Genesis
The Creation
11In the beginning (as a starting point), God (Elohim) created (Hebr. ) the heavens and the earth [the entire universe –the spiritual/invisible and the physical world]. 2The earth was still desolate and empty (uninhabited, inhospitable – Hebr. ) with darkness over the deep, but the Spirit of God hovered (was in motion, floated) over the waters. [The expression “heavens and earth” describes all matter that exists – the entire universe; it is a so-called merism (an expression with contrasts that describes a whole). Verses 1-2 are an introduction that sets the stage before God begins to make the earth habitable and fill it with life in . Then the first of the days of creation begins in the same way as all the other days with “And God said.” Even though the universe has been created, the earth is still uninhabitable and unsuitable for life, with only darkness resting over the earth's water-covered surface. The word hover (Hebr. ) is only used here and in , where it describes an eagle hovering over its nest and encouraging its young to try their wings. The same root is also found in where his legs “tremble.” Here it describes how God's Spirit is in motion, manifested in a quivering, vibrating way – ready for the next step.] Jesus in creation
The first word in the Bible (Hebr. ) begins with the prefix be-, which can mean in, but also with or through (e.g., as in writing with the help of a pen or through someone's efforts, it is possible). This is followed by , which means the beginning and the first, but also the best, the most distinguished, or the finest. It is probably this first word that Paul alludes to when he says in :
For in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible.
The phrase “in him” can be derived from bereshit, which can also be interpreted as “through/in the first/best” – the only begotten Son Jesus – God created the heavens and the earth.
The first verse of the Bible is mathematically perfect on several levels. It consists of 7 Hebrew words and 28 (4 x 7) letters:
bereshit bara Elohim et hashamaijm veet haarets.
The middle word et consists of two letters, alef–tav, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The word et is an object particle that indicates that the following word, which is “heavens,” is the object in the sentence. In , Jesus says that he is the alpha and omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, which is the equivalent of alef–tav in Hebrew. Although this is only a linguistic grammatical detail in Hebrew, it can be interpreted that Jesus is also represented in the middle of the Bible's first verse, moreover at God's side – et follows directly after Elohim (God). Interestingly, the letter was originally written as an image of the head of an ox. The ox was used as a sin offering for the whole people. The sacrificial animal (the ox) was then combined with a cross (a tick), which is how the letter was originally written.
One could view this as a coincidence. The object particle appears countless times, and the idea is not that every time it is used, Jesus is represented. But in the light of the New Testament, one can sense that already in the first verse of the Bible, centrally placed, there is a hint of “the first and the last” who will one day die a sacrificial death on the cross.
Six Days of Creation
Day one – light is separated from darkness
3And God (Elohim) said, “Let there be light” – and there was light [over the surface of the earth]. 4And God (Elohim) saw the light: Yes [emphasis], it was good (purposeful, beautiful)!
And God separated the light from the darkness [the earth's rotation began]. 5God (Elohim) called the light day, and the darkness he called night.
There was evening, and there was morning – one [whole] day (day one – Hebr. jom ). [The first day is described differently from the other days (which are referred to as the second, third, fourth, etc.). Instead of the ordinal number “first,” the cardinal number “one” (Hebr. ) is used. The word describes a unit consisting of different parts. A man and a woman are two units that together form one flesh (). The expression jom echad thus describes a whole day, a 24-hour period, consisting of a period of light and a period of darkness. It is also the first “whole day” described (from the perspective of the earth). Just as in English, the word “day” (Hebr. jom) can mean the light part of the day, a whole day, or part of a day (e.g., a working day).
The phrase “and there was evening, and there was morning” recurs at the end of the first six days, see verses 8, 13, 19, 23, 31. Many believe that the fact that evening is mentioned before morning is based on the fact that a new day in Judaism begins in the evening. In the creation story, however, light begins each day (except the first). God works when it is light, only then does it become dark (evening), and the day is complete when the light breaks (morning) the next day.] The days of creation
No time interval is specified from the creation of the universe in the beginning in until the first day, when God lets there be light (). The sun and moon, which have the task of marking days and time, are given that task on the fourth day, see .
There are at least three ways in which the six days of creation can be understood from the Hebrew:
• Six 24-hour days that follow each other directly.
• Six 24-hour days, but the days do not follow each other. First comes day one, an unknown period of time passes, then comes a second day, and so on.
• The six days are a beautiful literary way of describing what God does in six distinct stages and in a specific order, but the days should not be understood as literal days even though they are described as such in literary terms.
In addition to these three ways, there is also the idea that the word day (Hebr. jom) refers to a period of indefinite length. When jom is combined with the prefix be (bejom), it sometimes has that meaning. The most common meaning is “that day” (138 times) and refers to something that happens within the span of a day (). On about thirty occasions, the meaning is an indefinite length of time and not a specific day, e.g., a time of distress (). In addition, bejom is the expression used in Hebrew for “when” or “if” (, ; ; ; ). It is the context that determines the meaning. In the creation story, bejom is not used, only jom, and in combination with morning and evening. The natural interpretation is therefore that the author's intention was to describe ordinary days. The seventh day is described as having no end (no evening or morning) and could continue. This is correct, but the six days of creation all end with “and there was evening, and there was morning,” which makes one of the three alternatives above more likely.
Day two – the atmosphere
6And God (Elohim) said, “Let there be an expanse (something expanded, spread out, and made thin – Hebr. ) [i.e., the atmosphere, see ] in the midst of the waters, separating (dividing) the waters from the waters.” 7God (Elohim) made (Hebr. asah) the expanse [the atmosphere]. And he separated the water that was under the expanse from the water that was above (came from) the expanse.
And it was so. 8God (Elohim) called the expanse (that which was made thin) heaven (Hebr. shamajim).
And there was evening, and there was morning – a second day (Hebr. jom sheni). [The word “expanse” is Hebr. , see verses 6-8 and 14-17. Traditionally, words such as vault, fastening, or firmament have been used, but the word is used to describe something (regardless of material) that is extended, stretched out, made thin, and expanded. The verb raqa is used to describe stretching out a tent cloth or hammering out a thin sheet of metal (). Here in the creation story, the word describes that which has been stretched out and can be applied to the thin expansion we call the atmosphere.
The Hebrew word for heaven is shamajim. The last part (majim) means water. There are various theories about the first part (sha). It may come from sham, which means “there,” in which case the meaning would be “the water there (up there).” One rabbinical explanation is that it comes from the word for fire (esh), in which case heaven becomes “the waters of fire” (as a description of a fiery red sky when the sun rises or sets). In Hebrew, heaven is always in the dual form and is therefore sometimes translated as “heavens,” see . Heaven is used to refer to the starry sky (), the sky where birds fly and winds blow (), and the place where God dwells (; ). In Greek, both singular and plural are used, see .]Day three – the earth begins to grow green
9And God (Elohim) said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together to one place, and let dry land appear.” And it was so. 10And God (Elohim) called the dry land, and the gathered waters he called seas.
And God (Elohim) saw [what he had done]: Yes [emphasis], it was good (purposeful, beautiful)! 11And God (Elohim) said:
Let the earth bring forth (sprout – Hebr. dasha) vegetation (greenery – Hebr. deshe):
seed-bearing plants,
fruit trees that
bear (make – Hebr. asah) fruit according to their kind (their variety; classification – Hebr. min)
that have seeds in them
above the earth.
And so it was. 12Yes, the earth brought forth vegetation – seed-bearing plants according to their kind and trees bearing fruit according to their kind. [ is formed as a chiasm where the first line corresponds with the last, the second with the second to last, etc. The phrase “Let the earth bring forth vegetation” corresponds to “above the earth.” At the next level, seed-bearing plants correspond to the phrase “that bear fruit.” Central to this is “fruit trees bearing fruit according to their kind.”
Hebr. deshe is a general word for greenery. Hebr. min comes from a root meaning “to divide, to portion out,” and the word is used for the biblical classification of plants and animals. The concept is used both for large main groups of animals and for specific species, see verses 11, 12, 21, 24, and 25. See also . The earth (Hebr. erets) becoming green means that the ground now has vegetation, but this also includes all aquatic plants in the sea, see verses 9-10.] And God (Elohim) saw [what he had accomplished]: Yes [emphasis], it was good (purposeful, beautiful)! 13And there was evening, and there was morning – a third day (Hebrew: jom shlishi). [This is the only day when God says “it was good” twice, see verses 10 and 12. In Judaism, Tuesday, the third day, is therefore considered an especially good day to start something new. Jewish weddings therefore still often take place on Tuesdays. Jesus attended a wedding in Cana on the “third day,” see .] There is a parallel symmetry between the first three days (days 1-3) and the following three days (days 4-6):
• Light and time – The first day focuses on light, and night is separated from day; time begins. On the fourth day, the heavenly bodies are assigned their function as light bearers and signs for days, months, and years.
• Water and air – The second day is about water and the atmosphere that forms a living space (the air). On the fifth day, the water and air are filled with life.
• Dry land – On the third day, the land emerges and begins to grow green. On the sixth day, it is filled with life.
The fourth day – the heavenly bodies are given their tasks
14
The Earth and the sun from one of NASAs satellites. The name of the US space program is an acronym for National Aeronautics and Space Administration, but nasa is also a Hebrew word meaning to lift up and is used, for example, in .
©NASA
the greater [the sun] to rule over the day,
and the lesser [the moon] to rule over the night – as the stars [do]. [The heavenly bodies previously created () are now assigned their tasks. Two different Hebrew words for create/make are used in the creation story:
• Bara is used at dramatic new stages such as when the entire universe is created (), when animal life begins to be created (), when man is created (three times in ), and finally in the last summary verse of the story ().
• is common in the Old Testament and is used to mean to make, manufacture, or place/set something in a certain way or for a certain function. But also to complete, organize, or arrange something, to appoint or assign someone/something to a task or function, which is the meaning here, see verses 7, 11, 12, 16, 25, 26, 31, and .] 17Yes, God (Elohim) gave (Hebr. natan) these [the sun, moon, and stars] in the expanse of the heavens (the firmament) to shine upon the earth 18and to rule over the day and night and to separate (divide) between light and darkness [day and night, see ].
And God (Elohim) saw [what he had done]: Yes [emphasis], it was good (purposeful, beautiful)! 19And there was evening, and there was morning – a fourth day (Hebrew: jom revii). [On all the other days of creation, God names what he has done (days 1-3, see verses 5, 8, and 10) or blesses it (days 5-6, see verses 22 and 28). On day four, none of this happens. The heavenly bodies are not created; the only thing that happens is that their function is proclaimed. They are to serve creation on earth, not to guide through zodiac signs and astrology. Nor are they gods to be worshipped, see .] Time and space
In the early 1900s, Einstein formulated the theory of relativity, in which time is the fourth dimension. Here, in the first verses of the Bible, we sense how God can stand outside of time and know the end from the beginning (), while at the same time existing in time.
The heavenly bodies are the basis of our perception of time and our calendar. A year is the time it takes for the earth to complete one full revolution around the sun. A month is the time it takes for the moon to revolve around the earth. A day is the time it takes for the Earth to rotate once around its own axis. The fact that we have a week of seven days is actually illogical, as seven is not divisible by the number of days in either a month or a year. Despite this, humanity has always used the biblical seven-day week.
The Hebrew word for year (shana. see ) consists of three letters (shin–nun–he) whose numerical value is 355 (300+50+5). In our Gregorian solar-based calendar, a year is 365 and 1/4 days. A normal year in the Hebrew calendar has 355 days, which exactly corresponds to the numerical value. The Hebrew calendar has twelve months, but compensates for this by adding an extra 13th month every second or third year. See also for more on the months.
The fifth day – the water and air are filled with life
The sky is filled with birds on the fifth day.
©Hazze Sandström
And God (Elohim) looked at [what he had accomplished]: Yes [emphasis], it was good (purposeful, beautiful)! 22And God (Elohim) blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and flying creatures (birds, insects) multiply on (beyond) the earth.” 23It became evening and it became morning – a fifth day (Hebr. jom chamishi).The sixth day – land animals and humans
On the sixth day, the earth is filled with life, and finally, man is created in God's image.
©Hazze Sandström
• Chajah means “living” and is used for animals in general. It is combined twice with the earth (Hebr. chajat haarets). In , it is contrasted with livestock (Hebr. behemah) and should therefore be understood as wild animals. In this case, the translation “animals of the earth” is used. In , it is contrasted with the flying creatures of the sky and then refers to all land animals. In this case, the translation “every living thing on earth” is used.
• Behemah describes livestock (domestic animals) when contrasted with the animals of the earth (wild animals). But if it is contrasted with reptiles and other small animals (Hebr. remes), it refers to all larger animals on land, and the translation “four-footed animals” is used. If behemah is contrasted with flying creatures and fish, the meaning is all animals on dry land – land animals.
• Remes means something that “moves,” “creeps,” or “crawls.” It can specifically describe animals that move or crawl close to the ground. It then refers to reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, spiders, and more. But the word can also serve as a summary of all animals – everything that moves. Remes is related to the verb ramas, which means “to move, to wriggle, to crawl”.] 24And God (Elohim) said: “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kind:
livestock (domestic animals – Hebr. behemah)
and reptiles (small animals – Hebr. remes)
and animals of the earth [wild animals] according to their kind.”
And so it was. 25Yes, God (Elohim) made (Hebr. asah) the animals of the earth [wild animals] according to their kinds and the livestock [domestic animals] according to their kinds and everything that creeps (crawls, moves – Hebr. remes) on the earth according to their kinds.
And God (Elohim) saw [what he had done]: Yes [emphasis], it was good (purposeful, beautiful)! Man
Now comes the absolute climax of the story: Man is to be created. This is emphasized in several ways. God uses the first person plural “let us” when he speaks. This occurs only here in the creation story. The same way of speaking by God occurs only twice more in the Books of Moses, even then when something out of the ordinary happens, see ; . A natural interpretation is that God is speaking to the other persons of the Trinity: the Son and the Spirit (or alternatively to the entire heavenly court, including the angels).
Unlike all animals, man is created in God's image. The two Hebrew words tselem and demot are used. The word image (Hebr. tselem) can refer to physical images, such as idols (; ). It was believed that the person represented in the image was present in the image, that his spirit dwelt there. But “image” is also used to refer to the role of the pharaoh as representative of the sun god Ra on earth. That man is created in God's image – in God's likeness – can be understood as meaning that man is created to function as God's representative on earth. It is man who is to rule over the rest of creation. Humans are also made in God's image in that they are spiritual beings, in whom God's Spirit can dwell (). The combination of “image” with “likeness” (Hebr. demot) also means that humans bear a certain outward resemblance to God. Throughout the Bible, when someone sees God in a vision, he is described as “human-like” (sitting on a throne, wearing a robe, etc.), despite all differences.
26And God (Elohim) said: "Let us make (Hebr. asah) man (Hebr. adam) in our image (Hebr. ), to be like us (to resemble us – Hebr. demot). [Man – man and woman together – shall serve as God's representative on earth.] They shall rule (have authority, be responsible)
over the fish of the sea and
over the flying creatures of the sky and
over the land animals (Hebr. behemah).
Yes, over the whole earth and over all moving creatures that move on the earth [all animal life]." 27Yes, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him.
Male and female he created them. [This verse is the climax of God's work of creation. Beautifully structured in two affirming chiasms, it establishes that man (Hebrew: adam) is created in the image of God (Hebrew: Elohim) and that man, the image of God, consists of both man and woman together. This is completely unique among all known creation stories. The threefold repetition of create (Hebr. ) also makes this verse the climax of the story. In the first chiasm, God frames that he created man in his image. In the second chiasm, the verb creates is central, and what constitutes man frames the meaning:
God created man
in his image,
in the image of God
created he her.
Man and woman
created he
them.] 28And God (Elohim) blessed them. Yes, God (Elohim) said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. Subdue it [use its resources to serve God and people] and have authority
over the fish of the sea and
over the birds of the sky and
over every living thing that moves on the earth [dry land]." 29And God (Elohim) said, "See [listen; Hebr. hinneh – emphasizes what follows], I give you every seed-bearing plant on the whole earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit – they shall be yours for food. 30Yes, even for every living thing on the earth [all land animals] and for all the flying creatures of the sky. Yes, for everything that moves on the earth that has the breath of life in it: every green plant is for food."
Yes, so it was. 31And God (Elohim) looked at everything he had made (Hebr. asah) [examined everything carefully]. And behold [Hebr. – change of perspective, we get to look at creation from God's perspective]:
[It was]Very good (perfect, finished, complete, and accomplished)! [This is the only day when something is very good (Hebr. tóv meód), cf. verses 10, 12, 18, and 21.] And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day (Hebr. jom ha-shishi). [The first five days are in indefinite form: day one (), a second day (), a third day (), a fourth day (), a fifth day (). Then the pattern is broken and the definite article is used: the sixth day () and the seventh day (, ). In this way, too, the last two days stand out as special days.]The seventh day – creation complete
[Now the seventh day is separated from the other days as a special day. The text in verses 1-3 is well structured in Hebrew. A total of 35 (7 x 5) words are used in five lines. Centrally, there are three lines with seven words each, where the seventh day (Hebr. jom ha-shevii) appears in each line. The entire story ends brilliantly with three central words: create (Hebr. bara), God (Hebr. Elohim), and make (Hebr. asah; which includes divide, separate, and complete). This is what God has done throughout the creation story, and now everything is complete.] 21Now the heavens and the earth were completed (finished) with all their host [with everything that the universe contains]. [The word host (Hebr. tsava) describes a large quantity. The word can be used for stars (), angels (), and soldiers in an army (). Since no angels are mentioned in creation (they are implied to already be created, see ), the word here refers to everything created that fills the universe, from the smallest elementary particles to the largest galaxies.] 2Yes, God (Elohim) finished on the seventh day
the work that he had done (worked on; completed – Hebr. asah).
Yes, he ceased (refrained – Hebr. ) on the seventh day
from all the work he had done (Hebr. asah). 3And God (Elohim) blessed the seventh day. Yes, he sanctified (set apart) it, for on it he had ceased (Hebr. ) from all the work that God (Elohim) had created (Hebr. ) to complete (to make – Hebr. asah).
The Sabbath
The first day of the Jewish calendar is Sunday. It is called jom rishon (day one). The week then continues with jom sheni (day two), jom shlishi (day three), jom revii (day four), jom chamishi (day five), and jom shishi (day six). The seventh day (Saturday) breaks the pattern and is not called jom shevii (day seven); instead, only the word is used. It is a day when man's work “shall cease.” The Sabbath is not instituted here, but when it is mentioned among the commandments, reference is made to the six days of creation and that work then ceased on the seventh day, see . The Sabbath, and what counts as work or not, was something that was often discussed in Jesus' time, see ; , and even today among rabbis.
The continuing story of heaven and earth (2:4-4:26)
[Here begins the second overall literary unit with the first use of the toledot formula, see ; ; ; , ; , ; , ; and the introduction to the book. This new unit is literarily strongly linked to the creation story in several ways: - The three main words that conclude the creation story – create (Hebr. bara), God (Elohim) and complete (Hebr. asah) – reappear immediately in the first sentence, but in a different order (cf. and ).
- The opening sentence of both accounts has seven words (cf. and ).
- As in the first sentence of the creation account, “heavens and earth” appear, but now in a different order and without the definite article.
- Both stories begin with the same alliteration (two words beginning with the same letter, in this case b): bereshit bara and behibaram bejom, respectively.
- The word day is a central concept in the creation story, it also appears in the first sentence as bejom, which literally means “that day”. In this context, bejom has the meaning “when” in English.
- The only word that does not appear in the creation story is God's personal name JHVH. Here in the Eden story, it is specified that the God referred to is indeed JHVH and no other.
Both stories' introductions have many similarities. First, there is a statement regarding time “in the beginning” () and “at the creation of them” (), i.e., during the ongoing process. Then the situation is described in somewhat negative terms: “but the earth was formless and empty” (a) and “but there was no vegetation yet and it had not rained” (). Finally, there is a positive conclusion: “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (b) and “a mist rose from the earth and watered the ground” ().
This first toledot unit consists of two main parts that have the same theme: the story of Eden (chapters 2-3) and the story of Cain and Abel (chapter 4). Here we are given the background to how the world might look today if God is both almighty and good. Humans chose not to follow God's good instructions but instead chose the path of disobedience with the consequences that sin always brings: damaged or destroyed relationships with God, other people, and nature. But in all this, God's undeserved grace shines through, and the promise of a savior shines brightly in the darkness. The story of Eden is not a second creation story, even though the creation of man is now described in much more detail than in the overall creation story. The author's return in time to something that precedes what has already been described also occurs in the continued story of Noah's sons (), which first describes how humanity spread across the earth, after which states that all people still lived in the same area. The story of the Tower of Babel in chapter 11 gives the reason for the situation described in chapter 10.] The Story of Eden Introduction
4This is the continuation of the story (the narrative – Hebr. ) of
the heavens and the earth.
At the creation (Hebr. bara) of them
– when the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) completed (was doing, setting up, organizing – Hebr. asah)
the earth and the heavens,
5but before any of the plants of the field (bushes; trees; wild vegetation – Hebr. siach) were yet on the earth. Yes, before all the green vegetation of the field [for food for animals and humans] had yet sprung up, for the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) had not yet caused it to rain upon (from above and down upon – Hebr. al) the earth, and there was no man to till the ground (the soil of the earth). 6
The tallest living tree in the Redwood Forest is 115 meters high.
Man is created
7The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) formed (designed, sculpted – Hebr. ) man (Hebr. adam) from the dust (material) of the earth (Hebr. adamah) and breathed life into his nostrils, and man became a living being (soul – Hebr. ). [The Hebrew word for man, adam, is similar to the word for the soil of the earth, adamah. Man's body was formed from already created material and also receives God's breath of life. The Hebrew word , translated here as "living being," describes the whole with an emphasis on inner life and the human soul. The same Hebrew word is also used for animals, see , , , . The Hebrew meaning of soul differs from the Greek philosophical idea of an immortal soul separate from the body, as described in the ancient writings of Plato and Aristotle.
God's creative hand is visible in creation and in man. The earth's surface consists of 70% salt water. The same proportions are found in man. A newborn baby consists of 80% water and an adult human 60%, and it is also salt.
The word for life is chajim. It is plural but is inflected as singular, just like the words for water, sky, and face. Exactly why these words are written this way is not clear. One theory is that it is a way in Hebrew to show that everything contained in the word cannot be contained in the singular. Water can be calm or stormy, every sunset is unique, and the face is not static with only one form. It is the same with life; it has different phases and events.] 8The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) planted a garden (orchard) in Eden [meaning pleasant, delightful], to the east, and there he placed the man he had formed (designed, sculpted). The Garden of Eden
9The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) caused all kinds of trees, lovely (appealing) to look at and good (perfectly suited) for food, to grow out of the ground, including the tree of life [; , , ] in the middle (center) of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. [Among all the trees, two trees are mentioned specifically, the tree of knowledge and the tree of life. The word for knowledge comes from the verb to know, to feel, and to have intimate knowledge (Hebr. jada). The meaning of the noun is therefore to know or be able to do various things. It is used, for example, to express that Esau was a skilled hunter: He "knew" how to hunt (). It is also unlikely that it refers to knowledge being used for both good and bad things. Good and evil can be understood as a merism, two extremes that express a whole. In that case, the tree of knowledge – good and evil – can be understood to mean that one should be able to do, accomplish, anything – everything. It can also be understood as a tree that represents a choice. When the tree of knowledge—good and evil—is mentioned, it is the first time the word "evil" appears. Man is faced with a choice: should he choose good or evil? The tree of knowledge is only mentioned here and in , where its primary function seems to be to give Adam and Eve a way to show their obedience to God.
The tree of life, on the other hand, is mentioned here and , . In Proverbs, it is used figuratively for something that gives life (; ; ; ), while the references in Revelation refer to a newly created Eden (; , , ). In the middle does not necessarily mean the exact "middle" in a physical sense, but can also mean something "central" in creation.] 10And a river flows out of Eden [the entire area where the garden was located was also called Eden] to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four headwaters. [This can be understood as four rivers converging in the area of Eden and becoming a single river as it flows through the Garden of Eden.] 11The first is called Pishon [meaning: growth],
it is the one that flows around (meanders, winds around – Hebr. savav) the whole land of Havilah (Hebr. Chavila), where there is gold, 12and the gold of the land is good (beautiful, of high quality). There is also bdellium resin [probably a kind of whitish pearl] and onyx stone [gemstone]. [Gold is the first metal mentioned in the Bible. Here it is also mentioned together with the word for good (Hebr. tóv). Since creation, gold is the first thing to be called good, see , , , , , , . Throughout history, gold has been considered the most valuable metal. In , the color of manna, which was probably whitish, is compared to bdellium resin.] 13The second river is called Gihon [meaning: to break, to gush forth],
it is the one that flows around (meanders) the whole land of Cush. [Later in the Old Testament, Cush refers to the area of the upper Nile (present-day Ethiopia/Sudan), here it probably refers to the land of the Kassites in Mesopotamia east of the Tigris.] 14The third river is called Chideqel [meaning: swift; the Greek name is "Tigris"],
which flows east of Assyria (Ashor).
The fourth river is the Euphrates [meaning: fruitful, overflowing, giving in abundance]. 15The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) took the man and placed him (put him in a permanent dwelling place) in the garden of Eden, to cultivate (work) it and preserve (maintain, protect) it. 16The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) gave this command [the first precept] to the man, saying: "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat [infinitive absolutus – eat with certainty], 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die [infinitive absolutus – death die, with certainty die]." [In , there is the positive commandment to eat from all the other trees – which is a prerequisite for "living life to the full." In there is the exception. God does not force anyone into fellowship with him, therefore the tree of knowledge () must be there so that man can make an active choice for or against life, see also , . In Hebrew, the verbs eat and die are doubled. Literally, it says "you shall eat" and "you shall die." The construction reinforces that man is truly free to eat. It is also possible to see the dual need for both spiritual and physical food, cf. ; . Death has a spiritual and a physical aspect. Paul writes how creation is subject to decay, see . When Adam eats from the tree of knowledge, he dies a spiritual death, which also has consequences for his physical body, which becomes mortal.] The man is alone
[Until now, everything has been good or very good. For the first time, something is now "not good," and that is Adam's lack of a companion.] 18The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) said: "It is not good [appropriate, optimal, as it should be] for man to be alone; I will make (Hebr. asah) a helper (Hebr. ezer) suitable for him."
[The last phrase (Hebr. ezer kenegdo) describes a helper by his side. Hebr. ezer means to come to someone's aid and to assist. It does not necessarily describe a hierarchy; God himself is called Israel's helper in , see also . Here, a partnership between a man and a woman is described. The same phrase recurs in .] 19From the earth, the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) formed (sculpted, designed – Hebr. ) all the animals of the field and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would name them. [Hebr. Col, translated as "all," can also mean a multitude or many.] Whatever name the man gave each living creature became its name. 20And the man gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the [wild] animals of the field. But for the man, no helper suitable for him was found.The woman is created
21Then the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept. And He took a part from his side (Hebr. echad tsela) and closed up the flesh after it.
[The word tsela means side and is used for the side of a building or structure (; ; ; , ). Often it is something with planks that is hollow. According to the Greek philosopher Plato (428-348 BC), and also later Jewish tradition, man was created androgynous and then divided into male and female. But that is not what this verse teaches. This is also clear in , which states: "Male and female he created them." The word "side" here refers to an unspecified part on the man's side. Based on , where the man says "bone of my bones" and "flesh of my flesh," it is not so far-fetched to think that it is a rib, but not just the bone, but also the flesh around it.] 22And the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) built up (skillfully modeled – Hebr. ) the side that he had taken from the man into a woman, and he brought her to the man. [Four different Hebr. words are used in connection with the creation of man: asah (), bara (), yatsar (, ) and here. Both man and woman are made in God's image, see .] 23Then the man (Hebr. ha-Adam) said: "At last (the next step, now finally) [someone suited for me, see ],
she (this one) is bone of my bones and flesh (body) of my flesh (my body).
She (this one) will be called woman (Hebr. ),
for from man (Hebr. ish) she (this one) was taken.”
[For the first time, the Bible describes what a human being says, and it is an exclamation of joy over the union between a man and a woman! The Hebrew word for man/husband, with its masculine form, describes an individual of the male gender, while describes an individual of the female gender, and can also refer to a wife. The word ish itself refers to an individual.]
24
In this culture, as in most others throughout history, it was the woman who left her family and physically moved to the man's house (often in connection with his family and relatives). This Bible text shows God's view of responsibility. The man, who historically has often had advantages and privileges in society, is therefore urged here to leave what has been behind – his wife is to become his closest relative and they are to form a whole new family.]The Fall – from innocent nakedness to shameful exposure
25They were both innocent (innocent, naked – Hebr. aróm), the man and his woman, and they were not ashamed (embarrassed) in front of each other. 31But the serpent was cunning (Hebr. arom) [], more than any of the animals of the field that the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) had made (Hebr. asah). [The author plays with different words that sound almost the same but mean different things. Here it is innocent (Hebr. aróm) and cunning (Hebr. arom). Later (), another similar word is used for naked (Hebr. eróm), but unlike aróm, which means to be innocent, eróm is associated with shame, with being exposed.] He said to the woman, "Did God really say that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?" [It is clear that this is not an ordinary serpent, but a representative of the Evil One, see .] 2The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3but God (Elohim) has said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you will die.'" [God had said that they could eat freely from all the trees except one, see . Eve adds that they are not even allowed to touch the tree.] 4Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die [infinitive absolutus]. 5No (Hebr. ki – for emphasis), God (Elohim) knows that if you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God (Elohim) – understanding [having knowledge of] good and evil." [They can do anything, including making their own decisions about what is right and wrong.] [Literally: "become like God, knowing good and evil." One can understand "good and evil" as a merism expressing "everything" or "anything." The serpent claims that they will be rid of their human limitations and be able to do everything that God can do, including being able to decide for themselves what is good and evil, without having to care about what God says.] 6When the woman saw that the tree [had fruit that] was good (well suited) to eat and that it was pleasing (attractive, a delight) to the eyes, and that it was a desirable (desirable, tempting) tree because it would give understanding (insight), she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband [who was right beside her], and he ate it too. [There are four verbs in this verse: saw, took, ate, and gave. The visual impressions (it looked good and was outwardly attractive) together with the inner feelings (the promise of greater understanding) led to a fateful decision, see ; . The search for wisdom without God also has to do with pride, see . The word for covetous is the same as that used in the prohibition against coveting, see .] 7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew (realized – Hebr. jada) that they were naked. The consequences of sin – and grace
They tied together (wove, sewed) leaves (branches) from fig trees as loincloths [to cover their nakedness]. [Man's attempt to cover his own nakedness by his own efforts is not enough in the long run; the leaves wither, so God gives them clothes to wear, see .] 8They heard the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) walking (moving) in the garden as evening approached (in the evening breeze). The man and his wife hid from the presence (face) of the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) among the trees of the garden. 9The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) called to Adam (man) and said to him, "Where are you?" [God, who is all-knowing, knows very well where man is hiding. In this story, it becomes clear that God seeks a relationship and dialogue with man.] 10He replied, "I heard your voice (the wind; heard the sound when you moved) in the garden, but I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself." 11Then he said, "Who told you (informed you) that you were naked? [The word naked has the same Hebrew root as the word for cunning, see .] Did you eat from the tree that I forbade you to eat from?" [] 12The man replied, "The woman you put here with me gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it." 13Then the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) said to the woman, "What have you done?"
