Kejadian 11:27--17:5
Konteks11:27 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, 1 while his father Terah was still alive. 2 11:29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, 3 and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; 4 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 5 of Terah was 205 years, and he 6 died in Haran.
12:1 Now the Lord said 7 to Abram, 8
“Go out 9 from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household
to the land that I will show you. 10
12:2 Then I will make you 11 into a great nation, and I will bless you, 12
and I will make your name great, 13
so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 14
12:3 I will bless those who bless you, 15
but the one who treats you lightly 16 I must curse,
and all the families of the earth will bless one another 17 by your name.”
12:4 So Abram left, 18 just as the Lord had told him to do, 19 and Lot went with him. (Now 20 Abram was 75 years old 21 when he departed from Haran.) 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew 22 Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired 23 in Haran, and they left for 24 the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.
12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree 25 of Moreh 26 at Shechem. 27 (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) 28 12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants 29 I will give this land.” So Abram 30 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 31 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. 32 12:9 Abram continually journeyed by stages 33 down to the Negev. 34
12:10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt 35 to stay for a while 36 because the famine was severe. 37 12:11 As he approached 38 Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, 39 I know that you are a beautiful woman. 40 12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. 41 12:13 So tell them 42 you are my sister 43 so that it may go well 44 for me because of you and my life will be spared 45 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 46 was taken 47 into the household of Pharaoh, 48 12:16 and he did treat Abram well 49 on account of her. Abram received 50 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 51 because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this 52 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 53 to be my wife? 54 Here is your wife! 55 Take her and go!” 56 12:20 Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, 57 and so they expelled him, along with his wife and all his possessions.
13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. 58 He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot. 59 13:2 (Now Abram was very wealthy 60 in livestock, silver, and gold.) 61
13:3 And he journeyed from place to place 62 from the Negev as far as Bethel. 63 He returned 64 to the place where he had pitched his tent 65 at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai. 13:4 This was the place where he had first built the altar, 66 and there Abram worshiped the Lord. 67
13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling 68 with Abram, also had 69 flocks, herds, and tents. 13:6 But the land could 70 not support them while they were living side by side. 71 Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live 72 alongside one another. 13:7 So there were quarrels 73 between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. 74 (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) 75
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. 76 13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go 77 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 78 the whole region 79 of the Jordan. He noticed 80 that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated 81 Sodom and Gomorrah) 82 like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, 83 all the way to Zoar. 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled 84 toward the east.
So the relatives separated from each other. 85 13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain 86 and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13:13 (Now 87 the people 88 of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.) 89
13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, 90 “Look 91 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 92 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. 93 13:17 Get up and 94 walk throughout 95 the land, 96 for I will give it to you.”
13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live 97 by the oaks 98 of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.
14:1 At that time 99 Amraphel king of Shinar, 100 Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations 101 14:2 went to war 102 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). 103 14:3 These last five kings 104 joined forces 105 in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 106 14:4 For twelve years 107 they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year 108 they rebelled. 109 14:5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated 110 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. 111 14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, 112 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 113 14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, 114 Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against 115 five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. 116 When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, 117 but some survivors 118 fled to the hills. 119 14:11 The four victorious kings 120 took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew 121 Lot and his possessions when 122 they left, for Lot 123 was living in Sodom. 124
14:13 A fugitive 125 came and told Abram the Hebrew. 126 Now Abram was living by the oaks 127 of Mamre the Amorite, the brother 128 of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty 129 with Abram.) 130 14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew 131 had been taken captive, he mobilized 132 his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders 133 as far as Dan. 134 14:15 Then, during the night, 135 Abram 136 divided his forces 137 against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north 138 of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. 139 He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of 140 the people.
14:17 After Abram 141 returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram 142 in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). 143 14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem 144 brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) 145 14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by 146 the Most High God,
Creator 147 of heaven and earth. 148
14:20 Worthy of praise is 149 the Most High God,
who delivered 150 your enemies into your hand.”
