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Ariel’s Bible Commentary
The Book of Genesis
Other Books by Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
Jesus Was a Jew
A Passover Haggadah for Jewish Believers
Biblical Lovemaking: A Study of the Song of Solomon
Hebrew Christianity: Its Theology, History and Philosophy
The Footsteps of the Messiah:
A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events
Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology
A Study Guide of Israel:
Historical and Geographical
Messianic Christology:
A Study of Old Testament Prophecy
Concerning the First Coming of the Messiah
Ariel’s Bible Commentary Series:
The Messianic Jewish Epistles
Judges and Ruth
Ariel’s Bible
Commentary
The Book of Genesis
Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
Th.M., Ph.D.
Copyright © 2008 by Ariel Ministries
Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, author
All rights reserved. No part of this book study may be reproduced in any
form, except in brief quotations in a review or professional work, without
permission from the publisher.
eBook Version in pdf format
ISBN 978-1-935174-01-1
First Edition 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
REL006060 RELIGION / Biblical Commentary / Old Testament
REL006030 RELIGION / Biblical Biography / Old Testament
REL006210 RELIGION / Biblical Studies / Old Testament
Artwork and design on cover created by Matthew Lipsey.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the 1901 American
Standard Version available from The World English Bible (WEB), a Public
Domain (no copyright) resource published by Rainbow Missions, Inc., and
available at www.ebible.org or the 1901 American Standard Version (Oak Harbor,
WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1994). These two versions of the ASV vary
only slightly, mainly in punctuation.
Published by
P.O. Box 792507
San Antonio, TX 78279-2507
210-344-7707
www.ariel.org
Printed in the United States of America
Dedication
The Book of Genesis is the Book of Beginnings.
The beginning of Ariel Ministry was made possible because
of a gifted and spiritual woman who served Ariel Ministries
for the first seven years of its existence in San Antonio,
Texas:
CHARMAINE O’NEILL
She was Ariel Ministries’ first secretary, whose skill,
faithfulness, and organizational abilities played a major role in
getting the ministry off the ground at the time of our beginnings.
To her is this volume affectionately dedicated.
Acknowledgements
This work would not have been possible without the aid of others,
and now it is a joy to thank certain ones who have been so helpful:
Archie and Jo Ann Jones, for editing, proofing, and
overseeing the production work;
Cleo M. Johnson, for transcribing the Book of Genesis from
the tapes;
Matthew Lipsey, who designed the cover for the book;
Pauline Ilsen, who aided in the editing and proofing process;
and,
Joni Prinjinski, who did the final editing of the manuscript
and prepared it for publication.
To each of these, please accept my most grateful thanks.
The translation used is that of the American Standard Version
(ASV); however, the archaic English forms have been modernized.
Nevertheless, the ye (second person plural) form has been
maintained, since the difference between the singular and plural
forms is often important in determining the meaning of the texts. In
an attempt to make the exegesis of Scripture quoted within the text
more readable, capitalization and punctuation have been modified to
accommodate sentence structure. The Scripture block quotes are
provided to give the reader an accurate point of reference.
Table of Contents
Dedication .................................................................................... v
Acknowledgements ................................................................... vii
List of Tables ........................................................................... xxiii
List of Figures .......................................................................... xxv
Abbreviations for Books of the Bible ..................................... xxvii
Introduction ........................................................... 1
A. Title ....................................................................................... 1
1. Hebrew: Bereishit ............................................................. 1
2. Greek: Geneseos ................................................................ 1
3. English: Genesis ................................................................ 2
B. Author ................................................................................... 2
C. Theme ................................................................................... 3
D. Structure ................................................................................ 3
1. Two-Division Structure ................................................... 4
2. Toldot Structure ................................................................ 6
3. Geographical Structure .................................................. 10
E. Nature .................................................................................. 11
F. Book of Origins .................................................................. 11
G. First Mentions..................................................................... 11
H. The Purposes ...................................................................... 11
I. Parallel Documents ............................................................. 12
J. Quotations and References ................................................. 14
K. The Book of Genesis and the Book of Revelation ............. 14
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L. Genesis and Science ............................................................ 15
M. Genesis and Systematic Theology ....................................... 17
1. Bibliology: Doctrine of the Scriptures .......................... 17
2. Theology Proper: Doctrine of God .............................. 18
3. Christology: Doctrine of the Son ................................. 20
4. Pneumatology: Doctrine of the Holy Spirit ................. 20
5. Angelology Proper: Doctrine of the Elect Angels ........ 21
6. Satanology: Doctrine of Satan ...................................... 21
7. Demonology: Doctrine of Fallen Angels ...................... 21
8. Anthropology: Doctrine of Man .................................. 21
9. Hamartiology: Doctrine of Sin ..................................... 22
10. Soteriology: Doctrine of Salvation ............................... 22
11. Israelology: Doctrine of Israel ...................................... 22
12. Ecclesiology: Doctrine of the Church .......................... 23
13. Eschatology: Doctrine of Last Things ......................... 23
a. Personal Eschatology: Future of the Soul ................ 23
b. General Eschatology: Future of the World ............. 24
I. Prologue: The Creation of the World
- 1:1 — 2:3 .................................................... 25
A. Introductory Material .......................................................... 25
1. The Views of Genesis 1:1-3 ........................................... 25
2. Other Creation Passages ................................................ 29
3. The Number Seven ........................................................ 29
B. The Creation of the Cosmos - 1:1 ....................................... 30
C. The Chaos - 1:2 ................................................................... 36
D. Introduction to the Six Days of Creation ............................ 42
E. The First Day - 1:3-5 ........................................................... 44
F. The Second Day - 1:6-8 ....................................................... 46
Contents
xi
G. The Third Day - 1:9-13 ...................................................... 49
H. The Fourth Day - 1:14-19 .................................................. 51
I. The Fifth Day - 1:20-23 ....................................................... 53
J. The Sixth Day - 1:24-31 ....................................................... 54
K. The Seventh Day - 2:1-3 ..................................................... 63
II.
Toldot
of the Heavens and
the Earth - 2:4 - 4:26 .................................... 69
A. Introduction - 2:4 ................................................................ 69
B. Man in the Garden of Eden - 2:5-25 .................................. 70
1. Creation of Man - 2:5-7 ................................................ 71
2. Garden of Eden - 2:8-14 ............................................... 75
3. Edenic Covenant - 2:15-17 ........................................... 78
4. Creation of Woman - 2:18-25 ....................................... 82
C. The Fall of Man - 3:1-24 .................................................... 91
1. The Temptation - 3:1-5 ................................................ 91
2. The Fall - 3:6 ................................................................. 95
3. Spiritual Death - 3:7-8 .................................................. 97
4. The Divine Confrontation - 3:9-13 .............................. 98
5. The Adamic Covenant - 3:14-19 ................................ 101
a. The Serpent - 3:14 ................................................ 101
b. Satan - 3:15 ........................................................... 103
c. The Woman - 3:16 ................................................ 104
d. The Man - 3:17-19 ............................................... 107
6. Results of the Fall - 3:20-24 ........................................ 109
D. Cain and Abel - 4:1-26 ..................................................... 113
1. Murder of Abel - 4:1-15 .............................................. 113
2. Line of Cain - 4:16-24................................................. 122
3. Line of Seth - 4:25-26 ................................................. 128
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III.
Toldot
of Adam - 5:1 - 6:8 ..............................131
A. Introduction - 5:1-2 ........................................................... 131
B. Genealogy of the Seed Line - 5:3-32 ................................. 132
1. Adam - 5:3-5 .............................................................. 132
2. Seth - 5:6-8 ................................................................. 133
3. Enosh - 5:9-11 ............................................................ 133
4. Kenan - 5:12-14 .......................................................... 134
5. Mahalalel - 5:15-17 .................................................... 134
6. Jared - 5:18-20 ............................................................ 134
7. Enoch - 5:21-24 .......................................................... 135
8. Methuselah - 5:25-27 ................................................. 137
9. Lamech - 5:28-31 ....................................................... 138
10. Noah - 5:32 ................................................................. 139
C. The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men - 6:1-8 ....... 143
1. Intermarriage - 6:1-4 .................................................... 143
2. Divine Response - 6:5-8 ............................................... 152
IV.
Toldot
of Noah - 6:9 - 9:29 .............................157
A. Situation Before the Flood - 6:9-12 .................................. 159
B. Commission to Noah - 6:13-22 ........................................ 161
C. Command to Enter the Ark - 7:1-5 ................................. 167
D. Entry Into the Ark - 7:6-9 ................................................ 168
E. Rain - 7:10-16 ................................................................... 168
F. The Flood - 7:17-24 .......................................................... 171
G. Flood Waters Recede - 8:1-14 .......................................... 174
1. The Gradual Decrease of the Waters - 8:1-5 .............. 174
2. The Emergence of Dry Land - 8:6-14 ......................... 176
H. Disembarkation - 8:15-19 ................................................. 180
Contents
xiii
1. The Command - 8:15-17 ............................................ 180
2. The Obedience - 8:18-19 ............................................ 180
I. The Offering and the Promise - 8:20-22 ......................... 181
J. Noahic Covenant - 9:1-17 ................................................ 184
1. Provisions of the Covenant - 9:1-7 .............................. 184
2. Token of the Covenant - 9:8-17 .................................. 187
K. The Three Sons and the New Beginning - 9:18-19 ......... 195
L. Curse of Canaan - 9:20-27 ............................................... 196
M. Death of Noah - 9:28-29 ................................................. 200
V.
Toldot
of the Sons of Noah - 10:1 - 11:9 ......... 203
A. The Tablet of Nations - 10:1-32 ....................................... 203
1. Introduction - 10:1 ..................................................... 203
2. The Line of Japheth - 10:2-5 ..................................... 206
3. The Line of Ham - 10:6-20 ....................................... 210
4. The Line of Shem - 10:21-31 .................................... 217
5. Conclusion - 10:32 ..................................................... 220
B. The Tower of Babel - 11:1-9 ............................................ 221
1. The Rebellion of Man - 11:1-4 .................................. 221
2. The Judgment of God - 11:5-9 .................................. 223
VI.
Toldot
of Shem - 11:10-26 ............................. 227
VII.
Toldot
of Terah
- 11:27 - 25:11 ............................................ 235
A. The Story of Terah - 11:27-32 ......................................... 235
B. The Abrahamic Covenant - 12:1-3 .................................. 239
C. The Journey into the Land - 12:4-9 ................................. 243
D. The Sojourn in Egypt - 12:10-20 ..................................... 246
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E. The Separation from Lot - 13:1-18 .................................. 251
1. The Separation - 13:1-13 ........................................... 251
2. The Abrahamic Covenant - 13:14-17 ........................ 256
3. The Sojourn to Hebron - 13:18 .................................. 258
F. The War of the Kings - 14:1-24 ........................................ 259
1. The War - 14:1-12 ..................................................... 259
2. The Rescue of Lot - 14:13-16 .................................... 264
3. Abram and the Two Kings - 14:17-24 ....................... 266
G. The Sealing of the Abrahamic Covenant - 15:1-21 .......... 271
1. The Covenantal Promise - 15:1-6 .............................. 271
2. The Covenantal Ritual - 15:7-21 ............................... 276
H. The Birth of Ishmael - 16:1-16 ......................................... 285
1. Sarai and Hagar - 16:1-6 ............................................ 285
2. Hagar and the Angel of Jehovah - 16:7-14 ................ 290
3. The Birth - 16:15-16 .................................................. 293
I. The Token of the Abrahamic Covenant - 17:1-27 ........... 294
1. The Provisions of the Covenant - 17:1-8 ................... 294
2. The Token: Circumcision - 17:9-14 .......................... 298
3. The Role of Sarah - 17:15-21 ..................................... 303
4. The Obedience of Abraham - 17:22-27 ..................... 306
J. The Overthrow of the Cities of the Plain - 18:1 - 19:38 .... 308
1. The Visitation - 18:1-15 ............................................. 308
a. The Hosting - 18:1-8 ........................................... 308
b. The Promise of Isaac - 18:9-15 ............................ 312
2. The Prophecy of Sodom’s Destruction - 18:16-33 ..... 314
a. The Doom of Sodom - 18:16-21 ......................... 314
b. Abraham’s Intercession - 18:22-33 ...................... 316
3. The Destruction of the Cities - 19:1-29 ..................... 319
a. The Angels in Sodom - 19:1-11 .......................... 319
b. Rescue of Lot - 19:12-22 ..................................... 323
Contents
xv
c. The Destruction - 19:23-29 ................................ 326
4. The Sin of Lot and the Origin of Moab
and Ammon -19:30-38 .............................................. 329
K. The Abimelech Incident - 20:1-18 ................................... 333
1. The Background - 20:1-2 ........................................... 333
2. Abimelech and God - 20:3-8 ..................................... 334
3. Abimelech and Abraham - 20:9-15 ........................... 336
4. Abimelech and Sarah - 20:16 ..................................... 338
5. The Removal of the Curse - 20:17-18 ....................... 339
L. The Birth of Isaac - 21:1-7 ............................................... 340
M. The Expulsion of Ishmael - 21:8-21 ................................ 342
N. The Covenant of Beersheba - 21:22-34 ........................... 347
O. The Offering of Isaac - 22:1-19 ....................................... 351
1. The Testing of Abraham - 22:1-10 ........................... 351
2. The Divine Substitutionary Provision - 22:11-14 ..... 355
3. The Abrahamic Covenant - 22:15-18 ........................ 357
4. The Return to Beersheba - 22:19 ............................... 358
P. The Family of Nahor - 22:20-24 ...................................... 363
Q. The Death and Burial of Sarah - 23:1-20 ........................ 364
1. The Death of Sarah - 23:1-2 ...................................... 364
2. The Cave of Machpelah - 23:3- 18 ............................. 365
3. The Burial - 23:19-20 ................................................ 370
R. A Wife for Isaac - 24:1-67 ............................................... 371
1. Abraham's Admonition to the Servant - 24:1-9 ........ 371
2. The Servant’s Prayer - 24:10-14 ................................ 374
3. The Servant and Rebekah - 24:15-27 ........................ 376
4. The Servant and Laban - 24:28-49 ............................ 379
a. The Servant in the House - 24:28-33 .................. 379
b. The Telling of the Story - 24:34-49 .................... 380
5. The Betrothal of Isaac and Rebekah - 24:50-60 ........ 384
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6. Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah - 24:61-67 ................ 386
S. Abraham and Keturah - 25:1-6 ......................................... 389
T. The Death of Abraham - 25:7-11 ..................................... 391
VIII.
Toldot
of Ishmael - 25:12-18 ........................395
A. The Sons of Ishmael - 25:12-16 ....................................... 395
B. Death of Ishmael - 25:17 .................................................. 397
C. Territory of Ishmael - 25:18 .............................................. 397
IX.
Toldot
of Isaac - 25:19 - 35:29 ........................399
A. Birth of Esau and Jacob - 25:19-26................................... 399
B. The Selling of the Birthright - 25:27-34 .......................... 401
C. Reconfirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant - 26:1-5 ...... 405
D. Isaac and Abimelech - 26:6-11 ......................................... 408
E. Struggle for the Wells - 26:12-32 ..................................... 411
F. Sojourn in Beersheba - 26:23-25 ...................................... 413
G. The Covenant with Abimelech - 26:26-33 ....................... 414
H. Wives of Esau - 26:34-35 ................................................. 417
I. The Patriarchal Blessing - 27:1-40 ................................... 418
1. Isaac’s Intent - 27:1-4 ................................................. 418
2. The Conspiracy - 27:5-17 .......................................... 420
3. The Deception and the Blessing of Jacob - 27:18-29. 423
4. Isaac’s Blessing of Esau - 27:30-40 ............................. 426
J. Jacob’s Flight to Haran - 27:41 - 28:22 ............................ 431
1. Cause - 27:41-45 ........................................................ 431
2. Jacob’s Flight - 27:46 - 28:5 ....................................... 433
3. Third Wife of Esau - 28:6-9 ...................................... 434
4. Reconfirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant
- 28:10-22 ................................................................... 435
Contents
xvii
K. Jacob in Haran - 29:1-30:43 ............................................. 440
1. Jacob’s Arrival - 29:1-14 ............................................. 440
2. Jacob’s Marriage - 29:15-30 ....................................... 443
3. The Sons of Jacob - 29:31 - 30:24 ............................. 446
a. Leah’s Four Sons - 29:31-35 ............................... 446
b. Bilbah’s Children - 30:1-8 ................................... 448
c. Zilpah’s Children - 30:9-13 ................................. 450
d. Leah Bears Again - 30:14-21 .............................. 450
e. Rachel’s Son - 30:22-24 ....................................... 453
4. Jacob’s Contract with Laban - 30:25-36 .................... 453
5. Jacob’s Enrichment - 30:37-43 .................................. 457
L. Jacob’s Flight from Haran - 31:1-55 ................................ 460
1. Jacob’s Flight - 31:1-21 .............................................. 460
2. Laban’s Pursuit - 31:22-42 ......................................... 466
3. The Covenant of Galeed - 31:43-55 .......................... 472
M. Jacob and Esau - 32:1 - 33:17 .......................................... 475
1. Mahanaim - 32:1-2 (Hebrew Text 32:2-3) ................. 475
2. Jacob’s Message to Esau - 32:3-21 (Hebrew
Text 32:4-22) .............................................................. 476
3. Peniel - 32:22-32 (Hebrew Text 32:23-33) ................ 481
4. Jacob’s Meeting with Esau - 33:1-17 ......................... 485
N. Shechem - 33:18 - 34:31 .................................................. 489
1. Jacob’s Arrival - 33:18-20 ........................................... 489
2. The Dinah Incident - 34:1-31 ................................... 490
a. The Rape of Dinah - 34:1-7 ................................ 490
b. Negotiations for Dinah - 34:8-17 ........................ 493
c. Circumcision of the City - 34:18-24 ................... 495
d. Slaughter of the City - 34:25-29 ......................... 496
e. Jacob’s Remonstrance - 34:30-31 ........................ 497
O. Jacob’s Return to Bethel - 35:1-15 ................................... 499
1. Jacob’s Journey to Bethel - 35:1-8 .............................. 499
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2. The Divine Appearance - 35:9-15 .............................. 502
P. Benjamin’s Birth and Rachel’s Death - 35:16-20 ............. 504
Q. Migdal Eder - 35:21-22a .................................................. 507
R. Jacob’s Twelve Sons - 35:22b-26 ...................................... 508
S. Isaac’s Death - 35:27-29.................................................... 509
X.
Toldot
of Esau, The Same Is Edom - 36:1-8 .....511
XI.
Toldot
of Esau, Father of the Edomites
- 36:9 – 37:1 ................................................515
A. Esau’s Sons and Grandsons - 36:9-14 ............................... 515
B. Chiefs of the Sons of Esau - 36:15-19 .............................. 517
C. Descendants of Seir the Horite - 36:20-30 ....................... 519
D. Kings of Edom - 36:31-39 ................................................ 521
E. Chiefs of Esau - 36:40-43b ............................................... 523
F. The Division of the Two Brothers - 36:43c - 37:1 ........... 524
XII. The
Toldot
of Jacob - 37:2 - 50:26 .................527
A. The Selling of Joseph - 37:2-36 ........................................ 527
1. Joseph’s Coat - 37:2-4 ................................................ 527
2. Joseph’s Dreams - 37:5-11 .......................................... 529
3. Joseph in the Pit - 37:12-24 ....................................... 532
4. Joseph Sold - 37:25-36 ............................................... 534
B. Judah and Tamar - 38:1-30 ............................................... 538
1. Tamar and the Sons of Judah - 38:1-11 ..................... 538
2. Tamar and Judah - 38:12-26 ...................................... 541
3. The Twins of Judah and Tamar - 38:27-30 ............... 545
C. Joseph in the House of Potiphar - 39:1-18 ....................... 547
1. The Blessing of Joseph - 39:1-6 ................................. 547
Contents
xix
2. Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife - 39:7-18 ........................ 550
D. Joseph in Prison - 39:19 - 40:23 ....................................... 553
1. The Blessing of Joseph - 39:19-23 ............................. 553
2. The Two Dreams - 40:1-23 ....................................... 555
a. The Imprisonment - 40:1-8 ................................ 555
b. The Butler’s Dream - 40:9-15 ............................. 557
c. The Baker’s Dream - 40:16-19 ............................ 558
d. Fulfillment of the Two Dreams - 40:20-23 ......... 559
E. Joseph Before Pharaoh - 41:1-57 ..................................... 560
1. The Two Dreams of Pharaoh - 41:1-8 ...................... 560
2. The Butler’s Report - 41:9-13 .................................... 562
3. Pharaoh’s Dream Told to Joseph - 41:14-24 ............. 563
4. Joseph’s Interpretation and Advice - 41:25-36 .......... 565
5. Joseph’s Elevation over Egypt - 41:37-46a ................ 567
6. Joseph’s Activities - 41:46b-57 ................................... 570
F. Joseph and His Brothers - 42:1 - 45:28 ............................ 573
1. First Trip to Egypt - 42:1-38 ..................................... 573
a. Sending of the Sons - 42:1-5 ............................... 573
b. First Reunion with Joseph - 42:6-25 ................... 574
c. Return of the Brothers to Egypt - 42:26-38 ........ 578
2. Second Trip to Egypt - 43:1 - 45:28 .......................... 581
a. Jacob’s Sending of His Sons - 43:1-14 ................ 581
b. The Second Encounter with Joseph - 43:15-34 .. 584
c. Arrest of Benjamin - 44:1-17 .............................. 589
d. Judah’s Intercession - 44:18-34 ........................... 593
e. Joseph’s Revelation - 45:1-15 .............................. 596
f. Pharaoh’s Invitation - 45:16-20 ........................... 600
g. Return of the Brothers to Jacob - 45:21-28 ......... 601
G. The Sojourn to Egypt - 46:1 - 47:12 ................................ 603
1. Divine Sanction - 46:1-7 ............................................ 603
2. The House of Jacob - 46:8-27 .................................... 606
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3. Arrival of Jacob in Egypt - 46:28-34 .......................... 611
4. Jacob’s Family Before Pharaoh - 47:1-10 ................... 614
5. Settlement in Goshen - 47:11-12 ............................... 616
H. Course of the Famine - 47:13-26 ...................................... 617
1. First Stage - 47:13-14 ................................................. 617
2. Second Stage - 47:15-17 ............................................. 618
3. Third Stage - 47:18-22 ............................................... 619
4. Fourth Stage - 47:23-26 ............................................. 620
I. Jacob in Egypt - 47:27-31 ................................................. 622
J. The Blessing on Ephraim and Manasseh - 48:1-22 ......... 624
1. The Occasion - 48:1-7 ................................................ 624
2. Jacob’s Blessing of Joseph’s Two Sons - 48:8-20 ........ 626
3. The Prophecy of the Family’s Return to the Land
- 48:21-22 ................................................................... 630
K. Jacob’s Prophecy Regarding His Sons - 49:1-28 ............... 632
1. Jacob’s Call to His Sons - 49:1 ................................... 632
2. Introduction - 49:2 ..................................................... 634
3. Jacob’s Blessing of His Twelve Sons - 49:3-27........... 635
a. Reuben - 49:3-4 ................................................... 635
b. Simeon and Levi - 49:5-7 .................................... 636
c. Judah - 49:8-12 .................................................... 638
d. Zebulun - 49:13 .................................................... 643
e. Issachar - 49:14-15 ............................................... 644
f. Dan - 49:16-18 ..................................................... 645
g. Gad - 49:19 .......................................................... 647
h. Asher - 49:20 ........................................................ 648
i. Naphtali - 49:21 ................................................... 648
j. Joseph - 49:22-26 ................................................. 649
k. Benjamin - 49:27 .................................................. 651
4. Concluding Summary - 49:28 .................................... 652
L. Death and Burial of Jacob - 49:29 - 50:14 ........................ 652
Contents
xxi
1. Death of Jacob - 49:29 - 50:3 ..................................... 652
2. Burial of Jacob - 50:4-14 ............................................ 655
M. The Brothers’ Fear and Joseph’s Reassurance
- 50:15-21 ......................................................................... 658
N. Joseph’s Death - 50:22-26 ................................................ 660
Appendix: Additional Genealogy Charts .............. 665
Bibliography ....................................................... 671
Scripture Index ................................................... 675
“ABC Order” Key to Scripture Index .................. 720
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
xxii
Contents
xxiii
List of Tables
Table 1. Two-Division Structure of Genesis ................................... 5
Table 2. Toldot Structure of Genesis ............................................... 9
Table 3. First Mentions in the Book of Genesis .............................. 13
Table 4. Parallels Between the Books of Genesis and Revelation .... 16
Table 5. The Theological Punch of Genesis 1:1 .............................. 35
Table 6. New Testament Applications from the
Creation Account ............................................................ 66
Table 7. Years and Ages of Adam’s Seed Line: ............................. 140
Table 8. Universal Reach of the Flood ........................................ 173
Table 9. Chronology of the Flood ................................................ 179
Table 10. Tablet of the Nations .................................................... 205
Table 11 . Structure of Genesis Chapter 10 ................................... 206
Table 12. Chronology of Shem’s Genealogy .................................... 233
Table 13. Genealogy of Terah: From Terah to the
Twelve Sons of Jacob .................................................... 394
Table 14. Possible Chronology of Judah versus Joseph
While Separated ........................................................... 548
Table 15. The House of Jacob ........................................................ 612
Table 16. Chronology of the Patriarchs ......................................... 663
Table 17. Chronology of Genesis ................................................... 664
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
xxiv
Contents
xxv
List of Figures
Figure 1. Line of Cain ............................................................ 127
Figure 2. Genealogies of Adam ................................................. 156
Figure 3. The Line of Shem ...................................................... 228
Figure 4. Timelines for Abram’s Departure from Haran ............ 238
Figure 5. The Sons of Abraham and Keturah ............................ 391
Figure 6. The Twelve Sons of Ishmael ...................................... 396
Figure 7. The House of Esau .................................................... 517
Figure 8. Line of Seir the Horite ............................................... 521
Figure 9. Lines of Esau and Seir the Horite ............................. 525
Figure 10 . The Genealogy of Joseph ............................................. 661
Figure A - 1. The Line of Terah ..................................................... 667
Figure A - 2. The Genealogy of Terah (detailed) ............................. 669
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
xxvi
Abbreviations
Abbreviations for Books of the Bible
Abbr. Full Name Abbr. Full Name
A
cts ......................
A
cts Jud
g
. .................. Jud
g
es
A
mos ....................
A
mos Kin
g
s.................. Kin
g
s
Chron. ................. Chronicles Lam. ................. Lamentations
Col. ..................... Colossians Lev. ................... Leviticus
Cor. ..................... Corinthians Luke................... Luke
Dan. .................... Daniel Mal. .................. Malachi
Deut. ................... Deuteronom
y
Mar
k
.................. Mar
k
Eccles. ................. Ecclesiastes Matt. ................. Matthew
E
p
h. ..................... E
p
hesians Mic. .................. Micah
Esthe
r
................... Esthe
r
Nah. .................. Nahum
Exod. ................... Exodus Neh. .................. Nehemiah
Ezek. .................... Ezekiel Num. ................ Numbers
Ezra ...................... Ezra Obad. ................ Obadiah
Gal. ..................... Galatians Pet. ................... Pete
r
Gen. .................... Genesis Philem. ............. Philemon
Hab. .................... Habakku
k
Phil. .................. Phili
pp
ians
Ha
g
. .................... Ha
gg
ai Prov. ................. Proverbs
Heb. .................... Hebrews Ps. ..................... Psalms
Hos. ..................... Hosea Rev. ................... Revelation
Isa. ....................... Isaiah Rom. ................. Romans
James .................... James Ruth................... Ruth
Jer. ....................... Jeremiah Sam. .................. Samuel
Job ........................ Job Son
g
of Sol. ........... Son
g
of Solomon
Joel ....................... Joel
T
hess. ...............
T
hessalonians
John ...................... John
T
im. ..................
T
imoth
y
Jon. ...................... Jonah
T
itus ..................
