Genesis 5:1--26:35

From Adam to Noah

5:1 This is the record ¹  of the family line ²  of Adam.

When God created humankind, ³  he made them ⁴  in the likeness of God. 5:2 He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.” ⁵ 

5:3 When ⁶  Adam had lived 130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and he named him Seth. 5:4 The length of time Adam lived ⁷  after he became the father of Seth was 800 years; during this time he had ⁸  other ⁹  sons and daughters. 5:5 The entire lifetime ¹⁰  of Adam was 930 years, and then he died. ¹¹ 

5:6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father ¹²  of Enosh. 5:7 Seth lived 807 years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had ¹³  other ¹⁴  sons and daughters. 5:8 The entire lifetime of Seth was 912 years, and then he died.

5:9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 5:10 Enosh lived 815 years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:11 The entire lifetime of Enosh was 905 years, and then he died.

5:12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 5:13 Kenan lived 840 years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:14 The entire lifetime of Kenan was 910 years, and then he died.

5:15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 5:16 Mahalalel lived 830 years after he became the father of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:17 The entire lifetime of Mahalalel was 895 years, and then he died.

5:18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 5:19 Jared lived 800 years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:20 The entire lifetime of Jared was 962 years, and then he died.

5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 5:22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God ¹⁵  for 300 years, ¹⁶  and he had other ¹⁷  sons and daughters. 5:23 The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared ¹⁸  because God took ¹⁹  him away.

5:25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 5:26 Methuselah lived 782 years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other ²⁰  sons and daughters. 5:27 The entire lifetime of Methuselah was 969 years, and then he died.

5:28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 5:29 He named him Noah, ²¹  saying, “This one will bring us comfort ²²  from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the Lord has cursed.” 5:30 Lamech lived 595 years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other ²³  sons and daughters. 5:31 The entire lifetime of Lamech was 777 years, and then he died.

5:32 After Noah was 500 years old, he ²⁴  became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

God’s Grief over Humankind’s Wickedness

6:1 When humankind ²⁵  began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born ²⁶  to them, ²⁷  6:2 the sons of God ²⁸  saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose. 6:3 So the Lord said, “My spirit will not remain in ²⁹  humankind indefinitely, ³⁰  since ³¹  they ³²  are mortal. ³³  They ³⁴  will remain for 120 more years.” ³⁵ 

6:4 The Nephilim ³⁶  were on the earth in those days (and also after this) ³⁷  when the sons of God were having sexual relations with ³⁸  the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children. ³⁹  They were the mighty heroes ⁴⁰  of old, the famous men. ⁴¹ 

6:5 But the Lord saw ⁴²  that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination ⁴³  of the thoughts ⁴⁴  of their minds ⁴⁵  was only evil ⁴⁶  all the time. ⁴⁷  6:6 The Lord regretted ⁴⁸  that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended. ⁴⁹  6:7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – everything from humankind to animals, ⁵⁰  including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.”

6:8 But ⁵¹  Noah found favor ⁵²  in the sight of ⁵³  the Lord.

The Judgment of the Flood

6:9 This is the account of Noah. ⁵⁴ 

Noah was a godly man; he was blameless ⁵⁵ 

among his contemporaries. ⁵⁶  He ⁵⁷  walked with ⁵⁸  God. 6:10 Noah had ⁵⁹  three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

6:11 The earth was ruined ⁶⁰  in the sight of ⁶¹  God; the earth was filled with violence. ⁶²  6:12 God saw the earth, and indeed ⁶³  it was ruined, ⁶⁴  for all living creatures ⁶⁵  on the earth were sinful. ⁶⁶  6:13 So God said ⁶⁷  to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, ⁶⁸  for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am about to destroy ⁶⁹  them and the earth. 6:14 Make ⁷⁰  for yourself an ark of cypress ⁷¹  wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover ⁷²  it with pitch inside and out. 6:15 This is how you should make it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. ⁷³  6:16 Make a roof for the ark and finish it, leaving 18 inches ⁷⁴  from the top. ⁷⁵  Put a door in the side of the ark, and make lower, middle, and upper decks. 6:17 I am about to bring ⁷⁶  floodwaters ⁷⁷  on the earth to destroy ⁷⁸  from under the sky all the living creatures that have the breath of life in them. ⁷⁹  Everything that is on the earth will die, 6:18 but I will confirm ⁸⁰  my covenant with you. You will enter ⁸¹  the ark – you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 6:19 You must bring into the ark two of every kind of living creature from all flesh, ⁸²  male and female, to keep them alive ⁸³  with you. 6:20 Of the birds after their kinds, and of the cattle after their kinds, and of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind will come to you so you can keep them alive. ⁸⁴  6:21 And you must take ⁸⁵  for yourself every kind of food ⁸⁶  that is eaten, ⁸⁷  and gather it together. ⁸⁸  It will be food for you and for them.

6:22 And Noah did all ⁸⁹  that God commanded him – he did indeed. ⁹⁰ 

7:1 The Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, for I consider you godly among this generation. ⁹¹  7:2 You must take with you seven ⁹²  of every kind of clean animal, ⁹³  the male and its mate, ⁹⁴  two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate, 7:3 and also seven ⁹⁵  of every kind of bird in the sky, male and female, ⁹⁶  to preserve their offspring ⁹⁷  on the face of the earth. 7:4 For in seven days ⁹⁸  I will cause it to rain ⁹⁹  on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the ground every living thing that I have made.”

7:5 And Noah did all ¹⁰⁰  that the Lord commanded him.

7:6 Noah ¹⁰¹  was 600 years old when the floodwaters engulfed ¹⁰²  the earth. 7:7 Noah entered the ark along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives because ¹⁰³  of the floodwaters. 7:8 Pairs ¹⁰⁴  of clean animals, of unclean animals, of birds, and of everything that creeps along the ground, 7:9 male and female, came into the ark to Noah, ¹⁰⁵  just as God had commanded him. ¹⁰⁶  7:10 And after seven days the floodwaters engulfed the earth. ¹⁰⁷ 

7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month – on that day all the fountains of the great deep ¹⁰⁸  burst open and the floodgates of the heavens ¹⁰⁹  were opened. 7:12 And the rain fell ¹¹⁰  on the earth forty days and forty nights.

7:13 On that very day Noah entered the ark, accompanied by his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with his wife and his sons’ three wives. ¹¹¹  7:14 They entered, ¹¹²  along with every living creature after its kind, every animal after its kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, everything with wings. ¹¹³  7:15 Pairs ¹¹⁴  of all creatures ¹¹⁵  that have the breath of life came into the ark to Noah. 7:16 Those that entered were male and female, ¹¹⁶  just as God commanded him. Then the Lord shut him in.

7:17 The flood engulfed the earth for forty days. As the waters increased, they lifted the ark and raised it above the earth. 7:18 The waters completely overwhelmed ¹¹⁷  the earth, and the ark floated ¹¹⁸  on the surface of the waters. 7:19 The waters completely inundated ¹¹⁹  the earth so that even ¹²⁰  all the high mountains under the entire sky were covered. 7:20 The waters rose more than twenty feet ¹²¹  above the mountains. ¹²²  7:21 And all living things ¹²³  that moved on the earth died, including the birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all humankind. 7:22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life ¹²⁴  in its nostrils died. 7:23 So the Lord ¹²⁵  destroyed ¹²⁶  every living thing that was on the surface of the ground, including people, animals, creatures that creep along the ground, and birds of the sky. ¹²⁷  They were wiped off the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark survived. ¹²⁸  7:24 The waters prevailed over ¹²⁹  the earth for 150 days.

8:1 But God remembered ¹³⁰  Noah and all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to blow over ¹³¹  the earth and the waters receded. 8:2 The fountains of the deep and the floodgates of heaven were closed, ¹³²  and the rain stopped falling from the sky. 8:3 The waters kept receding steadily ¹³³  from the earth, so that they ¹³⁴  had gone down ¹³⁵  by the end of the 150 days. 8:4 On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on one of the mountains of Ararat. ¹³⁶  8:5 The waters kept on receding ¹³⁷  until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains became visible. ¹³⁸ 

8:6 At the end of forty days, ¹³⁹  Noah opened the window he had made in the ark ¹⁴⁰  8:7 and sent out a raven; it kept flying ¹⁴¹  back and forth until the waters had dried up on the earth.

8:8 Then Noah ¹⁴²  sent out a dove ¹⁴³  to see if the waters had receded ¹⁴⁴  from the surface of the ground. 8:9 The dove could not find a resting place for its feet because water still covered ¹⁴⁵  the surface of the entire earth, and so it returned to Noah ¹⁴⁶  in the ark. He stretched out his hand, took the dove, ¹⁴⁷  and brought it back into the ark. ¹⁴⁸  8:10 He waited seven more days and then sent out the dove again from the ark. 8:11 When ¹⁴⁹  the dove returned to him in the evening, there was ¹⁵⁰  a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak! Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 8:12 He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again, ¹⁵¹  but it did not return to him this time. ¹⁵² 

8:13 In Noah’s six hundred and first year, ¹⁵³  in the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth, and Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that ¹⁵⁴  the surface of the ground was dry. 8:14 And by the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth ¹⁵⁵  was dry.

8:15 Then God spoke to Noah and said, 8:16 “Come out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 8:17 Bring out with you all the living creatures that are with you. Bring out ¹⁵⁶  every living thing, including the birds, animals, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. Let them increase ¹⁵⁷  and be fruitful and multiply on the earth!” ¹⁵⁸ 

8:18 Noah went out along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives. 8:19 Every living creature, every creeping thing, every bird, and everything that moves on the earth went out of the ark in their groups.

8:20 Noah built an altar to the Lord. He then took some of every kind of clean animal and clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. ¹⁵⁹  8:21 And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma ¹⁶⁰  and said ¹⁶¹  to himself, ¹⁶²  “I will never again curse ¹⁶³  the ground because of humankind, even though ¹⁶⁴  the inclination of their minds ¹⁶⁵  is evil from childhood on. ¹⁶⁶  I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.

8:22 “While the earth continues to exist, ¹⁶⁷ 

planting time ¹⁶⁸  and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

and day and night will not cease.”

God’s Covenant with Humankind through Noah

9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 9:2 Every living creature of the earth and every bird of the sky will be terrified of you. ¹⁶⁹  Everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea are under your authority. ¹⁷⁰  9:3 You may eat any moving thing that lives. ¹⁷¹  As I gave you ¹⁷²  the green plants, I now give ¹⁷³  you everything.

9:4 But ¹⁷⁴  you must not eat meat ¹⁷⁵  with its life (that is, ¹⁷⁶  its blood) in it. ¹⁷⁷  9:5 For your lifeblood ¹⁷⁸  I will surely exact punishment, ¹⁷⁹  from ¹⁸⁰  every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person ¹⁸¹  I will exact punishment for the life of the individual ¹⁸²  since the man was his relative. ¹⁸³ 

9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood, ¹⁸⁴ 

by other humans ¹⁸⁵ 

must his blood be shed;

for in God’s image ¹⁸⁶ 

God ¹⁸⁷  has made humankind.”

9:7 But as for you, ¹⁸⁸  be fruitful and multiply; increase abundantly on the earth and multiply on it.”

9:8 God said to Noah and his sons, ¹⁸⁹  9:9 “Look! I now confirm ¹⁹⁰  my covenant with you and your descendants after you ¹⁹¹  9:10 and with every living creature that is with you, including the birds, the domestic animals, and every living creature of the earth with you, all those that came out of the ark with you – every living creature of the earth. ¹⁹²  9:11 I confirm ¹⁹³  my covenant with you: Never again will all living things ¹⁹⁴  be wiped out ¹⁹⁵  by the waters of a flood; ¹⁹⁶  never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

9:12 And God said, “This is the guarantee ¹⁹⁷  of the covenant I am making ¹⁹⁸  with you ¹⁹⁹  and every living creature with you, a covenant ²⁰⁰  for all subsequent ²⁰¹  generations: 9:13 I will place ²⁰²  my rainbow ²⁰³  in the clouds, and it will become ²⁰⁴  a guarantee of the covenant between me and the earth. 9:14 Whenever ²⁰⁵  I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 9:15 then I will remember my covenant with you ²⁰⁶  and with all living creatures of all kinds. ²⁰⁷  Never again will the waters become a flood and destroy ²⁰⁸  all living things. ²⁰⁹  9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember ²¹⁰  the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.”

9:17 So God said to Noah, “This is the guarantee of the covenant that I am confirming between me and all living things ²¹¹  that are on the earth.”

The Curse of Canaan

9:18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Now Ham was the father of Canaan.) ²¹²  9:19 These were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated. ²¹³ 

9:20 Noah, a man of the soil, ²¹⁴  began to plant a vineyard. ²¹⁵  9:21 When he drank some of the wine, he got drunk and uncovered himself ²¹⁶  inside his tent. 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, ²¹⁷  saw his father’s nakedness ²¹⁸  and told his two brothers who were outside. 9:23 Shem and Japheth took the garment ²¹⁹  and placed it on their shoulders. Then they walked in backwards and covered up their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned ²²⁰  the other way so they did not see their father’s nakedness.

9:24 When Noah awoke from his drunken stupor ²²¹  he learned ²²²  what his youngest son had done ²²³  to him. 9:25 So he said,

“Cursed ²²⁴  be Canaan! ²²⁵ 

The lowest of slaves ²²⁶ 

he will be to his brothers.”

9:26 He also said,

“Worthy of praise is ²²⁷  the Lord, the God of Shem!

May Canaan be the slave of Shem! ²²⁸ 

9:27 May God enlarge Japheth’s territory and numbers! ²²⁹ 

May he live ²³⁰  in the tents of Shem

and may Canaan be his slave!”

9:28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 9:29 The entire lifetime of Noah was 950 years, and then he died.

The Table of Nations

10:1 This is the account ²³¹  of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons ²³²  were born ²³³  to them after the flood.

10:2 The sons of Japheth ²³⁴  were Gomer, ²³⁵  Magog, ²³⁶  Madai, ²³⁷  Javan, ²³⁸  Tubal, ²³⁹  Meshech, ²⁴⁰  and Tiras. ²⁴¹  10:3 The sons of Gomer were ²⁴²  Askenaz, ²⁴³  Riphath, ²⁴⁴  and Togarmah. ²⁴⁵  10:4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, ²⁴⁶  Tarshish, ²⁴⁷  the Kittim, ²⁴⁸  and the Dodanim. ²⁴⁹  10:5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to its language, according to their families, by their nations.

10:6 The sons of Ham were Cush, ²⁵⁰  Mizraim, ²⁵¹  Put, ²⁵²  and Canaan. ²⁵³  10:7 The sons of Cush were Seba, ²⁵⁴  Havilah, ²⁵⁵  Sabtah, ²⁵⁶  Raamah, ²⁵⁷  and Sabteca. ²⁵⁸  The sons of Raamah were Sheba ²⁵⁹  and Dedan. ²⁶⁰ 

10:8 Cush was the father of ²⁶¹  Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter ²⁶²  before the Lord. ²⁶³  (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”) 10:10 The primary regions ²⁶⁴  of his kingdom were Babel, ²⁶⁵  Erech, ²⁶⁶  Akkad, ²⁶⁷  and Calneh ²⁶⁸  in the land of Shinar. ²⁶⁹  10:11 From that land he went ²⁷⁰  to Assyria, ²⁷¹  where he built Nineveh, ²⁷²  Rehoboth-Ir, ²⁷³  Calah, ²⁷⁴  10:12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city Calah. ²⁷⁵ 

10:13 Mizraim ²⁷⁶  was the father of ²⁷⁷  the Ludites, ²⁷⁸  Anamites, ²⁷⁹  Lehabites, ²⁸⁰  Naphtuhites, ²⁸¹  10:14 Pathrusites, ²⁸²  Casluhites ²⁸³  (from whom the Philistines came), ²⁸⁴  and Caphtorites. ²⁸⁵ 

10:15 Canaan was the father of ²⁸⁶  Sidon his firstborn, ²⁸⁷  Heth, ²⁸⁸  10:16 the Jebusites, ²⁸⁹  Amorites, ²⁹⁰  Girgashites, ²⁹¹  10:17 Hivites, ²⁹²  Arkites, ²⁹³  Sinites, ²⁹⁴  10:18 Arvadites, ²⁹⁵  Zemarites, ²⁹⁶  and Hamathites. ²⁹⁷  Eventually the families of the Canaanites were scattered 10:19 and the borders of Canaan extended ²⁹⁸  from Sidon ²⁹⁹  all the way to ³⁰⁰  Gerar as far as Gaza, and all the way to ³⁰¹  Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and by their nations.

10:21 And sons were also born ³⁰²  to Shem (the older brother of Japheth), ³⁰³  the father of all the sons of Eber.

10:22 The sons of Shem were Elam, ³⁰⁴  Asshur, ³⁰⁵  Arphaxad, ³⁰⁶  Lud, ³⁰⁷  and Aram. ³⁰⁸  10:23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. ³⁰⁹  10:24 Arphaxad was the father of ³¹⁰  Shelah, ³¹¹  and Shelah was the father of Eber. ³¹²  10:25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg because in his days the earth was divided, ³¹³  and his brother’s name was Joktan. 10:26 Joktan was the father of ³¹⁴  Almodad, ³¹⁵  Sheleph, ³¹⁶  Hazarmaveth, ³¹⁷  Jerah, ³¹⁸  10:27 Hadoram, Uzal, ³¹⁹  Diklah, ³²⁰  10:28 Obal, ³²¹  Abimael, ³²²  Sheba, ³²³  10:29 Ophir, ³²⁴  Havilah, ³²⁵  and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 10:30 Their dwelling place was from Mesha all the way to ³²⁶  Sephar in the eastern hills. 10:31 These are the sons of Shem according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and according to their nations.

10:32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations, and from these the nations spread ³²⁷  over the earth after the flood.

The Dispersion of the Nations at Babel

11:1 The whole earth ³²⁸  had a common language and a common vocabulary. ³²⁹  11:2 When the people ³³⁰  moved eastward, ³³¹  they found a plain in Shinar ³³²  and settled there. 11:3 Then they said to one another, ³³³  “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” ³³⁴  (They had brick instead of stone and tar ³³⁵  instead of mortar.) ³³⁶  11:4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens ³³⁷  so that ³³⁸  we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise ³³⁹  we will be scattered ³⁴⁰  across the face of the entire earth.”

11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people ³⁴¹  had started ³⁴²  building. 11:6 And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language ³⁴³  they have begun to do this, then ³⁴⁴  nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. ³⁴⁵  11:7 Come, let’s go down and confuse ³⁴⁶  their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.” ³⁴⁷ 

11:8 So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building ³⁴⁸  the city. 11:9 That is why its name was called ³⁴⁹  Babel ³⁵⁰  – because there the Lord confused the language of the entire world, and from there the Lord scattered them across the face of the entire earth.

The Genealogy of Shem

11:10 This is the account of Shem.

Shem was 100 old when he became the father of Arphaxad, two years after the flood. 11:11 And after becoming the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other ³⁵¹  sons and daughters.

11:12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 11:13 And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other ³⁵²  sons and daughters. ³⁵³ 

11:14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 11:15 And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other ³⁵⁴  sons and daughters.

11:16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 11:17 And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 11:19 And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 11:21 And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 11:23 And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 11:25 And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

The Record of Terah

11:27 This is the account of Terah.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 11:28 Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans, ³⁵⁵  while his father Terah was still alive. ³⁵⁶  11:29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, ³⁵⁷  and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; ³⁵⁸  she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

11:31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (the son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and with them he set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. When they came to Haran, they settled there. 11:32 The lifetime ³⁵⁹  of Terah was 205 years, and he ³⁶⁰  died in Haran.

The Obedience of Abram

12:1 Now the Lord said ³⁶¹  to Abram, ³⁶² 

“Go out ³⁶³  from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household

to the land that I will show you. ³⁶⁴ 

12:2 Then I will make you ³⁶⁵  into a great nation, and I will bless you, ³⁶⁶ 

and I will make your name great, ³⁶⁷ 

so that you will exemplify divine blessing. ³⁶⁸ 

12:3 I will bless those who bless you, ³⁶⁹ 

but the one who treats you lightly ³⁷⁰  I must curse,

and all the families of the earth will bless one another ³⁷¹  by your name.”

12:4 So Abram left, ³⁷²  just as the Lord had told him to do, ³⁷³  and Lot went with him. (Now ³⁷⁴  Abram was 75 years old ³⁷⁵  when he departed from Haran.) 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew ³⁷⁶  Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired ³⁷⁷  in Haran, and they left for ³⁷⁸  the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.

12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree ³⁷⁹  of Moreh ³⁸⁰  at Shechem. ³⁸¹  (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) ³⁸²  12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants ³⁸³  I will give this land.” So Abram ³⁸⁴  built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country east of Bethel ³⁸⁵  and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped the Lord. ³⁸⁶  12:9 Abram continually journeyed by stages ³⁸⁷  down to the Negev. ³⁸⁸ 

The Promised Blessing Jeopardized

12:10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt ³⁸⁹  to stay for a while ³⁹⁰  because the famine was severe. ³⁹¹  12:11 As he approached ³⁹²  Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, ³⁹³  I know that you are a beautiful woman. ³⁹⁴  12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. ³⁹⁵  12:13 So tell them ³⁹⁶  you are my sister ³⁹⁷  so that it may go well ³⁹⁸  for me because of you and my life will be spared ³⁹⁹  on account of you.”

12:14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 12:15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife ⁴⁰⁰  was taken ⁴⁰¹  into the household of Pharaoh, ⁴⁰²  12:16 and he did treat Abram well ⁴⁰³  on account of her. Abram received ⁴⁰⁴  sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

12:17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases ⁴⁰⁵  because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this ⁴⁰⁶  you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her ⁴⁰⁷  to be my wife? ⁴⁰⁸  Here is your wife! ⁴⁰⁹  Take her and go!” ⁴¹⁰  12:20 Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, ⁴¹¹  and so they expelled him, along with his wife and all his possessions.

Abram’s Solution to the Strife

13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. ⁴¹²  He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot. ⁴¹³  13:2 (Now Abram was very wealthy ⁴¹⁴  in livestock, silver, and gold.) ⁴¹⁵ 

13:3 And he journeyed from place to place ⁴¹⁶  from the Negev as far as Bethel. ⁴¹⁷  He returned ⁴¹⁸  to the place where he had pitched his tent ⁴¹⁹  at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai. 13:4 This was the place where he had first built the altar, ⁴²⁰  and there Abram worshiped the Lord. ⁴²¹ 

13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling ⁴²²  with Abram, also had ⁴²³  flocks, herds, and tents. 13:6 But the land could ⁴²⁴  not support them while they were living side by side. ⁴²⁵  Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live ⁴²⁶  alongside one another. 13:7 So there were quarrels ⁴²⁷  between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. ⁴²⁸  (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) ⁴²⁹ 

13:8 Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. ⁴³⁰  13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go ⁴³¹  to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

13:10 Lot looked up and saw ⁴³²  the whole region ⁴³³  of the Jordan. He noticed ⁴³⁴  that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated ⁴³⁵  Sodom and Gomorrah) ⁴³⁶  like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, ⁴³⁷  all the way to Zoar. 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled ⁴³⁸  toward the east.

So the relatives separated from each other. ⁴³⁹  13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain ⁴⁴⁰  and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13:13 (Now ⁴⁴¹  the people ⁴⁴²  of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.) ⁴⁴³ 

13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, ⁴⁴⁴  “Look ⁴⁴⁵  from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west. 13:15 I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants ⁴⁴⁶  forever. 13:16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. ⁴⁴⁷  13:17 Get up and ⁴⁴⁸  walk throughout ⁴⁴⁹  the land, ⁴⁵⁰  for I will give it to you.”

13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live ⁴⁵¹  by the oaks ⁴⁵²  of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.