The woman replied, "The serpent deceived (tricked, seduced) me, and I ate." [The name Adam means man, and Eve means life. Translating the meaning of the names, God's question in becomes, "Man, where are you?" and the summary of the humans' answer in the following verses becomes, "Life deceived me."] 14The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed (permanently damned) more than all livestock and all [wild] animals of the field. You shall crawl (walk) on your belly, and you shall eat dust [what is on the ground] as long as you live. 15I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed, children, race – Hebr. zera) and her offspring (seed, children, race), he [Jesus] will attack (trample, crush) your head, and you will [lie in wait and] attack his heel [cause Jesus' suffering]." [Before God continues with the judgment of Adam and Eve, he gives hope that evil will be crushed. The fact that it says the woman's seed, and not the man's seed, also hints at Jesus' virgin birth. This verse is usually called the protoevangelium. This is a combination of two Greek words, protos meaning "first" and evangelion meaning "good news" or "gospel." See also where the corresponding Greek word for the Hebrew zera is used.] 16He said to the woman, "I will increase your (physical and emotional) pain when you are pregnant, and in pain you will give birth to your children. And your desire (longing; the one you reach for) will be for your husband, but he will rule over you." [The Hebrew word for desire/longing teshoqa is used only three times in the Old Testament, see and . The word means "to reach for something" and can sometimes have a sexual connotation, as in the Song of Songs, while the word's more general and sensual meaning is found in .] 17And to the man he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree, which I commanded you not to eat from, the ground is cursed (damned) because of you. In (physical and emotional) toil you shall eat [of its fruit] as long as you live. 18It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the crops (plants) of the ground. 19By the sweat of your brow (after hard work) you shall eat your bread until you return to the earth (Hebr. adamah), for from it you were taken. You are dust, and to dust you shall return." 20The man named his wife Eve (life-giver – Hebr. ) [alluding to the Hebr. words for life and living] because she was the mother of all living (Hebr. ). 21And the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) made garments (tunics, full-length garments, long robes) of skin for Adam and his woman (Hebr. ishah). Yes, he clothed them. [] [It is unclear exactly what the garments looked like, but the word "garments" describes something that is full-length. The same word is used the next time in about Joseph's special "foot-length robe" that he received from his father Jacob. This garment of skin that God gives Adam and Eve, where an animal has been sacrificed, also foreshadows the idea of sacrifice where animals will cover the sins and guilt of humans. It also points to Jesus' sacrifice that completely covers the sins of humanity.]The couple must leave the Garden of Eden
22The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) said, "Consider (Hebr. hen), man has become like one of us in understanding [having knowledge of] good and evil [able to do anything]. And now, what if she reaches out her hand and takes from the tree of life, eats from it, and lives forever?" [One can understand "good and evil" as a merism for "anything" – everything, see . Man has demonstrated his willingness to choose evil. What would happen if, in this state, he were to eat from the tree of life and live forever – in sin and rebellion.] 23So the Lord God banished man from the Garden of Eden and had him work the ground from which he was taken. 24When he drove man out, he placed cherubim [angels] and a flaming sword [a sword that moved from side to side] on the east side of the Garden of Eden to guard the way (Hebr. derech) to the tree of life.
[This is the first time the word derech is used. It describes a physical road/path, but is also used as a metaphor for the personal path through life, including all the life choices and ways we do things. Here, God "closes" the way to the tree of life. It is interesting that Jesus calls himself "the way, the truth, and the life" (). He is the one who opens the way back to God. The first Christians were also called "the way," see .]The story of Cain and Abel
Introduction – Cain and Abel are born
[This chapter consists of seven sections in a chiastic pattern. Centrally, it describes Cain's murder of his brother Abel, see . A total of thirteen birth formulas are used (knew, bore, begot, became the father of, etc.), see verses 1, 2, 17, 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 20, 21, 22a, 22b, 25, and 26. The Hebrew is varied, and ten different ways are used to describe these births/relationships. The word jada describes knowing something well, having intimate knowledge, and having sexual intercourse. In the first occurrence, when Adam and Eve's marital life is described, the form qatal is used, which is often translated as perfect. Sexuality is a gift from the Lord that existed even before the Fall.] 41And she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain (Hebr. ) [meaning: 'I have acquired']. Then she said, "I have acquired (gotten – Hebr. qanah) a man with the help of the Lord." [The verb harah means to become or be pregnant. Although the word is a separate root, there is a connection to the noun har, which means mountain. The obvious connection is that a pregnant belly looks like a mountain. However, there is also another connection between the words. In Hebrew thought, a mountain is not something that is high, a mountain is a large amount of something that has been gathered. A mountain is synonymous with a large group of people (), or even gods (). This idea is also present in becoming pregnant, it becomes a new group of people.] 2And she continued by giving birth to his brother Abel (Hebr. Hevel – meaning breath of wind/meaninglessness). Abel tended sheep (became a shepherd) while Cain worked the land (became a farmer). [In addition to Cain, Abel, and their third son Seth, they had many sons and daughters, see . The Hebrew name Cain sounds almost the same as the Hebrew qanah, which means to buy, to obtain, and to create. Here is an example of a play on words where both of these words are used in . Abel means breath, mist, smoke—i.e., something short and fleeting. In addition to the literal meaning, the word also conveys meaninglessness, vanity, and emptiness, see . Perhaps Eve was disheartened after her first son did not turn out to be the promise in . Another possible etymology is that the word is related to the Akkadian aplu, which means son.]The brothers offer sacrifices, Cain's anger is kindled
3When the time came. [Literally "at the end of days" or "the end of a period of time," may refer to harvest time or the end of the year.] Then Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the ground.
4Abel also brought the firstborn of his flock,
the best part (the fat parts). The Lord looked with favor upon (respected, accepted) Abel and his offering, 5but not to Cain and his offering. Then Cain became very angry, and he lowered his gaze (his outward expression fell, he became depressed). [The reason God did not accept Cain's offering was that it was not done in faith, see . Abel sacrificed the best he had, while it seems that Cain did not. Cain's heart and motives were not right. In it is clear that God hates religious hypocrisy. On a symbolic and prophetic level, Abel's blood sacrifice also speaks of how only the blood of Jesus can cleanse from sin.]The Lord warns Cain
6And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Cain [reasoning with him in love, wanting him to change his heart]:
"Why is your anger kindled, and why is your countenance fallen?
7Is it not so that if you do right (good), it [your face] is lifted up, but if you do not do right, then sin lurks (waits, lies) at the door [like a wild beast]. Yes, it desires (longs for, reaches out to) to dominate you, but you must rule (reign) over it."The murder
8But Cain spoke to (became angry with – Hebr. amar) Abel, his brother.
And it happened while they were out in the field.
Cain rose up against Abel, his brother.
And he killed (slaughtered – Hebr. harag) him. [The verse begins with "And Cain said," but what he says does not follow, so, for example, the Greek translation Septuagint adds the phrase "Let us go out to the field." However, the second line begins with vajehi, which is a marker for a new section or a conclusion. If we retain the understanding "spoke to," we learn that Cain spoke to Abel, but not what he said. This may be a technique (used by biblical authors in other contexts) called a "gap." A gap is something that I, as a reader, want to know, but the author does not reveal it. It arouses curiosity and invites interpretation. What did they say to each other? Did they ask for forgiveness? Did they quarrel? Did they have theological discussions? The reader gets no answers, but curiosity is aroused. Another way to interpret the verb amar is that Cain is watching out for Abel. A third possibility is that the verb is polar and can mean both to praise, to honor, and also to despise or be angry with, which could fit in the context.]The consequences of murder – and mercy
9And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
He replied, "I don't know! Am I my brother's keeper (should I take care of him)?" 10Then the Lord (Yahweh) said, "What have you done? Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11You are now cursed (damned) from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12When you try to cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield good harvests. You will be unstable and constantly wander from place to place on the earth." 13Then Cain said to the Lord (Yahweh): "My guilt (misdeed; punishment for sin – Hebr. avon) is greater than I can bear (lift up – Hebr. nasa). 14Consider (Hebr. hen), since you have today driven me from the face of the earth and I must be hidden from your face (your presence), I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me." 15But the Lord (Yahweh) said to him, "If anyone kills (executes) Cain, he shall be avenged seven times."
Yes, the Lord (Yahweh) put a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not strike him down. [The mark may also be a promise, see .] 16Then Cain left the presence of the Lord (Yahweh) and lived in the land of the wanderers (in exile), east of Eden. [Here, the feminine form for east (Hebr. ) is used. It is a rich word that not only has the meaning of a cardinal direction but is also used to denote when a person takes stock of their life and looks both backward and forward. This is a place where Cain has the opportunity to reflect on his life and come to terms with what has happened. This word also offers the possibility of a new beginning.]Cain's genealogy
[Now follows a genealogy of Cain in seven generations.] 17And Cain knew his wife [had sexual intercourse with her], and she conceived.
Yes, she gave birth to Enoch (Hebr. Chanoch) [meaning: consecrated/dedicated] and he [Enoch] became a city builder.
And the city was named after his son: Enoch. [; ; ]
18To Enoch was born Irad [according to Sumerian tradition, Eridu is the first city],
and Irad begot Mechojael,
and Mechojael begot Metoshael,
and Metoshael begot Lamech [the first polygamist]. [There are two Lamechs in prehistory. The first Lamech, mentioned here, is a descendant of Cain, the brother-killer. This Lamech was the first polygamist and he promised to kill for a wound, see verses 23-24. He is the sixth generation from Cain (seventh generation from Adam and Eve). The second Lamech in Seth's line is the ninth generation from Adam. He is Noah's father and a righteous man, see .] 19Lamech took two wives, one named Ada and the other named Zillah. [The name Ada probably comes from adi, which means ornament, and Zillah from the Hebrew sel (shadow), sil (ring/sound) or silsul (cymbal). Perhaps they were both associated with beauty and song, see .]
20Ada gave birth to Javal, who became the father (progenitor) of those who live in tents and have livestock. 21His brother's name was Joval [meaning: "stream/rapids"; similar to the word for ram's horn and shofar (Hebr. )], he became the father (progenitor) of all who handle (play) the kinnor harp (kithara – Hebr. kinnor) [a smaller harp] and flutes. 22Tsilla also gave birth to Toval-Cain, who forged (hammered, ground, sharpened – Hebr. latash) all kinds of tools from bronze and iron. [The phrase "father of" is missing here, which shows that he was one of several who worked with metals. He was a blacksmith and made agricultural tools, but also weapons. His name, which partly consists of the name of the brother-murderer Cain, together with his kinship with Lamech, suggests that his craft could also be used for evil.] And Toval-Cain's sister was Naama [meaning: "appealing/beautiful"]. 23Lamech said to his wives Ada and Zillah: "Hear my voice, you wives of Lamech,
pay attention to my promise (speech, promise/threat – Hebr. imrah):
I will kill a man for my wound
and a young man for my scratch. 24Yes, Cain will be avenged sevenfold [], but Lamech seventy-sevenfold (seventy-seven times)." [Lamech's statement consists of crescendos that intensify. For a wound, he will kill a man (Hebr. ish), and a young man (child – Hebr. jeled) for a bruise. The vengeance increases from Cain's sevenfold to Lamech's seventy-sevenfold. It is this statement that Jesus refers to in when he speaks of forgiveness. A follower of Jesus should therefore be as inclined to forgive as Lamech was to take vengeance. Just as Lamech wanted the punishment to exceed the crime, Jesus wants forgiveness to far exceed the crime.] Conclusion – a new son instead of Abel
25Adam knew his wife (had sexual relations with her) again [] and she bore a son and called him Seth (Hebr. Shet) [meaning: compensation/replacement], [she said:] "for God has appointed (Hebr. shat) another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed." 26To Seth (Hebr. Shet) was also born a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time, people began to call upon the name of the Lord (Yahweh).
Interesting word frequencies
God is mentioned a total of 35 (5 x 7) times as God (Elohim), the Lord (Yahweh) or the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim). Since God (Elohim) is also mentioned 35 times in the creation story, this means that God is mentioned 70 (10 x 7) times in the first two units of the Bible, chapters 1-4. The various names for God also appear with striking frequency: Elohim (40 times), Yahweh Elohim (20 times), and Yahweh (10 times). The seventieth time God is mentioned is: Then they began to call on the name of the Lord (Yahweh), see .
The continued history of humankind
51[The continued history of humankind (in Hebrew: adams) covers everything from the creation of humankind to the time when the flood approaches. After an introductory section (verses 1-2) in which the author links to the creation of humankind in the creation story, there follows a genealogy via Seth with ten generations up to Noah (verses 3-32). The author links the introduction to the end of the previous unit by referring back to Seth and Enosh (generations 2-3), see . However, nothing is repeated; we are given new and additional information. The genealogy is followed by a conclusion that can be divided into two parts. In , the author summarizes what has been described so far and provides additional information. In , he looks ahead to what awaits in the next section: the story of the flood.] Introduction [Here comes a new "toledot unit" that forms the third literary unit (of twelve) in Gen. 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2.]
This is the scripture (the written account) of the continued history of mankind (Adam) (Hebr. ).
On the day (Hebr. bejom) God (Elohim) created man (Hebr. adam), in the likeness of God (Hebr. demot elohim) he made him –
[into] 2male and female he created them. And he blessed them and gave them the name "human" (Hebr. adam) on the day they were created.
[When Hebr. adam is in the indefinite form, it often refers to the person Adam; here in verses 1-2, the meaning is man and the continued history of mankind, see also ; .]Genealogy: Adam to Noah – 10 generations
[This genealogy presents 10 generations between Adam and Noah. God had said that if you eat from the tree of knowledge, you will die (). That this indeed happened is confirmed by the phrase "And he died" that concludes six generations, see verses 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20. It also emerges that they bore an unknown number of sons and daughters who are not mentioned in the previous chapters. The Hebrew verb means to give birth and is used when a woman gives birth to a child (; ; ; ). The genealogy is detailed, and there are 15 unique variations, but five generations follow the same pattern (generations 2-6). Just as in Cain's genealogy, the author allows a number of monotonous generations to precede the generation he wants to highlight. In this case, it is generation seven: Enoch—who walked with God.] From Adam to Seth: Generations 1-2
3And Adam lived 130 years [30 and 100 years].
And he became [at that age] the father of one who was like him (Hebr. demot), his image (Hebr. tselem).
And he named him Seth [Hebr. Shet – The Replacement, see ]. 4And the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were 800 years.
And he became the father of sons and daughters. 5And all the days of Adam that he lived were 930 years [900 years and 30 years].
And he died. 6And Seth (Hebr. Shet) lived 105 years [5 years and 100 years].
And he became [at that age] the father of Enosh. 7And Seth lived 807 years [7 years and 800 years] after he became the father of Enosh.
And he became the father of sons and daughters.
8The entire length of Seth's life (all his days) was 912 years [12 years and 900 years].
And he died. [When ages are written, it is most common to first indicate the tens, which are then added to the hundreds, see verses 3, 7, and 8. Note variations where "years" are added even between numbers, something that is not normally necessary. In , the order is reversed, with the higher number given first. By having the number 30 "at the end," it becomes an inclusio that frames the description of Adam.]From Enosh to Jared: Generations 3–6
[Now follow four more generations. The description follows the same format used for Seth as the second generation.] 9And Enosh lived 90 years.
And he became [at that age] the father of Kenan. 10And Enosh lived 815 years [15 years and 800 years] after he became the father of Kenan.
And he became the father of sons and daughters.
11And the whole length of Enosh's life (all his days) was 905 years [5 years and 900 years].
And he died. 12And Kenan lived 70 years.
And he became [at that age] the father of Mahalalel.
13And Kenan lived 840 years [40 years and 800 years] after he became the father of Mahalalel.
And he became the father of sons and daughters. 14And all the days of Kenan were 910 years [10 years and 900 years].
And he died. 15And Mahalalel lived 65 years [5 years and 60 years].
And he became [at that age] the father of Jared.
16And Mahalalel lived 830 years [30 years and 800 years] after he became the father of Jared.
And he became the father of sons and daughters. 17And the whole length of Mahalalel's life (all his days) was 895 years [5 and 90 years and 800 years].
And he died. 18And Jared lived 162 years [2 years, 60 years, and 100 years].
And he became [at that age] the father of Enoch (Hebr. Chanoch).
19And Jared lived 800 years after he became the father of Enoch (Chanoch).
And he became the father of sons and daughters. 20And the whole length of Jared's life (all his days) was 962 years [2 and 60 years and 900 years].
And he died.From Enoch to Noah: Generations 7–10
21And Enoch (Hebr. Chanoch) [meaning: dedicated/consecrated] lived 65 years [5 and 60 years].
And he became [at that age] the father of Methuselah.
22And Enoch walked [lived in communion] with God (Hebr. ha-Elohim)
for 300 years after he became the father of Methuselah.
And he became the father of sons and daughters.
23And all the days of Enoch (all his days) were 365 years [5 and 60 and 300 years]. [Now the phrase "And he died" does not appear.]
24And Enoch walked with God (Hebr. ha-Elohim) and was no more [he was not found], for God (Elohim) had taken him. [] [In the seventh generation, the pattern of how the lives of the individuals are described is broken. Instead of saying that Enoch "lived" (cf. verses 10, 13, 16, and 19), it describes how he "walked with God" (). This is the same word used to describe how God walked in the garden, see .] 25
Metoshelach lived to be 969 years old, the oldest age of anyone in the Bible. He is Noah's grandfather, and the year he dies, the flood comes upon the earth.
And he became [at that age] the father of Lamech.
26And Methuselah lived 782 years [2 and 80 years and 700 years] after he became the father of Lamech.
And he became the father of sons and daughters.
27And Methuselah's entire lifespan (all his days) was 969 years [9 and 60 years and 900 years].
And he died. [His age is the highest recorded in the Bible. He was there to see the ark being built and died the same year the flood came. We know this because Noah was 600 years old when the flood came, see . Methuselah had Lamech when he was 187 years old. Another 182 years later, Noah was born, see . The sum of 187 + 182 + 600 is 969.] 28And Lamech [meaning: 'powerful'] lived 182 years [2 and 80 years and 100 years].
And he became [at that age] the father of a son.
29And he named him Noah (Hebr. Noach), saying: "This one shall lighten (Hebr. nacham) us from our work, yes, from the toil of our hands (laborious pain – Hebr. itsavon) with the ground [when we cultivate the earth] that the Lord (Yahweh) has cursed." [Here the pattern is broken; instead of directly stating the name, the naming is described in more detail. The Hebrew name Noach is associated with the Hebrew verb (to rest), and is used when the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat. Here, Lamech uses the word nacham, which means to lighten the burden. These Hebrew words have a common root that describes exhaling, resting, and lying down.]
30And Lamech lived 595 years [5 and 90 years and 500 years] after he became the father of Noah.
And he became the father of sons and daughters.
31And all the days of Lamech were 777 years [7 and 70 years and 700 years].
And he died. [There are two Lamechs in prehistory. The first Lamech is a descendant of Cain, the brother murderer. This Lamech was the first polygamist and he boasted about killing a man, see . He was the seventh generation from Adam and Eve. The second Lamech is described here and was Noah's father. He lived to be exactly 777 years old, which can be interpreted as meaning that he was a righteous man. He is the ninth generation from Adam and Eve and a descendant of Seth. It is very likely that Lamech saw the ark that his son built. He died five years before the flood came.] 32And Noah was 500 years old.
And Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. [For the first time, the Hebr. word ben appears before the age. The phrase literally becomes: 'Noah, a son of 500 years', see also ; ; . Noah's name is also repeated here, which is unique; in previous generations, "he" is used. Here, Noah's formula is interrupted. The end is found only at the end of Noah's continued story in .]Conclusion
Part 1 – The history of mankind before the flood
[Now the story of man ends. There is also a reference back to the creation story. At the same time, there is a connection to the flood.] 61When the human race began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful. They took wives for themselves as they pleased. [Who were the "sons of God"? The phrase is only used here in , and in ; ; . In the Book of Job, it refers to angelic beings. The contrast with the human race supports this interpretation. In that case, these fallen angels took human form or possessed humans and had children who were called giants, see . Another view is that "the sons of God" are the descendants of Seth, while "the daughters of men" were the descendants of Cain. See also Jesus' teaching about angels in .] 3
The latest estimates show that the human body consists of approximately 37 trillion cells (the number 37 followed by twelve zeros).
The lifespan of humans is 120 years
In the 19th century, scientists began to discover and describe cell division in plants and animals. For a long time, it was believed that cells could divide indefinitely, but in the 1960s, American microbiologist Leonard Hayflick discovered that human cells stopped dividing after 40-60 divisions. This limit came to be known as Hayflick's limit. Scientific calculations thus give a biological maximum lifespan for humans of exactly 120 years, plus or minus a few years! The oldest person mentioned in the Bible is Methuselah, who lived to be 969 years old (). After the flood, age gradually decreased over time to a maximum of 120 years. Moses lived to be exactly 120 years old () and his successor Joshua lived to be 110 years old (), see also where 15 years are added to Hezekiah's life.
4The Nephilim (giants, literally "the fallen ones," or "those who cause others to fall to the earth") existed on earth at that time—and even later—when the sons of God had sexual relations with the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men of old (warriors, heroes – Hebr. gibborim), and their reputation was great. Part 2 – The flood approaches
5But the Lord (Yahweh) saw that the wickedness of man had become great on earth. All the thoughts and intentions of their hearts were always and thoroughly evil. 6Then the Lord (Yahweh) truly regretted (sorrow-comforted – Hebr. nacham) that he had made the people on earth, yes, he was hurt (it pained him) – [right] into his [his] heart. [The word for "repent" (Hebr. nacham) does not mean that God regrets his first decision in the sense of "realizing that it was wrong." The word means both to feel sorrow and to comfort, and the very process of moving from sorrow to giving comfort. The name of the prophet Nahum, which means comfort, has the same Hebrew root (nhm), see also ; ; . God feels sorrow that man fell into sin, but there is hope, comfort, and salvation! Jesus chose to work from Capernaum (; ), which in Hebrew is Kfar Nachum – literally "the village of comfort"!
This verse contains three verbs (nacham, asah, and itsavon/asav) that echo what Lamech said about Noah in . They also appear in exactly the same order. The only difference is the grammar, which changes the meaning.] 7The Lord said, "I will destroy (exterminate) the people I have created from the face of the earth—not only humans, but also livestock, reptiles, and birds of the sky—I feel sorrow (regret, grief-comfort—Hebr. nacham) that I have made them." 8But Noah (Hebr. Noach) had found favor (undeserved love; favor – chen) in the eyes of the Lord (Yahweh). [This is the first occurrence of the Hebrew word chen. Its meaning is grace, undeserved love, and favor. The word also appears in the forms chanan and chanon. The word chanan means the same thing with the addition of extraordinary kindness, while chanon essentially means grace and favor. Chanon appears only 13 times in the Old Testament, while chen and chanan appear 67 and 72 times, respectively. In addition to grace, the special emphasis on these words is that they refer to undeserved love. No action can in any way make us worthy of this kind of grace. This verse also contains the name Noah (Hebr. Noach), the same two letters as grace, but mirror-inverted.]Noah's continuing story (6:9-9:29)
Introduction
Noah
[Here comes a new "toledot unit" (the fourth in Genesis). The Hebrew word is used eleven times in Genesis, see ; ; ; ; , ; , ; , ; . The use of numbers and figures is special and ties this unit together. The word "earth" is used 40 times. The number seven and multiples of seven are also common. The Lord (Yahweh) is mentioned seven times. God (Elohim) is mentioned 14 times (7 x 2). God speaks seven times to Noah, there are seven "do" in connection with the instructions. The verb to destroy (found at the beginning and end) is used seven times. In the conclusion, the word "covenant" is used seven times. The number seven is used on seven occasions (twice it is doubled so that it says "seven-seven"; in total, the word is used 9 times). Water is mentioned 21 times (3 x 7) and meat is mentioned 14 times (2 x 7).] 9This is the continuing story of Noah (Hebr. Noach) (his genealogy/family tree – Hebr. ). Noah was a righteous man and perfect among his contemporaries. Noah walked [in constant communion] with God (Elohim). [This is the first time the word righteous (Hebr. tsadik) is used. A related word from the same root is tsedaqah, which is often translated as a voluntary gift to the poor and needy. The Bible specifically mentions widows, orphans/fatherless children, and strangers within your gates. Giving tsedaqah is something that virtually all religious Jews do in some form. Righteousness and being righteous or living a righteous life are therefore closely linked to ensuring that those in need in my vicinity, through my voluntary gifts, have what they need.] 10Noah became the father of three sons:
Shem,
Cham (Ham), and
Japheth.The earth is corrupt
11But the earth became more and more corrupt before God (Elohim) and full of lawlessness (violence, terror – Hebr. chamas). 12God (Elohim) looked at the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all people lived in corruption on the earth. 13Then God (Elohim) said to Noah:
"I have decided to put an end to all living things [literally 'the end of all flesh is here'], for because of them the earth is filled with lawlessness (violence, terror – Hebr. chamas). Consider (Hebr. hen), now I will destroy [judge] them along with the earth.God's instructions to Noah
14
In Dordrecht in the Netherlands, Johan Huibers has built a full-scale model of Noah's Ark.
300 cubits [156 meters] long,
50 cubits [26 meters] wide, and
30 cubits [15.6 meters] high.
16Make a roof (Hebr. tsohar) for the boat and leave a space of one cubit [0.52 meters] between the roof and the sides [as an opening for light].
Put a door in the ark on one side. Furnish the ark so that it has
a lower deck,
a middle deck
and an upper deck. [An unusual word for roof is used here, similar to 'midday', and can describe a vaulted roof that protects from rain and sun. Some translate it as 'window', but that is a different word in . Nor is the usual word for a 'flat' roof used.]Short or long cubit?
The word for cubit (Hebr. ammah) comes from the word for mother (Hebr. imma). It could be translated as 'mother of all measures', which is a fitting name for one of the oldest measures. As is usually the case with ancient measures, they are based on the body. A cubit corresponds to the length of a man's forearm – the distance between the elbow and the middle finger. The unit was used early in history by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia and later in Egypt and Israel. It was used in the Roman Empire and existed in Sweden in the Middle Ages until the end of the 19th century, when the metric system was introduced after the French Revolution. In ancient cultures, there are two variants of the cubit:
• a standard short cubit (44-45 cm)
• a royal long cubit (50-52 cm)
The oldest archaeological find of a cubit is a measuring stick from the city of Nippur in Sumer (present-day Iraq). It dates back to 2650 BC and measures 51.85 cm. This measurement corresponds to the longer royal cubit that was also used for the pyramids in Egypt. Researchers have come to different conclusions, but it is most likely that the cubit used by Noah was the longer, older measurement. The full-scale model of Noah's Ark in Kentucky, USA, which was completed in 2016, uses this longer measurement (51.8 cm), while the Dutchman Huibers' model from 2012 uses the shorter one (44.45 cm). The dimensions of the ark using the shorter cubit are 133 x 22 x 13 meters.
17
Model of Noah and one of his sons building the ark.
The command to enter the ark
71
Small model of Noah's ark in a display case at the Creation Museum in Cincinnati.
7 days of waiting
4In seven days I will cause it to rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living thing that I have made."[God later gives his people instructions about which animals are clean and unclean, see ; . Some animals are ritually clean for sacrifice and also suitable for food, of which Noah takes seven pairs with him to survive the more than a year they are in the ark, cf. ; .] 5And Noah did everything that God commanded him to do. 6And Noah was 600 years old when the flood came upon the earth. 7Noah entered the ark with his sons, his wife, and his daughters-in-law, to escape the waters of the flood. [There were eight people in total, see .] 8Of the clean four-footed animals and of the four-footed animals that are not clean, of the birds and of everything that creeps on the ground 9a pair of each kind came to Noah in the ark, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. 10It was seven days before the waters of the flood came upon the earth.The flood begins
11In the year that Noah was 600 years old, in the second month, on the seventeenth day,
on this day the fountains of the great deep (Hebr. tehom) [] burst open (split, cracked)
and the floodgates of the sky (sluices)
were opened. [The water flows both from below and from above, see . As usual, the time is based on Noah's age, but this is a new variation, cf. . The second month can be either a spring or autumn month. The religious Jewish year begins in the spring with the month of Aviv () and the second month is Iyar, which falls in May/April. If the civil Jewish year (which was also used by neighboring nations) is meant, it begins in the fall, and then the second month is Cheshvan, which falls in October/November.] 12It rained on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. 13On this very day (literally: on the leg/power of the day) [in the middle of the day, completely open for all to see], Noah (Hebr. Noach) and his [three] sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah's wife and his three daughters-in-law had entered the ark. [They had begun boarding seven days earlier, and now on the seventh day, when the waters began to rise, they went on board. Both animals and humans are mentioned in pairs (man/woman and male/female, see ; ; ). Polygamy existed in society, but is described in negative terms, see Lamech in .] 14They [the eight people] and every living creature (all living beings) according to its kind (its species),
yes, all livestock according to its kind (its species)
and all creeping things that creep on the earth, according to its kind (its kind)
and all flying creatures (animals that fly – Hebr. ) according to their kind (species) – all birds (chirpers – Hebr. ), everything that has wings. 15Yes, they came to Noah, to the ark, two by two (pair by pair) of all flesh that had the breath of life (spirit of life). 16They came, male and female of every kind of animal, as God (Elohim) had commanded Noah. Then the Lord (Yahweh) shut [the door] behind him.The flood reigns
[The earth and the water are interchanged in the description.] 17The flood [the rain that poured down, see ] lasted 40 days over the earth. The water rose and lifted the ark so that it floated over the earth. 18The water rose high above the earth, and the ark drifted (literally "walked") on the water. [In the literal wording there is a prophetic foreshadowing that points to Jesus who also walked on water, see . Jesus is the ark that reconciles and "seals" against sin and walks on water, see also .] 19The water rose higher and higher over the earth until it covered even the highest mountains under the sky. 20The water rose more than 15 cubits [7 meters] above the mountains. 21Every creature that moved on the earth perished—birds and [domestic] livestock and wild animals, every living thing that swarmed on the earth, and all mankind. 22Everything on the surface of the earth that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23The Lord wiped out everything that was on the earth, humans and four-footed animals, creeping things and birds of the sky: everything was wiped out from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained. 24The waters prevailed mightily upon the earth for 150 days. [The verb "prevailed mightily" is Hebrew gavgaar, the same root as "mighty hero" in . The choice of words connects how God, over a period of five months, prevails over those who seemed to be the mighty and heroes of the earth.]God remembers Noah
81Then God (Elohim) remembered [thought of; fulfilled his covenant with] Noah (Hebr. Noach) and all the wild and tame animals that were with him in the ark. He caused a wind to blow over the earth, and the waters began to recede. 2The fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain stopped. 3The water gradually receded from the earth, so that after 150 days it had decreased. [After increasing for 150 days, see .] 4
Mount Ararat with its two highest peaks.