T
itus
Josh. ..................... Joshua Zech. ................. Zechariah
Jude ...................... Jude Zeph. ................ Zephaniah
Abbreviations
Introduction
A. Title
1. Hebrew: Bereishit
The Hebrew names for the books of the Bible are often based
upon the first or second word of the book itself, and the Book of
Genesis follows this pattern. The Hebrew name for this book is
Bereishit, which is derived from the first word in the Hebrew text of
Genesis. Bereishit means “in the beginning,” and it is now the
Modern Hebrew name for the book. The original name for the book
was Sepher Maaseh Bereishit, meaning “The Book of the Act of In the
Beginning.” In the course of time the Hebrew name has been
shortened simply to Bereishit or In the Beginning.
2. Greek: Geneseos
The Greek name as found in the Septuagint1 is Geneseos, which
means “genesis.” Geneseos is the Greek translation for the Hebrew
word toldot that appears frequently throughout the book and is
usually translated by the English word generations. While the
Hebrew name is based simply on the first word of the book, the
Greek name means “The Book of Origins” and emphasizes origin
and source.
1 The Septuagint is an important Greek translation of the Old Testament
that was particularly faithful in rendering the Law.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
2
3. English: Genesis
The English title Genesis comes from the Greek geneseos and has
the same meaning as the Greek translation: “The Book of Origins.”
B. Author
Moses was the author of the Book of Genesis. Having said that,
it is necessary to make some clarifications and explain some
ramifications. First, Moses is never actually named as the author of
this book, and his name does not appear as the author in either the
Old or New Testaments. However, there is a good reason for the
omission. The books Moses actually wrote and was the originator
and the source of were Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy. Nevertheless, as far as Genesis is concerned, Moses
was mostly a compiler and an editor since he was not an eyewitness
of the events of Genesis. In contrast, he was an eyewitness of
virtually everything in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy (except for the last chapter, which talks about what
happened after his death). Everything in Genesis transpired prior to
his own birth. In writing it, Moses made use of both oral and written
traditions. Basically, he compiled eleven family documents, making
him the author of Genesis in the sense of being its editor and
compiler.
Another indication that Moses has to be the author of Genesis is
that Genesis has always been considered a part of the Torah, and
Moses is said to be the author of the entire Torah, the entire Law.
Genesis and the other four books make up the Law of Moses. The
Bible confirms that Moses alone is the author of the Torah
(Exod. 17:14, Lev. 1:1-2, Num. 33:2, Deut. 1:1, Josh. 1:7,
I Kings 2:3, II Kings 14:6, Ezra 6:18, Neh. 13:1, Dan. 9:11-13,
Mal. 4:4, Matt. 8:4, Mark 12:26, Luke 16:29, John 7:19, Acts 26:22,
Rom. 10:19, I Cor. 9:9, II Cor. 3:15). Thus, both Testaments repeat
that Moses was the author of the Torah, the Law; Genesis was
always considered as part of the Torah or the Law. While the name
of Moses is ascribed to four of the books, the one reason his name is
Introduction
3
not ascribed to Genesis is that for Genesis he was primarily a
compiler of eleven family documents.
C. Theme
The theme of the Book of Genesis is blessing and cursing.2 That
theme is brought out in four ways:
First: God chose a nation through which He would bless all
nations.
Second: Concerning the blessing, He gave the covenantal seed
to the Patriarchs and the Land to their seed.
Third: Concerning the cursing, God alienates, He subjugates,
and He disinherits, such as expelling the Canaanites
from the Land.
Fourth: Concerning good and evil, evil actions bring evil
results, and therefore God brings curses; whereas,
good actions bring good results, and therefore God
blesses.
D. Structure
There are three different ways that Genesis can be viewed as
structured, and one is not necessarily exclusive of the others. These
three different structures are the Two-Division Structure, the Toldot
Structure (followed in this commentary), and the Geographical
Structure.
2 Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition
of Genesis (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), 65-69. All
subsequent references to this theme come from the same source.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
4
1. Two-Division Structure
There are two major divisions of Genesis that people have
generally recognized. The first division comprises 1:1 through 11:9,
which deals with the origin of the world in general and the Nations
in general. This structure deals with four major events in the first
division: Creation (1:1 - 2:25), the Fall (3:1 - 5:32), the Flood
(6:1 - 9:29), and the Nations (10:1 - 11:9). The topic of the first
division is the beginnings of the human race, the style of the first
major division is historical, and the geography focuses on the Fertile
Crescent from Eden to Haran. The time period covered by the first
major division is about two thousand years or more.
The second division of Genesis is by far the lengthier division,
comprising 11:10 through 50:26. While the first division focuses on
the origin of the world and of the Nations in general, the second
division focuses on the origin of one nation: the Jewish nation.
While the first section focuses on four events, the second section
focuses on four people: Abraham (11:10 - 25:8), Isaac (25:9 - 26:35),
Jacob (27:1 - 36:43), and Joseph (37:1 - 50:26). While the topic of
the first division is the beginning of the human race, the topic of the
second division is the beginning of the Jewish people. While the style
of the first division is historical, the style of the second section is
biographical, though at the same time, also historical but from a
specific perspective: biographical history. While the geography of the
first division focused on the Fertile Crescent going from Eden to
Haran, the geography of the second division focuses on three places:
Canaan, Haran, and Egypt. While the timing of the first division
covers two thousand years or more, the timing of the second division
covers merely 193 years. (See table 1 for a comparison of the material
in the Two-Division structure.)
Introduction
5
Table 1. Two-Division Structure of Genesis
First Division Second Division
Scripture
Covered 1:1 – 11:9 11:10 – 50:26
Subject
Matter FOUR EVENTS: FOUR PEOPLE:
Creation
1:1 - 2:25
A
braham
11:10 - 25:8
The Fall
3:1 - 5:32
Isaac
25:9 - 26:35
The Flood
6:1 - 9:29
Jacob
27:1 - 36:43
The Nations
10:1 - 11:9
Joseph
37:1 - 50:26
Themes
Beginning of the Human
Race
Origins of the World and
the Nations in General
Beginning of the
Jewish People
Style Historical Biographical/
Biographical History
Geography Fertile Crescent from
Eden to Haran Canaan, Haran, Egypt
Time Period 2,000+ years 193 years
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
6
2. Toldot Structure
Toldot is a Hebrew word generally translated by the term
“generations.” As mentioned, Moses was primarily a compiler of
Genesis, and he compiled eleven family documents. Each family
document is marked with a beginning statement: These are the
generations of. Thus, the term toldot marks the beginning of a family
document. Generally, two Hebrew words are found: eleh toldot,
meaning these are the generations of. These two words act as the title
of a new section—the title of what follows, not what precedes it.
This is evident from the usage in Ruth 4:18 where the words clearly
function as a title to what follows. The basic meaning is “this is what
became of.” This is what issued from the point just made; this is
what became of someone in detail, which is relevant to the purpose
of Genesis. For that reason, when a toldot is followed by a name, it is
not always primarily concerned with the one named, but always
concerned with what became of the one named. For example, when
it states that these are the generations of Terah, what follows is
primarily concerned with Abraham, not Terah, although it does
show what became of Terah; what became of Terah was Abraham.
Another example is the toldot of Isaac, which does not primarily deal
with Isaac but with Jacob. That toldot states what became of Isaac,
namely Jacob. On the other hand, the toldot of Jacob is primarily
concerned about Joseph because “what became of Jacob” was Joseph.
Therefore, each toldot explains what became of a line. Each toldot
also shows a narrowing of the line to the chosen seed and contains
the themes of blessing and cursing.
The toldots begin in Genesis 2:4 following introductory material
in 1:1 through 2:3. The remainder of the book after this preface is a
compilation of eleven toldots. In the introduction, the author deals
with creation out of chaos, how man was created in the image of
God and given sovereignty over the earth and the animal kingdom,
and how God crowned creation by enjoying His Sabbath rest. This
section records three blessings: animal life (1:22), human life
(1:27-28), and the seventh day (2:3). With that introduction, Moses
moved on to the eleven toldots.
The first toldot (2:4 - 4:26) is the toldot of the heavens and the
earth, meaning “what became of creation,” and what became of
Introduction
7
creation was a return to chaos. This section deals with the creation of
Adam and Eve, the Fall, God’s curse on sin, the expansion of sin,
and its results on their descendants, Cain and Abel. It then deals
with the Edenic Covenant and with the Adamic Covenant.
The second toldot (5:1 - 6:8) is the toldot of Adam, meaning
“what became of Adam.” The second toldot deals with the theme of
death and God’s intense displeasure with sin, the downward slide
from Adam to Noah, and the angelic corruption of womanhood.
Here again, the texts moves from blessing in 5:1-2 to the curse of
6:1-8.
The third toldot (6:9 - 9:29) is the toldot of Noah, meaning “what
became of Noah.” Here, the theme runs from curse to blessing: from
the judgment of the Flood, which was the curse, to the saving of
Noah, which was the blessing. It also goes from blessing to curse:
from Noah’s righteousness, which is blessing, to Noah’s
drunkenness, leading to the cursing of Canaan. This section also
records the Noahic Covenant.
The fourth toldot (10:1 - 11:9) is the toldot of the Sons of Noah,
meaning “what became of Noah’s sons,” dealing with the confusion,
dispersion, and the expansion of humanity and the dispersion by the
confusion of tongues. The passage moves from blessing: the
population expansion, to the curse: the dispersion of Babel.
The fifth toldot (11:10-26) is the toldot of Shem, “the expansion
of what became of Shem,” tracing the line of Shem from Noah to
Abraham, and from all humanity to one human, Abraham. This
section moves from curse to blessing, from the curse of dispersion
and chaos, to the blessing of the beginning of God’s program to
restore blessing through Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant.
The sixth toldot (11:27 - 25:11) is the toldot of Terah, “what
became of Terah; namely, Abraham.” This is a long toldot, which
covers the life of Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant and God’s
plan for blessing. It deals with the development of the promise to
Abraham.
The seventh toldot (25:12-18) is the toldot of Ishmael, “what
became of Ishmael.” The purpose is to terminate the line not chosen
and the dispensing of the non-seed line.
The eighth toldot (25:19 - 35:29) is the toldot of Isaac, “what
became of Isaac; namely, Jacob.” This covers the development of the
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
8
promise through the seed of Jacob; it covers the life of Isaac and the
story of Jacob and the development of Israel. It is a record of the
efforts to attain the blessing or to direct the blessing.
The ninth toldot (36:1-8) is the toldot of Esau, “what became of
Esau.” Once again it is the ending of the line not chosen, dispensing
with the non-seed line with the account of Esau’s three wives and
five sons.
The tenth toldot (36:9 - 37:1) is the toldot of Esau, the father of
the Edomites, “what became of Esau as the father of the Edomites,”
dealing again with the dispensing of the Nations not chosen and also
the accounts of three peoples: the Edomites, Horites, and
Amalekites. It also highlights the contrast between Esau and Jacob:
Esau is a nation ruled by chieftains with a land of their own, but
Jacob sojourns into Egypt, outside his people’s own Land.
The eleventh toldot (37:2 - 50:26) is the toldot of Jacob, “what
became of Jacob; namely, Joseph.” This last section deals with Jacob’s
sons and the beginning of the Twelve Tribes; the life of Joseph; and
the settlement in Egypt, moving from Canaan to Egypt to preserve
the race. It does not end with the return to the Land, only with hope
of doing so in the future. The entire section here is characterized by
pairs, with a total of five pairs: the two dreams of Joseph at home in
his father’s house, the two dreams in prison, the two dreams of
Pharaoh, the two imprisonments of Joseph, and the two journeys
made by the brothers.
See table 2, “Toldot Structure of Genesis,” for a summary of the
toldot structure.
Introduction
9
Table 2. Toldot Structure of Genesis
Division Genesis Themes
Introduction 1:1 - 2:3
•
Creation out of chaos
• Creation of man
• God’s Sabbath Rest
First Toldo
t
“What became of
creation”
Toldo
t
of Adam
2:4 - 4:26
•
Heavens and earth return to
chaos
• Creation of Adam & Eve
• The Fall and its results
• Edenic Covenant
•
A
damic Covenan
t
Second Toldo
t
“What became of
Adam”
Toldo
t
of Adam
5:1 - 6:8
•
Death and corruption
• God’s displeasure with sin
• Decline from Adam to Noah
• Angelic corruption of
w
omanhood
Third Toldo
t
“What became of
Noah”
Toldo
t
of Noah
6:9 - 9:29
•
J
udgment of the Flood
• Salvation of Noah
• Noahic Covenan
t
Fourth Toldo
t
“What became of
Noah’s sons”
Toldo
t
of the Sons
of Noah
10:1 - 11:9
•
Confusion, dispersion, and
expansion of humanity at
Babel
Fifth Toldo
t
“The expansion of
what became of
Shem”
Toldo
t
of Shem
11:10-26
•
Lineage of Noah to Shem to
Abraham
• God’s restoration program
be
g
ins
Six
t
h Toldo
t
“What became of
Terah; namely,
A
braham”
Toldo
t
of Terah
11:27 - 25:11
•
The life of Abraham
• Abrahamic Covenant: God’s
plan for blessing
Seventh Toldo
t
“What became of
Ishmael”
Toldo
t
of Ishmael
25:12-18
•
The fate of the no
t
-chosen
line
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
10
Division Genesis Themes
Eighth Toldo
t
“What became of
Isaac”
Toldo
t
of Isaac
25:19 - 35:29
• Life of Isaac
• Story of Jacob
• Development of Israel
• Efforts to attain God’s
blessin
g
Ninth Toldo
t
“What became of
Esau”
Toldo
t
of Esau,
The Same Is Edom
36:1-8
• Ending of the line not chosen
Tenth Tol
d
o
t
“What became of
Esau as the father of
the Edomites”
Toldo
t
of Esau,
Father of the
Edomites
36:9 - 37:1
• Fate of Nations not chosen
• Accounts of the Edomites,
Horites, and Amalekites
• Contrast between Esau and
J
acob
Eleventh Toldo
t
“What became of
Jacob; namely,
Joseph”
Toldo
t
of Jacob
37:2 - 50:26
• Story of Jacob’s sons and the
beginning of the Twelve
Tribes
• Life of Joseph
• Resettlement of the Jewish
people in Egypt during
famine
3. Geographical Structure
The geographical structure lends itself to three divisions. The
first division is chapters 1-11, where the story takes place in
Babylonia. The second division is chapters 12-36, where the story is
largely in the Land of Canaan. The third division is chapters 37-50,
where the story takes place largely in Egypt.
In the large central section, chapters 12-36, the story primarily
takes place in the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land. Canaan is
bordered by Egypt and Haran, two ancient geographical territories
that always thereafter interface with Israel and have a major role in
the subsequent history of Israel. The central section in the
geographical structure records the election of Abraham and Israel out
of the Nations of chapters 1-11 (Babylonia) and 37-50 (Egypt), for
Introduction
11
the purpose that the Gentile Nations that are exposed to Israel might
receive the knowledge of the only true God and the blessings that
would follow. A right relationship with the Seed of Abraham will
bring blessings, but a wrong one will result in cursings.
E. Nature
Genesis is primarily a historical book. However, it is not merely
a chronicle of events, but rather a theological interpretation of
selected records of Israel’s ancestors. Thus Genesis focuses on the
causes, both human and divine, behind the events.
F. Book of Origins
The very name, of course, implies that Genesis is a book of
origins. It is called that because it contains the record of the
beginnings of many things. The following list is not intended to be the
most complete list: the universe, earth, man, life, marriage, sin in
human history, language, government, culture, Nations, Israel,
religion, covenants, Sabbath, sacrifice, salvation, prophecy, typology,
dispensations, war, election, divine judgment, civilization, occupations,
musical instruments, tools, et al.
G. First Mentions
There are many elements that are mentioned for the first time in
the Book of Genesis with subsequent mentions later. Here again, the
list shown in table 3 in alphabetical order is not intended to be
exhaustive.
H. The Purposes
There are at least six purposes of the Book of Genesis:
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
12
First: To declare the nature of the covenant-keeping God of
Israel. It teaches that this God is a living God, sovereign,
powerful, righteous, holy, good, and gracious.
Second: To reveal the nature of God’s people within
creation. God’s people throughout the book are the
people of Israel.
Third: To show the beginning of the covenant concept
within the revealed will of God. Of the eight
covenants of the Bible, four of these are within the
Book of Genesis.
Fourth: To give Israel’s historical and theological basis for
being the chosen people. Why they are the chosen
people is based upon what happens in Genesis.
Fifth: To describe the destiny of the people of Israel.
Therefore, this book records the election of Israel
from among the Nations, the Abrahamic Covenant
with all of its many ramifications, and the birthright
of the Tribes of Israel.
Sixth: To serve as a prologue for the Book of Exodus.
I. Parallel Documents
The phrase “parallel documents” refers to ancient documents
that parallel the Genesis period, as discovered in archaeology. There
are four such documents. First, the Ugaritic literature, such as the
Code of Hammurabi, dates back to about 1400 B.C. Second, the Ebla
Tablets are more recent finds. Third, the Nuzi Tablets were first
found in 1925. Fourth, the Mari Tablets were found in the year 1933.
All these documents record both laws and customs from the time of
Genesis and help to explain many of the actions of the people in
Genesis. References to these documents will be made in this
commentary on the Book of Genesis.
Introduction
13
Table 3. First Mentions in the Book of Genesis
A
fraid ...........3:10 Glor
y
............. 31:1 Rest .................... 2:2
A
ltar .............8:20 God.................. 1:1 Reward............. 15:1
A
ngel ............16:7 Good................ 1:4 Righteous........... 6:9
A
tonement*.. 6:14 Grace ............... 6:8 Righteousness.... 15:6
Believe .......... 15:6 Heard............... 3:8 Salvation ........ 49:18
Bless .............1:22 Heart ............... 6:5 Sanctif
y
.............. 2:3
Blood ............4:10 Hallowed ......... 2:3 Sa
y
...................... 1:3
Book ...............5:1 House .............. 7:1 Sea.................... 1:10
Chose .............6:2 I Am ............ 15:1 Seed.................. 1:11
Cit
y
..............4:17 Kingdom...... 10:10 Send ................. 3:23
Clothed ........3:21 Knowledge..... 2:17 Shed ................... 9:6
Command ....2:16 La
w
................ 26:5 Shield ............... 15:1
Conce
p
tion... 3:16 Life .................. 2:7 Sign .................. 1:14
Covenant ...... 6:18 Light................ 1:3 Sin ...................... 4:7
Created ........... 1 :1 Love............... 22 :2 Soul .................... 2:7
Cursed .......... 3:14 Make................ 1:7 So
w
................ 26:12
Darkness ......... 1:2 Man ............... 1:26 Strength ........... 4:12
Da
y
.................1:5 Merc
y
.......... 19:16 Tent ................. 18:1
Die ...............2:17 Obeyed ........ 22:18 Tithe* ............. 14:20
Door ............... 4:7 Peace* .......... 14:18 Truth.............. 24:27
Drunken ....... 9:21 Pain................ 3:16 Vision............... 15:1
Evil .................2:9 Perfect.............. 6:9
W
ill .................. 24:5
Fear not ........15:1 Praise ........... 12:15
W
ine ................ 9:21
Fire ............. 19:24 Pra
y
................ 20:7
W
oman ............ 2:22
Forever ......... 3:22 Pro
p
het.......... 20:7
W
ord................ 15:1
Fruit .............1:11 Reckoned....... 15:6
W
ork.................. 2:2
Given ............ 1:29 Redeem ........ 48:16
*Hebrew translation
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
14
J. Quotations and References
Genesis is quoted or cross-referenced throughout the Scriptures
more than any of the other books of the Bible. For example, Adam is
mentioned by name in six other books: Deuteronomy, I Chronicles,
Job, Hosea, Romans, and I Corinthians. Noah is mentioned by name
in three other Old Testament books: I Chronicles, Isaiah, and
Ezekiel. Noah is also mentioned a number of times in the New
Testament. As for Abraham, he is mentioned by name in fifteen of
the Old Testament books and in eleven of the New Testament
books. As for Jacob, he is mentioned in twenty of the Old Testament
books and seventeen New Testament books.
As far as the New Testament is concerned, the New Testament
quotes or refers to Genesis at least two hundred times. There are 165
actual passages from Genesis quoted or referenced in the New
Testament; and about one hundred of these are from Genesis 1-11.
That is the part of Genesis most critics want to do away with. Of
these chapters, six are specifically quoted or referred to by Jesus
Himself. Therefore, it is not possible to snip out the first eleven
chapters only because they seem to mitigate against modern theories
of science, etc., without doing major damage to other parts of
Scripture, biblical theology, and to the credibility of Jesus Himself. If
He was wrong about Genesis 1-11, then He could not be the
Messiah He claimed to be.
K. The Book of Genesis and the Book of
Revelation
A comparison of the first book of the Bible, the Book of
Genesis, and the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation,
shows at least twenty-five parallels. Most of these parallels are in
Revelation 21-22, but they are not limited to those two chapters.
(See table 4 for a side-by-side comparison of twenty-five parallels.)
Introduction
15
L. Genesis and Science
The relationship between Genesis and science is a major
battleground, and it is frequently said that Genesis and science
contradict each other. However, that is not really the case. More will
be said about specific points in the main part of the commentary, but
one observation can be stated here. Genesis is not a textbook on
science. However, anywhere the book touches on science, it is
absolutely correct and accurate. Genesis has never been shown to be
in conflict with known scientific truths. That is a simple fact. The
Book of Genesis has never been shown to be in conflict or in
contradiction with any known scientific fact. If there is a conflict, it is
only between Genesis and certain scientific theories, such as
evolution. Nevertheless, they are just that, theories.
A unique prospect comes from Robert Jastrow, the Director of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the Goddard Institute:
There is a kind of religion in science. It is the
religion of a person who believes there is order and
harmony in the universe. Every event can be
explained in a rational way by the product of some
previous event. This religious faith of the scientist is
violated by the discovery that the world had a
beginning under conditions in which the known
laws of physics are not valid, and is a product of
forces or circumstances we cannot discover. At this
moment, it seems as though science will never be
able to raise the curtain on the mystery of creation.
For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the
power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He
has scaled the mountain of ignorance. He is about to
conquer the highest peak. As he pulls himself over
the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians
who have been sitting there for centuries.3
3 Robert Jastrow, God and the Astronomer, second edition (New York:
W. W. Norton, 2000), 113, 114, 116.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
16
Table 4. Parallels Between the Books of Genesis and
Revelation
# Gen. Parallel Concept Rev. Parallel Concept
1 1:1
- 2:3
A new beginning 21:1
- 22:5
A new creation, a new
orde
r
2 1:2 Darkness was upon the
face of the deep.
21:25 In the Eternal Order,
there is no night at all.
3 1:2 The deep or the salt sea
exists.
21:1 No salt sea exists in the
new order.
4 1:16 Rule of the sun and the
moon
21:23 No need of sun or moon
5 2:8-9 Man is placed in a
prepared garden.
21:2 Man is placed in a
prepared city.
6 2:9 The Tree of Life is in the
midst of the garden.
22:2 Tree of Life is in the
midst of the river.
7 2:10 A river flows out of Eden. 22:1 A river flows out of God’s
throne.
8 2:12 Gold in the land 21:21 Gold in the city
9 2:12 Only the bdellium and
onyx stones
21:19 Twelve types of precious
stones
10 3:1-8 Sin enters human
experience.
21:8;
22:27
Sin is expelled.
11 3:8 God walks in the garden. 21:3 God dwells or lives in the
city.
12 3:8-
10
The walk with God is
broken.
21:3 The walk with God is
resumed.
13 3:13 Triumph of the serpent 20:10;
22:3
Triumph of the Lamb
14 3:15 Shows Satan opposin
g
20:10 Shows Satan banished
15 3:15 Redemption promised 5:9-10 Redemption accomplished
16 3:18 There are thorns and
thistles.
21:4 There is no pain.
17 3:17 The ground is cursed. 22:3 There is no more curse.
18 3:17 Daily sorrow 21:4 No more sorrow
19 3:16
-19
There is death. 21:4 No more death
20 3:18 Eating of herbs 22:2 Twelve manner of fruits
Introduction
17
# Gen. Parallel Concept Rev. Parallel Concept
21 3:19 Sweat of the face 21:4 No more tears
22 3:21 Coats of skin 19:6-9;
19:1
4
Clothes made of fine linen
23 3:23 Paradise lost 21:25;
22:14
Paradise regained
24 3:24 Mankind is kept from the
Tree of Life
22:14 There is access to the Tree
of Life
25 6:5 Evil continually 21:27 Absolutely nothing
defiling
M. Genesis and Systematic Theology
1. Bibliology: Doctrine of the Scriptures
There are three main contributions to Bibliology made by
Genesis: information concerning creation, God’s covenants, and
God’s dispensations.4
First, in the area of revelation, the Book of Genesis provides an
account of creation that was not seen by any human eyewitnesses.
The second contribution to Bibliology has to do with God’s
covenants. Genesis records the beginning of God’s covenantal
relationship and gives the details of the first four of God’s eight
covenants: the Edenic Covenant, the Adamic Covenant, the Noahic
Covenant, and the Abrahamic Covenant.
The third contribution that Genesis makes to Bibliology
concerns the dispensations because Genesis records the beginnings of
4 The term dispensation refers to an economy and an administration. God
has had different rules of life in different periods of time and for
different peoples. The main part of the rest of the commentary will show
these different rules of life.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
18
the outworking of God’s economy. The first four dispensations are
within the Book of Genesis: the Dispensation of Innocence, the
Dispensation of Conscience, the Dispensation of Human
Government, and the Dispensation of Promise.
2. Theology Proper: Doctrine of God
The Book of Genesis makes eleven contributions to Theology
Proper, which teaches what the revealed Word of God has to say
about Who God is.
The first contribution is the Names of God, and within this
book, thirteen of God’s Names are revealed:
1. Elohim, the Hebrew word for God, found in 1:1.
2. God’s personal name that is comprised of four Hebrew
letters that correspond to the English letters YHVH. The
first appearance of the full Name of God is in 2:4.
3. El Elyon, which means “The Most High God,” found in
14:18-22.
4. El Roi, which means “The God of Seeing,” found in 16:13.
5. El Shaddai, meaning “God Almighty,” in 17:1.
6. El Olam, which means “The Everlasting God,” in 21:33.
7. Adonai YHVH Yireh, which means “Jehovah will see” or
“Jehovah will provide,” in 22:14.
8. “The God of Abraham,” in 26:24.
9. “The God of Abraham and Isaac,” in 28:13.
10. “The Fear of Isaac,” in 31:42 and 31:53.
11. El Elohei Yisrael, which means “God, The God of Israel,” in
33:20.
12. El Bethel, which means “The God of Bethel,” in 35:7.
13. “The Mighty One of Jacob,” in 49:24.
Introduction
19
The second contribution to Theology Proper is picturing God as
the Creator (1:1, 14:19, 14:22) with the use of the Hebrew word
bara. The Hebrew word bara refers to a work only God can do;
therefore, it is one of those Hebrew words that is used only of God,
never of man. Creation, in turn, shows the person and the wisdom of
God, the One Who is able to create from the unformed to the
formed and from the unfilled to the filled.
Third, God is the Living God and therefore cannot be reduced
to an idol.
The fourth contribution is that Adonai YHVH is the only God.
Fifth, God is self-revealed. What is known of Him and things
about Him are known only because He chose to reveal Himself.
Sixth, God’s ways are perfect. He is the Judge of all the earth,
and the Judge of all the earth shall do right (Gen. 18:25).
The seventh contribution is showing the attributes of God, as
revealed in His creation. Creation reveals at least three major
attributes: the greatness of God (Isa. 40:12), the wisdom of God
(Isa. 40:13-14), and the goodness of God (Gen. 1:26 with Ps. 8:1-9).
The eighth contribution focuses on the sovereignty and the will
of God. God simply speaks, and whatever He speaks comes into
being. Genesis states: and God said, and there it was. In God’s
directive will, He gave names to many things. Genesis also shows
His permissive will: God allowed man to name animals.
Ninth, the righteousness of God in Genesis shows how He
fulfills all promises.
Tenth, the revelation of the justice of God is seen in the
expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden, the Noahic flood sent
to destroy sinners, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for
the same purpose.
