Genesis 19:1--24:67

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while ¹  Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. ²  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 ³  and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” ⁴  “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” ⁵ 

19:3 But he urged ⁶  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, ⁷  all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. ⁸  19:5 They shouted to Lot, ⁹  “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex ¹⁰  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! ¹¹  19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with ¹²  a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. ¹³  Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection ¹⁴  of my roof.” ¹⁵ 

19:9 “Out of our way!” ¹⁶  they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, ¹⁷  and now he dares to judge us! ¹⁸  We’ll do more harm ¹⁹  to you than to them!” They kept ²⁰  pressing in on Lot until they were close enough ²¹  to break down the door.

19:10 So the men inside ²²  reached out ²³  and pulled Lot back into the house ²⁴  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, ²⁵  with blindness. The men outside ²⁶  wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors ²⁷  said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? ²⁸  Do you have ²⁹  any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? ³⁰  Get them out of this ³¹  place 19:13 because we are about to destroy ³²  it. The outcry against this place ³³  is so great before the Lord that he ³⁴  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. ³⁵  He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy ³⁶  the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. ³⁷ 

19:15 At dawn ³⁸  the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, ³⁹  or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” ⁴⁰  19:16 When Lot ⁴¹  hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. ⁴²  They led them away and placed them ⁴³  outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they ⁴⁴  said, “Run ⁴⁵  for your lives! Don’t look ⁴⁶  behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! ⁴⁷  Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”

19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! ⁴⁸  19:19 Your ⁴⁹  servant has found favor with you, ⁵⁰  and you have shown me great ⁵¹  kindness ⁵²  by sparing ⁵³  my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because ⁵⁴  this disaster will overtake ⁵⁵  me and I’ll die. ⁵⁶  19:20 Look, this town ⁵⁷  over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. ⁵⁸  Let me go there. ⁵⁹  It’s just a little place, isn’t it? ⁶⁰  Then I’ll survive.” ⁶¹ 

19:21 “Very well,” he replied, ⁶²  “I will grant this request too ⁶³  and will not overthrow ⁶⁴  the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, ⁶⁵  for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) ⁶⁶ 

19:23 The sun had just risen ⁶⁷  over the land as Lot reached Zoar. ⁶⁸  19:24 Then the Lord rained down ⁶⁹  sulfur and fire ⁷⁰  on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. ⁷¹  19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, ⁷²  including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew ⁷³  from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s ⁷⁴  wife looked back longingly ⁷⁵  and was turned into a pillar of salt.

19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went ⁷⁶  to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward ⁷⁷  Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. ⁷⁸  As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. ⁷⁹ 

19:29 So when God destroyed ⁸⁰  the cities of the region, ⁸¹  God honored ⁸²  Abraham’s request. He removed Lot ⁸³  from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed ⁸⁴  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 ⁸⁵  to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby ⁸⁶  to have sexual relations with us, ⁸⁷  according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine ⁸⁸  so we can have sexual relations ⁸⁹  with him and preserve ⁹⁰  our family line through our father.” ⁹¹ 

19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, ⁹²  and the older daughter ⁹³  came and had sexual relations with her father. ⁹⁴  But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. ⁹⁵  19:34 So in the morning the older daughter ⁹⁶  said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. ⁹⁷  Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” ⁹⁸  19:35 So they made their father drunk ⁹⁹  that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. ¹⁰⁰  But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. ¹⁰¹ 

19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter ¹⁰²  gave birth to a son and named him Moab. ¹⁰³  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. ¹⁰⁴  He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev ¹⁰⁵  region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident ¹⁰⁶  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 ¹⁰⁷  to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead ¹⁰⁸  because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” ¹⁰⁹ 

20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, ¹¹⁰  would you really slaughter an innocent nation? ¹¹¹  20:5 Did Abraham ¹¹²  not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ¹¹³  ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience ¹¹⁴  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. ¹¹⁵  That is why I have kept you ¹¹⁶  from sinning against me and why ¹¹⁷  I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed ¹¹⁸  he is a prophet ¹¹⁹  and he will pray for you; thus you will live. ¹²⁰  But if you don’t give her back, ¹²¹  know that you will surely die ¹²²  along with all who belong to you.”