The water dries up
5The water continued to recede until the 10th month [Tevet – Dec/Jan]. On the first day of the 10th month, the tops of the mountains became visible. [The 10th month is Tevet, which falls in Dec/Jan. Three months have now passed (73 days if there are 30 days in each month) since the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat, and several mountains are now visible. In the chiastic structure, the mountains were covered in , but now they are visible.]40 days
6After another forty days, Noah opened a window he had made in the ark, 7and released a raven. It flew back and forth until the water had dried up on the earth. 8Then he released a dove (Hebr. ) to see if the water had receded from the ground. 9But the dove found no place to rest its foot, so it returned to him in the ark, for the water still covered the surface of the land. Then Noah reached out his hand and took it to him—into the ark.7 days of waiting
10Noah waited another seven days, then sent the dove out of the ark once more. 11And the dove came back to him toward evening [just before dusk]. And behold [Hebr. – change of perspective, we see through Noah's eyes]: a fresh olive leaf in her beak! Then Noah understood (realized): the water had indeed [finally] receded from the earth.7 days of waiting
12He waited another seven days, then released the dove again. This time it did not return to him. 13And it came to pass, in the 601st year [1 + 600 years; of Noah's life], in the first month, on the first [day], that the water had dried up from the earth. Noah removed the roof from the ark, and saw, and behold [Hebr. – change of perspective, we now see through Noah's eyes]: The ground had dried up!The family leaves the ark
14In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day, the ground was completely dry. 15Then God spoke to Noah, saying: 16[It's time!] "Go out of the ark with your wife, your sons, and your sons' wives. 17Release all the animals of every kind that you have with you, birds, four-footed animals, and all the reptiles that are on the earth, so that they may spread out over the whole earth and be fruitful and multiply." 18Then Noah went out with his wife and his sons and his sons' wives [after being in the ark for a year and ten days]. 19All living creatures [four-footed animals], all reptiles, and all birds, everything that swarms on the earth—according to their families (kindred, species)—went out of the ark. 20Noah built an altar to the Lord (Yahweh). He took four-footed animals and birds of all clean species and sacrificed them as burnt offerings on the altar. 21When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, he said to himself:
"Never again will my curse fall upon the earth because of man, for from his youth he has a wicked heart. Never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done. 22As long as the earth remains, there will be: sowing and harvest (Hebr. qatsir), cold
and heat,
summer (harvest time – Hebr. qajits) and
winter,
day and night never cease (literally: 'not have a Sabbath' – Hebr. lo shavat)." [ ends with four pairs. The number four is the number of the earth (four cardinal directions, etc.). Central to this are heat and summer, which belong together, framed by cold and winter.]Never again will there be a flood
91God (Elohim) blessed Noah (Hebr. Noach) and his sons and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2Fear and dread of you will fall upon all the animals of the earth and all the birds of the sky, upon everything that creeps on the ground and upon all the fish in the sea. They are given into your hand (you have been given authority over them). 3Everything that lives and moves shall be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants [], I give you everything. [The blessing that God gives Noah mirrors the blessing that Adam received in . One difference is that sin now exists in the world, and man is no longer to rule over the animals. Instead of voluntary submission, there is now an element of fear in the animals. Although eating meat was previously permitted, e.g. Abel's blood sacrifice was pleasing to God and Noah's clean animals during their years in the ark, it is now a clearly stated permission to use animals for food.] 4But you shall not eat meat that has life, that is, blood, in it. 5And for your own blood [human life], I will demand (request – Hebr. darash) [retribution],
from every animal I will demand (request) [retribution]
and from the hand of man (Hebr. adam),
from every brother, I will demand (request) [retribution] for human life. 6Whoever sheds
the blood
of a human being,
by a human being
shall his [the perpetrator's] blood
be shed,
for God (Elohim) made man in his image.
[Hebrew has no prepositions, and the first six words form a clear chiasm: shofech dam haadam baadam damo jishafech. The text emphasizes the word man, both as the victim and the agent of retribution, by placing the Hebr. word adam centrally. The fact that the phrase also has six words brings to mind the number of human speech, which is six. To shed blood is used in the sense of premeditated murder, see ; ; . All life is sacred, especially human life. The reason God considers this so important is that man is created in His image. To murder another human being is an attack on that person's creator, who is God Himself.] 7Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth."God's covenant with all living things
8And God (Elohim) said to Noah and his sons: 9"Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants, 10and with every living creature that is with you—the birds, the livestock, and every wild animal—all that came out of the ark with you. 11I establish my covenant with you: Never again shall all life (flesh) be destroyed by water through a worldwide flood. Never again shall a flood come and destroy the earth." 12God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13
Rainbow in Bergslagen, Sweden
Noah and his sons
18Noah's sons who left the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan [who was born later]. 19These three were Noah's sons, and from them all the peoples of the earth spread out. [See the family tree in .] 20
The world's oldest wine press is located in a cave in Areni, Armenia, not far from Mount Ararat. During excavations in 2008-2011, a wine press, vessels, and remains of grape seeds were found. Analysis of the biological material shows that this vineyard/press is 1,000 years older than the previous oldest one from Israel. In the same cave, the world's oldest leather shoe (dated to 3500 BC) was also found in the same year.
©Gregory Areshian
[What had Ham done? Seeing someone's nakedness is a Hebrew euphemism for a sexual act, see . Since says that Ham "did" something to Noah, it can be interpreted that he not only saw, but also humiliated his father in some way. Some Jewish commentators note that there is no mention of Noah having any more children, so perhaps Ham castrated him. Others have suggested a homosexual act, but different words are used in . The punishment is also very severe, which may indicate that he did not just see. At the same time, nudity is something shameful in Hebrew culture, see ; . Deliberately exposing one's parents was a serious offense, see . What suggests that he "only" saw is that the same word "see" is used about the brothers Shem and Japheth, who did not see and physically covered their father. Verses 22-23 are structured as a chiasm, where the first phrase is "and saw... his father's nakedness" and it ends with the brothers "and did not see their father's nakedness."] 24Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25and he said, "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants (slave) shall he be to his brothers!" 26And he said further, "Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant. 27May God (Elohim) enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in Shem's tents, and let Canaan be their servant."Conclusion – Noah
[These two concluding verses have the same structure as , and nicely frame this section about Noah.] 28Noah lived 350 years [300 years and 50 years] after the flood.
29And all the days of Noah were 950 years [900 years and 50 years].
Then he died. [There are numerous flood stories throughout the world, testifying to a common distant memory of such a worldwide catastrophe. However, the Bible's flood story is unique in its total absence of mythology, its precise specification of the ark's dimensions, and how long the flood lasted.]The continuing story of Noah's sons – the peoples of the earth (10:1-11:9)
[Here comes a new "toledot unit" (the fifth of twelve in Gen.). The Hebrew word is used eleven times in Gen., see ; ; ; ; , ; , ; , ; . The chapter provides a genealogy of all the peoples of the earth. The division is not only genealogical but also geographical, linguistic, and historical, see verses 5, 20, and 31.] 101This is the continued story of Noah's (Hebr. Noach) sons (their genealogy/family tree – Hebr. ),
Shem,
Ham,
and Japheth.
Sons were born to them [Noah's three sons] after the flood. [Noah's three sons were: - Japheth – probably the eldest son, see . He was born when Noah was 500 years old, see .
- Shem (Sem) – probably the middle son. He was 100 years old two years after the flood, see . Since the flood came when Noah was 600 years old, he must have been born when Noah was 502 years old, and is thus two years younger than Japheth. The reason he is mentioned first in all lists, here in and in ; ; ; , is that his family tree leads to Abraham and ultimately to the Messiah, see !
- Ham – the youngest son, see . How much younger he is is not stated, but he was born before the flood.
In , the order was Shem, Ham, and Japheth. When their genealogy is described below in verses 2-32, the order is reversed with Japheth first (), then Ham (), and finally Shem (). This is a typical chiastic pattern in several parts, which means that the story of the Tower of Babel, see , is framed by Shem's family tree, which continues in .]The sons of Japheth – the peoples of the northwest
[A total of 14 descendants of Japheth are mentioned. The sons of Japheth are mainly the peoples of the north and west, in Asia Minor and on the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean. This corresponds to today's Europe and also parts of the northern Middle East.] 2The sons of Japheth were:
Gomer [the Cimmerians on the Black Sea; present-day Turkey] and
Magog [around the Black Sea, present-day Georgia] and
Madai [ancestor of the Medes; southwest of the Caspian Sea; the area around present-day Tehran in Iran] and
Javan [the Ionians, the Greeks; Greece] and
Tubal (Hebr. Toval) [people in eastern Asia Minor; present-day central Turkey] and
Meshech [people in eastern Asia Minor] and
Tiras [present-day Italy].
3The sons of Gomer were:
Ashkenaz [perhaps the Scythians; by the Black Sea] and
Riphath and
Togarmah [people of eastern Asia Minor; present-day Turkey].
4The sons of Javan were:
Elisha [people on the island of Cyprus] and
Tarshish [a Phoenician people from the western Mediterranean, Spain, etc.],
Kittim [a people on the island of Cyprus] and
Dodanim [the Rhodanians, a people on the island of Rhodes, see ]. 5From these, the peoples of the islands (the peoples of the coastal regions – Hebr. i ha-goj) were divided (they spread out) in their lands (areas – Hebr. erets), each according to their language and according to their families (clans – Hebr. mishpachah), among their peoples (Hebr. goj). [These may refer to the sons of Javan (), but it is more likely that all the sons of Japheth are meant (verses 2-4). The islands of the lands could refer to the continents, but there is also a figurative interpretation that each nation is its own "island" that integrates with other nations. Hebr. goj refers to a people living in a certain place; it can include different ethnic groups, but often it is one ethnic group. The Greek form of Japheth is Iapetos, and according to Greek tradition, he is the ancestor of the Greeks. The Hebrew name Javan means "young" but also the country of Greece, see ; . Japheth is thus probably the ancestor of the "seafaring peoples" who spread out around the Mediterranean.]The sons of Ham – the peoples of the southwest
[A total of 30 descendants of Ham are mentioned. Ham's sons mainly moved southwest towards Egypt and North Africa, but also to the Arabian Peninsula. Canaan (who lived in the land of Canaan that the Israelites conquered) also belongs to this group.]
6The sons of Cham (Ham) were:
Cush [meaning "black"; corresponds to the African kingdom of Nubia; present-day southern Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan] and
Mitsrajim [Egypt] and
Put (Hebr. Pot) [corresponds to present-day Libya, see ; ; ] and
Canaan [present-day Israel].
7[Ham's first son] The sons of Cush were:
Sheba (Saba) [Upper Egypt (southern Egypt)] and
Havilah (Hebr. Chavila) [the Ishmaelites, see ; eastern Arabia and the Persian Gulf] and
Savetta [people of Arabia] and
Raama [people of Arabia] and
Savettecha. [Kush's fourth son] The sons of Raama were:
Sheba [meaning "seven" or "oath"; probably Saba in present-day Yemen or Aksum in Ethiopia]
and Dedan [people of Arabia; present-day Saudi Arabia].
8Kush [Ham's first son, see ] begot Nimrod. He became a mighty one on earth. [The name Nimrod comes from the verb marad, which means "to rebel" and is associated with the Tower of Babel, see , see also ; .] 9He was a mighty (violent) hunter before the Lord (Yahweh). Hence the saying: "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord (Yahweh)." 10And the foremost (the first – Hebr. reshit) in his kingdom were [the four cities] Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Chalne in the land of Shinar. 11From that land came Ashor and built Nineveh and the city of Rechovot and Kalach 12and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (Nimrod), which is a great city. 13Mitsrajim [Ham's second son, ] received:
Lodim and
Anamim and
Lehavim and
Nafettuchim 14and
Patrusim and
Kasluchim, who became (the progenitor of) the Philistines, and
Kafettorim. 15Canaan [Ham's fourth son, whom Noah cursed, see ] received:
Sidon [Hebr. Tsidon, from the verb tsod to hunt/fish; also the name of the coastal city of Sidon in present-day Lebanon], his firstborn, and
Chet [ancestor of the Hittites], 16and
the Jebusites (Hebr. jevosi) [the people who lived in Jerusalem before the Israelites arrived there] and
the Amorites (Hebr. emori) and
the Girgashites (Hebr. girgashi) 17and the
Hivites and the
Arkites [Phoenician people] and the
Sinites [Phoenician people] 18and
the Aradites [Phoenician people] and
the Zemarites [Phoenician people] and
the Hamathites [Phoenician people].
[These peoples lived in the land before the Israelites came there.]
After that, the families (clans) of the Canaanites were scattered (far beyond their former borders). 19The borders of the Canaanites stretched from Sidon [the coastal city in Syria in the north], down to Gerar, to Gaza [in the south], further away towards Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah [meaning: red earth] and Zeboim [meaning: gazelles] all the way to Lasha. 20These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations.The sons of Shem – the peoples of the east
[A total of 26 descendants of Shem are mentioned. The sons of Shem ("Semites") include the Hebrews (descendants of Eber, see ), the Arameans, the Assyrians, and others. The areas they move to are mainly to the east and correspond to Mesopotamia and Arabia. The introduction to Shem is different from that of his brothers Japheth and Ham (verses 2 and 6), where it simply says "the sons of Japheth" and "the sons of Ham." Here, this part of the family tree is emphasized by the longer wording "to Shem were born children." It is through Shem, Arppacheshad, Shelach, Eber, and Peleg that Abraham will be born. Already in the introduction, Eber is emphasized as the fourth generation from Noah, the lineage that will lead to Abraham and the Messiah.] 21Children were also born to Shem. Shem was the ancestor of all Eber's children [four generations ahead, see verses 24-25, the word means "to cross over" and has given rise to the word "Hebrew"] and Japheth's older brother. [Literally, the Hebrew sentence ends with "brother Japheth older". It is possible to interpret the Hebrew adjective ha´gadol to mean "Japheth was the older brother". This is how the Greek translation Septuagint and many Jewish rabbis interpret it. Others interpret the phrase as "Japheth's older brother" and that it is Shem who is Japheth's older brother. A similar formulation is found in , where Kenaz is Caleb's younger brother. The Syriac, Latin, and many modern translations choose this interpretation. The Core Bible leans toward and , where it appears that Japheth is the eldest; see also .] 22The children of Shem were:
Elam [the Elamites; east of the Tigris] and
Ashor [the Assyrians] and
Arppacheshad [the Babylonians?] and
Lod and
Aram [the Arameans; Syria]. 23The sons of Aram were:
Uz (Hebr. Ots) and
Chol and
Geter and
Mash. 24Arppacheshad [Chem's third son, see ] had:
Shelach.
Shelach had:
Eber (Hebr. Ever) ["the Hebrews", from the word ivri which means "one who crosses over".].
25Two sons were born to Eber: The name of one was Peleg [similar to the word for "divided"], for in his days the earth was divided (Hebr. pilag), and his brother's name was Joktan.
[Peleg's lineage continues in and leads to Abraham's father Terah. Peleg means division. It could very well be that what is written here, that the earth was divided in his days, refers to the division of Pangea into the different continents with oceans between them, as we know them today. In that case, this division occurred about 100 years after the flood. See also the end of .] 26[Eber's second son] Joktan had: Almodad and
Shelef and
Chatsarmavet [people in South Arabia] and
Jerach 27and
Hadoram and
Ozal and
Dikla 28and
Obal and
Abimael and
Sheba 29and
Ophir and
Havilah (Hebr. Chavila) and
Jovav,
all these were the sons of Joktan. 30They had their settlements from Mesha, which goes toward Seph, to the mountains in the east. [Here, Hebr. kedem is used for east. It is a rich word that not only has the meaning of a cardinal direction but is also used to denote when a person takes stock of their life and looks both backward and forward. We get to come to terms with what has been and see visions and plan for the future in this direction. There are also many other things associated with the east, such as the sunrise with all its typologies, the morning star in the east, and so on.] 31This [verses 22-30] is the account of Shem's sons according to their families, according to their languages in their lands and in their nations. [This verse concludes and frames the passage about Shem's sons.]Conclusion
32This [verses 1-30] is the families of Noah's sons, according to their generations (Hebr. ) [plural] in their peoples. And from these are the peoples that spread out on the earth after the flood. [This verse frames the entire chapter about Noah's sons. The phrase and the concluding refrain "according to their languages in their territories and in their nations" recur in verses 5, 20, and 31.]Arrogant speech becomes incomprehensible "babble"
111The whole earth (world) spoke a common language and expressed itself in the same way (had a common language for both speech and writing). 2When they moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinear and settled there. [The area is the fertile valley between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, which later became Babylon, present-day Iraq.] 3Then they said to each other, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them (harden them properly)." They used bricks instead of stones and clay instead of mortar. 4They said, "Come, let us build a city and a tower (Hebr. migdal) that reaches all the way to heaven. Then our name will be known, and we will not be scattered over the whole earth." [This goes completely against what God said about them filling the whole earth, see , . A ziggurat is a religious temple tower. It is built in a similar way to a pyramid, but with a staircase leading to the top. At the top was a place called Babilu – "Gate of God." Here there was a room with a bed and a table. People wanted to stay on good terms with their gods by giving them a place where they could rest and eat. Both literally and figuratively, humans try to reach God on their own terms by building a tower with a stairway up to God.] 5But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had begun to build. 6The Lord said, "The people are completely united, and they all speak the same language. This is only the beginning of what they will do [that goes against my will]. Nothing they decide to do will be impossible for them. [There are no limits to how far they will continue in their sin.] 7Come, let us go down and confuse (mix up) their language so that they will not understand each other." [The result of unity that excludes God is confusion.] 8So the Lord (Yahweh) scattered the people over the whole earth, and they stopped building the city. 9That is why it was called Babel, because there the Lord (Yahweh) confused the [common] language of the earth into an incomprehensible "babble," and from there the Lord (Yahweh) scattered the people over the face of the whole earth. [Hebr. bavel means "to confuse" and is similar to the Babylonian word babilu, which means "gateway to God." Our English word "babble" comes from this word.]The continuing story of Shem
[Here comes a new "toledot unit" that forms the sixth literary unit (of twelve) in Genesis.] 10This is the continued story of Shem (Sem) (his genealogy/family tree – Hebr. ). [Now follow ten generations from Shem to Abram.]
When Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arppacheshad, two years after the flood [had started].
11And Shem lived 500 years after he became the father of Arphaxad.
And he became the father of sons and daughters. [Shem lived to be 600 years old.] 12And Arphaxad lived 35 years before he became the father of Shelah.
13And Arphaxad lived 403 [3 years and 400 years] after he became the father of Shelah.
And he became the father of sons and daughters. [Arphaxad lived 438 years.] 14And Shelach lived 30 years before he became the father of Eber. 15And Shelah lived 403 years [3 years and 400 years] after he became the father of Eber.
And he became the father of sons and daughters. [Shelah lived 433 years.] 16And Eber lived 34 years before he became the father of Peleg. 17And Eber lived 430 years [30 years and 400 years] after he became the father of Peleg.
And he became the father of sons and daughters. [Eber lived to be 463 years old.] 18And Peleg lived 30 years before he became the father of Reo. 19And Peleg lived 209 years [9 years and 200 years] after he became the father of Reo. And he became the father of sons and daughters. [Peleg lived to be 239 years old.] 20And Reo lived 32 years before he became the father of Serog. 21And Reo lived 207 years [7 years and 200 years] after he became the father of Serog.
And he became the father of sons and daughters. [Reo lived 239 years.] 22And Serog lived 30 years before he became the father of Nachor. 23And Serog lived 200 years after he became the father of Nachor.
And he became the father of sons and daughters. [Serog lived 230 years.] 24And Nachor lived 27 years before he became the father of Terah. 25And Nachor lived 119 years [19 years and 100 years] after he became the father of Terah.
And he became the father of sons and daughters. [Nachor lived to be 146 years old.] 26And Terah lived 70 years before he became the father of
Abram,
Nahor, and Haran.The continuing story of Terah
Terah and his family
[Here comes a new "toledot unit" that forms the seventh literary unit (of twelve) in Genesis.] 27This is the continued story of Terah (Terah) (his genealogy/family tree – Hebr. ).
Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran became the father of Lot. 28Haran died before his father Terah in the land where he was born, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29Abram and Nahor took wives. Abram's wife was named Sarai, and Nahor's wife was named Milkah [meaning: "queen"], the daughter of Haran – father of Milkah and father of Iskah [meaning: "one who watches and is observant"]. 30But Sarai was barren; she had no offspring (descendants – Hebr. valad). [Unusual word for offspring, used only here in the Old Testament. It emphasizes a male descendant who can carry on the family line. The usual word is Hebr. jeled.] 31Terah took Abram, his son, and Lot, Haran's son, and Sarai, his daughter-in-law, Abram's wife, and they journeyed from Ur in Chaldea and came to Haran (Hebr. Charan), where they stayed. 32All the days that Terah lived were 205 years, then Terah died in Haran.God calls Abram
121Now the Lord (Yahweh) said to Abram, "Go forth (Hebr. lech lecha)
from your country [Haran in Mesopotamia]
and from your kindred (hometown)
and from your father's house [Terah and his family, see ]
to the land I will show you. [Leaving everything and following God required faith, see . The Hebrew expression lech lecha also has the meaning of "going to oneself," i.e., finding oneself in the process. The word family (Hebr. moledet) means not only family but also "the place of your birth" and "origin." It refers to a longer history than just your own lifetime. Jesus uses a similar phrase when he calls, see . The phrase "from" is repeated three times, followed by three promises: a new land, a new people, and blessings for both himself and others.]
2I will make you into a great nation [a large family] and I will bless you
and make your name great (honor you)
and you will be
a blessing. 3And I will bless
those who bless you,
and the [singular] who dishonors you (despises, does not respect; literally: "takes lightly")
I will curse (utterly destroy), and blessed – all the families (clans, nations) of the earth shall be in you [Abram]." [Verses 2-3 form a chiasm on several levels. The outer frame deals with peoples/families, see verses 2a and 3c. The second level has to do with blessing. Central to is a chiastic structure that moves from blessing to cursing. The Hebr. root for blessing (Hebr. barach) also has the meaning of bowing the knee. Together, these two verses give us seven lines where blessing is the key word:
I will make you into a great nation
I will bless you
I will make your name great
You shall be a blessing
I will bless those who bless you
I will curse those who dishonor you
In you all the peoples of the earth shall be blessed] 4Abram went as the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran (Hebr. Charan) []. 5Abram took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his nephew, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people (servants, literally "souls") that they had acquired in Haran. They set out to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to the land of Canaan. 6
Mount Gerizim is visible on the left and Mount Ebal on the right. Joshua's altar is located on the far right (north). In the depression between the mountains lies the city of Shechem, which in Hebrew means "shoulder," a fitting name since the mountains look like two shoulders.
Abram goes to Egypt
10There was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt (Hebr. Mitsrajim) to stay there because the famine was severe (heavy) in the land. 11When he entered Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know that you are a very beautiful woman. 12It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'She is his wife,' and they will kill me, but let you live. 13Please, I beg you, say that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you." [; ; Abram does not trust that God will protect him.] 14And it came to pass, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, and that she was very beautiful. 15Pharaoh's princes saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. [Sarai was 65 years old (; ) and lived to be 127 years old (), which means she was middle-aged.] 16He treated Abram well for her sake. He had small livestock and herds of cattle and donkeys (Hebr. chamor; masculine) and male and female servants and female donkeys (Hebr. aton) and camels. 17The Lord (Yahweh) afflicted Pharaoh and his house with severe plagues because of Abram's wife Sarai. 18Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, "What have you done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife? 19Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Here is your wife, take her and go!" 20Pharaoh gave orders about him [Abram] to his men, and they took him and his wife and all that belonged to him. [The text does not make it entirely clear whether the plagues prevent Pharaoh from consummating his marriage to Sarai. Abram is given sheep, cattle, servants and maidservants, donkeys and camels, which suggests that he is being paid for her. At the same time, Pharaoh becomes angry at what Abram has done when he is struck by the plagues. When Abram similarly betrays Sarai once again (), it seems that some kind of illness prevented the women from having children, which may be a parallel to the plagues in that afflict Pharaoh, suggesting that God preserved Sarai.]Abram and Lot go their separate ways
131Abram left Egypt (Hebr. Mitsrajim), he and his wife [Sarai], together with everything that belonged to him, even [his nephew] Lot was with him until Negev [the southern region of Canaan]. 2Abram was very rich (literally "very heavy") in flocks [property in the form of livestock] and in silver and gold. 3He wandered from campsite to campsite from the Negev [further] to Bethel, to the place where his tent had first stood, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the place of the altar which he had made [erected] there first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord (Yahweh). [Abram, Sarai, and Lot (Abram's brother Haran's son, see ) now returned to the first place they had stopped when they came to the land of Canaan from Haran, see . Here in Beit-el, which means House of God, Abram calls upon the Lord. Literally "called upon the name of the Lord," see also ; ; ; .] 5Lot, who went with Abram, also had small livestock, herds, and tents. 6But the land could not support (bear, lift – Hebr. nasa) them so that they could live together. Indeed, their possessions were so great that they could not live together. 7There was a dispute between the herdsmen of Abram's flocks and the herdsmen of Lot's flocks—the Canaanites and the Perizzites also lived in the land. 8Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, or between my herdsmen and your herdsmen—we are brothers. 9Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me now. If you choose the left [go north], then I will take the right [go south], and if you take the right, then I will take the left." 10Lot lifted up his eyes. And he looked at the whole plain of Jordan [east of Bethel, see ]. Yes, the whole plain (its entirety) was rich in water everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah – like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, all the way down to Tsoar. [Tsoar was one of the five cities in this area. It was here that Lot fled from Sodom and Gomorrah (). The name means "insignificance," and it was formerly called Bela, which means "destruction." The names seem to indicate that it was a minor city.] 11So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself. And Lot set out (departed) eastward. And they separated, [like] a man from his brother. 12Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled near the cities of the plain. [Five cities are mentioned in the Jordan Valley, see , .] Yes, he [Lot] pitched his tent near Sodom. 13But the men of Sodom were very wicked [plural] and great (terrible) sinners before the Lord (Yahweh). [Wicked (Hebr. raim) is in the plural, which reinforces that they were "very wicked." This brings to mind the time of Noah, see ; . This is the first time the noun sinners (Hebr. chata) is used. The word comes from the verb chata, whose literal meaning is "to miss the mark," see . Ezekiel describes Sodom's sexual sins, but also their pride and shameless treatment of the poor and needy, see .] 14After Lot had separated from him, the Lord (Yahweh) said to Abram: "Now lift up your eyes! And look out from the place where you are
– to the north and to the south [the length]
and to the east and to the west [the breadth].
15Yes, all (the whole) land that you see, I will give it to you and to your seed [all your descendants], forever. 16I will make your descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth;
if anyone can count the dust of the earth,
then your descendants will also [be able to] be counted. 17Get up! Walk through the land []
– in all its length and breadth.
Yes, I will give it to you!" [Verses 14b-17 form an inclusio framed by two parallel clauses in verses 14b-15a and . The exhortation to lift up your eyes and look out over the land is connected with standing up and walking through the land, both of which end with a promise that it will be given. Central to is a chiasm framed by the word seed (Hebr. zera), which is compared to "the dust of the earth," an expression that describes all finely divided material (such as sand, soil, and gravel) throughout the earth! The point is that Abram's descendants will be just as innumerable!] 18And Abram gathered his tents and set out, and he settled by the terebinth trees of Mamre (large trees – Hebr. elon) which are by (in) Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord (Yahweh).
[The Hebr. text has several verbs in quick succession, indicating rapid movement and showing Abram's immediate action and conviction that the promise will be fulfilled quickly! Hebron (Hebr. Chevrón) is located 30 km south of Jerusalem and is the junction of the road from the east (with cities such as Lachish) and the south (the Negev area). The exact location of Mamre is not given, but it is an oak grove in or near Hebron (there is also a cave nearby, see ). The mention of a field (; ) suggests that it may have been just outside Hebron.]Lot is captured
141
Four kings from the north and east attack Sodom and Gomorrah and three neighboring cities.
Show in atlas
Amrafel was king of Shinar [Babylon],
Arjoch was king of Ellasar [probably in Mesopotamia],
Kedarlaomer was king of Elam [present-day Iran]
and Tidal was king of Gojim [the plural form of gojim is generally used for pagan nations].
2The [four kings] went to war against [five other kings]: Bera ["son of wickedness"], king of [the city] Sodom,
and with Birsha ["with wickedness"], king of [the city] Gomorrah,
Shinav ["the glory of the father"], king of [the city] Admah,
and Shemevel ["magnificent wing/flight"], king of [the city] Tsevoim,
and the king of [the city] Bela—that is [present-day] Tsoar. [The exact location of these cities is unknown, but it is likely that all five allied kings and their cities were located close to each other in the area around the present-day Dead Sea.] 3All of these came together in the valley of Siddim, which is now (nowadays) the Salt Sea (Dead Sea). [This suggests that the Dead Sea did not exist at this time but was formed later, probably when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, see ; .]
4For 12 years they served Chedorlaomer [the king of Elam], but in the 13th year they rebelled. 5And in the 14th year, Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Asteroth-Karnaim and the Zuzim ["the ravenous beasts"] in Ham [probably Tell Ham near Irbid in present-day Jordan] and the Emim ["the people of terror"; a tall people (giants) in Moab, see ] in Shaveh-Kiriathaim 6and the Horites (literally: "cave dwellers" – Hebr. chori) in their mountain Seir [southeast of the Dead Sea in Edom], next to El-Paran, which is by the desert. 7Then they turned and came to Ein-Mishpat [meaning: "source of justice"], that is, Kadesh, and conquered the whole land of the Amalekites. They also defeated the Amorites who lived in Hasazon-Tamar. 8Then the king of Sodom went out with the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). They drew up their forces against them in the Valley of Siddim 9against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10
Engraving by David Martin (1639-1721) illustrating Lot's capture.
Abram rescues Lot
14When Abram heard that his brother [his relative Lot] had been captured, he sent his most experienced men, 318 men born in his house, and they pursued the enemies as far as Dan [in the north]. 15That night he divided his people [into groups] and attacked them with his servants, struck them and pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus [in Syria] 16and took back all the property. He also took back his brother [relative] Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of the people. 17When Abram returned after defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh, that is, the King's Valley [very close to Jerusalem]. 18Melchizedek, king of Salem [Jerusalem; Hebr. shalem means peace and wholeness], brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High (El Elion). [The Hebrew name Malki-zedek means: "My king is righteous". See also ; ; . The connection between his name and the city is also found in the words "righteousness" and "peace." These two words are often found together, see ; ; ; ; .] 19And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High (El Elion),
Creator of heaven and earth,
20and blessed be God Most High (El Elion)
who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he [Abram] gave him [Melchizedek] a tenth of everything [he had brought back as spoils of war from the battle]. [] 21And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and take the goods for yourself." 22But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted up my hand to the Lord (Yahweh) God Most High (El Elion), creator of heaven and earth, 23that I will not take a thread, not even a strap for a sandal, or anything that is yours, lest you say, 'I have made Abram rich. 24I will keep nothing except what the young men (teenagers – Hebr. naar) have eaten. As for the men (Hebr. enósh) who went with me – Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre – let them take their share."God's covenant with Abram
151Some time later, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram (Avram)!
I am your shield,
your reward,
very great." [The last part can be interpreted as meaning that Abram's reward will be great or that the Lord is his great reward. Based on the context, it seems at first to refer to a material reward, but it may be a deliberate ambiguity in the Hebrew text. Abram had recently declined the offer from the king of Sodom to keep the spoils of war, and he had given a tithe to Melchizedek. Based on the response in the next verse, it seems that Abram interprets it as a material reward, but wonders what difference it makes when he has no heir. God, however, has something much greater than just wealth in store for Abram—he will become Abraham and be called "the father of faith" and receive the Lord as his reward.]
2Abram said, "Lord God (Adonai Yahweh), what will you give me? You see that I am going away childless, and the one who will take over the possessions of my house is Eliezer of Damascus." 3Abram continued, "Behold, you have given me no offspring (heir, child of my own), and one born in my house shall be my heir." [Servants in a household at this time could be considered "belongings" of the household because they had a form of slave status. The fact that Abram intended to let one of these inherit him in the absence of his own children says quite a lot about his view of these people. Abram was a good master to his servants.] 4But the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to him, saying, "This man shall not be your heir, but the one who comes from your own body [belly, bowels – Hebr. ; refers to the lower region of the body, not just the genitals, but they are included in the expression] shall be your heir." 5
Starry sky from the Negev.