The eleventh contribution is showing the implications of the
plurality of the Godhead. Genesis shows plurality of the Godhead in
at least four ways: First, the word Elohim is actually a plural noun
(1:1). Second, there are plural verbs used with the word Elohim. In
20:13, which states, “when Elohim caused me to wonder,” the
Hebrew text literally reads, “and Elohim, they caused me to wonder.”
This appears again in 35:7, which states, “There Elohim appeared to
him.” The Hebrew literally states, “Elohim, they appeared.” A third
way the plurality is indicated is in the use of plural pronouns.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
20
Genesis 1:26 states: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Similarly, 3:22 reads: Adonai Elohim said, man is become as one of us.
Genesis 11:7 states: Let us go down. The fourth plurality is implied in
that the term YHVH is applied to two different persons in
Genesis 19:24. Therefore, the Book of Genesis has the beginnings of
the concept of plurality in the Godhead.
3. Christology: Doctrine of the Son
Genesis makes three contributions to Christology in the area of
Messianic Christology prophecy, the first theophany,5 and in the
field of typology.
The first is in the area of Messianic Christology, which concerns
prophecies of the First Coming. This includes Genesis 3:15, where
the Messiah was promised to be of the Seed of the Woman; the
Abrahamic Covenant, where the Messiah was promised to be of the
Seed of Abraham; and Genesis 49:10, where it is revealed that the
Messiah would be of the Seed of Judah.
A second contribution is that of the appearance of the Angel of
Jehovah. The Angel of Jehovah is not a common angel, but the
Second Person of the Triunity. This is one of the ways by which He
appeared in the Old Testament. In every context where He is called
an angel, elsewhere, in the same context, He is called God Himself
(Gen. 16:7, 16:13, 22:11-12, 31:11-13).
The third contribution is in the field of typology. The New
Testament picks up two types from Genesis: Adam and Melchizedek.
As Adam, the Messiah is the Last Adam (Rom. 5); as Melchizedek,
the Messiah is the King-Priest after the Order of Melchizedek.
4. Pneumatology: Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
The fourth area of Systematic Theology is Pneumatology, which
is the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Here, two contributions are made:
5 A theophany is a visible manifestation of God.
Introduction
21
First, the Spirit works in creation (1:2); and second, the Spirit strives
against sin (6:3).
5. Angelology Proper: Doctrine of the Elect Angels
Angels do appear in the Book of Genesis, but insofar as the
Patriarchs are concerned, they only appear in the life of Abraham
once and of Jacob twice. First, in Genesis 28:12, Jacob dreams of
angels ascending and descending on the ladder as he is leaving the
Land. Second, the angels appear to him again in Genesis 32:1, when
angels meet Jacob at Mahanaim as he is returning to the Land.
Besides in relation to the Patriarchs, angels are mentioned in
connection with the rescue of Lot, and these are the same two angels
that had earlier appeared to Abraham (chapters 18-19).
6. Satanology: Doctrine of Satan
Satan’s role in Genesis is limited to the third chapter, which
contributes three things. First, Satan appears in Genesis as a fallen
creature; and obviously, his fall came before Genesis 3. Second,
Genesis records his role in the fall of man, as it is he who tempts
Eve. Third, there are two main prophecies concerning him: his war
against womanhood, and his war against the Seed of the Woman
(3:15). There is also the implication that he will sire the future
Antichrist, the Seed of Satan.
7. Demonology: Doctrine of Fallen Angels
The only reference to Demonology has to do with the sons of God
in Genesis 6, which will be detailed in the commentary.
8. Anthropology: Doctrine of Man
Genesis makes seven contributions to the field of Anthropology.
The first contribution is the creation of man (1:26-27). The second
contribution is the constitution of man (2:7), dealing with the
material part of man and the immaterial part of man and showing
that man is dichotomous: material and immaterial. The third
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
22
contribution to Anthropology is the Fall of man (3:1-8). Fourth is
man in society: the beginnings of the work of cultivation and
farming, of arts and crafts, of animal husbandry, of companionship
of male and female, of sexual intercourse, and of government, where
man has authority to exercise capital punishment. Fifth is the origin
of the Gentile nations. A whole chapter (10) is devoted to the origins
of seventy Gentile nations. The sixth contribution concerns death—
both physical death (3:19) and spiritual death (2:17). The seventh
contribution is to show the origin of different languages (11:1-9).
9. Hamartiology: Doctrine of Sin
Genesis deals with the origin and results of sin. First, it deals
with the origin of human sin, the origin of original sin, the origin of
personal sin, and the origin of imputed sin. Then it records the
results of sin. Personally, sin results in death. Socially, sin caused the
Noahic flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
10. Soteriology: Doctrine of Salvation
Genesis contributes information on grace, faith, and blood
sacrifice. First, it is always by grace through faith that one is saved
(6:8). Second, the specific means of salvation is through faith (15:6).
Third, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin
(4:4).
11. Israelology: Doctrine of Israel
Genesis makes four contributions to the Doctrine of Israel:
First is Israel’s national election (Rom. 9:6-13) by God. In the
account of Isaac and Ishmael, Isaac was chosen as the seed line; and
Ishmael was set aside. Furthermore, with Jacob and Esau, Esau was
set aside; and Jacob was chosen. This is all part of Israel’s national
election.
The second main contribution to Israelology is the Abrahamic
Covenant, with three main facets: the seed, the Land, and the
Introduction
23
physical and spiritual blessings. Each of these facets, plus others, will
be detailed in the exposition of the Book of Genesis.
The third contribution to Israelology is the origin of Jewishness
and the origin of the Jewish people.
The fourth contribution is the origin of the Twelve Tribes of
Israel from the twelve sons of Jacob.
12. Ecclesiology: Doctrine of the Church
The twelfth main division in Systematic Theology is
Ecclesiology, which is the Doctrine of the Church. Of course, the
Church did not exist in the Old Testament in spite of many
theologians trying to find it there. There is no direct contribution of
Genesis to Ecclesiology, but there is an indirect contribution in that
the promises of spiritual blessings contained in the Abrahamic
Covenant were to extend to the Gentiles in the future through the
Seed of Abraham (12:3). It is in the course of the fulfillment of that
promise that the Church fits into the picture. Nevertheless, the
Church as an entity is not revealed in the Book of Genesis (or
anywhere else in the Old Testament).
13. Eschatology: Doctrine of Last Things
Eschatology is subdivided into two divisions: personal, dealing
with the future of one’s soul, and general, dealing with the future of
the world.
a. Personal Eschatology: Future of the Soul
Genesis makes contributions in two main areas of Personal
Eschatology, one regarding immortality and another regarding the
place of death.
In Genesis, when a man dies, he is viewed as being “gathered to
his people.” He is seen as joining a company that has already
preceded him. This is said of Abraham in 25:8; of Ishmael in 25:17;
of Isaac in 35:29; and of Jacob in 49:29, 33. Genesis also mentions
that the dead one joins the fathers. This is said of Abraham in 15:15
and of Jacob in 47:30. Another way immortality is shown is in
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
24
Enoch’s translation. He was raptured into Heaven without having to
undergo the process of death (5:24).
A second contribution Genesis makes in the realm of Personal
Eschatology has to do with the place of the dead. It does mention
the place called Sheol, a place in the center of the earth where the
souls of dead ones went (37:35; 42:38; 44:29, 31). Furthermore, it
mentions Heaven (28:12, 13). So, even the place of death is hinted at
as early as the Book of Genesis.
b. General Eschatology: Future of the World
The main contribution that Genesis makes to General
Eschatology is the fact that the complete fulfillment of the
Abrahamic Covenant can come only in the Messianic Kingdom.
I. Prologue: The Creation of the
World - 1:1 — 2:3
A. Introductory Material
1. The Views of Genesis 1:1-3
There are three primary views of Genesis 1:1-3: the Initial
Chaotic Theory; the Pre-Creation Chaos Theory, also known as the
Relative Beginning View; and the Gap Theory, also known as the
Restitution Theory.
Initial Chaotic Theory/Original Creation View. This view was
held by Keil, who, along with Deilitzsch, put the Keil and Deilitzsch
Commentary6 together. It is also the view of Leupold, a Lutheran
commentator, and Dr. U. Cassuto, who wrote a commentary from
the viewpoint of Orthodox Judaism. This view sees 1:1 as part of the
first day of creation. It is viewed as an independent clause or an
independent narrative sentence recording the first part of the work of
God on the first day. It views 1:1 as being creation out of nothing.
Then 1:2 is viewed as recording three disjunctive parallel clauses.
These are viewed as three circumstantial clauses that describe the
condition of the earth immediately after the creation of the universe.
The clauses are all taken in a neutral sense, in a neutral stage,
implying only raw material from which God formed the earth as it
now exists. Therefore, verse 2 is neither a positive (creative) nor a
negative (chaotic), but a neutral element. The chaos occurred in
6 C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsh, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament,
3 vols. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), n.d.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
26
connection with the original creation. In other words, according to
this view the chaos occurred at the time of the actual creation of the
substance. Then verse 3 is viewed as an independent narrative
sentence showing the manner in which God worked, which is by His
Word. There are two variations to this view. One variation is that
the two verses in Genesis 1:1-2 are chronological with a gap of time
before verse 3. In other words, there is a gap between verse 2 and
verse 3. A second variation is that Genesis 1:1-3 are all strictly
chronological with no gap.
The Pre-Creation Chaos Theory/The Relative Beginning View.
Basically, this view sees the first sentence as reading, “When God
began to create.” This seems to be the majority view today, but there
are five different variations of this view.
The first variation is that of Rashi and Ibn Ezra, who were two
rabbinic commentators, and it is also the view of the New English
Bible. Verse 1 is viewed as a dependent temporal clause; and the first
word, bereishit, which means “in the beginning,” is a noun construct
with a verbal form. This first variation views 1:1 as being creation out
of something. Then verse 1:2 is viewed as being really the first main
clause, the apodosis7 that describes the condition of the earth when
God began to create. Finally, this view sees the chaos as existing
before the creation mentioned in 1:1. The chaos pre-existed verse 1;
the chaos, therefore, existed before the original creation. A major
problem with this view is that the first word, bereishit, is not a
construct noun. Furthermore, the clauses in 1:2 are circumstantial
dependent clauses.
The second variation of the second view is that of E. A. Speiser
as seen in his commentary on Genesis in the Anchor Bible
Commentary. In this variation, Genesis 1:1 is viewed as a prologue to
the creation accounts, and viewed as being in the form of a temporal
clause. The first word, bereishit, is viewed as a noun in construct state
with a verbal form. This also sees creation as being out of something.
Verse 2 is viewed as being merely parenthetical, which consists of
7 Apodosis is the main clause of a conditional sentence. For example, in
the conditional sentence: “If I had a hammer, then I could fix the
railing,” the italicized portion is the apodosis.
PROLOGUE: The Creation of the World
27
three clauses that are circumstantial to 1:1. It describes the state of
things when God began to reshape them. Then 1:3 is viewed as the
actual first day of creation. It is an independent narrative sentence,
and this is the apodosis of the temporal clause begun in verse 1.
The third variation of the second view is the view of Merrill
Unger, who was the Old Testament professor at Dallas Theological
Seminary for many years. He viewed Genesis 1:1 as being an
independent narrative sentence. It describes, not the absolute
beginning, but merely a relative beginning. The word bereishit or In
the beginning is a relative beginning in which the cosmos was
reshaped for man, though originally designed for sinless angels.
Unger viewed verse 1 as the creation out of something. Verse 2, then,
is viewed as having three clauses, which are circumstantial to verse 1.
All these describe the situation at the time of the principal creation
of verse 1 and give the reason for the action. Then verse 3 records the
beginning of the first day. Genesis 1:1-2 therefore is the background
to verse 3, and Satan’s fall in this view comes before Genesis 1:1.
The fourth variation of this second view is the view of
E. J. Young, who wrote a commentary on Genesis. He views verse
1:1 as being a summary topic statement, and the first word bereishit,
In the beginning, is a prepositional phrase in the absolute state that
describes the absolute beginning. The word for create, barah, refers
to a total process of Genesis 1 and the six days of creation.
E. J. Young sees 1:1 as being creation out of nothing. Then verse 2
contains three clauses, which are circumstantial to the main clause of
verse 3. Verse 2 describes the condition of the earth when created
until God began to form it into its present shape. E. J. Young sees
the clauses as being neutral, and he points out that the word And in
the second verse starts with the Hebrew letter vav. The vav, plus the
noun, plus the verb, are to be translated as: now the earth was without
form. Then verse 3 contains the main clause describing the first act of
God in forming the present universe. This view sees the vav as a vav
consecutive plus a prefixed conjunction. It describes the act of
creation with the phrase: and God said.
The fifth variation of the second view is held by Von Rad and
Dr. Bruce Waltke, who also for years was in charge of the Hebrew
department at Dallas Theological Seminary following Merrill Unger.
He views Genesis 1:1 as being a summary statement of everything
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
28
that is unfolded step by step in the whole chapter. The first word,
bereishit, is a temporal prepositional phrase with the noun in the
absolute state. According to this view, bereishit does not describe the
absolute beginning, but the beginning of the heavens and the earth
as they now exist. This is creation out of something, not creation ex
nihilo. He then views verse 2 as having three circumstantial clauses,
which are introductory to verse 3. The vav is viewed as a vav
disjunctive introducing these clauses and so cannot follow verse 1
chronologically. Verse 1 describes the conditions of the earth when
God spoke. These clauses are not neutral but describe a world that
has passed under divine judgment and is in a chaotic state; it is not
simply raw material. If the chaos is a result of Satan’s fall, then
Satan’s fall happened before verse 1 and not between verses 1 and 2.
Verse 2 describes something that is not good. Finally, verse 3 is an
independent narrative sentence describing the first act in the process
of bringing the earth into its present form. God created the earth by
His Word (Ps. 33:6, 33:9; Heb. 11:3), and God only began to speak
with verse 3.
While the second view is the dominant view today, it should be
noted that there are five different variations of the second view. So
those who hold this view do not have any uniformity.
The Gap Theory/Restitution Theory. This commentator prefers
the third view, held by Pember and Schofield. In this view,
Genesis 1:1 is viewed as an independent narrative sentence and not a
summary of the whole chapter. Verse 1 describes the original perfect
creation, which was a creation out of nothing. There are three
reasons for holding this view. First, verse 1 has the form of a
narrative declarative statement and not merely a superscription or a
title. Second, the conjunctive vav connects verse 1 with verse 2,
which cannot be if verse 1 is only a heading or a summary statement
or a topical statement. Third, verse 2 speaks of the earth as already
existing, which must have come into existence in verse 1. Then
between verses 1 and 2 there is a gap of time. In this gap of time was
the fall of Satan and other angels, resulting in the divine judgment of
the earth. More will be said about this in the exposition. Then
verse 2 is viewed as an independent narrative sentence containing
three subordinate circumstantial clauses describing what the earth
looked like some time after Genesis 1:1. Verse 2 thus describes the
PROLOGUE: The Creation of the World
29
earth that resulted from the fall of Satan; it contains disjunctive
clauses describing a state of chaos. There are two variations to this
position. One variation is that Genesis 1:2 is a sequential clause after
Genesis 1:1, or Genesis 1:2 is a circumstantial clause with
Genesis 1:1. Finally, in this view, verse 3 is an independent narrative
sentence describing the first step of the reconstruction and the
reformation of a judged earth. The six days of creation actually begin
with verse 3. So verses 1 and 2 are not part of the first day of
creation; verse 3 describes the first day of creation.
2. Other Creation Passages
Other creation passages that shed light on what happened in
Genesis 1 include the following: Job 38:4-11; Psalm 33:6-9, Psalm 104;
Proverbs 8:22-31; Isaiah 45:7; John 1:1-5; Colossians 1:16, 17; and
Hebrews 2:5-8.
3. The Number Seven
Because the number seven8 plays a prominent role throughout
chapter 1, it shows that Genesis was not put together haphazardly by
some mysterious, unknown “redactor,” but was put together based
upon a clear literary concept and motif. The number seven appears in
several ways. First: There are seven days. Second: There are three
main nouns which express the basic concept of this section, and they
are all repeated a number of times, and all repetitions are a multiple
of seven. For example, the Hebrew word for God, Elohim, appears a
total of thirty-five times (five times seven). The word earth appears
twenty-one times (three times seven). The word heavens with
firmament appears twenty-one times (three times seven). Third:
There are seven fiats in the jussive form which state: let us. Fourth:
Light and day is found seven times in the first paragraph. Fifth: The
word light by itself is found seven times in the fourth paragraph.
Sixth: The word waters is found seven times in paragraphs 2 and 3.
8 U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis (Jerusalem: The
Magnes Press, 1961), 13-15.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
30
Seventh: The word life is found seven times in paragraphs 5 and 6.
Eighth: Seven times the phrase it was good is found. Ninth: Verse 1
contains exactly seven words in the Hebrew text. Tenth: Verse 2 in
the Hebrew text contains exactly fourteen words (two times seven).
Eleventh: There are seven paragraphs in Genesis 1:1 through 2:3,
with the seventh paragraph containing three sentences, and each
sentence contains seven words with the phrase the seventh day in the
middle of the whole passage. The seventh paragraph contains a total
of thirty-five words (five times seven). All this could hardly be
accidental.9
B. The Creation of the Cosmos - 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth.
This verse records the original creation, which is preliminary to
the work of the six days. It is an independent clause that provides an
introduction to this section. Here, the number seven is prominent. In
the Hebrew text, there are seven words. Furthermore, the seven
words comprise a total of twenty-eight letters (four times seven).
Genesis 1:1 is one of the many verses where there was a
disagreement between the School of Shammai and the School of
Hillel. The School of Shammai claimed that Heaven was created
first, while the School of Hillel said that the earth was created first.
The first word in the Hebrew text is bereishit, which in English is
three words: In the beginning. The word itself says nothing as to
when the beginning was, just that this was the beginning of the
heavens and the earth. It refers to the first phase of a step, the
beginning of the universe as it now exists.
The statement of John 1:1 chronologically precedes Genesis 1:1.
While John 1:1 also states: In the beginning, it goes on to state: In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
9 Ibid., 13-15.
PROLOGUE: The Creation of the World
31
God. By means of this Word, the heavens and the earth were created
(John 1:3). So both Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 mention the phrase In
the beginning. Genesis 1:1 does not reveal when the beginning was,
but the In the beginning of John 1:1 chronologically precedes the In
the beginning of Genesis 1:1, because obviously the Messiah, the
Logos, the Word, the Memra, preceded the creation of the heavens
and the earth.
The second word in the Hebrew text is bara, which means
“created.” The Hebrew word bara is a word that is used only of God
and only of the work that only God can do. It is never used with
anything that man does. There are several words in the Hebrew
Bible that are used only of God, and this is one of them. While it is
used of something that only God does, it could take on several forms.
First: It could mean to create out of nothing, but is also used to
create out of something. The universe was created out of nothing,
but Adam and Eve were both created out of something. It is used
both ways. Second: When something is created, what is produced is
new, fresh, and good. Third: The word carries the concept of
shaping, forming, and transforming. Fourth: The only related word
in Hebrew is beryiah, which is a feminine noun and used in only one
place, Numbers 16:30, where God fashions something new. Fifth:
As far as its usage in the kal stem, bara is used thirty-eight times. In
the niphal, it is used ten times.
The word bara is used a total of three times in this entire section
of Genesis 1:1 through 2:3: in 1:1 of the creation of the heavens and
the earth; in 1:21 of the creation of living creatures; and in 1:27 of
the creation of man. It is used in five different ways throughout
Scripture. First: It is used of the creation of the universe and its
contents.
Genesis 1:1, God created the heavens and the earth.
Isaiah 42:5, Jehovah…created the heavens.
Isaiah 40:26, created the host of Heaven.
Isaiah 40:28, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
Psalm 89:12, created The north and the south.
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Second: The word bara is used of the creation of the cosmic
forces of nature: Isaiah 45:7, God creates the darkness and calamity;
Amos 4:13, God created the winds. Third: It is used of the creation
of living creatures: Genesis 1:21, of animal life; Genesis 1:27, used
three times of the creation of human life; Genesis 5:1-2, used three
times of the creation of human life; Genesis 6:7, of man and animal
life; Deuteronomy 4:32, used of the creation of man; Psalm 89:47, of
man; and Isaiah 45:12, of man. Fourth: It is used is of Israel and the
Remnant: Ecclesiastes 12:1, of the Remnant; Isaiah 43:1, of Israel;
Isaiah 43:7, of the Remnant; Isaiah 43:15, of Israel; Malachi 2:10, of
Israel. Fifth: It is used of the transformation or the renewal of things:
Numbers 16:30, God creates a new thing in the earth; Psalm 51:10,
He creates a clean heart; Isaiah 41:18-20, He creates waters in the
desert; Isaiah 45:8, He creates salvation; Isaiah 57:19, He creates
peace; Isaiah 65:17, the heavens and earth; Isaiah 65:18, Jerusalem;
and Jeremiah 31:22, a new thing—a woman shall encompass a man.
What happened in Genesis 1:1 is that God called the universe into
existence, and He created the universe ex nihilo, Latin for “out of
nothing.” This is verified by Romans 4:17, God, who…calls the things
that are not, as though they were; and by Hebrews 11:3, the worlds were
framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of
things which appear. As the Creator, He is the Creator of both the
material and the immaterial universe, and this is why there is
something rather than nothing.
The next word in the Hebrew text is Elohim or God. This shows
the Creator to be the beginning of all things. While He has no
beginning, He is the beginning of all things; He existed before all
things. There is no attempt to prove the existence of God; His
existence is assumed to be true. In fact, the Bible generally does not
try, as we see in Psalm 14:1, which states: The fool has said in his
heart, There is no God. The word Elohim, God, is used a total of
thirty-five times (seven multiplied by five) in the introductory
section. Another thing to note about the word Elohim in its Hebrew
form is that it is a plural noun; the -im ending is a masculine plural,
which opens the door to a plurality in the Godhead. This is not
something the rabbis like to deal with. Therefore, the Hertz Siddur,
which is the Sabbath prayer book, explains the fact by stating: “The
plural is to denote the plenitude of might. God comprehends and
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33
unifies all the ends of eternity and infinity.” However, the fact is that
the plurality of Elohim does open the door to a plurality in the
Godhead. It should be made clear that the word itself does not prove
plurality, and less so does it prove a Trinity. Nevertheless, it clearly
opens the door to a concept of the plurality in the Godhead.
Based upon what God is able to do in Genesis 1:1, two things
are revealed about God. First: God is self-sufficient. There is no
need for anyone else or anything else. There is a common
misconception that the reason God created man is because He
needed fellowship. God does not “need” anything; by virtue of being
God, He is totally self-sufficient. There is no need of anyone else or
anything else. Second, Genesis 1:1 shows that God is eternal and
unchangeable.
The first three words in the Hebrew text, In the beginning,
created, and God, are the foundation of all theology. God is
self-existent. He is unknowable except where He chooses to reveal
Himself, and He is answerable to no one.
The final words declare what it is that He created. First, He
created the heavens; and that includes all that constitutes the parts of
the universe. The words are in the plural because it includes both the
first and second heavens. This very fact shows that matter is not
eternal, as it did not always exist. Second: He created the earth,
because the earth becomes the center of God’s program. As
Psalm 8:1-9 points out, God’s program concerns man, who is only
found on this planet. The indication of Scripture is that there is no
life on other planets, and God focused His entire program on this
earth. That is the implication of Scripture, but this is not
dogmatically stated. This verse also shows that the heavens and the
earth are two separate entities, also affirmed by Psalm 115:16, which
states: The heavens are the heavens of Jehovah; But the earth has he given
to children of men. He created both entities. One is reserved for
Himself, and one He has given to the sons of men.
Genesis 1:1 offers some refutations of human theologies. First, it
refutes atheism, because Genesis postulates the existence of God,
postulates a personal God, and teaches that the universe is neither the
result of a big bang nor the result of matter eternally existing. The
universe was created by God. Second, it is a refutation of agnosticism,
because agnosticism teaches that one cannot know whether there is or
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is not a God. Nevertheless, God has revealed Himself in what He has
done. Third, it refutes pantheism, because God is also transcendent to
what He creates. Fourth, it refutes polytheism, because only one God
created all things. Fifth, it is a refutation of materialism, because there
is a clear distinction between God and His material universe. It clearly
teaches that matter had a beginning; it is not eternal. Sixth, it also
refutes naturalism, because nature itself has origins. Seventh, it refutes
dualism, because God was all alone when He created. Eighth, it
refutes humanism, because it is God and not man who was the
ultimate reality. Finally, it refutes evolutionism, because God is viewed
as the instantaneous creator of all things. (See table 5 for a summary of
the Refutations of Genesis 1:1.)
Rabbis loved to speculate over esoteric things, and this verse was
an object of rabbinic musings. Thus, the rabbis tried to explain why
the first word of the Book of Genesis begins not with the first
Hebrew letter aleph but with the second Hebrew letter beth:
“Why did God begin with a beth?” Answer: “Just as
beth is closed on three sides, open on the fourth, so
God enclosed the world on three sides with the
north side remaining open. Furthermore, beth
stands for bracha, [the Hebrew word for] (blessing),
while aleph stands for aror, [the Hebrew word for]
(curse). And God did not want to begin his Torah
with a curse, and so began with a beth. But aleph
complained, since the Torah should begin with the
first letter. God appeased aleph by promising that
the Ten Commandments will begin with aleph. And
so the first word of the Ten Commandments begins
with the word ani, [meaning] I, and the first letter is
the letter aleph.”10
This is one example of many rabbinic flights of fancy. This
commentary will try to give rabbinic perspectives, both the good and
not so good.
10 Midrash Rabbah 1:10.
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35
Table 5. The Theological Punch of Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the
heavens and the Earth
Alternate Theolo
g
ies Refutation in Genesis 1:1
Atheism – There is no God • Postulates the existence of God
• Postulates a personal God
• Teaches the universe began by
creation and not a “big bang”
• The universe had a beginning
rather than alwa
y
s existin
g
Agnosticism – It is impossible to
know if God exists
• Teaches that God has revealed
Himself in what He has done
Pantheism – God and the
creation are one and the same
• God transcends what He
created
Polytheism – There are more
than one
g
od
• Only one God created all
thin
g
s
Materialism – Matter is reality • God and His creation are
distinct from one another
• Matter is not eternal, but
created
Naturalism – The natural order
is eternal
• Nature has origins
Dualism – Good and Evil are
eternall
y
co-existen
t
• God was all alone when He
created
Humanism – Reality is
measured b
y
man
• God and not man is the
ultimate realit
y
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C. The Chaos - 1:2
And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters.
The Hebrew text of the second verse contains a total of fourteen
words, which is two times seven.
Genesis 1:2 also begins a new subject. In Hebrew, the first word
is ve-ha-aretz, meaning “and the world.” In Hebrew grammar, when
the subject comes before the predicate, the emphasis is on the
subject, to state something new about it. In this case, the subject does
come before the predicate, meaning the author wants to say
something new about the subject, which is the earth.
Genesis 1:2 describes the circumstances of the earth before 1:3
and is not a result of 1:1. The Masoretic Text has a notation called
rebhia, indicating that this is a vav disjunctive, which could be
translated by the word now to read: “Now the earth,” rather than a
vav conjunctive which would read: “And the earth.” What this
grammatical point shows is that verse 2 is not sequential to verse 1,
and so it is not and then. It shows that verse 2 is not a result or
development of verse 1, but the background to verse 3. So the
disjunctive argues against the chaos being an intermediate stage in
God’s work at the time of creation. The same point is made in
Isaiah 45:18.
The very fact that the Hebrew text in Genesis 1:2 clearly shows a
vav disjunctive rather than a vav conjunctive allows for two possible
interpretations. The first is the Initial Chaos View that sees verse 1
as giving the general account and summary and verse 2 as giving a
description of chaos at the beginning of creation followed by verse 3
describing the beginning of the work of creation. So the original
creation is not found in this account, only a re-creation. Verses 1-3
all describe the work of the first day; and therefore creation is out of
something that pre-existed the act of creation described by Genesis.
