Kejadian 1:19-24
Konteks1:19 There was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.
1:20 God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms 1 of living creatures and let birds fly 2 above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 1:21 God created the great sea creatures 3 and every living and moving thing with which the water swarmed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good. 1:22 God blessed them 4 and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” 5 1:23 There was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.
1:24 God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” 6 It was so.
Kejadian 20:1-18
Konteks20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev 7 region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident 8 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 9 to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead 10 because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” 11
20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, 12 would you really slaughter an innocent nation? 13 20:5 Did Abraham 14 not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, 15 ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience 16 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. 17 That is why I have kept you 18 from sinning against me and why 19 I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed 20 he is a prophet 21 and he will pray for you; thus you will live. 22 But if you don’t give her back, 23 know that you will surely die 24 along with all who belong to you.”
20:8 Early in the morning 25 Abimelech summoned 26 all his servants. When he told them about all these things, 27 they 28 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? 29 You have done things to me that should not be done!” 30 20:10 Then Abimelech asked 31 Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” 32
20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, 33 ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of 34 my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, 35 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 36 from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: 37 Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14 So Abimelech gave 38 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.” 39
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver 40 to your ‘brother.’ 41 This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” 42
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 43 had caused infertility to strike every woman 44 in the household of Abimelech because he took 45 Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Kejadian 1:1
Konteks1:1 In the beginning 46 God 47 created 48 the heavens and the earth. 49
Kejadian 20:1-18
Konteks20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev 50 region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident 51 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 52 to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead 53 because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” 54
20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, 55 would you really slaughter an innocent nation? 56 20:5 Did Abraham 57 not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, 58 ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience 59 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. 60 That is why I have kept you 61 from sinning against me and why 62 I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed 63 he is a prophet 64 and he will pray for you; thus you will live. 65 But if you don’t give her back, 66 know that you will surely die 67 along with all who belong to you.”
20:8 Early in the morning 68 Abimelech summoned 69 all his servants. When he told them about all these things, 70 they 71 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? 72 You have done things to me that should not be done!” 73 20:10 Then Abimelech asked 74 Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” 75
20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, 76 ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of 77 my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, 78 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 79 from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: 80 Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14 So Abimelech gave 81 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.” 82
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver 83 to your ‘brother.’ 84 This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” 85
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 86 had caused infertility to strike every woman 87 in the household of Abimelech because he took 88 Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Kejadian 1:1
Konteks1:1 In the beginning 89 God 90 created 91 the heavens and the earth. 92
Kejadian 20:1-18
Konteks20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev 93 region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident 94 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 95 to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead 96 because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” 97
20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, 98 would you really slaughter an innocent nation? 99 20:5 Did Abraham 100 not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, 101 ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience 102 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. 103 That is why I have kept you 104 from sinning against me and why 105 I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed 106 he is a prophet 107 and he will pray for you; thus you will live. 108 But if you don’t give her back, 109 know that you will surely die 110 along with all who belong to you.”
20:8 Early in the morning 111 Abimelech summoned 112 all his servants. When he told them about all these things, 113 they 114 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? 115 You have done things to me that should not be done!” 116 20:10 Then Abimelech asked 117 Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” 118
20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, 119 ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of 120 my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, 121 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 122 from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: 123 Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14 So Abimelech gave 124 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.” 125
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver 126 to your ‘brother.’ 127 This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” 128
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 129 had caused infertility to strike every woman 130 in the household of Abimelech because he took 131 Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Kejadian 1:13
Konteks1:13 There was evening, and there was morning, a third day.
[1:20] 1 tn The Hebrew text again uses a cognate construction (“swarm with swarms”) to emphasize the abundant fertility. The idea of the verb is one of swift movement back and forth, literally swarming. This verb is used in Exod 1:7 to describe the rapid growth of the Israelite population in bondage.
[1:20] 2 tn The Hebrew text uses the Polel form of the verb instead of the simple Qal; it stresses a swarming flight again to underscore the abundant fruitfulness.
[1:21] 3 tn For the first time in the narrative proper the verb “create” (בָּרָא, bara’) appears. (It is used in the summary statement of v. 1.) The author wishes to underscore that these creatures – even the great ones – are part of God’s perfect creation. The Hebrew term תַנִּינִם (tanninim) is used for snakes (Exod 7:9), crocodiles (Ezek 29:3), or other powerful animals (Jer 51:34). In Isa 27:1 the word is used to describe a mythological sea creature that symbolizes God’s enemies.
[1:22] 4 tn While the translation “blessed” has been retained here for the sake of simplicity, it would be most helpful to paraphrase it as “God endowed them with fruitfulness” or something similar, for here it refers to God’s giving the animals the capacity to reproduce. The expression “blessed” needs clarification in its different contexts, for it is one of the unifying themes of the Book of Genesis. The divine blessing occurs after works of creation and is intended to continue that work – the word of blessing guarantees success. The word means “to enrich; to endow,” and the most visible evidence of that enrichment is productivity or fruitfulness. See C. Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church (OBT).