[Abram believed in the promise of a child and numerous descendants; he believed that the Messiah would come through his seed, and he believed in him as his Savior, see . In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, there is only one way to become righteous, namely by grace through faith, see .] 7He said to him, "I am the Lord (Yahweh) who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your inheritance." [] 8He said, "Lord God (Adonai Yahweh), how shall I know (be able to know) that I shall inherit it?" 9He said to him, "Bring me a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old female goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtledove and a young pigeon." 10He took all these things and divided them in half, placing each half opposite the other, but he did not divide the birds. 11And the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12And it came to pass, when the sun was gone down, that a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and a dreadful darkness fell upon him. 13He said to Abram, "Know (be well aware) that your seed (your heirs, descendants) will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will serve them, and they will be afflicted by them for 400 years, 14and I will also judge the people [the Egyptians] whom they will serve [as slaves]. Afterward, they will come out with great riches. [] 15But you shall go to your fathers in peace. You shall be buried at a good (old) age. 16In the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. [The measure of their sins has not yet reached the amount required for judgment, see ; .]" 17And it came to pass, when the sun went down and there was thick darkness, that a smoking furnace and a flaming torch passed between the pieces (the divided animals). [This describes part of the ritual involved in making a blood covenant with one another] 18On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram (entered into a blood covenant) and said, "To your descendants (your offspring, your heirs) I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River, 19the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites 20and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim 21and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites." [The names of the peoples who lived in Canaan before the Israelites arrived there.]
[The unique thing about the covenant made between God and Abram is that it is made unilaterally. God bears full and complete responsibility for this covenant! The rituals involved in a blood covenant are:
1. Exchanging cloaks – putting on the other person's cloak.
2. Exchanging belts – weapons/tools.
3. Cutting – dividing animals in half. Walking between them. A blood covenant is always cut.
4. Exchanging/taking each other's names.
5. Making a scar (mixing blood – palms against each other).
6. Making covenant promises.
7. Eating a memorial meal – sharing bread and wine.
8. Plant a memorial tree/care tree sprinkled with blood from the animals.
When God says to Abram, "I am your shield" (see ), God takes the initiative to give Abram his cloak and his belt. The cloak is not physical in this context, but it represents the person, so what God is saying is that he is giving himself to Abram. The scar that is to be made in Abram's case is circumcision. Since a blood covenant can be inherited, each new son who is born must choose for himself whether he wants to remain in the covenant. This happens every time a Jewish son is circumcised (for non-Jews, it corresponds to the circumcision of the heart). The covenant promise is the son, Isaac, and that his descendants will be like the stars and grains of sand, and that all nations will be blessed through him. There is a name change when Abram becomes Abraham, see . He also has God's own name added to his own, and God is henceforth called the God of Abraham, which later, when the covenant is renewed with Isaac and Jacob, is added to as the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. The covenant meal takes place when Abraham meets Melchizedek and they share bread and wine, see . Melchizedek (which means king of righteousness) is probably Jesus himself who comes to Abram on this occasion.]Hagar and Ishmael
161Abram and his wife Sarai were childless. [In this culture, this was considered shameful. However, God had promised them a child of their own who would be their heir, see . Ten years earlier, Abram had tried to adopt his servant Eliezer to have an heir, but God then clarified His promise that it would indeed be his own son, see . Abram is now 85 years old and Sarai is 75, see ; .] Sarai had an Egyptian servant named Hagar [whom they probably received from Pharaoh when they were in Egypt, see ]. 2Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, lie with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family through her." [Sarai followed the cultural tradition of the time of giving one of her servants to her husband to be a surrogate mother.] Abram listened to Sarai's words (obeyed her). 3After ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, gave her Egyptian servant Hag to her husband as a second wife. 4Abram slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar found out she was pregnant, she began to look down on (despise) her mistress (ruler, superior). 5Then Sarai said to Abram, "It is your fault that all this injustice (violation, lawlessness, terror, destructive force – Hebr. chamas) has befallen me. I allowed my servant to lie with you, but when she saw that she was pregnant, she began to despise me. Let the Lord judge between me and you." [The last part can also be translated: "Let God punish you for this."] 6Abram said to Sarai, "Since you have authority over your servant, do with her as you please." Then Sarai began to mistreat Hag so badly that she ran away from Sarai. [Abram does not take responsibility, but lets Sarai act out of her bitterness.] 7The angel of the Lord (messenger) found Hag near a spring in the desert, the spring that is on the way to [the desert] Sur. 8The angel asked, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?" She replied, "I am fleeing from my mistress, Sarai." [The water source is on the road to Egypt. Hagar was perhaps trying to make her way home to her country, a distance of about 250 miles. Attempting this journey alone and pregnant in the harsh desert is doomed to failure, which she understands because she does not answer the question of where she is going. She flees aimlessly from her problems. The question "where are you coming from?" in Hebrew does not mean so much from which place, but rather from what circumstances are you coming, what situation are you leaving?] 9Then the angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress and humble yourself before her." 10The angel of the Lord said, "I will make your descendants very numerous. They will be so numerous that no one can count them all." 11Then the angel of the Lord said to her, "You are now pregnant
and will soon give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael (Hebr. Yishmael) [meaning: "The Lord hears"],
for the Lord (Yahweh) has heard (Hebr. shama) how you have been afflicted (been under the power of others).
12Your son will be a wild man (impossible to tame, like a wild donkey);
his hand will be against everyone,
and everyone will be against him (there will be constant conflict around him).
He will live away (to the east) from all his brothers." 13Hagar gave the Lord (Yahweh), who had spoken to her, a name: "You are a God who sees (Hebr. El-Roi)." She said (thought): "Have I really seen a glimpse (the back) of him who sees (Hebr. raah) me?" [Hagar had grown up in Egypt and was accustomed to gods made of wood and stone that neither spoke nor saw. Now she had encountered the living God with her own eyes.] 14Therefore, the spring was named "The well of the living one who sees me (Hebr. Beer lachai-roi)", located between Kadesh and Bared. [It is at this same spring or well that Isaac meets his wife Rebekah for the first time, see .] 15Hagar bore a son to Abram, and Abram named his son, whom Hagar had borne, Ishmael. 16Abram lived 86 years before Hag bore Ishmael to Abram.Proof of the covenant
[Thirteen years after Ishmael's birth (; , ), the Lord appeared to Abram again, repeating the promise that he would have an heir (; ; , , ) and instructs him about the covenant of circumcision.] 171When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord (Yahweh) appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty (El Shaddai), walk before me (before my face) and be perfect. [The word perfect is used here in the plural, which reinforces that it applies to all areas of life.] 2I will renew the covenant between me and you, and I will make it very, very great (extensive)." 3Abram fell on his face, and God (Elohim) spoke to him, saying 4"Behold, as for me, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of many peoples (nations – Hebr. gojim). [Here God makes it clear that it is no one other than Abram with whom he wants to make a covenant. It is thus a confirmation of the election.] 5You shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham. [God adds the letter h (Hebr. he), so the name becomes Abraham. This is significant because the Hebr. letter he is pronounced as an exhalation. It sounds like when you blow air to clean a pair of glasses. God breathes His Spirit into Abraham's name! With the help of God's Spirit, the miracle will happen! In Hebrew, the names are pronounced Avram and Avraham. Sarai also gets a new name—Sarah, see .] For I will make you the father of many peoples (nations). 6I will make you very, very fruitful, and I will create nations from you, and kings will come from you (become your descendants), 7and I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed (your descendants) after you, throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant, to be God (Elohim) to you and to your seed after you, 8and I will give to you and to your seed after you (your descendants) the land in which you have been walking, the whole land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God (Elohim)." 9God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your seed (your descendants) after you, throughout their generations. 10This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you, every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12Every son among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised, every man throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with money from any stranger, who is not of your seed (your own children). 13He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised. My covenant shall be on your flesh as an everlasting covenant. 14The uncircumcised man who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that man (literally, the soul) shall be cut off (severed) from his people; he has broken my covenant."Isaac – the son of promise
15Then God said to Abraham, "Your wife shall no longer be called Sarai, but her name shall be Sarah. 16I will bless her and give her a son with you. I will bless her, and she will become the mother of many nations (Hebr. gojim). Kings of peoples (Hebr. am) will come from her!" [In the same way that God adds the letter h (Hebr. he) to Abraham's name (see ), God does the same with Sarai, so that her name becomes Sarahh. This is significant because the letter he is pronounced as an exhalation. God breathes life into Sarai's name, and with the help of God's Spirit, the miracle will happen!] 17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed (Hebr. tsachaq) [the first of three times the word for laughter that has the same root as Isaac's name Yitschaq is used, see also ; ] and said in his heart (to himself), "Will a man who is 100 years old become a father? And can Sarah, who is 90 years old, give birth to a child?" [Literally, it says "a son at 100 years" and "a daughter at 90 years".] 18And Abraham said to God (Elohim), "May Ishmael live before you!" 19God replied, "No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear a son, and you shall name him Isaac [Hebr. Yits-chak from the verb meaning to laugh], and I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for him and his seed (descendants, offspring) after him. 20As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall have twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this appointed time next year." 22He finished speaking with him, and God (Elohim) ascended from Abraham. 23Abraham took his son Ishmael and all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money [318 men, see ], every male person in Abraham's house, and circumcised them on the flesh, on their foreskin, that very day (literally: 'on the bone/power of the day'). [he showed decisiveness, he acted immediately and openly before everyone, see ; ], as God (Elohim) had spoken to him. 24Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh, on his foreskin. 25His son Ishmael was 13 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh, on his foreskin. 26On the same day, Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27All the men in his house, those born there and those bought from strangers for money, were circumcised with him.Three visitors
181
This is what the view from Abraham's tent might have looked like. The picture is from the Jerusalem Botanical Garden.
[Bread was baked daily for the family's needs. It was quick. Flour was mixed with water and baked on the floor over hot coals. The daily requirement for one person, according to , was one omer (which is 3/10 of a sea measure), so three sea measures was far more than was needed for three guests, Abraham and Sarah. Abraham's promise in makes no mention of any slaughtered animal or extravagant meal. Literally, the Hebrew is: "son of cattle, tender and good/beautiful". There is a principle and a lesson in Abraham's actions: Don't promise too much too soon! Instead of disappointing someone by not fulfilling your promise, it is much better to surprise them with more than you first said.] 8Then [when the meat was ready], he took butter (cheese) and milk and the calf he had prepared and set it before them. He himself stood [like a servant] under the tree while they ate. 9They [the three] said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
He replied, "There (see – Hebr. hinneh), in the tent." [Abraham probably gestured and pointed inside the tent.] 10And he [the Lord] said, "I will surely return to you when the time has come around (in a year), and behold, your wife Sarah shall have a son."
Sarah heard this [as she stood] at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old and had reached a ripe old age, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthly periods. 12Sarah laughed (Hebr. tsachaq) to herself (in her heart) and said, "Now that I am old, shall I have pleasure? My lord is also old." 13The Lord (Yahweh) said to Abraham, "Why does Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old? 14Is anything too hard for the Lord (Yahweh)? At the appointed (agreed) time I will return to you, when the time has come around (in a year), and Sarah will have a son." 15Sarah denied it and said, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "Yes, you did laugh."Abraham prays for Sodom's salvation
[The following passage is framed by Abraham "walking with" the visitors, see , and then "returning" to his tent in . Two different perspectives emerge, God hearing the cry from the city (verses 17-21) and Abraham seeing the city (verses 22-32).] 16The men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to see them off. 17The Lord (Yahweh) said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all (other) nations will be blessed in him. 19I have let him know me (in a confidential and intimate way) so that he may command his sons and (all) his household after him (all his descendants, born, bought, and adopted) to keep the way of the Lord, to do what is right and just throughout all generations. Then the Lord will give Abraham everything he has spoken of him." 20The Lord (Yahweh) said, "The outcry from Sodom [meaning: burn] and Gomorrah [meaning: baptism; root word trade, tyranny] is indeed great, and their sin is overwhelming (very heavy – Hebr. kaved meód). 21Now I will go down and see whether they deserve destruction, as the cry has come to me. If not, I will know (gain knowledge of) it." 22The men left and went to Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before (in front of) the Lord (Yahweh). 23Abraham drew nearer and said, "Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24Suppose there are 50 righteous people in the city, will you really sweep them away and not forgive the place for the sake of the 50 righteous people who are there? 25Far be it from you to do such a thing, to strike the righteous along with the wicked, so that the righteous are treated like the wicked. Far be it from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth be just?" [Here Abraham addresses God as the Judge of all the earth.] 26The Lord (Yahweh) replied, "If there are 50 righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will save the whole place for their sake." 27Then Abraham asked, "Since I have decided to speak to the Lord (Adonai), I will continue, even though I am only dust and ashes. 28What if there are 5 fewer than 50 righteous people, will you destroy the whole city for the sake of these 5 people?" He [the Lord] replied, "I will not destroy it if there are 45 righteous people there." 29Abraham spoke to him again: "What if there are only 40 there?" He replied, "I will not do it because of the 40." 30Then Abraham said, "Lord (Adonai), do not be angry that I continue to ask! What if there are only 30 there?" He replied, "I will not do it for the sake of the 30." 31Abraham said, "Since I have decided to speak to the Lord, I will continue. What if there are only 20 there?" He replied, "I will not do it for the sake of the 20." 32Finally, Abraham said, "Lord (Adonai), do not be angry that I ask one more time! What if there are only 10 [righteous people, see ] there?" He replied, "I will not do it for the sake of the 10." 33And the Lord (Yahweh) departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place [back home to Mamre outside Hebron, see ]. [Since Abraham's first plea (verses 23-25), the Lord has responded six times (verses 26, 28b, 29b, 30b, 31b, 32b). There were not ten righteous people in the city. In there is a similar prayer, but the same Jeremiah writes in that each generation is responsible for the consequences of its own guilt, see also ; .]Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed
191The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom, and Lot saw them and rose up to meet them, and he fell on his face to the ground. [Bowing deeply was a common sign of respect at that time.] 2He [Lot] said, "Please, my lords [messengers], I beg you, turn aside and come into your servant's house and stay there all night and wash your feet, so that you may rise early and go on your way."
They replied, "No, but we will stay in the square (the open place) overnight." [It was not unusual for travelers to sleep on the street wrapped in their cloaks.] 3He pleaded with them intensely, and they turned to him and entered his house, and he prepared (made) a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house, all the people from every quarter. 5They called out to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came in to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may know (have sexual relations with) them." 6And Lot went out to them at the door and shut the door behind him. 7And he said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing. 8Behold, I have two daughters who have not known (had sexual relations with) any man; let me, I beg you, bring them out to you, and you can do what is good in your eyes with them; only do nothing to these men, since they have come under the shadow of my roof (are under my protection)." 9And they replied, "Move aside," and they said, "These came here on a journey, and he [Lot] wants to be a judge! Now we will treat you worse than them." And they pressed hard against the man, against Lot, and came close to breaking down the door. 10But the men [angels] stretched out their hands and pulled Lot into the house and closed the door. [The more unusual Hebrew sentence structure with the verb last indicates that the door is not sealed in the usual way but supernaturally.] 11And they struck the men outside the door with blindness [the word is used only here and in , can refer to both physical and mental blindness], both small and great, so that they tired themselves out trying to find the door. 12And the men [the heavenly visitors] said to Lot, "Do you have anyone here, sons-in-law, your sons and your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring them out of this place, 13for we are going to destroy this place, because their cry has grown great before the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) has sent us to destroy it." 14And Lot went out and spoke to his [future] sons-in-law who were to marry [had married] his daughters, saying, "Rev, get away from this place, for the Lord (Yahweh) is going to destroy the city." But he was like a man joking (teasing, mocking) to his sons-in-law. [The Hebrew text is without tense. The Greek translation Septuagint translates it as "already married sons-in-law," which would refer to other daughters (than the two mentioned in ) who were already married, but since the daughters live with him, it is more likely that they are betrothed and the text refers to future sons-in-law (as translated in the Latin Vulgate). Regardless, the main point is that they did not listen and did not believe that he was serious. The same verb describes Sarah's response, see , , .] 15And when morning dawned, the angels hurried Lot, saying, "Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the transgressions of the city." 16But he [Lot] lingered, and the men took hold of his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the Lord (Yahweh) was merciful to him. And they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17And when they had brought them outside, he said, "Flee for your lives, do not look back, and do not stop in the plain; flee to the mountains, lest you be swept away." [The plain was probably the area that was overturned and formed the Dead Sea.] 18Lot said to them, "Not so, my lord, 19see that your servant has found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness (caring love – Hebr. chesed) to me by saving my life. I cannot [do not have time to] flee to the mountains, lest evil overtake me and I die. [Lot negotiates with the chief angel in a similar way to Abraham with his guests, see . He wishes to flee to the small town of Zoar. Here, the Hebrew word chesed appears for the first time in the Old Testament. It means grace, caring love, and faithfulness. The word chen for mercy is also used here, but it is described in detail in . Chesed is the most common word for mercy in the Old Testament. It occurs 241 times. In total, there are five different roots that mean mercy in slightly different ways in Hebrew. Chesed is the type of grace that describes caring love and also faithfulness. It is grace that cares in a practical way, driven by genuine love that lasts over time. Chesed is a grace that never fails.] 20Now, this city is close to flee to and it is small (insignificant) [Tsoar was the smallest of the five cities in this area, see , so spare it], let me flee to it—is it not insignificant?—and I (my soul) shall live." 21And he said to him, "See, I have agreed to your request in this matter also, so I will not destroy the city you speak of. 22Hurry, flee there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there." That is why the city is called Zoar. [Zoar means insignificant, unassuming, insignificant, or small.]Sodom is destroyed
23
Sodom is destroyed, by French painter Jules Laurens (1825-1901).
Lot and his daughters
30And Lot went up from Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, he and his two daughters with him, for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar, and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31The firstborn [older] said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth who will come in to us (take us as wives) in the ways of the earth (can mean "that no one will walk the paths that enable them to meet" or "in accordance with worldly traditions"). 32Come, let us give our father wine to drink [so that he becomes drunk and loses his judgment], and then we will lie with him, so that we may preserve our father's seed." [Previously, the father was willing to use his daughters for sexual purposes without their consent. Now they are using their father for sexual purposes without his consent, see . The intention to preserve the family line was honorable, but the way it was done was despicable. The fact that they had to intoxicate their father shows that they knew incest was wrong, see ; .] 33And they gave wine to their father that night [and made him drunk]. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 34In the morning, the firstborn said to the younger, "Look, I lay with my father last night. Let us give him wine to drink tonight too, and you go in and lie with him, so that we may preserve our father's seed." 35And they gave their father wine to drink that night too. And the younger one got up and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she got up. 36So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. 37And the firstborn bore a son and named him Moab; he is the ancestor of the Moabites to this day. [The Moabites became a people who settled east of the Dead Sea in present-day Jordan; the name sounds like "from the father" in Hebrew.] 38And the younger also bore a son and named him Ben-Ammi [sounds like "my kinsman's son"], who is the ancestor of the Ammonites to this day. [The Ammonites settled north of Moab; both Moab and Ammon were enemies of Israel.]Abraham and Abimelech—the first healing
201Abraham journeyed from there [Hebron, see ] southward in the land [Negev, see ] and lived between Kadesh [] and Shor [], and he wandered about in Gerar. 2Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." [] And Avimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her. [Abraham repeats the same mistake he made earlier, see . His son Isaac does the same, see .] 3But God (Elohim) came to Avimelech in a dream at night and said to him, "Behold, you are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is another man's wife." 4Avimelech had not come near her (had no intimate relations or sexual intercourse with her), and he said, "Lord (Adonai), will you also kill a righteous nation? 5Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and did she not say, 'He is my brother'? In the simplicity of my heart and the innocence of my hands, I have done this." 6And God (Elohim) said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that it is in the simplicity (ignorance) of your heart that you have done this, and that is also why I am preventing you from sinning against me. Therefore, I did not allow you to touch her. 7But now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you so that you may live. [Abraham is the first person in the Old Testament to be called a prophet.] But if you do not return her, know that you will surely die, you and all that belongs to you." 8Avimelech rose early in the morning and called (cried out) to all his servants and spoke all these words in their ears [carefully recounting everything he had dreamed to them], and the men were very afraid. 9Then Avimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you that you have brought this great sin upon me and my kingdom? You have done to me what should not be done!" 10And Avimelech said further to Abraham, "How do you explain that you have done this?" 11And Abraham said, "Because I thought that there was surely no fear of God in this place, and they would kill me for my wife's sake. 12Moreover, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and so she became my wife. 13And it happened when God (Elohim) made me wander away from my father's house (my family) [] that I said to her, 'This is the kindness (caring love) that I want you to show me, that in every place we come to, you shall say of me that I am your brother. " [The word "wander" (Hebr. taah) means to walk but also to wander around both physically and in one's thoughts, which makes it possible that it was already during the early days after Abraham left Ur that he came to this conclusion in his reflections.] 14And Avimelech took sheep and oxen and servants and maidservants and gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15And Avimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; dwell wherever it pleases you." 16And to Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother 1,000 [shekels] of silver, it is a covering (covering) for your eyes, for all who are with you, and before all men, that they may know that you are defended." 17And Abraham prayed to God (the only God – Hebr. ha-elohim), and God (Elohim) healed Avimelech and his wife and his female servants [slaves, concubines], so that they could have children again. 18For the Lord (Yahweh) had closed all the wombs in Avimelech's house because of Abraham's wife Sarah. [This describes the first healing in the Bible. There are several lessons here:
• Abraham must pray for someone else who suffers from the same problem as he himself has before he himself is healed. It is only after this event, in the next chapter (), that Sarah becomes pregnant!
• Abraham was not sinless when he prayed; it was his half-lie () that caused the situation with Avimelech. God can use us to pray for others despite our own shortcomings.
• The result of the healing was not immediately apparent. The healing took place when Abraham prayed, but it was only later, when the women began to give birth, that the visible evidence of the healing could be seen!] The "first occurrence" principle
The first time something is mentioned in the Bible, important lessons and fundamental truths about that subject are often presented. In biblical interpretation, this principle is called "first occurrence." One example is blood (Hebr. damm), which when mentioned in is also equated with human life. Jesus uses the principle of first occurrence when he teaches about marriage in and says that "from the beginning" the Creator made man male and female, see ; . In general, the teaching in the books of Moses also lays a foundation for the rest of the Bible, see .
Note! As with all principles of biblical interpretation, it is important to maintain balance and always read the text in its context. A word does not necessarily mean the same thing every time it is mentioned. The first time the serpent (Hebr. nachash) is mentioned, it is associated with Satan, but the bronze serpent () is also a clear reference to Jesus (). When Jesus urges believers to be like serpents, the meaning, right from the first occurrence, is that a believer should question ideologies and ways of thinking that are not from God and cast doubt on false beliefs. However, the negative meaning is balanced, but it should be done in an innocent and pure way (like a dove), see . Sometimes it can also be difficult to know whether something is mentioned first chronologically or thematically. The order of the books in the Old Testament is also different in the Hebrew Bible than in our Western Bibles.
The birth of Isaac
211And the Lord (Yahweh) remembered Sarah as he had said, and the Lord (Yahweh) did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2And Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time that God (Elohim) had spoken to him. 3And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. [Isaac (Hebr. Yits-chak) means "he laughs." Since Isaac is an important image of Jesus, it is worth noting the connection to his coming with joy.] 4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God (Elohim) had commanded him. 5And Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6And Sarah said, "God (Elohim) has made me laugh (Hebr. tsechoq), and everyone who hears this will laugh with me." 7And she said, "Who would have said (spoken words from the heart – Hebr. malal) to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a child? For I have borne him a son in his old age."
These events in 2000 BC are prophetic. Isaac's life is filled with shadows of the coming Messiah:
They are born in a miraculous way – Sarah was too old, Jesus through virgin birth ()
Their mothers ask how this will happen (; ; )
They are named before birth (; )
They are born at the predicted time (; )
They are native sons (; )
They are loved by their fathers (; )
They are born at the predicted time (; )
De är enfödda söner ()
They go up Mount Moriah to be sacrificed ()
The servants do not accompany them (; )
They will return (; )
They go up Mount Moriah to be sacrificed ()
The servants do not accompany them (; ) Matt. 20:17-19)
They ride on a donkey before the sacrifice
(; ; ) They carry wood to the place of sacrifice
(; ) They submit to their father's will
(, ; ) They are in their thirties
(; ) They live after the sacrifice
() After the death and resurrection of their son, their father sends servants to find a bride for them
(; ; ) They pray for their wife and future children
([Gen. 25:21; John 1:12; 17:20])Hagar and Ishmael are sent away
8The child grew and was weaned. And Abraham arranged (held) a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. [Probably at the age of 4-5.] 9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing (having fun, "fooling around" – Hebr. tsachaq). 10Therefore, she said to Abraham, "Cast out this servant woman and her son, for the servant woman's son shall not be heir with my son, my Isaac." 11This matter was very painful (sad, sorrowful) in Abraham's eyes because of his son. 12And God (Elohim) said to Abraham, "Let this not be painful (sad, distressing) in your eyes because of the young man and because of your servant woman. In all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice (what she has said), for in (through) Isaac shall seed (descendants, future generations) be named after you. 13But also of the son of the servant woman I will make a nation, because he is your seed." 14And Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hag, placing it on her shoulder and the child's, and sent her away, and she went and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15And the water in the skin was spent, and she left the child under a bush (tree – Hebr. siach). [Unusual word for bush or tree, may be a tamarisk bush, see also .] 16She went and sat down opposite him, a good distance away, so that there was a bowshot between them, for she said, "Let me not see the child die." And she sat opposite him and lifted up her voice and wept. 17And God (Elohim) heard the voice of the lad, and the angel (messenger) of God (Elohim) called to Hag from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hag? Do not be afraid, for God (Elohim) has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18Get up, lift up the young man and hold him in your hand, for I will make him a great nation (people)." 19And God (Elohim) opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20And God (Elohim) was with the young man, and he grew up and lived in the desert and became an archer. 21And he lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took (brought) a wife for him from the land of Egypt.The Covenant at Beer-Sheba
22And it came to pass at that time that Avimelech and Pichol, the leader of his army, spoke to Abraham and said, "God (Elohim) is with you in everything you do. 23Therefore, give me your oath (promise) by God (Elohim) that you will not act falsely (do wrong) toward me, nor toward my sons, nor toward my grandsons (grandchildren), but according to the kindness (caring love – Hebr. chesed) that I have shown (done toward) you, so shall you do toward me and toward the land in which you have wandered." 24And Abraham said, "I promise (swear, take an oath)." 25And Abraham rebuked Avimelech because of the water sources (wells – Hebr. ) that Avimelech's servants had forcibly removed (destroyed) [probably filled with earth and stones]. 26And Avimelech said, "I don't know who did this, nor have you told me, I haven't heard anything about this until today." 27And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Avimelech, and the two made a covenant. [They made a blood covenant with each other, which was relatively common at that time.] 28And Abraham took seven female lambs from the flock and set them apart. 29And Avimelech said to Abraham, "What do these seven female lambs mean that you have set apart?" 30And he replied, "These seven female lambs you shall take from my hand, so that they may be a witness for me that I dug these seven wells (seven water sources – Hebr. beer sheva)." 31Therefore, the place is called Beer-Sheva because they both made an oath (gave each other promises). [Hebr. beer means source and sheva means seven and oath or promise. To swear an oath can also be literally expressed as "to swear oneself." The number seven is associated with completion, perfection, and satisfaction. It also refers to perfection, abundance, and overflow. The word also implies that all this is done with joy, that is, something positive.] 32
Large tamarisk trees still grow in Beer-Sheva today.