However, according to this view, the starting point of Genesis is not
creation, but chaos. The second option is known as the Gap Theory,
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37
but it is not an ideal name because of misconceptions about what it
teaches. In this view, Genesis 1:1 is the original creation in a perfect
state; God created the heavens and the earth in a perfect state. Then
between verses 1 and 2 there was a gap of time; and in this gap of
time there was the fall of Satan, which resulted in the chaos of
verse 2. The chaos of verse 2 is a result of divine judgment. In the
Gap Theory, verse 3 marks the beginning of the first day of creation.
Therefore, the original creation is in Genesis 1:1, followed by a gap
of time in which something happened to cause the original creation
to become chaotic. From parallel passages such as Ezekiel 28:11-19,
that something was the fall of Satan; and when Satan fell, it caused
the chaos of verse 2. Then 1:3 begins with the first day of creation.
This is the correct use of the Gap Theory: to explain the chaos of
verse 2. The wrong use of the Gap Theory is for “dinosaur space.” It
has been a convenient place to dump in the fossil record, the
geological ice ages, etc.; and those who have held it for “dinosaur
space” have been forced to make it millions, if not billions, of years
long. This only results in conforming biblical interpretation to
scientific theories, which is never, ever necessary. The Bible clearly
teaches that physical death originates with the fall of Adam, so there
was no physical death of any kind before the fall of Adam. The gap
is there only for the fall of Satan and to explain the chaos of 1:2, but
it need not be a very long time at all. It is not known how long it
was, but it need not be millions and billions of years.
The first phrase in 1:2 is: And the earth was waste and void,
showing the earth now becomes the focus. The earth and not the
universe is the focus of the remainder of the chapter. The word was
in Hebrew is hayetah, which is the feminine form for the word hayah.
The normal primary meaning of the word hayah or hayetah is “was.”
However, it also has the secondary meaning of “became.” Those who
oppose a gap between 1:1 and 1:2 claim that for the word hayah to
mean “became” rather than “was” would require the addition of a
lamed prefix on the next word to read hayah le____ or hayetah le____.
Generally speaking, that is correct, but it is not always true. Even
within Genesis, where the word hayah or hayetah clearly means
“became,” it is not followed by the lamed prefix. Examples include:
Genesis 3:20, Eve became (hayetah) the mother of all living;
Genesis 3:22, man has become as one of us; Genesis 21:20, Ishmael
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became an archer; Genesis 37:20, what would become of Joseph’s
dream. So, even within Genesis the word clearly has the meaning of
“become” without the lamed prefix; and the same could be true of
Genesis 1:2; and the way to translate it is: and the earth became. This
harmonizes well with Isaiah 45:18 (quoted below), which clearly
states God did not create the earth in the form described by
Genesis 1:2.
For thus says Jehovah that created the heavens, the God
that formed the earth and made it, that established it
and created it not a waste, that formed it to be
inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.
That would mean that whatever happened here in Genesis 1:2 is
something that became; it was not originally that way; it became that
way.
The next phrase in 1:2 is: waste and void. In Hebrew, these are
two words, tohu and vohu, connected by a vav conjunctive. These
two words used together like this are found twice elsewhere, and in
both other places they clearly mean divine judgment. The first place
is Isaiah 34:11, which is translated as confusion and emptiness. The
second place is Jeremiah 4:23, where they are translated as waste and
void, and this usage is used as an antithesis to the Genesis creation
account. In the other two places where the two words are used
together they clearly describe divine judgment. There is no reason to
make Genesis 1:2 the exception to the rule. The second word, vohu,
is never used alone and only appears in these three passages:
Genesis 1:2, Isaiah 34:11, and Jeremiah 4:23. But the first word,
tohu, is found by itself a total of twenty times in the Old Testament:
Deuteronomy 32:10, where it is translated as wasteland;
I Samuel 12:21 (twice), as vain; Job 6:18, as perish; Job 12:24, as
wilderness; Job 26:7, as empty space; Psalm 107:40, as waste; and
Jeremiah 4:23, as waste. All the other references are in the Book of
Isaiah: 24:10, waste; 29:21, a thing of nought; 34:11, confusion,
emptiness; 40:17, nothing; 40:23, nothing; 41:29, confusion; 44:9,
vanity or confusion; 45:18 waste; 45:19, vain; 49:4, vain; 59:4, and
vanity. Every usage of this term is negative. It is never used in a
neutral way, let alone as a positive. While not every passage has
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39
divine judgment, some passages do. So by itself, vohu could refer to
divine judgment or not, but it is always negative, which argues
against its being a neutral term in Genesis 1:2. However, when used
together, tohu and vohu do refer to divine judgment. So tohu and
vohu, waste and void, or desolate and waste, carry the sense of chaos
and desolation.
Genesis 1:1-2 contains what is called syntagmes, which refers to
words that occur together to denote one unique concept. The phrase
in verse 1 heavens and earth emphasizes the totality of an ordered
universe; and waste and void in verse 2, the totality of judgment and
chaos. This means that the orderly universe and the orderly chaos
cannot apply to the same thing at the same time, and so the events of
verses 1 and 2 cannot be contemporary, but chronological, one
following the other. Verse 2, then, describes the chaos of unformed
matter. It is undifferentiated, unorganized, confused, and lifeless.
The earth became formless and empty.
The next phrase in 1:2 is: and darkness was upon the face of the
deep. There are two key elements here: the darkness and the deep. The
darkness represents evil and death and is not conducive to life. Like
tohu and vohu, darkness was a symbol of divine judgment throughout
the Old Testament: Exodus 10:15, the plague of locust darkened the
land of Egypt; Exodus 10:21-23, the plague of darkness;
I Samuel 2:9, God assigned the wicked into the silence of darkness;
Job 3:4, 5, the darkness of death; Psalm 35:6, God will pursue the
sinner into darkness; Psalm 105:28, the plague of darkness;
Isaiah 8:22, the sinful kingdom will be driven into darkness;
Isaiah 13:10, in the Tribulation the sun will be darkened; Isaiah 45:7,
God creates darkness and calamity; and Joel 2:2, the Day of Jehovah
is a day of darkness. Therefore, throughout the Old Testament,
darkness is associated with divine judgment, which again indicates
that Genesis 1:2 describes divine judgment. In the New Testament,
darkness is also associated with Satan and his demons (Eph. 6:12).
The next word in 1:2, the deep, is the Hebrew word tehom. The
basic meaning of the Hebrew word is the “salty deep,” the primeval
world ocean, or the “abyss.” The primeval world ocean is mentioned in
three other places: Psalm 104:6, God covered the earth with the deep
like a garment; Proverbs 8:24, God’s wisdom existed before there were
any depths; and Isaiah 51:10, the waters of the great deep. In Genesis,
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the primeval world ocean or deep is without personality and without
autonomy. This is in contradiction with the contemporary pagan
literature of the time where the deep is associated with the dragon. In
pagan theology, the deep was somehow active in creation as is Tiamat
of the Babylonian mythology. In the Bible, the deep is also associated
with the dragon, but it does not carry the concept of an active, creating
agent. Throughout the Scriptures, in connection with the deep and
with creation, there is the mention of the dragon, the serpent, the
Leviathan, and Rahab; but they only serve as borrowed imagery, not as
active creative agents. This motif is found in Job 3:8, the Leviathan;
26:12, 13, Rahab and the serpent; 41:1-34, the Leviathan;
Psalm 74:13-17, the serpent and the Leviathan; 89:10, Rahab; 104:25,
26, the Leviathan; Isaiah 27:1, the Leviathan and the serpent;
Isaiah 30:7, Rahab; and Isaiah 51:9-10, Rahab and the serpent. The
biblical usage of this dragon motif and this watery motif has a past,
present, and future focus.
The past: Describes God’s creative work in the
prehistoric past (Gen. 1:2).
The present: Deals with God’s victory over Pharaoh and
Egypt (Isa. 30:7, 51:9-10).
The future: Is used of the final victory over Satan
(Isa. 27:1; Rev. 12:1-17, 20:1-3).
All this imagery again indicates that the chaos of verse 1:2 is a
description of the judgment resulting from the fall of Satan. If this is
connected with Ezekiel 28:11-16, it teaches that the created earth of
Genesis 1:1 became the abode of Satan; and he was the guardian over
the earth in its original form. Originally, the earth had no oceans and
no seas. It was a beautiful mineral garden covered by the various
precious stones listed in Ezekiel 28:13. They exuded light and so are
also called the stones of fire in verse 14. During this time, Satan was
able to walk up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. When
God judged Satan, He also judged that which was under Satan’s
authority, which at that time included the earth. So the original earth,
which was a beautiful mineral garden with no oceans, no seas, and
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41
with precious stones called the stones of fire which were exuding light,
now became formless and empty. The earth was now totally covered
by salt water with the precious stones and dry land no longer visible.
The stones of fire no longer exuded light. Now darkness was upon the
face of the deep. That was the nature of the original earth and its
destruction in Genesis 1:2. When the Book of Revelation discusses the
new earth in Revelation 21:1 through 22:5, it states that the new earth,
which will be the eternal abode of all believers of all time for all
eternity, is going to be a return to the original condition. The new
earth will have no oceans and no seas and will again be covered by
these same types of precious stones mentioned in Ezekiel 28:13. In
other words, the new earth, the eternal abode of the believer, will look
like this earth once looked before the fall of Satan.
The last phrase in 1:2 is: The Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters. Three key things should be noted here about each part of
this phrase: the Spirit of God, moved, and upon the face of the waters.
The Spirit of God. In the second verse of the Bible is the
introduction of the Third Person of the Trinity. In rabbinic
theology, the Spirit is the Spirit of King Messiah.11 The Hertz
Siddur, the Sabbath Prayer Book, states that this is “the mysterious,
unseen, irresistible of the Divine Being.” The role of the Son is given
in John 1:1-3: It is by means of the Son or through the Son that all
things were created.
Moved. The Hebrew word for moved in 1:2 is merachephet, which
means “to hover,” “to brood,” “to flutter,” or “to fly.” It is used two
other times in the Hebrew Bible: Deuteronomy 32:11, where it is
used as an eagle hovering over her young; and Jeremiah 23:9, where
it is translated by the word “shaken,” all my bones are shaken. The
concept of merachephet is a concept of caring and protecting, as a
mother bird cares for and protects her eggs. The concept of
“fluttering” provides substance. The concept of “hovering” is in
preparation for the hatching of the eggs. Here, the Spirit, like a
mother bird, is hovering over the deep, waiting for the hatching of
the dry land through the deep. So, clearly, the Holy Spirit was
11 Midrash Rabbah 2:4; M. Berachot 1:2.
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actively involved in the work of creation. This is affirmed twice
elsewhere: in Job 26:13, By his Spirit [He adorned] the heavens; and
Psalm 104:30, you sent forth your Spirit, they are created; And you renew
the face of the earth. So the formlessness and foreboding darkness was
being kept in check by the Spirit of God.
Upon the face of the waters. The Hebrew word for water in 1:2 is
mayim, the life-giving water, not the chaotic abyss of the deep. The
water itself is lifeless, but the Spirit of God now quickens and
transforms it. The unformed, lifeless mass of watery earth was under
the watchful care of the divine Spirit Who hovered over it,
guaranteeing its future development.
The Jerusalem Targum, an Aramaic translation, translates 1:2 as
follows:
The earth was vacancy and desolation. [sic] Solitary
of the sons of men and void of every animal, and
darkness was on the face of the abyss and the Spirit
of Messiah from before the Lord brooded upon the
face of the waters.
D. Introduction to the Six Days of Creation
What verse 1:2 does is to serve as an introduction to the six days
of creation; it introduces the seven steps of God’s creative work for
the six days of creation. The first step is the introductory creative
word: And God said; each day, except for the seventh day, begins with
this phrase. The second step is the fiat: Let there be; in Hebrew, it is
just one word. The third step is the fulfillment: And there was; also in
Hebrew only one word. In the fourth step, the action itself is
described: And God made. The fifth step is the act of naming or
blessing: And God called… or, and God blessed…. The sixth step is
God’s evaluation, containing an expression of divine satisfaction: and
God saw that it was good. The seventh step is the terminus: and it was
evening and it was morning of day…, followed by the number.
The six days of creation rectified the problem of 1:2: the problem
of formlessness and emptiness. The first word, tohu, means “without
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43
form,” emphasizing formlessness. The first three days rectified the
problem of tohu, the problem of formlessness. The first three days are
days of division: On the first day was a division of light and darkness;
on the second day, the division of air or sky from water or sea; and the
third day, the division of land and plants. All this rectifies the problem
of formlessness. The second word was vohu, which means “empty” or
“emptiness,” and the second three days rectified the problem of
emptiness. These three days are days of decoration. On the fourth day,
the lights in the firmament provide ornamentation for the day and the
night created on the first day. On the fifth day, the fowl and the fish
are created to fill the air and the sea created on the second day. On the
sixth day, animals and man were created to occupy the dry land and
the plants created on the third day.
Another point to note is that the first chapter of Genesis
contains parallelism and symmetry. The form of the first day is filled
by the work of the fourth day. The first day was light and darkness,
and the fourth day is the creation of the luminaries of day and night.
The form of the second day is filled by the work of the fifth day. The
second day had sky and sea, and the fifth day there are birds for the
sky and fish for the sea. The form of the third day is filled by the
work of the sixth day. On the third day there were land and plants,
and on the sixth day there are animals and man to live on the land
and to eat the plants.
The work of the six days and the work in them in Genesis 1
came into being by the Word of God. God spoke, and it was so. All
things came into being at God’s Word. The same thing is affirmed
by Psalm 33:6-9.
One more point needs to be discussed before dealing with the
actual six days of creation relative to the Hebrew word for “day,”
which is yom. People who want to fit Genesis 1 into evolutionary and
geological theories try to claim that the word yom does not have to
mean twenty-four hours but could mean a longer period of time,
even millions of years. Now it is true that when the word yom is used
by itself it could mean a longer period of time (though no example
exists where it means millions of years). For example, the Day of
Jehovah is a period of seven years. However, whenever the word is
used with a number or numeral, it always means twenty-four hours.
Throughout Genesis 1, each time the word day is found; it is used
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with a numeral: day one, day two, etc. This alone shows that the days
of Genesis are twenty-four hour days. However, there is more: Not
only is the word day followed by a numeral, it is also followed by the
phrase evening and morning, and this phrase again limits it to
twenty-four hours. Furthermore, the Sabbath law, as given to Israel
in the Law of Moses, is based upon the six days of creation and the
seventh day of rest. These laws would become meaningless if these
were not twenty-four hour days. Finally, with the fourth day, there is
the mention of days, years, signs, and seasons, showing that already
within Genesis 1 there is the normal system of time in operation.
These terms also would become meaningless if these were not
normal twenty-four hour days. By itself, Genesis 1:2 says nothing
insofar as it being an old earth or a young earth, and the evidence for
one or the other must be based on arguments outside this verse.
However, the six days of creation were literal twenty-four hour days.
E. The First Day - 1:3-5
3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God
divided the light from the darkness. 5And God called the
light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there
was evening and there was morning, one day.
The work of the first day in verse 3 begins with the phrase: And
God said. This is the way all six days of creation begin (vv. 6, 9, 14,
20, 24). This symmetry shows that the first day begins in verse 3, and
verses 1-2 are not part of the first day of creation. Furthermore, this
is the work of the Logos, the Word of God, as John 1:1-3 points out.
As Psalm 33:6 states: By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made,
And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. What God said was:
Let there be light, and the result was: and there was light. The light,
which came into existence on the first day, is distinct from the light
of the sun, because the sun would not be created until the fourth day.
What this did was to provide light for the first three days, and this
was a necessary first step because of the darkness that was part of the
chaos of verse 2. This light was probably the Shechinah Glory light,
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the light mentioned in II Corinthians 4:6: Seeing it is God, that said,
Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The
rabbis also recognized that this was a unique light, not the light of
the sun. In rabbinic theology, this was a special light that functioned
only during these seven days of creation, and then it did not function
thereafter. The phrase Let there be is one word in Hebrew: yehi. The
phrase and there was is also in Hebrew one word: vayehi. Both words,
yehi and vayehi, are related to God’s Name, which is the four
Hebrew letters of YHVH, which is the source of the Hebrew word
“to be.” So God, Who is the I AM, said: Let there be…and there was.
This was God’s first spoken word, yehi, let there be, and this word is
also related to the very Name of God. According to rabbinic
interpretation of this verse, when God said: Let there be light, it was
to reveal that God will ultimately illuminate Israel with the light of
the Messiah of Whom it is written [quoting Isaiah 60:1], the light
being, of course, the Messiah. Therefore, both this phrase, as well as
Isaiah 60:1, was given clear messianic overtones in rabbinic theology.
Genesis 1:4 gives the result: And God saw the light, that it was
good: and God divided the light from the darkness. The work of the first
day divided the light from the darkness. It partially removed the
darkness of verse 2. The two, light and darkness, would now function
simultaneously, but in opposite spheres. This is the first of five
separations in this chapter; the other four are found in verses 6, 7, 14,
and 18. A rabbinic commentary on this verse states: “God saw that
the wicked were not worthy to enjoy the light, whereupon He set it
apart for the righteous in the Messianic era.”
In Genesis 1:5a is the naming: And God called the light Day, and
the darkness he called Night. The act of naming in Scripture shows an
act of sovereign dominion. To show sovereignty, one will name or
change a name. For example, in II Kings 23:34, Pharaoh-necoh
changed the name of Eliakim to Jehoiakim; in II Kings 24:17,
Nebuchadnezzar changed the name of Mattaniah to Zedekiah. This
is the way these kings showed their sovereign control over the throne
of Judah. Furthermore, in the Bible, naming frequently emphasizes
the nature, the essence, and the quality of what is named. Therefore,
what God has now done is to have the light and the darkness fixed; a
light and a darkness found a fixed place in the order of creation.
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Genesis 1:5b gives the completion of the first day: And there was
evening and there was morning, one day. The evening comes first,
because in Jewish reckoning the day begins with the evening. The
day is from sundown to sundown, from sunset to sunset. This
phraseology “evening and morning” simply does not allow for
anything but a twenty-four hour period. The verse concludes with
one day; in Hebrew that is yom echad. Here the number one is found
in its cardinal form, one, in place of the ordinal form, first. All the
other days are used in their ordinal form: second, third, fourth, fifth,
sixth, and seventh, rather than day two, day three, day four, day five,
day six, day seven. Thus, it does not read the first day, but day one.
One explanation the rabbis give comes from Rashi, who claims that
this verse should be translated as “the day of the One” since no one
existed but God and only God could benefit from this day.
According to Rashi’s thinking, angels were created only on the
second day. But Rabbi Nachmanides declared that the word first
implies the precedence of another when both are in existence. In this
case, the second had not yet come. There was no second day yet.
Therefore, instead of saying “first,” He said “day one.” Now, again,
this is rabbinic theology, which can sometimes be fanciful. The word
echad can mean an absolute one or it could mean a compound one.
The same word is used in Deuteronomy 6:4, Jehovah our God is one
(echad Jehovah). In 1:5b, one is referring to a compound one, because
two entities make up this one: evening and morning.
The word light is found five times, and the word darkness twice.
Adding these appearances together makes a total of seven. The
rabbis give two reasons from the five times light is mentioned. The
first reason is that the five lights represent the five Books of the
Torah, the Law of Moses. The second reason light is mentioned five
times is to represent the five kinds of light: the light of creation, the
light of redemption, the light reserved for one who repents, the light
of the temple, and the light of the Torah and its commandments.
F. The Second Day - 1:6-8
6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the
midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the
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waters. 7And God made the firmament, and divided the
waters which were under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8And
God called the firmament Heaven. And there was
evening and there was morning, a second day.
Verse 6 records the work of the second day. It begins like the
other days do: And God said, and this marks the beginning of the
second day. What God said is: Let there be a firmament in the midst of
the waters. The Hebrew word for firmament is rakia. It comes from
the Hebrew root raka, which means “to spread out” or “to stretch
out.” It is used in that sense in Isaiah 42:5 and 44:24. Rakia has the
same root as the word used in Exodus 39:3, where it is translated “to
hammer out.” In Isaiah 40:19, the word is used to mean “to overlay”
something or “to plate” with gold. Therefore, the word rakia means
something that is created by being spread out, either by stretching it
out like a tent or by hammering it out like metal. This is the creation
of the atmospheric heavens, the creation of the air. This is the
expanse; it is the vault of heaven. The purpose is: Let it divide the
waters from the waters. This is the second of the five divisions, the
expanse dividing waters from waters. It is a kind of horizontal area
extending through the heart of the waters cleaving it into two layers:
upper and lower layers of water.
Genesis 1:7 describes the result of 1:6: And God made the
firmament, [the vault of heaven] and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.
God separated the atmospheric waters from the terrestrial waters by
an arching expanse or the sky. In addition, this expanse divided the
cloud masses above from the waters below. It divided the waters into
upper waters and lower waters, and it disposed of the dense fog or
the dense moisture that was enshrouding the earth of verse 2, which
was composed of gas and water; the result was the creation of the
atmosphere. This verse may indicate that there was a canopy around
the earth, but the text itself does not demand that a canopy be there.
It merely separates the water found in clouds from the water found
on the earth. The verse ends with the phrase: and it was so. The
Hebrew word here is ken. In modern Hebrew, it means “yes.” In
biblical Hebrew, it means “like an established thing.” It happened. It
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was so. It happened immediately after God’s command. Elsewhere in
the Old Testament, there are poetic descriptions of this particular
act: Exodus 24:10, like paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the
very heaven for clearness; Job 37:18, He spread out the sky [like] a
molten mirror; Psalm 104:2, He stretched out the heavens like a curtain;
Psalm 136:6, To him that spread forth the earth above the waters; Psalm
148:4, Praise him…ye waters that are above the heavens;12
Proverbs 8:27b-28a, When he set a circle upon the face of the deep, When
he made firm the skies above; Isaiah 40:22, the circle of the earth… [He]
stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to
dwell in.
In verse 8a is the naming: And God called the firmament Heaven.
This is the first heaven, the atmosphere. This is the air that all
breathe. It was a separation between surface water and water vapor,
and the expanse brought about the separation. This firmament, this
expanse, caused the separation.
In 1:8b is the completion of the second day: And there was
evening and there was morning, a second day. This verse does not say
and it was good at the end of the second day, as is done in the other
days. It is only missing of the second day. According to Rashi, the
reason was that the work of the second day was not completed until
the third day, in verse 10. The work of the second day was
incomplete, and only completed on the third day, which is the reason
God did not say it was good. Other rabbis add the fact that this is the
reason why the phrase it was good was found twice on the third day.
It is found twice, because on the third day, He finished the work of
the second day; but also on the third day, He finished the work of
the third day. Therefore, He declared it was good twice on the third
day. Another reason the rabbis give for why the second day is not
concluded with the phrase it was good is because, according to
rabbinic tradition, Gehenna was created on the second day; and
because this was not a good thing, God did not say it was good on
the second day.
12 This being in the present tense may indicate that 1:7 is not describing a
canopy which supposedly collapsed in the Flood, but instead the
moisture in the clouds.
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49
G. The Third Day - 1:9-13
9And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be
gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land
appear: and it was so. 10And God called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he
Seas: and God saw that it was good. 11And God said,
Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and
fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the
seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12And the
earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their
kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof,
after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13And
there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
On the third day, two works were done. The first work is found
in verses 9-10, with verse 9 containing the work itself. It begins, And
God said, marking the beginning of the third day. What God said
was: Let the waters under the heavens be gathered unto one place, and let
the dry land appear. Now there is a third separation: the separation of
land and water. So dry land appears for the first time, and there is a
partial alleviation of the problem of 1:2 as dry land appears. When
verse 9 states: unto one place, it means there was land on one side and
seas on the other. This shows that this event is dealing with
something that came before the Continental Divide. It concludes:
and it was so. Poetic descriptions of this particular event elsewhere in
the Old Testament include passages in Job: 7:12, Am I a sea,…That
you set a watch over me; 9:13, The helpers of Rahab do stoop under him;
26:10, He has described a boundary upon the face of the waters; 26:12, He
stirred up the sea with his power, And by his understanding he smites
through Rahab; 38:8, He shut up the sea with doors, When it broke forth,
as if it had issued out of the womb; 38:10, And [He] marked out for it my
bound, And set bars and doors; and 38:11, And said, Hitherto shall you
come, but no further; And here shall your proud waves be stayed. The
separation of the dry land and water is also mentioned in
Psalm 74:13, You did divide the sea by your strength: You broke the heads
of the sea-monsters in the waters; Psalm 104:6, You covered it with the
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deep as with a vesture; Psalm 104:9, You have set a bound that they may
not pass over; That they turn not again to cover the earth; Proverbs 8:29,
When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress
his commandment; and Jeremiah 5:22, who have placed the sand for the
bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it? and though
the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they
roar, yet can they not pass over it.
In 1:10a is the naming: And God called the dry land Earth; and the
gathering together of the waters called he Seas. The Hebrew reads:
mikveh hamayim, meaning that the waters were gathered into
reservoirs called…Seas. Rashi raises the question: “Why is the word
mayim plural if there was only one sea?” His answer is: “Because the
taste of the fish which comes from Acco tastes different from the
taste of the fish that comes from the Sea of Aspanda,” which is north
of Mount Carmel. So because the fish taste different from different
parts of the sea, that is why He gave the plural. Again, these are
fanciful interpretations. However, in the naming of the dry land
Earth and the gathering together of waters called Seas, this is the last
thing God names in the creation account. Verse 10b gives the result:
and God saw that it was good. This is the first of two times on the
third day that He called something good. Only now is the work of the
second day truly complete.
Then in 1:11-12 is the second work. The work itself is in
verse 11. It begins: And God said, because this is the beginning of a
new work still on the third day. What God said was: Let the earth put
forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their
kind. This is the creation of plant life. When it states: Let the earth
put forth, this is not dealing with immediate creation, but mediate
creation whereby, at the command of God, the earth starts bringing
forth its vegetation of some sort. This is the provision of fertility for
the earth, and God clothes the dry land with plants, trees, and grass.
He goes on to give the three divisions of the vegetable kingdom, all
related to the Hebrew commandment: Let the earth put forth. The
first term is deshe eisev, a general term that includes grass and grain.
The word literally means “to vegetate vegetation.” The second
category is mazria zera, literally meaning “seeding seed.” This refers
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to herbs and vegetables. The third category is eitz pri, which refers to
fruit trees.13 Then God said: after their kind, or in accordance with
each species in all its variations. Therefore, there are differences
between groups in that one species cannot become another, but the
word itself does allow for variations within a species. Then the verse
reads: wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth, meaning which is
planted in turn so that the species is self-perpetuating, and each
species is to bear its own seed and not that of another species. The
result was: and it was so. Genesis 1:12 records the fulfillment: And the
earth brought forth grass [that includes bushes and shrubs], herbs
yielding seeds after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed
thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. For the second
time on the third day: God saw that it was good.
In 1:13, there is the completion of the third day: And there was
evening and there was morning, a third day. In the account of the
second and third day, the term water was used a total of seven times.
H. The Fourth Day - 1:14-19
14And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament
of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them
be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:
15and let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to
give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16And God
made the two great lights; the greater light to rule the
day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the
stars also. 17And God set them in the firmament of
heaven to give light upon the earth, 18and to rule over
the day and over the night, and to divide the light from
the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19And there
was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
The work of the fourth day is recorded in verses 14-15. The
words And God said, mark the beginning of the fourth day. The
13 In Yiddish and German, it would be Fruchtenbaum.
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purpose of the fourth day is to fill the work of the first day. What
God said is: Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven. The purpose
is to divide the day from the night. This is the fourth division, the
separation of the day from the night, and so these new lights will
replace the light of 1:3. The purpose includes several things. First:
Let them be for signs, meaning navigational signs; and this is the point
of other passages. For example: Job 38:31-33 makes references to the
constellations as signs. In Psalm 19:1, these signs declare the glory of
God. According to Jeremiah 31:35-36, they are a sign of Israel’s
perpetuity. So they are for signs; not only navigational signs, but signs
of the glory of God and Israel’s perpetuity. Second: Let them be…for
seasons. The Hebrew word is moadim, which normally refers to
regular religious festivals, but it also refers to temperature control.