20:8 Early in the morning ¹²³  Abimelech summoned ¹²⁴  all his servants. When he told them about all these things, ¹²⁵  they ¹²⁶  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? ¹²⁷  You have done things to me that should not be done!” ¹²⁸  20:10 Then Abimelech asked ¹²⁹  Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” ¹³⁰ 

20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ¹³¹  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ¹³²  my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, ¹³³  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 ¹³⁴  from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: ¹³⁵  Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”

20:14 So Abimelech gave ¹³⁶  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.” ¹³⁷ 

20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver ¹³⁸  to your ‘brother.’ ¹³⁹  This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” ¹⁴⁰ 

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 ¹⁴¹  had caused infertility to strike every woman ¹⁴²  in the household of Abimelech because he took ¹⁴³  Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

The Birth of Isaac

21:1 The Lord visited ¹⁴⁴  Sarah just as he had said he would and did ¹⁴⁵  for Sarah what he had promised. ¹⁴⁶  21:2 So Sarah became pregnant ¹⁴⁷  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. ¹⁴⁸  21:4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, ¹⁴⁹  Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. ¹⁵⁰  21:5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) ¹⁵¹ 

21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. ¹⁵²  Everyone who hears about this ¹⁵³  will laugh ¹⁵⁴  with me.” 21:7 She went on to say, ¹⁵⁵  “Who would ¹⁵⁶  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 ¹⁵⁷  a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ¹⁵⁸  21:9 But Sarah noticed ¹⁵⁹  the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. ¹⁶⁰  21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish ¹⁶¹  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. ¹⁶²  21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset ¹⁶³  about the boy or your slave wife. Do ¹⁶⁴  all that Sarah is telling ¹⁶⁵  you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. ¹⁶⁶  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 ¹⁶⁷  some food ¹⁶⁸  and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, ¹⁶⁹  and sent her away. So she went wandering ¹⁷⁰  aimlessly through the wilderness ¹⁷¹  of Beer Sheba. 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved ¹⁷²  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 ¹⁷³  away; for she thought, ¹⁷⁴  “I refuse to watch the child die.” ¹⁷⁵  So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. ¹⁷⁶ 

21:17 But God heard the boy’s voice. ¹⁷⁷  The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, ¹⁷⁸  Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard ¹⁷⁹  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. ¹⁸⁰  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. ¹⁸¹  His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt. ¹⁸² 

21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you ¹⁸³  in all that you do. 21:23 Now swear to me right here in God’s name ¹⁸⁴  that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. ¹⁸⁵  Show me, and the land ¹⁸⁶  where you are staying, ¹⁸⁷  the same loyalty ¹⁸⁸  that I have shown you.” ¹⁸⁹ 

21:24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.” ¹⁹⁰  21:25 But Abraham lodged a complaint ¹⁹¹  against Abimelech concerning a well ¹⁹²  that Abimelech’s servants had seized. ¹⁹³  21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, ¹⁹⁴  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. ¹⁹⁵  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 ¹⁹⁶  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 ¹⁹⁷  that I dug this well.” ¹⁹⁸  21:31 That is why he named that place ¹⁹⁹  Beer Sheba, ²⁰⁰  because the two of them swore ²⁰¹  an oath there.

21:32 So they made a treaty ²⁰²  at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned ²⁰³  to the land of the Philistines. ²⁰⁴  21:33 Abraham ²⁰⁵  planted a tamarisk tree ²⁰⁶  in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, ²⁰⁷  the eternal God. 21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time. ²⁰⁸ 

The Sacrifice of Isaac

22:1 Some time after these things God tested ²⁰⁹  Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham ²¹⁰  replied. 22:2 God ²¹¹  said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac ²¹²  – and go to the land of Moriah! ²¹³  Offer him up there as a burnt offering ²¹⁴  on one of the mountains which I will indicate to ²¹⁵  you.”

22:3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. ²¹⁶  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 ²¹⁷  for the place God had spoken to him about.

22:4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of ²¹⁸  the place in the distance. 22:5 So he ²¹⁹  said to his servants, “You two stay ²²⁰  here with the donkey while ²²¹  the boy and I go up there. We will worship ²²²  and then return to you.” ²²³ 

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, ²²⁴  and the two of them walked on together. 22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, ²²⁵  “My father?” “What is it, ²²⁶  my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, ²²⁷  “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 22:8 “God will provide ²²⁸  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 ²²⁹  and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up ²³⁰  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 ²³¹  his son. 22:11 But the Lord’s angel ²³²  called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. 22:12 “Do not harm the boy!” ²³³  the angel said. ²³⁴  “Do not do anything to him, for now I know ²³⁵  that you fear ²³⁶  God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”

22:13 Abraham looked up ²³⁷  and saw ²³⁸  behind him ²³⁹  a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he ²⁴⁰  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.” ²⁴¹  It is said to this day, ²⁴²  “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.” ²⁴³ 

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,’ ²⁴⁴  decrees the Lord, ²⁴⁵  ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, ²⁴⁶  and I will greatly multiply ²⁴⁷  your descendants ²⁴⁸  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 ²⁴⁹  of the strongholds ²⁵⁰  of their enemies. 22:18 Because you have obeyed me, ²⁵¹  all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ²⁵²  using the name of your descendants.’”