Abram gave Melchizedek 151 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 152 to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow 153 14:23 that I will take nothing 154 belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I 155 who made Abram rich.’ 14:24 I will take nothing 156 except compensation for what the young men have eaten. 157 As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”
15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield 158 and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” 159
15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, 160 what will you give me since 161 I continue to be 162 childless, and my heir 163 is 164 Eliezer of Damascus?” 165 15:3 Abram added, 166 “Since 167 you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” 168
15:4 But look, 169 the word of the Lord came to him: “This man 170 will not be your heir, 171 but instead 172 a son 173 who comes from your own body will be 174 your heir.” 175 15:5 The Lord 176 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 177 the Lord, and the Lord 178 considered his response of faith 179 as proof of genuine loyalty. 180
15:7 The Lord said 181 to him, “I am the Lord 182 who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans 183 to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But 184 Abram 185 said, “O sovereign Lord, 186 by what 187 can I know that I am to possess it?”
15:9 The Lord 188 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 189 took all these for him and then cut them in two 190 and placed each half opposite the other, 191 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, 192 and great terror overwhelmed him. 193 15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain 194 that your descendants will be strangers 195 in a foreign country. 196 They will be enslaved and oppressed 197 for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. 198 Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, 199 you will go to your ancestors 200 in peace and be buried at a good old age. 201 15:16 In the fourth generation 202 your descendants 203 will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” 204
15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch 205 passed between the animal parts. 206 15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant 207 with Abram: “To your descendants I give 208 this land, from the river of Egypt 209 to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land 210 of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” 211
16:1 Now Sarai, 212 Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, 213 but she had an Egyptian servant 214 named Hagar. 215 16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since 216 the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with 217 my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” 218 Abram did what 219 Sarai told him.
16:3 So after Abram had lived 220 in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, 221 to her husband to be his wife. 222 16:4 He had sexual relations with 223 Hagar, and she became pregnant. 224 Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. 225 16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! 226 I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, 227 but when she realized 228 that she was pregnant, she despised me. 229 May the Lord judge between you and me!” 230
16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your 231 servant is under your authority, 232 do to her whatever you think best.” 233 Then Sarai treated Hagar 234 harshly, 235 so she ran away from Sarai. 236
16:7 The Lord’s angel 237 found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. 238 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 239 my mistress, Sarai.”
16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit 240 to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, 241 “so that they will be too numerous to count.” 242 16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,
“You are now 243 pregnant
and are about to give birth 244 to a son.
You are to name him Ishmael, 245
for the Lord has heard your painful groans. 246
16:12 He will be a wild donkey 247 of a man.
He will be hostile to everyone, 248
and everyone will be hostile to him. 249
He will live away from 250 his brothers.”
16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” 251 for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” 252 16:14 That is why the well was called 253 Beer Lahai Roi. 254 (It is located 255 between Kadesh and Bered.)
16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. 256 16:16 (Now 257 Abram was 86 years old 258 when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) 259
17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, 260 the Lord appeared to him and said, 261 “I am the sovereign God. 262 Walk 263 before me 264 and be blameless. 265 17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant 266 between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” 267
17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, 268 and God said to him, 269 17:4 “As for me, 270 this 271 is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 17:5 No longer will your name be 272 Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham 273 because I will make you 274 the father of a multitude of nations.
[11:28] 1 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
[11:28] 2 tn Heb “upon the face of Terah his father.”
[11:29] 3 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] 4 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] 5 tn Heb “And the days of Terah were.”
[11:32] 6 tn Heb “Terah”; the pronoun has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[12:1] 7 sn The
[12:1] 8 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] sn It would be hard to overestimate the value of this call and this divine plan for the theology of the Bible. Here begins God’s plan to bring redemption to the world. The promises to Abram will be turned into a covenant in Gen 15 and 22 (here it is a call with conditional promises) and will then lead through the Bible to the work of the Messiah.
[12:1] 9 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] 10 sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the
[12:2] 11 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] 12 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] 13 tn Or “I will make you famous.”