Religious festivals basically deal with the temperature time of spring
and fall. Third: Let them be for days. This refers to the earth’s
rotational axis, the twenty-four hour cycle and the interchange of day
and night. Fourth: Let them be for years. This refers to the earth’s
rotation around the sun. Now that the sun is being created, not only
can the earth spin on its axis, interchanging day and night based
upon which side is facing the sun; but also its rotation around the
sun provides for the continuity of years. Finally, the main purpose
was to provide light: Let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to
give light upon the earth. In other words, the lights in the firmament
mark the passage of time in a very orderly fashion. The result was:
and it was so.
Genesis 1:16-18 then expands upon the results. Verse 16 focuses
on the heavenly bodies: And God made two great lights; the greater light
to rule the day [and this is the sun], and the lesser light to rule the night
[and this is the moon]. Then the author adds: He made the stars also.
This led to the provision of light in 1:17-18a: And God set them in the
firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day
and over the night, and to divide light from darkness. This records the
fifth division: the division of light and darkness. Verse 18b gives the
verdict: and God saw that it was good.
In 1:19 is the completion of the fourth day: And there was
evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
The word light was used seven times in 1:14-19 describing the
fourth day.
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I. The Fifth Day - 1:20-23
20And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms
of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in
the open firmament of heaven. 21And God created the
great sea-monsters, and every living creature that
moves, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind,
and every winged bird after its kind: and God saw that
it was good. 22And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful,
and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let
birds multiply on the earth. 23And there was evening
and there was morning, a fifth day.
Verse 20 records the work of the fifth day. The phrase: And God
said, marks the beginning of the fifth day. The purpose of the fifth
day is to fill the work of the second day, which is the creation of sea
and bird life. What God said is: Let the waters swarm with swarms of
living creatures. In the Hebrew, the word used is a cognate accusative
where the same root word is used two times over, but in a different
form. The Hebrew says yishretzu sheretz, meaning “swarming with
swarms.” He added: and let birds fly above the earth in the open
firmament of heaven. They are to fly in the first heaven, the air or
atmosphere.
Genesis 1:21 records the results: And God created the great
sea-monsters. The Hebrew word here is taninim, and this word is
found ten times in the Old Testament: Genesis 1:21; Exodus 7:9,
7:10, 7:12; Deuteronomy 32:33; Psalms 74:13-14, 91:13, 148:7; and
Ezekiel 29:3 and 32:2. This is a rejection of the pagan concept of a
battle between the gods and the sea dragons (Job 7:12; Ps. 74:13-14,
148:7; Isa. 27:1). According to rabbinic theology, this taninim refers
to the Leviathan and its mate. According to rabbinic legend, it lived
in the deepest part of the ocean and supported the earth on its back.
The mouth was always open, swallowing and eating fish. Every
seventy years, it lifted up its tail, causing earthquakes. It could not be
allowed to remain with its mate because it would have many children
and would overrun the world. Therefore, God killed the female and
salted it, and set it aside for the great feast of the righteous in the
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world to come. That is why it is written defectively in the Hebrew
without the yod, and this is to show that the female had been killed.
The verse goes on to say: and every living creature that moves,
wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind. Again, the phrase after
their kind allows for variations within species, but does not allow for
the changing of one species to another. Then He adds: and every
winged bird after its kind, following the same principle. Then comes
the conclusion: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:22 records the blessing: And God blessed them, saying.
This is the first time that God is actually found speaking to someone
else. He says: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas,
and let birds multiply on the earth. The rabbis declare that the sea
creatures and birds needed a special blessing because many of them
would be caught and destroyed.
Finally, in 1:23 is the completion of the fifth day: And there was
evening and there was morning, a fifth day. Within the fifth and sixth
days of creation, the term living creature is used a total of seven
times.
J. The Sixth Day - 1:24-31
24And God said, Let the earth bring forth living
creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things,
and beasts of the earth after their kind: and it was so.
25And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind,
and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps
upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that it was
good. 26And God said, Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and
over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. 27And God
created man in his own image, in the image of God
created he him; male and female created he them. 28And
God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful,
and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it;
and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
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55
birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that
moves upon the earth. 29And God said, Behold, I have
given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face
of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a
tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food: 30and to
every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens,
and to every thing that creeps upon the earth, wherein
there is life, I have given every green herb for food: and
it was so. 31And God saw everything that he had made,
and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening
and there was morning, the sixth day.
As with the third day, there was more than one work on the
sixth day: The first work is in verses 24-25, with the work itself
described in verse 24. The opening statement, And God said, marks
the beginning of the sixth day; and the purpose of the sixth day is to
fill the work of the third day with the creation of land animals and
man. What God said was: Let the earth bring forth living creatures
after their kind. The phrase: Let the earth bring forth means that the
animal kingdom was created out of the ground, as 2:19 makes quite
clear. Three categories of land animals are created after their kind.
The first category is the cattle, a term not limited to cows and bulls,
as in modern English terminology; but it is a general term for all
domesticated animals including sheep, goats, rams, etc. Second come
the creeping things, which include both large and small animals
without legs or with very short legs so that they appear to walk on
their bellies, such as reptiles and amphibians. The third category is
the beasts of the earth, wild animals that cannot be domesticated. The
result is in verse 25: And God made all three categories: the beasts of the
earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind; and everything that
creeps on the ground after its kind. The conclusion was: and God saw
that it was good. Higher animals and man were both created on the
same day. This accounts for the fact that man, in his physical
makeup, is very similar to the physical makeup of the higher animals
as far as the basic internal organs are concerned. The differences lie
in the spiritual nature of God-likeness and man’s conscious ability to
know God not given to the higher animals.
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The second work is in 1:26-27, with the work itself found in
verse 26. This, too, begins with: And God said, because it contains the
continuation of the work of the sixth day: the creation of man, which
is the high point and the final point of creation. Here God declared:
Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. The three words, Let
us make, make up one Hebrew word, naaseh, which is a change from
the jussive form, “let there be,” to the cohortative form, Let us. This
change from the jussive to the cohortative form shows that what is
about to be described is indeed a momentous event. Furthermore,
there is the use of the plural pronoun Let us, and this opens the door,
again, to the plurality in the Godhead, as was true with the word
Elohim. While rabbinic theology claims that God was speaking to
angels, there is no such implication in the text. It could not refer to
angels, since God alone did the work of creation. No angels are
mentioned anywhere in the context; furthermore, man was not
created in the image of angels, but only in the image of God. The
expression Let us make is not a consultation with the angelic court
because if God had consulted, it would have said so as in the case of
I Kings 22:19-23, where God consulted with the heavenly court
about doing something. Nevertheless, here there is no such picture.
Here it states: Let us make man. The Hebrew word is adam, which
actually became the name of the first man, Adam. However, here, it
is a generic term meaning “mankind.” Mankind is to be created in
our image. The three words are, again, one Hebrew word
betzalmeinu. The root is tzalam, and it refers to the original image or
imitation. This same word is also used of idols: Numbers 33:52;
I Samuel 6:5 and 6:11; II Kings 11:18; II Chronicles 23:17;
Ezekiel 7:20, 16:17, and 23:14; and Amos 5:26. It is also used for
less concrete elements. For example, the word is used in Psalm 39:6
of a phantom in parallel with vanity. In Psalm 73:20, it is used as a
parallel to dreams. Therefore, it is a word that is used of God’s
image, but it is also used of idolaters’ images. Here again, it is used
with the plural pronoun in our image, a second indication after Let us
make of the plurality in the Godhead.
Therefore, according to 1:26, man was created in the image of
God. However, what is the image of God? It includes both outward
and inward elements. The outward image of God includes these
aspects: that man can have a continuous directive gaze upward, that
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57
man has the capacity for facial expressions, that man has a sense of
shame and he can blush, that he has speech, and that he can exercise
dominion. The inward image of God in man includes immortality;
intellect; self-consciousness and the ability to reason; emotions; will;
morality; and spirituality. In addition to in our image, God next
states: after our likeness. The three English words comprise one
Hebrew word, kidmuteinu. It comes from the Hebrew word dmut,
which means “a model” or “a copy.” This very same word is Ezekiel’s
preferred word in describing the theophany in Ezekiel (1:5, 13, 16,
22, 26, 28; 8:2; 10:21, 22). Here, again, the use of the plural pronoun
indicates plurality of the Godhead. The phrase after our likeness
emphasizes the uniqueness of man in creation, and this is also
brought out by Psalm 8:3-5.
The rabbis try hard to get around the obvious, and Rashi stated:
Man was created in the image of angels. Although
angels did not help God create, He sent us to teach
good manners and humility in that the greater
person should also ask permission of the smaller.
This is only one example of how far they have to play with the text to
avoid the concept of Triunity in the Godhead. Another example is:
Rabbi Samuel Ben Nachman said the name of
Rabbi Jonathan. When Moses was engaged in writing
the Torah, he had to write the work of each day.
When he came to a verse that said, And God said let us
make man, etc., he said, [“]Master of the Universe,
Why do you furnish an excuse to heretics?” God said,
“Write. Whoever wishes to err, let him err.”14
The point of this rabbinic interpretation of 1:26 is that Moses
objected to God saying Let us because it would give occasion to
heretics, meaning to Jewish believers in Jesus, for teaching plurality
14 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 8:8.
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in the Godhead.15 But Moses was simply told to write what he was
told to write. The Midrash Rabbah 9:9 states:
The heretics asked Rabbi Simlai, “How many deities
created the world?” He replied, “If you must inquire
of the first day, as it is written, for ask now of the first
days (Deut. 4:32). Not since the day gods created
(baru) man is written here, but God created-bara.”
Then they asked them a second time, “Why is it
written, in the beginning Elohim created?” He
answered, “In the beginning baru Elohim, is not
written here, but bara Elohim the heavens and the
earth.’” Rabbi Simlai said: wherever you find a point
supporting the heretics, you find the refutation at its
side. They asked him again, “What is meant by ‘and
God said Let us make man?’” He replied, “Read what
follows, not, and gods created (va-yirebreu) man is
written here, but, ‘and God created,’ va-yibra.”16
This deals with a discussion between Jewish believers and the
rabbi where the Jewish believers asked why then these plural
pronouns are used in 1:26. The rabbi’s response was: That is not
plurality, because the verb that follows is always singular and not
plural. The following is another example:
This must be explained, since the wording is very
surprising. Non-believers argue that there is a
multiple godhead attempting to use this verse as a
proof-text for their contention since it says, “Let us
make man” in the plural. Why then did the Torah
use the plural expression, Let us make man? Some
say that man resembles the angels so they wished to
see him created right away. God announced to them
15 The term heretics is minim in the original which was a rabbinic term
used specifically of Jewish believers in Jesus.
16 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 9:5.
PROLOGUE: The Creation of the World
59
and said: “Let us make man.” Come and rejoice for I
am about to create man.17
This is the same as Rashi’s view of 1:26 mentioned earlier. One
more example is Rabbi Nachmanides. He claims that the plural
denotes God and the earth. The body came from the earth, and the
spirit or soul, came from God.
Genesis 1:26 goes on to state the purpose for the creation of
man: and let them have dominion. This is not the content of the
image, but a consequence of the image. Because man was created in
the image of God, he is to have dominion. Man is now to replace
Satan as the authority over the earth. God gave to man the authority
over the earth according to Psalm 8:6-8 and Hebrews 2:5-9. The
specific areas of dominion include the animal kingdom: over the fish
of the sea; over the birds of the heavens, over the cattle; and over every
creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. It also includes the material
earth: over all the earth.
Then 1:27 records the fulfillment, which is declared in three
statements: first, God created man in his own image; second, in the
image of God created he him; and third, male and female created he them.
Here the word bara is used three times to make clear that a high
point is reached. First: It is used of man’s creation. Second: It is used
of being created in the divine image. The image of God is found only
four times, all in Genesis: 1:26-27 (twice), 9:6 (once), and in 5:3
(once), where it is mentioned that Adam fathered a son in his image.
Third: It is used in that man was created in two sexes, and both sexes
were created on the sixth day, and both have the image of God.
According to rabbinic theology, man was created last so that he
would not be proud. Concerning the status of man before and after
the Fall, before the Fall man was posse non peccare, a Latin phrase
meaning “able not to sin,” and he was also posse peccare, meaning
“able to sin.” Therefore, man before the Fall was able not to sin and
he was also able to sin. However, after the Fall, man was non posse
non peccare, meaning “He was not able not to sin.”
17 Rabbi Yaakov Coli, The Torah Anthology: Genesis. 4 vols. (New York:
Maznaim Publishing Corporation, 1977), 107-108.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
60
Genesis 1:28-30 presents the Edenic Covenant, which is the
first of the eight covenants of the Bible and the first of the four
covenants of Genesis. The Edenic Covenant is spelled out in two
parts. The first part is in 1:28-30. It begins with the blessing of
verse 28a: And God blessed them. The covenant is made between
God and Adam, and Adam stands as the representative head of the
human race. Hosea 6:7 views this arrangement between God and
Adam as a covenant. Verses 28b through 30 list four specific
provisions of the Edenic Covenant. The first provision in verse 28b
is to populate the earth: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth. The earth is to be filled with humanity. What this shows is
that sexual intercourse was not the first sin; it is actually
commanded here, because it is by sexual intercourse that humanity
reproduces itself. The second provision, also in verse 28, is
authority over the material world. He said: subdue it. Previously,
this authority was given to Satan (Ezek. 28:11-19), but Satan lost it
when he fell. So now Satan is replaced, and the authority of the
physical earth is given to man.18 The third provision is: [to] have
dominion over [all living things], also in Genesis 1:28. This gives
man authority over the animal kingdom; over the fish of the sea, and
over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moves
upon the earth. Man is given authority over the creatures in the sea,
creatures in the air, and the creatures that live upon the dry ground.
The first exercise of this authority will be found in the next chapter
when Adam names the animals. The fourth provision is human diet
(1:29-30): vegetables or vegetarianism. This was to be true for man
in verse 29: And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding
seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is
the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food. This provision
will be reaffirmed in Genesis 2:16. At this point, man was to be
strictly vegetarian for obvious reasons; to eat animal food requires
the death of the animal, and physical death can only come
following Adam’s fall. Nevertheless, this diet was also made true for
the animal kingdom in verse 30; and vegetarianism was true for all
categories of the animal kingdom: and to every beast of the earth, and
18 Rashi claimed that this rule was to be over Eve.
PROLOGUE: The Creation of the World
61
to every bird of the heavens, and to every thing that creeps upon the
earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for food. The
conclusion is stated in verse 30b: And it was so.
Genesis 1:31a presents the result of the sixth day: And God saw
every thing that he had made. This time the phrase is a bit more
extensive than before. The focus is on the work of the sixth day, but
the word every thing includes the work of all six days. The verdict
was: and, behold, it was very good; not merely good, but now the word
very is added. This is the first emphasis of the uniqueness of the sixth
day. The rabbis declared that the adverb very is added to denote that
the perfection of the total creation exceeds that of its separate parts.
This phrase also looks over the work of all six days. When it states: It
was very good, it is not only for the sixth day, but also for all six days.
However, the phrase is limited by its context to what was created
during these six days. It does not include the angels since this chapter
does not mention the creation of the angelic host.
Genesis 1:31b gives the conclusion of the sixth day: And there
was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. For the first time,
there is the use of the definite article, not a sixth day, as was the case
with all the others, but it is the sixth day. This is the second time that
emphasizes the uniqueness of the sixth day. The third indication of
its uniqueness is that it happens to be the most detailed of the days
given.
To summarize some of the rabbinic views of this passage, Rashi states:
The definite article means to signify that the whole
creation was dependent upon the sixth day, that is,
the sixth of Sivan, [which is the name of the Jewish
month] when Israel accepted the Torah. For if Israel
had rejected the Torah, the whole earth would have
reverted to a state of chaos and nothingness.
Another rabbinic view is that the six days represent six
millenniums. The first day, light was created; this includes the
millennium of Adam’s years, when light separation of the world
meant there was much good and little evil. The second day is the day
of the sea and the land; it covers the time of Noah, the period of the
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
62
Flood and Patriarchs, and it is a separation from evil men. Just as
Adam was created in God’s image, so the Messiah is appointed by
God, and God’s Spirit will rest upon Him. We rest on the Sabbath
to symbolize the peace that will be in the days of the Messiah. The
third day is the day of the trees and fruit, and this involves the period
of the Exodus when Abraham’s children accepted the Torah. The
fourth day is the day of the two lights; the two lights represent the
First Temple and the Second Temple, when Israel had its own king
and enjoyed unparalleled peace. The fifth day is the day of the fish
and the birds, which represents the fifth millennium; in this
millennium, there was the destruction of the Second Temple, and
nations began to dominate one another. The sixth day is the day of
man’s creation; within six thousand years, the Messiah will come:
The creation of Adam is an allusion to the Messiah
whom we hope will come during this millennium.19
Some theological ideas found in chapter 1 of Genesis include the
following: First, the fact that the God Who created Israel is the same
as the God Who created the universe. Second, the sovereignty of the
God of creation is emphasized here for everything that exists;
therefore, all things must be under God’s control. A third theological
idea is the foundation of law. This is seen in the fact that God was
before all things and the cause of all things, and so there is no other
God to obey but this One. A fourth theological idea is God’s
redemptive work. This is seen from darkness to light; from chaos to
order, which are all elements of physical redemption. Fifth,
concerning man and woman, both man and woman were created on
the same day as the crowning element of creation, both have the
image of God, and both received the mandate of authority over the
planet in the Edenic Covenant.
19 Coli, Torah Anthology, 203.
PROLOGUE: The Creation of the World
63
K. The Seventh Day - 2:1-3
1And the heavens and the earth were finished, and
all the host of them. 2And on the seventh day God
finished his work which he had made; and he rested on
the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it;
because that in it he rested from all his work which God
had created and made.
Verse 1 summarizes the completion of all work of the six days.
The basic facts are: First: And the heavens and the earth are finished;
second: This encompasses all the host of them, meaning the host of
both the heavens and the earth. The structure of this section breaks
with that of the six days. It does not follow the same basic sevenfold
structure as the first six days where work was being done. Rather,
this structure emphasizes five things: finishing, completion,
cessation, blessing, and sanctifying.
Genesis 2:2 declares the cessation of creation: And on the seventh
day God finished his work which he had made. God finished His creative
work. From now on, it is no longer creation, but procreation. Since
God was on the seventh day in the position of One Who had already
finished His work, He therefore abstained from work on the seventh
day: he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
The Hebrew word used is shabbat, which means “to complete,” “to
cease,” “to rest.” So God rested, not in the sense of recuperating from
tiredness, but God rested in the sense of cessation at having
completed or finished His work. The word shabbat here is not used
as a proper name for the seventh day, because the word shabbat here
is a verb, not a noun. It is not used as a noun or a proper name for
the seventh day until the Exodus, because only then is the command
to keep the Sabbath actually given. In this passage, this day is
referred to strictly as the seventh day, and there is no command in the
passage that contains a command to observe this day. Although some
teach that keeping the Sabbath was a creation ordinance, there is no
commandment to keep the seventh day here. The Edenic Covenant
contained no commandment to Adam and Eve to keep the seventh
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
64
day as a day of rest. The point of this verse is that God ceased from
His creative activity.
Then, in 2:3 is the blessing and the sanctification of the seventh
day, because it says: And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.
The Hebrew word for hallowed means “to set apart,” and so there is
elevation and exultation. This day is lifted above the level of other
days. The reason is: because that in it he rested from all his work which
God had created and made. Therefore, God ceased His creative work
on that day from that which He created (bara) and from that which
He had made (asah). Later in Israel’s history, God’s resting on the
seventh day becomes the basis of keeping the Sabbath (Exod. 31:17):
on the seventh day God rested, and was refreshed.
Some observations of this section (Gen. 2:1-3) are in order, one
of which is the usage of the numbers three and seven. First: The
Hebrew text has thirty-five words, which is a multiple of five times
seven. Second: Verses 2 through 3a contain three sentences, and each
of these three sentences contains seven words. Third: The exact
middle expression is the seventh day, emphasizing the figure seven.
Fourth: The three middle clauses (2a, 2b, 3a) have seven words each,
and the word seventh is within each of the phrases. Fifth: The phrase
his work is found three times. A rabbinic teaching about this passage
states:
The Sabbath parallels the world to come, a time of
complete good and tranquility for those who are
worthy of it.20
To conclude the introductory section, some New Testament
quotations and applications of Genesis 1:1 - 2:3 can be made.
Table 6 summarizes these New Testament applications of the
creation story.
Bruce K. Waltke, author of Genesis: A Commentary, makes seven
observations on the Sabbath based on the creation narrative in
Genesis 1:1-2:3:
20 Ibid, 203.
PROLOGUE: The Creation of the World
65
Observing the design of creation weekly sanctifies
Israel in several ways. First, it reminds Israel again
and again that God completes his work. As he
consummates his work in creation, he will bring to
perfection his work in history through his elect
people. He who calls Israel to bring salvation will
not fail (cf. Isa. 45; Phil. 1:6; Heb. 12:2).
Second, by observing the Sabbath Israel confesses
regularly that their God is Lord of all. He made the
Sabbath holy to celebrate his rest “from all the work
of creating that he had done” (Gen. 2:3). In the
creation God ordains hierarchies of government in
assigning the luminaries to govern day and night
(1:18) and human beings to rule the earth (1:28).
The Sabbath reminds God’s image that they are his
regents to serve him.
Third, God blesses the Sabbath and makes it holy in
the best interest of all people and all animals
(Exod. 20:8-11). The rabbis, however, multiply its
rules and regulations and make it a heavy burden on
the people. But Jesus as the Lord over the Sabbath
releases the people from this heavy burden, teaching
that the Sabbath is meant for people, not people for the
Sabbath. It is a time to heal and do good
(Mat. 12:1-14; Mk. 2:23-28; Jn. 5:9-15). As apostle of
the Lord of the Sabbath, Paul abrogates the law and
regulations of Sabbath observance as binding upon the
church (Col. 2:16). Observance or nonobservance of
days is a matter of an individual’s conscience, service to
the Lord, and faith (Rom. 14:5-23).
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Table 6. New Testament
Applications from the Creation Account
(Genesis 1:1 - 2:3)
Genesis
New
T
estament A
pp
lications
Messiah as Creator and Redeeme
r
1:1-5
J
ohn 1:1-5 Messiah as Creator and the Li
g
ht of men
Ch. 1 Col. 1:15-20
–
Messiah as the image of God
–
Messiah as the Creator
–
Messiah as before all things
–
Messiah as the beginning of the new Body, the
Church
–
Messiah having all the fullness of God
–
Messiah as reconciler of all things on earth and in
heaven
T
he Messiah as the Ima
g
e of God
1:26 II Cor. 4:4 Messiah as the image of God; “the glory of Christ,
W
ho is the ima
g
e of God”
Phil. 2:6 Christ bein
g
“in the form of God”
Col. 1:15 Christ as “the ima
g
e” of the “invisible God”
Heb 1:3 Christ as “the ver
y
ima
g
e” of God
Man in the Ima
g
e of God
1:26 I Cor. 11:7 Man is the ima
g
e and
g
lor
y
of God
J
as. 3:6 Man was made in “the likeness of God”
Believers as in the Ima
g
e of Christ
1:26 Rom. 8:29 Believers are being “conformed to the image of his
Son”
I Cor. 15:49 Believers shall bear “the image” of the man in
heaven
II Cor. 3:18 Believers are bein
g
chan
g
ed into Christ’s likeness
Col. 3:10 The new nature is “being renewed…after the
ima
g
e” of its Creato
r
God’s Ori
g
inal Pur
p
ose:
1:27 Mat
t
. 9:4 The
p
ermanenc
y
of marria
g
e
Mark 10:6 The
p
ermanenc
y
of marria
g
e
Gal. 3:28 The way of salvation is the same for both male
and female
Rest
2:2 Hebrews 4:4 The seventh day rest as the rest of faith and
heavenl
y
rest
PROLOGUE: The Creation of the World
67
Fourth, the Sabbath is the sign that the Creator has set
Israel apart for a special covenant relationship with him
(Exod. 31:17). In the rabbinic literature circumcision,
dietary practices, and Sabbath observance become the
distinctive marks of Judaism. In the New Testament,
believers gather together on the first day of the week,
the Lord’s Day (Rev. 1:10), to break bread and to read,
teach, and study Scriptures (Jn. 20:1, and 19-23;
Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:2).
Fifth, Sabbath observance reminds Israel that they
were slaves in Egypt but that the mighty Lord has
redeemed them from servitude into rest
(Deut. 5:15). Today its typical significance has been
fulfilled in Christ (Col. 2:16-17).
Sixth, in the Book of Hebrews the Sabbath rest gives
concrete expression to the church’s realized
eschatology (Heb. 4:1-11). The Sabbath rest assures
saints that, just as God entered his rest after the
working for six days, so also they live in the hope
that when they cease from their labors after their
fleeting days they too shall enter an eternal rest. In
Christ, New Testament saints already by faith enter
that rest.
Seventh, it can be inferred from the creation
narrative that the Sabbath is a day to recognize and
celebrate the significance of time. We are not just
creatures of space but also creatures of time.21
21 Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
2001), 71-73.
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68
II. Toldot of the Heavens and the
Earth - 2:4 - 4:26
A. Introduction - 2:4
These are the generations of the heavens and of the
earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah
God made earth and heaven.
This verse contains the introduction to the first toldot with the
words: These are the generations of… This first toldot is sometimes
called “The Tablet of Adam.” As stated earlier, the toldot shows
“what became of,” in this case what became of the heavens and of the
earth that God had created. What became of them is that they were
cursed through disobedience, and so decay began spreading rapidly
in the human race. Whereas in the creation account, God blessed
three times; now in this toldot, He will curse three times.
Genesis 2:4 states: in the day. Here the Hebrew word yom is used
without a numeral, and without a numeral it can refer to a longer
period of time. It is used for a period of time here because this yom
includes all seven days. However, with a numeral it means
twenty-four hours.
The phrase Jehovah God, found in 2:4, is the first use of the
compound YHVH Elohim, where God’s personal Name and the word
for God are both used. This is used consistently throughout Genesis
chapters 2 - 3 a total of nineteen times. In contrast, in the rest of the
Torah (the rest of the five books), this phrase appears only one more
time, in Exodus 9:30. Outside the five books of the Torah, it appears
about twenty times, mostly in the Books of Samuel, Kings, and
Chronicles.
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The theology of this section teaches several things. First, man
has the capacity to serve God. Second, man is responsible to obey
God’s Word, which was used to create the universe. Third, God gave
man the institution of marriage. Fourth, this section emphasizes man
over creation in general, and so it gives us details on the creation of
man and details on man’s nature as God’s image. Fifth, God’s special
care and provision for man and woman is related in that He gives
them a garden to live in, gives them special work to do such as
naming the animals, and He provides Eve for Adam. Sixth, God
does not forsake His creation.
B. Man in the Garden of Eden - 2:5-25
One of the basic laws of biblical interpretation is called The Law
of Recurrence. The Law of Recurrence observes that often in
Scripture there are two blocks of passages side by side. The first
block of Scripture gives an account of an event or a person from start
to finish in chronological order. This is followed by a second block of
Scripture that goes back to an earlier time within the first block, in
order to give more details as to how certain things or events
happened. Genesis 2:5-25 follows The Law of Recurrence relative to
Genesis 1:1 - 2:3. In 1:1 - 2:3, the account of the six days of creation
is followed by the seventh day; and 2:3 concludes with the seventh
day. The second block is Genesis 2:5-25, which goes back to an
earlier section of the first block, to the sixth day, in order to give
more details on what happened on the sixth day as to just how Adam
and Eve were actually created. This technique is not unique to
Genesis (other examples in Genesis will be noted where they are
found), but is found throughout the Scriptures. It is a common
method of biblical writers that should not be missed. Therefore,
there is no need to postulate the theory of different documents
written at different times by different authors, put together much
later by a “redactor” trying to harmonize the different accounts. Had
TOLDOT of the Heavens and the Earth
71
this been the case, then the redactor did a poor job at that!22 This
phenomenon of Recurrence is frequent in Scripture and should
simply be recognized for the method that it is.