The Blessing of Victory for God’s People

14:1 At that time ⁴⁵³  Amraphel king of Shinar, ⁴⁵⁴  Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations ⁴⁵⁵  14:2 went to war ⁴⁵⁶  against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ⁴⁵⁷  14:3 These last five kings ⁴⁵⁸  joined forces ⁴⁵⁹  in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ⁴⁶⁰  14:4 For twelve years ⁴⁶¹  they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year ⁴⁶²  they rebelled. ⁴⁶³  14:5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated ⁴⁶⁴  the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 14:6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is near the desert. ⁴⁶⁵  14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, ⁴⁶⁶  and they conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.

14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and prepared for battle. In the Valley of Siddim they met ⁴⁶⁷  14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, ⁴⁶⁸  Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against ⁴⁶⁹  five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. ⁴⁷⁰  When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, ⁴⁷¹  but some survivors ⁴⁷²  fled to the hills. ⁴⁷³  14:11 The four victorious kings ⁴⁷⁴  took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew ⁴⁷⁵  Lot and his possessions when ⁴⁷⁶  they left, for Lot ⁴⁷⁷  was living in Sodom. ⁴⁷⁸ 

14:13 A fugitive ⁴⁷⁹  came and told Abram the Hebrew. ⁴⁸⁰  Now Abram was living by the oaks ⁴⁸¹  of Mamre the Amorite, the brother ⁴⁸²  of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty ⁴⁸³  with Abram.) ⁴⁸⁴  14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew ⁴⁸⁵  had been taken captive, he mobilized ⁴⁸⁶  his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders ⁴⁸⁷  as far as Dan. ⁴⁸⁸  14:15 Then, during the night, ⁴⁸⁹  Abram ⁴⁹⁰  divided his forces ⁴⁹¹  against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north ⁴⁹²  of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. ⁴⁹³  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of ⁴⁹⁴  the people.

14:17 After Abram ⁴⁹⁵  returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram ⁴⁹⁶  in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). ⁴⁹⁷  14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem ⁴⁹⁸  brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) ⁴⁹⁹  14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by ⁵⁰⁰  the Most High God,

Creator ⁵⁰¹  of heaven and earth. ⁵⁰² 

14:20 Worthy of praise is ⁵⁰³  the Most High God,

who delivered ⁵⁰⁴  your enemies into your hand.”

Abram gave Melchizedek ⁵⁰⁵  a tenth of everything.

14:21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.” 14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand ⁵⁰⁶  to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow ⁵⁰⁷  14:23 that I will take nothing ⁵⁰⁸  belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I ⁵⁰⁹  who made Abram rich.’ 14:24 I will take nothing ⁵¹⁰  except compensation for what the young men have eaten. ⁵¹¹  As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”

The Cutting of the Covenant

15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield ⁵¹²  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” ⁵¹³ 

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, ⁵¹⁴  what will you give me since ⁵¹⁵  I continue to be ⁵¹⁶  childless, and my heir ⁵¹⁷  is ⁵¹⁸  Eliezer of Damascus?” ⁵¹⁹  15:3 Abram added, ⁵²⁰  “Since ⁵²¹  you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” ⁵²² 

15:4 But look, ⁵²³  the word of the Lord came to him: “This man ⁵²⁴  will not be your heir, ⁵²⁵  but instead ⁵²⁶  a son ⁵²⁷  who comes from your own body will be ⁵²⁸  your heir.” ⁵²⁹  15:5 The Lord ⁵³⁰  took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

15:6 Abram believed ⁵³¹  the Lord, and the Lord ⁵³²  considered his response of faith ⁵³³  as proof of genuine loyalty. ⁵³⁴ 

15:7 The Lord said ⁵³⁵  to him, “I am the Lord ⁵³⁶  who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans ⁵³⁷  to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But ⁵³⁸  Abram ⁵³⁹  said, “O sovereign Lord, ⁵⁴⁰  by what ⁵⁴¹  can I know that I am to possess it?”

15:9 The Lord ⁵⁴²  said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 15:10 So Abram ⁵⁴³  took all these for him and then cut them in two ⁵⁴⁴  and placed each half opposite the other, ⁵⁴⁵  but he did not cut the birds in half. 15:11 When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

15:12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, ⁵⁴⁶  and great terror overwhelmed him. ⁵⁴⁷  15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ⁵⁴⁸  that your descendants will be strangers ⁵⁴⁹  in a foreign country. ⁵⁵⁰  They will be enslaved and oppressed ⁵⁵¹  for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. ⁵⁵²  Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, ⁵⁵³  you will go to your ancestors ⁵⁵⁴  in peace and be buried at a good old age. ⁵⁵⁵  15:16 In the fourth generation ⁵⁵⁶  your descendants ⁵⁵⁷  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” ⁵⁵⁸ 

15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch ⁵⁵⁹  passed between the animal parts. ⁵⁶⁰  15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant ⁵⁶¹  with Abram: “To your descendants I give ⁵⁶²  this land, from the river of Egypt ⁵⁶³  to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land ⁵⁶⁴  of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” ⁵⁶⁵ 

The Birth of Ishmael

16:1 Now Sarai, ⁵⁶⁶  Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, ⁵⁶⁷  but she had an Egyptian servant ⁵⁶⁸  named Hagar. ⁵⁶⁹  16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since ⁵⁷⁰  the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with ⁵⁷¹  my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” ⁵⁷²  Abram did what ⁵⁷³  Sarai told him.

16:3 So after Abram had lived ⁵⁷⁴  in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, ⁵⁷⁵  to her husband to be his wife. ⁵⁷⁶  16:4 He had sexual relations with ⁵⁷⁷  Hagar, and she became pregnant. ⁵⁷⁸  Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. ⁵⁷⁹  16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! ⁵⁸⁰  I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, ⁵⁸¹  but when she realized ⁵⁸²  that she was pregnant, she despised me. ⁵⁸³  May the Lord judge between you and me!” ⁵⁸⁴ 

16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your ⁵⁸⁵  servant is under your authority, ⁵⁸⁶  do to her whatever you think best.” ⁵⁸⁷  Then Sarai treated Hagar ⁵⁸⁸  harshly, ⁵⁸⁹  so she ran away from Sarai. ⁵⁹⁰ 

16:7 The Lord’s angel ⁵⁹¹  found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. ⁵⁹²  16:8 He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from ⁵⁹³  my mistress, Sarai.”

16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit ⁵⁹⁴  to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, ⁵⁹⁵  “so that they will be too numerous to count.” ⁵⁹⁶  16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,

“You are now ⁵⁹⁷  pregnant

and are about to give birth ⁵⁹⁸  to a son.

You are to name him Ishmael, ⁵⁹⁹ 

for the Lord has heard your painful groans. ⁶⁰⁰ 

16:12 He will be a wild donkey ⁶⁰¹  of a man.

He will be hostile to everyone, ⁶⁰² 

and everyone will be hostile to him. ⁶⁰³ 

He will live away from ⁶⁰⁴  his brothers.”

16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” ⁶⁰⁵  for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” ⁶⁰⁶  16:14 That is why the well was called ⁶⁰⁷  Beer Lahai Roi. ⁶⁰⁸  (It is located ⁶⁰⁹  between Kadesh and Bered.)

16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. ⁶¹⁰  16:16 (Now ⁶¹¹  Abram was 86 years old ⁶¹²  when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) ⁶¹³ 

The Sign of the Covenant

17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, ⁶¹⁴  the Lord appeared to him and said, ⁶¹⁵  “I am the sovereign God. ⁶¹⁶  Walk ⁶¹⁷  before me ⁶¹⁸  and be blameless. ⁶¹⁹  17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant ⁶²⁰  between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” ⁶²¹ 

17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, ⁶²²  and God said to him, ⁶²³  17:4 “As for me, ⁶²⁴  this ⁶²⁵  is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 17:5 No longer will your name be ⁶²⁶  Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham ⁶²⁷  because I will make you ⁶²⁸  the father of a multitude of nations. 17:6 I will make you ⁶²⁹  extremely ⁶³⁰  fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. ⁶³¹  17:7 I will confirm ⁶³²  my covenant as a perpetual ⁶³³  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. ⁶³⁴  17:8 I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing ⁶³⁵  – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent ⁶³⁶  possession. I will be their God.”

17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep ⁶³⁷  the covenantal requirement ⁶³⁸  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: ⁶³⁹  Every male among you must be circumcised. ⁶⁴⁰  17:11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder ⁶⁴¹  of the covenant between me and you. 17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old ⁶⁴²  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, ⁶⁴³  whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant ⁶⁴⁴  will be visible in your flesh as a permanent ⁶⁴⁵  reminder. 17:14 Any uncircumcised male ⁶⁴⁶  who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off ⁶⁴⁷  from his people – he has failed to carry out my requirement.” ⁶⁴⁸ 

17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; ⁶⁴⁹  Sarah ⁶⁵⁰  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. ⁶⁵¹  Kings of countries ⁶⁵²  will come from her!”

17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed ⁶⁵³  as he said to himself, ⁶⁵⁴  “Can ⁶⁵⁵  a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? ⁶⁵⁶  Can Sarah ⁶⁵⁷  bear a child at the age of ninety?” ⁶⁵⁸  17:18 Abraham said to God, “O that ⁶⁵⁹  Ishmael might live before you!” ⁶⁶⁰ 

17:19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. ⁶⁶¹  I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual ⁶⁶²  covenant for his descendants after him. 17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. ⁶⁶³  I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. ⁶⁶⁴  He will become the father of twelve princes; ⁶⁶⁵  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. ⁶⁶⁶ 

17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) ⁶⁶⁷  and circumcised them ⁶⁶⁸  on that very same day, just as God had told him to do. 17:24 Now Abraham was 99 years old ⁶⁶⁹  when he was circumcised; ⁶⁷⁰  17:25 his son Ishmael was thirteen years old ⁶⁷¹  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 ⁶⁷²  by the oaks ⁶⁷³  of Mamre while ⁶⁷⁴  he was sitting at the entrance ⁶⁷⁵  to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 18:2 Abraham ⁶⁷⁶  looked up ⁶⁷⁷  and saw ⁶⁷⁸  three men standing across ⁶⁷⁹  from him. When he saw them ⁶⁸⁰  he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low ⁶⁸¹  to the ground. ⁶⁸² 

18:3 He said, “My lord, ⁶⁸³  if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. ⁶⁸⁴  18:4 Let a little water be brought so that ⁶⁸⁵  you may all ⁶⁸⁶  wash your feet and rest under the tree. 18:5 And let me get ⁶⁸⁷  a bit of food ⁶⁸⁸  so that you may refresh yourselves ⁶⁸⁹  since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” ⁶⁹⁰  “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”

18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take ⁶⁹¹  three measures ⁶⁹²  of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” ⁶⁹³  18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, ⁶⁹⁴  who quickly prepared it. ⁶⁹⁵  18:8 Abraham ⁶⁹⁶  then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food ⁶⁹⁷  before them. They ate while ⁶⁹⁸  he was standing near them under a tree.

18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, ⁶⁹⁹  in the tent.” 18:10 One of them ⁷⁰⁰  said, “I will surely return ⁷⁰¹  to you when the season comes round again, ⁷⁰²  and your wife Sarah will have a son!” ⁷⁰³  (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. ⁷⁰⁴  18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; ⁷⁰⁵  Sarah had long since passed menopause.) ⁷⁰⁶  18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ⁷⁰⁷  “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, ⁷⁰⁸  especially when my husband is old too?” ⁷⁰⁹ 

18:13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why ⁷¹⁰  did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really ⁷¹¹  have a child when I am old?’ 18:14 Is anything impossible ⁷¹²  for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” ⁷¹³  18:15 Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.” ⁷¹⁴ 

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

18:16 When the men got up to leave, ⁷¹⁵  they looked out over ⁷¹⁶  Sodom. (Now ⁷¹⁷  Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.) ⁷¹⁸  18:17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? ⁷¹⁹  18:18 After all, Abraham ⁷²⁰  will surely become ⁷²¹  a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ⁷²²  using his name. 18:19 I have chosen him ⁷²³  so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep ⁷²⁴  the way of the Lord by doing ⁷²⁵  what is right and just. Then the Lord will give ⁷²⁶  to Abraham what he promised ⁷²⁷  him.”

18:20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against ⁷²⁸  Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant ⁷²⁹  18:21 that I must go down ⁷³⁰  and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. ⁷³¹  If not, ⁷³²  I want to know.”

18:22 The two men turned ⁷³³  and headed ⁷³⁴  toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. ⁷³⁵  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 ⁷³⁶  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 ⁷³⁷  of the whole earth do what is right?” ⁷³⁸ 

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 ⁷³⁹  (although I am but dust and ashes), ⁷⁴⁰  18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy ⁷⁴¹  the whole city because five are lacking?” ⁷⁴²  He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

18:29 Abraham ⁷⁴³  spoke to him again, ⁷⁴⁴  “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”

18:30 Then Abraham ⁷⁴⁵  said, “May the Lord not be angry ⁷⁴⁶  so that I may speak! ⁷⁴⁷  What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

18:31 Abraham ⁷⁴⁸  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 ⁷⁴⁹  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 ⁷⁵⁰  when he had finished speaking ⁷⁵¹  to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. ⁷⁵² 

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while ⁷⁵³  Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. ⁷⁵⁴  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 ⁷⁵⁵  and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” ⁷⁵⁶  “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” ⁷⁵⁷ 

19:3 But he urged ⁷⁵⁸  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, ⁷⁵⁹  all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. ⁷⁶⁰  19:5 They shouted to Lot, ⁷⁶¹  “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex ⁷⁶²  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! ⁷⁶³  19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with ⁷⁶⁴  a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. ⁷⁶⁵  Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection ⁷⁶⁶  of my roof.” ⁷⁶⁷ 

19:9 “Out of our way!” ⁷⁶⁸  they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, ⁷⁶⁹  and now he dares to judge us! ⁷⁷⁰  We’ll do more harm ⁷⁷¹  to you than to them!” They kept ⁷⁷²  pressing in on Lot until they were close enough ⁷⁷³  to break down the door.

19:10 So the men inside ⁷⁷⁴  reached out ⁷⁷⁵  and pulled Lot back into the house ⁷⁷⁶  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, ⁷⁷⁷  with blindness. The men outside ⁷⁷⁸  wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors ⁷⁷⁹  said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? ⁷⁸⁰  Do you have ⁷⁸¹  any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? ⁷⁸²  Get them out of this ⁷⁸³  place 19:13 because we are about to destroy ⁷⁸⁴  it. The outcry against this place ⁷⁸⁵  is so great before the Lord that he ⁷⁸⁶  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. ⁷⁸⁷  He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy ⁷⁸⁸  the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. ⁷⁸⁹ 

19:15 At dawn ⁷⁹⁰  the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, ⁷⁹¹  or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” ⁷⁹²  19:16 When Lot ⁷⁹³  hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. ⁷⁹⁴  They led them away and placed them ⁷⁹⁵  outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they ⁷⁹⁶  said, “Run ⁷⁹⁷  for your lives! Don’t look ⁷⁹⁸  behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! ⁷⁹⁹  Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”

19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! ⁸⁰⁰  19:19 Your ⁸⁰¹  servant has found favor with you, ⁸⁰²  and you have shown me great ⁸⁰³  kindness ⁸⁰⁴  by sparing ⁸⁰⁵  my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because ⁸⁰⁶  this disaster will overtake ⁸⁰⁷  me and I’ll die. ⁸⁰⁸  19:20 Look, this town ⁸⁰⁹  over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. ⁸¹⁰  Let me go there. ⁸¹¹  It’s just a little place, isn’t it? ⁸¹²  Then I’ll survive.” ⁸¹³ 

19:21 “Very well,” he replied, ⁸¹⁴  “I will grant this request too ⁸¹⁵  and will not overthrow ⁸¹⁶  the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, ⁸¹⁷  for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) ⁸¹⁸ 

19:23 The sun had just risen ⁸¹⁹  over the land as Lot reached Zoar. ⁸²⁰  19:24 Then the Lord rained down ⁸²¹  sulfur and fire ⁸²²  on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. ⁸²³  19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, ⁸²⁴  including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew ⁸²⁵  from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s ⁸²⁶  wife looked back longingly ⁸²⁷  and was turned into a pillar of salt.

19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went ⁸²⁸  to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward ⁸²⁹  Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. ⁸³⁰  As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. ⁸³¹ 

19:29 So when God destroyed ⁸³²  the cities of the region, ⁸³³  God honored ⁸³⁴  Abraham’s request. He removed Lot ⁸³⁵  from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed ⁸³⁶  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 ⁸³⁷  to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby ⁸³⁸  to have sexual relations with us, ⁸³⁹  according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine ⁸⁴⁰  so we can have sexual relations ⁸⁴¹  with him and preserve ⁸⁴²  our family line through our father.” ⁸⁴³ 

19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, ⁸⁴⁴  and the older daughter ⁸⁴⁵  came and had sexual relations with her father. ⁸⁴⁶  But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. ⁸⁴⁷  19:34 So in the morning the older daughter ⁸⁴⁸  said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. ⁸⁴⁹  Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” ⁸⁵⁰  19:35 So they made their father drunk ⁸⁵¹  that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. ⁸⁵²  But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. ⁸⁵³ 

19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter ⁸⁵⁴  gave birth to a son and named him Moab. ⁸⁵⁵  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. ⁸⁵⁶  He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev ⁸⁵⁷  region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident ⁸⁵⁸  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 ⁸⁵⁹  to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead ⁸⁶⁰  because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” ⁸⁶¹ 

20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, ⁸⁶²  would you really slaughter an innocent nation? ⁸⁶³  20:5 Did Abraham ⁸⁶⁴  not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ⁸⁶⁵  ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience ⁸⁶⁶  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. ⁸⁶⁷  That is why I have kept you ⁸⁶⁸  from sinning against me and why ⁸⁶⁹  I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed ⁸⁷⁰  he is a prophet ⁸⁷¹  and he will pray for you; thus you will live. ⁸⁷²  But if you don’t give her back, ⁸⁷³  know that you will surely die ⁸⁷⁴  along with all who belong to you.”

20:8 Early in the morning ⁸⁷⁵  Abimelech summoned ⁸⁷⁶  all his servants. When he told them about all these things, ⁸⁷⁷  they ⁸⁷⁸  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? ⁸⁷⁹  You have done things to me that should not be done!” ⁸⁸⁰  20:10 Then Abimelech asked ⁸⁸¹  Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” ⁸⁸² 

20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ⁸⁸³  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ⁸⁸⁴  my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, ⁸⁸⁵  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 ⁸⁸⁶  from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: ⁸⁸⁷  Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”

20:14 So Abimelech gave ⁸⁸⁸  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.” ⁸⁸⁹ 

20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver ⁸⁹⁰  to your ‘brother.’ ⁸⁹¹  This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” ⁸⁹² 

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 ⁸⁹³  had caused infertility to strike every woman ⁸⁹⁴  in the household of Abimelech because he took ⁸⁹⁵  Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

The Birth of Isaac

21:1 The Lord visited ⁸⁹⁶  Sarah just as he had said he would and did ⁸⁹⁷  for Sarah what he had promised. ⁸⁹⁸  21:2 So Sarah became pregnant ⁸⁹⁹  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. ⁹⁰⁰  21:4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, ⁹⁰¹  Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. ⁹⁰²  21:5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) ⁹⁰³ 

21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. ⁹⁰⁴  Everyone who hears about this ⁹⁰⁵  will laugh ⁹⁰⁶  with me.” 21:7 She went on to say, ⁹⁰⁷  “Who would ⁹⁰⁸  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 ⁹⁰⁹  a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ⁹¹⁰  21:9 But Sarah noticed ⁹¹¹  the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. ⁹¹²  21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish ⁹¹³  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. ⁹¹⁴  21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset ⁹¹⁵  about the boy or your slave wife. Do ⁹¹⁶  all that Sarah is telling ⁹¹⁷  you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. ⁹¹⁸  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 ⁹¹⁹  some food ⁹²⁰  and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, ⁹²¹  and sent her away. So she went wandering ⁹²²  aimlessly through the wilderness ⁹²³  of Beer Sheba. 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved ⁹²⁴  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 ⁹²⁵  away; for she thought, ⁹²⁶  “I refuse to watch the child die.” ⁹²⁷  So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. ⁹²⁸ 

21:17 But God heard the boy’s voice. ⁹²⁹  The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, ⁹³⁰  Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard ⁹³¹  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. ⁹³²  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. ⁹³³  His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt. ⁹³⁴ 

21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you ⁹³⁵  in all that you do. 21:23 Now swear to me right here in God’s name ⁹³⁶  that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. ⁹³⁷  Show me, and the land ⁹³⁸  where you are staying, ⁹³⁹  the same loyalty ⁹⁴⁰  that I have shown you.” ⁹⁴¹ 

21:24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.” ⁹⁴²  21:25 But Abraham lodged a complaint ⁹⁴³  against Abimelech concerning a well ⁹⁴⁴  that Abimelech’s servants had seized. ⁹⁴⁵  21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, ⁹⁴⁶  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. ⁹⁴⁷  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 ⁹⁴⁸  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 ⁹⁴⁹  that I dug this well.” ⁹⁵⁰  21:31 That is why he named that place ⁹⁵¹  Beer Sheba, ⁹⁵²  because the two of them swore ⁹⁵³  an oath there.

21:32 So they made a treaty ⁹⁵⁴  at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned ⁹⁵⁵  to the land of the Philistines. ⁹⁵⁶  21:33 Abraham ⁹⁵⁷  planted a tamarisk tree ⁹⁵⁸  in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, ⁹⁵⁹  the eternal God. 21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time. ⁹⁶⁰ 

The Sacrifice of Isaac

22:1 Some time after these things God tested ⁹⁶¹  Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham ⁹⁶²  replied. 22:2 God ⁹⁶³  said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac ⁹⁶⁴  – and go to the land of Moriah! ⁹⁶⁵  Offer him up there as a burnt offering ⁹⁶⁶  on one of the mountains which I will indicate to ⁹⁶⁷  you.”

22:3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. ⁹⁶⁸  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 ⁹⁶⁹  for the place God had spoken to him about.

22:4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of ⁹⁷⁰  the place in the distance. 22:5 So he ⁹⁷¹  said to his servants, “You two stay ⁹⁷²  here with the donkey while ⁹⁷³  the boy and I go up there. We will worship ⁹⁷⁴  and then return to you.” ⁹⁷⁵ 

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, ⁹⁷⁶  and the two of them walked on together. 22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, ⁹⁷⁷  “My father?” “What is it, ⁹⁷⁸  my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, ⁹⁷⁹  “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 22:8 “God will provide ⁹⁸⁰  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 ⁹⁸¹  and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up ⁹⁸²  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 ⁹⁸³  his son. 22:11 But the Lord’s angel ⁹⁸⁴  called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. 22:12 “Do not harm the boy!” ⁹⁸⁵  the angel said. ⁹⁸⁶  “Do not do anything to him, for now I know ⁹⁸⁷  that you fear ⁹⁸⁸  God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”

22:13 Abraham looked up ⁹⁸⁹  and saw ⁹⁹⁰  behind him ⁹⁹¹  a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he ⁹⁹²  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.” ⁹⁹³  It is said to this day, ⁹⁹⁴  “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.” ⁹⁹⁵ 

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,’ ⁹⁹⁶  decrees the Lord, ⁹⁹⁷  ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, ⁹⁹⁸  and I will greatly multiply ⁹⁹⁹  your descendants ¹⁰⁰⁰  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 ¹⁰⁰¹  of the strongholds ¹⁰⁰²  of their enemies. 22:18 Because you have obeyed me, ¹⁰⁰³  all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ¹⁰⁰⁴  using the name of your descendants.’”

22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together ¹⁰⁰⁵  for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed. ¹⁰⁰⁶ 

22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah ¹⁰⁰⁷  also has borne children to your brother Nahor – 22:21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), ¹⁰⁰⁸  22:22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 22:23 (Now ¹⁰⁰⁹  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. ¹⁰¹⁰  23:2 Then she ¹⁰¹¹  died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. ¹⁰¹² 

23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife ¹⁰¹³  and said to the sons of Heth, ¹⁰¹⁴  23:4 “I am a temporary settler ¹⁰¹⁵  among you. Grant ¹⁰¹⁶  me ownership ¹⁰¹⁷  of a burial site among you so that I may ¹⁰¹⁸  bury my dead.” ¹⁰¹⁹ 

23:5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, ¹⁰²⁰  23:6 “Listen, sir, ¹⁰²¹  you are a mighty prince ¹⁰²²  among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you ¹⁰²³  from burying your dead.”