22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together ²⁵³  for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed. ²⁵⁴ 

22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah ²⁵⁵  also has borne children to your brother Nahor – 22:21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), ²⁵⁶  22:22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 22:23 (Now ²⁵⁷  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.

The Death of Sarah

23:1 Sarah lived 127 years. ²⁵⁸  23:2 Then she ²⁵⁹  died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. ²⁶⁰ 

23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife ²⁶¹  and said to the sons of Heth, ²⁶²  23:4 “I am a temporary settler ²⁶³  among you. Grant ²⁶⁴  me ownership ²⁶⁵  of a burial site among you so that I may ²⁶⁶  bury my dead.” ²⁶⁷ 

23:5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, ²⁶⁸  23:6 “Listen, sir, ²⁶⁹  you are a mighty prince ²⁷⁰  among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you ²⁷¹  from burying your dead.”

23:7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, ²⁷²  the sons of Heth. 23:8 Then he said to them, “If you agree ²⁷³  that I may bury my dead, ²⁷⁴  then hear me out. ²⁷⁵  Ask ²⁷⁶  Ephron the son of Zohar 23:9 if he will sell ²⁷⁷  me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publicly ²⁷⁸  for the full price, ²⁷⁹  so that I may own it as a burial site.”

23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite ²⁸⁰  replied to Abraham in the hearing ²⁸¹  of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate ²⁸²  of his city – 23:11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell ²⁸³  you both the field and the cave that is in it. ²⁸⁴  In the presence of my people ²⁸⁵  I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”

23:12 Abraham bowed before the local people 23:13 and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay ²⁸⁶  to you the price ²⁸⁷  of the field. Take it from me so that I may ²⁸⁸  bury my dead there.”

23:14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 23:15 “Hear me, my lord. The land is worth ²⁸⁹  400 pieces of silver, ²⁹⁰  but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price ²⁹¹  and weighed ²⁹²  out for him ²⁹³  the price ²⁹⁴  that Ephron had quoted ²⁹⁵  in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. ²⁹⁶ 

23:17 So Abraham secured ²⁹⁷  Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, 23:18 as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. ²⁹⁸ 

23:19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 23:20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site ²⁹⁹  from the sons of Heth.

The Wife for Isaac

24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, ³⁰⁰  and the Lord had blessed him ³⁰¹  in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one ³⁰²  in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh ³⁰³  24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise ³⁰⁴  by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire ³⁰⁵  a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives ³⁰⁶  to find ³⁰⁷  a wife for my son Isaac.”

24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me ³⁰⁸  to this land? Must I then ³⁰⁹  take your son back to the land from which you came?”

24:6 “Be careful ³¹⁰  never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. ³¹¹  24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, ³¹²  promised me with a solemn oath, ³¹³  ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel ³¹⁴  before you so that you may find ³¹⁵  a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, ³¹⁶  you will be free ³¹⁷  from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. ³¹⁸ 

24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. ³¹⁹  He journeyed ³²⁰  to the region of Aram Naharaim ³²¹  and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well ³²²  outside the city. It was evening, ³²³  the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. ³²⁴  Be faithful ³²⁵  to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, ³²⁶  and the daughters of the people ³²⁷  who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ ³²⁸  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ³²⁹ 

24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah ³³⁰  with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). ³³¹  24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. ³³²  She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant ³³³  ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering ³³⁴  her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, ³³⁵  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied ³³⁶  her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine ³³⁷  if the Lord had made his journey successful ³³⁸  or not.

24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ³³⁹  and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels ³⁴⁰  and gave them to her. ³⁴¹  24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. ³⁴²  “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. ³⁴³  24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, ³⁴⁴  “and room for you ³⁴⁵  to spend the night.”