1. Creation of Man - 2:5-7
5And no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no
herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Jehovah God had
not caused it to rain upon the earth: and there was not a
man to till the ground; 6but there went up a mist from
the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
7And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul.
Verses 5-7 record the creation of man, adding details as to just
how the male side of humanity was created. The text begins in
verses 5-6, spelling out the primeval condition of the earth just
before the creation of man. Verse 5 describes the conditions of
lacking: No plant of the field was yet in the earth. The Hebrew word
here is terem, which means “not yet.” There was not yet a plant of the
field in the earth. The Hebrew word for plant refers to a wild desert
shrub and the word is used three more times elsewhere (Gen. 21:15;
Job 30:4, 30:7). Furthermore, no herb of the field had yet sprung up.
This would appear to be a contradiction of Genesis 1:9-13, because
that passage mentions the creation of the plant life already on the
third day, and this is now the sixth day. How is it that no herb of the
field had yet sprung up? There are several possible explanations for this
apparent contradiction. First, it could mean that mediate creation
22 This is known as the JEDP Theory, which suggests that the first five
books of the Old Testament, were written by four different authors. The
letters of the JEDP theory stand for Jehovah, Elohim, Deuteronomy, and
Priest. The thought is that one author used Jehovah for God’s Name,
another used Elohim, a third was the author of Deuteronomy, and the
fourth was likely a Priest who authored Leviticus. The JEDP Theory also
states that the Pentateuch was likely compiled in the fourth century B.C.,
possibly by Ezra.
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72
was not immediate. That what God merely commanded the earth to
produce on the third day had not yet become visible on the sixth day.
Second, it might be describing the earth on the second and third day
of creation, prior to the creation of the plants. Third, it might be that
this phrase in 2:5 does not refer to the earth in general but to the
conditions in the Garden of Eden. This is probably the best
explanation. The text is clear that plant life had already emerged on
the third day, and so verse 5 cannot be describing what is true of the
earth in general, but what is true specifically of the Garden of Eden;
and the context of verse 5 focuses on the Garden of Eden. Then the
text goes on to explain the reasons for this lack: for Jehovah God had
not caused it to rain upon the earth. In fact, there would be no rain on
the earth until the time of Noah when rain first fell on the earth with
the Noahic Flood. The second reason given is there was not a man to
till the ground. Adam’s responsibility was not to till the whole world,
but only to till the Garden of Eden. This would reaffirm the earlier
point when it states there was no plant of the field, which would be
referring specifically to that part of the earth where the Garden of
Eden was going to be placed. This is the setting for the creation of
human life. Since there was no rain and there would be no rain until
Noah’s time, how was the earth watered, since plant life requires
water? That is explained in verse 6: but there went up a mist from the
earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. The Hebrew word for
mist here is eid, found only once elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible
(Job 36:27). God watered the earth by a mist that rose from the
ground, and that was the way it was until Noah’s Flood.
In 2:7, the creation of man comes in two stages: the material and
immaterial. First, in verse 7a, is the formation of the material part of
man, his body: And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground.
Whereas in chapter 1 the word bara is used, here the word yatzar is
used, meaning “to mold” or “to shape by design.” In 1:26-27, the word
bara was used to emphasize that the creation of man was a work that
only God can do. Here yatzar is used to show that when God did
create man, He did not create man out of nothing, but out of
something: from the dust of the ground. Although it was out of
something, it was still something only God could do. So the word bara
emphasizes a work only God can do, while yatzar points out man was
created out of something; he was formed or shaped out of a particular
TOLDOT of the Heavens and the Earth
73
substance. Elsewhere in the Bible, yatzar is used of a potter shaping
pottery (Isa. 29:16, Jer. 18:1-17); it is used of goldsmiths who make
idols (Isa. 44:9, Hab. 2:18); of the shaping of the Messiah’s body in
the womb (Isa. 49:5); and it is used of things that God fashions, as in
Psalm 33:15 where God fashions the hearts, Psalm 94:9 where God
formed the eye, and Psalm 119:73 where God formed man. In the
Hebrew text for 2:7, the word yatzar is written defectively with two
yods, while in verse 2:19, it is written correctly with one yod. Rabbis
liked to speculate on such peculiarities. One explanation is that the
two yods represent the two inclinations: the good inclination and the
evil inclination; or it refers to the creation of both the material and the
immaterial; or it refers to a double forming, one for this world, and
one for the resurrection.
Genesis 2:7 continues the account of the material formation of
man by stating it was out of the dust of the ground. The Hebrew word
does not really mean “dust.” The Hebrew word for dust is aphar, and
the Hebrew word for ground is adamah. The connotation is not mere
dust, but dust and clay. Therefore, He created man out dust and clay,
emphasizing man as ground. This correlation of clay and dust is
found elsewhere: Job 4:19, humanity dwells in the house of clay
whose foundation is the dust; Job 10:8-9, God’s hands formed man
out of clay and can return him to dust; Job 33:6, man was formed out
of clay; and Isaiah 45:9, man was made of clay. All this in the
Scriptures emphasizes the humble origins of man; man was created
out of mere earth. The Hebrew word for man is adam, and the
Hebrew word for ground is adamah. This is a Hebrew play on words
since both adam and adamah come from the same Hebrew root. One
way to bring out the Hebrew word play is to translate this as God
forming the “earthling” from the “earth.”
The fact that man was created out of the ground emphasizes that
man is dust, clay, or ground. As biblical theology develops it, this
emphasis on man being formed of dust, or the ground, points out three
things: man’s humble worth, God’s judgment on the serpent, and
man’s destiny in death. First, the fact that man was created out of the
ground is a symbol of man’s little worth: Genesis 18:27, who am, but
dust; Joshua 7:6, put dust on their heads; I Samuel 2:8, He raised up the
poor from the dust; I Kings 16:2, and lifted you out of the dust;
II Kings 13:7, like the dust in threshing; Job 2:12, sprinkled dust upon their
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heads toward heaven; Job 16:15, and have laid my horn in the dust;
Job 42:6, And repent in dust and ashes; Psalm 18:42, I beat them small as
the dust, like dirt in the streets; Psalm 72:9, his enemies shall lick the dust;
Psalm 103:14, He remembers that we are dust; Psalm 113:7, He raises up
the poor out of the dust; Psalm 119:25, My soul cleaves to the dust;
Lamentations 2:10, they threw dust upon their heads; Lamentations 3:29,
Let him put his mouth in the dust; Ezekiel 27:30, cast up dust upon their
heads; Micah 1:10, rolled myself in the dust; and Revelation 18:19, they
threw dust on their heads. Second, man being created from the ground is
also a symbol of judgment: Genesis 3:14, the serpent shall eat dust;
Isaiah 65:25, dust shall be the serpent’s food. Third, it is also a symbol of
death: Genesis 3:19, Dust you are and unto dust shall you return; Job 7:21,
For now shall I lie down in the dust…I will no longer be; Job 17:16, It [my
hope] shall go down to the bars of Sheol…when once there is rest in the dust;
Job 20:11, His bones are full of youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him
in the dust; Job 21:26, they lie down alike in the dust, And the worm covers
them; Psalm 22:15, You have brought me to the dust of death; Psalm 22:29,
All they that go down to the dust…Even he that cannot keep his soul alive;
Isaiah 26:19, rising from the dust; and Daniel 12:2, them that sleep in the
dust. According to rabbinic theology, the dust God used to form man
was gathered from all parts of the world. Another rabbinic view is that
the dust was collected from the future site of the altar to symbolize that
the altar would make atonement for man’s sins.
Genesis 2:7b deals with the creation of the immaterial part of
man: and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The breath of life in
Hebrew is nishmat chaim. This is the neshamah, or the breath of God;
and the word is used twenty-five times in the Old Testament. In
Genesis 2:7, God’s breath brings animation, causing man to become
a living soul. In Job 32:8, it also brings spiritual understanding: The
breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. Therefore, the result
is moral capacity. While the Hebrew word ruach (spirit, wind) is used
of God, man, animal, and idols, the word neshamah is used only of
God and man, except once, where it is used of animals in
Genesis 7:22. It is this breath of God, the neshamah, that produced
the life of man. According to Job 34:14-15, if God took back His
Spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man
would return to dust; Psalm 104:29, take away the breath, they die and
return to their dust; Isaiah 2:22, man whose breath is in his nostrils, for
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how is he to be accounted of? The breath of life, the neshamah, involves
both animal and man. The neshamah is also found in animals
(Gen. 7:22), but only to man is it directly given. Only in man does it
say that God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, making man
somewhat distinct from the animal kingdom in that man is eternal,
and animals are not eternal. This means that not only is man
physical, man is also spirit. The result of this “breathing in” was: and
man became a living soul. The living soul in Hebrew is nephesh chayah.
This concept of living soul is also found in animals (Gen. 1:24, 30;
2:19) but, like the spirit, the soul of man is far more complex and
eternal than the animal. First Corinthians 15:45 mentions that the
first man, Adam, was made a living soul, and this is based upon this
particular passage. Therefore, man’s uniqueness does not lie in the
fact of the breath of life as such, because the same words are used of
the animal kingdom. However, man’s uniqueness lies in the fact that
he has the image of God, and the animal kingdom does not.
2. Garden of Eden - 2:8-14
8And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden;
and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9And out
of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that
is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life
also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. 10And a river went out of
Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was
parted, and became four heads. 11The name of the first is
Pishon: that is it which compasses the whole land of
Havilah, where there is gold; 12and the gold of that land
is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13And the
name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that
compasses the whole land of Cush. 14And the name of the
third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goes in front of
Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
Verse 8 describes the location and placement of the Garden of
Eden. As to location: And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward,
which would put it into the area of Mesopotamia. The Hebrew text
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states that it was planted on the eastern part of Eden. Therefore,
Eden was a larger territory, and in the eastern part of Eden is where
this garden was planted. The picture being conveyed is that Adam
was created on the west side of Eden, and he was placed in the east
side of Eden. When it states, God planted, this rectified the problem
of 2:5, which was that no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no
herb of the field had yet sprung up, for the vegetation was now in full
bloom. The Hebrew word for Eden carries the meaning of
“watering,” as in Psalm 36:9. As a singular, it is found thirteen times
in the Old Testament; as a plural, three times. The etymological
meaning is “a place that is well watered,” as is also conveyed in
Genesis 13:10. Three times the garden and Eden are distinguished
(2:8, 10; 4:16). It is a garden on the east side of Eden, but the garden
and Eden are indeed distinguished. It also appears by the phrase the
garden of Eden in 2:15 and in 3:23-24. As to placement: and there he
put the man whom he had formed. There man was placed as his abode,
and this was to be his abode during his state of innocence. Other
names for Eden include the Garden of Jehovah (Gen. 13:10,
Isa. 51:3) and the Garden of God (Ezek. 28:13, 31:9).
Genesis 2:9 describes the trees of the garden. It starts out by
saying: And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow, and what He
caused to grow was all types of trees, but there were two requirements
to be in this garden: every tree that was pleasant to the sight, and good
for food. So only trees that were both pleasant to the eye and trees that
produced fruit that was edible were to be found in the Garden of
Eden. Then He goes on to mention two specific, special trees. The
first one is: the tree of life also in the midst of the garden. Having the tree
of life right in the middle of the garden was the means of preserving
and promoting life in the blissful state. Eventually, if man partook of
the tree of life, it would confirm man in his physical life for all eternity.
Eating of this tree would render physical death impossible. It was
placed right in the center of the Garden of Eden. Other references to
this tree are as follows: Genesis 3:22-24; Proverbs 3:18, 11:30, 13:12,
and 15:4; and Revelation 2:7, 22:2, 22:14, and 22:19. The second
special tree in the garden was: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
mentioned only here and in verse 17. The Hebrew word used for
knowledge refers to “experiential knowledge.” The phrase, the
knowledge of good and evil, is a merism, an antonymic pair for unity,
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wholeness, and totality; a phrase for things that protect life and
things that destroy life. Other examples of the same merisms include:
Genesis 24:50, we cannot speak unto you, bad or good; Genesis 31:24,
where God warned Laban to say nothing to Jacob neither good or bad,
good nor evil; II Samuel 14:17. David resembled an angel in that he
knew good and evil. This merism also carries the concept of having
the power to decide for oneself what is or is not in one’s best interest:
Deuteronomy 1:39, young ones old enough to make responsible
decisions; and I Kings 3:9, again used of making responsible
decisions. That is the essence of the tree, and it would give men the
power to decide for themselves what was in their best interest and
what was not, and to be like God. In Christian tradition, the
forbidden fruit was an apple; but the text itself does not exactly say
what kind of fruit it was. The rabbis had a variety of views as to what
the tree was. Some rabbis said it was a vine, because no other fruit
causes so much misery and distress. Another rabbinic view is that
this was wheat; and wheat at that time, according this rabbinic
tradition, grew on trees. Wheat in rabbinic theology does represent
knowledge: a child begins to learn only when he is old enough to eat
wheat. A third rabbinic view was that this was a fig tree, since the
leaves of the fig tree were used to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness.
Another rabbinic view was that this was the etrog or the citron,
because in Genesis 3:6, [Eve] saw that it was good for food and this
refers to that part which has taste, or the etrog tree, the citron tree.
Whatever the fruit may have been, by partaking of the fruit, it would
provide one with experiential knowledge in good and evil; but it did
not give one the strength to choose the good and reject the evil.
In Genesis 2:10-14, He discusses the rivers of the garden,
beginning in verse 10 with the source of the four rivers: And a river
went out of Eden to water the garden. So from the Land of Eden, a
single river entered the garden; then: and from thence it was parted,
and became four heads. Once this one singular river from Eden entered
into the Garden of Eden, on the eastern side of Eden where the
garden was, it then split into four rivers and each of these four rivers
had its own name. Two of these rivers are now known, but two are
not. The first river He discusses, in verses 11-12, is the river Pishon.
Where this river is today is unknown, but in rabbinic tradition, this
was the Nile River. He describes it as: That is it which compasses the
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whole land of Havilah. The land of Havilah now is in central Arabia,
which is east of Israel, and is mentioned in Genesis 25:18. He
mentions that this land is a place where there is gold; and the gold of
that land is good. It was a pure type of gold. He also mentions that the
land has bdellium. This is a resin, a sweet smelling aromatic gum
from the camphor plants. He also mentions the onyx stone, known
among the ancients as the lapis-lazuli. What all this does is
emphasize the wealth of this land in both water and gems. These
gems are probably the remains of the pre-satanic fall, because these
gems are also mentioned in the pre-satanic fall earth in
Ezekiel 28:13. In 2:13 the second river is mentioned: And the name of
the second river is Gihon. This river is also unknown, but it is
described as the same…that compasses the whole land of Cush. Often,
the word Cush refers to Ethiopia, a place in Africa, but there are
some cases when it does not refer to Ethiopia, but a place in
Mesopotamia. So probably the Cush here is the land of the Cassites or
Kassites, also known as the Casseans. This is located east of
Mesopotamia, or east of the Tigris. The last two rivers are named in
2:14. The third river is the Hiddekel, which was the Hebrew name
for the Tigris River. He describes it as that…which goes in front of
Assyria, located in northern Iraq. In addition, the fourth river is also
known: Euphrates, which is in ancient Babylonia or modern southern
Iraq. So two rivers are known, and two rivers are unknown. Since the
Euphrates and the Tigris marked the northern and southern borders,
more or less, then the other two may have marked the eastern and
western borders; but that cannot be determined with certainty.
Probably the geographical differences in the two unknown rivers are
due to the fact that things changed with the worldwide flood. The
Noahic Flood obliterated two of the rivers, leaving the other two
intact to this very day. At least, the approximate location of the
Garden of Eden is known. It was between the Euphrates and the
Tigris in Mesopotamia, in the areas of ancient Assyria and Babylonia
or what is today modern Iraq.
3. Edenic Covenant - 2:15-17
15And Jehovah God took the man, and put him into the
garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16And Jehovah
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God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the
garden you may freely eat: 17but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in
the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.
This is the second part of the Edenic Covenant. The first part,
in chapter 1, had the first four provisions; the second part of the
Edenic Covenant contains the remaining three provisions for a total
of seven. The fifth provision, in verse 15, is their labor; they are to
dress and keep the Garden of Eden. The background is: And Jehovah
God took the man, meaning He took him from the actual place where
the creation took place west of Eden, and put him into the garden of
Eden. The root for the Hebrew word put is a word that carries the
meaning of “resting.” What this means is that the garden was for
Adam a rest, just as in Psalm 95:11 the Promised Land was for Israel
a land of rest. For Adam, the Garden of Eden was a land of rest. It is
the same root that makes up the name “Noah.” The purpose was: to
dress it. The Hebrew word means “to work” or “to serve,” and so it
emphasizes that of physical activity. The word is also used for work
in service for God. This physical activity was the spiritual service to
God; man was there not to be served, but to be a servant to God.
Furthermore, the purpose was: to keep it. The Hebrew word means
“to guard.” The same word is used in Genesis 3:24, where the
Cherubim were given to guard the entryway to the garden. It also
means “to keep” in the sense of “obedience,” to keep the garden in
the sense of guarding would be an act of obedience. The emphasis
here is that he is to guard the Garden of Eden, not in the sense of
any external enemies, but rather to guard it in the sense of obeying
the commandment of God. Keeping the garden would be an act of
obedience to God. It should be noted that labor was part of the
perfect state. Nevertheless, at this point, the labor was easy with the
land producing easily. It was not a toilsome, sweaty labor.
The sixth provision, in 2:16-17a, deals with human diet: food
that was permitted and food that was forbidden. Verse 16 begins
with: And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying. The Hebrew word
for commanded is found here for the first time, and here is the first
mention of an actual command. It begins with the permitted: Of
every tree of the garden you may freely eat. Man was to be strictly
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vegetarian, and he was permitted to eat of every single tree in the
garden. However, there was one prohibition, in verse 17a: but of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it. The purpose
of the prohibition was the test of recognition of and submission to
the will of God. Man was not to assume that because he was given
authority over the earth he was independent of God and exempt
from God’s law. The question the prohibition raised was: Will man,
like Satan, reject God’s right to rule and declare himself independent
of God? The test was for the probationary period only. Man was
created perfect and holy; but at this point, his holiness was not
tested. Theologically, this means that man was created in a state of
unconfirmed, creaturely holiness; and he was given the ability of
contrary choice, meaning he had the ability to choose contrary to his
nature in that he was created perfect and holy, but he had the ability
to make an unholy and imperfect choice. Man, on his own, must
choose to love and obey God. Man was created with the ability of
contrary choice. God Himself does not have that ability. The
Scriptures teach that the holiness of God is so absolute that He is
unable to commit sin; God is not capable of sinning. He does not
have the ability to choose contrary to His holy nature. But He
created man with that capacity; and man, on his own, must choose to
love and obey God. This testing was for a temporary duration. Had
man passed the test, his holiness would have been confirmed; and he
would not have the ability to commit sin, just as will be true with the
resurrection body. At the time of the resurrection, the believer’s
holiness will be confirmed; and he or she will no longer have the
capacity to sin. If Adam had passed the test during the probationary
period, he would have been confirmed in his holiness and no longer
would have the capacity to commit sin. This whole scenario was
already experienced by the angels. All the angels were created with
the ability of contrary choice, and they underwent a probationary
period. One-third of the angels sinned, and now they are confirmed
in their unholiness and unrighteousness; they do not have the
capacity to become righteous and sinless. However, two-thirds of the
angels passed their test, and so their holiness has been confirmed;
they no longer have the capacity to choose to sin. That is why in the
Bible there are no angels falling throughout history. The angelic fall
was a one-time fall. Those who fell were confirmed in their
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unrighteousness, and those who did not fall were confirmed in their
righteousness. In the same way, had Adam passed the test, he would
have been confirmed in his righteousness and would have produced
righteous children born without the sin nature.
The seventh provision, in verse 17b, has to do with the penalty
for disobedience, and spiritual death: for in the day that you eat thereof
you shall surely die. According to this statement, death was to come
on the very same day as the violation. Therefore, this cannot refer to
physical death since Adam did not die physically on the day he
partook of the tree; but he did die spiritually on the day that he ate.
Spiritual death means “separation from God.” The Hebrew form is a
special construction, mot tamut, using the same Hebrew root
together twice to make it emphatic, which is why it is translated, you
shall surely die. Literally, it reads, “dying you will die,” but the
meaning is emphatic, You will surely die. In this form it appears
fourteen times in the Hebrew Bible: Genesis 2:17, 3:4, and 20:7;
I Samuel 14:44 and 22:16; I Kings 2:37 and 2:42; II Kings 1:4, 1:6,
and 1:16; Jeremiah 26:8; and Ezekiel 3:18, 33:8, and 33:14. It
implies an announcement of a death sentence either by a divine
decree or by a royal decree. This is what is meant by Original Sin:
The day that man partakes of the fruit, on that day he will die
spiritually; and the spiritual death will be transmitted to his progeny.
Therefore, those who are born to Adam and Eve are born spiritually
dead. Judaism does not hold to Original Sin23 or spiritual death and
therefore has to explain this verse in some other way. The rabbis
must explain why Adam did not die physically on the day he ate the
fruit. One rabbinic explanation for this verse is that on that day, man
became mortal; he would not die on that day, but he would become
mortal on that day. The rabbis teach that out of pity, God let Adam
live one of God’s days, which is one thousand years (Ps. 90:4).
However, Adam did not live one thousand years, but lived nine
hundred thirty years. The rabbis explained that the last seventy years
were given to David; otherwise, he would have been stillborn.
23 Judaism does have a similar concept in the yetzer harah, the “evil
inclination,” but it is not carried to the same degree as the biblical
Original Sin.
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Another rabbinic view is that in the day only meant the day of the
week; since they sinned on a Friday, by rabbinic tradition, Adam
died on a Friday. A third rabbinic view was that Adam would die on
that day only if he did not repent, which he did. These are various
explanations given by the rabbis trying to avoid the concept of
Original Sin. Nevertheless, taking the text literally, some kind of
death occurred on the very day that Adam sinned. Since they did not
die physically on that day, Adam and Eve obviously died spiritually.
The response of Adam and Eve to God’s voice on the day they
sinned shows the fact of spiritual death.
4. Creation of Woman - 2:18-25
18And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man
should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.
19And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast
of the field, and every bird of the heavens; and brought
them unto the man to see what he would call them: and
whatsoever the man called every living creature, that
was the name thereof. 20And the man gave names to all
cattle, and to the birds of the heavens, and to every beast
of the field; but for man there was not found a help meet
for him. 21And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall
upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs,
and closed up the flesh instead thereof: 22and the rib,
which Jehovah God had taken from the man, made he a
woman, and brought her unto the man. 23And the man
said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh:
she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of
Man. 24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be
one flesh. 25And they were both naked, the man and his
wife, and were not ashamed.
Verse 18 describes the situation, circumstance, and need for the
creation of the woman. The new section begins with the statement:
And Jehovah God said, which introduces a divine declaration. The
declaration is: It is not good that the man should be alone. This is the
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only thing that is not good, in contrast with everything else that was
declared to be good (chapter 1, vv. 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). Now God
finally says there is something here that is not good. Comparing this
with what He said in chapter 1, it becomes clear what is not good:
The heavens without the luminaries and birds are incomplete; the sea
without the fish is incomplete; the earth without animals and man is
incomplete; and so man without a woman is incomplete, and this is
not good. As long as man exists without a woman there is a sense of
incompleteness, just as the sea without the fish, the air without the
bird, and land without animals is incomplete. The Hebrew term good
describes that which is “appropriate” or that which is “fitting” within
the purpose of God. To rectify the problem, God said: I will make
him a help meet for him. This expresses Adam’s need. The Hebrew
word is eizer, which means “a helper.” In the Hebrew, this is not a
demeaning term, because God Himself is referred to by the same
term (Exod. 18:4; Deut. 33:7, 26, 29; I Sam. 7:12; Ps. 20:2, 33:20,
46:1, 70:5, 115:9, 115:10, 115:11, 124:8, 146:5). The verse goes on
to say: meet for him. Three English words comprise one Hebrew
word: kenegdo. It is a word that is found only here and in 2:20 and
nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. Literally, it means “a helper as in
front of him,” and so emphasizes that which is conspicuous, that
which is in full view, in front of. He is going to create a helper who is
in full view of him; something he can fully see. Putting the two
words eizer and kenegdo together gives the basic range of meanings of
“a helper like him,” “a helper fitted to him,” “a helper worthy of
him,” “a helper corresponding to him,” “a helper ascending to his
opposite,” or “a helper to his counterpart.” She is one who can
perfectly complete him because without her he is incomplete. She is
one who provides what is lacking in man. She is one who can do
what man alone cannot do. So man was created in such a way that he
needs the help of a partner, but it has to be a female partner. She
corresponds physically, socially, and spiritually. Rashi interprets this
as a help against him, because the word also has the concept of
“against.” Rashi wrote, “If he is worthy, she shall be a help to him;
but if he is not worthy, she shall be opposed to him, to fight him.”
However, having stated that what man needs is a helper
corresponding to him, rather than proceeding with the creation of
the woman, God did something else first in 2:19-20. What God had
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Adam do is name the animals of the animal kingdom in
verses 19-20a. There are three things to note here: First is the source
of the animal kingdom: And out of the ground Jehovah God formed
every beast of the field. The source of the animal kingdom and the
source of man is the same: Both man and the animal kingdom were
created out of the ground. Second, the animal kingdom was
sovereignly brought to man: and brought them unto the man to see what
he would call them. This refers only to wild animals because the
domesticated animals did not need to be brought to him. The
domesticated animals were already there with Adam in the garden.
The phrase: every beast of the field only includes the wild animals.
Also every bird of the heavens would also need to be brought to Adam
by God. All this shows that man was created with the ability to
speak. He had a spoken language, and that spoken language was
Hebrew. This is obvious for at least two reasons. The first reason is
that all the names in the Hebrew Bible before the Tower of Babel
only have meanings in Hebrew. Although there were no Jews around
until chapter 12, all names, such as Adam, Eve, Noah, Lamech,
Methuselah, etc., are Hebrew names and have meanings only in
Hebrew. Non-Hebrew names first appear after the Tower of Babel,
such as those in Genesis 14 (the account of the battle of four kings
against the five kings). The second reason is that all the word plays
before Babel only make sense in Hebrew, such as those in
Genesis 2:23, 3:20, 4:1, and 4:25. This shows that the language man
spoke in the Garden of Eden was the Hebrew language. Third, the
naming was the first exercise of man’s dominion: and whatsoever the
man called every living creature, that was the name thereof. Man begins
exercising his dominion over the animal kingdom with the act of
naming the animals. The ability to name or rename is the exercise of
dominion and authority. In Numbers 32:37-38, the Reubenites
exercised lordship by naming and renaming cities in captured
territories. In II Kings 23:34, Pharaoh-necoh used his dominion over
Judah to change the name of King Eliakim to King Jehoiakim. In
II Kings 24:17, the King of Babylon used his dominion over Judah to
change the name of King Mattaniah to King Zedekiah. So Adam’s
naming of the animals was the exercise of man’s authority over the
animal kingdom, and so it was: And the man gave names to three
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categories of animals, which is the fulfillment of man’s dominion
over the animal kingdom.
First: to all cattle, which are the domesticated animals.
Their presence mentioned here showed that they
were already in the garden and did not need to be
brought to man. The category of cattle was not
mentioned in 2:19.
Second: to the birds of the heavens.
Third: to every beast of the field; these were the wild animals.
The statement made in 2:20b shows why God had Adam go
through the exercise: but for man there was not found a help meet for
him. The reason why God had the animals brought to Adam at this
point, between God’s statement that man needs a helper and the
creation of the helper, was to show Adam that nothing in the animal
kingdom could complete him. This will emphasize Adam’s
aloneness. As far as man is concerned, he did not find a creature
worthy to be his helper, to be deemed his counterpart, or who could
be called by a name corresponding to “Adam.”