23:7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, ¹⁰²⁴  the sons of Heth. 23:8 Then he said to them, “If you agree ¹⁰²⁵  that I may bury my dead, ¹⁰²⁶  then hear me out. ¹⁰²⁷  Ask ¹⁰²⁸  Ephron the son of Zohar 23:9 if he will sell ¹⁰²⁹  me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publicly ¹⁰³⁰  for the full price, ¹⁰³¹  so that I may own it as a burial site.”

23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite ¹⁰³²  replied to Abraham in the hearing ¹⁰³³  of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate ¹⁰³⁴  of his city – 23:11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell ¹⁰³⁵  you both the field and the cave that is in it. ¹⁰³⁶  In the presence of my people ¹⁰³⁷  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 ¹⁰³⁸  to you the price ¹⁰³⁹  of the field. Take it from me so that I may ¹⁰⁴⁰  bury my dead there.”

23:14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 23:15 “Hear me, my lord. The land is worth ¹⁰⁴¹  400 pieces of silver, ¹⁰⁴²  but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price ¹⁰⁴³  and weighed ¹⁰⁴⁴  out for him ¹⁰⁴⁵  the price ¹⁰⁴⁶  that Ephron had quoted ¹⁰⁴⁷  in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. ¹⁰⁴⁸ 

23:17 So Abraham secured ¹⁰⁴⁹  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. ¹⁰⁵⁰ 

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 ¹⁰⁵¹  from the sons of Heth.

The Wife for Isaac

24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, ¹⁰⁵²  and the Lord had blessed him ¹⁰⁵³  in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one ¹⁰⁵⁴  in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh ¹⁰⁵⁵  24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise ¹⁰⁵⁶  by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire ¹⁰⁵⁷  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 ¹⁰⁵⁸  to find ¹⁰⁵⁹  a wife for my son Isaac.”

24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me ¹⁰⁶⁰  to this land? Must I then ¹⁰⁶¹  take your son back to the land from which you came?”

24:6 “Be careful ¹⁰⁶²  never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. ¹⁰⁶³  24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, ¹⁰⁶⁴  promised me with a solemn oath, ¹⁰⁶⁵  ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel ¹⁰⁶⁶  before you so that you may find ¹⁰⁶⁷  a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, ¹⁰⁶⁸  you will be free ¹⁰⁶⁹  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. ¹⁰⁷⁰ 

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. ¹⁰⁷¹  He journeyed ¹⁰⁷²  to the region of Aram Naharaim ¹⁰⁷³  and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well ¹⁰⁷⁴  outside the city. It was evening, ¹⁰⁷⁵  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. ¹⁰⁷⁶  Be faithful ¹⁰⁷⁷  to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, ¹⁰⁷⁸  and the daughters of the people ¹⁰⁷⁹  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.’ ¹⁰⁸⁰  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ¹⁰⁸¹ 

24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah ¹⁰⁸²  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). ¹⁰⁸³  24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. ¹⁰⁸⁴  She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant ¹⁰⁸⁵  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 ¹⁰⁸⁶  her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, ¹⁰⁸⁷  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied ¹⁰⁸⁸  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 ¹⁰⁸⁹  if the Lord had made his journey successful ¹⁰⁹⁰  or not.

24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ¹⁰⁹¹  and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels ¹⁰⁹²  and gave them to her. ¹⁰⁹³  24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. ¹⁰⁹⁴  “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. ¹⁰⁹⁵  24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, ¹⁰⁹⁶  “and room for you ¹⁰⁹⁷  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 ¹⁰⁹⁸  for my master! The Lord has led me ¹⁰⁹⁹  to the house ¹¹⁰⁰  of my master’s relatives!” ¹¹⁰¹ 

24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about ¹¹⁰²  these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) ¹¹⁰³  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 ¹¹⁰⁴  and heard his sister Rebekah say, ¹¹⁰⁵  “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing ¹¹⁰⁶  by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, ¹¹⁰⁷  “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! ¹¹⁰⁸  Why are you standing out here when I have prepared ¹¹⁰⁹  the house and a place for the camels?”

24:32 So Abraham’s servant ¹¹¹⁰  went to the house and unloaded ¹¹¹¹  the camels. Straw and feed were given ¹¹¹²  to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. ¹¹¹³  24:33 When food was served, ¹¹¹⁴  he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” ¹¹¹⁵  “Tell us,” Laban said. ¹¹¹⁶ 

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. ¹¹¹⁷  The Lord ¹¹¹⁸  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 ¹¹¹⁹  when she was old, ¹¹²⁰  and my master ¹¹²¹  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 ¹¹²²  a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go ¹¹²³  with me?’ ¹¹²⁴  24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, ¹¹²⁵  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 ¹¹²⁶  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, ¹¹²⁷  may events unfold as follows: ¹¹²⁸  24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. ¹¹²⁹  When ¹¹³⁰  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, ¹¹³¹  along came Rebekah ¹¹³²  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.’ ¹¹³³  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 ¹¹³⁴  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.” ¹¹³⁵ 

24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. ¹¹³⁶  Our wishes are of no concern. ¹¹³⁷  24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become ¹¹³⁸  the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” ¹¹³⁹ 

24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he ¹¹⁴⁰  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. ¹¹⁴¹ 

When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” ¹¹⁴²  24:55 But Rebekah’s ¹¹⁴³  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 ¹¹⁴⁴  has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return ¹¹⁴⁵  to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” ¹¹⁴⁶  24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want ¹¹⁴⁷  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: ¹¹⁴⁸ 

“Our sister, may you become the mother ¹¹⁴⁹  of thousands of ten thousands!

May your descendants possess the strongholds ¹¹⁵⁰  of their enemies.”

24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with ¹¹⁵¹  the man. So Abraham’s servant ¹¹⁵²  took Rebekah and left.

24:62 Now ¹¹⁵³  Isaac came from ¹¹⁵⁴  Beer Lahai Roi, ¹¹⁵⁵  for ¹¹⁵⁶  he was living in the Negev. ¹¹⁵⁷  24:63 He ¹¹⁵⁸  went out to relax ¹¹⁵⁹  in the field in the early evening. ¹¹⁶⁰  Then he looked up ¹¹⁶¹  and saw that ¹¹⁶²  there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up ¹¹⁶³  and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked ¹¹⁶⁴  Abraham’s servant, ¹¹⁶⁵  “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. ¹¹⁶⁶  So she took her veil and covered herself.

24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah ¹¹⁶⁷  into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her ¹¹⁶⁸  as his wife and loved her. ¹¹⁶⁹  So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. ¹¹⁷⁰ 

The Death of Abraham

25:1 Abraham had taken ¹¹⁷¹  another ¹¹⁷²  wife, named Keturah. 25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. ¹¹⁷³  The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants ¹¹⁷⁴  of Keturah.

25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines ¹¹⁷⁵  and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. ¹¹⁷⁶ 

25:7 Abraham lived a total of ¹¹⁷⁷  175 years. 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. ¹¹⁷⁸  He joined his ancestors. ¹¹⁷⁹  25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah ¹¹⁸⁰  near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. ¹¹⁸¹  There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed ¹¹⁸²  his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. ¹¹⁸³ 

The Sons of Ishmael

25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, ¹¹⁸⁴  whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

25:13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: ¹¹⁸⁵  Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes ¹¹⁸⁶  according to their clans.

25:17 Ishmael lived a total of ¹¹⁸⁷  137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. ¹¹⁸⁸  25:18 His descendants ¹¹⁸⁹  settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next ¹¹⁹⁰  to Egypt all the way ¹¹⁹¹  to Asshur. ¹¹⁹²  They settled ¹¹⁹³  away from all their relatives. ¹¹⁹⁴ 

Jacob and Esau

25:19 This is the account of Isaac, ¹¹⁹⁵  the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. 25:20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, ¹¹⁹⁶  the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. ¹¹⁹⁷ 

25:21 Isaac prayed to ¹¹⁹⁸  the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled ¹¹⁹⁹  inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” ¹²⁰⁰  So she asked the Lord, ¹²⁰¹  25:23 and the Lord said to her,

“Two nations ¹²⁰²  are in your womb,

and two peoples will be separated from within you.

One people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”

25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, ¹²⁰³  there were ¹²⁰⁴  twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish ¹²⁰⁵  all over, ¹²⁰⁶  like a hairy ¹²⁰⁷  garment, so they named him Esau. ¹²⁰⁸  25:26 When his brother came out with ¹²⁰⁹  his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. ¹²¹⁰  Isaac was sixty years old ¹²¹¹  when they were born.

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ¹²¹²  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ¹²¹³  25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, ¹²¹⁴  but Rebekah loved ¹²¹⁵  Jacob.

25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, ¹²¹⁶  and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ¹²¹⁷  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ¹²¹⁸  Edom.) ¹²¹⁹ 

25:31 But Jacob replied, “First ¹²²⁰  sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” ¹²²¹  25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” ¹²²²  So Esau ¹²²³  swore an oath to him and sold his birthright ¹²²⁴  to Jacob.

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ¹²²⁵  So Esau despised his birthright. ¹²²⁶ 

Isaac and Abimelech

26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred ¹²²⁷  in the days of Abraham. ¹²²⁸  Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; ¹²²⁹  settle down in the land that I will point out to you. ¹²³⁰  26:3 Stay ¹²³¹  in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, ¹²³²  for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, ¹²³³  and I will fulfill ¹²³⁴  the solemn promise I made ¹²³⁵  to your father Abraham. 26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them ¹²³⁶  all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. ¹²³⁷  26:5 All this will come to pass ¹²³⁸  because Abraham obeyed me ¹²³⁹  and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” ¹²⁴⁰  26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” ¹²⁴¹  He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, ¹²⁴²  “The men of this place will kill me to get ¹²⁴³  Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”

26:8 After Isaac ¹²⁴⁴  had been there a long time, ¹²⁴⁵  Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed ¹²⁴⁶  Isaac caressing ¹²⁴⁷  his wife Rebekah. 26:9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really ¹²⁴⁸  your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.” ¹²⁴⁹ 

26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? ¹²⁵⁰  One of the men ¹²⁵¹  might easily have had sexual relations with ¹²⁵²  your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 26:11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches ¹²⁵³  this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” ¹²⁵⁴ 

26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, ¹²⁵⁵  because the Lord blessed him. ¹²⁵⁶  26:13 The man became wealthy. ¹²⁵⁷  His influence continued to grow ¹²⁵⁸  until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had ¹²⁵⁹  so many sheep ¹²⁶⁰  and cattle ¹²⁶¹  and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous ¹²⁶²  of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up ¹²⁶³  all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.

26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, ¹²⁶⁴  for you have become much more powerful ¹²⁶⁵  than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. ¹²⁶⁶  26:18 Isaac reopened ¹²⁶⁷  the wells that had been dug ¹²⁶⁸  back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up ¹²⁶⁹  after Abraham died. Isaac ¹²⁷⁰  gave these wells ¹²⁷¹  the same names his father had given them. ¹²⁷² 

26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing ¹²⁷³  water there, 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled ¹²⁷⁴  with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac ¹²⁷⁵  named the well ¹²⁷⁶  Esek ¹²⁷⁷  because they argued with him about it. ¹²⁷⁸  26:21 His servants ¹²⁷⁹  dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it ¹²⁸⁰  Sitnah. ¹²⁸¹  26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac ¹²⁸²  named it ¹²⁸³  Rehoboth, ¹²⁸⁴  saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

26:23 From there Isaac ¹²⁸⁵  went up to Beer Sheba. 26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped ¹²⁸⁶  the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. ¹²⁸⁷ 

26:26 Now Abimelech had come ¹²⁸⁸  to him from Gerar along with ¹²⁸⁹  Ahuzzah his friend ¹²⁹⁰  and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me ¹²⁹¹  and sent me away from you.” 26:28 They replied, “We could plainly see ¹²⁹²  that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be ¹²⁹³  a pact between us ¹²⁹⁴  – between us ¹²⁹⁵  and you. Allow us to make ¹²⁹⁶  a treaty with you 26:29 so that ¹²⁹⁷  you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed ¹²⁹⁸  you, but have always treated you well ¹²⁹⁹  before sending you away ¹³⁰⁰  in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” ¹³⁰¹ 

26:30 So Isaac ¹³⁰²  held a feast for them and they celebrated. ¹³⁰³  26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. ¹³⁰⁴  Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. ¹³⁰⁵ 

26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. ¹³⁰⁶  26:33 So he named it Shibah; ¹³⁰⁷  that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba ¹³⁰⁸  to this day.

26:34 When ¹³⁰⁹  Esau was forty years old, ¹³¹⁰  he married ¹³¹¹  Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety. ¹³¹² 

[5:1]  ¹ tn Heb “book” or “roll.” Cf. NIV “written account”; NRSV “list.”

[5:1]  ² tn Heb “generations.” See the note on the phrase “this is the account of” in 2:4.

[5:1]  ³ tn The Hebrew text has אָדָם (’adam).

[5:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “him.” The Hebrew text uses the third masculine singular pronominal suffix on the accusative sign. The pronoun agrees grammatically with its antecedent אָדָם (’adam). However, the next verse makes it clear that אָדָם is collective here and refers to “humankind,” so it is preferable to translate the pronoun with the English plural.

[5:2]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew word used here is אָדָם (’adam).

[5:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “and Adam lived 130 years.” In the translation the verb is subordinated to the following verb, “and he fathered,” and rendered as a temporal clause.

[5:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “The days of Adam.”

[5:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “he fathered.”

[5:4]  ⁹ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “all the days of Adam which he lived”

[5:5]  ¹¹ sn The genealogy traces the line from Adam to Noah and forms a bridge between the earlier accounts and the flood story. Its constant theme of the reign of death in the human race is broken once with the account of Enoch, but the genealogy ends with hope for the future through Noah. See further G. F. Hasel, “The Genealogies of Gen. 5 and 11 and their Alleged Babylonian Background,” AUSS 16 (1978): 361-74; idem, “Genesis 5 and 11,” Origins 7 (1980): 23-37.

[5:6]  ¹² tn Heb “he fathered.”

[5:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “he fathered.”

[5:7]  ¹⁴ tn Here and in vv. 10, 13, 16, 19 the word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:22]  ¹⁵ sn With the seventh panel there is a digression from the pattern. Instead of simply saying that Enoch lived, the text observes that he “walked with God.” The rare expression “walked with” (the Hitpael form of the verb הָלָךְ, halakh, “to walk” collocated with the preposition אֶת, ’et, “with”) is used in 1 Sam 25:15 to describe how David’s men maintained a cordial and cooperative relationship with Nabal’s men as they worked and lived side by side in the fields. In Gen 5:22 the phrase suggests that Enoch and God “got along.” This may imply that Enoch lived in close fellowship with God, leading a life of devotion and piety. An early Jewish tradition, preserved in 1 En. 1:9 and alluded to in Jude 14, says that Enoch preached about the coming judgment. See F. S. Parnham, “Walking with God,” EvQ 46 (1974): 117-18.

[5:22]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and Enoch walked with God, after he became the father of Methuselah, [for] 300 years.”

[5:22]  ¹⁷ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:24]  ¹⁸ tn The Hebrew construction has the negative particle אֵין (’en, “there is not,” “there was not”) with a pronominal suffix, “he was not.” Instead of saying that Enoch died, the text says he no longer was present.

[5:24]  ¹⁹ sn The text simply states that God took Enoch. Similar language is used of Elijah’s departure from this world (see 2 Kgs 2:10). The text implies that God overruled death for this man who walked with him.

[5:26]  ²⁰ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:29]  ²¹ sn The name Noah appears to be related to the Hebrew word נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”). There are several wordplays on the name “Noah” in the story of the flood.

[5:29]  ²² tn The Hebrew verb יְנַחֲמֵנוּ (yÿnakhamenu) is from the root נָחָם (nakham), which means “to comfort” in the Piel verbal stem. The letters נ (nun) and ח (heth) pick up the sounds in the name “Noah,” forming a paronomasia on the name. They are not from the same verbal root, and so the connection is only by sound. Lamech’s sentiment reflects the oppression of living under the curse on the ground, but also expresses the hope for relief in some way through the birth of Noah. His words proved to be ironic but prophetic. The relief would come with a new beginning after the flood. See E. G. Kraeling, “The Interpretations of the Name Noah in Genesis 5:29,” JBL 48 (1929): 138-43.

[5:30]  ²³ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:32]  ²⁴ tn Heb “Noah.” The pronoun (“he”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ²⁵ tn The Hebrew text has the article prefixed to the noun. Here the article indicates the generic use of the word אָדָם (’adam): “humankind.”

[6:1]  ²⁶ tn This disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is circumstantial to the initial temporal clause. It could be rendered, “with daughters being born to them.” For another example of such a disjunctive clause following the construction וַיְהִיכִּי (vayÿhiki, “and it came to pass when”), see 2 Sam 7:1.

[6:1]  ²⁷ tn The pronominal suffix is third masculine plural, indicating that the antecedent “humankind” is collective.

[6:2]  ²⁸ sn The Hebrew phrase translated “sons of God” (בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים, bÿne-ha’elohim) occurs only here (Gen 6:2, 4) and in Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. There are three major interpretations of the phrase here. (1) In the Book of Job the phrase clearly refers to angelic beings. In Gen 6 the “sons of God” are distinct from “humankind,” suggesting they were not human. This is consistent with the use of the phrase in Job. Since the passage speaks of these beings cohabiting with women, they must have taken physical form or possessed the bodies of men. An early Jewish tradition preserved in 1 En. 6-7 elaborates on this angelic revolt and even names the ringleaders. (2) Not all scholars accept the angelic interpretation of the “sons of God,” however. Some argue that the “sons of God” were members of Seth’s line, traced back to God through Adam in Gen 5, while the “daughters of humankind” were descendants of Cain. But, as noted above, the text distinguishes the “sons of God” from humankind (which would include the Sethites as well as the Cainites) and suggests that the “daughters of humankind” are human women in general, not just Cainites. (3) Others identify the “sons of God” as powerful tyrants, perhaps demon-possessed, who viewed themselves as divine and, following the example of Lamech (see Gen 4:19), practiced polygamy. But usage of the phrase “sons of God” in Job militates against this view. For literature on the subject see G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:135.

[6:3]  ²⁹ tn The verb form יָדוֹן (yadon) only occurs here. Some derive it from the verbal root דִּין (din, “to judge”) and translate “strive” or “contend with” (so NIV), but in this case one expects the form to be יָדִין (yadin). The Old Greek has “remain with,” a rendering which may find support from an Arabic cognate (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:375). If one interprets the verb in this way, then it is possible to understand רוּחַ (ruakh) as a reference to the divine life-giving spirit or breath, rather than the Lord’s personal Spirit. E. A. Speiser argues that the term is cognate with an Akkadian word meaning “protect” or “shield.” In this case, the Lord’s Spirit will not always protect humankind, for the race will suddenly be destroyed (E. A. Speiser, “YDWN, Gen. 6:3,” JBL 75 [1956]: 126-29).

[6:3]  ³⁰ tn Or “forever.”

[6:3]  ³¹ tn The form בְּשַׁגַּם (bÿshagam) appears to be a compound of the preposition בְּ (beth, “in”), the relative שֶׁ (she, “who” or “which”), and the particle גַּם (gam, “also, even”). It apparently means “because even” (see BDB 980 s.v. שֶׁ).

[6:3]  ³² tn Heb “he”; the plural pronoun has been used in the translation since “man” earlier in the verse has been understood as a collective (“humankind”).

[6:3]  ³³ tn Heb “flesh.”

[6:3]  ³⁴ tn See the note on “they” earlier in this verse.

[6:3]  ³⁵ tn Heb “his days will be 120 years.” Some interpret this to mean that the age expectancy of people from this point on would be 120, but neither the subsequent narrative nor reality favors this. It is more likely that this refers to the time remaining between this announcement of judgment and the coming of the flood.

[6:4]  ³⁶ tn The Hebrew word נְפִילִים (nÿfilim) is simply transliterated here, because the meaning of the term is uncertain. According to the text, the Nephilim became mighty warriors and gained great fame in the antediluvian world. The text may imply they were the offspring of the sexual union of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of humankind” (v. 2), but it stops short of saying this in a direct manner. The Nephilim are mentioned in the OT only here and in Num 13:33, where it is stated that they were giants (thus KJV, TEV, NLT “giants” here). The narrator observes that the Anakites of Canaan were descendants of the Nephilim. Certainly these later Anakite Nephilim could not be descendants of the antediluvian Nephilim (see also the following note on the word “this”).

[6:4]  ³⁷ tn This observation is parenthetical, explaining that there were Nephilim even after the flood. If all humankind, with the exception of Noah and his family, died in the flood, it is difficult to understand how the postdiluvian Nephilim could be related to the antediluvian Nephilim or how the Anakites of Canaan could be their descendants (see Num 13:33). It is likely that the term Nephilim refers generally to “giants” (see HALOT 709 s.v. נְפִילִים) without implying any ethnic connection between the antediluvian and postdiluvian varieties.

[6:4]  ³⁸ tn Heb “were entering to,” referring euphemistically to sexual intercourse here. The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the ongoing nature of such sexual unions during the time before the flood.

[6:4]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and they gave birth to them.” The masculine plural suffix “them” refers to the “sons of God,” to whom the “daughters of humankind” bore children. After the Qal form of the verb יָלָד (yalad, “to give birth”) the preposition לְ (lÿ, “to”) introduces the father of the child(ren). See Gen 16:1, 15; 17:19, 21; 21:2-3, 9; 22:23; 24:24, 47; 25:2, etc.

[6:4]  ⁴⁰ tn The parenthetical/explanatory clause uses the word הַגִּבֹּרִים (haggibborim) to describe these Nephilim. The word means “warriors; mighty men; heroes.” The appositional statement further explains that they were “men of renown.” The text refers to superhuman beings who held the world in their power and who lived on in ancient lore outside the Bible. See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 45-46; C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:379-80; and Anne D. Kilmer, “The Mesopotamian Counterparts of the Biblical Nephilim,” Perspectives on Language and Text, 39-43.

[6:4]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “men of name” (i.e., famous men).

[6:5]  ⁴² sn The Hebrew verb translated “saw” (רָאָה, ra’ah), used here of God’s evaluation of humankind’s evil deeds, contrasts with God’s evaluation of creative work in Gen 1, when he observed that everything was good.

[6:5]  ⁴³ tn The noun יֵצֶר (yetser) is related to the verb יָצָר (yatsar, “to form, to fashion [with a design]”). Here it refers to human plans or intentions (see Gen 8:21; 1 Chr 28:9; 29:18). People had taken their God-given capacities and used them to devise evil. The word יֵצֶר (yetser) became a significant theological term in Rabbinic literature for what might be called the sin nature – the evil inclination (see also R. E. Murphy, “Yeser in the Qumran Literature,” Bib 39 [1958]: 334-44).

[6:5]  ⁴⁴ tn The related verb הָשָׁב (hashav) means “to think, to devise, to reckon.” The noun (here) refers to thoughts or considerations.

[6:5]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “his heart” (referring to collective “humankind”). The Hebrew term לֵב (lev, “heart”) frequently refers to the seat of one’s thoughts (see BDB 524 s.v. לֵב). In contemporary English this is typically referred to as the “mind.”

[6:5]  ⁴⁶ sn Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil. There is hardly a stronger statement of the wickedness of the human race than this. Here is the result of falling into the “knowledge of good and evil”: Evil becomes dominant, and the good is ruined by the evil.

[6:5]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “all the day.”