24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love ³⁴⁶  for my master! The Lord has led me ³⁴⁷  to the house ³⁴⁸  of my master’s relatives!” ³⁴⁹ 

24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about ³⁵⁰  these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) ³⁵¹  Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring ³⁵²  and heard his sister Rebekah say, ³⁵³  “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing ³⁵⁴  by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, ³⁵⁵  “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! ³⁵⁶  Why are you standing out here when I have prepared ³⁵⁷  the house and a place for the camels?”

24:32 So Abraham’s servant ³⁵⁸  went to the house and unloaded ³⁵⁹  the camels. Straw and feed were given ³⁶⁰  to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. ³⁶¹  24:33 When food was served, ³⁶²  he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” ³⁶³  “Tell us,” Laban said. ³⁶⁴ 

24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. ³⁶⁵  The Lord ³⁶⁶  has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him ³⁶⁷  when she was old, ³⁶⁸  and my master ³⁶⁹  has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find ³⁷⁰  a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go ³⁷¹  with me?’ ³⁷²  24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, ³⁷³  will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath ³⁷⁴  if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, ³⁷⁵  may events unfold as follows: ³⁷⁶  24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. ³⁷⁷  When ³⁷⁸  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, ³⁷⁹  along came Rebekah ³⁸⁰  with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ ³⁸¹  I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter ³⁸²  of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” ³⁸³ 

24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. ³⁸⁴  Our wishes are of no concern. ³⁸⁵  24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become ³⁸⁶  the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” ³⁸⁷ 

24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he ³⁸⁸  brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. ³⁸⁹ 

When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” ³⁹⁰  24:55 But Rebekah’s ³⁹¹  brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord ³⁹²  has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return ³⁹³  to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” ³⁹⁴  24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want ³⁹⁵  to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”

24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: ³⁹⁶ 

“Our sister, may you become the mother ³⁹⁷  of thousands of ten thousands!

May your descendants possess the strongholds ³⁹⁸  of their enemies.”

24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with ³⁹⁹  the man. So Abraham’s servant ⁴⁰⁰  took Rebekah and left.

24:62 Now ⁴⁰¹  Isaac came from ⁴⁰²  Beer Lahai Roi, ⁴⁰³  for ⁴⁰⁴  he was living in the Negev. ⁴⁰⁵  24:63 He ⁴⁰⁶  went out to relax ⁴⁰⁷  in the field in the early evening. ⁴⁰⁸  Then he looked up ⁴⁰⁹  and saw that ⁴¹⁰  there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up ⁴¹¹  and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked ⁴¹²  Abraham’s servant, ⁴¹³  “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. ⁴¹⁴  So she took her veil and covered herself.

24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah ⁴¹⁵  into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her ⁴¹⁶  as his wife and loved her. ⁴¹⁷  So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. ⁴¹⁸ 

Matthew 9:20

9:20 But ⁴¹⁹  a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage ⁴²⁰  for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge ⁴²¹  of his cloak. ⁴²² 

Mark 5:25

5:25 Now ⁴²³  a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage ⁴²⁴  for twelve years. ⁴²⁵ 

Mark 7:20-23

7:20 He said, “What comes out of a person defiles him. 7:21 For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 7:22 adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly. 7:23 All these evils come from within and defile a person.”

Luke 8:43

8:43 Now ⁴²⁶  a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage ⁴²⁷  for twelve years ⁴²⁸  but could not be healed by anyone.

[19:1]  ¹ tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.

[19:1]  ² 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]  ³ tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.

[19:2]  ⁴ tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”

[19:2]  ⁵ sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.

[19:3]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:5]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”

[19:8]  ¹² tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[19:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”

[19:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “shadow.”

[19:8]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”

[19:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”

[19:9]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ 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]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”

[19:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “and they drew near.”

[19:10]  ²² 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]  ²³ tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:10]  ²⁴ tn Heb “to them into the house.”

[19:11]  ²⁵ tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”

[19:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:12]  ²⁷ 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]  ²⁸ tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”

[19:12]  ²⁹ tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:12]  ³⁰ tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”

[19:12]  ³¹ tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.

[19:13]  ³² tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.

[19:13]  ³³ tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:13]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.

[19:14]  ³⁷ 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]  ³⁸ tn Heb “When dawn came up.”

[19:15]  ³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[19:16]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:16]  ⁴² tn Heb “in the compassion of the Lord to them.”

[19:16]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “escape.”

[19:17]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:18]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[19:19]  ⁴⁹ 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]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “in your eyes.”

[19:19]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”

[19:19]  ⁵² 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]  ⁵³ tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.

