear. Apparently it means that the gift of money somehow exonerates her in other people’s eyes. They will not look on her as compromised (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:74).

[20:18]  ²⁸⁰ tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”

[20:18]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[20:18]  ²⁸² tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[21:1]  ²⁸³ sn The Hebrew verb translated “visit” (פָּקַד, paqad ) often describes divine intervention for blessing or cursing; it indicates God’s special attention to an individual or a matter, always with respect to his people’s destiny. He may visit (that is, destroy) the Amalekites; he may visit (that is, deliver) his people in Egypt. Here he visits Sarah, to allow her to have the promised child. One’s destiny is changed when the Lord “visits.” For a more detailed study of the term, see G. André, Determining the Destiny (ConBOT).

[21:1]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “and the Lord did.” The divine name has not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[21:1]  ²⁸⁵ tn Heb “spoken.”

[21:2]  ²⁸⁶ tn Or “she conceived.”

[21:3]  ²⁸⁷ tn Heb “the one born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.” The two modifying clauses, the first introduced with an article and the second with the relative pronoun, are placed in the middle of the sentence, before the name Isaac is stated. They are meant to underscore that this was indeed an actual birth to Abraham and Sarah in fulfillment of the promise.

[21:4]  ²⁸⁸ tn Heb “Isaac his son, the son of eight days.” The name “Isaac” is repeated in the translation for clarity.

[21:4]  ²⁸⁹ sn Just as God had commanded him to do. With the birth of the promised child, Abraham obeyed the Lord by both naming (Gen 17:19) and circumcising Isaac (17:12).

[21:5]  ²⁹⁰ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause underscores how miraculous this birth was. Abraham was 100 years old. The fact that the genealogies give the ages of the fathers when their first son is born shows that this was considered a major milestone in one’s life (G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:80).

[21:6]  ²⁹¹ tn Heb “Laughter God has made for me.”

[21:6]  ²⁹² tn The words “about this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[21:6]  ²⁹³ sn Sarah’s words play on the name “Isaac” in a final triumphant manner. God prepared “laughter” (צְחֹק, ysÿkhoq ) for her, and everyone who hears about this “will laugh” (יִצְחַק, yitskhaq ) with her. The laughter now signals great joy and fulfillment, not unbelief (cf. Gen 18:12-15).

[21:7]  ²⁹⁴ tn Heb “said.”

[21:7]  ²⁹⁵ tn The perfect form of the verb is used here to describe a hypothetical situation.

[21:8]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “made.”

[21:8]  ²⁹⁷ sn Children were weaned closer to the age of two or three in the ancient world, because infant mortality was high. If an infant grew to this stage, it was fairly certain he or she would live. Such an event called for a celebration, especially for parents who had waited so long for a child.

[21:9]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “saw.”

[21:9]  ²⁹⁹ tn The Piel participle used here is from the same root as the name “Isaac.” In the Piel stem the verb means “to jest; to make sport of; to play with,” not simply “to laugh,” which is the meaning of the verb in the Qal stem. What exactly Ishmael was doing is not clear. Interpreters have generally concluded that the boy was either (1) mocking Isaac (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) or (2) merely playing with Isaac as if on equal footing (cf. NAB, NRSV). In either case Sarah saw it as a threat. The same participial form was used in Gen 19:14 to describe how some in Lot’s family viewed his attempt to warn them of impending doom. It also appears later in Gen 39:14, 17, where Potiphar accuses Joseph of mocking them.

[21:10]  ³⁰⁰ tn Heb “drive out.” The language may seem severe, but Sarah’s maternal instincts sensed a real danger in that Ishmael was not treating Isaac with the proper respect.

[21:11]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “and the word was very wrong in the eyes of Abraham on account of his son.” The verb רָעַע (ra’a’) often refers to what is morally or ethically “evil.” It usage here suggests that Abraham thought Sarah’s demand was ethically (and perhaps legally) wrong.

[21:12]  ³⁰² tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”

[21:12]  ³⁰³ tn Heb “listen to her voice.” The idiomatic expression means “obey; comply.” Here her advice, though harsh, is necessary and conforms to the will of God. Later (see Gen 25), when Abraham has other sons, he sends them all away as well.

[21:12]  ³⁰⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.

[21:12]  ³⁰⁵ tn Or perhaps “will be named”; Heb “for in Isaac offspring will be called to you.” The exact meaning of the statement is not clear, but it does indicate that God’s covenantal promises to Abraham will be realized through Isaac, not Ishmael.

[21:14]  ³⁰⁶ tn Heb “and Abraham rose up early in the morning and he took.”

[21:14]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[21:14]  ³⁰⁸ tn Heb “He put upon her shoulder, and the boy [or perhaps, “and with the boy”], and he sent her away.” It is unclear how “and the boy” relates syntactically to what precedes. Perhaps the words should be rearranged and the text read, “and he put [them] on her shoulder and he gave to Hagar the boy.”

[21:14]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “she went and wandered.”

[21:14]  ³¹⁰ tn Or “desert,” although for English readers this usually connotes a sandy desert like the Sahara rather than the arid wasteland of this region with its sparse vegetation.