[6:6]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “was grieved”; “was sorry.” In the Niphal stem the verb נָחָם (nakham) can carry one of four semantic meanings, depending on the context: (1) “to experience emotional pain or weakness,” “to feel regret,” often concerning a past action (see Exod 13:17; Judg 21:6, 15; 1 Sam 15:11, 35; Job 42:6; Jer 31:19). In several of these texts כִּי (ki, “because”) introduces the cause of the emotional sorrow. (2) Another meaning is “to be comforted” or “to comfort oneself” (sometimes by taking vengeance). See Gen 24:67; 38:12; 2 Sam 13:39; Ps 77:3; Isa 1:24; Jer 31:15; Ezek 14:22; 31:16; 32:31. (This second category represents a polarization of category one.) (3) The meaning “to relent from” or “to repudiate” a course of action which is already underway is also possible (see Judg 2:18; 2 Sam 24:16 = 1 Chr 21:15; Pss 90:13; 106:45; Jer 8:6; 20:16; 42:10). (4) Finally, “to retract” (a statement) or “to relent or change one’s mind concerning,” “to deviate from” (a stated course of action) is possible (see Exod 32:12, 14; 1 Sam 15:29; Ps 110:4; Isa 57:6; Jer 4:28; 15:6; 18:8, 10; 26:3, 13, 19; Ezek 24:14; Joel 2:13-14; Am 7:3, 6; Jonah 3:9-10; 4:2; Zech 8:14). See R. B. Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 388. The first category applies here because the context speaks of God’s grief and emotional pain (see the following statement in v. 6) as a result of a past action (his making humankind). For a thorough study of the word נָחָם, see H. Van Dyke Parunak, “A Semantic Survey of NHM,” Bib 56 (1975): 512-32.

[6:6]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “and he was grieved to his heart.” The verb עָצָב (’atsav) can carry one of three semantic senses, depending on the context: (1) “to be injured” (Ps 56:5; Eccl 10:9; 1 Chr 4:10); (2) “to experience emotional pain”; “to be depressed emotionally”; “to be worried” (2 Sam 19:2; Isa 54:6; Neh 8:10-11); (3) “to be embarrassed”; “to be offended” (to the point of anger at another or oneself); “to be insulted” (Gen 34:7; 45:5; 1 Sam 20:3, 34; 1 Kgs 1:6; Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40). This third category develops from the second by metonymy. In certain contexts emotional pain leads to embarrassment and/or anger. In this last use the subject sometimes directs his anger against the source of grief (see especially Gen 34:7). The third category fits best in Gen 6:6 because humankind’s sin does not merely wound God emotionally. On the contrary, it prompts him to strike out in judgment against the source of his distress (see v. 7). The verb וַיִּתְעַצֵּב (vayyit’atsev), a Hitpael from עָצָב, alludes to the judgment oracles in Gen 3:16-19. Because Adam and Eve sinned, their life would be filled with pain; but sin in the human race also brought pain to God. The wording of v. 6 is ironic when compared to Gen 5:29. Lamech anticipated relief (נָחָם, nakham) from their work (מַעֲשֶׂה, ma’aseh) and their painful toil (עִצְּבֹן, ’itsÿvon), but now we read that God was sorry (נָחָם, nakham) that he had made (עָשָׂה, ’asah) humankind for it brought him great pain (עָצָב, ’atsav).

[6:7]  ⁵⁰ tn The text simply has “from man to beast, to creatures, and to birds of the air.” The use of the prepositions עַד…מִן (min...’ad) stresses the extent of the judgment in creation.

[6:8]  ⁵¹ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is contrastive here: God condemns the human race, but he is pleased with Noah.

[6:8]  ⁵² tn The Hebrew expression “find favor [in the eyes of]” is an idiom meaning “to be an object of another’s favorable disposition or action,” “to be a recipient of another’s favor, kindness, mercy.” The favor/kindness is often earned, coming in response to an action or condition (see Gen 32:5; 39:4; Deut 24:1; 1 Sam 25:8; Prov 3:4; Ruth 2:10). This is the case in Gen 6:8, where v. 9 gives the basis (Noah’s righteous character) for the divine favor.

[6:8]  ⁵³ tn Heb “in the eyes of,” an anthropomorphic expression for God’s opinion or decision. The Lord saw that the whole human race was corrupt, but he looked in favor on Noah.

[6:9]  ⁵⁴ sn There is a vast body of scholarly literature about the flood story. The following studies are particularly helpful: A. Heidel, The Gilgamesh Epic and the Old Testament Parallels; M. Kessler, “Rhetorical Criticism of Genesis 7,” Rhetorical Criticism: Essays in Honor of James Muilenburg (PTMS), 1-17; I. M. Kikawada and A. Quinn, Before Abraham Was; A. R. Millard, “A New Babylonian ‘Genesis Story’,” TynBul 18 (1967): 3-18; G. J. Wenham, “The Coherence of the Flood Narrative,” VT 28 (1978): 336-48.

[6:9]  ⁵⁵ tn The Hebrew term תָּמִים (tamim, “blameless”) is used of men in Gen 17:1 (associated with the idiom “walk before,” which means “maintain a proper relationship with,” see 24:40); Deut 18:13 (where it means “blameless” in the sense of not guilty of the idolatrous practices listed before this; see Josh 24:14); Pss 18:23, 26 (“blameless” in the sense of not having violated God’s commands); 37:18 (in contrast to the wicked); 101:2, 6 (in contrast to proud, deceitful slanderers; see 15:2); Prov 2:21; 11:5 (in contrast to the wicked); 28:10; Job 12:4.

[6:9]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “Noah was a godly man, blameless in his generations.” The singular “generation” can refer to one’s contemporaries, i.e., those living at a particular point in time. The plural “generations” can refer to successive generations in the past or the future. Here, where it is qualified by “his” (i.e., Noah’s), it refers to Noah’s contemporaries, comprised of the preceding generation (his father’s generation), those of Noah’s generation, and the next generation (those the same age as his children). In other words, “his generations” means the generations contemporary with him. See BDB 190 s.v. דוֹר.

[6:9]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “Noah.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:9]  ⁵⁸ tn The construction translated “walked with” is used in Gen 5:22, 24 (see the note on this phrase in 5:22) and in 1 Sam 25:15, where it refers to David’s and Nabal’s men “rubbing shoulders” in the fields. Based on the use in 1 Sam 25:15, the expression seems to mean “live in close proximity to,” which may, by metonymy, mean “maintain cordial relations with.”

[6:10]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “fathered.”

[6:11]  ⁶⁰ tn Apart from Gen 6:11-12, the Niphal form of this verb occurs in Exod 8:20 HT (8:24 ET), where it describes the effect of the swarms of flies on the land of Egypt; Jer 13:7 and 18:4, where it is used of a “ruined” belt and “marred” clay pot, respectively; and Ezek 20:44, where it describes Judah’s morally “corrupt” actions. The sense “morally corrupt” fits well in Gen 6:11 because of the parallelism (note “the earth was filled with violence”). In this case “earth” would stand by metonymy for its sinful inhabitants. However, the translation “ruined” works just as well, if not better. In this case humankind’s sin is viewed has having an adverse effect upon the earth. Note that vv. 12b-13 make a distinction between the earth and the living creatures who live on it.

[6:11]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “before.”

[6:11]  ⁶² tn The Hebrew word translated “violence” refers elsewhere to a broad range of crimes, including unjust treatment (Gen 16:5; Amos 3:10), injurious legal testimony (Deut 19:16), deadly assault (Gen 49:5), murder (Judg 9:24), and rape (Jer 13:22).

[6:12]  ⁶³ tn Or “God saw how corrupt the earth was.”

[6:12]  ⁶⁴ tn The repetition in the text (see v. 11) emphasizes the point.

[6:12]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “flesh.” Since moral corruption is in view here, most modern western interpreters understand the referent to be humankind. However, the phrase “all flesh” is used consistently of humankind and the animals in Gen 6-9 (6:17, 19; 7:15-16, 21; 8:17; 9:11, 15-17), suggesting that the author intends to picture all living creatures, humankind and animals, as guilty of moral failure. This would explain why the animals, not just humankind, are victims of the ensuing divine judgment. The OT sometimes views animals as morally culpable (Gen 9:5; Exod 21:28-29; Jonah 3:7-8). The OT also teaches that a person’s sin can contaminate others (people and animals) in the sinful person’s sphere (see the story of Achan, especially Josh 7:10). So the animals could be viewed here as morally contaminated because of their association with sinful humankind.

[6:12]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “had corrupted its way.” The third masculine singular pronominal suffix on “way” refers to the collective “all flesh.” The construction “corrupt one’s way” occurs only here (though Ezek 16:47 uses the Hiphil in an intransitive sense with the preposition בְּ [bet, “in”] followed by “ways”). The Hiphil of שָׁחָת (shakhat) means “to ruin, to destroy, to corrupt,” often as here in a moral/ethical sense. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) here refers to behavior or moral character, a sense that it frequently carries (see BDB 203 s.v. דֶּרֶךְ 6.a).

[6:13]  ⁶⁷ sn On the divine style utilized here, see R. Lapointe, “The Divine Monologue as a Channel of Revelation,” CBQ 32 (1970): 161-81.

[6:13]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “the end of all flesh is coming [or “has come”] before me.” (The verb form is either a perfect or a participle.) The phrase “end of all flesh” occurs only here. The term “end” refers here to the end of “life,” as v. 3 and the following context (which describes how God destroys all flesh) make clear. The statement “the end has come” occurs in Ezek 7:2, 6, where it is used of divine judgment. The phrase “come before” occurs in Exod 28:30, 35; 34:34; Lev 15:14; Num 27:17; 1 Sam 18:13, 16; 2 Sam 19:8; 20:8; 1 Kgs 1:23, 28, 32; Ezek 46:9; Pss 79:11 (groans come before God); 88:3 (a prayer comes before God); 100:2; 119:170 (prayer comes before God); Lam 1:22 (evil doing comes before God); Esth 1:19; 8:1; 9:25; 1 Chr 16:29. The expression often means “have an audience with” or “appear before.” But when used metaphorically, it can mean “get the attention of” or “prompt a response.” This is probably the sense in Gen 6:13. The necessity of ending the life of all flesh on earth is an issue that has gotten the attention of God. The term “end” may even be a metonymy for that which has prompted it – violence (see the following clause).

[6:13]  ⁶⁹ tn The participle, especially after הִנֵּה (hinneh) has an imminent future nuance. The Hiphil of שָׁחָת (shakhat) here has the sense “to destroy” (in judgment). Note the wordplay involving this verb in vv. 11-13: The earth is “ruined” because all flesh has acted in a morally “corrupt” manner. Consequently, God will “destroy” all flesh (the referent of the suffix “them”) along with the ruined earth. They had ruined themselves and the earth with violence, and now God would ruin them with judgment. For other cases where “earth” occurs as the object of the Hiphil of שָׁחָת, see 1 Sam 6:5; 1 Chr 20:1; Jer 36:29; 51:25.

[6:14]  ⁷⁰ sn The Hebrew verb is an imperative. A motif of this section is that Noah did as the Lord commanded him – he was obedient. That obedience had to come from faith in the word of the Lord. So the theme of obedience to God’s word is prominent in this prologue to the law.

[6:14]  ⁷¹ tn A transliteration of the Hebrew term yields “gopher (גֹּפֶר, gofer) wood” (so KJV, NAB, NASB). While the exact nature of the wood involved is uncertain (cf. NLT “resinous wood”), many modern translations render the Hebrew term as “cypress” (so NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[6:14]  ⁷² tn The Hebrew term כָּפָר (kafar, “to cover, to smear” [= to caulk]) appears here in the Qal stem with its primary, nonmetaphorical meaning. The Piel form כִּפֶּר (kipper), which has the metaphorical meaning “to atone, to expiate, to pacify,” is used in Levitical texts (see HALOT 493-94 s.v. כפר). Some authorities regard the form in v. 14 as a homonym of the much more common Levitical term (see BDB 498 s.v. כָּפָר).

[6:15]  ⁷³ tn Heb “300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about 18 inches (45 cm) long.

[6:16]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “a cubit.”

[6:16]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “to a cubit you shall finish it from above.” The idea is that Noah was to leave an 18-inch opening from the top for a window for light.

[6:17]  ⁷⁶ tn The Hebrew construction uses the independent personal pronoun, followed by a suffixed form of הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) and the a participle used with an imminent future nuance: “As for me, look, I am going to bring.”

[6:17]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “the flood, water.”

[6:17]  ⁷⁸ tn The verb שָׁחָת (shakhat, “to destroy”) is repeated yet again, only now in an infinitival form expressing the purpose of the flood.

[6:17]  ⁷⁹ tn The Hebrew construction here is different from the previous two; here it is רוּחַ חַיִּים (ruakh khayyim) rather than נֶפֶשׁ הַיָּה (nefesh khayyah) or נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים (nishmat khayyim). It refers to everything that breathes.

[6:18]  ⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew verb וַהֲקִמֹתִי (vahaqimoti) is the Hiphil perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive (picking up the future sense from the participles) from קוּם (qum, “to rise up”). This may refer to the confirmation or fulfillment of an earlier promise, but it is more likely that it anticipates the unconditional promise made to humankind following the flood (see Gen 9:9, 11, 17).

[6:18]  ⁸¹ tn The perfect verb form with vav (ו) consecutive is best understood as specific future, continuing God’s description of what will happen (see vv. 17-18a).

[6:19]  ⁸² tn Heb “from all life, from all flesh, two from all you must bring.” The disjunctive clause at the beginning of the verse (note the conjunction with prepositional phrase, followed by two more prepositional phrases in apposition and then the imperfect verb form) signals a change in mood from announcement (vv. 17-18) to instruction.

[6:19]  ⁸³ tn The Piel infinitive construct לְהַחֲיוֹת (lÿhakhayot, here translated as “to keep them alive”) shows the purpose of bringing the animals into the ark – saving life. The Piel of this verb means here “to preserve alive.”

[6:20]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “to keep alive.”

[6:21]  ⁸⁵ tn The verb is a direct imperative: “And you, take for yourself.” The form stresses the immediate nature of the instruction; the pronoun underscores the directness.

[6:21]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “from all food,” meaning “some of every kind of food.”

[6:21]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “will be eaten.”

[6:21]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “and gather it to you.”

[6:22]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “according to all.”

[6:22]  ⁹⁰ tn The last clause seems redundant: “and thus (כֵּן, ken) he did.” It underscores the obedience of Noah to all that God had said.

[7:1]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “for you I see [as] godly before me in this generation.” The direct object (“you”) is placed first in the clause to give it prominence. The verb “to see” here signifies God’s evaluative discernment.

[7:2]  ⁹² tn Or “seven pairs” (cf. NRSV).

[7:2]  ⁹³ sn For a study of the Levitical terminology of “clean” and “unclean,” see L. E. Toombs, IDB 1:643.

[7:2]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “a male and his female” (also a second time at the end of this verse). The terms used here for male and female animals (אִישׁ, ’ish) and אִשָּׁה, ’ishah) normally refer to humans.

[7:3]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “seven pairs” (cf. NRSV).

[7:3]  ⁹⁶ tn Here (and in v. 9) the Hebrew text uses the normal generic terms for “male and female” (זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, zakhar unÿqevah).

[7:3]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “to keep alive offspring.”

[7:4]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “for seven days yet,” meaning “after [or “in”] seven days.”

[7:4]  ⁹⁹ tn The Hiphil participle מַמְטִיר (mamtir, “cause to rain”) here expresses the certainty of the act in the imminent future.

[7:5]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “according to all.”

[7:6]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “Now Noah was.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + predicate nominative after implied “to be” verb) provides background information. The age of Noah receives prominence.

[7:6]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “and the flood was water upon.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is circumstantial/temporal in relation to the preceding clause. The verb הָיָה (hayah) here carries the nuance “to come” (BDB 225 s.v. הָיָה). In this context the phrase “come upon” means “to engulf.”

[7:7]  ¹⁰³ tn The preposition מִן (min) is causal here, explaining why Noah and his family entered the ark.

[7:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “two two” meaning “in twos.”

[7:9]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The Hebrew text of vv. 8-9a reads, “From the clean animal[s] and from the animal[s] which are not clean and from the bird[s] and everything that creeps on the ground, two two they came to Noah to the ark, male and female.”

[7:9]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “Noah”; the pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:10]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “came upon.”

[7:11]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The Hebrew term תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “deep”) refers to the watery deep, the salty ocean – especially the primeval ocean that surrounds and underlies the earth (see Gen 1:2).

[7:11]  ¹⁰⁹ sn On the prescientific view of the sky reflected here, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World (AnBib), 46.

[7:12]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “was.”

[7:13]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “On that very day Noah entered, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and the wife of Noah, and the three wives of his sons with him into the ark.”

[7:14]  ¹¹² tn The verb “entered” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:14]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “every bird, every wing.”

[7:15]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “two two” meaning “in twos.”

[7:15]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “flesh.”

[7:16]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “Those that went in, male and female from all flesh they went in.”

[7:18]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “and the waters were great and multiplied exceedingly.” The first verb in the sequence is וַיִּגְבְּרוּ (vayyigbÿru, from גָּבַר, gavar), meaning “to become great, mighty.” The waters did not merely rise; they “prevailed” over the earth, overwhelming it.

[7:18]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “went.”

[7:19]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “and the waters were great exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition emphasizes the depth of the waters.

[7:19]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “and.”

[7:20]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “rose fifteen cubits.” Since a cubit is considered by most authorities to be about eighteen inches, this would make the depth 22.5 feet. This figure might give the modern reader a false impression of exactness, however, so in the translation the phrase “fifteen cubits” has been rendered “more than twenty feet.”

[7:20]  ¹²² tn Heb “the waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward and they covered the mountains.” Obviously, a flood of twenty feet did not cover the mountains; the statement must mean the flood rose about twenty feet above the highest mountain.

[7:21]  ¹²³ tn Heb “flesh.”

[7:22]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “everything which [has] the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils from all which is in the dry land.”

[7:23]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:23]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “wiped away” (cf. NRSV “blotted out”).

[7:23]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “from man to animal to creeping thing and to the bird of the sky.”

[7:23]  ¹²⁸ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁאָר (sha’ar) means “to be left over; to survive” in the Niphal verb stem. It is the word used in later biblical texts for the remnant that escapes judgment. See G. F. Hasel, “Semantic Values of Derivatives of the Hebrew Root só’r,” AUSS 11 (1973): 152-69.

[7:24]  ¹²⁹ sn The Hebrew verb translated “prevailed over” suggests that the waters were stronger than the earth. The earth and everything in it were no match for the return of the chaotic deep.

[8:1]  ¹³⁰ tn The Hebrew word translated “remembered” often carries the sense of acting in accordance with what is remembered, i.e., fulfilling covenant promises (see B. S. Childs, Memory and Tradition in Israel [SBT], especially p. 34).

[8:1]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “to pass over.”

[8:2]  ¹³² tn Some (e.g., NIV) translate the preterite verb forms in this verse as past perfects (e.g., “had been closed”), for it seems likely that the sources of the water would have stopped before the waters receded.

[8:3]  ¹³³ tn The construction combines a Qal preterite from שׁוּב (shuv) with its infinitive absolute to indicate continuous action. The infinitive absolute from הָלָךְ (halakh) is included for emphasis: “the waters returned…going and returning.”

[8:3]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “the waters.” The pronoun (“they”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:3]  ¹³⁵ tn The vav (ו) consecutive with the preterite here describes the consequence of the preceding action.

[8:4]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “on the mountains of Ararat.” Obviously a boat (even one as large as the ark) cannot rest on multiple mountains. Perhaps (1) the preposition should be translated “among,” or (2) the plural “mountains” should be understood in the sense of “mountain range” (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 53). A more probable option (3) is that the plural indicates an indefinite singular, translated “one of the mountains” (see GKC 400 §124.o).

[8:5]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “the waters were going and lessening.” The perfect verb form הָיָה (hayah) is used as an auxiliary verb with the infinitive absolute חָסוֹר (khasor, “lessening”), while the infinitive absolute הָלוֹךְ (halokh) indicates continuous action.

[8:5]  ¹³⁸ tn Or “could be seen.”

[8:6]  ¹³⁹ tn The introductory verbal form וַיְהִי (vayÿhi), traditionally rendered “and it came to pass,” serves as a temporal indicator and has not been translated here.

[8:6]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “opened the window in the ark which he had made.” The perfect tense (“had made”) refers to action preceding the opening of the window, and is therefore rendered as a past perfect. Since in English “had made” could refer to either the ark or the window, the order of the phrases was reversed in the translation to clarify that the window is the referent.

[8:7]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “and it went out, going out and returning.” The Hebrew verb יָצָא (yatsa’), translated here “flying,” is modified by two infinitives absolute indicating that the raven went back and forth.

[8:8]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:8]  ¹⁴³ tn The Hebrew text adds “from him.” This has not been translated for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.

[8:8]  ¹⁴⁴ tn The Hebrew verb קָלָל (qalal) normally means “to be light, to be slight”; it refers here to the waters receding.

[8:9]  ¹⁴⁵ tn The words “still covered” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:9]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:9]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the dove) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:9]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he brought it to himself to the ark.”

[8:11]  ¹⁴⁹ tn The clause introduced by vav (ו) consecutive is translated as a temporal clause subordinated to the following clause.

[8:11]  ¹⁵⁰ tn The deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to the olive leaf. It invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the olive leaf with their own eyes.

[8:12]  ¹⁵¹ tn The word “again” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:12]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “it did not again return to him still.” For a study of this section of the flood narrative, see W. O. E. Oesterley, “The Dove with the Olive Leaf (Gen VIII 8–11),” ExpTim 18 (1906/07): 377-78.

[8:13]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb In the six hundred and first year.” Since this refers to the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life, the word “Noah’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:13]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “and saw and look.” As in v. 11, the deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the dry ground with their own eyes.

[8:14]  ¹⁵⁵ tn In v. 13 the ground (הָאֲדָמָה, ha’adamah) is dry; now the earth (הָאָרֶץ, ha’arets) is dry.

[8:17]  ¹⁵⁶ tn The words “bring out” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:17]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Following the Hiphil imperative, “bring out,” the three perfect verb forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry an imperatival nuance. For a discussion of the Hebrew construction here and the difficulty of translating it into English, see S. R. Driver, A Treatise on the Use of the Tenses in Hebrew, 124-25.

[8:17]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “and let them swarm in the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”

[8:20]  ¹⁵⁹ sn Offered burnt offerings on the altar. F. D. Maurice includes a chapter on the sacrifice of Noah in The Doctrine of Sacrifice. The whole burnt offering, according to Leviticus 1, represented the worshiper’s complete surrender and dedication to the Lord. After the flood Noah could see that God was not only a God of wrath, but a God of redemption and restoration. The one who escaped the catastrophe could best express his gratitude and submission through sacrificial worship, acknowledging God as the sovereign of the universe.

[8:21]  ¹⁶⁰ tn The Lord “smelled” (וַיָּרַח, vayyarakh) a “soothing smell” (רֵיחַ הַנִּיהֹחַ, reakh hannihoakh). The object forms a cognate accusative with the verb. The language is anthropomorphic. The offering had a sweet aroma that pleased or soothed. The expression in Lev 1 signifies that God accepts the offering with pleasure, and in accepting the offering he accepts the worshiper.

[8:21]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and the Lord said.”

[8:21]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “in his heart.”

[8:21]  ¹⁶³ tn Here the Hebrew word translated “curse” is קָלָל (qalal), used in the Piel verbal stem.

[8:21]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) can be used in a concessive sense (see BDB 473 s.v. כִּי), which makes good sense in this context. Its normal causal sense (“for”) does not fit the context here very well.

[8:21]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “the inclination of the heart of humankind.”

[8:21]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “from his youth.”

[8:22]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “yet all the days of the earth.” The idea is “[while there are] yet all the days of the earth,” meaning, “as long as the earth exists.”

[8:22]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “seed,” which stands here by metonymy for the time when seed is planted.

[9:2]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “and fear of you and dread of you will be upon every living creature of the earth and upon every bird of the sky.” The suffixes on the nouns “fear” and “dread” are objective genitives. The animals will fear humans from this time forward.

[9:2]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “into your hand are given.” The “hand” signifies power. To say the animals have been given into the hands of humans means humans have been given authority over them.