[19:19]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “lest.”

[19:19]  ⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁶ tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.

[19:20]  ⁵⁷ 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]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”

[19:20]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.

[19:20]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “Is it not little?”

[19:20]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.

[19:21]  ⁶² 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]  ⁶³ tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”

[19:21]  ⁶⁴ 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]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.

[19:22]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).

[19:23]  ⁶⁸ 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]  ⁶⁹ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.

[19:24]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).

[19:24]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “from the Lord from the heavens.” The words “It was sent down” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:25]  ⁷² tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:25]  ⁷³ tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”

[19:26]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:26]  ⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).

[19:27]  ⁷⁶ tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:28]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “upon the face of.”

[19:28]  ⁷⁸ 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]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”

[19:29]  ⁸⁰ tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.

[19:29]  ⁸¹ tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:29]  ⁸² 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]  ⁸³ sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.

[19:29]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”

[19:31]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”

[19:31]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.

[19:32]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:32]  ⁸⁹ 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]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.

[19:32]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”

[19:33]  ⁹² tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:33]  ⁹³ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:33]  ⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”

[19:34]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:34]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “Look, I lied down with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight.”

[19:34]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “And go, lie down with him and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”

[19:35]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:35]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “lied down with him.”

[19:35]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”

[19:37]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:37]  ¹⁰³ 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]  ¹⁰⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”

[20:1]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

[20:3]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “came.”

[20:3]  ¹⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.

[20:4]  ¹¹⁰ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[20:4]  ¹¹¹ 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]  ¹¹² tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:5]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and she, even she.”

[20:5]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”

[20:6]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”

[20:6]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”

[20:6]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “therefore.”

[20:7]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.

[20:7]  ¹¹⁹ sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.

[20:7]  ¹²⁰ tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.

[20:7]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.

[20:7]  ¹²² tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.

[20:8]  ¹²³ tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”

[20:8]  ¹²⁴ tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”

[20:8]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”

[20:8]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[20:9]  ¹²⁷ 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]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.

[20:10]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”

[20:10]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.

[20:11]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “Because I said.”

[20:11]  ¹³² tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[20:12]  ¹³³ tn Heb “but also.”

[20:13]  ¹³⁴ 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]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”

[20:14]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “took and gave.”

[20:15]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”

[20:16]  ¹³⁸ 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]  ¹³⁹ 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]  ¹⁴⁰ 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]  ¹⁴¹ tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”

[20:18]  ¹⁴² tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[20:18]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[21:1]  ¹⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “and the Lord did.” The divine name has not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[21:1]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “spoken.”

[21:2]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “she conceived.”

[21:3]  ¹⁴⁸ 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]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “Isaac his son, the son of eight days.” The name “Isaac” is repeated in the translation for clarity.

[21:4]  ¹⁵⁰ 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]  ¹⁵¹ 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]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “Laughter God has made for me.”

[21:6]  ¹⁵³ tn The words “about this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[21:6]  ¹⁵⁴ 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]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “said.”

[21:7]  ¹⁵⁶ tn The perfect form of the verb is used here to describe a hypothetical situation.

[21:8]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “made.”

[21:8]  ¹⁵⁸ 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]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “saw.”

[21:9]  ¹⁶⁰ 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]  ¹⁶¹ 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]  ¹⁶² 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]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”

[21:12]  ¹⁶⁴ 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]  ¹⁶⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.

[21:12]  ¹⁶⁶ 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]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “and Abraham rose up early in the morning and he took.”

[21:14]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[21:14]  ¹⁶⁹ 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]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “she went and wandered.”

[21:14]  ¹⁷¹ 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]  ¹⁷² 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]  ¹⁷³ sn A bowshot would be a distance of about a hundred yards (ninety meters).

[21:16]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “said.”

[21:16]  ¹⁷⁵ 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]  ¹⁷⁶ 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]  ¹⁷⁷ 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]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “What to you?”

[21:17]  ¹⁷⁹ sn Here the verb heard picks up the main motif of the name Ishmael (“God hears”), introduced back in chap. 16.

[21:19]  ¹⁸⁰ 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]  ¹⁸¹ 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]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “And his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.”

[21:22]  ¹⁸³ sn God is with you. Abimelech and Phicol recognized that Abraham enjoyed special divine provision and protection.

[21:23]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “And now swear to me by God here.”

[21:23]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “my offspring and my descendants.”

[21:23]  ¹⁸⁶ tn The word “land” refers by metonymy to the people in the land.