God tests Abraham
221And it came to pass after this, that God tested Abraham, and said unto him, "Abraham," and he said, "Here I am." [Here I am (Hebr. hineni) is an expression that does not primarily refer to one's physical or geographical location. Instead, it means "I am at your disposal" or "I am ready to take responsibility." Here in , the word appears for the first time in the Bible. The word appears three times in this chapter, see verses 7 and 11. Both Abraham and everyone else who gives this answer are examples of people who take on some form of leadership role when they say hineni – here I am. Isaac says it in , Jacob in , Moses in , the prophet Samuel says it in , the prophet Isaiah in , and others.] 2He (God) said, "Now take (I beg you) your son, your only (precious – Hebr. jachid) son whom you love (Hebr. ahava) – Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering (Hebr. olah) to me, on a mountain that I will tell you about." [In this verse, the word jachid is used for the first time. The word describes something that is precious. Abraham also had Ishmael, but Isaac is the only son born to Sarah. The word for love, ahava, is also used for the first time in the Old Testament here. Ahava means to love or love. It is significant that, just as Abraham loves Isaac, Jesus is God's beloved Son. This entire chapter is a picture of how God will sacrifice Jesus for all of humanity. In every detail, we see here many foreshadowings of what will happen later. God proved his love for us by giving his only Son. In fact, this is an important prerequisite for the continuation of the covenant that God made with Abraham in . If Abraham is willing to sacrifice his son, God is prepared to do the same, which also happens 2,000 years later. In a blood covenant, both parties must be willing to make the same sacrifices for each other.] 3Abraham rose early the next morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young men (Hebr. naar) [servants] and Isaac, his son. He split wood for the burnt offering, got up, and went to the place God had told him about. 4On the third day, Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place far away. 5Abraham said to his young men (servants): "Wait here with the donkey, I and the young man (Hebr. naar) will go on, we will worship (literally: "bow down, bend in reverence" – Hebr. shachah) and come back to you." [Isaac is not a young boy but an adult man. The Hebrew word naar is used for teenagers and young men. The same word is used both for Abraham's servants, who were young men, and for his son Isaac, see verses 3, 5, 12, 19. He could easily have resisted and overpowered his old father, but willingly agrees to be bound. Isaac's actions are a foreshadowing of Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary. Isaac himself carries the wood for the sacrifice, just as Jesus himself carries the crossbeam. The location is also the same, Mount Moriah is the hill in Jerusalem where the temple stood at the southern end of the ridge that stretches north, which makes it possible that Jesus was actually crucified in the exact same place where Abraham built the altar. Based on Sarah's age, we can see that Isaac was no older than 37. She died at the age of 127, see , and gave birth to Isaac when she was 90, see ; . The words "many days" in and "after this" in also suggest that the event did not take place when he was a child, but when he was an adult. It would not be unbelievable if Isaac was 33 years old, which in that case coincides exactly with the age of Jesus.] 6Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. He took the fire in his hand and the knife, and they both went together. 7Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, "My father," and he replied, "Here I am, my son." He said, "We have fire and wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" [This is the second time Abraham says "here I am" in this chapter, see also verses 1 and 11.] 8Abraham answered, "God (Elohim) will provide himself with the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." They both walked on together. [The fact that the Hebrew here expresses that God will provide for himself also speaks prophetically about God providing for himself the perfect sacrifice when he later gives his son Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world and all people.] 9And they came to the place that God (Elohim) had told him about, and Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood. Then he bound (Hebr. aqed) Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. [In Judaism, this story has been given the name Akedah – "the binding" of Isaac.] 10And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11Then the angel of the Lord (Yahweh) called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham," and he replied, "Here I am." [This is now the third time Abraham says "here I am" in this chapter; see also verses 1 and 7.] 12Then he [the angel of the Lord] said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad (Hebr. naar), do nothing to him, for now I know [I have personally experienced] that you are a godly man (that you fear Elohim). You have [not] withheld your son, your only [son], from me." [Heb. 11:17-19; James 2:21-23] 13Abraham looked around (lifted up his eyes and looked) and behold, behind [him] was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14And Abraham called that place (gave that place the name) The Lord (Yahweh) sees (provides, appoints – Hebr. raah), [or] as it is said to this day about the mountain: "The Lord will reveal himself (Yahweh jeraeh)." [The last phrase can also be translated: "on the mountain of the Lord (Yahweh) it shall be provided." There are several descriptive names for God in the Old Testament. Yahweh-Jireh – "the Lord our provider" is one of them, see also ; ; ; ; ; .] 15The angel (messenger) of the Lord (Yahweh) [] called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16and said, "By myself I have sworn (given my oath), declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh), because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will bless you and multiply you, I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven and like the sand on the seashore, and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18In your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." 19Abraham returned to his young men (servants), and they rose up and went together to Beer-Sheva, and Abraham lived in Beer-Sheva. [] 20And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, "Behold, Milcah has borne [eight] children to your brother Nahor." [] 21Us (Hebr. Ots), his firstborn
and Boz, his brother
and Qemoel, the father of Aram,
22and Kesed
and Chazo
and Pileddash
and Jidlaf
and Betuel. 23And Bethuel begot Rebekah, these eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24His concubine, whose name was Reoma, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.Sarah's death
231Sarah lived to be 127 years old [100 years and 20 years and 7 years], these were the years that Sarah lived. [Sarah's age is written here in an unusual way with the word year (Hebr. shanah) between each part of the numbers. Literally, the Hebrew reads: "one hundred years and twenty years and seven years"; the more common Hebrew way would have been to write "one hundred and twenty and seven years." One interpretation is that this indicates different periods in her life.] 2Sarah died in Kirjat Arba, which is Hebron in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn Sarah and weep over her. 3Abraham rose from his dead [wife's body] and spoke to the sons of Heth [the Hittites; descendants of Heth, who was the son of Canaan, see ; ; ] and said: 4"I am a stranger and a visitor among you; give me a piece of land as a burial place among you, so that I may bury my dead in my presence." 5The sons of Heth answered Abraham and said to him: 6"Listen, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us; choose among our tombs and bury your dead; none of us will refuse to give you his tomb, but you shall be able to bury your dead [wife Sarah]." 7Abraham rose and bowed down [in respect and reverence] before the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8He spoke to them and said, "If it is your wish that I should bury my dead in my vicinity, then listen to me and intercede on my behalf before Ephron, son of Zohar, 9that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me for the full price, in your presence (with you as witnesses), as a property for a burial place." 10Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of all the sons of Heth, who had entered the gate of his city. [The place where all important business deals were made at that time.] He said, 11"No, my lord, listen to me, I will give you the field and the cave that is there. I will give it to you, before the sons of my people (as witnesses), I will give it to you. Bury your dead." 12Abraham bowed [bowed to show respect and reverence] before the people of the land. 13He spoke to Ephron so that the people of the land could hear it and said, "If you wish, I beg you (appeal) to listen to me, I will give you full payment for the field, accept it from me and I will then bury my dead there." 14Efron answered Abraham and said: 15"My lord, listen to me, a piece of land worth 400 shekels [a total of 4.6 kg] of silver, what is that between us? Therefore, bury your dead." 16Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out the silver to Ephron, as he had said in the presence of the sons of Heth. 400 shekels [a total of 4.6 kg] of silver in the current currency used by merchants. 17The field of Ephron, which is in Machpela, which is before Mamre, the field and the cave that is there, and all the trees that are in the field, that were within its borders all around, were established 18as Abraham's property before the sons of Heth, before all the (witnesses) who had entered the city gate. 19After that, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpela in front of Mamre, which is Hebron in the land of Canaan. 20The field and the cave were established as Abraham's property, as a burial place, by the sons of Heth. [This is the first and only piece of land in Israel that legally becomes the property of the Jews through Abraham. It can be regarded as a first fruit and assurance that the rest of God's promise concerning the land will also be fulfilled. This happens when the people take the land under Joshua's leadership 300 years later. However, the full borders mentioned in the Bible have never been in Jewish possession; they are probably the borders Israel will have during the millennial kingdom.]Rebecca becomes Isaac's wife
241Abraham was old, he had come to many days (lived a long time), and the Lord (Yahweh) had blessed Abraham in everything (in all areas, in every way, in everything he did). 2Abraham said to his servant, the eldest in his house, whom he had appointed to manage all he had: "I beg you, put your hand under my thigh. 3I want you to swear by the Lord (Yahweh), the God of heaven (Elohim) and the God of earth (Elohim), that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among those who live here. 4Instead, it shall be someone from my country and from my relatives, and you shall take (seek out, find) a wife for my son Isaac." 5The servant said to him, "If the woman is not willing to come with me to this land, shall I then be compelled to take your son back to the land from which you came?" 6Abraham replied, "Be careful not to take my son back there. 7The Lord (Yahweh), the God of heaven (Elohim), who took me from my father's house and from the land where I was born, and who spoke to me and swore an oath, saying, 'To your descendants [all your future children] I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8If the woman is not willing to go with you, you shall be free from my oath. The only thing you must promise (forever) is not to take my son back there." 9The servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and swore an oath to him according to these words. 10 Theservant took ten of his master's camels and set out. He had all good things (many precious gifts) from his master's hand. He rose and went to Aram-Naharim (meaning: Aram of the two rivers) [northern Mesopotamia], to the city of Nahor. 11In the evening, he made the camels lie down (literally kneel) by the water source outside the city, at the time when the women go out to draw water. [It must be about the last hour before sunset, because it is not possible to draw water when it is dark. Nor does one want to perform this heavy task when the day is at its hottest.] 12He said, "Lord (Yahweh), God of my master Abraham (Elohim), I pray (appeal to you) that today something good may come before my face and show mercy (caring love) to my master Abraham. 13Behold, I am standing at the water source, and the daughters of the city will come out and draw water. 14Let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Put down your pitcher so that I may drink,' and she replies, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels water,' let her be the one chosen for your servant, for Isaac, so that I may know that you have shown mercy (loving kindness) to my master." 15And it came to pass, while he was still speaking, that Rebekah came out [even before he had finished his prayer], born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, and she had her pitcher on her shoulder. 16The young woman (teenage girl aged 14-17 – Hebr. naarah) was beautiful to look at, a virgin (secluded – Hebr. betolah), no man had known her, and she went down to the well and filled her pitcher and came up. 17The servant ran to her and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar." 18She replied, "Drink, my lord," and she hurried to take the pitcher from her shoulder and gave him a drink. 19After she had given him a drink, she said, "I will also draw water for the camels until they have drunk their fill." [A camel can drink up to 40 liters of water at one time, so if 10 camels were to drink their fill, that means Rebekah may have drawn as much as 400 liters of water. It is therefore not obvious that she would offer to do this.] 20She hurried to pour the jug into the trough and ran back to the spring and drew water for all his camels. 21The man watched her the whole time and remained silent (stayed still) to find out whether the Lord (Yahweh) had made his journey successful or not. 22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold ring weighing one beka [5.8 grams – equivalent to half a shekel, see ] and two bracelets for her hands weighing 10 shekels [115 grams] in gold. 23He said, "Whose daughter are you? Tell me, I beg you. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" 24She replied, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." 25She added, "We have both hay and enough fodder and room to spend the night." 26The man bowed his head and worshiped (prostrated himself before) the Lord (Yahweh). 27He said, "Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his mercy (loving kindness) and his truth toward my master. The Lord (Yahweh) has led me on the way (has been my guide so that I came to the right place) to my master's brother's house." [Grace and truth (Hebr. chesed ve emet) are inseparable. They are always presented in the same order and are found in God's own testimony, see . Grace without truth becomes meaningless, while truth without grace becomes merciless.] 28The young woman ran away and told all these words in her mother's house. 29Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and Laban ran out to the man at the well. 30It happened that when he saw the ring and bracelets on his sister's hands and heard the words that Rebekah, his sister, spoke when she said, "This is what the man said to me," he came out to the man, and behold, he was standing with the camels at the well. 31He said, "Come in, you who are blessed by the Lord (Yahweh), why are you standing outside? I have prepared the house and made room for your camels." 32The man entered the house and unsaddled his camels, and he gave the camels hay and fodder. He was given water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my business." He (Laban) said, "Speak." 34Then he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35The Lord (Yahweh) has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds (of cattle), silver and gold, servants and maidservants, camels and donkeys. 36And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master in her old age, and to him he has given all that he has. 37My master has made me swear an oath, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell. 38Instead, you shall go to my father's house and to my relatives and take a wife for my son. 39I said to my master, 'But what if the woman is unwilling to follow me? 40Then he said to me, 'The Lord (Yahweh), before whom I walk, will send his angel with you and make your way successful, and you shall take a wife for my son from among my relatives and from my father's house. 41Then you will be free from your oath when you come to my relatives. If they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath. 42So today I came to the spring and said, 'Lord (Yahweh), God of my master Abraham (Elohim), please make the journey I have taken successful. 43behold, I am standing by the spring of water; let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please give me a little water to drink from your jar,' 44she shall say, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels water to drink,' let her be the woman whom the Lord (Yahweh) has chosen for my master's son. 45And before I had finished speaking to my heart, behold, Rebekah came with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. And I said to her, 'Let me drink, I beg you'. 46She quickly took the pitcher down from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels water too.' So I drank, and she gave the camels water too. 47I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' and she replied, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.'
Then I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48Then I bowed my head and prostrated myself before the Lord (Yahweh) and blessed the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of my master Abraham, who has led me on the right path (has been my guide so that I came to the right place) to the house of my master's brother's daughter for his son. 49If you wish to be gracious (show loving kindness) and faithful (true) [see ] to my master, tell me; but if not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right or to the left."[Mercy and truth (Hebr. chesed ve emet) are inseparable. They are always presented in the same order and are found in God's own testimony, see . Here the expression is used between people. Grace without truth becomes meaningless, while truth without grace becomes merciless.] 50Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "We cannot speak evil or good of what comes from the Lord (Yahweh). 51Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken." 52When Abraham's servant heard these words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord (Yahweh). 53The servant took out jewels of silver and jewels of gold and fine clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. 54They ate and drank, the men who were with him, and stayed there all night.
When they rose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." 55Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us for a few days, at least ten. Then she may go." 56He said to them, "Do not delay me, for the Lord (Yahweh) has made my journey successful. Send me away so that I may go to my master." 57They said, "We will call the young woman and ask her own mouth." 58They called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She replied, "I will go." 59They sent away Rebekah, their sister, and her nurse [Deborah, see ], and Abraham's servant and his men. 60They blessed Rebekah and said to her: "Our sister, may you become the mother
of thousands and tens of thousands
and may your seed (your children) take possession
of the gates of those who hate them."
61Rebekah rose with her maidservants, and they rode on camels and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and went on his way. 62Isaac came from Beer Lachai Roi, for he lived in the land of the Negev. 63Toward the evening, Isaac went out into the field tinking (in deep thought), and he lifted up his eyes and saw—and behold [Hebr. vehinneh – a shift in perspective; we see through Isaac’s eyes]: There were camels coming! 64Rebekah looked up and when she saw Isaac, she got off her came and 65she said to the servant, “Who is that man walking toward us in the field?” The servant replied, "It is my master." She then took her veil and covered herself. 66The servant recounted (listed – Hebr. safar) to Isaac everything he had done. 67Isaac brought her [Rebekah] into his mother Sarah’s tent [welcomed her into their family, introduced her to the family traditions, etc.]. He married Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. Thus Isaac was comforted [in his grief] after his mother.Abraham's death
251Abraham took another wife. Her name was Keturah (Hebr. Qetorah; meaning: incense/sacrifice). [In she is called a concubine, suggesting that this happened earlier.] 2She bore him [six children]: Zimran
and Jokshan
and Medan
and Midian [ancestors of the Midianites; Zipporah was from that tribe, see ; ]
and Ishbak
and Shuah.
3Jokshan [Abraham's second son with Keturah] had
Sheba
and Dedan [; ; ]. The sons of Dedan were
Ashorim
and Letoshim
and Leummim.
4[Abraham's fourth son by Keturah] The sons of Midian were
Ephah
and Epher
and Hanoch (Hebr. Chanoch)
and Abida
and Eldaa. All these were the sons of Keturah. 5But Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac. 6But to the sons of his concubines, whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts. And he sent them away from his son Isaac while he was still alive, eastward, to the eastern regions. 7And these are the days and years of Abraham's life that he lived, 175 years. 8Abraham breathed his last and died at a good, old age, old and satisfied. Then he was gathered to his people. 9Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave in Machpela in the field that lies before Mamre, which (formerly) belonged to Ephron, the son of Zohar, the Hittite, 10the field that Abraham bought from the sons of Heth [], where Abraham buried his wife Sarah. 11After Abraham's death, God (Elohim) blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac lived in Beer Lachai Roi.The continuing story of Ishmael
[Here comes a new "toledot unit" that begins the eighth literary unit of twelve in Gen. 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2.] 12This is the continued story of Ishmael (Hebr. Yishmael) (his genealogy/family tree – ) [in the order in which they were born]. Abraham's son, whom Hag the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham. 13And these are the names of Ishmael's [twelve] sons, according to their names, in the order of their birth. Ishmael's firstborn
Nevajot
and Kedar
and Adbeel
and Mivsam 14and Mishma
and Doham
and Massa, 15Chadad
and Tema,
Jetor,
Naphish
and Kedem. 16These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names according to their villages and according to their dwellings. Twelve princes [] according to their nations. 17These are the years of Ishmael's life, 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. [] 18They lived from Havilah (Hebr. Chavila) to Shor, which is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria [the area from northern Sinai to the border of western Mesopotamia]. He [Ishmael, see ] fell (got his lot; settled down; came into conflict; died) against (face, east of) his brothers.The continuation of Isaac's story
[Here comes a new "toledot unit" (the ninth of twelve in Genesis). The creation story begins, and then there follow 11 units that begin with the Hebrew word toledot, see ; ; ; ; , ; , ; , ; . The story picks up from the chapter where Isaac gets his wife Rebekah. The new information the reader gets here is that Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebecca as his wife.] 19This is the account of Isaac, Abraham's son (continued story – Hebr. ). Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20And it came to pass (Hebr. vajehi) that Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah, daughter of the Aramean Bethuel from Paddan-Aram and sister of the Aramean Laban, as his wife.[This was the area around Haran in Upper Mesopotamia. Isaac lives to be 180 years old (), which means that he still has 140 years left of his earthly life when he marries. In Jewish culture, men are around 18-20 and women are often 14-15 at the time of marriage, but life expectancy is 70-80 years.] 21Isaac pleaded (prayed to – Hebr. atar) to the Lord (Yahweh) for his wife, because she was barren. The Lord (Yahweh) answered his prayer (Hebr. atar) and Rebekah became pregnant. Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah and 60 years old when his prayer was answered, see verses 20 and 26. It was a persistent prayer for nearly 20 years. The word for prayer here is unusual. 22But the children were fighting with each other [kicking each other violently] inside her [in an unusual and probably painful way]. So she said, "Why should this be so for me?" [Literally: "If so, why me?" Why should I suffer this?] And she went to demand (ask for an answer – Hebr. darash) from the Lord (Yahweh). 23The Lord (Yahweh) said to her: "Two peoples (Hebr. gojim) are in your womb (Hebr. beten)
yes, two tribes (ethnic groups – Hebr. leom) will spread out (Hebr. parad) from your womb (Hebr. meeh).
One tribe will be stronger
than the other
and the older
will serve the younger." [] [The same word for spread is used in the overview of the nations, see .]
24When the time came (the days were fulfilled) for her to give birth, see [Hebr. vehinneh – change of perspective, the reader is moved into the tent where she is to give birth]: There were twins in her womb! 25And the first came out, reddish (Hebr. admoni)—he was covered all over, [his body was] like a hairy (Hebr. sear) garment [cloak]. And they named him Esau. [His reddish color is similar to the word for Edomite (Hebr. adomi), the people who would descend from him; see . The word for “hairy” also alludes to the name of the region where Esau would live, the mountainous region of Seir; see .] 26And then his brother came—and his hand held on to Esau's heel (Hebr. akev). And he was named Jacob (Hebr. Jaaqov). Isaac was 60 years old when they were born. [Both sons' names are included in wordplay. Jacob's name alludes to him "holding the heel." The older brother is thus named after his appearance and the younger after his actions. Esau was born reddish, and Jacob was born to grab someone by the heel. The verb aqav has a negative meaning of pushing away, deceiving, and taking away, see ; .] 27And the boys grew up. And Esau became a man skilled in hunting [well acquainted with hunting and became a skilled hunter]—a man of the field, while Jacob became a quiet (Hebr. tam) man who stayed among the tents. [The contrasts between the brothers continue. Esau is adventurous and likes to be outdoors, while Jacob is content to be at home. The word tam also has the meaning of blameless, but here it is more in the sense of "wholeness" in life; he is content to be at home.] 28And Isaac loved Esau because he got to eat his game [literally: "for game in his mouth"], while Rebekah loved Jacob. 29Jacob had cooked (Hebr. zid) a stew (Hebrew: nazid), [just] when Esau came in from the field and he was exhausted. [The word for cooking (Hebr. zid) is similar to the word for hunting (Hebr. tsod). That is the only similarity in what they do.] 30And Esau said to Jacob, "Let me gulp down (devour, swallow – Hebr. laat) some of that red stuff (Hebr. edom), that red stuff there, for I am exhausted!" That is why he was given the name Edom. [The word for eating is only used here in the Old Testament. In later rabbinical literature, it is used about animals that eat. Esau also cannot bring himself to say "the soup"; he just calls it "the red stuff" and wants it right away.] 31And Jacob replied, "First (this day), sell your birthright (Hebr. bechorah) to me." [The firstborn son received a double inheritance, see .] 32Esau said, "Look, I am dying, so what does it matter to me—the birthright?" 33Jacob said, "First (this day), give me your oath." And he gave him his oath. Yes, he [Esau] sold his birthright to Jacob. [Cf. , the same expression of doing something first. Jacob's "give me your oath" here differs dramatically from that in where he is an older man, completely dependent on his son Joseph for his last wish.] 34And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. Then he ate. Then he drank. Then he got up. And then he left. So Esau despised [lightly abandoned] his birthright. [The verbs in the verse (5 in a row) reinforce how Esau acts without thinking about the consequences. The birthright was a gift from the Lord (Yahweh). His recklessness becomes a warning example of someone who is unspiritual, see .]Isaac and Abimelech
261There was a famine in the land, a famine unlike the one in Abraham's days. Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar. [Gerar marked the southern border of Canaan and was located near Gaza, see .] 2The Lord (Yahweh) appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt [as Abraham did when there was famine, see ]. Camp (Hebr. shachan) in the land that I will tell you about [point out to you]. 3Stay (live – Hebr. gor) [live there as a guest, not permanently – wander around] in this land. I will be with you and I will bless you, for to you and your seed (offspring, descendants) I will give this land. [Which happens several hundred years later.] I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham [], 4and I will multiply your descendants (offspring, descendants) to be like the stars in the sky, and to your descendants I will give all these lands. Through your descendants (offspring, descendants) all the peoples of the earth (heathen peoples) will be blessed [], 5because Abraham listened to my voice and kept (observed; watched over; lived by) what was to be guarded (Hebrew mishmar): my commandments (Hebr. mitzvot), my ordinances (Hebr. chuqim; literally 'things engraved') and my teaching (Hebr. Torah)." [Already here, four different Hebrew expressions are used for God's word, which is not given to the people until Moses writes down the five books of Moses:
• mishmar – general word for something that must be observed and obeyed
• mitzvot – commandments, clear and distinct orders
• chuqim – ordinances, literally "things engraved," indicating permanent, unchangeable laws, often described as commandments that have no rational explanation
• Torah – teaching, guidance, and instructions.
It seems obvious that Abraham, as the first Israelite, already lived according to these provisions and commandments of God.] 6So Isaac stayed (Hebr. jashav) in Gerar. 7The men of the place asked him about his wife, and he said, "She is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "My wife." – [He thought:] "Otherwise, the men of the place would kill me for Rebekah's sake, because she is so beautiful to look at." [Isaac does the same thing his father Abraham did twice before, see ; . As in Abraham's case, fear was the reason for the lie.] 8It happened that after he had been there a long time, the Philistine king Avimelech looked out of a window and saw Isaac (Hebr. Yitzchak) laughing (fooling around, having fun, joking, "playfully fighting" – Hebr. tsachaq) with Rebekah, his wife. [Hebrew tsachaq is similar to Isaac's name, which means laughter, see , . The same word is used by Potiphar's wife when she accuses Joseph of assaulting her, see , . The word is also used to describe how Ishmael mocked Isaac, see . All of this reinforces how Isaac ignored and "mocked" God's promise of protection, and lied to protect himself.] 9Avimelech called Isaac and said, "Behold, she is indeed your wife; how could you say, 'She is my sister'?"
Isaac answered him, "Because I said to myself, 'Otherwise I will die because of her. 10Avimelech said, "What have you done to us? One of our people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us." 11Avimelech commanded all the people, saying, "Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death." 12Isaac sowed in the land and reaped a hundredfold that same year [the greatest yield possible, see ], and the Lord (Yahweh) blessed him. 13The man became great and grew more and more until he became very great. 14He had flocks of sheep and herds of cattle and a large household, and the Philistines envied him. 15All the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham, the Philistines had filled with dust [loose material such as stones, gravel, and earth]. 16Avimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much more powerful than we are." 17Isaac left the area and camped in the valley of Gerar (wadi – Hebr. nachal) and settled there. 18Isaac reopened the wells of water that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham's death. He gave them the same names his father had given them. 19Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found a place with a spring of living (fresh) water. 20The shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's shepherds and said, "The water is ours." He named the spring Esek [meaning argument, quarrel, or strife], because they quarreled with him. 21They dug another well, and they quarreled over that one too. He named it Sitnah. [Hebr. sitnah means accusation, reproach, or quarrel.] 22He left the area and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it. He named it Rechovot [meaning "very spacious"] and said, "Now the Lord (Yahweh) has given us space, and we shall be fruitful in the land."
[Hebr. rechovot means wide, large, and spacious, and is used here in the plural, meaning plenty of space! As mentioned earlier, Isaac is the great model of Jesus among the patriarchs. One of the many things he does is to dig new wells and open up old wells that have been filled in by the enemy. This is an image of Jesus saying that he is the living water, the well and the source of living water, see . Just as Isaiah prophesies about drawing water with joy from the springs of salvation, see .] 23He went up from that place to Beer-Sheva []. 24The Lord (Yahweh) appeared to him that night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham." 25He built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord (Yahweh) and pitched his tent in that place, and Isaac's servants dug a well there. 26Then Avimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzat, his advisor (personal friend – Hebr. merea), and Pichol, the officer of his army. 27Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, you who hate me and have sent me away from you?" 28They replied, "We saw clearly that the Lord (Yahweh) was with you, and we thought (said) that there should be an oath between us, between us and you, so let us make a covenant with you, 29so that you will not harm us, as we have not touched you. As we have done nothing but good to you and have sent you away in peace, you are now blessed by the Lord (Yahweh)." 30He made a meal for them, and they ate and drank. [This note about them eating and drinking and then taking the oath of alliance in the morning are all clear references to them entering into a complete blood covenant.] 31And they rose up in the morning and swore (made a covenant) to each other, and Isaac sent them away, and they left him in peace. 32It happened that day that Isaac's servants came and told him about the wells they had dug and said to him, "We have found water." 33He called it (the well) Shiva. Therefore, the name of the city is Beer-Sheva to this day. [The word shiva or sheva, the same root with different vowels, means both seven and oath/promise. The meaning of Beer-Sheva is usually translated as seven wells. This is most natural, as it is the number of wells that Abraham originally had dug at the site. But it is equally correct to translate the name as the well of promise, referring to the oath that Isaac made with the king of Gerar. All names in the Hebrew language have a meaning that makes them more than just a name. When, as in this case, a name has more than one meaning, it is usually possible to refer to several different events that are the reasons for the naming.] 34When Esau was 40 years old, he married Judith, the daughter of the Hittite Beeri, and [he also took a second wife] Basemath, the daughter of the Hittite Eilon. 35These [two women] became a source of bitterness (a sorrow, the word can also mean rebellion) for Isaac and Rebekah. [The fact that only the older brother Esau is mentioned, and that the parents are disappointed in him, leads the reader to suspect that this will be developed further in the next chapter. Rebekah uses Esau's marriage to the Hittites as a cover to send Jacob to Paddan-Aram to find a wife for him, see ; .]Isaac blesses Jacob
271When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim [probably from cataracts] so that he could not see, he called Esau, his older son, and said to him, "My son,"
and he replied, "Here I am." [Hebr. hineni – I am at your disposal, I am ready to take responsibility, see .] 2And he said, "Behold, I am old, but I do not know the day of my death. 3Therefore, I beg you, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out into the field and hunt game for me. 4And prepare (make – Hebr. asah) something delicious [a tasty meal with roast game and accompaniments] for me, something that I love. And bring it to me. And I will eat. Do this so that I may [literally: my soul] bless you before I die." 5Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. And Esau went out into the field to hunt a deer and bring it home. 6Rebecca spoke to her son Jacob and said, "Behold, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau, saying, 7'Bring me some game and prepare (make) something tasty so that I may eat and bless you before the Lord (Yahweh) before I die. 8Therefore, my son, listen carefully and do as I command you. 9Go to the flock and bring me two fine kids from the goats, and I will prepare (make) something tasty for your father, something he likes. 10And you shall give it to your father so that he may eat, so that he may bless you before he dies." 11Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, "Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12My father may want to feel me, and then I will be a mockery to him, and I will bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing." 13His mother [Rebecca] replied, "Let the curse fall on me, my son. Just listen to my voice and go and get them for me." 14So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared something delicious (a luxurious meal), the kind his father loved. 15And Rebekah took the choice (finest, best) clothes [some kind of festive attire] of Esau, her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16And she put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the smooth (hairless) part of his neck. 17And she gave the delicious dish and bread that she had prepared into the hands of her son Jacob. 18And he came to his father and said, "My father!" He said, "Here I am, who are you, my son?" 19Then Jacob said to his father [and lied], “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me (what you asked of me). Get up [and come], I beg you, sit down and eat of my game [yet another lie; he had neither hunted nor prepared the meal], so that you (your soul) may bless me.” 20But Isaac asked his son, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?"
He replied, "Because the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim) let me have good hunting luck (literally: 'sent me before his face')." 21Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come closer, I beg you, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not." 22And Jacob went close to his father Isaac, and he felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are Esau's hands." 23And he did not recognize him because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands, and he blessed him. 24And he said, "Are you really my son Esau?" And he answered, "I am." 25And he said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's dish, so that my soul (my whole person) may bless you." And he brought it near to him, and he ate, and he gave him wine, and he drank. 26And his father Isaac said to him, "Come near now and kiss me, my son." 27And he came near and kissed him. And he smelled the fragrance of his clothes and blessed him and said: "Behold, the fragrance of my son is
like the fragrance of the fields
which the Lord (Yahweh) has blessed.
28May God (Elohim) give you the dew of heaven
and the fat [rich/blessed] places of the earth,
and an abundance of grain and wine. 29May the peoples (Hebr. am) serve you
and the ethnic groups (Hebr. leom) bow down to you [in respect and reverence].
Be lord over your brothers,
and let your mother's son bow down to you.
Cursed (Hebr. arar) is everyone who curses (arar) you,
and blessed is everyone who blesses you. []" 30And it came to pass, that as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing James, James went out the door of his father's house, and Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31And he also prepared (made) something delicious [a tasty meal of roast game and side dishes] and brought it to his father, and he said to his father, "Let my father arise and eat of his son's dish, that he may bless me." 32And Isaac, his father, said to him, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau." 33And Isaac trembled violently and said, "Who then is the one who took the game and gave it to me, and I have eaten all of it before you came, and has blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed." 34When Esau heard his father's words, he cried out with a loud (very great) and bitter cry, and he said to his father, "Bless me, even me, my father!" 35But he [Isaac] replied, "Your brother [Jacob] came with cunning and has taken your blessing." 36And he [Esau] said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob? [Jacob means "he who holds the heel" or "he who supplants."] For he has supplanted me these two times. He took my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing." Then he asked, "Do you have another blessing for me?" 37And Isaac answered and said to Esau, "Behold, I have made him a lord, and all his brothers I have given to him as servants, and with grain and wine I have provided for him. What else can I do for you, my son?" 38And Esau said to his father, "Do you not have a blessing, my father? Bless me, even me, my father." And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. 39And Isaac his father answered and said to him, "Behold, your dwelling shall be far from the fat [rich/blessed] places of the earth
and without the dew of heaven above. 40By the help of (through) your sword you shall live [by plundering and robbing, see Amos 1:11], and you [Esau and your descendants—the Edomites] shall serve your brother [Jacob/Israel], and it shall come to pass when you break away (wandering around)
shaking his yoke from your neck." [This anti-blessing is half as long as the one originally intended for the eldest son, see verses 28-29. The words here are reversed, cf. with , where even the order of dew/fat is reversed to fat/dew. The words here become a prophecy about Esau's descendants, the Edomites. They try to break free during Solomon's reign, see . Their liberation comes in the revolt against King Jehoram, see ; .] Jacob flees to Laban
41And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said (thought) in his heart, "Let the days of mourning for my father pass, then I will kill my brother Jacob." 42And the words of Esau, her older son, were told to Rebekah, and she sent for Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau is touching you, mourning (Hebr. nacham) [feeling sorrow, but will soon act] and intends to kill you. 43Therefore, my son, listen to my voice and get up, flee to Laban, my brother in Haran (Hebr. Charan), 44and stay with him for a few days until your brother's anger has subsided, 45until his anger has turned away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and fetch you from there, for why should I be deprived of both of you on the same day?" 46And Rebekah said to Isaac, "I loathe my life (am weary of life) because of the daughters of Heth [whom Esau married, see ]. If [now also] Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, one of these daughters of the land, why should I live?" 281And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and admonished him and said to him, "You shall not take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan. 2Arise, go to Paddan-aram [in the north; upper Mesopotamia, present-day southeastern Turkey] to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take a wife from there, from the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. [Laban and Rebekah were siblings, and their father's name was Bethuel, see .] 3And may God Almighty (El Shaddai) bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a congregation of peoples, 4and give you the blessings of Abraham and to your seed with you, so that you may inherit the land in which you have been staying, which God (Elohim) gave to Abraham." 5And Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-Aram, to Laban the Aramean, the son of Bethuel and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. 6When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-Aram to take a wife from there, and that he had blessed him and commanded him, saying, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan," 7and that Jacob had listened to his father and mother and had gone to Paddan-Aram, 8and Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father, 9so he went to Ishmael and took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, and the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife, in addition to the wives he already had. 10Jacob left [his parents Isaac and Rebekah and his brother Esau in] Beer-Sheva and set out for Haran. [Haran is located in Mesopotamia, about 800 km north of Beer-Sheva, at least a month's walk. Rebecca's plan to complain about Esau's Canaanite wives had succeeded. She persuaded her husband Isaac to send her favorite son Jacob away to find a wife far to the north, thus protecting him from being killed by his twin brother Esau.] 11Jacob came to the place [a special place that will become a holy place] where he had to stay overnight because the sun had set. He took one of the stones at the place, placed it at his head, and lay down to sleep at the place. [In Hebrew, "the place" is used in the definite form three times. As the story unfolds, it becomes the holy place Bethel (see ), which means "house of God." It is a 3-4 day walk from Beer-Sheva to Bethel, which is located 25 miles north of Jerusalem. The stone may have been used as a pillow or served some other purpose. It does not seem that Jacob was yet fully convinced that the Lord was the only God, see verses 20-21. Many peoples throughout the world regard certain stones as magical and sacred, and perhaps he also had such beliefs. Here the sun goes down, and it is not until (20 years later) when Jacob returns, reconciled with God and on his way to be reconciled with his brother, that the sun rises again. It is a dark time with 14 years as a slave to Laban, see .] 12He had a dream [that night, a divinely inspired dream] and saw a ladder set up on the earth. Its top reached all the way to heaven, and he saw God's (Elohim's) angels ascending and descending on it. [Jesus is this ladder, see . He is the one who connects heaven with earth, the supernatural with the natural! It is also interesting to note that the direction is that angels "ascend" and then descend. The text does not say whether it is the same angels who first ascend and then descend. They may have come to report completed missions and then descend with new tasks. Jewish rabbis teach that the angels in the land ascended to heaven, and the angels who work outside Israel descended.] 13Suddenly he saw the Lord (Yahweh) himself standing at the top and saying, "I am the Lord (Yahweh), the God of your father [ancestor] Abraham and [your father] Isaac. [Note that God has not yet become Jacob's God; that happens only after the wrestling match in .] The land on which you are now lying, I will give to you and your seed [descendants]. 14Your descendants will be [as numerous] as the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the sea [to the Mediterranean Sea in the west] and east, and north, and to the Negev [the desert in the south]. Through you and your offspring, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. [; ; ] 15Behold, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not forsake you until I have done what I have promised you." [Jacob did not yet have a wife, but would become the father of twelve sons (the nation of Israel) and is included in the lineage of the promised Messiah—Jesus.] 16[The dream ended and] Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." 17He was seized with fear and said, "How holy is this place! This must be the dwelling place of God, yes, here is the gate of heaven." 18And Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone that he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19And he named the place Bethel. But nevertheless (a sharp emphasis and contrast between something that was and something that is – Hebr. olam), the name of the city was first called Luz. 20And Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God (Elohim) is with me and keeps (guards, protects, preserves) me on the way I go and gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, 21so that I may return to my father's house in peace (shalom), then the Lord (Yahweh) shall be my God (Elohim), 22and this stone that I have set up as a pillar shall be God's (Elohim's) house, and of all that you give me, I will give you a tenth."Jacob arrives at Paddan-Aram
291And Jacob lifted his foot (continued his journey) [from Bethel to Paddan-Aram, see , ] and came to the sons of the east [a broad term for the peoples east of Canaan]. [The expression "lift up his foot" is unusual. The word lift up (Hebr. nasa) is usually used to mean "to lift up one's eyes." Perhaps this is the author's way of preparing the reader to pay attention the next time this word is used, which is in . It may also be a connection to the dream the previous night when he looked up and saw the ladder and the angels and had an encounter with God, see .] 2And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying beside it. For from that well they watered the flocks. And the stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3And all the flocks gathered there, and they rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. 4Jacob asked them, "My brothers, who are you?"