[9:3]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “every moving thing that lives for you will be for food.”

[9:3]  ¹⁷² tn The words “I gave you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[9:3]  ¹⁷³ tn The perfect verb form describes the action that accompanies the declaration.

[9:4]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “only.”

[9:4]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Or “flesh.”

[9:4]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “its life, its blood.” The second word is in apposition to the first, explaining what is meant by “its life.” Since the blood is equated with life, meat that had the blood in it was not to be eaten.

[9:4]  ¹⁷⁷ tn The words “in it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[9:5]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Again the text uses apposition to clarify what kind of blood is being discussed: “your blood, [that is] for your life.” See C. L. Dewar, “The Biblical Use of the Term ‘Blood,’” JTS 4 (1953): 204-8.

[9:5]  ¹⁷⁹ tn The word “punishment” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification. The verb דָּרָשׁ (darash) means “to require, to seek, to ask for, to exact.” Here it means that God will exact punishment for the taking of a life. See R. Mawdsley, “Capital Punishment in Gen. 9:6,” CentBib 18 (1975): 20-25.

[9:5]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “from the hand of,” which means “out of the hand of” or “out of the power of” and is nearly identical in sense to the preposition מִן (min) alone.

[9:5]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “and from the hand of the man.” The article has a generic function, indicating the class, i.e., humankind.

[9:5]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “of the man.”

[9:5]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “from the hand of a man, his brother.” The point is that God will require the blood of someone who kills, since the person killed is a relative (“brother”) of the killer. The language reflects Noah’s situation (after the flood everyone would be part of Noah’s extended family), but also supports the concept of the brotherhood of humankind. According to the Genesis account the entire human race descended from Noah.

[9:6]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “the blood of man.”

[9:6]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “by man,” a generic term here for other human beings.

[9:6]  ¹⁸⁶ sn See the notes on the words “humankind” and “likeness” in Gen 1:26, as well as J. Barr, “The Image of God in the Book of Genesis – A Study of Terminology,” BJRL 51 (1968/69): 11-26.

[9:6]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:7]  ¹⁸⁸ sn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + pronominal subject + verb) here indicates a strong contrast to what has preceded. Against the backdrop of the warnings about taking life, God now instructs the people to produce life, using terms reminiscent of the mandate given to Adam (Gen 1:28).

[9:8]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “to Noah and to his sons with him, saying.”

[9:9]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “I, look, I confirm.” The particle הִנְנִי (hinni) used with the participle מֵקִים (meqim) gives the sense of immediacy or imminence, as if to say, “Look! I am now confirming.”

[9:9]  ¹⁹¹ tn The three pronominal suffixes (translated “you,” “your,” and “you”) are masculine plural. As v. 8 indicates, Noah and his sons are addressed.

[9:10]  ¹⁹² tn The verbal repetition is apparently for emphasis.

[9:11]  ¹⁹³ tn The verb וַהֲקִמֹתִי (vahaqimoti) is a perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive and should be translated with the English present tense, just as the participle at the beginning of the speech was (v. 9). Another option is to translate both forms with the English future tense (“I will confirm”).

[9:11]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:11]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “cut off.”

[9:11]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “and all flesh will not be cut off again by the waters of the flood.”

[9:12]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “sign.”

[9:12]  ¹⁹⁸ sn On the making of covenants in Genesis, see W. F. Albright, “The Hebrew Expression for ‘Making a Covenant’ in Pre-Israelite Documents,” BASOR 121 (1951): 21-22.

[9:12]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “between me and between you.”

[9:12]  ²⁰⁰ tn The words “a covenant” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:12]  ²⁰¹ tn The Hebrew term עוֹלָם (’olam) means “ever, forever, lasting, perpetual.” The covenant would extend to subsequent generations.

[9:13]  ²⁰² tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is used rhetorically, emphasizing the certainty of the action. Other translation options include “I have placed” (present perfect; cf. NIV, NRSV) and “I place” (instantaneous perfect; cf. NEB).

[9:13]  ²⁰³ sn The Hebrew word קֶשֶׁת (qeshet) normally refers to a warrior’s bow. Some understand this to mean that God the warrior hangs up his battle bow at the end of the flood, indicating he is now at peace with humankind, but others question the legitimacy of this proposal. See C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:473, and G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:196.

[9:13]  ²⁰⁴ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect of certitude.

[9:14]  ²⁰⁵ tn The temporal indicator (וְהָיָה, vÿhayah, conjunction + the perfect verb form), often translated “it will be,” anticipates a future development.

[9:15]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “which [is] between me and between you.”

[9:15]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:15]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “to destroy.”

[9:15]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:16]  ²¹⁰ tn The translation assumes that the infinitive לִזְכֹּר (lizkor, “to remember”) here expresses the result of seeing the rainbow. Another option is to understand it as indicating purpose, in which case it could be translated, “I will look at it so that I may remember.”

[9:17]  ²¹¹ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:18]  ²¹² sn The concluding disjunctive clause is parenthetical. It anticipates the following story, which explains that the Canaanites, Ham’s descendants through Canaan, were cursed because they shared the same moral abandonment that their ancestor displayed. See A. van Selms, “The Canaanites in the Book of Genesis,” OTS 12 (1958): 182-213.

[9:19]  ²¹³ tn Heb “was scattered.” The verb פָּצָה (patsah, “to scatter” [Niphal, “to be scattered”]) figures prominently in story of the dispersion of humankind in chap. 11.

[9:20]  ²¹⁴ sn The epithet a man of the soil indicates that Noah was a farmer.

[9:20]  ²¹⁵ tn Or “Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard”; Heb “and Noah, a man of the ground, began and he planted a vineyard.”

[9:21]  ²¹⁶ tn The Hebrew verb גָּלָה (galah) in the Hitpael verbal stem (וַיִּתְגַּל, vayyitggal) means “to uncover oneself” or “to be uncovered.” Noah became overheated because of the wine and uncovered himself in the tent.

[9:22]  ²¹⁷ sn For the second time (see v. 18) the text informs the reader of the relationship between Ham and Canaan. Genesis 10 will explain that Canaan was the ancestor of the Canaanite tribes living in the promised land.

[9:22]  ²¹⁸ tn Some would translate “had sexual relations with,” arguing that Ham committed a homosexual act with his drunken father for which he was cursed. However, the expression “see nakedness” usually refers to observation of another’s nakedness, not a sexual act (see Gen 42:9, 12 where “nakedness” is used metaphorically to convey the idea of “weakness” or “vulnerability”; Deut 23:14 where “nakedness” refers to excrement; Isa 47:3; Ezek 16:37; Lam 1:8). The following verse (v. 23) clearly indicates that visual observation, not a homosexual act, is in view here. In Lev 20:17 the expression “see nakedness” does appear to be a euphemism for sexual intercourse, but the context there, unlike that of Gen 9:22, clearly indicates that in that passage sexual contact is in view. The expression “see nakedness” does not in itself suggest a sexual connotation. Some relate Gen 9:22 to Lev 18:6-11, 15-19, where the expression “uncover [another’s] nakedness” (the Piel form of גָּלָה, galah) refers euphemistically to sexual intercourse. However, Gen 9:22 does not say Ham “uncovered” the nakedness of his father. According to the text, Noah uncovered himself; Ham merely saw his father naked. The point of the text is that Ham had no respect for his father. Rather than covering his father up, he told his brothers. Noah then gave an oracle that Ham’s descendants, who would be characterized by the same moral abandonment, would be cursed. Leviticus 18 describes that greater evil of the Canaanites (see vv. 24-28).

[9:23]  ²¹⁹ tn The word translated “garment” has the Hebrew definite article on it. The article may simply indicate that the garment is definite and vivid in the mind of the narrator, but it could refer instead to Noah’s garment. Did Ham bring it out when he told his brothers?

[9:23]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “their faces [were turned] back.”

[9:24]  ²²¹ tn Heb “his wine,” used here by metonymy for the drunken stupor it produced.

[9:24]  ²²² tn Heb “he knew.”

[9:24]  ²²³ tn The Hebrew verb עָשָׂה (’asah, “to do”) carries too general a sense to draw the conclusion that Ham had to have done more than look on his father’s nakedness and tell his brothers.

[9:25]  ²²⁴ sn For more on the curse, see H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS), and J. Scharbert, TDOT 1:405-18.

[9:25]  ²²⁵ sn Cursed be Canaan. The curse is pronounced on Canaan, not Ham. Noah sees a problem in Ham’s character, and on the basis of that he delivers a prophecy about the future descendants who will live in slavery to such things and then be controlled by others. (For more on the idea of slavery in general, see E. M. Yamauchi, “Slaves of God,” BETS 9 [1966]: 31-49). In a similar way Jacob pronounced oracles about his sons based on their revealed character (see Gen 49).

[9:25]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “a servant of servants” (עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים, ’eved ’avadim), an example of the superlative genitive. It means Canaan will become the most abject of slaves.

[9:26]  ²²⁷ tn Heb “blessed be.”

[9:26]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “a slave to him”; the referent (Shem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:27]  ²²⁹ tn Heb “may God enlarge Japheth.” The words “territory and numbers” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:27]  ²³⁰ tn In this context the prefixed verbal form is a jussive (note the distinct jussive forms both before and after this in vv. 26 and 27).

[10:1]  ²³¹ tn The title אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת (’elle tolÿdot, here translated as “This is the account”) here covers 10:1–11:9, which contains the so-called Table of Nations and the account of how the nations came to be dispersed.

[10:1]  ²³² sn Sons were born to them. A vertical genealogy such as this encompasses more than the names of sons. The list includes cities, tribes, and even nations. In a loose way, the names in the list have some derivation or connection to the three ancestors.

[10:1]  ²³³ tn It appears that the Table of Nations is a composite of at least two ancient sources: Some sections begin with the phrase “the sons of” (בְּנֵי, bÿne) while other sections use “begot” (יָלָד, yalad). It may very well be that the “sons of” list was an old, “bare bones” list that was retained in the family records, while the “begot” sections were editorial inserts by the writer of Genesis, reflecting his special interests. See A. P. Ross, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Structure,” BSac 137 (1980): 340-53; idem, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Content,” BSac 138 (1981): 22-34.

[10:2]  ²³⁴ sn The Greek form of the name Japheth, Iapetos, is used in Greek tradition for the ancestor of the Greeks.

[10:2]  ²³⁵ sn Gomer was the ancestor of the Cimmerians. For a discussion of the Cimmerians see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 49-61.

[10:2]  ²³⁶ sn For a discussion of various proposals concerning the descendants of Magog see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 22-24.

[10:2]  ²³⁷ sn Madai was the ancestor of the Medes, who lived east of Assyria.

[10:2]  ²³⁸ sn Javan was the father of the Hellenic race, the Ionians who lived in western Asia Minor.

[10:2]  ²³⁹ sn Tubal was the ancestor of militaristic tribes that lived north of the Black Sea. For a discussion of ancient references to Tubal see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 24-26.

[10:2]  ²⁴⁰ sn Meshech was the ancestor of the people known in Assyrian records as the Musku. For a discussion of ancient references to them see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 24-26.

[10:2]  ²⁴¹ sn Tiras was the ancestor of the Thracians, some of whom possibly became the Pelasgian pirates of the Aegean.

[10:3]  ²⁴² sn The descendants of Gomer were all northern tribes of the Upper Euphrates.

[10:3]  ²⁴³ sn Askenaz was the ancestor of a northern branch of Indo-Germanic tribes, possibly Scythians. For discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 63.

[10:3]  ²⁴⁴ sn The descendants of Riphath lived in a district north of the road from Haran to Carchemish.

[10:3]  ²⁴⁵ sn Togarmah is also mentioned in Ezek 38:6, where it refers to Til-garimmu, the capital of Kammanu, which bordered Tabal in eastern Turkey. See E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 26, n. 28.

[10:4]  ²⁴⁶ sn The descendants of Elishah populated Cyprus.

[10:4]  ²⁴⁷ sn The descendants of Tarshish settled along the southern coast of what is modern Turkey. However, some identify the site Tarshish (see Jonah 1:3) with Sardinia or Spain.

[10:4]  ²⁴⁸ sn The name Kittim is associated with Cyprus, as well as coastlands east of Rhodes. It is used in later texts to refer to the Romans.

[10:4]  ²⁴⁹ tc Most of the MT mss read “Dodanim” here, but 1 Chr 1:7 has “Rodanim,” perhaps referring to the island of Rhodes. But the Qere reading in 1 Chr 1:7 suggests “Dodanim.” Dodona is one of the most ancient and revered spots in ancient Greece.

[10:6]  ²⁵⁰ sn The descendants of Cush settled in Nubia (Ethiopia).

[10:6]  ²⁵¹ sn The descendants of Mizraim settled in Upper and Lower Egypt.

[10:6]  ²⁵² sn The descendants of Put settled in Libya.

[10:6]  ²⁵³ sn The descendants of Canaan lived in the region of Phoenicia (Palestine).

[10:7]  ²⁵⁴ sn The descendants of Seba settled in Upper Egypt along the Nile.

[10:7]  ²⁵⁵ sn The Hebrew name Havilah apparently means “stretch of sand” (see HALOT 297 s.v. חֲוִילָה). Havilah’s descendants settled in eastern Arabia.

[10:7]  ²⁵⁶ sn The descendants of Sabtah settled near the western shore of the Persian Gulf in ancient Hadhramaut.

[10:7]  ²⁵⁷ sn The descendants of Raamah settled in southwest Arabia.

[10:7]  ²⁵⁸ sn The descendants of Sabteca settled in Samudake, east toward the Persian Gulf.

[10:7]  ²⁵⁹ sn Sheba became the name of a kingdom in southwest Arabia.

[10:7]  ²⁶⁰ sn The name Dedan is associated with àUla in northern Arabia.

[10:8]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “fathered.” Embedded within Cush’s genealogy is an account of Nimrod, a mighty warrior. There have been many attempts to identify him, but none are convincing.

[10:9]  ²⁶² tn The Hebrew word for “hunt” is צַיִד (tsayid), which is used on occasion for hunting men (1 Sam 24:12; Jer 16:16; Lam 3:15).

[10:9]  ²⁶³ tn Another option is to take the divine name here, לִפְנֵי יִהוָה (lifne yÿhvah, “before the Lord [YHWH]”), as a means of expressing the superlative degree. In this case one may translate “Nimrod was the greatest hunter in the world.”

[10:10]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “beginning.” E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 67, suggests “mainstays,” citing Jer 49:35 as another text where the Hebrew noun is so used.

[10:10]  ²⁶⁵ tn Or “Babylon.”

[10:10]  ²⁶⁶ sn Erech (ancient Uruk, modern Warka), one of the most ancient civilizations, was located southeast of Babylon.

[10:10]  ²⁶⁷ sn Akkad, or ancient Agade, was associated with Sargon and located north of Babylon.

[10:10]  ²⁶⁸ tn No such place is known in Shinar (i.e., Babylonia). Therefore some have translated the Hebrew term כַלְנֵה (khalneh) as “all of them,” referring to the three previous names (cf. NRSV).

[10:10]  ²⁶⁹ sn Shinar is another name for Babylonia.

[10:11]  ²⁷⁰ tn The subject of the verb translated “went” is probably still Nimrod. However, it has also been interpreted that “Ashur went,” referring to a derivative power.

[10:11]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “Asshur.”

[10:11]  ²⁷² sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.

[10:11]  ²⁷³ sn The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.

[10:11]  ²⁷⁴ sn Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.

[10:12]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; it [i.e., Calah] is the great city.”

[10:13]  ²⁷⁶ sn Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt (cf. NRSV).

[10:13]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:13]  ²⁷⁸ sn The Ludites were African tribes west of the Nile Delta.

[10:13]  ²⁷⁹ sn The Anamites lived in North Africa, west of Egypt, near Cyrene.

[10:13]  ²⁸⁰ sn The Lehabites are identified with the Libyans.

[10:13]  ²⁸¹ sn The Naphtuhites lived in Lower Egypt (the Nile Delta region).

[10:14]  ²⁸² sn The Pathrusites are known in Egyptian as P-to-reshi; they resided in Upper Egypt.

[10:14]  ²⁸³ sn The Casluhites lived in Crete and eventually settled east of the Egyptian Delta, between Egypt and Canaan.

[10:14]  ²⁸⁴ tn Several commentators prefer to reverse the order of the words to put this clause after the next word, since the Philistines came from Crete (where the Caphtorites lived). But the table may suggest migration rather than lineage, and the Philistines, like the Israelites, came through the Nile Delta region of Egypt. For further discussion of the origin and migration of the Philistines, see D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 232.

[10:14]  ²⁸⁵ sn The Caphtorites resided in Crete, but in Egyptian literature Caphtor refers to “the region beyond” the Mediterranean.

[10:15]  ²⁸⁶ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:15]  ²⁸⁷ sn Sidon was the foremost city in Phoenicia; here Sidon may be the name of its founder.

[10:15]  ²⁸⁸ tn Some see a reference to “Hittites” here (cf. NIV), but this seems unlikely. See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.

[10:16]  ²⁸⁹ sn The Jebusites were the Canaanite inhabitants of ancient Jerusalem.

[10:16]  ²⁹⁰ sn Here Amorites refers to smaller groups of Canaanite inhabitants of the mountainous regions of Palestine, rather than the large waves of Amurru, or western Semites, who migrated to the region.

[10:16]  ²⁹¹ sn The Girgashites are an otherwise unknown Canaanite tribe, though the name is possibly mentioned in Ugaritic texts (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 1:226).

[10:17]  ²⁹² sn The Hivites were Canaanite tribes of a Hurrian origin.

[10:17]  ²⁹³ sn The Arkites lived in Arka, a city in Lebanon, north of Sidon.

[10:17]  ²⁹⁴ sn The Sinites lived in Sin, another town in Lebanon.

[10:18]  ²⁹⁵ sn The Arvadites lived in the city Arvad, located on an island near the mainland close to the river El Kebir.

[10:18]  ²⁹⁶ sn The Zemarites lived in the town Sumur, north of Arka.

[10:18]  ²⁹⁷ sn The Hamathites lived in Hamath on the Orontes River.

[10:19]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “were.”

[10:19]  ²⁹⁹ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[10:19]  ³⁰⁰ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:19]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:21]  ³⁰² tn Heb “And to Shem was born.”

[10:21]  ³⁰³ tn Or “whose older brother was Japheth.” Some translations render Japheth as the older brother, understanding the adjective הַגָּדוֹל (haggadol, “older”) as modifying Japheth. However, in Hebrew when a masculine singular definite attributive adjective follows the sequence masculine singular construct noun + proper name, the adjective invariably modifies the noun in construct, not the proper name. Such is the case here. See Deut 11:7; Judg 1:13; 2:7; 3:9; 9:5; 2 Kgs 15:35; 2 Chr 27:3; Neh 3:30; Jer 13:9; 36:10; Ezek 10:19; 11:1.

[10:22]  ³⁰⁴ sn The Hebrew name Elam (עֵילָם, ’elam) means “highland.” The Elamites were a non-Semitic people who lived east of Babylon.

[10:22]  ³⁰⁵ sn Asshur is the name for the Assyrians. Asshur was the region in which Nimrod expanded his power (see v. 11, where the name is also mentioned). When names appear in both sections of a genealogical list, it probably means that there were both Hamites and Shemites living in that region in antiquity, especially if the name is a place name.

[10:22]  ³⁰⁶ sn The descendants of Arphaxad may have lived northeast of Nineveh.

[10:22]  ³⁰⁷ sn Lud may have been the ancestor of the Ludbu, who lived near the Tigris River.

[10:22]  ³⁰⁸ sn Aram became the collective name of the northern tribes living in the steppes of Mesopotamia and speaking Aramaic dialects.

[10:23]  ³⁰⁹ tc The MT reads “Mash”; the LXX and 1 Chr 1:17 read “Meshech.”

[10:24]  ³¹⁰ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:24]  ³¹¹ tc The MT reads “Arphaxad fathered Shelah”; the LXX reads “Arphaxad fathered Cainan, and Cainan fathered Sala [= Shelah].” The LXX reading also appears to lie behind Luke 3:35-36.

[10:24]  ³¹² sn Genesis 11 traces the line of Shem through Eber (עֵבֶר, ’ever ) to Abraham the “Hebrew” (עִבְרִי, ’ivri).

[10:25]  ³¹³ tn The expression “the earth was divided” may refer to dividing the land with canals, but more likely it anticipates the division of languages at Babel (Gen 11). The verb פָּלָג (palag, “separate, divide”) is used in Ps 55:9 for a division of languages.

[10:26]  ³¹⁴ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:26]  ³¹⁵ sn The name Almodad combines the Arabic article al with modad (“friend”). Almodad was the ancestor of a South Arabian people.

[10:26]  ³¹⁶ sn The name Sheleph may be related to Shilph, a district of Yemen; Shalph is a Yemenite tribe.

[10:26]  ³¹⁷ sn The name Hazarmaveth should be equated with Hadramawt, located in Southern Arabia.

[10:26]  ³¹⁸ sn The name Jerah means “moon.”

[10:27]  ³¹⁹ sn Uzal was the name of the old capital of Yemen.

[10:27]  ³²⁰ sn The name Diklah means “date-palm.”

[10:28]  ³²¹ sn Obal was a name used for several localities in Yemen.

[10:28]  ³²² sn The name Abimael is a genuine Sabean form which means “my father, truly, he is God.”

[10:28]  ³²³ sn The descendants of Sheba lived in South Arabia, where the Joktanites were more powerful than the Hamites.

[10:29]  ³²⁴ sn Ophir became the name of a territory in South Arabia. Many of the references to Ophir are connected with gold (e.g., 1 Kgs 9:28, 10:11, 22:48; 1 Chr 29:4; 2 Chr 8:18, 9:10; Job 22:24, 28:16; Ps 45:9; Isa 13:12).

[10:29]  ³²⁵ sn Havilah is listed with Ham in v. 7.

[10:30]  ³²⁶ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:32]  ³²⁷ tn Or “separated.”

[11:1]  ³²⁸ sn The whole earth. Here “earth” is a metonymy of subject, referring to the people who lived in the earth. Genesis 11 begins with everyone speaking a common language, but chap. 10 has the nations arranged by languages. It is part of the narrative art of Genesis to give the explanation of the event after the narration of the event. On this passage see A. P. Ross, “The Dispersion of the Nations in Genesis 11:1-9,” BSac 138 (1981): 119-38.

[11:1]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “one lip and one [set of] words.” The term “lip” is a metonymy of cause, putting the instrument for the intended effect. They had one language. The term “words” refers to the content of their speech. They had the same vocabulary.

[11:2]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:2]  ³³¹ tn Or perhaps “from the east” (NRSV) or “in the east.”

[11:2]  ³³² tn Heb “in the land of Shinar.”

[11:3]  ³³³ tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.” The Hebrew idiom may be translated “to each other” or “one to another.”

[11:3]  ³³⁴ tn The speech contains two cohortatives of exhortation followed by their respective cognate accusatives: “let us brick bricks” (נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים, nilbbÿnah lÿvenim) and “burn for burning” (נִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה, nisrÿfah lisrefah). This stresses the intensity of the undertaking; it also reflects the Akkadian text which uses similar constructions (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 75-76).

[11:3]  ³³⁵ tn Or “bitumen” (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[11:3]  ³³⁶ tn The disjunctive clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.

[11:4]  ³³⁷ tn A translation of “heavens” for שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) fits this context because the Babylonian ziggurats had temples at the top, suggesting they reached to the heavens, the dwelling place of the gods.

[11:4]  ³³⁸ tn The form וְנַעֲשֶׂה (vÿna’aseh, from the verb עשׂה, “do, make”) could be either the imperfect or the cohortative with a vav (ו) conjunction (“and let us make…”). Coming after the previous cohortative, this form expresses purpose.

[11:4]  ³³⁹ tn The Hebrew particle פֶּן (pen) expresses a negative purpose; it means “that we be not scattered.”