[12:2] 14 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] 15 tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the
[12:3] 16 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
[12:3] 17 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] 18 sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).
[12:4] 19 tn Heb “just as the
[12:4] 20 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] 21 tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”
[12:4] sn Terah was 70 years old when he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran (Gen 11:26). Terah was 205 when he died in Haran (11:32). Abram left Haran at the age of 75 after his father died. Abram was born when Terah was 130. Abram was not the firstborn – he is placed first in the list of three because of his importance. The same is true of the list in Gen 10:1 (Shem, Ham and Japheth). Ham was the youngest son (9:24). Japheth was the older brother of Shem (10:21), so the birth order of Noah’s sons was Japheth, Shem, and Ham.
[12:5] 22 tn Heb “the son of his brother.”
[12:5] 23 tn For the semantic nuance “acquire [property]” for the verb עָשָׂה (’asah), see BDB 795 s.v. עָשָׂה.
[12:5] 24 tn Heb “went out to go.”
[12:6] 26 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] 27 tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”
[12:6] 28 tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.
[12:7] 29 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] 30 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[12:8] 31 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[12:8] 32 tn Heb “he called in the name of the
[12:9] 33 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] 34 tn Or “the South [country].”
[12:9] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[12:10] 35 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] 36 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] 37 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] 38 tn Heb “drew near to enter.”
[12:11] 39 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is deictic here; it draws attention to the following fact.
[12:11] 40 tn Heb “a woman beautiful of appearance are you.”
[12:12] 41 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] 43 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] 44 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] 45 tn Heb “and my life will live.”
[12:15] 46 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] 47 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] 48 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] 49 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] 50 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
[12:17] 51 tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the
[12:18] 52 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] 53 tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive here expresses consequence.
[12:19] 54 tn Heb “to me for a wife.”
[12:19] 55 tn Heb “Look, your wife!”
[12:19] 56 tn Heb “take and go.”
[12:20] 57 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:1] 58 tn Or “the South [country]” (also in v. 3).
[13:1] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[13:1] 59 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] 61 tn This parenthetical clause, introduced by the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), provides information necessary to the point of the story.
[13:3] 62 tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.
[13:3] 63 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[13:3] 64 tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[13:3] 65 tn Heb “where his tent had been.”
[13:4] 66 tn Heb “to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning” (cf. Gen 12:7-8).
[13:4] 67 tn Heb “he called in the name of the
[13:5] 69 tn The Hebrew idiom is “to Lot…there was,” the preposition here expressing possession.
[13:6] 70 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] 71 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] 72 tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.
[13:7] 73 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] 74 sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.
[13:7] 75 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] 76 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] 77 tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.
[13:10] 78 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] 79 tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”
[13:10] 80 tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[13:10] 81 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] 82 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] 83 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
[13:11] 84 tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.
[13:11] 85 tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”
[13:11] sn Separated from each other. For a discussion of the significance of this event, see L. R. Helyer, “The Separation of Abram and Lot: Its Significance in the Patriarchal Narratives,” JSOT 26 (1983): 77-88.
[13:12] 86 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] 87 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] 88 tn Heb “men.” However, this is generic in sense; it is unlikely that only the male residents of Sodom were sinners.
[13:13] 89 tn Heb “wicked and sinners against the
[13:14] 90 tn Heb “and the
[13:14] 91 tn Heb “lift up your eyes and see.”
[13:14] sn Look. Earlier Lot “looked up” (v. 10), but here Abram is told by God to do so. The repetition of the expression (Heb “lift up the eyes”) here underscores how the
[13:15] 92 tn Heb “for all the land which you see to you I will give it and to your descendants.”
[13:16] 93 tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.
[13:17] 94 tn The connective “and” is not present in the Hebrew text; it has been supplied for purposes of English style.
[13:17] 95 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] 96 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] 97 tn Heb “he came and lived.”
[13:18] 98 tn Or “terebinths.”
[14:1] 99 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) followed by “in the days of.”
[14:1] 100 sn Shinar (also in v. 9) is the region of Babylonia.