They replied, "We are from Haran." [] 5Then he asked them, "Do you know Laban (Hebr. Lavan, meaning "white"), the son of Nahor?" They replied, "We know him." 6He asked them, "Is he well?"
And they replied, "He is well, and behold, Rachel (Hebr. Rachel), his daughter, is coming with the sheep." 7He said, "It is still the middle of the day and not time to gather the livestock. Give the sheep water and take them out to pasture." 8But they replied, "We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and they roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, then we water the sheep." 9While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel, his uncle Laban's daughter, and his sheep, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered Laban's flock. 11And Jacob kissed Rachel, and he lifted up (raised—Hebr. nasa) his voice and wept. 12And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's relative and that he was Rebekah's son. Then she ran away and told her father. 13And it came to pass, when Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he recounted everything to Laban.Jacob marries Leah and Rachel
14And Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him for a month. 15And Laban said to Jacob, "Since you are my relative (brother – Hebr. ach), you shall not serve (work for, minister to – Hebr. avad) me for nothing. Tell me what wages I should give you." [The word for to serve (Hebr. avad) means to cultivate and work (; ) but also to worship (). In Greek philosophy and thinking, which has greatly influenced the Western world, work is considered evil and the spiritual good. In the Bible, worship and work belong together.] 16And Laban had two daughters, the older named Leah and the younger named Rachel. 17Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and was beautiful to look at. 18And Jacob loved Rachel, and he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." 19Laban replied, "It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man. Stay with me." 20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but in his eyes it was only a few days, because of the love he had for her. 21Then [seven years later] Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her." 22So Laban gathered all the men of the place and arranged (made) a feast. 23And it came to pass in the evening that he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him, and she went in to him. 24And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25And it came to pass in the morning, that it was Leah; and he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?" 26Laban replied, "It is not our custom to give the younger before the firstborn [older]. 27Complete the weeks for this one, and we will also give you the other for the work you will do for another seven years." 28And Jacob did so and completed his weeks, and he gave him Rachel, his daughter, as a wife. 29And Laban gave his servant Bilhah (meaning: troubled) as a servant to his daughter Rachel. 30And he [Jacob] went in also to Rachel, and he [Jacob] loved Rachel more than Leah, and served with him [Laban] another seven years. [Jacob's love for Rachel more than Leah leads to jealousy, see , ; , . Jacob works seven years before marrying Leah and Rachel. He then commits to working seven more years, i.e., a total of 14 years.]Jacob's family grows large (29:31-30:24)
[The following paragraph describes the seven years after Jacob's marriage to Leah and Rachel. The 11 sons (and daughter Dinah) listed here are born within a seven-year period, see ; . The text contains contrasts such as loved/hated and fertile/barren. In Hebrew usage, this does not mean that Jacob actively "hated" Leah (; ); he loved Rachel more, for whom he had worked two seven-year periods to marry. The meaning is rather unloved, neglected, and rejected, see ; . See also ; . In Proverbs, one of four things that cause the earth to tremble is a "hated" woman who gets married, see . This imbalance becomes clear as the conflict in the family continues between the children. Later, Benjamin is born, see .] 31And the Lord (Yahweh) saw that Leah was hated (unloved, repulsive, rejected), and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.1. Reuben (Leah's first son)
32So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben [Hebr. Reoven – meaning: "Behold, a son!"], for she said: "Since the Lord (Yahweh) has seen my affliction (misery; my misery – Hebr. ), my husband will now love me." 2. Simeon (Leah's second son)
33And she [Leah] became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, and said, "Because the Lord (Yahweh) has heard (Hebr. shama) that I am hated (unloved, repulsive, rejected), he has given me this son also." And she named him Simeon (Hebr. Shimon – meaning: "to hear").3. Levi (Leah's third son)
34And she [Leah] became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, saying, "Now, this time my husband will be united with (be close to – Hebr. lava) me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore, she named him Levi [meaning: "united with"].4. Judah (Leah's fourth son)
35And she [Leah] became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, and she said, "This time I will praise (Hebr. jada) the Lord (Yahweh)." Therefore, she named him Judah [meaning: "praise"] and she stopped becoming pregnant.5. Dan (via Rachel's servant Bilhah)
301And when Rachel saw that she was not bearing children to Jacob, she envied her sister [Leah, who had already borne Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah] and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die.” 2Then Jacob’s anger flared up against Rachel, and he said to her, "Am I in the place of God (Elohim), who has withheld the fruit of the womb from you?" 3Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah; go in to her so that she may bear children in my place (literally: ‘bear on my knees’), so that I too may build my family (literally: ‘I will be built up’) through her.” [There was a custom of placing the newborn child on the knees, first on the father’s (who, by receiving the child, acknowledged it as his own) and then on the mother’s. In this case, Bilhah is to place her child on Jacob’s and Rachel’s knees so that it becomes their child. See also .] 4So she gave him Bilhah, her servant, as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5And Bilhah conceived and bore a son to Jacob. 6And Rachel said, "God (Elohim) has judged (Hebr. danan) me and also heard my voice and has given me a son." Therefore, she named (called) him Dan [meaning: judge].6. Naphtali (via Rachel's maid Bilhah)
7And Bilhah, Rachel's servant, became pregnant again and bore a second son to Jacob. 8And Rachel said, "I have wrestled (struggled, 'twisted myself'; wrestled) with my sister for God's battles, and I have [truly] gained the upper hand (overcome)." So she named him Naphtali [meaning: "my struggle"; or possibly "cunning struggle"].7. Gad (via Leah's servant Zilpah)
9When Leah saw that she had stopped (ceased) becoming pregnant, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a concubine. 10And Zilpah, Leah's servant, bore a son to Jacob. 11And Leah said, "Good fortune (Hebr. gad) has come!" And she named him Gad. [The name means good fortune or wealth, but can also mean crowd or troop.]8. Asher (via Leah's servant Zilpah)
12And Zilpah, Leah's maid, bore a second son to Jacob. 13And Leah said, "I am happy (blessed – Hebr. asher) because my daughters will call me happy." And she gave (called) him the name Asher. [Asher means happy and feeling blessed, but also being honest and straightforward.]Ruben finds mandrakes – family conflict
14
Illustration with caption Mandragora with Greek letters from Dioscorides' work "On Medicinal Plants" written in 50-70 AD.
Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) is a species in the potato family. The herb has coarse roots that often take on shapes reminiscent of naked human bodies. They were sometimes used as household gods (Hebr. teraphim). Long dark green leaves grow from the root, forming a rosette. It produces pale purple-blue flowers that turn into small yellow-red fruits in the spring. The fruit has been described as a yellow bird's egg in a transparent nest. At this time of spring, when the wheat harvest is gathered, the fruit is ripe and fragrant, see . The fruit can be peeled and eaten. Most likely, young Reuben simply picks the fruit and takes it home with him. There are ancient stories about how dogs and donkeys were used to pull up the deep roots, so considering his age, it is unlikely that he dug up the root. Its fruits were considered to act as an aphrodisiac with a strengthening effect on the sex drive. The Arabs called the fruit "the devil's apples" and in the Greek world it was nicknamed "the apple of love." The connection to love is also found in the Hebrew name (which also shares its root with the name David), which is similar to the word for love (Hebr. ) and "my beloved" in the Song, see . The Greek naturalist Dioscorides (40-90 AD) writes how mandrake root could be boiled in wine and given as a pain reliever. It also worked against insomnia and was used before surgical procedures. Mandrake still grows today in the fields of Israel.] 15
The fruits of the mandrake resemble small yellow cherry tomatoes in both size and shape.
So Rachel said, "Let him lie with you tonight [in exchange] for your son's mandrakes." 16When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have truly bought you with my son's mandrakes." [Leah did not wait at home but went out to meet Jacob.] And he lay with her that night. [Here, the word used is not "know" (Hebr. , see ), which is the word usually used for marital relations, but "lie," which more often has to do with extramarital sex, see . The first four sons that Leah bears are simply said to be born (, , , ), but the last two are said to be born "to Jacob" (verses 17 and 19), just like Bilhah (verses 5 and 7) and Zilpah (verses 10 and 12). Joseph and Benjamin are also described differently and do not have the phrase "to Jacob," see and .]
9. Issachar (Leah's fifth son)
17And God (Elohim) listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore a fifth son to Jacob. 18And Leah said, "God (Elohim) has given me my reward (Hebr. shachar) because I gave my servant to my husband. And she named (called) him Issachar (Hebr. Jisashchar)." [Meaning there is reward, compensation, or recompense.]10. Zebulun (Leah's sixth son)
19And Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20And Leah said, "God (Elohim) has given (Hebr. zavad) me a good dowry (Hebr. zeved), now my husband will be with (Hebr. zaval) me, since I have borne him six sons." And she named (called) him Zebulun (Hebr. Zevolun). [The name means exalted, but also dwelling place, habitat.]Dina (Leah's daughter)
21After that, she [Leah] gave birth to a daughter. And she named her Dina. [Dina means right or judge, the feminine form of Dan.]11. Joseph (Rachel's firstborn)
22God (Elohim) remembered Rachel, and God (Elohim) listened to her and opened her womb. 23She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, "God (Elohim) has taken away my reproach (disgrace, shame)." 24And she named him Joseph, saying, "The Lord (Yahweh) has added (Hebr. josef) another son to me." [Joseph means "the Lord increases."]
[Rachel has another child, but she dies in childbirth when she gives birth to him, see . He is named Benjamin and becomes the twelfth of Jacob's sons.]Jacob's dishonest plans
25And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my place and to my country. 26Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go, for you know very well how I have served you." 27And Laban said to him, "If, I beg you, I have found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your eyes, I have observed the signs, and the Lord (Yahweh) has blessed me for your sake." 28And he said (further), "Name your wages, and I will give them to you." 29And he said to him, "You know (have good knowledge of, are well acquainted with) how I have served you and how your livestock has fared with me. 30Before I came, you had little, and it has multiplied and become numerous, and the Lord (Yahweh) has blessed you wherever you have turned. And now I will provide for my own house (household) as well." 31And he said, "What shall I give you?"
And Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything; if you will do this for me, I will again be a shepherd [be a shepherd for] your flock and watch over it. 32Today I will go through your flocks and remove from them every speckled and spotted one, and all the dark ones among the sheep, and the speckled and spotted ones from the goats, and they shall be my wages. 33So my righteousness will testify for me today and in the future, when you come to see my wages, which are before you. All that are not speckled and spotted among the goats and dark among the sheep, if they are found with me, they shall be counted as stolen." 34And Laban said, "Let it be according to your word." 35And that day he took away all the male goats that were striped and spotted and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, all that had any white (in their coats), and all the dark ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hands of his sons. 36And he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob. And Jacob tended [took care of and looked after] the rest of Laban's flocks. 37And Jacob took rods of fresh poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, so that the white was visible on the rods. 38And he placed the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the troughs, in the watering places where the flocks came to drink, and they conceived when they came to drink. 39And the flocks conceived in the sight of the rods, and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. 40And Jacob separated the male lambs, and turned the faces of the flock toward the striped and all the dark ones in Laban's flock, and he placed his own flocks apart and did not place them in Laban's flock. 41And it came to pass, when the strong ones in the flock were mating, that Jacob placed the rods before their eyes in the troughs of the flock, so that they conceived among the rods, 42but when the flock was weak, he did not put them there. In this way, the weak ones became Laban's and the strong ones Jacob's. 43And the man prospered (broke through)greatly [Jacob's prosperity increased] and had large flocks and maidservants and servants and camels and donkeys.God lets Jacob flee
311Jacob heard Laban's sons say, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned. He has acquired all this wealth from what belongs to our father." 2Jacob also noticed that Laban did not look at him in the same way as before (his attitude had changed). 3Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your family. I am with you." 4And Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah and asked them to come out to his flock in the field, 5and he said to them, "I notice that your father does not look at me the same way as before, but the God of my father (Elohim) has been with me. 6You yourselves know that I have served your father with all my strength. 7Yet your father has publicly humiliated (deceived – Hebr. talal) me and changed my wages ten times [over and over again], but God (Elohim) has not allowed him to harm me. [The unusual word for deceive (Hebr. talal) has the same root as the word tel, which is used to describe a city that has been built up and torn down. Laban's way is like a cruel joke in which Jacob's expectations have been built up like a city visible to all, only to be demolished, rebuilt, and demolished again.]
8When he said, "The speckled ones shall be your wages," then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. And when he said, "The striped ones shall be your wages," then the whole flock bore striped offspring. 9So God (Elohim) has taken your father's livestock and given it to me. 10When the time came for the small livestock to mate, I had a dream. I looked up and saw that the males that were mating with the small livestock were striped, speckled, and spotted. 11And the angel (messenger) of God (Elohim) said to me in the dream, 'Jacob! ' I replied, 'Here I am (Hebr. hineni; I take responsibility, I am at your disposal).' 12Then he said, 'Look up and see how all the males that mate with the small livestock are streaked, speckled, and spotted. I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you. 13I am the God (El) who saw you in Bethel [20 years ago, see ], where you anointed a memorial stone and made a promise to me []. Now leave this land and return to your homeland." 14Then Rachel and Leah replied, "Do we still have any share or inheritance in our father's property? 15Are we not strangers to him? He sold us and then used up what he received for us. 16All the wealth that God has taken from our father belongs to us and our children. Therefore, do everything that God has told you." 17Jacob then set out and put his children and wives on camels 18and took all his livestock and all the property he had acquired, the livestock he had acquired and acquired in Paddan-Aram, and went to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. 19But Laban had gone to shear his sheep. Then Rachel stole her father's household gods (Hebr. teraphim). 20And Jacob slipped away from the Aramean Laban without telling him that he was going to flee. 21He broke camp and fled with all he had, and crossed the river [Euphrates] and turned his face (set out) [westward] toward the hill country of Gilead.Laban pursues Jacob
22On the third day, Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23So he took his brothers with him and set out after him, and after seven days he caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead [the high plateau east of the Jordan River, the last stop before Jacob reached the land of Canaan]. 24But God came to the Aramean Laban in a dream at night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, good or bad." 25When Laban caught up with Jacob, he had set up camp on the mountain. Laban and his men also set up camp on the mountains of Gilead. 26Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives taken by the sword. 27Why did you flee secretly (literally: "did you hide in order to flee")? [The same word for hiding is used about Adam and Eve, see , .] When you did not tell me, you took away my opportunity (you stole from me) to send you off with rejoicing and singing, with tambourines and harps. 28You did not even allow me to kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You have behaved foolishly. 29I have the power (strength – Hebr. el) to harm you, but your father's God (Elohim) said to me last night: 'Be careful not to say anything against Jacob, good or bad. 30Now you have left because you longed so much to go home. But why did you steal my gods?" 31Jacob replied to Laban, "I was afraid of you, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force (snatch them from me – Hebr. gazal). 32But whoever you find your gods with shall not live. Here, in front of our relatives, you may see if I have anything of yours, and if so, take it." Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 33Laban then went into Jacob's tent, and then into Leah's tent and the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. When he came out of Leah's tent, he went into Rachel's tent. 34But Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel's saddle and sat on them. Laban searched the whole tent without finding them. 35And she said to her father, "Do not be angry, my lord (let it not be offensive in the eyes of my lord), that I cannot rise before you, for I am having my period (I have what women usually have)." [] So he searched for the household gods but could not find them. 36Jacob became angry and quarreled with Laban, saying to him, "What is my offense, what is my sin, that you pursue me so fiercely? 37Now you have searched everything I own. What have you found that belongs to you? Bring it out before my relatives and yours here, so that they may judge between us. 38I have been with you for 20 years. Your ewes and goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten any of the rams in your flock. 39I never brought you any animal that had been killed; I had to replace it myself. You demanded compensation from me for what was stolen, whether it was stolen by day or by night. 40That's how it was for me. During the day I was tormented by heat, and at night by cold, and sleep eluded me. 41For 20 years [according to Jewish tradition, 1929-1909 BC] I have been with you. I have served you for 14 years for your two daughters and for 6 years for your livestock, but you have changed my wages ten times [again and again, see ]. [Jacob first works seven years for Rachel, but Laban gives him Leah. A few weeks later, he gets Rachel (, ), but has to work another 7 years (). Jacob then works another 6 years, but then he gets his wages, see , .] 42Had not the God of my father (Elohim) been with me—the God of Abraham (Elohim) whom Isaac also reveres—you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God saw my suffering and my toil, and he passed judgment last night."Jacob and Laban reconcile
43Laban replied to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. Everything you see is mine. What could I do to my daughters or to the children they have borne? 44Come now, let us make a covenant between us. It shall be a witness between me and you." 45Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46Then he said to his people, "Gather stones." So they took stones and made a pile and held a meal there on the pile. 47Laban called it Jegar-Sahaduta, but Jacob called it Galed. 48And Laban said, "This heap is a witness between me and you today." So it was named Galeed. 49But it was also called Mizpah [meaning: "watchtower, lookout"], for he said, "The Lord will watch between me and you when we are no longer together. 50If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives besides my daughters, remember that God is witness between me and you, even though no man is present." 51Laban further said to Jacob, "See this pile of stones and see this pillar that I have set up between me and you. 52This heap shall be a witness, and this pillar shall be a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap against you with evil intent, and that you also shall not pass against me beyond this heap and this pillar. 53The God of Abraham and Nahor shall be judge between us, he who was the God of their father." And Jacob swore by him whom his father Isaac revered. 54Then Jacob offered sacrifices on the mountain and invited his relatives to a meal. They ate and stayed on the mountain overnight. 55In the morning, Laban rose early, and after kissing his grandchildren and daughters and blessing them, he set out and returned home.Jacob's dishonest plans
Jacob prepares for his meeting with Esau
321And Jacob went on his way, and the angel (messenger) of God (Elohim) met him. 2And Jacob said, when he saw them, "This is God's (Elohim's) camp." And he named that place Mahanaim [meaning "two camps," a place in the hill country of Gilead east of the Jordan River near Jabbok, see , ]. 3And Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir [the land east and south of the Dead Sea], the field of Edom (open countryside). 4And he commanded them, saying, "Thus shall you say to my lord Esau: 'Thus says your servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban and stayed there until now. 5And I have oxen and donkeys and sheep and male and female servants, and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor (undeserved love, favor – Hebr. chen) in your sight.'" 6And the messengers returned to Jacob and said, "We came to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and 400 men with him." 7Jacob was very afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps. 8And he said, "If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it, then the other camp that remains can escape." 9And Jacob said, "O God (Elohim) of my father Abraham and God (Elohim) of my father Isaac, O Lord (Yahweh), you who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will deal well with you. 10I am not worthy of all your mercy (caring love – Hebr. chesed) and all the truth (faithfulness – Hebr. emet) that you have shown your servant, for with my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I am two camps. 11Deliver me, I pray you, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau [the repetition of hand reinforces how he is in Esau's grip], for I am afraid of him, lest he come and smite me, mother with sons. [Literally: 'mother on son' – the whole family.] 12And you said, 'I will do you good, good (really do you good – Hebr. jatav jatav) and make your seed like the sand of the sea [], which cannot be counted.'" [In , the words grace and truth are used. They are inseparable and always appear in the same order (; ; ; ; ). Grace without truth becomes meaningless, while truth without grace becomes merciless. The section has several repetitions, hand in and good in .] 13And he stayed there that night, and took from what he had brought with him a gift for Esau, his brother. 14200 female goats
and 20 male goats,
200 sheep
and 20 rams,
1530 camels bearing young and their young,
40 cows
and 10 young bulls,
20 donkeys and 10 donkey foals. 16And he [Jacob] gave them into the hands of his servants, each flock by itself, and he said to his servants, "Go before me and keep some distance between the flocks." 17And he commanded the first ones [those who went in front] and said, "When Esau, my brother, meets you and asks you, saying, 'Who are you, and where are you going, and whose are these before you? 18Then you shall answer (say): 'They are your servant Jacob's; they are a gift sent to my lord, to Esau; and behold, he is also behind us. 19And he commanded the second and the third and all who followed the flocks, saying, "Thus shall you speak to Esau when you find him 20and you shall say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.' For he said (thought), 'I will appease him with the gift that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.' 21The gift went on ahead of him, and he himself stayed in the camp that night.Jacob wrestles with God
22That same night Jacob got up and took his two wives [Leah and Rachel], his two maidservants [Bilhah and Zilpah], and his eleven sons, and crossed the Jabbok at the ford. 23He took them and brought them across the ford, and then he sent all his possessions across. [The Jabbok has three sources: Wadi Amman (which begins near the city of Amman in Jordan), Wadi Suwajli, and Wadi al-Dhulajl. The river flows from the east from the mountains of Gilead and empties into the Jordan River between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. The word Jabbok itself is very similar to the Hebrew word for "struggle." Literally, Jabbok means "to empty," "to pour out."] 24Jacob was left alone [on the north bank of the river]. A man [God himself in human form, see ] wrestled with him until sunrise. 25When the man saw that he could not prevail against Jacob, he touched Jacob's hip socket, so that his hip was dislocated as they wrestled. 26Then the man said, "Let me go, for the sun is rising." Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." 27Then the man asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Jacob." [In the Old Testament, names reflect personality. The name Jacob means "deceiver, one who lies in wait and attacks," literally "one who takes by the heel." The name thus stands for a person who deceives and betrays, something that has characterized Jacob's life and is now becoming apparent to him.] 28The man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob (deceiver), but Israel, for you have struggled with both God (Elohim) and men and prevailed (survived)." [The name Israel has several meanings: "to fight against God" or "God fights for us," "God reigns" or "we reign together with God." In Hebrew, the names Jacob and Israel are completely different except for one letter that they have in common, namely the letter yod. This is the smallest of all Hebrew letters and therefore often symbolizes humility. This reinforces that the only thing left of the old Jacob is his humility; he needed to be emptied of his own pride. Jacob wrestled with God and in the process became humble. On that basis, he becomes Israel, an honest man and a ruler together with God who triumphs! See also .] 29Then Jacob asked, "I beg you, tell me your name." He said, "Why do you ask my name?" And he blessed him there. 30Jacob called the place Peniel [meaning: "turned toward God"]. He said, "For I have seen God (Elohim) face to face, and have survived." [Some see the man Jacob wrestles with as Jesus preincarnate, i.e., Jesus appearing as an angel of the Lord before taking human form, see also ; ; ; .] 31When he passed Penuel [a city on the river Jabbok, an alternative spelling of Peniel in ], he saw the sun rise [the first time it is mentioned in 20 years, see ], but he limped because of his hip injury. [After meeting God, Jacob walked differently.] 32That is why the sons of Israel do not eat the hip muscle that is on the thigh to this day, because he touched Jacob's hip, the hip muscle on the thigh.
Although Jacob was given a new name in , his old name is used in and also in the following verses (, ; ). The name change did not mean that he would never use that name again. When Simon receives a new name (Peter, see ), his old name is still referred to. (). The name change has to do with the meaning of the name; instead of being someone who lies and deceives and fights against God, Jacob now becomes Israel, someone who fights alongside God.
Jacob presents his large family
The meeting with Esau
Jacob and Esau meet, painting by Meet Francesco Hayez, 1844.
And he [Jacob] said, "The children whom God in his mercy (undeserved love – Hebr. chanan) has given to his servant." 6Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and they bowed down. 7Leah and her children also came near and bowed down, and after them Joseph came near and Rachel, and they bowed down. [Same order as in verses 2-3.] 8Then he [Esau] asked, "What do you mean by the large crowd (all the camps) that I have met [that you have sent ahead of you]?"
And he [Jacob] replied, "To find favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your eyes, my lord." 9And Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; let what you have be yours." 10And Jacob answered, "No, I beg you, if I have found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your eyes, then accept the gifts from my hand, for as surely as I have seen your face, as when someone sees the face of God (Elohim), you give me favor (conditional favor – Hebr. ratsah). 11I beg you (appeal), accept my gift that I have brought to you, because God (Elohim) has dealt with me with grace (undeserved love – Hebr. chanan), and because I have enough." And he pleaded earnestly, and he accepted it. 12And he said to him, "Let us continue our journey and let us go, and I will go before you." 13And he said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds that give milk are important to me, and if we drive them too hard for one day, the whole flock may die. 14I beg you, let my lord go ahead of his servant, and I will walk on slowly, at the pace of the cattle and the children, until I come to my lord in Seir." 15And Esau said, "Let me leave some of my people with you." And he said, "Why this? Let me find favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in the eyes of my lord." 16And Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17And Jacob journeyed to Sukkot [east of the Jordan River near Jabbok; probably present-day Tell Deir Alla] and built himself a house and made stalls (Hebr. sukkot) for his livestock. Therefore, that place is called Sukkot. [Sukkot means hut and corresponds to the livestock shelters that were built as stables at that time. The same word is found in the Feast of Tabernacles, which is called Sukkot in Hebrew.] 18And Jacob [continued westward, across the Jordan, and] arrived safely (in peace) at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan when he came from Paddan-Aram [] and camped in front of the city. [Shechem (meaning: shoulder) is present-day Nablus. The city is located in the central mountainous region about 70 kilometers north of Jerusalem near Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Jacob pitched his tents in front of the city, i.e., east of it in the fertile fields.] 19And he bought the piece of land on which he pitched (literally spread out) his tents from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for 100 pieces of silver (Hebr. qesitah). 20And he erected an altar there and called it El-Elohei-Israel (God, God of Israel).
[The value of the silver coin qesitah is unknown but probably corresponds to a shekel; the Greek translation Septuagint translates the word as lamb, which was sold for a shekel, see also ; .]Dina is defiled by Shechem
[Dina is the seventh and youngest of Leah's children (). She was born at the end of Jacob's 14th year in Haran while he was working for Laban. The family remains in Haran for another 6 years (they spend a total of 20 years there, see ). Dina is therefore about 6 years old when the family moves to Sukkot (). They spend a few years there before moving to Shechem. A few years pass, and she must be around 12-13 years old to be allowed to go out on her own. Since she is almost the same age as Joseph (), she cannot be older than 17, the age Joseph is in a few chapters later when he is sold by his brothers, see . Dina is therefore 12-16 years old when the events in this chapter take place.] 341And Dina, Leah's daughter, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see (meet) the daughters of the land. [She socializes with Canaanite youths in the village.] 2And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her and took her and lay with her and humiliated her. 3And his soul was drawn to Dina, Jacob's daughter, and he loved the young woman and spoke to her heart. 4And Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this maiden as a wife." 5Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah, and his sons were in the field with the livestock, and Jacob remained silent until they came. 6And Hamor, Shechem's father, went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7And Jacob's sons came in from the field when they heard it. And the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done an abominable thing in Israel when he lay with Jacob's daughter, something that should never have been done. 8And Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; I pray you, give her to him as a wife. 9And enter into marriage with us, give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. 10And you shall dwell with us, and the land is before you (open to you), dwell and trade there, and acquire possessions there." 11And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, "Let me find favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your eyes, and whatever you say to me, I will give. 12Ask me for a great dowry, and I will give you whatever you say (demand), only give me the girl as my wife." 13And Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with cunning and spoke because he had defiled their sister Dinah 14and said to them, "We cannot do this, to give our sister to someone who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach (dishonor) to us. 15Only on that condition can we agree with you, if you become like us, that all your men be circumcised, 16then we can give our daughters to you, and we can take your daughters for ourselves, and we can live together with you, and we can become one people. 17But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughters and go our way." 18And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son. 19And the young man did not delay in doing this, because he loved Jacob's daughter. And he was more honored than anyone else in his father's house. 20And Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of the city [probably the eastern gate] and spoke to the men of the city, saying 21"These men are peaceful toward us; therefore let them dwell in the land and trade there, for behold, the land is large enough for them; let us take their daughters as wives and give them our daughters. 22Only on this condition shall the men agree with us (to live with us), that we become one people, if every man among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23Shall not their livestock and their possessions be ours? Let us only agree with them so that they will live with us." 24And all who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every man was circumcised, all who went out of the city gate. 25And it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came upon the city unnoticed and struck down all its men. 26And they smote Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and brought Dinah out of Shechem's house, and departed. 27The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and destroyed the city because they had defiled their sister. 28They took their flocks and their herds and their donkeys and what was in the city and what was in the field, 29and all their valuables, and all their little ones and their wives they took captive, and destroyed everything in their houses. 30And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble upon me (created chaos, caused me great distress). Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites who live in the land will hate me (literally: 'I have become an odour/stink among them'). Since we are few (I am few in number), they will unite against me and strike me down, and I will be destroyed, I and my house." 31And they said, "Should anyone treat our sister like a prostitute?"Jacob returns to Bethel
351And God (Elohim) said to Jacob, "Get up and go up to (Hebr. alah) Bethel and live there. And make an altar to God (El) who appeared to you when you fled from the face of your brother Esau." [Jacob now leaves Shechem, where he has lived for about 10 years (), and goes to Bethel, 30 km to the south. Bethel was the place where Jacob, at the age of about 30, had previously met the Lord, see . Jacob "goes up," which is also true in terms of altitude, as Bethel is 350 meters higher than Shechem.] 2Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the idols that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes 3and let us arise and go up to Bethel. There I will make an altar to God (El) who answered me in the day of my distress (when I was in trouble) and has been with me wherever I have gone." 4And they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession and the rings in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was in Shechem. 5And they journeyed, and a fear of God came upon all the cities round about them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel [Bethel means "house of God"; see also ], he and the people who were with him. 7And he built an altar there and called the place El-Bethel [God's "house of God"], for there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother's [Esau's] face. [The addition here of El (meaning God) to the place Bethel emphasizes God's presence in that place, see also .] 8And Deborah (Hebr. Devorah), Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak tree, and it was named Alon-Bachot [meaning: "the oak tree that weeps"]. 9And God (Elohim) appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-Aram and blessed him. 10And God (Elohim) said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name," and he gave him the name Israel. 11And God (Elohim) said to him, "I am Almighty God (El Shaddai). Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and several nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your loins. [The word for loins refers to the entire lower part of the body, including the genitals.] 12And the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you, and to your descendants after you I will give the land." 13And God (Elohim) ascended from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it.Rachel's death
15And Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel [meaning House of God]. 16And they journeyed from Bethel, and there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and Rachel gave birth, but she had a difficult delivery. 17And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, "Do not fear, for this is also a son for you." 18And it came to pass, as her soul was departing, for she died, that she called his name Ben-Oni, but his father called him Benjamin. [Ben-Oni means son of my sorrow, Benjamin means son of my right hand.] 19And Rachel died and was buried on the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. [Cf. ] 20And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave, which is Rachel's grave pillar to this day. 21And Jacob journeyed on and pitched his tent toward Migdal-Eder ["the tower of Edar"; literally "the tower of the flock"]. [The location is probably between Bethlehem and Hebron, see also .]Reuben defiles Bilhah
22And it came to pass, when Israel [formerly called Jacob, see ] dwelt in the land, that Reuben went and lay (had sexual relations) with Bilhah, his father's concubine [who belonged to the now deceased Rachel], and Israel [his father] heard of it. [This verse is thematically related to the rape of Dinah by Shechem, see . Reuben's actions led to his condemnation, see . This was both a forbidden incestuous relationship () and an attempt to gain authority over his father. The reasons were probably other than sexual attraction. Bilhah was Rachel's servant, and by defiling her, Reuben reduced the risk that she would take over Rachel's role as Jacob's favorite. This foolish act was probably an attempt to help his mother Leah. The incident with the mandrakes ("love apples") may also be a contributing factor, see . Reuben is about 5 years old when he gets involved in the quarrel between Rachel and his mother, and Rachel takes his find from the field.] Jacob's twelve sons
Jacob had twelve sons: 23Leah's [six] sons:
Reuben, Jacob's firstborn,
and Simeon
and Levi
and Judah
and Issachar
and Zebulun (Hebr. Zevolun).