[11:4]  ³⁴⁰ sn The Hebrew verb פָּוָץ (pavats, translated “scatter”) is a key term in this passage. The focal point of the account is the dispersion (“scattering”) of the nations rather than the Tower of Babel. But the passage also forms a polemic against Babylon, the pride of the east and a cosmopolitan center with a huge ziggurat. To the Hebrews it was a monument to the judgment of God on pride.

[11:5]  ³⁴¹ tn Heb “the sons of man.” The phrase is intended in this polemic to portray the builders as mere mortals, not the lesser deities that the Babylonians claimed built the city.

[11:5]  ³⁴² tn The Hebrew text simply has בָּנוּ (banu), but since v. 8 says they left off building the city, an ingressive idea (“had started building”) should be understood here.

[11:6]  ³⁴³ tn Heb “and one lip to all of them.”

[11:6]  ³⁴⁴ tn Heb “and now.” The foundational clause beginning with הֵן (hen) expresses the condition, and the second clause the result. It could be rendered “If this…then now.”

[11:6]  ³⁴⁵ tn Heb “all that they purpose to do will not be withheld from them.”

[11:7]  ³⁴⁶ tn The cohortatives mirror the cohortatives of the people. They build to ascend the heavens; God comes down to destroy their language. God speaks here to his angelic assembly. See the notes on the word “make” in 1:26 and “know” in 3:5, as well as Jub. 10:22-23, where an angel recounts this incident and says “And the Lord our God said to us…. And the Lord went down and we went down with him. And we saw the city and the tower which the sons of men built.” On the chiastic structure of the story, see G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:235.

[11:7]  ³⁴⁷ tn Heb “they will not hear, a man the lip of his neighbor.”

[11:8]  ³⁴⁸ tn The infinitive construct לִבְנֹת (livnot, “building”) here serves as the object of the verb “they ceased, stopped,” answering the question of what they stopped doing.

[11:9]  ³⁴⁹ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so can be rendered as a passive in the translation.

[11:9]  ³⁵⁰ sn Babel. Here is the climax of the account, a parody on the pride of Babylon. In the Babylonian literature the name bab-ili meant “the gate of God,” but in Hebrew it sounds like the word for “confusion,” and so retained that connotation. The name “Babel” (בָּבֶל, bavel) and the verb translated “confused” (בָּלַל, balal) form a paronomasia (sound play). For the many wordplays and other rhetorical devices in Genesis, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[11:11]  ³⁵¹ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:13]  ³⁵² tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:13]  ³⁵³ tc The reading of the MT is followed in vv. 11-12; the LXX reads, “And [= when] Arphaxad had lived thirty-five years, [and] he fathered [= became the father of] Cainan. And after he fathered [= became the father of] Cainan, Arphaxad lived four hundred and thirty years and fathered [= had] [other] sons and daughters, and [then] he died. And [= when] Cainan had lived one hundred and thirty years, [and] he fathered [= became the father of] Sala [= Shelah]. And after he fathered [= became the father of] Sala [= Shelah], Cainan lived three hundred and thirty years and fathered [= had] [other] sons and daughters, and [then] he died.” See also the note on “Shelah” in Gen 10:24; the LXX reading also appears to lie behind Luke 3:35-36.

[11:15]  ³⁵⁴ tn Here and in vv. 16, 19, 21, 23, 25 the word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:28]  ³⁵⁵ sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium b.c.

[11:28]  ³⁵⁶ tn Heb “upon the face of Terah his father.”

[11:29]  ³⁵⁷ sn The name Sarai (a variant spelling of “Sarah”) means “princess” (or “lady”). Sharratu was the name of the wife of the moon god Sin. The original name may reflect the culture out of which the patriarch was called, for the family did worship other gods in Mesopotamia.

[11:29]  ³⁵⁸ sn The name Milcah means “Queen.” But more to the point here is the fact that Malkatu was a title for Ishtar, the daughter of the moon god. If the women were named after such titles (and there is no evidence that this was the motivation for naming the girls “Princess” or “Queen”), that would not necessarily imply anything about the faith of the two women themselves.

[11:32]  ³⁵⁹ tn Heb “And the days of Terah were.”

[11:32]  ³⁶⁰ tn Heb “Terah”; the pronoun has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:1]  ³⁶¹ sn The Lord called Abram while he was in Ur (see Gen 15:7; Acts 7:2); but the sequence here makes it look like it was after the family left to migrate to Canaan (11:31-32). Genesis records the call of Abram at this place in the narrative because it is the formal beginning of the account of Abram. The record of Terah was brought to its end before this beginning.

[12:1]  ³⁶² tn The call of Abram begins with an imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ (lekh-lÿkha, “go out”) followed by three cohortatives (v. 2a) indicating purpose or consequence (“that I may” or “then I will”). If Abram leaves, then God will do these three things. The second imperative (v. 2b, literally “and be a blessing”) is subordinated to the preceding cohortatives and indicates God’s ultimate purpose in calling and blessing Abram. On the syntactical structure of vv. 1-2 see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 37. For a similar sequence of volitive forms see Gen 45:18.

[12:1]  ³⁶³ tn The initial command is the direct imperative (לֶךְ, lekh) from the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). It is followed by the lamed preposition with a pronominal suffix (לְךָ, lÿkha) emphasizing the subject of the imperative: “you leave.”

[12:1]  ³⁶⁴ sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the Lord. The command is to leave. The Lord’s word is very specific about what Abram is to leave (the three prepositional phrases narrow to his father’s household), but is not specific at all about where he is to go. God required faith, a point that Heb 11:8 notes.

[12:2]  ³⁶⁵ tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.

[12:2]  ³⁶⁶ sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.

[12:2]  ³⁶⁷ tn Or “I will make you famous.”

[12:2]  ³⁶⁸ tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.

[12:3]  ³⁶⁹ tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the Lord binds himself to Abram by covenant, those who enrich Abram in any way share in the blessings.

[12:3]  ³⁷⁰ tn In this part of God’s statement there are two significant changes that often go unnoticed. First, the parallel and contrasting participle מְקַלֶּלְךָ (mÿqallelkha) is now singular and not plural. All the versions and a few Masoretic mss read the plural. But if it had been plural, there would be no reason to change it to the singular and alter the parallelism. On the other hand, if it was indeed singular, it is easy to see why the versions would change it to match the first participle. The MT preserves the original reading: “the one who treats you lightly.” The point would be a contrast with the lavish way that God desires to bless many. The second change is in the vocabulary. The English usually says, “I will curse those who curse you.” But there are two different words for curse here. The first is קָלַל (qalal), which means “to be light” in the Qal, and in the Piel “to treat lightly, to treat with contempt, to curse.” The second verb is אָרַר (’arar), which means “to banish, to remove from the blessing.” The point is simple: Whoever treats Abram and the covenant with contempt as worthless God will banish from the blessing. It is important also to note that the verb is not a cohortative, but a simple imperfect. Since God is binding himself to Abram, this would then be an obligatory imperfect: “but the one who treats you with contempt I must curse.”

[12:3]  ³⁷¹ 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 on”] 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 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.

[12:4]  ³⁷² sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).

[12:4]  ³⁷³ tn Heb “just as the Lord said to him.”

[12:4]  ³⁷⁴ tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.

[12:4]  ³⁷⁵ tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”

[12:5]  ³⁷⁶ tn Heb “the son of his brother.”

[12:5]  ³⁷⁷ tn For the semantic nuance “acquire [property]” for the verb עָשָׂה (’asah), see BDB 795 s.v. עָשָׂה.

[12:5]  ³⁷⁸ tn Heb “went out to go.”

[12:6]  ³⁷⁹ tn Or “terebinth.”

[12:6]  ³⁸⁰ sn The Hebrew word Moreh (מוֹרֶה, moreh) means “teacher.” It may well be that the place of this great oak tree was a Canaanite shrine where instruction took place.

[12:6]  ³⁸¹ tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”

[12:6]  ³⁸² tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.

[12:7]  ³⁸³ tn The same Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[12:7]  ³⁸⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[12:8]  ³⁸⁵ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[12:8]  ³⁸⁶ tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 13:4; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[12:9]  ³⁸⁷ tn The Hebrew verb נָסַע (nasa’) means “to journey”; more specifically it means to pull up the tent and move to another place. The construction here uses the preterite of this verb with its infinitive absolute to stress the activity of traveling. But it also adds the infinitive absolute of הָלַךְ (halakh) to stress that the traveling was continually going on. Thus “Abram journeyed, going and journeying” becomes “Abram continually journeyed by stages.”

[12:9]  ³⁸⁸ tn Or “the South [country].”

[12:10]  ³⁸⁹ sn Abram went down to Egypt. The Abrahamic narrative foreshadows some of the events in the life of the nation of Israel. This sojourn in Egypt is typological of Israel’s bondage there. In both stories there is a famine that forces the family to Egypt, death is a danger to the males while the females are preserved alive, great plagues bring about their departure, there is a summons to stand before Pharaoh, and there is a return to the land of Canaan with great wealth.

[12:10]  ³⁹⁰ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” means “to stay for a while.” The “stranger” (traditionally “sojourner”) is one who is a temporary resident, a visitor, one who is passing through. Abram had no intention of settling down in Egypt or owning property. He was only there to wait out the famine.

[12:10]  ³⁹¹ tn Heb “heavy in the land.” The words “in the land,” which also occur at the beginning of the verse in the Hebrew text, have not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:11]  ³⁹² tn Heb “drew near to enter.”

[12:11]  ³⁹³ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is deictic here; it draws attention to the following fact.

[12:11]  ³⁹⁴ tn Heb “a woman beautiful of appearance are you.”

[12:12]  ³⁹⁵ tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.

[12:13]  ³⁹⁶ tn Heb “say.”

[12:13]  ³⁹⁷ sn Tell them you are my sister. Abram’s motives may not be as selfish as they appear. He is aware of the danger to the family. His method of dealing with it is deception with a half truth, for Sarai really was his sister – but the Egyptians would not know that. Abram presumably thought that there would be negotiations for a marriage by anyone interested (as Laban does later for his sister Rebekah), giving him time to react. But the plan backfires because Pharaoh does not take the time to negotiate. There is a good deal of literature on the wife-sister issue. See (among others) E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” Oriental and Biblical Studies, 62-81; C. J. Mullo-Weir, “The Alleged Hurrian Wife-Sister Motif in Genesis,” GOT 22 (1967-1970): 14-25.

[12:13]  ³⁹⁸ tn The Hebrew verb translated “go well” can encompass a whole range of favorable treatment, but the following clause indicates it means here that Abram’s life will be spared.

[12:13]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “and my life will live.”

[12:15]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “and the woman.” The word also means “wife”; the Hebrew article can express the possessive pronoun (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §86). Here the proper name (Abram) has been used in the translation instead of a possessive pronoun (“his”) for clarity.

[12:15]  ⁴⁰¹ tn The Hebrew term וַתֻּקַּח (vattuqqakh, “was taken”) is a rare verbal form, an old Qal passive preterite from the verb “to take.” It is pointed as a Hophal would be by the Masoretes, but does not have a Hophal meaning.

[12:15]  ⁴⁰² tn The Hebrew text simply has “house of Pharaoh.” The word “house” refers to the household in general, more specifically to the royal harem.

[12:16]  ⁴⁰³ sn He did treat Abram well. The construction of the parenthetical disjunctive clause, beginning with the conjunction on the prepositional phrase, draws attention to the irony of the story. Abram wanted Sarai to lie “so that it would go well” with him. Though he lost Sarai to Pharaoh, it did go well for him – he received a lavish bride price. See also G. W. Coats, “Despoiling the Egyptians,” VT 18 (1968): 450-57.

[12:16]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[12:17]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the Lord inflicted numerous plagues, probably diseases (see Exod 15:26). The adjective “great” emphasizes that the plagues were severe and overwhelming.

[12:18]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[12:19]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive here expresses consequence.

[12:19]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “to me for a wife.”

[12:19]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Heb “Look, your wife!”

[12:19]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Heb “take and go.”

[12:20]  ⁴¹¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:1]  ⁴¹² tn Or “the South [country]” (also in v. 3).

[13:1]  ⁴¹³ tn Heb “And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all which was his, and Lot with him, to the Negev.”

[13:2]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Heb “heavy.”

[13:2]  ⁴¹⁵ tn This parenthetical clause, introduced by the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), provides information necessary to the point of the story.

[13:3]  ⁴¹⁶ tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.

[13:3]  ⁴¹⁷ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[13:3]  ⁴¹⁸ tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:3]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “where his tent had been.”

[13:4]  ⁴²⁰ tn Heb “to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning” (cf. Gen 12:7-8).

[13:4]  ⁴²¹ tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[13:5]  ⁴²² tn Heb “was going.”

[13:5]  ⁴²³ tn The Hebrew idiom is “to Lot…there was,” the preposition here expressing possession.

[13:6]  ⁴²⁴ tn The potential nuance for the perfect tense is necessary here, and supported by the parallel clause that actually uses “to be able.”

[13:6]  ⁴²⁵ tn The infinitive construct לָשֶׁבֶת (lashevet, from יָשַׁב, yashav) explains what it was that the land could not support: “the land could not support them to live side by side.” See further J. C. de Moor, “Lexical Remarks Concerning Yahad and Yahdaw,” VT 7 (1957): 350-55.

[13:6]  ⁴²⁶ tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.

[13:7]  ⁴²⁷ tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.

[13:7]  ⁴²⁸ sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.

[13:7]  ⁴²⁹ tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.

[13:8]  ⁴³⁰ tn Heb “men, brothers [are] we.” Here “brothers” describes the closeness of the relationship, but could be misunderstood if taken literally, since Abram was Lot’s uncle.

[13:9]  ⁴³¹ tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.

[13:10]  ⁴³² tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.” The expression draws attention to the act of looking, indicating that Lot took a good look. It also calls attention to the importance of what was seen.

[13:10]  ⁴³³ tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”

[13:10]  ⁴³⁴ tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ⁴³⁵ sn Obliterated. The use of the term “destroy” (שַׁחֵת, shakhet) is reminiscent of the Noahic flood (Gen 6:13). Both at the flood and in Sodom the place was obliterated by catastrophe and only one family survived (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:178).

[13:10]  ⁴³⁶ tn This short temporal clause (preposition + Piel infinitive construct + subjective genitive + direct object) is strategically placed in the middle of the lavish descriptions to sound an ominous note. The entire clause is parenthetical in nature. Most English translations place the clause at the end of v. 10 for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ⁴³⁷ sn The narrative places emphasis on what Lot saw so that the reader can appreciate how it aroused his desire for the best land. It makes allusion to the garden of the Lord and to the land of Egypt for comparison. Just as the tree in the garden of Eden had awakened Eve’s desire, so the fertile valley attracted Lot. And just as certain memories of Egypt would cause the Israelites to want to turn back and abandon the trek to the promised land, so Lot headed for the good life.

[13:11]  ⁴³⁸ tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.

[13:11]  ⁴³⁹ tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”

[13:12]  ⁴⁴⁰ tn Or “the cities of the plain”; Heb “[the cities of] the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[13:13]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Here is another significant parenthetical clause in the story, signaled by the vav (וו) disjunctive (translated “now”) on the noun at the beginning of the clause.

[13:13]  ⁴⁴² tn Heb “men.” However, this is generic in sense; it is unlikely that only the male residents of Sodom were sinners.

[13:13]  ⁴⁴³ tn Heb “wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.” The description of the sinfulness of the Sodomites is very emphatic. First, two nouns are used to form a hendiadys: “wicked and sinners” means “wicked sinners,” the first word becoming adjectival. The text is saying these were no ordinary sinners; they were wicked sinners, the type that cause pain for others. Then to this phrase is added “against the Lord,” stressing their violation of the laws of heaven and their culpability. Finally, to this is added מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “exceedingly,” translated here as “extremely”).

[13:14]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn Heb “and the Lord said to Abram after Lot separated himself from with him.” The disjunctive clause at the beginning of the verse signals a new scene.

[13:14]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn Heb “lift up your eyes and see.”

[13:15]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Heb “for all the land which you see to you I will give it and to your descendants.”

[13:16]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.

[13:17]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn The connective “and” is not present in the Hebrew text; it has been supplied for purposes of English style.

[13:17]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn The Hitpael form הִתְהַלֵּךְ (hithallekh) means “to walk about”; it also can carry the ideas of moving about, traversing, going back and forth, or living in an area. It here has the connotation of traversing the land to survey it, to look it over.

[13:17]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn Heb “the land to its length and to its breadth.” This phrase has not been included in the translation because it is somewhat redundant (see the note on the word “throughout” in this verse).

[13:18]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Heb “he came and lived.”

[13:18]  ⁴⁵² tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:1]  ⁴⁵³ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) followed by “in the days of.”

[14:1]  ⁴⁵⁴ sn Shinar (also in v. 9) is the region of Babylonia.

[14:1]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Or “king of Goyim.” The Hebrew term גּוֹיִם (goyim) means “nations,” but a number of modern translations merely transliterate the Hebrew (cf. NEB “Goyim”; NIV, NRSV “Goiim”).

[14:2]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Heb “made war.”

[14:2]  ⁴⁵⁷ sn On the geographical background of vv. 1-2 see J. P. Harland, “Sodom and Gomorrah,” The Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 1:41-75; and D. N. Freedman, “The Real Story of the Ebla Tablets, Ebla and the Cities of the Plain,” BA 41 (1978): 143-64.

[14:3]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Heb “all these,” referring only to the last five kings named. The referent has been specified as “these last five kings” in the translation for clarity.

[14:3]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to join together; to unite; to be allied.” It stresses close associations, especially of friendships, marriages, or treaties.

[14:3]  ⁴⁶⁰ sn The Salt Sea is the older name for the Dead Sea.

[14:4]  ⁴⁶¹ tn The sentence simply begins with “twelve years”; it serves as an adverbial accusative giving the duration of their bondage.

[14:4]  ⁴⁶² tn This is another adverbial accusative of time.

[14:4]  ⁴⁶³ sn The story serves as a foreshadowing of the plight of the kingdom of Israel later. Eastern powers came and forced the western kingdoms into submission. Each year, then, they would send tribute east – to keep them away. Here, in the thirteenth year, they refused to send the tribute (just as later Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria). And so in the fourteenth year the eastern powers came to put them down again. This account from Abram’s life taught future generations that God can give victory over such threats – that people did not have to live in servitude to tyrants from the east.

[14:5]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to attack, to strike, to smite.” In this context it appears that the strike was successful, and so a translation of “defeated” is preferable.

[14:6]  ⁴⁶⁵ sn The line of attack ran down the eastern side of the Jordan Valley into the desert, and then turned and came up the valley to the cities of the plain.

[14:7]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Heb “they returned and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh).” The two verbs together form a verbal hendiadys, the first serving as the adverb: “they returned and came” means “they came again.” Most English translations do not treat this as a hendiadys, but translate “they turned back” or something similar. Since in the context, however, “came again to” does not simply refer to travel but an assault against the place, the present translation expresses this as “attacked…again.”

[14:8]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Heb “against.”

[14:9]  ⁴⁶⁸ tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.

[14:9]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:10]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Heb “Now the Valley of Siddim [was] pits, pits of tar.” This parenthetical disjunctive clause emphasizes the abundance of tar pits in the area through repetition of the noun “pits.”

[14:10]  ⁴⁷¹ tn Or “they were defeated there.” After a verb of motion the Hebrew particle שָׁם (sham) with the directional heh (שָׁמָּה, shammah) can mean “into it, therein” (BDB 1027 s.v. שָׁם).

[14:10]  ⁴⁷² tn Heb “the rest.”

[14:10]  ⁴⁷³ sn The reference to the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah must mean the kings along with their armies. Most of them were defeated in the valley, but some of them escaped to the hills.

[14:11]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”

[14:12]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “and.”

[14:12]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.

[14:13]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Heb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.

[14:13]  ⁴⁸⁰ sn E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103) suggests that part of this chapter came from an outside source since it refers to Abram the Hebrew. That is not impossible, given that the narrator likely utilized traditions and genealogies that had been collected and transmitted over the years. The meaning of the word “Hebrew” has proved elusive. It may be related to the verb “to cross over,” perhaps meaning “immigrant.” Or it might be derived from the name of Abram’s ancestor Eber (see Gen 11:14-16).

[14:13]  ⁴⁸¹ tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:13]  ⁴⁸² tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”

[14:13]  ⁴⁸³ tn Heb “possessors of a treaty with.” Since it is likely that the qualifying statement refers to all three (Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner) the words “all these” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear.

[14:13]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn This parenthetical disjunctive clause explains how Abram came to be living in their territory, but it also explains why they must go to war with Abram.

[14:14]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Heb “his brother,” by extension, “relative.” Here and in v. 16 the more specific term “nephew” has been used in the translation for clarity. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen 11:27).

[14:14]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn The verb וַיָּרֶק (vayyareq) is a rare form, probably related to the word רֵיק (req, “to be empty”). If so, it would be a very figurative use: “he emptied out” (or perhaps “unsheathed”) his men. The LXX has “mustered” (cf. NEB). E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103-4) suggests reading with the Samaritan Pentateuch a verb diq, cognate with Akkadian deku, “to mobilize” troops. If this view is accepted, one must assume that a confusion of the Hebrew letters ד (dalet) and ר (resh) led to the error in the traditional Hebrew text. These two letters are easily confused in all phases of ancient Hebrew script development. The present translation is based on this view.

[14:14]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:14]  ⁴⁸⁸ sn The use of the name Dan reflects a later perspective. The Danites did not migrate to this northern territory until centuries later (see Judg 18:29). Furthermore Dan was not even born until much later. By inserting this name a scribe has clarified the location of the region.

[14:15]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.

[14:15]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:15]  ⁴⁹¹ tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”

[14:15]  ⁴⁹² tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[14:16]  ⁴⁹³ tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:16]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:17]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  ⁴⁹⁷ sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.

[14:18]  ⁴⁹⁸ sn Salem is traditionally identified as the Jebusite stronghold of old Jerusalem. Accordingly, there has been much speculation about its king. Though some have identified him with the preincarnate Christ or with Noah’s son Shem, it is far more likely that Melchizedek was a Canaanite royal priest whom God used to renew the promise of the blessing to Abram, perhaps because Abram considered Melchizedek his spiritual superior. But Melchizedek remains an enigma. In a book filled with genealogical records he appears on the scene without a genealogy and then disappears from the narrative. In Psalm 110 the Lord declares that the Davidic king is a royal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.

[14:18]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.

[14:19]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.

[14:19]  ⁵⁰¹ tn Some translate “possessor of heaven and earth” (cf. NASB). But cognate evidence from Ugaritic indicates that there were two homonymic roots ָקנָה (qanah), one meaning “to create” (as in Gen 4:1) and the other “to obtain, to acquire, to possess.” While “possessor” would fit here, “creator” is the more likely due to the collocation with “heaven and earth.”

[14:19]  ⁵⁰² tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.

[14:20]  ⁵⁰³ tn Heb “blessed be.” For God to be “blessed” means that is praised. His reputation is enriched in the world as his name is praised.

[14:20]  ⁵⁰⁴ sn Who delivered. The Hebrew verb מִגֵּן (miggen, “delivered”) foreshadows the statement by God to Abram in Gen 15:1, “I am your shield” (מָגֵן, magen). Melchizedek provided a theological interpretation of Abram’s military victory.

[14:20]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:22]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Abram takes an oath, raising his hand as a solemn gesture. The translation understands the perfect tense as having an instantaneous nuance: “Here and now I raise my hand.”

[14:22]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:23]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the Lord deal with me] if I take,” meaning, “I will surely not take.” The positive oath would add the negative adverb and be the reverse: “[God will deal with me] if I do not take,” meaning, “I certainly will.”

[14:23]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.

[14:24]  ⁵¹⁰ tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:24]  ⁵¹¹ tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”

[15:1]  ⁵¹² sn The noun “shield” recalls the words of Melchizedek in 14:20. If God is the shield, then God will deliver. Abram need not fear reprisals from those he has fought.