[14:1] 101 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] sn Went to war. The conflict here reflects international warfare in the Early and Middle Bronze periods. The countries operated with overlords and vassals. Kings ruled over city states, or sometimes a number of city states (i.e., nations). Due to their treaties, when one went to war, those confederate with him joined him in battle. It appears here that it is Kedorlaomer’s war, because the western city states have rebelled against him (meaning they did not send products as tribute to keep him from invading them).
[14:2] 103 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] 104 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] 105 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] 106 sn The Salt Sea is the older name for the Dead Sea.
[14:4] 107 tn The sentence simply begins with “twelve years”; it serves as an adverbial accusative giving the duration of their bondage.
[14:4] 108 tn This is another adverbial accusative of time.
[14:4] 109 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] 110 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] 111 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] 112 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.”
[14:9] 114 tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.
[14:9] 115 tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:10] 116 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] sn The word for “tar” (or “bitumen”) occurs earlier in the story of the building of the tower in Babylon (see Gen 11:3).
[14:10] 117 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] 118 tn Heb “the rest.”
[14:10] 119 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] 120 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 121 tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”
[14:12] 123 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 124 tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.
[14:13] 125 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] 126 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] 127 tn Or “terebinths.”
[14:13] 128 tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”
[14:13] 129 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] 130 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] 131 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] 132 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] 133 tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:14] 134 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] 135 tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.
[14:15] 136 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:15] 137 tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”
[14:15] 138 tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.
[14:16] 139 tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:16] 140 tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:17] 141 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 142 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 143 sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.
[14:18] 144 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
[14:18] 145 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.
[14:18] sn It is his royal priestly status that makes Melchizedek a type of Christ: He was identified with Jerusalem, superior to the ancestor of Israel, and both a king and a priest. Unlike the normal Canaanites, this man served “God Most High” (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן, ’el ’elyon) – one sovereign God, who was the creator of all the universe. Abram had in him a spiritual brother.
[14:19] 146 tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.
[14:19] 147 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] 148 tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.
[14:20] 149 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] 150 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] 151 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:22] 152 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] 153 tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:23] 154 tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the
[14:23] 155 tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.
[14:24] 156 tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:24] 157 tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”
[15:1] 158 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] 159 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).
[15:1] sn Abram has just rejected all the spoils of war, and the
[15:2] 160 tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master,
[15:2] 161 tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.
[15:2] 162 tn Heb “I am going.”
[15:2] 163 tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”
[15:2] sn For the custom of designating a member of the household as heir, see C. H. Gordon, “Biblical Customs and the Nuzu Tablets,” Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 2:21-33.
[15:2] 164 tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).
[15:2] 165 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] 166 tn Heb “And Abram said.”
[15:3] 167 tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).
[15:3] 168 tn Heb “is inheriting me.”
[15:4] 169 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] 170 tn The subject of the verb is the demonstrative pronoun, which can be translated “this one” or “this man.” That the
[15:4] 171 tn Heb “inherit you.”
[15:4] 172 tn The Hebrew כִּי־אִם (ki-’im) forms a very strong adversative.
[15:4] 173 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] 174 tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”
[15:4] 175 tn Heb “will inherit you.”
[15:5] 176 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[15:6] 177 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] 178 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the
[15:6] 179 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] 180 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).
[15:6] sn This episode is basic to the NT teaching of Paul on justification (Romans 4). Paul weaves this passage and Psalm 32 together, for both use this word. Paul explains that for the one who believes in the
[15:7] 181 tn Heb “And he said.”
[15:7] 182 sn I am the
[15:7] 183 sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium
[15:8] 184 tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”
[15:8] 185 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:8] 186 tn See note on the phrase “sovereign
[15:9] 188 tn Heb “He”; the referent (the
[15:10] 189 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:10] 190 tn Heb “in the middle.”
[15:10] 191 tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”
[15:10] sn For discussion of this ritual see G. F. Hasel, “The Meaning of the Animal Rite in Genesis 15,” JSOT 19 (1981): 61-78.