[21:23]  ¹⁸⁷ tn The Hebrew verb means “to stay, to live, to sojourn” as a temporary resident without ownership rights.

[21:23]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Or “kindness.”

[21:23]  ¹⁸⁹ 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]  ¹⁹⁰ 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]  ¹⁹¹ 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]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “concerning the matter of the well of water.”

[21:25]  ¹⁹³ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to steal; to rob; to take violently.” The statement reflects Abraham’s perspective.

[21:26]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “and also.”

[21:27]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:29]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “What are these?”

[21:30]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “that it be for me for a witness.”

[21:30]  ¹⁹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹⁹ 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]  ²⁰⁰ 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]  ²⁰¹ sn The verb forms a wordplay with the name Beer Sheba.

[21:32]  ²⁰² tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:32]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “arose and returned.”

[21:32]  ²⁰⁴ 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]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:33]  ²⁰⁶ 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]  ²⁰⁷ 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]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “many days.”

[22:1]  ²⁰⁹ 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]  ²¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ²¹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ²¹² 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]  ²¹³ 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]  ²¹⁴ 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]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “which I will say to.”

[22:3]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey.”

[22:3]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “he arose and he went.”

[22:4]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.”

[22:5]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “And Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[22:5]  ²²⁰ tn The Hebrew verb is masculine plural, referring to the two young servants who accompanied Abraham and Isaac on the journey.

[22:5]  ²²¹ tn The disjunctive clause (with the compound subject preceding the verb) may be circumstantial and temporal.

[22:5]  ²²² tn This Hebrew word literally means “to bow oneself close to the ground.” It often means “to worship.”

[22:5]  ²²³ 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]  ²²⁴ sn He took the fire and the knife in his hand. These details anticipate the sacrifice that lies ahead.

[22:7]  ²²⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This is redundant and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[22:7]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “Here I am” (cf. Gen 22:1).

[22:7]  ²²⁷ 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]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “will see for himself.” The construction means “to look out for; to see to it; to provide.”

[22:9]  ²²⁹ 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]  ²³⁰ 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]  ²³¹ tn Heb “in order to slaughter.”

[22:11]  ²³² 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]  ²³³ tn Heb “Do not extend your hand toward the boy.”

[22:12]  ²³⁴ 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]  ²³⁵ sn For now I know. The test was designed to see if Abraham would be obedient (see v. 1).

[22:12]  ²³⁶ sn In this context fear refers by metonymy to obedience that grows from faith.

[22:13]  ²³⁷ tn Heb “lifted his eyes.”

[22:13]  ²³⁸ 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]  ²³⁹ 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]  ²⁴⁰ tn Heb “Abraham”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:14]  ²⁴¹ 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]  ²⁴² 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]  ²⁴³ 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]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “By myself I swear.”

[22:16]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “the oracle of the Lord.” The phrase refers to a formal oracle or decree from the Lord.

[22:17]  ²⁴⁶ 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]  ²⁴⁷ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  ²⁴⁸ 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]  ²⁴⁹ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ²⁵⁰ 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]  ²⁵¹ 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]  ²⁵² 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]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “and they arose and went together.”

[22:19]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “and Abraham stayed in Beer Sheba. This has been translated as a relative clause for stylistic reasons.

[22:20]  ²⁵⁵ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to the statement.

[22:21]  ²⁵⁶ 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]  ²⁵⁷ tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is important but parenthetical to the narrative. Rebekah would become the wife of Isaac (Gen 24:15).

[23:1]  ²⁵⁸ tn Heb “And the years of Sarah were one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”

[23:2]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “Sarah.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“she”) for stylistic reasons.

[23:2]  ²⁶⁰ sn Mourn…weep. The description here is of standard mourning rites (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 149-50). They would have been carried out in the presence of the corpse, probably in Sarah’s tent. So Abraham came in to mourn; then he rose up to go and bury his dead (v. 3).

[23:3]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”

[23:3]  ²⁶² tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[23:4]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “a resident alien and a settler.”

[23:4]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “give,” which is used here as an idiom for “sell” (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.

[23:4]  ²⁶⁵ tn Or “possession.”

[23:4]  ²⁶⁶ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.

[23:4]  ²⁶⁷ tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:5]  ²⁶⁸ tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”

[23:6]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”

[23:6]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “prince of God.” The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, “mighty prince.” The word for “prince” probably means “tribal chief” here. See M. H. Gottstein, “Nasi’ ‘elohim (Gen 23:6),” VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, “Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew,” VT 3 (1953) 215-16.