[15:1]  ⁵¹³ tn Heb “your reward [in] great abundance.” When the phrase הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ (harbeh mÿod) follows a noun it invariably modifies the noun and carries the nuance “very great” or “in great abundance.” (See its use in Gen 41:49; Deut 3:5; Josh 22:8; 2 Sam 8:8; 12:2; 1 Kgs 4:29; 10:10-11; 2 Chr 14:13; 32:27; Jer 40:12.) Here the noun “reward” is in apposition to “shield” and refers by metonymy to God as the source of the reward. Some translate here “your reward will be very great” (cf. NASB, NRSV), taking the statement as an independent clause and understanding the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a substitute for a finite verb. However, the construction הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ is never used this way elsewhere, where it either modifies a noun (see the texts listed above) or serves as an adverb in relation to a finite verb (see Josh 13:1; 1 Sam 26:21; 2 Sam 12:30; 2 Kgs 21:16; 1 Chr 20:2; Neh 2:2).

[15:2]  ⁵¹⁴ tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master, Lord”). Since the tetragrammaton (YHWH) usually is pointed with the vowels for the Hebrew word אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “master”) to avoid pronouncing the divine name, that would lead in this place to a repetition of אֲדֹנָי. So the tetragrammaton is here pointed with the vowels for the word אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God”) instead. That would produce the reading of the Hebrew as “Master, God” in the Jewish textual tradition. But the presence of “Master” before the holy name is rather compelling evidence that the original would have been “Master, Lord,” which is rendered here “sovereign Lord.”

[15:2]  ⁵¹⁵ tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.

[15:2]  ⁵¹⁶ tn Heb “I am going.”

[15:2]  ⁵¹⁷ tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”

[15:2]  ⁵¹⁸ tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).

[15:2]  ⁵¹⁹ sn The sentence in the Hebrew text employs a very effective wordplay on the name Damascus: “The son of the acquisition (בֶּן־מֶשֶׁק, ben-mesheq) of my house is Eliezer of Damascus (דַּמֶּשֶׁק, dammesheq).” The words are not the same; they have different sibilants. But the sound play gives the impression that “in the nomen is the omen.” Eliezer the Damascene will be Abram’s heir if Abram dies childless because “Damascus” seems to mean that. See M. F. Unger, “Some Comments on the Text of Genesis 15:2-3,” JBL 72 (1953): 49-50; H. L. Ginsberg, “Abram’s ‘Damascene’ Steward,” BASOR 200 (1970): 31-32.

[15:3]  ⁵²⁰ tn Heb “And Abram said.”

[15:3]  ⁵²¹ tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).

[15:3]  ⁵²² tn Heb “is inheriting me.”

[15:4]  ⁵²³ tn The disjunctive draws attention to God’s response and the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, translated “look”) mirrors Abram’s statement in v. 3 and highlights the fact that God responded to Abram.

[15:4]  ⁵²⁴ tn The subject of the verb is the demonstrative pronoun, which can be translated “this one” or “this man.” That the Lord does not mention him by name is significant; often in ancient times the use of the name would bring legitimacy to inheritance and adoption cases.

[15:4]  ⁵²⁵ tn Heb “inherit you.”

[15:4]  ⁵²⁶ tn The Hebrew כִּי־אִם (ki-’im) forms a very strong adversative.

[15:4]  ⁵²⁷ tn Heb “he who”; the implied referent (Abram’s unborn son who will be his heir) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:4]  ⁵²⁸ tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”

[15:4]  ⁵²⁹ tn Heb “will inherit you.”

[15:5]  ⁵³⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ⁵³¹ tn The nonconsecutive vav (ו) is on a perfect verbal form. If the composer of the narrative had wanted to show simple sequence, he would have used the vav consecutive with the preterite. The perfect with vav conjunctive (where one expects the preterite with vav consecutive) in narrative contexts can have a variety of discourse functions, but here it probably serves to highlight Abram’s response to God’s promise. For a detailed discussion of the vav + perfect construction in Hebrew narrative, see R. Longacre, “Weqatal Forms in Biblical Hebrew Prose: A Discourse-modular Approach,” Biblical Hebrew and Discourse Linguistics, 50-98. The Hebrew verb אָמַן (’aman) means “to confirm, to support” in the Qal verbal stem. Its derivative nouns refer to something or someone that/who provides support, such as a “pillar,” “nurse,” or “guardian, trustee.” In the Niphal stem it comes to mean “to be faithful, to be reliable, to be dependable,” or “to be firm, to be sure.” In the Hiphil, the form used here, it takes on a declarative sense: “to consider something reliable [or “dependable”].” Abram regarded the God who made this promise as reliable and fully capable of making it a reality.

[15:6]  ⁵³² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ⁵³³ tn Heb “and he reckoned it to him.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix refers back to Abram’s act of faith, mentioned in the preceding clause. On third feminine singular pronouns referring back to verbal ideas see GKC 440-41 §135.p. Some propose taking the suffix as proleptic, anticipating the following feminine noun (“righteousness”). In this case one might translate: “and he reckoned it to him – [namely] righteousness.” See O. P. Robertson, “Genesis 15:6: A New Covenant Exposition of an Old Covenant Text,” WTJ 42 (1980): 259-89.

[15:6]  ⁵³⁴ tn Or “righteousness”; or “evidence of steadfast commitment.” The noun is an adverbial accusative. The verb translated “considered” (Heb “reckoned”) also appears with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) in Ps 106:31. Alluding to the events recorded in Numbers 25, the psalmist notes that Phinehas’ actions were “credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.” Reference is made to the unconditional, eternal covenant with which God rewarded Phinehas’ loyalty (Num 25:12-13). So צְדָקָה seems to carry by metonymy the meaning “loyal, rewardable behavior” here, a nuance that fits nicely in Genesis 15, where God responds to Abram’s faith by formally ratifying his promise to give Abram and his descendants the land. (See R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 40.) In Phoenician and Old Aramaic inscriptions cognate nouns glossed as “correct, justifiable conduct” sometimes carry this same semantic nuance (DNWSI 2:962).

[15:7]  ⁵³⁵ tn Heb “And he said.”

[15:7]  ⁵³⁶ sn I am the Lord. The Lord initiates the covenant-making ceremony with a declaration of who he is and what he has done for Abram. The same form appears at the beginning of the covenant made at Sinai (see Exod 20:1).

[15:7]  ⁵³⁷ sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium b.c.

[15:8]  ⁵³⁸ tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”

[15:8]  ⁵³⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:8]  ⁵⁴⁰ tn See note on the phrase “sovereign Lord” in 15:2.

[15:8]  ⁵⁴¹ tn Or “how.”

[15:9]  ⁵⁴² tn Heb “He”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ⁵⁴³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn Heb “in the middle.”

[15:10]  ⁵⁴⁵ tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”

[15:12]  ⁵⁴⁶ tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”

[15:12]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”

[15:13]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, with the Qal infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect from יָדַע (yada’, “know”). The imperfect here has an obligatory or imperatival force.

[15:13]  ⁵⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger, “sojourner, stranger”) is related to the verb גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to stay for awhile”). Abram’s descendants will stay in a land as resident aliens without rights of citizenship.

[15:13]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ⁵⁵¹ tn Heb “and they will serve them and they will oppress them.” The verb עִנּוּ, (’innu, a Piel form from עָנָה, ’anah, “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly”), is used in Exod 1:11 to describe the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt.

[15:14]  ⁵⁵² tn The participle דָּן (dan, from דִּין, din) is used here for the future: “I am judging” = “I will surely judge.” The judgment in this case will be condemnation and punishment. The translation “execute judgment on” implies that the judgment will certainly be carried out.

[15:15]  ⁵⁵³ tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.

[15:15]  ⁵⁵⁴ sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.

[15:15]  ⁵⁵⁵ tn Heb “in a good old age.”

[15:16]  ⁵⁵⁶ sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.

[15:16]  ⁵⁵⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[15:16]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

[15:17]  ⁵⁵⁹ sn A smoking pot with a flaming torch. These same implements were used in Mesopotamian rituals designed to ward off evil (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 113-14).

[15:17]  ⁵⁶⁰ tn Heb “these pieces.”

[15:18]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[15:18]  ⁵⁶² tn The perfect verbal form is understood as instantaneous (“I here and now give”). Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, indicating certitude (“I have given” meaning it is as good as done, i.e., “I will surely give”).

[15:18]  ⁵⁶³ sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.

[15:19]  ⁵⁶⁴ tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:21]  ⁵⁶⁵ tn Each of the names in the list has the Hebrew definite article, which is used here generically for the class of people identified.

[16:1]  ⁵⁶⁶ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.

[16:1]  ⁵⁶⁷ sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.

[16:1]  ⁵⁶⁸ tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.

[16:1]  ⁵⁶⁹ sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)

[16:2]  ⁵⁷⁰ tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.

[16:2]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).

[16:2]  ⁵⁷² tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.

[16:2]  ⁵⁷³ tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”

[16:3]  ⁵⁷⁴ tn Heb “at the end of ten years, to live, Abram.” The prepositional phrase introduces the temporal clause, the infinitive construct serves as the verb, and the name “Abram” is the subject.

[16:3]  ⁵⁷⁵ tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”

[16:3]  ⁵⁷⁶ sn To be his wife. Hagar became a slave wife, not on equal standing with Sarai. However, if Hagar produced the heir, she would be the primary wife in the eyes of society. When this eventually happened, Hagar become insolent, prompting Sarai’s anger.

[16:4]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.

[16:4]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)

[16:4]  ⁵⁷⁹ tn Heb “and she saw that she was pregnant and her mistress was despised in her eyes.” The Hebrew verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to despise, to treat lightly, to treat with contempt.” In Hagar’s opinion Sarai had been demoted.

[16:5]  ⁵⁸⁰ tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”

[16:5]  ⁵⁸¹ tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”

[16:5]  ⁵⁸² tn Heb “saw.”

[16:5]  ⁵⁸³ tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.

[16:5]  ⁵⁸⁴ tn Heb “me and you.”

[16:6]  ⁵⁸⁵ tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”

[16:6]  ⁵⁸⁶ tn Heb “in your hand.”

[16:6]  ⁵⁸⁷ tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”

[16:6]  ⁵⁸⁸ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:6]  ⁵⁸⁹ tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”

[16:6]  ⁵⁹⁰ tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:7]  ⁵⁹¹ tn Heb “the messenger of the Lord.” Some identify the angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ because in some texts the angel is identified with the Lord himself. However, it is more likely that the angel merely represents the Lord; he can speak for the Lord because he is sent with the Lord’s full authority. In some cases the angel is clearly distinct from the Lord (see Judg 6:11-23). It is not certain if the same angel is always in view. Though the proper name following the noun “angel” makes the construction definite, this may simply indicate that a definite angel sent from the Lord is referred to in any given context. It need not be the same angel on every occasion. Note the analogous expression “the servant of the Lord,” which refers to various individuals in the OT (see BDB 714 s.v. עֶבֶד).

[16:7]  ⁵⁹² tn Heb “And the angel of the Lord found her near the spring of water in the desert, near the spring on the way to Shur.”

[16:8]  ⁵⁹³ tn Heb “from the presence of.”

[16:9]  ⁵⁹⁴ tn The imperative וְהִתְעַנִּי (vÿhit’anni) is the Hitpael of עָנָה (’anah, here translated “submit”), the same word used for Sarai’s harsh treatment of her. Hagar is instructed not only to submit to Sarai’s authority, but to whatever mistreatment that involves. God calls for Hagar to humble herself.

[16:10]  ⁵⁹⁵ tn Heb “The Lord’s angel said, ‘I will greatly multiply your descendants….” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:10]  ⁵⁹⁶ tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”

[16:11]  ⁵⁹⁷ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”

[16:11]  ⁵⁹⁸ tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.

[16:11]  ⁵⁹⁹ sn The name Ishmael consists of the imperfect or jussive form of the Hebrew verb with the theophoric element added as the subject. It means “God hears” or “may God hear.”

[16:11]  ⁶⁰⁰ tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.

[16:12]  ⁶⁰¹ sn A wild donkey of a man. The prophecy is not an insult. The wild donkey lived a solitary existence in the desert away from society. Ishmael would be free-roaming, strong, and like a bedouin; he would enjoy the freedom his mother sought.

[16:12]  ⁶⁰² tn Heb “His hand will be against everyone.” The “hand” by metonymy represents strength. His free-roaming life style would put him in conflict with those who follow social conventions. There would not be open warfare, only friction because of his antagonism to their way of life.

[16:12]  ⁶⁰³ tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”

[16:12]  ⁶⁰⁴ tn Heb “opposite, across from.” Ishmael would live on the edge of society (cf. NASB “to the east of”). Some take this as an idiom meaning “be at odds with” (cf. NRSV, NLT) or “live in hostility toward” (cf. NIV).

[16:13]  ⁶⁰⁵ tn Heb “God of my seeing.” The pronominal suffix may be understood either as objective (“who sees me,” as in the translation) or subjective (“whom I see”).

[16:13]  ⁶⁰⁶ tn Heb “after one who sees me.”

[16:14]  ⁶⁰⁷ tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.

[16:14]  ⁶⁰⁸ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” The text suggests that God takes up the cause of those who are oppressed.

[16:14]  ⁶⁰⁹ tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:15]  ⁶¹⁰ tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”

[16:16]  ⁶¹¹ tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.

[16:16]  ⁶¹² tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”

[16:16]  ⁶¹³ tn The Hebrew text adds, “for Abram.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons; it is somewhat redundant given the three occurrences of Abram’s name in this and the previous verse.

[17:1]  ⁶¹⁴ tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:1]  ⁶¹⁵ 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]  ⁶¹⁶ 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]  ⁶¹⁷ 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]  ⁶¹⁸ tn Or “in my presence.”

[17:1]  ⁶¹⁹ 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]  ⁶²⁰ 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]  ⁶²¹ tn Heb “I will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:3]  ⁶²² 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]  ⁶²³ 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]  ⁶²⁴ tn Heb “I.”

[17:4]  ⁶²⁵ tn Heb “is” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).

[17:5]  ⁶²⁶ tn Heb “will your name be called.”

[17:5]  ⁶²⁷ 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]  ⁶²⁸ tn The perfect verbal form is used here in a rhetorical manner to emphasize God’s intention.

[17:6]  ⁶²⁹ tn This verb starts a series of perfect verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive to express God’s intentions.

[17:6]  ⁶³⁰ tn Heb “exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:6]  ⁶³¹ tn Heb “and I will make you into nations, and kings will come out from you.”

[17:7]  ⁶³² 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]  ⁶³³ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:7]  ⁶³⁴ tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”

[17:8]  ⁶³⁵ 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]  ⁶³⁶ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:9]  ⁶³⁷ 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]  ⁶³⁸ 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]  ⁶³⁹ tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”

[17:10]  ⁶⁴⁰ 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]  ⁶⁴¹ tn Or “sign.”

[17:12]  ⁶⁴² tn Heb “the son of eight days.”

[17:13]  ⁶⁴³ tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.

[17:13]  ⁶⁴⁴ 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]  ⁶⁴⁵ tn Or “an eternal.”

[17:14]  ⁶⁴⁶ tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.

[17:14]  ⁶⁴⁷ tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:14]  ⁶⁴⁸ 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]  ⁶⁴⁹ tn Heb “[As for] Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [will be] her name.”

[17:15]  ⁶⁵⁰ 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]  ⁶⁵¹ tn Heb “she will become nations.”

[17:16]  ⁶⁵² tn Heb “peoples.”

[17:17]  ⁶⁵³ 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]  ⁶⁵⁴ tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”

[17:17]  ⁶⁵⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.

[17:17]  ⁶⁵⁶ tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”

[17:17]  ⁶⁵⁷ 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]  ⁶⁵⁸ tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”

[17:18]  ⁶⁵⁹ tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”

[17:18]  ⁶⁶⁰ tn Or “live with your blessing.”

[17:19]  ⁶⁶¹ 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]  ⁶⁶² tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:20]  ⁶⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁶⁴ tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:20]  ⁶⁶⁵ 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]  ⁶⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁶⁸ tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.

[17:24]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:24]  ⁶⁷⁰ tn Heb “circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (also in v. 25).

[17:25]  ⁶⁷¹ tn Heb “the son of thirteen years.”

[18:1]  ⁶⁷² tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ⁶⁷³ tn Or “terebinths.”

[18:1]  ⁶⁷⁴ tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.

[18:1]  ⁶⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.

[18:2]  ⁶⁷⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:2]  ⁶⁷⁷ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[18:2]  ⁶⁷⁸ 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]  ⁶⁷⁹ 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]  ⁶⁸⁰ tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:2]  ⁶⁸¹ 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]  ⁶⁸² 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]  ⁶⁸³ 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]  ⁶⁸⁴ tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”

[18:4]  ⁶⁸⁵ tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.

[18:4]  ⁶⁸⁶ 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]  ⁶⁸⁷ tn The Qal cohortative here probably has the nuance of polite request.

[18:5]  ⁶⁸⁸ 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]  ⁶⁸⁹ tn Heb “strengthen your heart.” The imperative after the cohortative indicates purpose here.

[18:5]  ⁶⁹⁰ 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]  ⁶⁹¹ 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]  ⁶⁹² 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]  ⁶⁹³ sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.

[18:7]  ⁶⁹⁴ tn Heb “the young man.”

[18:7]  ⁶⁹⁵ 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]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:8]  ⁶⁹⁷ 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]  ⁶⁹⁸ tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.

[18:9]  ⁶⁹⁹ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.

[18:10]  ⁷⁰⁰ 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]  ⁷⁰¹ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense.

[18:10]  ⁷⁰² tn Heb “as/when the time lives” or “revives,” possibly referring to the springtime.

[18:10]  ⁷⁰³ tn Heb “and there will be (הִנֵּה, hinneh) a son for Sarah.”

[18:10]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn This is the first of two disjunctive parenthetical clauses preparing the reader for Sarah’s response (see v. 12).

[18:11]  ⁷⁰⁵ tn Heb “days.”

[18:11]  ⁷⁰⁶ tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”

[18:12]  ⁷⁰⁷ tn Heb “saying.”

[18:12]  ⁷⁰⁸ 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]  ⁷⁰⁹ tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[18:13]  ⁷¹⁰ 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]  ⁷¹¹ tn The Hebrew construction uses both הַאַף (ha’af) and אֻמְנָם (’umnam): “Indeed, truly, will I have a child?”

[18:14]  ⁷¹² tn The Hebrew verb פָּלָא (pala’) means “to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing.”

[18:14]  ⁷¹³ 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]  ⁷¹⁴ tn Heb “And he said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:16]  ⁷¹⁵ tn Heb “And the men arose from there.”

[18:16]  ⁷¹⁶ tn Heb “toward the face of.”

[18:16]  ⁷¹⁷ tn The disjunctive parenthetical clause sets the stage for the following speech.

[18:16]  ⁷¹⁸ 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]  ⁷¹⁹ tn The active participle here refers to an action that is imminent.

[18:18]  ⁷²⁰ 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]  ⁷²¹ tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the finite verb that follows.

[18:18]  ⁷²² 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]  ⁷²³ 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]  ⁷²⁴ 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]  ⁷²⁵ tn The infinitive construct here indicates manner, explaining how Abraham’s children and his household will keep the way of the Lord.

[18:19]  ⁷²⁶ tn Heb “bring on.” The infinitive after לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) indicates result here.

[18:19]  ⁷²⁷ tn Heb “spoke to.”

[18:20]  ⁷²⁸ 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]  ⁷²⁹ tn Heb “heavy.”

[18:21]  ⁷³⁰ tn The cohortative indicates the Lord’s resolve.

[18:21]  ⁷³¹ 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]  ⁷³² sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.

[18:22]  ⁷³³ 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]  ⁷³⁴ tn Heb “went.”

[18:22]  ⁷³⁵ 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]  ⁷³⁶ tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).

[18:25]  ⁷³⁷ tn Or “ruler.”

[18:25]  ⁷³⁸ 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]  ⁷³⁹ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[18:27]  ⁷⁴⁰ tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the Lord.

[18:28]  ⁷⁴¹ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.

[18:28]  ⁷⁴² tn Heb “because of five.”

[18:29]  ⁷⁴³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:29]  ⁷⁴⁴ tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”

[18:30]  ⁷⁴⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:30]  ⁷⁴⁶ tn Heb “let it not be hot to the Lord.” This is an idiom which means “may the Lord not be angry.”

[18:30]  ⁷⁴⁷ tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.

[18:31]  ⁷⁴⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:32]  ⁷⁴⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:33]  ⁷⁵⁰ tn Heb “And the Lord went.”

[18:33]  ⁷⁵¹ tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”

[18:33]  ⁷⁵² tn Heb “to his place.”

[19:1]  ⁷⁵³ tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.

[19:1]  ⁷⁵⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵⁵ tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.

[19:2]  ⁷⁵⁶ tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”

[19:2]  ⁷⁵⁷ sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.

[19:3]  ⁷⁵⁸ 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]  ⁷⁵⁹ 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]  ⁷⁶⁰ 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]  ⁷⁶¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:5]  ⁷⁶² 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]  ⁷⁶³ tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”

[19:8]  ⁷⁶⁴ tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[19:8]  ⁷⁶⁵ tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”

[19:8]  ⁷⁶⁶ tn Heb “shadow.”

[19:8]  ⁷⁶⁷ 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]  ⁷⁶⁸ tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”

[19:9]  ⁷⁶⁹ tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”

[19:9]  ⁷⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷⁷¹ 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]  ⁷⁷² tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”

[19:9]  ⁷⁷³ tn Heb “and they drew near.”

[19:10]  ⁷⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:10]  ⁷⁷⁶ tn Heb “to them into the house.”

[19:11]  ⁷⁷⁷ tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”

[19:11]  ⁷⁷⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:12]  ⁷⁷⁹ 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]  ⁷⁸⁰ tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”

[19:12]  ⁷⁸¹ tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:12]  ⁷⁸² tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”

[19:12]  ⁷⁸³ tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.

[19:13]  ⁷⁸⁴ tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.

[19:13]  ⁷⁸⁵ tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:13]  ⁷⁸⁶ 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]  ⁷⁸⁷ 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]  ⁷⁸⁸ tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.

[19:14]  ⁷⁸⁹ 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]  ⁷⁹⁰ tn Heb “When dawn came up.”

[19:15]  ⁷⁹¹ 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]  ⁷⁹² tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[19:16]  ⁷⁹³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:16]  ⁷⁹⁴ tn Heb “in the compassion of the Lord to them.”

[19:16]  ⁷⁹⁵ 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]  ⁷⁹⁶ 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]  ⁷⁹⁷ tn Heb “escape.”

[19:17]  ⁷⁹⁸ 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]  ⁷⁹⁹ tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:18]  ⁸⁰⁰ tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[19:19]  ⁸⁰¹ 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]  ⁸⁰² tn Heb “in your eyes.”

[19:19]  ⁸⁰³ tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”

[19:19]  ⁸⁰⁴ 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]  ⁸⁰⁵ tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.

[19:19]  ⁸⁰⁶ tn Heb “lest.”

[19:19]  ⁸⁰⁷ 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]  ⁸⁰⁸ tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.

[19:20]  ⁸⁰⁹ 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]  ⁸¹⁰ tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”

[19:20]  ⁸¹¹ tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.

[19:20]  ⁸¹² tn Heb “Is it not little?”

[19:20]  ⁸¹³ tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.

[19:21]  ⁸¹⁴ 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]  ⁸¹⁵ tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”

[19:21]  ⁸¹⁶ 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]  ⁸¹⁷ tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.

[19:22]  ⁸¹⁸ 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]  ⁸¹⁹ sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).

[19:23]  ⁸²⁰ 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]  ⁸²¹ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.

[19:24]  ⁸²² tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).

[19:24]  ⁸²³ tn Heb “from the Lord from the heavens.” The words “It was sent down” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:25]  ⁸²⁴ tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:25]  ⁸²⁵ tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”

[19:26]  ⁸²⁶ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:26]  ⁸²⁷ tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).

[19:27]  ⁸²⁸ tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:28]  ⁸²⁹ tn Heb “upon the face of.”

[19:28]  ⁸³⁰ 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]  ⁸³¹ tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”

[19:29]  ⁸³² tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.

[19:29]  ⁸³³ tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:29]  ⁸³⁴ 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]  ⁸³⁵ sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.