24Rachel's [two] sons:
Joseph and Benjamin.
25Rachel's [two] sons by her maid Bilhah:
Dan. and Naphtali.
26Leah's [two] sons by the servant Zilpah:
Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-Aram. [General statement for the majority of the children. Benjamin was born in Canaan, see verses 16-17.] 27And Jacob came to Isaac his father at Mamre, to Kirjath-Arba, that is, Hebron (Hebr. Chevrón), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28And Isaac's days were 180 years. 29And Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days (sated, fulfilled; literally: "sevenfold" – Hebr. savea), and Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.
The list of the twelve sons here follows the mothers (Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah) and the order of birth of each mother. Joseph and Benjamin are placed centrally. Below are the sons, also in order of birth:
Leah
1. Reuben
2. Simeon
3. Levi
4. Judah
9. Issachar
10. Zebulun
Rachel
11. Joseph
12. Benjamin
Bilhah (Rachel's maid)
5. Dan.
6. Naphtali
Zilpah (Leah's maid)
7. Gad
8. Asher
There are a total of 28 enumerations in the Old Testament, see also .
The continuing story of Esau, in Canaan
[Here comes a new "toledot unit" that forms the tenth literary unit (of twelve) in Genesis.] 361This is the continuation of Esau's story (his genealogy/family tree – Hebr. ), he is also called Edom. [He gave his name to the land of Edom and the people of Edom, see .]Family
Three wives
2Esau took [three non-Jewish] wives from among the daughters of Canaan [against the will of his father Isaac, see , ]:
Ada, daughter of Elon the Hittite,
and Oholivama, daughter of Anah, granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite
3and Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nebajoth.Five children
4And Ada bore Eliphaz to Esau,
and Basemath bore Reuel,
5and Oholivama bore Jeosh, and Jalam, and Korah.
These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.The Move to Seir
6And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughter and all the persons of his house, and his cattle and all his animals and all his possessions that he had gathered in the land of Canaan, and went to a land away from his brother Jacob. 7For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were staying could not support them because of all their livestock. [The pasture was not enough for all the animals.] 8And Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. Esau is Edom.The continuing story of Esau, as the progenitor of the Edomites
[Here comes a new "toledot unit" that forms the eleventh literary unit (of twelve) in Genesis.] 9This is the continuing story of Esau (family tree – Hebr. ) as the progenitor of Edom in the hill country of Seir. 10These are the names of Esau's sons:
Eliphaz, son of Adah, Esau's wife, Reuel, son of Basemath, Esau's wife. 11And the sons of Eliphaz:
Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12And Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife. [Amalek becomes the progenitor of the Amalekites. This people is the first to attack the sons of Israel after they came out of Egypt and wandered for about a month from the crossing of the Red Sea. At Rephidim, they defeat the Amalekites (). Later, Moses urges them not to forget to destroy the Amalekites but to remember this (). After that, it is Saul who fights against the Amalekites and is disobedient, which means that he can no longer be king, because he does not destroy all the spoils and fails to kill their king (). In the Book of Esther, the evil Haman is a descendant of an Amalekite. He wants to exterminate all Jews but fails. Amalek is also the spiritual force that throughout history has stood for/represented all kinds of anti-Semitism, i.e., a desire to exterminate the Jews. It has taken many forms throughout history, and even replacement theology (which teaches that the role of the Jews has been completely replaced by Christianity) is a variant of anti-Semitism.] 13And these are the sons of Reuel: Nachat and Zerah, Shama and Miza. These are the sons of Basmat, Esau's wife. 14And these are the sons of Esau's wife Oholivama, the daughter of Anah, and the granddaughter [] of Zibeon: And she bore to Esau Jeosh, and Jalam, and Korah. 15These are the princes of the sons of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, Esau's firstborn: the prince of Teman, the prince of Omar, the prince of Zepho, the prince of Kenaz, 16the chief of Korah, the chief of Gatam, the chief of Amalek. These are the chiefs who came from Eliphaz in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Adah. 17And these are the sons of Reuel, the son of Esau: the prince of Nahath, the prince of Zerah, the prince of Shamma, the prince of Miza. These are the princes who come from Reuel in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau. 18And these are the sons of Oholivama, Esau's wife: the prince of Jeosh, the prince of Jalam, the prince of Korach. These are the princes who come from Oholivama, the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. 19These are the sons of Esau, they and their princes; that is Edom.the family of Seir
20These were the sons of the harem (literally, "cave dweller" – Hebr. chori) of Seir [southeast of the Dead Sea in Edom], the former inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Ana, 21Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the tribal princes of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam, and Lotan's sister was Timna. 23The sons of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24The sons of Sibon were Aja and Ana. It was Ana who found the hot springs in the desert while he was tending his father Sibon's donkeys. 25The sons of Anah were Dishon and Oholivama, Anah's daughter. 26The sons of Dishon were Hemdan, Esban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27The sons of Eser were Bilhan, Saavan, and Akan. 28The sons of Dishan were Uz (Hebr. Ots) and Aran. 29The chiefs of the Horites (Hebr. chori) were Lotan, Shobal, Sibon, Ana, 30Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites in the land of Seir, each one a chief.The kings of Edom
31These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites. 32Bela, the son of Beor, was king of Edom, and his city was called Dinhaba. 33When Bela died, Jobab, the son of Zerah, from Bozrah, became king after him. 34When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites became king after him. 35When Husham died, Hadad, the son of Bedad, became king after him.
He was the one who defeated the Midianites in the land of Moab, and his city was called Avith. 36When Hadad died, Samla from Masrekah became king after him. 37When Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth by the river became king after him. 38When Saul died, Baal-Hanan, son of Akbor, became king after him. 39When Baal-Hanan, son of Akbor, died, Chadar [other manuscripts Chadad] became king after him. His city was called Pao, and his wife's name was Mehetabel, daughter of Matred, who was the daughter of Me-Sahab. 40These are the names of the chieftains of Esau's tribes according to their families and places: the chieftains Timna, Alva, Jetet, 41Oholivama, Elah, Pinon, 42Kenas, Teman, Mibsar, 43Magdiel, and Iram.
These were the princes of Edom according to their settlements in the land they possessed. Edom is the same as Esau, the progenitor of the Edomites. 371Jacob lived in the land where his fathers had wandered, in the land of Canaan.Jacob's continuing story (chapters 37-50)
[Here comes a new "toledot unit" that forms the twelfth and last literary unit in Genesis.] 2This is the continuation of Jacob's story (his genealogy/family tree – Hebr. ).
Now follows a new paragraph, see ; ; ; ; , ; , ; , ; . This is the twelfth and final section of Gen. The theme is Joseph, who is also a prototype of Jesus. This section also follows a chiastic pattern:
A The brothers' hatred of Joseph ()
B Joseph is believed to be dead, Jacob mourns ()
C Interlude: Judah and Tamar ()
D Unexpected reversal of roles – Perez and Zerah ()
E Joseph's wisdom ()
F The brothers go to Egypt ()
X Israel's family tree ()
F´ The move to Egypt ()
E´ Joseph's wisdom ()
D´ Unexpected reversal of roles – Ephraim and Manasseh ()
C´ Interlude: Jacob prophesies over his sons ()
B´ Jacob's death, Joseph buries him ()
A´ Joseph reassures his brothers ()
Joseph, his son, who was now 17 years old—still a young man—herded the small livestock together with his [older] brothers, the sons of Bilhah [Dan and Naphtali, see ] and the sons of Zilpah [Gad and Asher, see ], his father's wives. Joseph brought back bad reports about them to his father. [Joseph was Jacob's eleventh son, Rachel's firstborn, see . Jacob was 108 years old. The expression "a young man" can be interpreted as meaning that he was a helper, or it can emphasize that he was young and had responsibility for the flock. It is hinted that there are complicated family relationships, and the mention of Bilhah (Rachel's maid) and Zilpah (Leah's maid) also recalls the rivalry between Leah and Rachel, see , . Some have seen Joseph as a tattletale, but based on how his character is described elsewhere, it seems more likely that he was attentive to detail and faithful in small matters, so that he would eventually be entrusted with much, see . describes how he is ready and willing to be sent out on his father's behalf.] 3Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because he was the son he had in his old age [91 years old, with Rachel, whom he loved more than Leah, see ], and he had a special coat made for him. [The word for "special coat" (Hebr. ketonet passim) can mean long-sleeved or multicolored. It probably had woven threads of other colors or patterns. It was a beautiful, ornate coat that attracted attention.] 4When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak kindly to him.
Jacob's twelve sons, from oldest to youngest:
1. Reuben (Leah)
2. Simeon (Leah)
3. Levi (Leah)
4. Judah (Leah)
5. Dan (Bilhah, Rachel's maid)
6. Naphtali (Bilhah, Rachel's maid)
7. Gad (Zilpah, Leah's maid)
8. Asher (Zilpah, Leah's maid)
9. Issachar (Leah)
10. Zebulun (Leah)
11. Joseph (Rachel)
12. Benjamin (Rachel)
Joseph's two dreams
5Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him even more. 6He said to them, "Listen, this is a dream I had. 7We were binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf rose and stood upright, and behold, your sheaves came and stood around it and bowed down to my sheaf." 8His brothers said to him, "Are you really going to rule over us? Or are you going to have authority over us?"
And they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words. 9He had another dream and recounted it (listed all the details of it – Hebr. safar) to his brothers, saying, "Behold, I have had another dream, and the sun and the moon and 11 stars bowed down to me." 10He recounted it to his father and his brothers, but his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you dream? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come and bow down to the ground before you?" 11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father remembered (put to heart) what he had said.The brothers tend the sheep to the north
12
Joseph's brothers travel north from Hebron via Shechem to Dotan.
Show in atlas
Joseph sold into slavery
18
One of the many wells at Tell Dotan.
Upper part of the stele with Hammurabi's laws. Hammurabi was king of Babylon from 1792 to 1750 BC. It was found in Susa and is now in the Louvre in Paris.
Judah and Tamar
[The main character in the last section (chapters 37-50) of Genesis is Joseph. Here in chapter 38, however, there is an abrupt interruption concerning Judah and Tamar. At first, it may be difficult to understand how this chapter, which is a single tangle of illicit sexual relationships, fits into the story. Judah refuses to marry his youngest son to Tamar, she takes matters into her own hands and seduces her father-in-law, who willingly goes to her disguised as a prostitute. Placing the story of Judah in the middle of the story of Joseph creates a literary point. Two different paths emerge. Joseph flees from sexual immorality (), while Judah willingly enters into it with his eyes wide open.] 381At that time, Judah went down [in terms of elevation, but also morally] from his brothers [in Hebron, see ] and turned to (pitched his tent at) a certain Adullamite named Kira [which means "noble"]. [Down to Adullam, which is located 20 km northwest of Hebron, there is an elevation difference of over 500 meters.]
2There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shoa [meaning "wealth"], took her, and went in to her (had sexual relations with her). [In a similar way to Esau (), Judah left the commandments and took a wife from a Canaanite family, see ; .] 3She became pregnant and bore a son, and he named him Er. [Er means "awake," presumably because it was a child who did not sleep much!] 4She became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, whom she named Onan [pronounced "Ohnan" and meaning "strong"]. 5Once again she gave birth to a son and named him Shelah [may allude to the fact that the son was requested in prayer]. He [Judah] was in Cheziv when she gave birth to him. [Cheziv, from the verb kazav (to lie, to speak untruth), was a city in Judea, probably another name for Achzib/Chezeva, see ; ; . The city is located 1 hour's walk north of Adullam, see . It is interesting that Judah is away in a city called "false" when his third son is born. The reader senses that family relations are not the best; the two eldest sons grow up and become evil in the eyes of the Lord, see verses 6, 10.] 6Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the eyes of the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) killed him. 8Then Judah said to Onan (Hebr.): "Go in to your brother's wife and perform your duty as her husband's brother and provide your brother with offspring (children; literally seed)." 9But Onan (Hebr. Ónan) knew that the seed (child) would not be his, so when he went in to his brother's wife, he spilled his seed on the ground, so that he would not give offspring to his brother. 10What he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord (Yahweh), and he killed him too. [Here we see the Bible's first example of levirate marriage, see ; ; ; .]
11After this, Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." He said (thinking to himself), "Otherwise, he will also die like his brothers." And Tamar went away and lived in her father's house. 12
Timnah has been identified with Tell Batash, where excavations were carried out in 1977-1989.
With 49 letters between them, the names Boaz, Ruth, Oved, Jishai, and David are encoded in Genesis chapter 38!
Joseph with Potiphar
391Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar [the name means "belonging to the sun" or "devoted to the sun"], one of Pharaoh's generals, the chief of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him there. 2The Lord (Yahweh) was with Joseph [the phrase recurs three more times, see verses 3, 21, 23] and he was a successful man. He was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3His master [Potiphar] saw that the Lord (Yahweh) was with him and that the Lord (Yahweh) made everything he did succeed in his hand. 4Joseph found favor (undeserved love; favor) in his eyes and became his personal servant. [A position that is well documented in Egyptian literature.] Potiphar appointed Joseph as overseer (supervisor) of his house and gave him charge of everything he owned. 5From the time that Potiphar appointed Joseph as overseer of his house and over all that he owned, the Lord (Yahweh) blessed the Egyptian's house because of Joseph. The Lord's blessing rested on everything he owned, in the house and in the field. 6So Potiphar entrusted everything he owned to Joseph's care (stewardship) and did not concern himself with anything (he trusted Joseph completely), except [the choice of] the food he ate. Joseph is imprisonedJoseph had a well-built body and was handsome. [The same expression is used about his mother Rachel, see .]
7After a while, his master's [Potiphar's] wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, "Lie with me!" 8But Joseph refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master who owns me does not even know what is in his house [does not keep track of all the little things], he has given everything that belongs to him into my hand (lets me manage everything). 9He is no greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God (Elohim)?" [Joseph argues on several points: It would be an abuse of trust, a betrayal of Potiphar, something evil, and also a sin against God. See also ; ; .] 10Even though she continued to speak to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her or want to lie with her or even be (stay in the same room; socialize) with her. 11One day, when he went into the house to do his work, none of the people who were usually in the house were there. 12Then she grabbed his garment [cloak] and said, "Lie with me!" But he left his garment in her hand, fled, and got out [of the house]. 13When she saw that he had left his garment [cloak] in her hand and fled, 14she called to the men of the house and spoke to them, saying, "See, he [my husband] has brought in a Hebrew to humiliate us (make us a laughing stock). He tried to rape me, but I cried out at the top of my voice. 15When he heard me raise my voice and cry out at the top of my voice, he left his garment [cloak] with me, fled, and got out." [Sometimes flight is a sign of weakness, other times courage. Joseph lost his cloak, but retained his integrity.] 16She placed his garment [cloak] beside her until her master came home. 17Then she told him the same thing: "The Hebrew servant you brought here came in to me and wanted to humiliate me (have his way with me). 18When I raised my voice and cried out at the top of my voice, he left his garment [cloak] with me, fled, and got out." 19When his master heard his wife's words that she spoke to him, saying, "This is what your servant did to me," his anger was kindled. 20Joseph's master [Potiphar] seized him. And they handed him over (gave him) to "the round house" [the name of a prison; from the word for "round," perhaps the building was round or enclosed by a wall], the place where the king's prisoners were held captive. He was now there in the round house. [It is not clear who Potiphar is angry with. Perhaps he knew his wife's ways. According to Yalkut Shimoni, a medieval rabbi, Potiphar's daughter Asenath did everything she could to vindicate Joseph and clear him of the charges. When Joseph is later released from prison, he marries Asenath, Potiphar's daughter, see . The time in prison was a trial for Joseph, described in
The story of Joseph is filled with cyclical patterns and repetitions: He has two dreams (chapter 37), he interprets two dreams (chapter 40), his brothers make two trips to see him (chapters 42-43), and here he is innocently imprisoned a second time.] 21But the Lord (Yahweh) was with Joseph and showed him mercy (caring love, faithfulness – Hebr. chesed) and gave him favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in the eyes of the one in charge of the round house. 22So the one in charge of the round house handed over (gave) all the prisoners who were in the round house into Joseph's hand, and everything that was to be done would be done through him. [The prison warden handed over full responsibility for everything that happened in the prison into Joseph's hand. Just as Potiphar had done before.] 23The person in charge of the round house did not need to supervise anything that was in his [Joseph's] hands, for the Lord (Yahweh) was with him, and whatever he did, the Lord (Yahweh) made it prosper.Joseph interprets two dreams
[Joseph came to Egypt at the age of 17, see . He served Potiphar for over 10 years before he was falsely accused of trying to rape his wife. He is now about 28 years old. Two years later, at the age of 30, he is promoted by Pharaoh, see .] 401After some time, it happened that the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. [Their crime is not mentioned. According to Jewish tradition, the reason was that a fly had fallen into Pharaoh's wine and a stone had accidentally ended up in his bread. Other Jewish commentaries suggest that they tried to poison Pharaoh.] 2Pharaoh was angry with his two officials—the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3He put them in custody in the house of the general, the chief of the guard, in the round house [the prison, see ], the place where Joseph was bound. 4The chief of the guard commanded Joseph to be with them, and he served them. Days passed, and they remained in prison. [Days can refer to a few weeks up to a year.] 5One night, both the Egyptian king's cupbearer and his baker, who were both in the round house [prison], had dreams. Each had his own interpretation (meaning). 6Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, and they looked troubled. 7He asked Pharaoh's officials who were with him in prison in his master's house, "Why do you look so troubled today?" 8They said to him, "We have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it." Joseph said to them, "Does not the interpretation belong to God (Elohim)? Tell me (the dream)." 9The chief cupbearer recounted his dream to Joseph and said to him, "In my dream, I saw a vine in front of me, 10and in the vine were three branches, and on them were buds, and its clusters bore (ripe) grapes for harvest, 11and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand." 12Joseph said to him, "This is the interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position (service – Hebr. ken; the same word translated "foundation" in ), and you will give Pharaoh the cup in his hand as you did before, when you were his cupbearer. 14But remember me when things go well for you, and show me kindness (caring love, faithfulness – Hebr. chesed) and tell Pharaoh about me and get me out of this house. 15For I have indeed been (innocently) taken away from the land of the Hebrews, and here too I have done nothing to deserve being put in the prison pit (well – Hebr. bór)." [The same word for well as in is used here. Joseph felt forgotten. He became a slave at the age of 17, innocently accused and thrown into prison. Only when he is 30 does he become free – 13 years is a long time! People may forget, but God does not forget, see .] 16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, "I also had a dream, and in it I saw three baskets of bread on my head. 17In the top basket were all kinds of baked bread for Pharaoh, but the birds ate it in the basket on my head." 18Joseph answered and said, "This is the interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19In three days, Pharaoh will lift (take off) your head from you, he will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat all the flesh from your body." 20Three days later, on Pharaoh's birthday, he held a feast for all his servants. He "lifted up the head" [exalted] of his chief cupbearer [reinstated him to his position, see ] and "lifted up the head" [beheaded] of his chief baker. 21He reinstated the chief cupbearer to his office and gave the cup to Pharaoh's hand. 22But he hanged the chief baker [on a tree—killed him], according to what Joseph had interpreted for them. [] 23But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.Pharaoh's dreams
411When two whole years had passed [since the cupbearer had been reinstated in his position], Pharaoh had a dream. He dreamed that he was standing by the Nile (Hebr. jeor). [The word is generally used to refer to a river/canal, but also specifically to the Nile.] 2Behold, seven cows came up out of the river, well-fed and fat, and they ate of the reeds. 3Seven other cows came up after them from the river, they were thin and emaciated and stood beside the other cows on the riverbank. 4The thin and emaciated cows ate the well-fed and fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5He slept and dreamed a second time. Behold, seven stalks of grain sprouted, lush and well-fed. 6After them came seven stalks that were thin and empty, tormented by the east wind, and ran after them. 7The seven thin and empty ones devoured the seven lush and well-fed ones. Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. [It was a frightening dream.] 8In the morning, he was troubled in his heart and sent for the magicians (scribes, from the word for pen) and all the wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh recounted his dream, but there was no one who could interpret it for Pharaoh.Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams
9[The chief cupbearer heard about the dreams and remembered Joseph.] Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh and said, "I remember my sins today. 10Pharaoh was angry with his servant and put me in prison in the house of the general, the chief of the bodyguard, me, and the chief baker. 11We both had a dream on the same night, but the dreams had different meanings. 12With us was a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the chief of the guard []. When we told him our dreams, he interpreted them. He gave us each an interpretation. 13It happened just as he had told us—I was reinstated in my office (position) [by Pharaoh, see ], but the other [baker] was hanged [on a tree, see ]." 14
Joseph before Pharaoh, painting by Adrien Guignet.
"In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile. 18Behold, seven cows came up out of the river, well-fed and fat, and they ate of the reeds. 19Seven other cows came up after them, they were thin and emaciated, I have never seen anything so repulsive in the land of Egypt. 20The thin and emaciated cows ate the first seven well-fed and fat cows. 21When they had eaten them, it was impossible to tell that they had eaten them, for they were still as thin and emaciated as before. Then I woke up. 22In my dream, I saw seven stalks of grain sprouting, lush and well-fed. 23And behold, seven stalks that were thin and empty and tormented by the east wind ran after them. 24The thin and empty ones devoured the seven lush and well-fed stalks. I told my diviners (scribes, from the word for pen), but no one could give me an explanation." 25Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dream is one. [The two dreams belong together.] God (Elohim) has told [revealed prophetically] Pharaoh what he is to do. 26The seven well-fed and fat cows are seven years, and the seven lush and well-fed stalks are seven years. The dream is one (and the same). 27The seven lean and emaciated cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven stalks that were thin and empty and tormented by the east wind are seven years of famine. 28These are the things I speak to Pharaoh about, what God is about to do, he has shown to Pharaoh. 29Behold, there will be seven years of abundant (good, overflowing) harvest in the land of Egypt. 30After them, there will be seven years of famine, and the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will consume the land. 31Because of the famine that will follow, the abundance will not be remembered (literally, will not be known), for the famine will be so terrible. 32For this reason, Pharaoh had two dreams, because these things are determined (decided) by God (Elohim), and God will soon bring them to pass." 33[Joseph continued:] "Therefore, Pharaoh should now appoint a sensible and wise person and put him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh do this and let him appoint overseers over the land. Gather a fifth [save 20%] from the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance (when there will be large harvests). 35Let them gather all the food that is harvested during the years of abundance that are coming and store the grain in Pharaoh's hand [in Pharaoh's barns] for food in the cities, and let them preserve (take good care of) it. 36The food shall be stored in the land for the seven years of famine that will come upon the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish through the famine." 37This (proposal) seemed good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants. 38Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, a man who has the Spirit of God (Elohim) in him?" 39Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God (Elohim) has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40You shall rule over my house, and according to your words all my people shall be ruled; only the throne shall be greater than you." [Joseph is promoted to the highest official in Egypt, only Pharaoh himself being higher in rank. Literally: "all my people shall kiss your mouth," cf. .]Joseph is put in charge of all the land of Egypt
41
Joseph becomes second in command in Egypt, painting by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1874.
[Some linguists believe that Joseph invented the first alphabet in order to simplify the accounting of all the crops that were to be stored. Until this time, written language was used in the form of hieroglyphics, which Joseph certainly had to learn when he entered the service of Pharaoh. But if Joseph did invent the alphabet, it was this that Moses learned during his years in Pharaoh's palace, so that he then had a written language with the letters of the alphabet when he wrote down the five books of Moses during the desert journey.] 50Before the years of famine began, two sons were born to Joseph; Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Fera, the priest of On [Heliopolis], bore them to him. 51Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh (Hebr. Menasheh): "For God has made me forget (Hebr. nashah) my bondage and my father's house." [The name Manasseh means "to make forget."] 52He named the second Ephraim: "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." [The name Ephraim means "double fruit."]
[God's order is first Manasseh, then Ephraim. First we must "forget" and get over what has been, the betrayal, the false accusations, the prison, and the unjust treatment before we can bear fruit. Instead of seeking revenge, we must forgive our brothers and give birth to "Manasseh," see .]
53The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the countries (around the Mediterranean and even south in Africa), but in Egypt there was bread. 55When all of Egypt was starving, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you." 56The famine was all over the earth. But Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57The whole world came to Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the world.Joseph's brothers to Egypt
421When Jacob saw (understood) that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, "Why are you looking at each other?" [Although Jacob was going blind, see , he had the clarity to see what needed to be done. The brothers' inability to see and act stands in sharp contrast to Joseph, who both foresaw the famine and prepared for it.] 2He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die [of famine]." 3Joseph's ten brothers [half-brothers] then went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But Benjamin, Joseph's [younger] brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he said (thinking to himself), "What if some misfortune befalls him?" [Benjamin and Joseph were full brothers. Rachel was their mother.] 5The sons of Israel came among all the others who came [on the 8-10 day journey down to Egypt] to trade, for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan. [Joseph came to Egypt at the age of 17. At the age of 30, he was promoted, and now, nine years later, his brothers come to buy grain from him—22 years after they sold him into slavery. Joseph's first dream is now coming true, see —almost. When they bowed down to him, he counted them; there were ten, not eleven. Where is the eleventh?] 6Joseph was governor of the land, and he was the one who managed the sales to all the people in the land. Joseph's brothers [ten of them, see ] came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. 7Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he made himself unrecognizable to them and spoke harshly (in an authoritative voice) to them, saying, "Where do you come from?" And they answered, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food." 8Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them [] and said to them, "You are spies who have come to see the nakedness of the land (where its weaknesses are)." 10They said to him, "No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11We are all one man's sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies." 12He said to them, "No, you have come to see the nakedness of the land (where its weaknesses are)." 13They said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, sons of one man in the land of Canaan; our youngest is with his father, and one is no longer alive." 14Joseph said to them, "This is what I meant when I said, 'You are spies. 15By this you shall be tested, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave here unless your youngest brother comes here. 16Send one of you to bring your brother, and you shall be imprisoned to test your words, whether there is truth in you. Otherwise, as Pharaoh lives, you are indeed spies." 17He put them all in custody for three days. 18On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this, and you will live, for I fear (revere) God (Elohim). 19if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be bound in prison, but go and bring grain for the famine in your houses, 20and bring your youngest brother to me, and your words will be tested, and you will not die." They did so. [Simeon, the second oldest son, is left behind in Egypt, see .] 21[While Joseph was there, the brothers began to talk among themselves.] They said, "We are truly guilty concerning our brother, when we saw the distress of his soul as he pleaded with us (Hebr. chanan) for mercy, but we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us." 22Reuben [Jacob's firstborn (with Leah)] answered them and said, "Did I not speak to you and say, 'Do not sin against the child,' but you did not listen? Therefore, his blood is being demanded." 23They did not know that Joseph understood them, for the interpreter was between them. 24[Joseph was deeply moved by what he heard.] He turned away from them and wept. He returned to them and spoke to them, and took Simeon from them and had him imprisoned before their eyes. [Simeon means "he who hears." Joseph tests his brothers to see if they would abandon Simeon, just as they abandoned him. Simeon was known for his harshness, see ; . Perhaps he was the driving force behind how the brothers treated Joseph more than 20 years earlier.]
25Then Joseph commanded that their vessels be filled with grain and each man's money be returned to his sack, and that they be given provisions for the journey, and so it was done for them. 26They loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27When one of them opened his sack at the resting place to feed his donkey, he discovered his money, and behold, it was at the top of the sack. 28He said to his brothers, "My money has been returned, and it is in my sack." They were terrified (their hearts failed them), and they turned to each other in alarm and said, "What has God (Elohim) done to us?"The brothers return to Jacob
29They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him everything that had happened to them, saying: 30"The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly (in an authoritative voice) to us and took us for spies. 31We said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. 32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with his father in the land of Canaan. 33The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'This is how I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for the famine in your houses, and go on your way. 34Bring your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will release your brother to you, and you may move about in the land." 35When they emptied their sacks, each man found his money bag in his sack. When they and their father saw the money bags, they were afraid. 36Jacob, their father, said to them, "You have robbed me of my children. Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin away. All this has come upon me (all this has befallen me)." 37Reuben spoke to his father and said, "You shall kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to you." [Reuben had four sons, so the Hebrew implies "two of my sons."] 38Jacob replied, "My son [Benjamin] shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If any harm befalls him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol (the grave, the underworld—the place of the dead) with sorrow." [Joseph and Benjamin are Rachel's only sons whom she bore to Jacob. Since Rachel was his first love, see , these two sons are especially important to him. She also died in childbirth when Benjamin was born.]The second trip to Egypt
431The famine was severe in the land. 2When they had eaten up the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us some food." 3Judah spoke to him and said, "The man warned us clearly, saying, 'You shall not see my face unless you bring your brother with you. 4If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food, 5but if you are unwilling to send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face unless you bring your brother with you. 6Israel [formerly called Jacob, see ] said, "Why have you done this evil thing to me, telling the man that you had another brother?" 7They replied, "The man asked us in detail about ourselves and our family, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother? We told him these things. How could we have known that he would say, 'Bring your brother here'? 8Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy [Benjamin] with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and our little ones. 9I will be his guarantor. From my hand you shall demand him if I do not bring him back to you and set him before you. Then I shall bear the blame for it forever. 10If we had not lingered, we would have been back a second time." [This was a remarkable statement from Judah. We sense that his heart was remorseful. Judah himself had lost two sons, see , , so he truly understood his father's feelings and could empathize with him from personal experience.] 11Their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so now, then do this. Take some of the best fruits of the land in your bags and bring gifts for the man, some balm and some honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and sweet almonds. [Ironically, these are the same goods that were in the caravan that took Joseph to Egypt, see , which are now being brought down as gifts to Joseph.] 12Take double the amount of money in your hand and the money that came back at the top of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13Take your brother [Benjamin] and get up and go back to the man. 14May Almighty God (El Shaddai) grant you eternal grace (boundless mercy) before that man [who is Joseph—still hidden from them], so that he may release your other brother [Simeon, see , ] and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved (deprived of my children), I am bereaved (deprived)." [Jacob trusts that God's will shall be done, see ; .]