Genesis 2:21-22 describes the creation of the woman, and four
things should be observed. First: Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall
upon the man, and he slept. The Hebrew word for deep sleep is
tardeimah. It is a unique word describing a deep sleep imposed by
God. In rabbinic interpretation, this was done to teach that a man
should not constantly fight with his wife. If she does something that
is displeasing, he should ignore it or sleep on it. Second: God
performs an operation or the first surgery. As most texts read: And he
took one of his ribs. Although this is the common translation, the
Hebrew word does not really mean “rib.” The Hebrew word is tzeila,
which refers to Adam’s “side.” God took out of his side. The Hebrew
word is used of the side of something. It is used of the side or the
shell of the Ark of the Covenant (Exod. 25:12, 14; 37:3, 5), of the
side of the building (Exod. 26:20; 36:25), of the side chamber of the
Temple (Ezek. 41:5-8), and of the side of a hill (II Sam. 16:13). The
correct translation then would be, “He took out of Adam’s side.”
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This is the only place the word tzeila is translated by the word “rib,”
but again the best translation would be “side.” It would mean that
the woman was created from an undesignated part of Adam’s body.
She was made out of his side, but it does not specify exactly what
part of the side was taken out. Furthermore, this included both flesh
and bone, because 2:23 points out there was flesh attached to the
bone. Therefore, He took both flesh and bone out of Adam, and it
was taken from Adam’s side. Then God closed up the flesh instead
thereof; God immediately healed Adam from his surgery. Third: God
created Eve. As with Adam, Eve was also created out of something:
and the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the man, meaning that
God created Eve from Adam’s side, from something that was taken
and that included both bone and flesh. The rabbis give a good reason
why God chose to take something from Adam’s side and not from
some other part of the body to create the woman:
God did not want to make the woman out of Adam’s head so
that she should not be proud.
Not from his eye lest she should have a roving eye.
Not from his ear lest she would want to hear everything.
Not from his mouth lest she should talk too much.
Not from his heart lest she should become envious.
Not from his hand lest she would want to grasp everything.
Not from his feet lest she would be footloose.
Therefore, he made her from Adam’s rib or side, which does not
show even when a man is naked. The rabbis conclude that while
God took all these precautions, it did not help! According to 2:22,
from Adam’s side, made he a woman. The Hebrew word for made is
banah, which means “to build.” It means God built a woman from
Adam’s side. This event is reflected in two New Testament passages:
I Timothy 2:13, For Adam was first formed, then Eve; and
I Corinthians 11:8, For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of
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the man. Fourth: and brought her unto the man. Eve was God’s gift to
Adam, and this was the helper meet for him.
Genesis 2:23 records Adam’s response: And the man said. This is
Adam’s immediate response, and it is the first recorded statement of
man. In his first statement, there is a recognition of woman’s source:
This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. This is used as a
covenantal formula in II Samuel 5:1, where the ten tribes pledge
loyalty to David. This is a covenantal marriage statement, a
statement of commitment. Adam recognized that she is his
complement and he is incomplete without her. According to Rashi,
Adam had intercourse with all the animals, but found no satisfaction
until he had intercourse with Eve. This is a rather bold statement, as
most rabbis cannot accept Adam having intercourse with the
animals. So other rabbis teach that Adam did not actually have
intercourse with animals but only deduced from the nature of each
one that he could not find a mate among them. Only when Eve
came along did he find his proper mate. Adam’s declaration is
followed by naming and is a Hebrew word play. He said: she shall be
called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. In Hebrew, the word
woman is isha and the Hebrew word for man is ish. Isha comes from
the ish, and this word play only makes sense in Hebrew, showing the
first language was Hebrew. So the woman was made from man, and
the woman was made for man, and the woman was given to man, and
she was named by man. The fact that Adam did the naming shows
he had authority over her; and so man’s authority over woman
pre-existed the Fall. How old Adam and Eve looked on the day of
creation is not stated, but they were not created as infants; they were
created as adults. By its very nature, creation carries with it the
appearance of age. On the seventh day, they were one day old, but
they looked like adults. According to rabbinic tradition, they were
created at the age of twenty.24 Nevertheless, obviously they were
created as adults, and they had no belly buttons! They were created
as adults capable of sexual intercourse.
Genesis 2:24 comes to the principle of marriage: Therefore shall a
man leave his father and his mother. The word Therefore is the Hebrew
24 Midrash Rabbah Bereishit 14:7.
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phrase al kein, which is based upon something preceding. The
preceding events, especially those of 2:22-23, provide the foundation
of marriage. What a man must do is to leave his father and his mother,
so it requires a severance of ties. At some point, a man must move
from the position of subjection to the parents to the position of
honoring the parents. The statement: leave his father and his mother
does not require a physical departure; and in those days, a physical
departure was not all that distant. However, there must be a mental
and emotional departure where the man and the woman now focus
their emotions, needs, and everything else upon each other and not
upon parents. The Hebrew word for leave is azav, often translated by
the word “forsake.” It is often used to describe Israel’s rejection of her
covenantal relationship to God (Jer. 1:16; 2:13, 17, 19; 5:7; 16:11;
17:13; 19:4; 22:9). Nevertheless, here it is used in a positive sense,
where the man rejects any further emotional ties to his parents as far
as meeting his emotional needs but not forsaking the love and honor
of parents. However, as far as emotional fulfillment, he now focuses
his emotional fulfillment and seeks fulfillment from his wife.
Therefore, after leaving his father and his mother, he must then: cleave
unto his wife. The Hebrew word for cleave literally means “to stick
like glue,” and the modern Hebrew word for glue comes from this
word. The word is often used to signify the maintaining of a
covenant (Deut. 4:4; 10:20; 11:22; 13:4; 30:20). This again shows
the covenantal nature of marriage. This is now the new loyalty; they
must stick like glue to each other, for their destiny is now tied to
each other and not with the parents. Creation of humankind has
reached its goal within the complementary partnership of man and
woman. The verse ends with: and they shall be one flesh. Here again is
the Hebrew word echad used in the sense of a compound unity. This
shows that the word echad does not require an absolute oneness,
because in this verse two people, two persons, a man and a woman,
become one. Therefore, the fact that this same word is used of God
in Deuteronomy 6:4 does not prove absolute oneness as the rabbis
claim. It can be used of a compound unity. In this case, they became
one flesh through sexual union. Now that Adam is joined covenantally
to Eve, they become one flesh, which is initiated by the first-ever
sexual union.
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This section concludes in Gensis 2:25 with the declaration of
innocence: And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were
not ashamed. This teaches the principle of intimacy in that they could
look on each other’s nakedness without any lust involved. In the
naked state, they were quite at ease with each other. There was clear
transparency with nothing to hide (Heb. 4:13). There was no fear of
exploitation for evil. They were totally exposed, but they were
shameless. They were naked before God, and they were naked before
each other. There was no shame, because they had done nothing
wrong. At this point, there was no lust that warred against the soul,
because they were in perfect purity. The need to wear clothing comes
only after the Fall because the propriety of clothing for man became
necessary after the Fall and was not present before the Fall. The
absence of clothing meant the absence of lust by which man degrades
woman sexually for his own selfish satisfaction. That was simply not
a problem before the Fall. The Hebrew word for naked here is
arumim, and there will be a word play with this word between 2:25
and 3:1. This is the only place in the Old Testament where
nakedness is viewed positively, and it is viewed positively because it
comes before the Fall. Everywhere else this Hebrew word is used in
the Old Testament, it is used negatively, with some form of
humiliation: It is used as a description of the poor (Job 24:7, 24:10,
31:19; Ezek. 18:16); it is also used as a sign of shame or guilt
(Gen. 3:7, 7:10, 7:11; Ezek. 16:22, 16:37, 16:39; Hos. 2:3;
Amos 2:16; Mic. 1:8); and it is also used as a reference to birth
(Job 1:21; Eccles. 5:15).
Before leaving this section, some observations are in order. The
first observation concerns man, woman, and headship before the
Fall. First: Adam’s priority in creation indicates he was given
headship over Eve. Second: The fact that Adam, and not Eve,
named the animals shows the authority given to man was above that
which was given to the woman since the naming was a sign of
exercising authority, and one is considered to have authority over
that which is named. Third: The woman was created for the man.
Fourth: It was man who gave woman the title of Woman, and later
he also names her, which also shows that Adam had authority over
Eve. Whereas before the Fall he gives her a generic title, Woman,
after the Fall he will give her a personal name.
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The second observation is to note some New Testament
quotations and applications of this section. Paul makes some
observations based on the creation account in addressing the
concerns of the first-century Church, especially regarding order in
worship and within society. Paul used the references in Genesis to
make points of order as well as to give moral direction to the
churches in Corinth and Ephesus and to encourage the young
Timothy in his missionary work. Genesis 2:18-23, which deals with
the creation of the woman, is dealt with in two New Testament
passages. First is I Corinthians 11:2-16 that deals with the head
covering for the woman in the meeting of the congregation. While
some dismiss what Paul wrote as being purely cultural for that day,
actually, Paul does not give a single cultural reason, but only
theological reasons, some of which are based upon this Genesis
passage. He points out that the woman was made for the man and
not the man for the woman. Woman was created from the man, not
the man from the woman. Therefore, she is in a subordinate
position. This subordination is not in intellect or ability by any
means, but in position and function. However, man is the head for
these reasons; namely, that woman was made for man and from man.
The second New Testament passage is I Timothy 2:8-15, which also
focuses on Adam’s priority in creation: A woman is not to teach or
have authority over a man (v. 12). The reasons are that Adam was
formed first (v. 13) and that Eve was seduced, but Adam was not
(v. 14). Two other New Testament passages focus specifically on
Genesis 2:24. The first one is I Corinthians 6:16, which states that
one who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one flesh with her.
Therefore, union to Messiah and union to a prostitute are totally
incompatible. Therefore, to be committed to one union makes
commitment to the other impossible. It shows that the one flesh
concept is not strictly within marriage, because a man is not married
to the prostitute; but he does become one flesh with her through
sexual union. In biblical morality, that sexual union is to be only with
the mate. The second passage is Ephesians 5:31, which teaches the
principle of subjection. Husband and wife are one flesh, but the wife
is in subjection to her husband just as Messiah and the Church are
one body (v. 32), but the Church is in subjection to the Messiah,
since He is the Head of the Body.
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C. The Fall of Man - 3:1-24
1. The Temptation - 3:1-5
1Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of
the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said unto
the woman, Yea, has God said, Ye shall not eat of any
tree of the garden? 2And the woman said unto the
serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may
eat: 3but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of
the garden, God has said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither
shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4And the serpent said unto
the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5for God does know
that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be
opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
This section begins with the introduction of the Tempter in
verse 1a: Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field.
The serpent is a reference to both a literal serpent and to Satan, for
Satan used a literal serpent by indwelling the serpent for the purpose of
communicating with the woman. The fact that the serpent and Satan
are one is borne out in the New Testament in three places:
II Corinthians 11:3 and Revelation 12:9 and 20:2. Satan did not
merely take the form of a serpent, but indwelled a serpent and
communicated with the woman through the serpent. The
identification of Satan with the serpent is not merely the New
Testament perspective but is also the rabbinic view. One rabbinic
view states: “He is Satan and he is the evil inclination.”25 Another
states that Satan saw them naked and having sexual intercourse in
front of everyone.26 According to Rashi, Satan wanted to have Adam
eat and die so that he could marry Eve. The Midrash Rabbah also
says that Samael, a demon who is the lord of the snakes, descended
25 Baba Batra.
26 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 18:6.
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to the earth and rode on the back of the snake and imbued the snake
with his spirit.27 Both the rabbis and the New Testament agree that
this was Satan using a snake or the serpent for the purpose of
tempting Eve.
The common Hebrew word for serpent is nachash. The Hebrew
word for “bronze” is nechoshet. So there is a linguistic connection
between the Hebrew word for serpent and the Hebrew word for
“bronze”; both come from the same root. For example, in
Numbers 21:9, Moses made a bronze serpent, in Hebrew nachash
nechoshet. Later, in II Kings 18:4, this bronze serpent became known
as nechushtan, which comes from the same root. This connection of
the serpent with bronze indicates that the snake appeared as a shiny or
luminous one. This carried into the New Testament where Satan
appears as an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14). The root word for serpent
also appears as a verb, and as a verb it means “to practice divination” or
“to observe astrological signs” (Gen. 30:27, 44:5, 44:15; Lev. 19:26;
Deut. 18:10). It is also used as a noun, and as a noun it means
“divination” (Num. 23:23; 24:1). Ancient Near Eastern divination
practices often included the use of a serpent.
The serpent is further described as being more subtle than any beast
of the field. The Hebrew word for subtle is arum, which is a word play
with Genesis 2:25. Adam and Eve were arumim, but Satan was
arum. The first form is the plural of the second form. What was
viewed with integrity in 2:25, the integrity of humanity, now became
the target of Satan’s attack. Their nakedness means they were
oblivious to evil and knew not where the traps lay, but Satan did. In
addition, the same word is used of Satan’s craftiness, for he will use it
to take advantage of their integrity. The various meanings of the
word include: “subtle,” “crafty,” “shrewd,” “sensible,” “prudent,” and
“cunning.” Now the shrewdness that this refers to is not evil in itself.
The word itself is neutral, but it can be used in both a good and bad
way. Satan used it in a bad way. Because the serpent was more subtle
or shrewder, Satan chose to use that serpent. So the serpent, the literal
animal serpent, being shrewd and cunning in a neutral sense, was
used by Satan in a bad sense. Elsewhere that same word is used in a
27 Ibid.
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good sense (Prov. 1:4, 12:16, 12:23, 13:16, 14:8, 14:15, 14:18, 22:3,
27:12); and also in an evil sense as being crafty (Job 5:12, 15:5).
Satan’s aim in this temptation is to regain the authority over the
earth that he had lost by his own fall. The verse goes on to say that
not only was the serpent the most subtle, but it was one that Jehovah
God had made. This again shows that it was a literal serpent. A
rabbinic tradition teaches that the snake had the power of speech:
“God had intended for the snake to be elevated above the creatures
of creation as a servant of mankind, and so gave him human
characteristics; such as the power of speech and that it walked
upright.”28 What is known is that God did create the snake with
neutral characteristics of prudence or shrewdness, and Satan used it
for a sinful purpose.
The exact time span between 2:25 and 3:1 is unknown. It is not
known how long Adam and Eve were in the garden before this
temptation took place. Although the story of Adam and Eve is often
referred to as being mythological—to tell a story and make a point—
as far as the New Testament is concerned, it recognizes this to be a
true historical event (John 8:44; Rom. 5:12, 16:20; I Cor. 15:21;
II Cor. 11:3-4; I Tim. 2:14).
Satan launched two attacks against the woman. The first attack
is in verse 1b: And he said unto the woman. Satan spoke through the
snake and raised the question: Yea, has God said, Ye shall not eat of any
tree of the garden? This is the first question in the Bible, and it was a
question intended to create doubt in the mind of Eve. Satan’s initial
attack was to question the reality of the command: “Did God really
say that you should not eat of any tree of the Garden of Eden?”
What God actually said was clear; but now Satan, the liberal
theologian, will make it unclear so that it becomes a matter of
debate. In reality, God only forbade one tree, not all the trees. Thus
began the first discussion.
Eve’s response is in Genesis 3:2-3: And the woman said unto the
serpent. When she speaks to him, she mentions what was permitted
and what was prohibited. Verse 2 emphasizes what was permitted:
Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. There was a
28 Midrash Rabbah Bereishit 19:1.
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recognition of divine liberty. She obviously received it by oral
instruction from Adam, since these commandments were given to
Adam by God, prior to Eve’s creation. So whatever Eve knew, she
knew from Adam, not directly from God. In verse 3, she repeated
the prohibition: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the
garden, showing that Eve recognized that there was a divine
limitation of the liberty given in verse 2 and that God has said, Ye shall
not eat of it. Eve clearly understood what the prohibition was, and
there was no question in her mind as to the meaning of the
prohibition. She also stated: neither shall ye touch it. Many
commentators have claimed that with this phrase, Eve added to the
Word of God; and that was her first major transgression. However,
if that was the case, she actually sinned before partaking of the fruit.
However, the Bible makes her partaking of the fruit the first sin, not
her adding to the Word of God. So the phrase neither shall ye touch it
need not be viewed as an addition on Eve’s part to the Word of God;
for this, too, might have been given to her by Adam’s oral
instruction. God may have said both things; but only now, more is
revealed. On the contrary, this shows her recognition of the strictness
of the prohibition. She then concluded: lest ye die. This shows that
she also recognized the penalty and that she clearly understood the
situation. A rabbinic tradition adds a detail here: the serpent pushed
Eve until she touched the tree, and when she touched it, she did not
die. So he said to her, “Just as there is no death in touching, neither
is there any death in eating.”29
Genesis 3:4-5 presents Satan’s second attack, where he moved
from questioning what God said to an outward negation of what
God said. It begins in verse 4 with a denial of the penalty: And the
serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. Here is the first lie
of Scripture. The first lie ever told was by Satan; and that is why, in
John 8:44, Jesus called Satan the father of lies. Satan moved from a
perverted question to an outward denial. In verse 5, from a denial of
the penalty, Satan moved to a denial of God’s integrity: for God does
know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye
shall be as God, knowing good and evil. When Satan said: Ye shall be as
29 Midrash Rabbah Bereishit 19:3.
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God, he wanted to create in Eve the desire to be like God. In fact, this
was the very desire that brought about the fall of Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-14, which records the fall of Satan, relates that Satan
fell when he made a declaration of five “I will’s.” His fifth I will was:
I will make myself like the Most High. Rashi interpreted this
declaration to be the desire to be like God in being able to create the
worlds. It was Satan’s desire to become like the Most High—to
become like God—that brought about Satan’s fall. Now the same
desire to be like God will cause the fall of man. According to Satan,
the knowledge of good and evil is what makes one God. In verse 5,
Satan presented a denial of God’s goodness, because Satan accused
God of selfishness and jealousness. Therefore, the good God Who
gave them good is now charged with withholding the greater good.
Satan’s implication is twofold: First, man was capable of knowing
good and evil as perfectly and as completely as God did, and so man
could be like God; and second, God was jealous of His knowledge of
good and evil, in the sense of not willing to share it.
Satan’s methodology was threefold: First, he raised doubts as to
the wisdom, justice, and love of God; second, he made a direct
contradiction of the Word of God; and third, he claimed that
disobedience to God will result in the highest good. However, in
reality, Adam and Eve will know good and evil only from the
standpoint of sinners. Romans 7:19 teaches that Paul knew the good
but was unable to do it. He also knew the evil, but was unable to
resist it. Adam and Eve will know the evil, but will be unable to
resist it.
2. The Fall - 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for
food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the
tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the
fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her
husband with her, and he did eat.
In the account of the actual Fall, five things should be noted
about Eve and Adam.
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First, Eve was tempted in the three areas of I John 2:16: the lust of
the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. As to the lust of the
flesh, the phrase When the woman saw that the tree was good for food
emphasizes the physical; the fruit was physically appealing. Concerning
the lust of the eyes: it was a delight to the eyes; this was the aesthetic; the
tree was aesthetically pleasing. Concerning the pride of life: The tree was
to be desired to make one wise. This is the spiritual and mental; it would be
mentally transforming. The Hebrew word for desire is nechmad, the
same root word as the Hebrew word “to covet,” showing the essence of
covetousness. Eating, she felt, would give her something she did not
now possess.
Second, after being tempted, Eve sinned: She took of the fruit
thereof. The touching did not cause her spiritual death, but only
when she did eat. By eating it, she failed to exercise her subordinate
role and took the initiative. She did not have the power to initiate, so
hers was the sin of initiation.
Third, next came the fall of Adam: and she gave also unto her
husband with her. Eve now became to Adam what the serpent had
become to Eve. The text states that Adam was with her. Adam was
not away working, not knowing what was happening. He did not just
come home and have Eve feed him the fruit. Adam was with her;
Adam was present all along and did not stop her. His sin was the
failure to exercise his headship. When he did eat, he committed the
sin of acquiescence.
Fourth, the Bible points out there was a clear distinction
between the fall of Adam and the fall of Eve. Twice it is stated that
Eve was deceived (I Tim. 2:13-14, II Cor. 11:3). However, the
Timothy passage goes on to say Adam sinned with full knowledge.
For him, it was an act of rebellion. Moreover, the Bible clearly places
the responsibility for the human condition upon Adam as the
representative head (Rom. 5:12-21, I Cor. 15:20-23).
Fifth, this marks the actual breaking of the Edenic Covenant.
Hosea 6:7 points out that Adam was guilty of breaking a covenant,
the Edenic Covenant.
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3. Spiritual Death - 3:7-8
7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they
knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves
together, and made themselves aprons. 8And they
heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day: and the man and his wife hid
themselves from the presence of Jehovah God among
the trees of the garden.
The major result of the Fall was spiritual death, with verse 7
focusing on the actual result stated in four statements. First: And the
eyes of them both were opened. That means they came to a certain
understanding, but it was not what the serpent had led them to
believe. Second: They knew that they were naked. They now had the
knowledge of evil, experiential knowledge of evil; suddenly, there was
a recognition of a new relationship to each other. Suddenly, their
being naked before each other created self-consciousness. Instead of
knowing good and evil in a positive sense, they now knew that they
were naked. What was a sign of a healthy relationship in 2:25 now
became a sign of shame. In fact, in the Hebrew text, the word is
written differently. In Genesis 2:25 it is arumim; in Genesis 3:7, it is
eirumim. It means the same thing, but it is written differently, giving
the implication of a different relationship. There is now the loss of
innocence and the birth of lust. Third: and they sewed fig-leaves
together. The knowledge they gained was overwhelming. They sewed
is a Hebrew word used only three other times in the Hebrew Bible
(Job 16:15, Eccles. 3:7, Ezek. 13:18). The basic meaning is “to wear
some kind of clothing next to the skin.” What they tried to sew
together were fig leaves, which makes some sense because the fig leaf
was the largest leaf in the trees of the Middle East, and therefore
would provide the greatest amount of covering. It is because of this
that one rabbinic view is that the fig was the forbidden fruit. The
Talmud says, “Wherewith they had sinned, they also made
amendment.” Fourth: and made themselves aprons. The Hebrew word
basically means “girdles,” and it is used of an article of a woman’s
dress in Isaiah 3:24; but it is also used of a belt of a warrior in
II Samuel 18:11; I Kings 2:5; and II Kings 3:21. They attempted to
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cover their nakedness; they covered their genitals. There was a
recognition that the very source of human life had been
contaminated by sin. Now the means by which the sin-nature would
be transmitted would be through the sexual union, because that is
how children are conceived: in sin did my mother conceive me
(Ps. 51:5). They did succeed in hiding their nakedness from each
other, but they did not succeed in hiding themselves from God. So
now, nakedness before someone other than one’s mate has become
shameful, a shamefulness brought out in Genesis 9:23,
Exodus 20:26, and Revelation 3:18. The rabbinic view on this
teaches that before they sinned, the evil inclination was not
integrated into the personality of Adam and Eve; but they were
totally pure and good.
Genesis 3:8 goes on to describe their separation from God,
showing in two ways that they had died spiritually. First came the
hearing: And they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day. Before, apparently, on a daily basis, the
Shechinah Glory made a manifestation; there was a daily, visible
manifestation of God communicating with man, and so they had
fellowship with God in a visible form. Now, they heard the voice, and
before seeing the brightness, they heard Him walking in the garden.
The Hebrew word literally means “walking to and fro.” It is a hitpael
stem, emphasizing a habitual aspect. God regularly did so in the cool
of the day. In the context of the Middle East, this would be late in the
afternoon, toward sundown. The Hebrew expression, which is two
words, karua yom, appears only here and nowhere else. Second, they
hid: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah
God among the trees of the garden. Adam and Eve now tried to hide
from God’s presence, because the fellowship they used to have with
God was no longer possible. There is a clear recognition of a new
relationship with God, a negative one now. Therefore, there is guilt
and there is fear of punishment; after hiding their nakedness from
each other, they also tried to hide it from God.
4. The Divine Confrontation - 3:9-13
9And Jehovah God called unto the man, and said
unto him, Where are you? 10And he said, I heard your
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voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was
naked; and I hid myself. 11And he said, Who told you
that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree,
whereof I commanded you that you should not eat? 12And
the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with
me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13And Jehovah
God said unto the woman, What is this you have done?
And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did
eat.
The confrontation comes with God asking questions. In verse 9
is the first question: And Jehovah God called unto the man, and said
unto him, Where are you? The three words: Where are you, is one word
in Hebrew: ayakah. Obviously, God knew where they were. The real
issue is: “Why are you hiding?” This is very similar to God’s other
“where” questions. God did not need to know where they were, but
is inquiring to receive an admission of guilt. For example, in
Genesis 4:9, God asked Cain: Where is Abel, your brother? Or in
Genesis 16:8, He asked Hagar, “Where are you going (wither goest
thou)?” God knew, but He asked in order to get an admission.
Genesis 3:10 gives Adam’s answer: And he said, I heard your voice
in the garden. Adam was not really answering the question, Where are
you? However, he is answering the implication of the question, “Why
are you hiding?” So he confesses: and I was afraid. Adam admits to a
fear of God he did not experience earlier. Then he gave the reason:
because I was naked. Yet, it was not his nakedness as such that caused
the hiding, because Adam had been naked before God in the past.
Being naked was not an inappropriate way to meet God; and anyway,
by then, Adam and Eve’s nakedness had been covered by fig leaves,
so they were no longer naked. When they hid, they were already
covered. So the fear was based on the knowledge of nakedness in that
Adam knew that he was in sin. His guilt had been uncovered, and
they stood in naked shame before God. So Adam concluded: and I
hid myself. Adam, here, did not also incriminate Eve. He used the
singular—not “we,” but “I.” The Hebrew word chava, meaning
“hiding,” is a term that is used only in verses 8 and 10. The normal
word for “hiding” in the Hebrew text is the root satar (Gen. 4:14,
Ps. 38:9, Isa. 65:16, Jer. 16:17, Hos. 13:14).
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Then, in 3:11a, God raised the second question: Who told you
that you were naked? Nakedness was not a condition that one was
normally aware of. So God asked the question: Who told you that you
were naked? Nevertheless, the real question is: “What was the source
of man’s knowledge and the feeling of his guilt and shame?” No
answer was given; and, in fact, no answer was expected.
Then in verse 3:11b came the third question: Have you eaten of
the tree, whereof I commanded you that you should not eat? Literally,
from the Hebrew text, it reads, “from the tree which I commanded
you not to eat from did you eat?” It shows that God knew of their
sin; He knew that this state was one of disobedience. God now went
from the general to the specific, and this puts God in the role of a
prosecutor. The question urges confession rather than merely
condemnation.
Adam’s answer is found in 3:12: And the man said, The woman
whom you gave to be with me. Adam did not make a simple
confession, as he should have. Adam began by blaming God
indirectly, the woman whom you gave me, and then blamed Eve
directly: she gave me of the tree. The rationalization is that a criminal
becomes the victim. It shows how quickly sin has corrupted him.
Adam finally confessed: I did eat. Therefore, his admission came only
at the end of the sentence, as he apparently wished to minimize, as
much as possible, his own involvement in the sin.
Then in 3:13a came the fourth question: And Jehovah God said
unto the woman, What is this that you have done? This is the only
question directly addressed to Eve.
Eve’s answer is in 3:13b: And the woman said, The serpent beguiled
me. She, too, lays the blame on another; the fault lay with the serpent.
However, her answer is less accusatory than Adam’s answer. She did
not say, “The serpent that You made” nor does she say, “The man
You created did not stop me.” Eve admits that she was deceived, a
fact affirmed by the New Testament. Then she confessed: I did eat.
Her admission also comes only at the end of the sentence. Therefore,
sin has corrupted fully in that neither Adam nor Eve is willing to
make a simple confession and take the full responsibility of their
actions.
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5. The Adamic Covenant - 3:14-19
This passage gives the account of the Adamic Covenant with its
various provisions. The provisions of the Adamic Covenant can be
divided into four categories: the serpent, Satan, the woman, and the
man.
a. The Serpent - 3:14
And Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Because you
have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above
every beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and
dust shall you eat all the days of your life: …
The first category of provisions is to the literal serpent: And
Jehovah God said unto the serpent. He starts out with the phrase:
Because you have done this. This spells out the reason why the serpent
would fall under a curse: It allowed itself to be used by Satan.