[15:12] 192 tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”
[15:12] 193 tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”
[15:13] 194 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] 195 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] 196 tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”
[15:13] 197 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] 198 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] 199 tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.
[15:15] 200 sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.
[15:15] 201 tn Heb “in a good old age.”
[15:16] 202 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] 203 tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[15:16] 204 tn Heb “is not yet complete.”
[15:16] sn The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit. The justice of God is apparent. He will wait until the Amorites are fully deserving of judgment before he annihilates them and gives the land to Israel.
[15:17] 205 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] 206 tn Heb “these pieces.”
[15:18] 207 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[15:18] 208 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] sn To your descendants I give this land. The
[15:18] 209 sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.
[15:19] 210 tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[15:21] 211 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] 212 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.
[16:1] 213 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] 214 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] 215 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] 216 tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.
[16:2] 217 tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).
[16:2] sn The Hebrew expression translated have sexual relations with does not convey the intimacy of other expressions, such as “so and so knew his wife.” Sarai simply sees this as the social custom of having a child through a surrogate. For further discussion see C. F. Fensham, “The Son of a Handmaid in Northwest Semitic,” VT 19 (1969): 312-21.
[16:2] 218 tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.
[16:2] 219 tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”
[16:2] sn Abram did what Sarai told him. This expression was first used in Gen 3:17 of Adam’s obeying his wife. In both cases the text highlights weak faith and how it jeopardized the plan of God.
[16:3] 220 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] 221 tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”
[16:3] 222 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] 223 tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.
[16:4] 224 tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)
[16:4] 225 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] 226 tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”
[16:5] 227 tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”
[16:5] 229 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] 230 tn Heb “me and you.”
[16:5] sn May the
[16:6] 231 tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”
[16:6] 232 tn Heb “in your hand.”
[16:6] 233 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”
[16:6] 234 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:6] 235 tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”
[16:6] 236 tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:7] 237 tn Heb “the messenger of the
[16:7] 238 tn Heb “And the angel of the
[16:8] 239 tn Heb “from the presence of.”
[16:9] 240 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] 241 tn Heb “The
[16:10] 242 tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”
[16:11] 243 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”
[16:11] 244 tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.
[16:11] 245 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] 246 tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.
[16:11] sn This clause gives the explanation of the name Ishmael, using a wordplay. Ishmael’s name will be a reminder that “God hears” Hagar’s painful cries.
[16:12] 247 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] 248 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] 249 tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”
[16:12] 250 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] 251 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] 252 tn Heb “after one who sees me.”
[16:13] sn For a discussion of Hagar’s exclamation, see T. Booij, “Hagar’s Words in Genesis 16:13b,” VT 30 (1980): 1-7.
[16:14] 253 tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.
[16:14] 254 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] 255 tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[16:15] 256 tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”
[16:15] sn Whom Abram named Ishmael. Hagar must have informed Abram of what the angel had told her. See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.
[16:16] 257 tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.
[16:16] 258 tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”
[16:16] 259 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] 260 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”
[17:1] 261 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] 262 tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1-8 he appeared to Abram, introduced himself as El Shaddai, and announced his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeated these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing on Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prayed that his sons would be treated with mercy when they returned to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (see 29:31; 30:22-24; 35:16-18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, told him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (see Gen 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob referred to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew
[17:1] 263 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] 264 tn Or “in my presence.”
[17:1] 265 tn There are two imperatives here: “walk…and be blameless [or “perfect”].” The second imperative may be purely sequential (see the translation) or consequential: “walk before me and then you will be blameless.” How one interprets the sequence depends on the meaning of “walk before”: (1) If it simply refers in a neutral way to serving the
[17:2] 266 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative indicates consequence. If Abram is blameless, then the
[17:2] 267 tn Heb “I will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:3] 268 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] 269 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] 271 tn Heb “is” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).
[17:5] 272 tn Heb “will your name be called.”
[17:5] 273 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] 274 tn The perfect verbal form is used here in a rhetorical manner to emphasize God’s intention.