[This is the first time the Hebrew word rachamim appears in the Old Testament. It means eternal grace, unlimited mercy, boundless compassion, infinite compassion. When the word is in the plural, there is no beginning and no end, it is impossible to count, it has no limitations. Hence translations that express this in various ways with adjectives such as eternal, infinite, boundless, etc. The main meaning of the word is mercy, but Hebrew has five different roots for this word. This particular root emphasizes that mercy means compassion, sympathy, and compassion.
Rachamim also shares its root with the word for womb, rechem. This gives the grace in this expression an additional dimension of being nurturing and protective, in the same way that the womb is the protection of the small, helpless, and defenseless child. Just as the unborn child is also completely dependent on the umbilical cord for nourishment, this word for grace also has a dimension that shows that we are completely dependent on God's eternal grace in order to even survive! This gives mercy, compassion, and pity much deeper dimensions than general goodwill.] 15The men (Hebr. enósh) [Joseph's brothers] took the gifts and double the amount of money in their hands, as well as Benjamin, and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. 16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his household [servants], "Bring the men into the house, slaughter an animal, and prepare the meat, for the men will dine with me today." 17The man (Hebr. ish) [one of the servants of the house] did as Joseph told him, and he brought the men (Hebr. enósh) into Joseph's house. 18The men [Joseph's brothers] were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house, and they said, "Because of the money that was put back in our sacks the first time, we have been brought in, so that he may find a reason against us and attack us and take us as slaves with our donkeys." 19They approached the steward of Joseph's house and spoke to him at the door of the house 20and said, "My lord (Hebr. adón), we did indeed come down to buy food the first time, 21but it happened that when we came to the resting place, we opened our sacks and each one found his money at the top of his sack, our money in full weight. [] We have now brought it back in our hands. 22We have also brought other money down here in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks." 23Then he said, "Peace (shalom) be with you, do not be afraid. Your God (Elohim) and the God (Elohim) of your fathers has given you treasure in your sacks. I have received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24The man (Hebr. ish) [Joseph's servant] brought the men (Hebr. enósh) into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet, and he gave their donkeys food. 25They prepared their gifts before Joseph's arrival at noon, for they had heard that they would eat there. 26When Joseph came home, they took the gifts that were in their hands and brought them into the house and bowed down before him to the ground. 27He asked them about their health and said, "Is everything well with your father, the old man you spoke of? Is he still alive?" 28They replied, "Your servant, our father, is well; he is still alive." And they bowed their heads in reverence. 29He lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his [own] mother's [Rachel's] son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, whom you told me about?" He continued, "May God (Elohim) show mercy (undeserved love, faithfulness – ) to you, my son." 30Joseph hurried to find a place where he could weep, for he was deeply moved by mercy (compassion, pity) toward his brothers, and he went into his chamber and wept there. 31He washed his face and came out (to his brothers) again and controlled himself and said, "Set the table." 32They served (set the table) [first] for him alone, and [then] for his brothers alone, and [last] for the Egyptians who ate with him alone. For the Egyptians cannot eat with the Hebrews, as it would be offensive to them. [The Egyptians considered themselves superior to other peoples, and one did not associate with them by eating at the same table. The Greek historian Herodotus (484-425 BC) confirms that the Egyptians did not even use vessels, knives, or skewers made in Greece. They did not put meat cut with a Greek knife into their mouths. The Egyptians also looked down on people who were herdsmen, see .] 33They sat before him, the firstborn [first] according to their birthright, and the youngest according to their age. [Joseph had seated them so that they were all in order of age.] The men [the 11 brothers] looked at each other in amazement. [They wondered how Joseph could know their ages. The probability of randomly choosing this order is extremely small, about one in 40 million.] 34In front of him, portions were distributed to them, but Benjamin's portion was five times larger than any of the others. They drank and were happy with him. [Why does Joseph give Benjamin more food, and later more money and five garments, see ? Was he following in his father's footsteps of favoring one of his brothers? No, Joseph was testing his brothers to see if they would become jealous again. If they had humbled themselves, could they rejoice even if one brother was more blessed, or would they get rid of Benjamin in the same way they had tried to get rid of Joseph?]The silver cup in Benjamin's sack
441He commanded the servants of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the top of his sack. 2Then put my cup, the silver cup, at the top of the youngest's sack, along with his money for the grain." They did as Joseph had said. 3As soon as morning came, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4When they had left the city and had not gone far, Joseph said to his servant, "Go after the men, and when you catch up with them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? 5Is this not the cup from which my master drinks and through which he becomes truly divine? You have done evil in doing this.'" 6When he caught up with them, he spoke these words to them. 7They answered him, "Why does my lord speak such words? It is far from your servants to do such a thing. 8Behold, the money we found at the top of our sacks we brought back from the land of Canaan; how then could we steal silver and gold from your lord's house? 9Let the one of your servants in whose possession it is found die, and we will become slaves to my lord." 10He replied, "Let it be as you have said. The one in whose possession it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent." 11Then they hurried, each one, to put his sack on the ground, and each one opened his sack. 12He searched, beginning with the eldest and continuing [in order of age] to the youngest... and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13They tore their clothes [in grief and despair]! Then each one loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. 14
Joseph conversing with his brother Jude, painting by James Tissot, 1896-1902.
Judah pleads for Benjamin
18Judah approached him [Joseph] and said, "My lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ear, and do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh. 19My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Do you have a father or a brother? 20We answered my lord, 'We have a father who is now old, and he has a son whom he had in his old age. The boy's brother is dead. Therefore, he is the only one left after his mother, and his father loves him. 21Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down with you so that I may see him with my own eyes. 22We replied to my lord, 'The young man cannot leave his father, for if he leaves his father, his father may die.' 23But you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again. 24When your servants came to our father, we told him the words of my lord. 25And our father said, 'Go back and buy us some food,' 26and we replied, 'We cannot go down unless our youngest brother is with us, for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us. 27Then your servant, my father, said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons, 28and one has gone from me,' and he said, 'He must have been torn to pieces, and I have not seen him since. 29if you take this one from me too, and something happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol (the grave, the underworld—the place of the dead) with sorrow." 30Know therefore that when I [Judah] come to your servant, my father [Jacob], and the young man is not with us—since his own life is completely joined to his life [literally: his soul is bound up in his soul]— 31then it will be his death if he sees that the young man is not with us. Your servant [I, Judah] will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father [Jacob], with sorrow to Sheol (the underworld). 32Your servant became a guarantor for the young man to my father, and I said, 'If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame and shame before my father forever.' [] 33Therefore, I beg you, let your servant remain here as a slave to my master instead of the young man, and let the young man go up with his brothers. 34How can I go up to my father if the young man is not with me? Otherwise, I will have to see the evil that will come upon my father."Joseph reveals himself
451Joseph could not control himself in front of all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Make sure all the servants leave here!" None of his servants were with him when he revealed himself to his brothers. 2He wept aloud so that the Egyptians heard and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3Joseph said to his brothers [in Hebrew], "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" His brothers could not answer him, for they stood there in awe (shocked) before him. 4Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me," so they came close [so Joseph could whisper to them without the Egyptians hearing their conversation]. Then he said [in a low voice]:
"I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. [] 5Do not be sad or angry with yourselves for selling me here. God sent me ahead of you to preserve human life. 6For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for another five years there will be no plowing or harvesting. 7God sent me ahead of you to preserve you and save your lives through a great deliverance. 8Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you [; ]. He has made me Pharaoh's closest advisor, lord of his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9Hurry up and go up to my father and tell him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. [Joseph's words must have reminded them of what he had said earlier, see .] 10You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your sons and your grandsons and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11I will provide for you there, for there are still five years of famine left. Otherwise, you, your household, and all that you have will become poor.' 12And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen, and you shall hasten to bring my father here." 14
Joseph embraces Benjamin, painting by Peter von Cornelius, 1817.
Jacob moves to Egypt
461Israel [Jacob] made the journey with all that he owned and came to Beer-Sheva. There he sacrificed to the God (Elohim) of his father Isaac. 2God spoke to Israel in a dream at night and said, "Jacob, Jacob!"
"Here I am," he replied. [It had been 22 years since Jacob had heard the voice of the Lord in this way; he was now 130 years old, see . Hebrew hineni means "I am at your disposal" or "I am ready to take responsibility." Jacob responds this way for the first time in when he is with Laban and has a dream in which God calls him back to the land of Canaan. See also .] 3He said, "I am God (El), the God of your fathers (Elohim). Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you back up again, and Joseph shall put his hand on your eyes." (Joseph shall close your eyes when you die). 5Jacob rose from Beer-Sheva, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father, and their little ones and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6They took their livestock and their possessions, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and his seed (descendants, children) with him. 7He took his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants with him to Egypt.The sons of Jacob
[Now follows a list of Jacob's sons. The phrase "This is the name of" is a common phrase, see ; ; . The verse is structured as a chiasm.] And these are the names of
the sons of
Israel
who came to Egypt,
Jacob
and his sons: Leah's six children
8Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. 9The sons of Reuben:
Chanoch (Enoch) and Pallo and Chetsron (Hesron) and Karmi. [; ; ]
10Simeon's (Shimon's) sons:
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11Levi's sons:
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12The sons of Judah:
Er and Onan [pronounced "Ohnan"] and Shelah and Perez and Zerah,
but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
13The sons of Issachar:
Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron.
14The sons of Zebulun (Hebr. Zevolun):
Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-Aram; [she also bore] his daughter Dinah.
All his sons and his daughters—33 persons in all (lives, souls). [Half of all, see —the highest number in this genealogy.]Leah's maidservant Zilpah's two sons
16Gad's sons:
Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni and Esbon, Eri and Arodi and Areli.
17Asher's sons:
Imnah, Ishva, Ishvi, and Beriah.
Their sister was Serah.
Beriah's sons: Heber and Malchiel.
18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah, and she bore them to Jacob—a total of 16 persons (souls, lives).Rachel's two sons
19The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife:
Joseph and Benjamin. 20To Joseph in the land of Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born by his wife Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On [].
21The sons of Benjamin [10]:
Bela and Becher and Ashbel, Gera and Naman, Ehi and Rosh, Moppim and Hoppim and Ard. [See also ; .] 22These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—a total of 14 persons (souls, lives).Rachel's maidservant Bilhah's two sons
23Dan's sons [one son]:
Chushim. []
24The sons of Naphtali:
Jachzeel, Goni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and whom she bore to Jacob—a total of 7 persons (souls, lives).Summary
26All the persons (souls, lives) belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt, those who came from his loins, as well as the wives of Jacob's sons—in total there were 66 persons (souls, lives). 27Joseph's sons who were born to him in Egypt were two – all the persons in Jacob's house who came to Egypt were 70 in total. [There are different ways of looking at who is included in the numbers 66 and 70. One difference seems to be highlighted in the phrase "came with Jacob". Joseph's two sons should not be included in that group. The sum of the four subtotals given in the paragraph above is 70 persons (33 + 16 + 14 + 7), see verses 15, 18, 22, and 25. The 70 may include Jacob himself and the 71 descendants (including Dinah, Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim) listed in verses 8-25, minus Er and Onan who died, see .] 28He [Jacob] sent Judah [whose name means praise] ahead of him to Joseph, to show him the way to Goshen, and they came to the land of Goshen. 29Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen, and he presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck for a long time. 30Israel said to Joseph, "Now I can die, since I have seen your face and that you are alive." 31Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh and say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have. 33When Pharaoh calls you and asks, 'What is your occupation?', 34you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,' so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians." 471Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, saying, "My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come from the land of Canaan, and now they are in the land of Goshen []." 2He took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. 3Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" They replied to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers." 4They said to Pharaoh, "We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' small livestock (sheep) because the famine and drought are severe in the land of Canaan. Therefore, we now beg (appeal) you, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen." 5Pharaoh spoke to Joseph and said, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6the land of Egypt is before you; see that your father and your brothers dwell in the best part of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, make them overseers of my livestock." 7Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. [Abraham is destined to be a blessing to all families on earth, see . Jacob, Abraham's grandson, now pronounces a blessing over Pharaoh.] 8Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the days and years of your life?" 9Jacob answered Pharaoh, "The days and years of my pilgrimage are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of my life, and I have not attained the days and years of the life of my fathers, the days that they lived (on earth)." 10Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from Pharaoh's presence. 11Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them possessions in the land of Egypt, in the best part of the land, in the land of Rameses [which later became a city in the area also known as Goshen at the Nile delta, see ; ], as Pharaoh had commanded. 12Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with bread, according to what they needed for their little ones.Joseph and the famine
13There was no bread in the whole land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14Joseph collected all the money that was in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. 15When the money was spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your sight? For all our money is gone." 16Joseph replied, "Bring your livestock here. I will give you bread for your livestock if your money is gone." 17They brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for their horses, cattle, sheep, and donkeys. He gave them bread in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18When that year was over, they came to him a second year and said to him, "We do not want to hide from our lord that all our money is spent, and the sheep and cattle are my lord's. Nothing remains in my lord's sight except our bodies and our land. 19Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us bread so that we may live and not die, and so that the land will not be desolate." 20Joseph bought the Mark of Egypt for Pharaoh because the Egyptians, all the men, sold their fields because the famine was so severe for them. So the Mark became Pharaoh's. 21As for the people, he moved them city by city from one end of Egypt's border to the other. 22Only the priests' mark he did not buy (redeem), because the priests had their share from Pharaoh and ate the ration that Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their mark. 23Then Joseph said to the people, "Behold, I have bought you and your Mark for Pharaoh today. Here is grain for you, and you shall sow the Mark. 24When you reap the harvest, you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts shall be yours, to sow the fields and to feed those in your households and to feed your little ones." 25They said, "You have saved our lives. Let us find favor (undeserved love) in the eyes of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's slaves." 26Joseph established a statute concerning the land of Egypt on that day, that Pharaoh should have a fifth, only the priests' land should not belong to Pharaoh. 27Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they acquired possessions there and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for 17 years. Jacob's days (the years of his life) were 147 years [7 years and 40 and 100 years]. 29The time drew near when Israel [Jacob] must die, and he called his son Joseph and said to him, "I beg you, if I have found favor (undeserved love) in your eyes, please place your hand under my thigh and deal kindly and faithfully with me. I beg you, do not bury me in Egypt. [Three times the Hebr. word na is used as an appeal and is often translated as 'I beg you'.] 30But when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." He [Joseph] answered [his father], "I will do as you have said." 31He [Jacob/Israel] said, "Give me your oath." And he [Joseph] gave him his oath, and Israel bowed down [and worshipped] at the head of the bed. [Cf. ]Manasseh and Ephraim
[In the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the tradition is that the firstborn becomes the next head of the family. As the eldest son, he inherits the name, status, and property of his father. It is not unusual for God to surprise us, as we have already seen several examples of in Genesis. In this passage, Joseph follows tradition and places Manasseh, his firstborn, on the right side to receive the greatest blessing. Jacob then crosses his arms and blesses Ephraim with his right hand. Joseph assumes it is a mistake, but Jacob knows exactly what he is doing.] 481After all this, someone came to Joseph and said, "Look, your father is sick." So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him. 2And they told Jacob, saying, "Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you." Israel strengthened himself (gathered his strength) and sat on the bed. 3Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty (El Shaddai) appeared to me at Luz [another name for Bethel] in the land of Canaan and blessed me [; ], 4and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company (a large crowd or an entire army) of people, and I will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession. 5[Jacob continues speaking to Joseph:] Now your two sons are mine, those who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in the land of Egypt, Ephraim and Manasseh, just as Reuben and Simeon are and shall be mine. 6And their descendants that you will have after them shall be yours; they shall be named after your brothers in their inheritance. 7As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died on me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrathah. I buried her there on the way to Ephrathah." The place is called Bethlehem today. 8When Israel [Jacob] saw Joseph's sons, he asked, "Who are these?" 9Joseph answered his father, "They are my sons, whom God (Elohim) has given me here." He said, "Bring them to me, I pray you, and I will bless them." 10Now Israel's eyes were dim with age, so that he could not see. He brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11Israel said to Joseph, "I did not think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring (your sons) too!" 12Joseph took them down from his knees and fell down (bowed) with his face to the ground. 13Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him. 14Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head—who was the younger—and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15He blessed Joseph and said: "The God (Elohim – in the definite form: the God) before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God (Elohim – in the definite form: the God) who has been my shepherd ("has led me") [who has led me and brought me to pasture]
all my long life [from my birth] to this day,
16the angel (the messenger) [the Lord himself] who redeemed (freed) me from all evil (all wickedness)
– may he bless the young men.
And let my name be mentioned in them
and the names of my fathers – Abraham and Isaac,
and let them grow in number (become many) in the midst of the land (over the earth)." [] [Here, the Hebrew verb gaal (to redeem) is used for the first time in the Bible. The noun with the same root – redeemer – is one of the names of Jesus. His mission on the cross was to redeem, see ; ; . Therefore, it is no coincidence that the expression "all evil" is included when gaal appears for the first time in Scripture. It prophetically points to what is in God's plan of salvation.] 17When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, he disapproved (it was evil in his eyes), so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." 19His father refused and said, "I know (am well aware of) that, my son. I know it. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless (a sharp emphasis and contrast between something that has been and something that is – Hebr. olam), his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed (descendants) will become a multitude of peoples (nations)." 20He blessed them that day and said, "By you Israel shall bless, saying, 'God (Elohim) shall make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. '" So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God (Elohim) will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22I now give you, in addition to what your brothers will receive, a ridge (slope or the city of Shechem) that I took from the Amorites with sword and bow." [Hebr. shekhem can refer to a ridge, slope, or even the city of Shechem. He may be referring to the land he bought, see , but since a battle is mentioned, it suggests that it is the events in that are referred to. Joseph was later buried in Shechem, see .] Twelve or thirteen tribes?
Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are adopted by Jacob (), so in total it is as if Israel had 14 sons! When the land is later divided, Joseph does not receive any land; instead, Manasseh and Ephraim are allocated land, and Joseph is thus replaced by his sons. Here we see a model of how Jesus redeems two peoples (Jews and Gentiles) and allows these two peoples to take his place as one people, yet still two ().
Even though there are thirteen tribes entering the new land, only twelve tribes receive land. Levi does not have its own territory (the Lord is their inheritance, see ). There are several connections between the number 13 and the number 1. The Hebrew word for the number one is echad. The word consists of three letters: alef (numerical value 1), chet (numerical value 8), and dalet (numerical value 4). The sum of the numerical values of these three letters is 13. In Judaism, 13 is the number required to start something new. The number one together with thirteen appears in many areas. When a boy reaches the age of thirteen (and celebrates bar mitzvah), he is considered a man and "becomes one" with the people.
Jacob prophesies over his sons
491Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.
[From birth, Jacob's life had been marked by strife within the family, but also by a wrestling match with God, see , ; ; . Here, at the end of his life, he prophesies from the depths of his spirit about his sons. The prophecies are based on both their character and their actions. These words are both blessings upon his sons and prophecies about the future, hence the expression "at the end of your days," since some of what is said will not be fulfilled until the end of time.] 2Gather yourselves together and listen, sons of Jacob, to Israel your father. [The enumeration of the twelve sons in this chapter follows their mothers (Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah, and Rachel) and their order of birth. In the Old Testament, there are 28 lists, based on:
• Birth order (; )
• Relationship to the tabernacle ()
• Allotted land ()
• The twelve gates ()
In the New Testament, there are two enumerations in ; .] 3Reuben [meaning "see a son"] you are my firstborn,
my power and the firstfruits of my strength,
superior in dignity and superior in strength.
4Unstable as water [without the ability to exercise self-discipline], you lack superiority,
because you ascended your father's bed,
where you defiled it; he ascended my bed. 5Simeon and Levi are brothers
– the weapons of violence are their blood ties.
[Simeon means "to hear"; Levi "joined together with".]
6Let not my soul come into their council,
let my honor never be joined to their company,
for in their anger they slay men
and with their arbitrary mercy (will – Hebr. ratson) they maim oxen.
7Cursed is their anger,
for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will divide (spread, scatter) them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.
8Judah [meaning "praise"], your brothers will praise you,
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies,
the sons of your fathers will bow down before you.
9Judah is a lion's cub,
from the prey you have ascended.
He crouches, he lies down like a lion,
like a lioness—who will rouse him?
10The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff [depart] from between his feet [his descendants],
as long as one comes to Shiloh (until he comes as the one to whom it belongs) [a reference to the Messiah],
and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. 11He ties his donkey (young male pack animals) to the vine
and his donkey colt [male] to the noble vine [which produces the chosen wine].
He dips his garment [literally: 'his clothing'] in wine;
yes, his cloak in the blood of grapes.
[The dark red wine may also allude to blood, especially if one sees the connection to Jesus, a descendant of Judah, see ; ; . The word for dip has often been translated as wash, but the word kavas can mean to process or full, i.e. to dye fabrics by dipping and processing them.]
12His eyes are darker (more sparkling) than wine
and his teeth whiter than milk. [Hebr. shiloh in is probably not a geographical location but rather an expression that the Messiah will come as the one who will rightfully rule with the scepter mentioned in this verse. The word itself is the feminine form of resting place. Therefore, based on how the Hebrew is formulated here, one can imagine that the scepter/rod of rule will rest between the Messiah's feet. With this meaning, it becomes very clear that this blessing is prophetic and speaks of Jesus, the Lion of Judah, who in the millennial kingdom will hold the scepter in his hand and enjoy the obedience of the nations.] 13Zebulun [Hebr. Zevolun means "exalted"] shall dwell by the seashore
and he shall become a haven (Hebr. chof) (safe harbor – Hebr. chof) for ships
and his side [border] shall face Sidon. [Zebulun is blessed before his older brother Issachar. This prophecy is interesting because the land that Zebulun is eventually assigned is not located on the Mediterranean coast or the Sea of Galilee, but in a small area between them. Over time, however, they gain access to both the Mediterranean and the Sea of Galilee, as the Via Maris passes through their territory and they later distinguish themselves as seafarers.] 14Issachar [meaning "there is compensation"] is a large donkey,
lying down between two sheepfolds (campsites, burdens).
15He saw a resting place, that it was good (fertile, comfortable)
and that the land was appealing (beautiful, lush, peaceful).
He bent his shoulder (back) to carry (burdens)
and became a dutiful servant in his work.
[The word sheepfolds (Hebr. mispetayim) in is difficult to translate. The word is in the dual form, which seems to mean that the donkey has laid down between two objects/places of the same kind. Since speaks of a resting place and burdens, the meaning may have something to do with these words. The sons of Issachar are mentioned as "men who understood the signs of the times and realized what Israel should do," see .] 16Dan [meaning "judge"] shall judge (bring justice to) his people
as one of the tribes of Israel. 17Dan shall be a serpent by the way,
a horned serpent in the well-trodden (well-known and much-used) path,
biting the horse's heel
so that the rider falls backward.
18I wait for your salvation (rescue – Hebr. ), Lord (Yahweh). [In the midst of blessing his sons, Jacob turns directly to the Lord (Yahweh). This verse is the first time the word salvation is used in the Bible.] 19Gad [meaning "one who cuts" – the attacker] shall cut (attack) him,
but he shall cut (attack) them [the enemy] in the heel [where they are vulnerable, on the run]. [The name Gad means coriander seed but also troop or large crowd. The root comes from the verb gadad, which means to cut, attack, or invade, i.e., descriptions of what a military troop does. Together with Reuben and Manasseh, Gad's territory lay between the Moabites in the south, the Ammonites in the east, and the Arameans in the northeast. Because of all the wars they fought for their existence, they became known as warriors, see ; , .] 20From Asher [meaning "happy"] come abundant (overflowing, satisfying) dishes
and he shall provide food for royal pleasures (richly laid banquet tables). 21Naphtali [meaning "wrestler"] is a hind that has been set free,
he gives good words (speaks blessings, encouragement, and comfort). [This is a prophecy that the disciples will preach the gospel, the good words, the good news. Almost all of Jesus' disciples come from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, because these two tribes mingled in the area around the Sea of Galilee, which was originally assigned to Naphtali and was the area where Jesus called most of his disciples. Nazareth is located in the area of Zebulun and Capernaum in the area of Naphtali.] 22Joseph [meaning "let him multiply—be a bearer of abundant fruit"] is a fruitful son,
a fruitful son at the source,
the daughters march over the wall.
23The archers have been fierce against him
and shot at him and hated him. 24Nevertheless, his bow was firm (steady, stable)
and his arms and hands nimble (quick and agile),
through the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
from there (from) the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25by the God (El) of your father who helps you,
and the Almighty (Shaddaj) who will bless you
with blessings from the heavens above,
blessings from the depths [underground springs] that rest (spread out) below,
blessings from the breast and womb.
26Your father's blessings
have far surpassed (have been more powerful than) the blessings of my ancestors,
up to the farthest limits of the eternal hills.
They shall be upon Joseph's head,
and upon the crown of him who is separated (consecrated – Hebr. nazir) from his brothers.
[; ] [Joseph is perhaps the clearest prototype of Jesus in the Old Testament. Joseph was a "fruitful son," see , and Jesus is called the vine, and those who are connected to him shall bear fruit, see ; . Joseph is called a "son by the spring," and Jesus is the source of life, see .] 27Benjamin [meaning "right hand son" or "son of my right hand"] is a ravenous wolf,
in the morning he devours his prey
and in the evening he divides the spoil. [Benjamin was the youngest and smallest of the sons of Israel. His territory is in northern Jerusalem. The Temple Mount belongs to Benjamin's territory along with an area to the north, while the Mount of Olives and the Western Mount in Jerusalem belong to Judah along with areas to the south that include Bethlehem and Hebron, among others. God thus chose an area for his dwelling, the temple here on earth, in the territory of the smallest tribe. God's right hand is also an expression of his strength. It can also refer to Jesus, who is at God's right hand and the part of the Godhead that will sit on the Temple Mount and reign from Jerusalem in the millennial kingdom.
The tribe of Benjamin was known for being warriors. A couple of examples of people from the tribe of Benjamin are Ehud () and King Saul (). In the New Testament, Saul is mentioned as a Benjaminite who fought the good fight of faith, see ; .] 28These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them and blessed them, each according to his blessing, he blessed them. [This is the first time the phrase "the twelve tribes of Israel" is used. When the land is eventually divided, Levi is not included; however, Joseph's two sons become leaders of two tribes. Manasseh and Ephraim take the place of Joseph and Levi.]Jacob's death
29He commanded and said to them, "I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30in the cave in the field of Machpelah, in front of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a property and burial place. 31There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah. 32The field and the cave that are there, which were bought from the sons of Heth. 33When Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he gathered his feet into the bed and breathed his last breath and was gathered to his people. 501Then Joseph fell on his father's face, wept over him, and kissed him. 2Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel [Jacob]. 3It took 40 days, which is how long embalming takes. The Egyptians wept over him for 70 days. [The 70 days probably include the 40 days it took to embalm him, followed by 30 days of mourning, see .] 4When the days of mourning were over, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh's household and said, "If I have found favor (undeserved love) in your eyes, please speak to Pharaoh and say: 5My father made me swear an oath, saying, 'Behold, I am about to die. You must bury me in my grave that I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.' So, please, let me now go up and bury my father, and then return." 6Pharaoh replied, "Go up and bury your father according to the oath you swore to him." 7Joseph went up and buried his father, and with him went Pharaoh's servants, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8and all of Joseph's household and his brothers. Only their little ones and their flocks and herds they left in Goshen. 9With him went both chariots and horsemen, and it was a large company. 10They came to the threshing floor of Atad, on the other side of the Jordan. There they mourned and lamented loudly. He mourned for his father seven days. 11When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a deep mourning for the Egyptians." Therefore, it was named Evel-Mitsraim (meaning Egypt's lament or dirge), which is beyond the Jordan. 12His sons did to him as he had commanded them. 13His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, which Abraham had bought with the field as a property and burial place from the Hittite Ephron, in front of Mamre. 14After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.Joseph reassures his brothers
15When Joseph's brothers saw (began to realize the consequences of) that their father [Jacob] was dead, they said, "What if Joseph hates us (is bitter and resentful) and now takes revenge for all the evil we did to him?" 16Therefore, they sent a message to Joseph, saying: "Before your father died 17he asked us to tell you, Joseph, this:
'I beg you [Joseph],
please forgive your brothers' sins
and all the evil they have done to you.
We, servants of your father's God (Elohim), beg you to forgive us." When Joseph heard what they said, he burst into tears. 18Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Here we are, we are your slaves." 19But Joseph answered them, "Do not be afraid, would I take the place of God? 20You meant to harm me, but as you can see, God has turned it into something good, to save the lives of many people. 21Do not be afraid, I will provide for you and your children." Then Joseph comforted them and spoke kindly to them (encouraged them). [The same idea is developed by Paul in . God turns what was meant to harm into something that works for his purposes.] 22Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father's house (his entire family), and Joseph lived to be 110 years old. [According to Egyptian inscriptions and texts, 110 years was the ideal age. Joshua also lived to be 110 years old, see .] 23Joseph saw [his second son] Ephraim's sons to the third generation; even Manasseh's son, Machir [Joseph's grandson], became the father of children [who were laid] on Joseph's knees. [Manasseh was Joseph's firstborn, whose son was named Machir, see ; . "Laying on Joseph's knees" alludes to the custom of placing the newborn child on the knees, first of the father, who by receiving it acknowledged the child as his own, and then of the mother, see . Joseph adopted his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, which means that they shared in his blessing and inheritance, see also .]Joseph's death
24Joseph said to his brothers, "I am dying, but God (Elohim) will surely visit you (Hebr. ) and bring you up out of this land, just as he swore (promised) to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." 25Joseph took an oath from the sons of Israel and said, "God will surely visit you, and then [when you leave Egypt] you shall carry my bones from here" [Hebr. is a rich word that means to see, visit, remember, and can also be used to count and muster. The word is repeated twice, both here and in , which reinforces and assures that God will see and protect the Israelites.] 26So Joseph died, he was 110 years old. They [followed Egyptian custom and] embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt. [Based on studies of mummies, the life expectancy in Egypt was 40-50 years. When the Israelites left Egypt several hundred years later, Moses fulfilled this promise, see , and Joseph was buried in Shechem, see . According to Jewish tradition, it is these men who fulfilled this mission who are given the opportunity to celebrate Pesach Sheni (the second Passover), see . The story of Joseph ends with the Israelites coming to Egypt. Here they live for generations, aware that their future lies in another land, a promised land, which most of them have never seen.]