[23:6]  ²⁷¹ tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:7]  ²⁷² tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).

[23:8]  ²⁷³ tn Heb “If it is with your purpose.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here has the nuance “purpose” or perhaps “desire” (see BDB 661 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ).

[23:8]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:8]  ²⁷⁵ tn Or “hear me.”

[23:8]  ²⁷⁶ tn Heb “intercede for me with.”

[23:9]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “give.” This is used here (also a second time later in this verse) as an idiom for “sell”; see the note on the word “grant” in v. 4.

[23:9]  ²⁷⁸ tn Heb “in your presence.”

[23:9]  ²⁷⁹ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:10]  ²⁸⁰ tn Or perhaps “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.

[23:10]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.

[23:10]  ²⁸² sn On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate,” BASOR 144 (1956): 20-23; and G. Evans, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate: A Discussion of Professor Speiser’s Paper,” BASOR 150 (1958): 28-33.

[23:11]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “give.” The perfect tense has here a present nuance; this is a formal, legally binding declaration. Abraham asked only for a burial site/cave within the field; Ephron agrees to sell him the entire field.

[23:11]  ²⁸⁴ tn The Hebrew text adds “to you I give [i.e., sell] it.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[23:11]  ²⁸⁵ tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”

[23:13]  ²⁸⁶ tn Heb “give.”

[23:13]  ²⁸⁷ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:13]  ²⁸⁸ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.

[23:15]  ²⁸⁹ tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:15]  ²⁹⁰ sn Four hundred pieces 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 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).

[23:16]  ²⁹¹ tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”

[23:16]  ²⁹² tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”

[23:16]  ²⁹³ tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:16]  ²⁹⁴ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:16]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[23:16]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.

[23:17]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “And it was conveyed.” The recipient, Abraham (mentioned in the Hebrew text at the beginning of v. 18) has been placed here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:18]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:20]  ²⁹⁹ tn Heb “possession of a grave.”

[24:1]  ³⁰⁰ tn Heb “days.”

[24:1]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[24:2]  ³⁰² tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).

[24:2]  ³⁰³ sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.

[24:3]  ³⁰⁴ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.

[24:3]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “because you must not take.”

[24:4]  ³⁰⁶ tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”

[24:4]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “and take.”

[24:5]  ³⁰⁸ tn Heb “to go after me.”

[24:5]  ³⁰⁹ tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.

[24:6]  ³¹⁰ tn Heb “guard yourself.”

[24:6]  ³¹¹ tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:7]  ³¹² tn Or “the land of my birth.”

[24:7]  ³¹³ tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”

[24:7]  ³¹⁴ tn Or “his messenger.”

[24:7]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “before you and you will take.”

[24:8]  ³¹⁶ tn Heb “ to go after you.”

[24:8]  ³¹⁷ sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.

[24:9]  ³¹⁸ tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”

[24:10]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.

[24:10]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

[24:10]  ³²¹ tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:11]  ³²² tn Heb “well of water.”

[24:11]  ³²³ tn Heb “at the time of evening.”

[24:12]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).

[24:12]  ³²⁵ tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”

[24:13]  ³²⁶ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:13]  ³²⁷ tn Heb “the men.”

[24:14]  ³²⁸ sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.

[24:14]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”

[24:15]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.

[24:15]  ³³¹ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:16]  ³³² tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.

[24:17]  ³³³ tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:18]  ³³⁴ tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”

[24:19]  ³³⁵ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:20]  ³³⁶ tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”

[24:21]  ³³⁷ tn Heb “to know.”

[24:21]  ³³⁸ tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).

[24:22]  ³³⁹ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

[24:22]  ³⁴⁰ sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).

[24:22]  ³⁴¹ tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:23]  ³⁴² tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:24]  ³⁴³ tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:25]  ³⁴⁴ tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:25]  ³⁴⁵ tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:27]  ³⁴⁶ tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”

[24:27]  ³⁴⁷ tn Heb “As for me – in the way the Lord led me.”

[24:27]  ³⁴⁸ tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.

[24:27]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “brothers.”

[24:28]  ³⁵⁰ tn Heb “according to.”

[24:29]  ³⁵¹ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.

[24:30]  ³⁵² tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[24:30]  ³⁵³ tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”

[24:30]  ³⁵⁴ tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.

[24:31]  ³⁵⁵ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:31]  ³⁵⁶ sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the Lord. Already the author is laying the foundation for subsequent events in the narrative, where Laban’s greed becomes his dominant characteristic.