[1:22] 5 sn The instruction God gives to creation is properly a fuller expression of the statement just made (“God blessed them”), that he enriched them with the ability to reproduce. It is not saying that these were rational creatures who heard and obeyed the word; rather, it stresses that fruitfulness in the animal world is a result of the divine decree and not of some pagan cultic ritual for fruitfulness. The repeated emphasis of “be fruitful – multiply – fill” adds to this abundance God has given to life. The meaning is underscored by the similar sounds: בָּרָךְ (barakh) with בָּרָא (bara’), and פָּרָה (parah) with רָבָה (ravah).
[1:24] 6 tn There are three groups of land animals here: the cattle or livestock (mostly domesticated), things that creep or move close to the ground (such as reptiles or rodents), and the wild animals (all animals of the field). The three terms are general classifications without specific details.
[20:1] 7 tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”
[20:1] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[20:1] 8 tn Heb “and he sojourned.”
[20:3] 10 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] 11 tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.
[20:4] 12 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[20:4] 13 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] 14 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:5] 15 tn Heb “and she, even she.”
[20:5] 16 tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”
[20:6] 17 tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”
[20:6] 18 tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”
[20:7] 20 tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.
[20:7] 21 sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.
[20:7] 22 tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.
[20:7] sn He will pray for you that you may live. Abraham was known as a man of God whose prayer would be effectual. Ironically and sadly, he was also known as a liar.
[20:7] 23 tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.
[20:7] 24 tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.
[20:8] 25 tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”
[20:8] 26 tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”
[20:8] 27 tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”
[20:8] 28 tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[20:9] 29 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] 30 tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.
[20:10] 31 tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”
[20:10] 32 tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.
[20:11] 33 tn Heb “Because I said.”
[20:11] 34 tn Heb “over the matter of.”
[20:13] 36 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] 37 tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”
[20:14] 38 tn Heb “took and gave.”
[20:15] 39 tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”
[20:16] 40 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] 41 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] 42 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] 43 tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”
[20:18] 44 tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[20:18] sn The
[20:18] 45 tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[1:1] 46 tn The translation assumes that the form translated “beginning” is in the absolute state rather than the construct (“in the beginning of,” or “when God created”). In other words, the clause in v. 1 is a main clause, v. 2 has three clauses that are descriptive and supply background information, and v. 3 begins the narrative sequence proper. The referent of the word “beginning” has to be defined from the context since there is no beginning or ending with God.
[1:1] sn In the beginning. The verse refers to the beginning of the world as we know it; it affirms that it is entirely the product of the creation of God. But there are two ways that this verse can be interpreted: (1) It may be taken to refer to the original act of creation with the rest of the events on the days of creation completing it. This would mean that the disjunctive clauses of v. 2 break the sequence of the creative work of the first day. (2) It may be taken as a summary statement of what the chapter will record, that is, vv. 3-31 are about God’s creating the world as we know it. If the first view is adopted, then we have a reference here to original creation; if the second view is taken, then Genesis itself does not account for the original creation of matter. To follow this view does not deny that the Bible teaches that God created everything out of nothing (cf. John 1:3) – it simply says that Genesis is not making that affirmation. This second view presupposes the existence of pre-existent matter, when God said, “Let there be light.” The first view includes the description of the primordial state as part of the events of day one. The following narrative strongly favors the second view, for the “heavens/sky” did not exist prior to the second day of creation (see v. 8) and “earth/dry land” did not exist, at least as we know it, prior to the third day of creation (see v. 10).
[1:1] 47 sn God. This frequently used Hebrew name for God (אֱלֹהִים,’elohim ) is a plural form. When it refers to the one true God, the singular verb is normally used, as here. The plural form indicates majesty; the name stresses God’s sovereignty and incomparability – he is the “God of gods.”
[1:1] 48 tn The English verb “create” captures well the meaning of the Hebrew term in this context. The verb בָּרָא (bara’) always describes the divine activity of fashioning something new, fresh, and perfect. The verb does not necessarily describe creation out of nothing (see, for example, v. 27, where it refers to the creation of man); it often stresses forming anew, reforming, renewing (see Ps 51:10; Isa 43:15, 65:17).
[1:1] 49 tn Or “the entire universe”; or “the sky and the dry land.” This phrase is often interpreted as a merism, referring to the entire ordered universe, including the heavens and the earth and everything in them. The “heavens and the earth” were completed in seven days (see Gen 2:1) and are characterized by fixed laws (see Jer 33:25). “Heavens” refers specifically to the sky, created on the second day (see v. 8), while “earth” refers specifically to the dry land, created on the third day (see v. 10). Both are distinct from the sea/seas (see v. 10 and Exod 20:11).
[20:1] 50 tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”
[20:1] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[20:1] 51 tn Heb “and he sojourned.”
[20:3] 53 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] 54 tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.
[20:4] 55 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[20:4] 56 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] 57 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:5] 58 tn Heb “and she, even she.”