[21:15]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “threw,” but the child, who was now thirteen years old, would not have been carried, let alone thrown under a bush. The exaggerated language suggests Ishmael is limp from dehydration and is being abandoned to die. See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 2:85.

[21:16]  ³¹² sn A bowshot would be a distance of about a hundred yards (ninety meters).

[21:16]  ³¹³ tn Heb “said.”

[21:16]  ³¹⁴ tn Heb “I will not look on the death of the child.” The cohortative verbal form (note the negative particle אַל,’al) here expresses her resolve to avoid the stated action.

[21:16]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “and she lifted up her voice and wept” (that is, she wept uncontrollably). The LXX reads “he” (referring to Ishmael) rather than “she” (referring to Hagar), but this is probably an attempt to harmonize this verse with the following one, which refers to the boy’s cries.

[21:17]  ³¹⁶ sn God heard the boy’s voice. The text has not to this point indicated that Ishmael was crying out, either in pain or in prayer. But the text here makes it clear that God heard him. Ishmael is clearly central to the story. Both the mother and the Lord are focused on the child’s imminent death.

[21:17]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “What to you?”

[21:17]  ³¹⁸ sn Here the verb heard picks up the main motif of the name Ishmael (“God hears”), introduced back in chap. 16.

[21:19]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.” The referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:21]  ³²⁰ sn The wilderness of Paran is an area in the east central region of the Sinai peninsula, northeast from the traditional site of Mt. Sinai and with the Arabah and the Gulf of Aqaba as its eastern border.

[21:21]  ³²¹ tn Heb “And his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.”

[21:22]  ³²² sn God is with you. Abimelech and Phicol recognized that Abraham enjoyed special divine provision and protection.

[21:23]  ³²³ tn Heb “And now swear to me by God here.”

[21:23]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “my offspring and my descendants.”

[21:23]  ³²⁵ tn The word “land” refers by metonymy to the people in the land.

[21:23]  ³²⁶ tn The Hebrew verb means “to stay, to live, to sojourn” as a temporary resident without ownership rights.

[21:23]  ³²⁷ tn Or “kindness.”

[21:23]  ³²⁸ tn Heb “According to the loyalty which I have done with you, do with me and with the land in which you are staying.”

[21:24]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “I swear.” No object is specified in the Hebrew text, but the content of the oath requested by Abimelech is the implied object.

[21:25]  ³³⁰ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to argue; to dispute”; it can focus on the beginning of the dispute (as here), the dispute itself, or the resolution of a dispute (Isa 1:18). Apparently the complaint was lodged before the actual oath was taken.

[21:25]  ³³¹ tn Heb “concerning the matter of the well of water.”

[21:25]  ³³² tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to steal; to rob; to take violently.” The statement reflects Abraham’s perspective.

[21:26]  ³³³ tn Heb “and also.”

[21:27]  ³³⁴ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:29]  ³³⁵ tn Heb “What are these?”

[21:30]  ³³⁶ tn Heb “that it be for me for a witness.”

[21:30]  ³³⁷ sn This well. Since the king wanted a treaty to share in Abraham’s good fortune, Abraham used the treaty to secure ownership of and protection for the well he dug. It would be useless to make a treaty to live in this territory if he had no rights to the water. Abraham consented to the treaty, but added his rider to it.

[21:31]  ³³⁸ tn Heb “that is why he called that place.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive, “that is why that place was called.”

[21:31]  ³³⁹ sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of the oath” or “well of the seven.” Both the verb “to swear” and the number “seven” have been used throughout the account. Now they are drawn in as part of the explanation of the significance of the name.

[21:31]  ³⁴⁰ sn The verb forms a wordplay with the name Beer Sheba.

[21:32]  ³⁴¹ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:32]  ³⁴² tn Heb “arose and returned.”

[21:32]  ³⁴³ sn The Philistines mentioned here may not be ethnically related to those who lived in Palestine in the time of the judges and the united monarchy. See D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 238.

[21:33]  ³⁴⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:33]  ³⁴⁵ sn The planting of the tamarisk tree is a sign of Abraham’s intent to stay there for a long time, not a religious act. A growing tree in the Negev would be a lasting witness to God’s provision of water.

[21:33]  ³⁴⁶ tn Heb “he called there in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[21:34]  ³⁴⁷ tn Heb “many days.”

[22:1]  ³⁴⁸ 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]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ³⁵⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ³⁵¹ sn Take your son…Isaac. The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.

[22:2]  ³⁵² sn There has been much debate over the location of Moriah; 2 Chr 3:1 suggests it may be the site where the temple was later built in Jerusalem.

[22:2]  ³⁵³ sn A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.

[22:2]  ³⁵⁴ tn Heb “which I will say to.”

[22:3]  ³⁵⁵ tn Heb “Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey.”

[22:3]  ³⁵⁶ tn Heb “he arose and he went.”

[22:4]  ³⁵⁷ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.”

[22:5]  ³⁵⁸ tn Heb “And Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[22:5]  ³⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew verb is masculine plural, referring to the two young servants who accompanied Abraham and Isaac on the journey.