[24:31]  ³⁵⁷ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.

[24:32]  ³⁵⁸ tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:32]  ³⁵⁹ tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).

[24:32]  ³⁶⁰ tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

[24:32]  ³⁶¹ tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

[24:33]  ³⁶² tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”

[24:33]  ³⁶³ tn Heb “my words.”

[24:33]  ³⁶⁴ tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”

[24:35]  ³⁶⁵ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.

[24:35]  ³⁶⁶ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:36]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:36]  ³⁶⁸ tn Heb “after her old age.”

[24:36]  ³⁶⁹ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:38]  ³⁷⁰ tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”

[24:39]  ³⁷¹ tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.

[24:39]  ³⁷² tn Heb “after me.”

[24:40]  ³⁷³ tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the Lord or it may have a more positive moral connotation (“serve faithfully”).

[24:41]  ³⁷⁴ tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).

[24:42]  ³⁷⁵ tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”

[24:42]  ³⁷⁶ tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[24:43]  ³⁷⁷ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:43]  ³⁷⁸ tn Heb “and it will be.”

[24:45]  ³⁷⁹ tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.

[24:45]  ³⁸⁰ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.

[24:47]  ³⁸¹ tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:48]  ³⁸² tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).

[24:49]  ³⁸³ tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.

[24:50]  ³⁸⁴ tn Heb “From the Lord the matter has gone out.”

[24:50]  ³⁸⁵ tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.

[24:51]  ³⁸⁶ tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:51]  ³⁸⁷ tn Heb “as the Lord has spoken.”

[24:53]  ³⁸⁸ tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:54]  ³⁸⁹ tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”

[24:54]  ³⁹⁰ tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”

[24:55]  ³⁹¹ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:56]  ³⁹² tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.

[24:56]  ³⁹³ tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:57]  ³⁹⁴ tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”

[24:58]  ³⁹⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.

[24:60]  ³⁹⁶ tn Heb “and said to her.”

[24:60]  ³⁹⁷ tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”

[24:60]  ³⁹⁸ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.

[24:61]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”

[24:61]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:62]  ⁴⁰¹ tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.

[24:62]  ⁴⁰² tn Heb “from the way of.”

[24:62]  ⁴⁰³ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.

[24:62]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.

[24:62]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn Or “the South [country].”

[24:63]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:63]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).

[24:63]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”

[24:63]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.

[24:63]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.

[24:64]  ⁴¹¹ tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”

[24:65]  ⁴¹² tn Heb “and she said to.”

[24:65]  ⁴¹³ tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:65]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.

[24:67]  ⁴¹⁶ tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”

[24:67]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.

[9:20]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Grk “And behold a woman.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[9:20]  ⁴²⁰ sn Suffering from a hemorrhage. The woman was most likely suffering from a vaginal hemorrhage which would make her ritually unclean.

[9:20]  ⁴²¹ sn The edge of his cloak refers to the kraspedon, the blue tassel on the garment that symbolized a Jewish man’s obedience to the law (cf. Num 15:37-41). The woman thus touched the very part of Jesus’ clothing that indicated his ritual purity.

[9:20]  ⁴²² tn Grk “garment,” but here ἱμάτιον (Jimation) denotes the outer garment in particular.

[5:25]  ⁴²³ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[5:25]  ⁴²⁴ tn Grk “a flow of blood.”

[5:25]  ⁴²⁵ sn This story of the woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years is recounted in the middle of the story about Jairus’ daughter. Mark’s account (as is often the case) is longer and more detailed than the parallel accounts in Matt 9:18-26 and Luke 8:40-56. Mark’s fuller account may be intended to show that the healing of the woman was an anticipation of the healing of the little girl.

[8:43]  ⁴²⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[8:43]  ⁴²⁷ tn Grk “a flow of blood.”

[8:43]  ⁴²⁸ tc ‡ Most mss, including the majority of later mss (א[* C] A L W Θ Ξ [Ψ] Ë^1,13 33 [1424] Ï [lat sy^c,p,h]) read here, “having spent all her money on doctors.” Uncertainty over its authenticity is due primarily to the fact that certain important witnesses do not have the phrase (e.g., Ì⁷⁵ B [D] 0279 sy^s sa Or). This evidence alone renders its authenticity unlikely. It may have been intentionally added by later scribes in order to harmonize Luke’s account with similar material in Mark 5:26 (see TCGNT 121). NA²⁷ includes the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.