[20:5] 59 tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”
[20:6] 60 tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”
[20:6] 61 tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”
[20:7] 63 tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.
[20:7] 64 sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.
[20:7] 65 tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.
[20:7] sn He will pray for you that you may live. Abraham was known as a man of God whose prayer would be effectual. Ironically and sadly, he was also known as a liar.
[20:7] 66 tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.
[20:7] 67 tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.
[20:8] 68 tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”
[20:8] 69 tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”
[20:8] 70 tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”
[20:8] 71 tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[20:9] 72 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] 73 tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.
[20:10] 74 tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”
[20:10] 75 tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.
[20:11] 76 tn Heb “Because I said.”
[20:11] 77 tn Heb “over the matter of.”
[20:13] 79 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] 80 tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”
[20:14] 81 tn Heb “took and gave.”
[20:15] 82 tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”
[20:16] 83 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] 84 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] 85 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] 86 tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”
[20:18] 87 tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[20:18] sn The
[20:18] 88 tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[1:1] 89 tn The translation assumes that the form translated “beginning” is in the absolute state rather than the construct (“in the beginning of,” or “when God created”). In other words, the clause in v. 1 is a main clause, v. 2 has three clauses that are descriptive and supply background information, and v. 3 begins the narrative sequence proper. The referent of the word “beginning” has to be defined from the context since there is no beginning or ending with God.
[1:1] sn In the beginning. The verse refers to the beginning of the world as we know it; it affirms that it is entirely the product of the creation of God. But there are two ways that this verse can be interpreted: (1) It may be taken to refer to the original act of creation with the rest of the events on the days of creation completing it. This would mean that the disjunctive clauses of v. 2 break the sequence of the creative work of the first day. (2) It may be taken as a summary statement of what the chapter will record, that is, vv. 3-31 are about God’s creating the world as we know it. If the first view is adopted, then we have a reference here to original creation; if the second view is taken, then Genesis itself does not account for the original creation of matter. To follow this view does not deny that the Bible teaches that God created everything out of nothing (cf. John 1:3) – it simply says that Genesis is not making that affirmation. This second view presupposes the existence of pre-existent matter, when God said, “Let there be light.” The first view includes the description of the primordial state as part of the events of day one. The following narrative strongly favors the second view, for the “heavens/sky” did not exist prior to the second day of creation (see v. 8) and “earth/dry land” did not exist, at least as we know it, prior to the third day of creation (see v. 10).
[1:1] 90 sn God. This frequently used Hebrew name for God (אֱלֹהִים,’elohim ) is a plural form. When it refers to the one true God, the singular verb is normally used, as here. The plural form indicates majesty; the name stresses God’s sovereignty and incomparability – he is the “God of gods.”
[1:1] 91 tn The English verb “create” captures well the meaning of the Hebrew term in this context. The verb בָּרָא (bara’) always describes the divine activity of fashioning something new, fresh, and perfect. The verb does not necessarily describe creation out of nothing (see, for example, v. 27, where it refers to the creation of man); it often stresses forming anew, reforming, renewing (see Ps 51:10; Isa 43:15, 65:17).
[1:1] 92 tn Or “the entire universe”; or “the sky and the dry land.” This phrase is often interpreted as a merism, referring to the entire ordered universe, including the heavens and the earth and everything in them. The “heavens and the earth” were completed in seven days (see Gen 2:1) and are characterized by fixed laws (see Jer 33:25). “Heavens” refers specifically to the sky, created on the second day (see v. 8), while “earth” refers specifically to the dry land, created on the third day (see v. 10). Both are distinct from the sea/seas (see v. 10 and Exod 20:11).
[20:1] 93 tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”
[20:1] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[20:1] 94 tn Heb “and he sojourned.”
[20:3] 96 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] 97 tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.
[20:4] 98 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[20:4] 99 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] 100 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:5] 101 tn Heb “and she, even she.”
[20:5] 102 tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”
[20:6] 103 tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”
[20:6] 104 tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”
[20:6] 105 tn Heb “therefore.”
[20:7] 106 tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.
[20:7] 107 sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.
[20:7] 108 tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.
[20:7] sn He will pray for you that you may live. Abraham was known as a man of God whose prayer would be effectual. Ironically and sadly, he was also known as a liar.
[20:7] 109 tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.
[20:7] 110 tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.
[20:8] 111 tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”
[20:8] 112 tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”
[20:8] 113 tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”
[20:8] 114 tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[20:9] 115 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] 116 tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.
[20:10] 117 tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”
[20:10] 118 tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.
[20:11] 119 tn Heb “Because I said.”
[20:11] 120 tn Heb “over the matter of.”
[20:12] 121 tn Heb “but also.”
[20:13] 122 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] 123 tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”
[20:14] 124 tn Heb “took and gave.”
[20:15] 125 tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”
[20:16] 126 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] 127 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] 128 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] 129 tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”
[20:18] 130 tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[20:18] sn The
[20:18] 131 tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