[19:29]  ⁸³⁶ tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”

[19:31]  ⁸³⁷ tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”

[19:31]  ⁸³⁸ 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]  ⁸³⁹ tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.

[19:32]  ⁸⁴⁰ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:32]  ⁸⁴¹ 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]  ⁸⁴² tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.

[19:32]  ⁸⁴³ tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”

[19:33]  ⁸⁴⁴ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:33]  ⁸⁴⁵ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:33]  ⁸⁴⁶ 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]  ⁸⁴⁷ tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”

[19:34]  ⁸⁴⁸ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:34]  ⁸⁴⁹ tn Heb “Look, I lied down with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight.”

[19:34]  ⁸⁵⁰ tn Heb “And go, lie down with him and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”

[19:35]  ⁸⁵¹ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:35]  ⁸⁵² tn Heb “lied down with him.”

[19:35]  ⁸⁵³ tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”

[19:37]  ⁸⁵⁴ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:37]  ⁸⁵⁵ 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]  ⁸⁵⁶ 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]  ⁸⁵⁷ tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”

[20:1]  ⁸⁵⁸ tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

[20:3]  ⁸⁵⁹ tn Heb “came.”

[20:3]  ⁸⁶⁰ 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]  ⁸⁶¹ tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.

[20:4]  ⁸⁶² tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[20:4]  ⁸⁶³ 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]  ⁸⁶⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:5]  ⁸⁶⁵ tn Heb “and she, even she.”

[20:5]  ⁸⁶⁶ tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”

[20:6]  ⁸⁶⁷ tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”

[20:6]  ⁸⁶⁸ tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”

[20:6]  ⁸⁶⁹ tn Heb “therefore.”

[20:7]  ⁸⁷⁰ tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.

[20:7]  ⁸⁷¹ sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.

[20:7]  ⁸⁷² tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.

[20:7]  ⁸⁷³ tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.

[20:7]  ⁸⁷⁴ tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.

[20:8]  ⁸⁷⁵ tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”

[20:8]  ⁸⁷⁶ tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”

[20:8]  ⁸⁷⁷ tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”

[20:8]  ⁸⁷⁸ tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[20:9]  ⁸⁷⁹ 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]  ⁸⁸⁰ tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.

[20:10]  ⁸⁸¹ tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”

[20:10]  ⁸⁸² tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.

[20:11]  ⁸⁸³ tn Heb “Because I said.”

[20:11]  ⁸⁸⁴ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[20:12]  ⁸⁸⁵ tn Heb “but also.”

[20:13]  ⁸⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁸⁷ tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”

[20:14]  ⁸⁸⁸ tn Heb “took and gave.”

[20:15]  ⁸⁸⁹ tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”

[20:16]  ⁸⁹⁰ 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]  ⁸⁹¹ 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]  ⁸⁹² 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]  ⁸⁹³ tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”

[20:18]  ⁸⁹⁴ tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[20:18]  ⁸⁹⁵ tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[21:1]  ⁸⁹⁶ 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]  ⁸⁹⁷ tn Heb “and the Lord did.” The divine name has not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[21:1]  ⁸⁹⁸ tn Heb “spoken.”

[21:2]  ⁸⁹⁹ tn Or “she conceived.”

[21:3]  ⁹⁰⁰ 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]  ⁹⁰¹ tn Heb “Isaac his son, the son of eight days.” The name “Isaac” is repeated in the translation for clarity.

[21:4]  ⁹⁰² 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]  ⁹⁰³ 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]  ⁹⁰⁴ tn Heb “Laughter God has made for me.”

[21:6]  ⁹⁰⁵ tn The words “about this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[21:6]  ⁹⁰⁶ 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]  ⁹⁰⁷ tn Heb “said.”

[21:7]  ⁹⁰⁸ tn The perfect form of the verb is used here to describe a hypothetical situation.

[21:8]  ⁹⁰⁹ tn Heb “made.”

[21:8]  ⁹¹⁰ 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]  ⁹¹¹ tn Heb “saw.”

[21:9]  ⁹¹² 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]  ⁹¹³ 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]  ⁹¹⁴ 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]  ⁹¹⁵ tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”

[21:12]  ⁹¹⁶ 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]  ⁹¹⁷ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.

[21:12]  ⁹¹⁸ 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]  ⁹¹⁹ tn Heb “and Abraham rose up early in the morning and he took.”

[21:14]  ⁹²⁰ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[21:14]  ⁹²¹ 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]  ⁹²² tn Heb “she went and wandered.”

[21:14]  ⁹²³ 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]  ⁹²⁴ 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]  ⁹²⁵ sn A bowshot would be a distance of about a hundred yards (ninety meters).

[21:16]  ⁹²⁶ tn Heb “said.”

[21:16]  ⁹²⁷ 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]  ⁹²⁸ 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]  ⁹²⁹ 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]  ⁹³⁰ tn Heb “What to you?”

[21:17]  ⁹³¹ sn Here the verb heard picks up the main motif of the name Ishmael (“God hears”), introduced back in chap. 16.

[21:19]  ⁹³² 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]  ⁹³³ 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]  ⁹³⁴ tn Heb “And his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.”

[21:22]  ⁹³⁵ sn God is with you. Abimelech and Phicol recognized that Abraham enjoyed special divine provision and protection.

[21:23]  ⁹³⁶ tn Heb “And now swear to me by God here.”

[21:23]  ⁹³⁷ tn Heb “my offspring and my descendants.”

[21:23]  ⁹³⁸ tn The word “land” refers by metonymy to the people in the land.

[21:23]  ⁹³⁹ tn The Hebrew verb means “to stay, to live, to sojourn” as a temporary resident without ownership rights.

[21:23]  ⁹⁴⁰ tn Or “kindness.”

[21:23]  ⁹⁴¹ 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]  ⁹⁴² 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]  ⁹⁴³ 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]  ⁹⁴⁴ tn Heb “concerning the matter of the well of water.”

[21:25]  ⁹⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to steal; to rob; to take violently.” The statement reflects Abraham’s perspective.

[21:26]  ⁹⁴⁶ tn Heb “and also.”

[21:27]  ⁹⁴⁷ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:29]  ⁹⁴⁸ tn Heb “What are these?”

[21:30]  ⁹⁴⁹ tn Heb “that it be for me for a witness.”

[21:30]  ⁹⁵⁰ 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]  ⁹⁵¹ 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]  ⁹⁵² 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]  ⁹⁵³ sn The verb forms a wordplay with the name Beer Sheba.

[21:32]  ⁹⁵⁴ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:32]  ⁹⁵⁵ tn Heb “arose and returned.”

[21:32]  ⁹⁵⁶ 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]  ⁹⁵⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:33]  ⁹⁵⁸ 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]  ⁹⁵⁹ 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]  ⁹⁶⁰ tn Heb “many days.”

[22:1]  ⁹⁶¹ 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]  ⁹⁶² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ⁹⁶³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ⁹⁶⁴ 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]  ⁹⁶⁵ 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]  ⁹⁶⁶ 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]  ⁹⁶⁷ tn Heb “which I will say to.”

[22:3]  ⁹⁶⁸ tn Heb “Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey.”

[22:3]  ⁹⁶⁹ tn Heb “he arose and he went.”

[22:4]  ⁹⁷⁰ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.”

[22:5]  ⁹⁷¹ tn Heb “And Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[22:5]  ⁹⁷² tn The Hebrew verb is masculine plural, referring to the two young servants who accompanied Abraham and Isaac on the journey.

[22:5]  ⁹⁷³ tn The disjunctive clause (with the compound subject preceding the verb) may be circumstantial and temporal.

[22:5]  ⁹⁷⁴ tn This Hebrew word literally means “to bow oneself close to the ground.” It often means “to worship.”

[22:5]  ⁹⁷⁵ 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]  ⁹⁷⁶ sn He took the fire and the knife in his hand. These details anticipate the sacrifice that lies ahead.

[22:7]  ⁹⁷⁷ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This is redundant and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[22:7]  ⁹⁷⁸ tn Heb “Here I am” (cf. Gen 22:1).

[22:7]  ⁹⁷⁹ 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]  ⁹⁸⁰ tn Heb “will see for himself.” The construction means “to look out for; to see to it; to provide.”

[22:9]  ⁹⁸¹ 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]  ⁹⁸² 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]  ⁹⁸³ tn Heb “in order to slaughter.”

[22:11]  ⁹⁸⁴ 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]  ⁹⁸⁵ tn Heb “Do not extend your hand toward the boy.”

[22:12]  ⁹⁸⁶ 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]  ⁹⁸⁷ sn For now I know. The test was designed to see if Abraham would be obedient (see v. 1).

[22:12]  ⁹⁸⁸ sn In this context fear refers by metonymy to obedience that grows from faith.

[22:13]  ⁹⁸⁹ tn Heb “lifted his eyes.”

[22:13]  ⁹⁹⁰ 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]  ⁹⁹¹ 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]  ⁹⁹² tn Heb “Abraham”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:14]  ⁹⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁹⁵ 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]  ⁹⁹⁶ tn Heb “By myself I swear.”

[22:16]  ⁹⁹⁷ tn Heb “the oracle of the Lord.” The phrase refers to a formal oracle or decree from the Lord.

[22:17]  ⁹⁹⁸ 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]  ⁹⁹⁹ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  ¹⁰⁰⁰ 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]  ¹⁰⁰¹ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ¹⁰⁰² 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]  ¹⁰⁰³ 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]  ¹⁰⁰⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁰⁵ tn Heb “and they arose and went together.”

[22:19]  ¹⁰⁰⁶ tn Heb “and Abraham stayed in Beer Sheba. This has been translated as a relative clause for stylistic reasons.

[22:20]  ¹⁰⁰⁷ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to the statement.

[22:21]  ¹⁰⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁰⁹ 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]  ¹⁰¹⁰ 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]  ¹⁰¹¹ tn Heb “Sarah.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“she”) for stylistic reasons.

[23:2]  ¹⁰¹² 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]  ¹⁰¹³ tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”

[23:3]  ¹⁰¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁰¹⁵ tn Heb “a resident alien and a settler.”

[23:4]  ¹⁰¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁰¹⁷ tn Or “possession.”

[23:4]  ¹⁰¹⁸ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.

[23:4]  ¹⁰¹⁹ 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]  ¹⁰²⁰ tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”

[23:6]  ¹⁰²¹ tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”

[23:6]  ¹⁰²² 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]  ¹⁰²³ tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:7]  ¹⁰²⁴ tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).

[23:8]  ¹⁰²⁵ 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]  ¹⁰²⁶ 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]  ¹⁰²⁷ tn Or “hear me.”

[23:8]  ¹⁰²⁸ tn Heb “intercede for me with.”

[23:9]  ¹⁰²⁹ 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]  ¹⁰³⁰ tn Heb “in your presence.”

[23:9]  ¹⁰³¹ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:10]  ¹⁰³² tn Or perhaps “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.

[23:10]  ¹⁰³³ tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.

[23:10]  ¹⁰³⁴ 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]  ¹⁰³⁵ 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]  ¹⁰³⁶ 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]  ¹⁰³⁷ tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”

[23:13]  ¹⁰³⁸ tn Heb “give.”

[23:13]  ¹⁰³⁹ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:13]  ¹⁰⁴⁰ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.

[23:15]  ¹⁰⁴¹ tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:15]  ¹⁰⁴² 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]  ¹⁰⁴³ tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”

[23:16]  ¹⁰⁴⁴ tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”

[23:16]  ¹⁰⁴⁵ tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:16]  ¹⁰⁴⁶ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:16]  ¹⁰⁴⁷ tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[23:16]  ¹⁰⁴⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁴⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁵⁰ tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:20]  ¹⁰⁵¹ tn Heb “possession of a grave.”

[24:1]  ¹⁰⁵² tn Heb “days.”

[24:1]  ¹⁰⁵³ tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[24:2]  ¹⁰⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).

[24:2]  ¹⁰⁵⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁵⁶ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.

[24:3]  ¹⁰⁵⁷ tn Heb “because you must not take.”

[24:4]  ¹⁰⁵⁸ tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”

[24:4]  ¹⁰⁵⁹ tn Heb “and take.”

[24:5]  ¹⁰⁶⁰ tn Heb “to go after me.”

[24:5]  ¹⁰⁶¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁶² tn Heb “guard yourself.”

[24:6]  ¹⁰⁶³ 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]  ¹⁰⁶⁴ tn Or “the land of my birth.”

[24:7]  ¹⁰⁶⁵ tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”

[24:7]  ¹⁰⁶⁶ tn Or “his messenger.”

[24:7]  ¹⁰⁶⁷ tn Heb “before you and you will take.”

[24:8]  ¹⁰⁶⁸ tn Heb “ to go after you.”

[24:8]  ¹⁰⁶⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁰ tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”

[24:10]  ¹⁰⁷¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁷² tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

[24:10]  ¹⁰⁷³ tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:11]  ¹⁰⁷⁴ tn Heb “well of water.”

[24:11]  ¹⁰⁷⁵ tn Heb “at the time of evening.”

[24:12]  ¹⁰⁷⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁷ tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”

[24:13]  ¹⁰⁷⁸ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:13]  ¹⁰⁷⁹ tn Heb “the men.”

[24:14]  ¹⁰⁸⁰ 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]  ¹⁰⁸¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁸² 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]  ¹⁰⁸³ 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]  ¹⁰⁸⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁸⁵ tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:18]  ¹⁰⁸⁶ tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”

[24:19]  ¹⁰⁸⁷ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:20]  ¹⁰⁸⁸ tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”

[24:21]  ¹⁰⁸⁹ tn Heb “to know.”

[24:21]  ¹⁰⁹⁰ 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]  ¹⁰⁹¹ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

[24:22]  ¹⁰⁹² 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]  ¹⁰⁹³ tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:23]  ¹⁰⁹⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁹⁵ tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:25]  ¹⁰⁹⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁹⁷ tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:27]  ¹⁰⁹⁸ tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”

[24:27]  ¹⁰⁹⁹ tn Heb “As for me – in the way the Lord led me.”

[24:27]  ¹¹⁰⁰ tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.

[24:27]  ¹¹⁰¹ tn Heb “brothers.”

[24:28]  ¹¹⁰² tn Heb “according to.”

[24:29]  ¹¹⁰³ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.

[24:30]  ¹¹⁰⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”

[24:30]  ¹¹⁰⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:31]  ¹¹⁰⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁰⁹ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.

[24:32]  ¹¹¹⁰ tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:32]  ¹¹¹¹ 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]  ¹¹¹² tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

[24:32]  ¹¹¹³ tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

[24:33]  ¹¹¹⁴ tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”

[24:33]  ¹¹¹⁵ tn Heb “my words.”

[24:33]  ¹¹¹⁶ tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”

[24:35]  ¹¹¹⁷ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.

[24:35]  ¹¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:36]  ¹¹¹⁹ tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:36]  ¹¹²⁰ tn Heb “after her old age.”

[24:36]  ¹¹²¹ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:38]  ¹¹²² 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]  ¹¹²³ tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.

[24:39]  ¹¹²⁴ tn Heb “after me.”

[24:40]  ¹¹²⁵ 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]  ¹¹²⁶ 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]  ¹¹²⁷ tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”

[24:42]  ¹¹²⁸ tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[24:43]  ¹¹²⁹ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:43]  ¹¹³⁰ tn Heb “and it will be.”

[24:45]  ¹¹³¹ 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]  ¹¹³² tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.

[24:47]  ¹¹³³ tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:48]  ¹¹³⁴ 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]  ¹¹³⁵ 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]  ¹¹³⁶ tn Heb “From the Lord the matter has gone out.”

[24:50]  ¹¹³⁷ 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]  ¹¹³⁸ tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:51]  ¹¹³⁹ tn Heb “as the Lord has spoken.”

[24:53]  ¹¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:54]  ¹¹⁴¹ tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”

[24:54]  ¹¹⁴² tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”

[24:55]  ¹¹⁴³ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:56]  ¹¹⁴⁴ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.

[24:56]  ¹¹⁴⁵ tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:57]  ¹¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”

[24:58]  ¹¹⁴⁷ tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.

[24:60]  ¹¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “and said to her.”

[24:60]  ¹¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”

[24:60]  ¹¹⁵⁰ 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]  ¹¹⁵¹ tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”

[24:61]  ¹¹⁵² tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:62]  ¹¹⁵³ tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.

[24:62]  ¹¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “from the way of.”

[24:62]  ¹¹⁵⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁵⁶ tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.

[24:62]  ¹¹⁵⁷ tn Or “the South [country].”

[24:63]  ¹¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:63]  ¹¹⁵⁹ tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).

[24:63]  ¹¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”

[24:63]  ¹¹⁶¹ tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.

[24:63]  ¹¹⁶² 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]  ¹¹⁶³ tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”

[24:65]  ¹¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “and she said to.”

[24:65]  ¹¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:65]  ¹¹⁶⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.

[24:67]  ¹¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ¹¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”

[24:67]  ¹¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.

[25:1]  ¹¹⁷¹ tn Or “took.”

[25:1]  ¹¹⁷² tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”

[25:3]  ¹¹⁷³ sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.

[25:4]  ¹¹⁷⁴ tn Or “sons.”

[25:6]  ¹¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”

[25:6]  ¹¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”

[25:7]  ¹¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.

[25:8]  ¹¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “old and full.”

[25:8]  ¹¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:9]  ¹¹⁸⁰ sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).

[25:10]  ¹¹⁸¹ tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.

[25:11]  ¹¹⁸² sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).

[25:11]  ¹¹⁸³ sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.

[25:12]  ¹¹⁸⁴ sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).

[25:13]  ¹¹⁸⁵ tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”

[25:16]  ¹¹⁸⁶ tn Or “tribal chieftains.”

[25:17]  ¹¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”

[25:17]  ¹¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:18]  ¹¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:18]  ¹¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.

[25:18]  ¹¹⁹¹ tn Heb “as you go.”

[25:18]  ¹¹⁹² sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.

[25:18]  ¹¹⁹³ tn Heb “he fell.”

[25:18]  ¹¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.

[25:19]  ¹¹⁹⁵ sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.

[25:20]  ¹¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”

[25:20]  ¹¹⁹⁷ sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for twenty years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.

[25:21]  ¹¹⁹⁸ tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (’atar), translated “prayed [to]” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the Lord to remove the plagues. The cognate word in Arabic means “to slaughter for sacrifice,” and the word is used in Zeph 3:10 to describe worshipers who bring offerings. Perhaps some ritual accompanied Isaac’s prayer here.

[25:22]  ¹¹⁹⁹ tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.

[25:22]  ¹²⁰⁰ tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.

[25:22]  ¹²⁰¹ sn Asked the Lord. In other passages (e.g., 1 Sam 9:9) this expression refers to inquiring of a prophet, but no details are provided here.

[25:23]  ¹²⁰² sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.

[25:24]  ¹²⁰³ tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”

[25:24]  ¹²⁰⁴ tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.

[25:25]  ¹²⁰⁵ sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.

[25:25]  ¹²⁰⁶ tn Heb “all of him.”

[25:25]  ¹²⁰⁷ sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.

[25:25]  ¹²⁰⁸ tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.

[25:26]  ¹²⁰⁹ tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.

[25:26]  ¹²¹⁰ tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.

[25:26]  ¹²¹¹ tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”

[25:27]  ¹²¹² tn Heb “knowing.”

[25:27]  ¹²¹³ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”

[25:28]  ¹²¹⁴ tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.

[25:28]  ¹²¹⁵ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.

[25:29]  ¹²¹⁶ sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[25:30]  ¹²¹⁷ tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.

[25:30]  ¹²¹⁸ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.

[25:30]  ¹²¹⁹ sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”

[25:31]  ¹²²⁰ tn Heb “today.”

[25:32]  ¹²²¹ tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”

[25:33]  ¹²²² tn Heb “Swear to me today.”

[25:33]  ¹²²³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:33]  ¹²²⁴ sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.

[25:34]  ¹²²⁵ sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.

[25:34]  ¹²²⁶ sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.

[26:1]  ¹²²⁷ tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”

[26:1]  ¹²²⁸ sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.

[26:2]  ¹²²⁹ sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.

[26:2]  ¹²³⁰ tn Heb “say to you.”

[26:3]  ¹²³¹ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.

[26:3]  ¹²³² tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.

[26:3]  ¹²³³ 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.

[26:3]  ¹²³⁴ tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.

[26:3]  ¹²³⁵ tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”

[26:4]  ¹²³⁶ tn Heb “your descendants.”

[26:4]  ¹²³⁷ 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 22:18). 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.)

[26:5]  ¹²³⁸ tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[26:5]  ¹²³⁹ tn Heb “listened to my voice.”

[26:5]  ¹²⁴⁰ sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.

[26:7]  ¹²⁴¹ sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.

[26:7]  ¹²⁴² tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.

[26:7]  ¹²⁴³ tn Heb “kill me on account of.”

[26:8]  ¹²⁴⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:8]  ¹²⁴⁵ tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”

[26:8]  ¹²⁴⁶ tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.

[26:8]  ¹²⁴⁷ tn Or “fondling.”

[26:9]  ¹²⁴⁸ tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.

[26:9]  ¹²⁴⁹ tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).

[26:10]  ¹²⁵⁰ tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[26:10]  ¹²⁵¹ tn Heb “people.”

[26:10]  ¹²⁵² tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”

[26:11]  ¹²⁵³ tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.

[26:11]  ¹²⁵⁴ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.

[26:12]  ¹²⁵⁵ tn Heb “a hundredfold.”

[26:12]  ¹²⁵⁶ tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.

[26:13]  ¹²⁵⁷ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.

[26:13]  ¹²⁵⁸ tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.

[26:14]  ¹²⁵⁹ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[26:14]  ¹²⁶⁰ tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”

[26:14]  ¹²⁶¹ tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”

[26:14]  ¹²⁶² tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).

[26:15]  ¹²⁶³ tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”

[26:16]  ¹²⁶⁴ tn Heb “Go away from us.”

[26:16]  ¹²⁶⁵ sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).

[26:17]  ¹²⁶⁶ tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”

[26:18]  ¹²⁶⁷ tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”

[26:18]  ¹²⁶⁸ tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.

[26:18]  ¹²⁶⁹ tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.

[26:18]  ¹²⁷⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ¹²⁷¹ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ¹²⁷² tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”

[26:19]  ¹²⁷³ tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).

[26:20]  ¹²⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.

[26:20]  ¹²⁷⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:20]  ¹²⁷⁶ tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”

[26:20]  ¹²⁷⁷ sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”

[26:20]  ¹²⁷⁸ tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:21]  ¹²⁷⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ¹²⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ¹²⁸¹ sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.

[26:22]  ¹²⁸² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:22]  ¹²⁸³ tn Heb “and he called its name.”

[26:22]  ¹²⁸⁴ sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.

[26:23]  ¹²⁸⁵ tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:25]  ¹²⁸⁶ tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 21:33). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116.

[26:25]  ¹²⁸⁷ tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”

[26:26]  ¹²⁸⁸ tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”

[26:26]  ¹²⁸⁹ tn Heb “and.”

[26:26]  ¹²⁹⁰ tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (merea’) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.

[26:27]  ¹²⁹¹ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.

[26:28]  ¹²⁹² tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.

[26:28]  ¹²⁹³ tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:28]  ¹²⁹⁴ tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive – it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.

[26:28]  ¹²⁹⁵ tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive – it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).

[26:28]  ¹²⁹⁶ tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”

[26:29]  ¹²⁹⁷ tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”

[26:29]  ¹²⁹⁸ tn Heb “touched.”

[26:29]  ¹²⁹⁹ tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”

[26:29]  ¹³⁰⁰ tn Heb “and we sent you away.”

[26:29]  ¹³⁰¹ tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).

[26:30]  ¹³⁰² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:30]  ¹³⁰³ tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”

[26:31]  ¹³⁰⁴ tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”

[26:31]  ¹³⁰⁵ tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”

[26:32]  ¹³⁰⁶ tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:33]  ¹³⁰⁷ sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.

[26:33]  ¹³⁰⁸ sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.

[26:34]  ¹³⁰⁹ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.

[26:34]  ¹³¹⁰ tn Heb “the son of forty years.”

[26:34]  ¹³¹¹ tn Heb “took as a wife.”

[26:35]  ¹³¹² tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”