[22:5]  ³⁶⁰ tn The disjunctive clause (with the compound subject preceding the verb) may be circumstantial and temporal.

[22:5]  ³⁶¹ tn This Hebrew word literally means “to bow oneself close to the ground.” It often means “to worship.”

[22:5]  ³⁶² sn It is impossible to know what Abraham was thinking when he said, “we will…return to you.” When he went he knew (1) that he was to sacrifice Isaac, and (2) that God intended to fulfill his earlier promises through Isaac. How he reconciled those facts is not clear in the text. Heb 11:17-19 suggests that Abraham believed God could restore Isaac to him through resurrection.

[22:6]  ³⁶³ sn He took the fire and the knife in his hand. These details anticipate the sacrifice that lies ahead.

[22:7]  ³⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This is redundant and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[22:7]  ³⁶⁵ tn Heb “Here I am” (cf. Gen 22:1).

[22:7]  ³⁶⁶ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood.’” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here and in the following verse the order of the introductory clauses and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:8]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “will see for himself.” The construction means “to look out for; to see to it; to provide.”

[22:9]  ³⁶⁸ sn Abraham built an altar there. The theme of Abraham’s altar building culminates here. He has been a faithful worshiper. Will he continue to worship when called upon to make such a radical sacrifice?

[22:9]  ³⁶⁹ sn Then he tied up. This text has given rise to an important theme in Judaism known as the Aqedah, from the Hebrew word for “binding.” When sacrifices were made in the sanctuary, God remembered the binding of Isaac, for which a substitute was offered. See D. Polish, “The Binding of Isaac,” Jud 6 (1957): 17-21.

[22:10]  ³⁷⁰ tn Heb “in order to slaughter.”

[22:11]  ³⁷¹ sn Heb “the messenger of the Lord” (also in v. 15). Some identify the angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ because in some texts the angel is identified with the Lord himself. However, see the note on the phrase “the Lord’s angel” in Gen 16:7.

[22:12]  ³⁷² tn Heb “Do not extend your hand toward the boy.”

[22:12]  ³⁷³ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Do not extend…’”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the context for clarity. The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:12]  ³⁷⁴ sn For now I know. The test was designed to see if Abraham would be obedient (see v. 1).

[22:12]  ³⁷⁵ sn In this context fear refers by metonymy to obedience that grows from faith.

[22:13]  ³⁷⁶ tn Heb “lifted his eyes.”

[22:13]  ³⁷⁷ tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) draws attention to what Abraham saw and invites the audience to view the scene through his eyes.

[22:13]  ³⁷⁸ tc The translation follows the reading of the MT; a number of Hebrew mss, the LXX, Syriac, and Samaritan Pentateuch read “one” (אֶחָד, ’ekhad) instead of “behind him” (אַחַר, ’akhar).

[22:13]  ³⁷⁹ tn Heb “Abraham”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:14]  ³⁸⁰ tn Heb “the Lord sees” (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה, yÿhvah yir’eh, traditionally transliterated “Jehovah Jireh”; see the note on the word “provide” in v. 8). By so naming the place Abraham preserved in the memory of God’s people the amazing event that took place there.

[22:14]  ³⁸¹ sn On the expression to this day see B. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until this Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

[22:14]  ³⁸² sn The saying connected with these events has some ambiguity, which was probably intended. The Niphal verb could be translated (1) “in the mountain of the Lord it will be seen/provided” or (2) “in the mountain the Lord will appear.” If the temple later stood here (see the note on “Moriah” in Gen 22:2), the latter interpretation might find support, for the people went to the temple to appear before the Lord, who “appeared” to them by providing for them his power and blessings. See S. R. Driver, Genesis, 219.

[22:16]  ³⁸³ tn Heb “By myself I swear.”

[22:16]  ³⁸⁴ tn Heb “the oracle of the Lord.” The phrase refers to a formal oracle or decree from the Lord.

[22:17]  ³⁸⁵ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.

[22:17]  ³⁸⁶ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  ³⁸⁷ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[22:17]  ³⁸⁸ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ³⁸⁹ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).

[22:18]  ³⁹⁰ tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.

[22:18]  ³⁹¹ tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 26:4). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram 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. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[22:19]  ³⁹² tn Heb “and they arose and went together.”

[22:19]  ³⁹³ tn Heb “and Abraham stayed in Beer Sheba. This has been translated as a relative clause for stylistic reasons.

[22:20]  ³⁹⁴ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to the statement.

[22:21]  ³⁹⁵ sn This parenthetical note about Kemuel’s descendant is probably a later insertion by the author/compiler of Genesis and not part of the original announcement.

[22:23]  ³⁹⁶ tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is important but parenthetical to the narrative. Rebekah would become the wife of Isaac (Gen 24:15).

[29:13]  ³⁹⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonai).

[29:13]  ³⁹⁸ tn Heb “Because these people draw near to me with their mouth.”

[29:13]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “and with their lips they honor me.”

[29:13]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “but their heart is far from me.” The heart is viewed here as the seat of the will, from which genuine loyalty derives.

[29:13]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught.”