Normally an animal is not morally responsible for its actions.
However, if it causes harm to man, it suffers the consequences
(Gen. 9:5, Exod. 21:28). Animals were created for the benefit of
man; and when this is violated, God’s judgment follows.
A total of three provisions are listed for the serpent in
Genesis 3:14. First: Cursed are you above all cattle, and above every
beast of the field. The whole animal kingdom is cursed, but the serpent
is cursed above them all. In rabbinic tradition, the curse is reflected
in that the gestation period of the snake is seven years long. The
snake was also smitten with leprosy. The cracks on the skin of the
snake are signs of its leprosy, and he will not be healed even in the
days of the Messiah when all other creatures will be cured of their
ailments.30 Leprosy is connected early with divine judgment in
Jewish thinking. The first provision is that the serpent is cursed
above all the rest of the members of the animal kingdom.
Second: Upon your belly shall you go. In addition, according to
3:14, the serpent is now destined to crawl on its belly. This shows
30 Midrash Rabbah Bereishit 20:4-5.
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that, before the Fall, the snake moved in an upright position. This
does not necessarily mean the serpent had legs. Discussions over the
issue of whether this curse meant that originally the serpent had legs
or did not have legs before the Fall are foolish since the Bible is silent
on this issue. The only thing that is important from this verse is to
note that that the serpent did move in an upright position at first.
Third: Dust shall you eat all the days of your life. This clause of
3:14 is not a commandment to be obeyed, but a declaration of how
the serpent’s life will be from now on. The problem phrase is: Dust
shall you eat, for it is known that a snake does not eat dust. Some
critics of the Bible have used this to show error in Scripture; but here
they miss the point of Hebrew phraseology, for even ancients knew
from observations what snakes ate. The “eating dust” was a figure of
speech for being cursed above all creatures. This is clear, for example,
in Isaiah 65:25, where even in the Messianic Kingdom this is still
going to be true. The same figure of speech is also used in
Micah 7:17. Dust for food was also a figure for defeated enemies
(Ps. 72:9, Isa. 49:23). Therefore, God used the eating of dust in a
figurative sense of being cursed and being defeated. In Babylonian
mythology, there is the myth of the descent of the goddess Ishtar
into the Netherworld. According to the myth, the cursed lived in a
place where dust was their fate and clay was their food.
The rabbinic view of 3:14 is that the serpent was cursed with ten
curses. First, angels cut off its hands and feet because he brought
death into the world. Second, up to now it ate spiritual food, but
from now on it would eat the dust of the earth; and even when eating
regular food, it would taste like dust. Third, in place of being the
king of animals, it would be cursed above all creatures. Fourth, it
would always be leprous; that is, it would have white spots. Fifth, it
would shed its skin every seven years with pain. Sixth, hatred would
exist between the serpent and the woman. Seventh, a woman can
smash a snake’s head, and in retaliation a snake can bite a man’s heel.
Eighth, poison exists in its mouth, and it burns its mouth. Ninth, it
will suffer death. Tenth, when King Messiah comes, all will be
healed except the serpent, who will continue to eat dust even in the
Messianic Kingdom.
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b. Satan - 3:15
… and I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed: he shall bruise your
head, and you shall bruise his heel.
A second category of four provisions was directed at Satan
himself. First: I will put enmity between you and the woman. There will
now be a special animosity between Satan and womanhood and
womankind. The reason for this persistent animosity is because of
woman’s redemptive role, which is going to be spelled out later in this
verse. When God said: I will put, it means that animosity will be put
there by God. Rashi interprets this to mean the serpent sinned because
of his desire for the woman. In this interpretation, the consequence of
animosity was the reverse of what Satan hoped for.
The second provision states that the animosity will persist:
between your seed and her seed. The animosity of the first provision in
3:15 will be generated prospectively through two seeds: the woman’s
seed and Satan’s seed. The “Seed of the Woman” is the Messiah
Himself, making this the first messianic prophecy in the Bible. To
refer to the Messiah as the Seed of the Woman goes contrary to the
biblical norm, since in Scripture, the seed is always traced after the
male line. The genealogies throughout the Bible, including those in
Genesis, always give the male line. However, with the Messiah, this
is going to be different. Moses does not explain why it is going to be
different and why the Messiah will be reckoned after the Seed of the
Woman. Only centuries later, in Isaiah 7:14, is it made clear that the
Messiah will be conceived in the womb of a virgin. Yet from the
beginning, the Seed of the Woman implies a supernatural
conception. The Messiah will have no human father, so His lineage
can only be traced through the mother. This fact will lead to Satan’s
trying to corrupt the Seed of the Woman in Genesis 6:1-4.
The second seed mentioned in 3:15 is the seed of Satan.
Moreover, this will be the anti-Messiah or the Antichrist. The term
seed is used twice in the same verse and must be understood in the
same way. Just as the Seed of the Woman implies a supernatural
conception, even so the seed of Satan implies a supernatural
conception. This contains an implication of a supernatural
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conception on the part of Satan that will produce the Antichrist.
Like the Messiah, the Antichrist will not have a natural human
father. He will be generated by Satan. Daniel 9:26-27 points out that
the woman he will use will be a Gentile woman of Roman origin.
In Genesis 3:15, the third provision of the curse is: He shall bruise
your head. In other words, the woman’s Seed will bruise the head of
Satan. Initially this was done by Messiah’s death and resurrection
(Heb. 2:14-18). However, Romans 16:20 sees the bruising of Satan’s
head as being future, so the finality will come only when Satan is cast
into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:10). Crushing the head of a snake is
fatal to the snake.
The fourth provision in 3:15 is: You shall bruise his heel. Satan will
bruise the heel of the Woman’s Seed, accomplished at the
Crucifixion. The bruising of the heel is painful, but not terminal.
The Hebrew word for bruise is used only in 3:15 and two other
places in the Hebrew Bible (Job 9:17, Ps. 139:11).
Combining the third and fourth provisions, the figure is based
upon the way one kills a poisonous serpent in the Middle East and in
Israel. The way to kill a poisonous serpent is not to step on its tail or
the main part of his body, but to step on his head and crush the head
against the ground. A picture is being conveyed by the third and
fourth provisions here taken together. As the heel of the Messiah is
coming down on Satan’s head, Satan, the serpent, leaps up and bites
the heel, causing pain, but not a fatal pain of eternity. Meanwhile the
heel continues to come down, finally crushing Satan’s head. Initially
Satan’s head is bruised by Messiah’s death and resurrection; and,
ultimately, Satan’s head is crushed when he is cast into the Lake of
Fire.
Genesis 3:15 contains the proto-evangelium, meaning “the first
gospel,” because this is the first messianic prophecy of the First
Coming. Chapter 3 is the logical place to find this prophecy, since
this chapter contains the origin of human sin, and the purpose of
Messiah’s coming is to deal with the problem of human sin.
c. The Woman - 3:16
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your
pain and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth
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children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and
he shall rule over you.
Then four specific provisions of the curse relevant to the woman
are stated with the preface: Unto the woman he said.
The first provision is in Genesis 3:16: I will greatly multiply your
pain and your conception. There is a multiplication of menstrual pain;
the woman will suffer the monthly cycle, something that did not
exist before the Fall. Furthermore, there is a multiplication of
conceptions. Woman had the ability to conceive before the Fall, but
that ability is now increased, as the woman has the ability to conceive
once a month. This is necessary to populate the earth in the face of
physical death that will limit human population. Before the Fall,
woman was not able to conceive as frequently, because the earth
would be naturally filled with birth at a slower pattern since man
would not die. With the Fall, death is part of the human experience;
and therefore in order to fill the earth, it becomes necessary to
increase a woman’s ability to conceive. The rabbis give this monthly
incapacity as one reason why a woman cannot serve as a witness in a
court of law.
The second provision in Genesis 3:16 states: In pain you shall bring
forth children. Birth would now come with pain. Before the Fall, giving
birth would have been painless, but now a woman gives birth with
pain. However, John 16:21 states that once birth takes place, a woman
does have joy. So there is a joy that follows the pain. First
Timothy 2:15 talks about a woman being saved by childbirth. The
point is not that she is saved spiritually by childbirth, as that would
make it salvation by works. Rather, it means that the woman is saved
from her inferior status through childbirth, because continuous human
existence is determined by a woman’s ability to give birth.31
The third provision in Genesis 3:16 states: Your desire shall be to
your husband. The word desire is teshukah, a word found only twice
elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. Genesis 4:7 references a desire to
31 The woman’s inferior status referred to in this passage is that she
cannot take a leadership role in the Church, nor can she expound
Scriptures to men.
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rule; and, as in Genesis 3:16, it is also coupled with the Hebrew
word for ruling, mashal. The Song of Solomon 7:10 uses the term in
dealing with sexual desire. It is the usage in Genesis 4:7 that applies
to 3:16. God is not dealing here with a woman’s desire in sexual
union or a woman’s desire to be with a husband, although that is the
meaning of the word in the Song of Solomon 7:10 and certainly is
the translation broadly accepted by literalists today. More relevant to
3:16 is the immediate context of the Genesis account. Moses wrote
both Genesis 3 and 4 but did not write the Song of Solomon;
therefore, the meaning of teshukah in this verse is to be the same as
Genesis 4:7. Furthermore, in both verses in Genesis, this term is
connected with the word “to rule.” Therefore, the woman is placed
into a subordinate role, and the point of 3:16 is that the woman will
desire to rule over her husband who is to master her. She will seek to
gain authority over the husband just as sin desired to rule over Cain.
However, Adam should master her. Teshukah is a word that emphasizes
a desire to possess. The woman chose to act independently of the man,
and now she will have a desire to rule and possess him. She shall desire
to control the man, and to dispute the headship of the husband. Man
was already in authority over the woman before the Fall, but now she
will have a tendency to rebel and try to rule him.
Fourth: He shall rule over you. This emphasizes her subjection to
the husband. The husband shall rule the wife. Again, the Hebrew
word for rule is mashal, and it means more than just a loving
leadership; the word has the meanings of “dominance,” “mastery,”
“lordship.” Therefore, Adam shall rule over her, as Cain was to rule
over sin. She led her husband to sin, and she will now be mastered by
him. This does not mean that before the Fall they were on a co-equal
authority structure. Even before the Fall, there was subordination of
the wife to the husband, as there was between the Father and the
Son. The new element is that of subjection, with the man exercising
lordship, mastery, dominance, etc., with her desire to rebel against it.
The rabbinic interpretation is that the woman was cursed with
ten curses, just as the serpent was cursed with ten curses: first,
menstruation; second, the bleeding of a virgin; third, the discomfort
of pregnancy; fourth, miscarriage; fifth, pangs of childbirth; sixth,
the anguish of raising children; seventh, covering her head; eighth,
subjection to her husband; ninth, forbidden to testify in court; and
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tenth, physical death. This is why in rabbinic theology a woman
must keep certain special traditional commandments in particular:
first, the commandment of the niddah, which are laws concerning
menstruation; second, challah, laws concerning the portion of bread;
and third, lighting the Sabbath candles.
d. The Man - 3:17-19
17And unto Adam he said, Because you have hearkened
unto the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of
which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it:
cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil shall you eat of
it all the days of your life; 18thorns also and thistles shall
it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herb of the
field; 19in the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, till
you return unto the ground; for out of it were you taken:
for dust you are, and unto dust shall you return.
The fourth category applies to the man: And unto Adam he said.
The reason for the curse is spelled out in verse 17a: Because you have
hearkened unto the voice of your wife [because he failed to exercise
headship], and have eaten of the tree [which was the actual sin], of
which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it. The covenant
was made between God and Adam, but Adam, again, stands as the
representative head of the human race. Therefore, what is said in the
Adamic Covenant for Adam is going to be true of his progeny. The
judgment on Adam, then, becomes the judgment on humanity; and
Adam is responsible for the present human condition. God then
went on to give four specific provisions.
The first provision, in Genesis 3:17b-18a, is the cursing of the
earth: Cursed is the ground for your sake. That which was under man’s
authority is now cursed. This represents a common biblical principle.
When God judges a person in authority, He also judges that which is
under that person’s authority. The result of the curse is: In toil shall you
eat of it all the days of your life. Labor was part of man’s estate before the
Fall in the Edenic Covenant. Now in the Adamic Covenant there is a
toilsome aspect that is added to labor. He brought pain into the world;
now he will have painful toil. The verse goes on to say: Thorns also and
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thistles shall it bring forth to you. The curse that falls upon the earth is a
curse that is symbolized by thorns and thistles. Under the Edenic
Covenant, the earth produced readily and easily, but under the
Adamic Covenant, the land will easily produce thorns, thistles, and
weeds. He sinned by eating; now he will suffer to eat. Just as when
Satan was judged, God judged that which was under Satan’s authority;
so now when Adam was judged, that which was under Adam’s
authority was also judged. Romans 8:20-23 declares that the earth also
groans, waiting for the messianic redemption. In Romans chapter 8,
verse 20 states, Creation was subjected to vanity; verse 21 states that
creation is in bondage of corruption waiting to be liberated; and
verse 22 states, the whole creation groans and travails in pain together
until now. This is the origin of the Second Law of Thermodynamics,
the law of disorder, the law of death, the law that is reflected in
Hebrews 1:10-12 and I Peter 1:21.
The second provision is the human diet, in Genesis 3:18b: You
shall eat the herb of the field. In other words, under the Adamic
Covenant, man is to remain vegetarian; the diet remains the same as
that which was under the Edenic Covenant. It is not known if the
same was true for the animal kingdom; but at least for man, he was
to remain vegetarian.
The third provision was that of hard labor in Genesis 3:19a: In
the sweat of your face shall you eat bread. Here again, the toilsome
aspect is added to labor. Again, under the Edenic Covenant, labor
was easy, without sweat and without body odor. Under the Adamic
Covenant, labor is hard, with sweat. Man’s ability to eat will be based
on the work ethic.
The fourth provision, in Genesis 3:19b, is physical death: till you
return unto the ground. Hard labor is to continue until the day of his
death. The reason given is: For out of [the ground] were you taken: for
dust you are, and unto dust you shall return. The same point is made in
Job 34:15, Psalm 104:29, and Ecclesiastes 12:7. Man is dust and clay
according to Job 4:19 and 10:9 and Ecclesiastes 3:20. The New
Testament teaches that physical death originates with Adam.
Romans 5:12-21 puts it this way: Through one man sin entered into the
world, and death through sin. I Corinthians 15:20-22 states: as in
Adam all die.
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In the rabbinic interpretation of this passage, the man was cursed
with ten curses, just as the serpent and the woman were. First, his
stature was reduced; he was now shorter. Second, there was weakness
after ejaculation, and that is why man wants to fall asleep after sexual
intercourse. Third, thorns and thistles appear. Fourth, man now
experiences the anguish of earning a living. Fifth, the earth is cursed
so that only grass will grow for man to eat; however, when Adam
complained about eating grass, this fifth curse was replaced by the
sixth curse. Sixth, man must sweat for work. Seventh, beauty was
removed so another could look on him; for before, he was too
beautiful to look upon. Eighth, the serpent’s hands and feet were cut
off so he was no longer able to be a useful worker for man. Ninth,
man was expulsed from the garden. Tenth, now man would
experience death and burial in the ground.
6. Results of the Fall - 3:20-24
20And the man called his wife’s name Eve; because she
was the mother of all living. 21And Jehovah God made
for Adam and for his wife coats of skins, and clothed
them.
22And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is become
as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put
forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat,
and live for ever—23therefore Jehovah God sent him
forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from
whence he was taken. 24So he drove out the man; and he
placed at the east of the garden of Eden the Cherubim,
and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to
keep the way of the tree of life.
Verses 20-24 describe three results of the Fall. The first result is
in verse 20, the naming of Eve: The man called his wife’s name Eve, in
Hebrew, Chavah. Before the Fall, she was merely called “Woman,”
isha (2:23); but now she is to be called Chavah, which means “life.”
Chavah, which comes from the Hebrew word chayah, means “to live.”
The Hebrew word for living here is chai, from the same root chayah,
“to live.” The man gave her the name, and this was his first exercise
of lordship over Eve after the Fall, since he had the authority to
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name her. The fact that he called her “life” shows Adam’s faith in the
promise of the Seed in verse 15. The reason he called her Chavah or
Eve was because she was the mother of all living. Again, there is a
Hebrew word play between her name Chavah and the mother of all
living, showing again that the first language was Hebrew. Even
though death entered into the world through sin, God’s grace
allowed for the continuation of life. While their physical death was
the verdict in the Adamic Covenant, the woman will provide for the
continuity of life through her childbearing. The word was is in the
perfect tense, although Eve had not as yet produced. This is the
common prophetic perfect, a common element in the Hebrew
language. This shows that the command to populate the earth had
not been withdrawn.
The second result of the Fall is in Genesis 3:21: And Jehovah God
made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins. The use of the compound
name Jehovah God made shows that this was a divine provision. The
term coats of skins means “animal skins,” and for God to make coats of
animal skins required the shedding of blood. The same word is used
in Genesis 27:16, where it talks about Rebekah using the skins of the
kids (goats). Again, it refers to animal skins, requiring the shedding
of blood. This would have been the first observation by Adam and
Eve as to what physical death means. As they saw the animals being
put to death, they realized that it would someday happen to them.
This is also the first blood-sacrifice, an example of grace in the
context of judgment. The covering of animal skins, which required
the shedding of blood to give them the atonement, replaced the
covering of fig leaves. Then the verse states: and clothed them.
Physically, He clothed their nakedness, but spiritually, He also
covered their sin by making for them their atonement. The lessons to
be drawn from this verse are as follows. First, to approach God, one
must have a proper covering. Second, the man-made covering was
not acceptable. Third, God Himself must provide the covering.
Fourth, the proper covering required the shedding of blood. Fifth,
God’s grace provided for them, for the covering was given before the
actual expulsion from the Garden. The rabbis have a legend about
the coats. Adam gave these coats of skins to Cain; and when Cain
was killed, they became the property of Nimrod. Esau took them
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from Nimrod, and they were later worn by Jacob at the time of
Isaac’s blessing.
The third result is in Genesis 3:22-24, the expulsion from the
Garden. Verse 22 states the reason for the expulsion: And Jehovah
God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil.
However, while they now know good and evil experientially, they do
not have the power to choose the good or to conquer the evil. Man
once knew only the goodness of God. Man now also knows the evil
inherent in the rejection of God’s Word. Therefore, their desire to be
like God led to something far less than godhood. The phrase as one
of us once again indicates a plurality. The term one is the Hebrew
word echad, a compound oneness; of us indicates plurality. Therefore,
there is both oneness and plurality mentioned in this one phrase.
The danger in allowing man access to the tree of life is then stated:
lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live
for ever. He means live for ever physically, because they would
become immortal in their state of sinfulness. So because of the
danger of living immortally in their physical, sinful state, it was
necessary for the expulsion to take place. The expulsion is spelled out
in verses 23-24a. The result is in verse 23: therefore Jehovah God sent
him forth from the garden of Eden. In verse 22, the sin was that man
had put forth his hand and now God sent him forth. In Hebrew, it is
the same word, but in a different stem. The purpose was: to till the
ground from whence he was taken. Therefore, he must now begin the
toilsome aspect; man will begin to till the ground from which man
originated. The statement of expulsion is intensified in verse 24a: So
he drove out the man. There is, first, a geographical expulsion: Man is
put outside the garden. The Hebrew word garash literally means “to
drive out.” It means a forceful expulsion. Second, a spiritual
expulsion occurs: a loss of fellowship with the visible manifestation of
the Shechinah Glory. Finally, in verse 24b, He placed in front of the
Garden of Eden a divine guard: and he placed at the east of the garden
of Eden. The word placed is the Hebrew word vayashichein, the same
Hebrew root for Shechinah. This was a visible manifestation of God’s
presence. He actually placed two guards in front of the entrance. The
first guard was the Cherubim, members of the highest order of created
beings. They are frequently associated with the Shechinah Glory.
However, the second guard was the Shechinah Glory itself: the flame
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of a sword. Its function was to turn every which way, to turn back and
forth. The purpose was: to keep the way of the tree of life. So now, this
visible Shechinah Glory, the visible manifestation of the presence of
God, was no longer a means of fellowship; but it was there to keep
man out of the garden. So it remained, apparently, until the Flood;
and with the Flood, the Garden of Eden disappeared. Since the
entry to the Garden of Eden had this visible manifestation of God’s
presence, this may very well have been the place of sacrifice before
the Flood. Because man brought his sacrifices to a specific place, this
would be the logical place to bring them. The gate of the garden was
on the east side of the Garden. By the same token, the entryway to
the Tabernacle was on the east side, where the altar stood.
Therefore, the gate of the doorway of the Tabernacle faced east in
front of the Tabernacle and the Altar of Sacrifice. The gate of the
Garden of Eden faced east, and before it there may very well have
been the place of sacrifice.
There are two primary passages in the New Testament built on
what happens in Genesis 3.
The first passage is Romans 5:12-21, where Paul teaches the
Adam-Messiah Typology. Here is the Doctrine of Original Sin and
the contrast of Adam’s sin with the Messiah’s perfection. Through
Adam all sinned and died. Through the Messiah, all believers receive
His righteousness. It is a contrast of Adam’s sin with Messiah’s death.
Romans 5:12 brings out four facts about sin: First, sin entered the
world through one man. Second, death came because of sin. Third,
death spread to all humanity. Fourth, because all humanity has sinned
in Adam, Adam’s sin was imputed to his posterity. Adam’s sin was a
violation of a specific, divine command. Because it was a sin against a
divine command, it is referred to in this passage as a transgression in
verse 14; and, more frequently, as a trespass in verses 15, 16, 17, 18,
and 20. While Adam’s sin was imputed to all his descendants, the
righteousness of the Messiah is imputed to all who believe.
The second key foundation is found in I Corinthians 15:21-22
and 15:45-49. The first passage here, verses 21-22, is also a link
between what Adam did and what Messiah did. In Adam, all died;
in the Messiah, all will be made alive. Verses 45-49 deal with the
Adam-Messiah Typology. Verse 45 is a paraphrase of Genesis 2:7:
The first Adam brings death. The last Adam becomes a life-giving
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spirit. In verses 46-48, there are three contrasts. The first contrast, in
verse 46, is a contrast as to order: The order of Adam was natural or
physical; whereas, the order of Messiah is spiritual. In verse 47, the
second contrast is as to origin: The first Adam was of the earth,
earthly; the second Adam was of Heaven, heavenly. In verse 48, the
third contrast is as to followers: the first Adam pertains to those who
are earthly; the second Adam, to those who are heavenly. Finally,
verse 49, just as the believer bore the image of the earthly man
Adam; he will also bear the image of the spiritual man Messiah.
One more thing about New Testament correlation has to do
with the Adamic Covenant and the role of women; specifically,
woman to be in subjection. This is carried on by the New Testament
in I Corinthians 14:34-35; Ephesians 5:21-24; Colossians 3:18;
Titus 2:5. The Greek word for subjection is tasso, which is a military
term: “to subordinate one to the control of another.” However, being
in a subordinate position has nothing to do with any inferiority as to
a woman’s being.
D. Cain and Abel - 4:1-26
1. Murder of Abel - 4:1-15
1And the man knew Eve his wife; and she
conceived, and bore Cain, and said, I have gotten a man
with the help of Jehovah. 2And again she bore his
brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain
was a tiller of the ground. 3And in process of time it came
to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an
offering unto Jehovah. 4And Abel, he also brought of the
firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah
had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5but unto Cain
and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was
very angry, and his countenance fell. 6And Jehovah said
unto Cain, Why are you angry? and why is your
countenance fallen? 7If you do well, shall it not be lifted
up? and if you do not well, sin couches at the door: and
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unto you shall be its desire, but do you rule over it. 8And
Cain told Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when
they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his
brother, and slew him.
9And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel your
brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother’s
keeper? 10And he said, What have you done? the voice of
your brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground. 11And
now cursed are you from the ground, which has opened
its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand;
12when you till the ground, it shall not henceforth yield
unto you its strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shall
you be in the earth. 13And Cain said unto Jehovah, My
punishment is greater than I can bear. 14Behold, you
have driven me out this day from the face of the ground;
and from your face shall I be hid; and I shall be a
fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to
pass, that whosoever finds me will slay me. 15And
Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slays Cain,
vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah
appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should
smite him.
Verse 1 begins with the birth of Cain: The man knew Eve his
wife. The word knew means knowing experientially. This is a sexual
knowing. They had sexual intercourse: and she conceived, a fulfillment
of Genesis 3:16 and [she] bore Cain. And bore Cain uses a form of
Hebrew construction with the sign of the direct object, the direct
object being Cain. Therefore, the proper way of translating this to
bring this out is that she bore Cain. That has significance, with the
next phrase: and said, I have gotten a man with the help of Jehovah,
which will be examined after a discussion of the naming of their son.
The use of the word for gotten with Cain’s name presents another
Hebrew word play. The word gotten is kaniti, and the Hebrew word
for Cain is Kaian. The word kaniti (meaning “gotten”) comes from
the Hebrew root kanah, which means “to acquire.” However, the
name Kaian (Cain) comes from another root, kin, which means “to
fashion,” “to shape,” “to give form to.” This root is used in
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Psalm 139:13: You did form my inward parts, and in Proverbs 8:22:
Jehovah formed me in the beginning. Adam’s first son is a creature who
was formed or given shape to. The linguistic connection between the
name and the getting is not based upon being of the same root, but
the linguistic connection is made strictly on the similarity of sound in
Hebrew. Nevertheless, the fact that it is based upon a similarity of
sounds again shows that the original language was Hebrew. Use of
the word for ish emphasizes Cain’s humanity.
Getting back to the linguistic significance of the use of direct
object in 4:1, the next phrase in the American Standard Version (ASV)
reads: with the help of Jehovah, but the phrase the help of is in italics
in the ASV to show it is not found in the Hebrew Text. In fact, the
Hebrew construction for Jehovah is the same as in the previous
phrase: bore Cain. Here again, there is the use of the direct object
[man] followed by God’s four-lettered Name. So literally, it reads: “I
have gotten a man: YHVH.” Because translators are not generally
theologians, they fail to see what is really happening here. Thinking
that Moses needed a bit of help in expressing himself, they have
added phrases such as the help of. Other translations have other
readings. However, the Hebrew literally reads “I have gotten a man:
Jehovah.” It is important to retain exactly what the Hebrew reads,
because the Hebrew shows that Eve’s understanding of Genesis 3:15
was that the Redeemer Who would come of the Seed of the Woman
was to be a God-Man: “I have gotten a man: Jehovah.” It is because
of this very obvious connotation that attempts are made to redo the
obvious meaning of the verse. The English translation with the help of
(or whatever) is not based upon the Hebrew. It is based on the
Septuagint, which reads dia ton Theou, meaning “through God.” This
was followed by the Latin Vulgate, which reads, Per Deum, meaning
“through God.” The Jerusalem Targum, the Aramaic translation of
the Hebrew Text, translated it as: “I have a gotten a man, the angel of
Jehovah.” The rabbis got it closer to the correct meaning and they
recognized something supernatural here. The Targum
Pseudo-Jonathan reads, “I have gotten for a man, the angel of the
Lord.” The Targum Onkelos reads “from before the Lord.” Therefore,
these translations and Aramaic paraphrases are seeing better what
the Hebrew is saying, so they either try to redo the verse or move
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away from its clear implication that this is a reference to the
God-Man. A rather interesting rabbinic tradition reads as follows:
Rabbi Ishmael asked Rabbi Akiba: Since you have
served Nahum of Gimzo for twenty-two years, [and
he taught] every ach and rach is a limitation while
every et and gam is an extension, tell me what is the
purpose of the et written here?” He replied, “If it is
said, ‘I have gotten a man, the Lord,’ it would have
been difficult to interpret. Hence, et, with the help
of the Lord is required.
The footnote of this Midrash states: “It might imply that she had
begotten the Lord.” The rabbis clearly understood the implications
of the construction, and so had to make the necessary adjustments.
The Peshitta reads: “I have gotten a man to the Lord.” A leading
rabbi, Saadia Gaon, read it, “from with the Lord.” Rashi translated it
as “with the Lord” and Nachmanides translated it as, “unto the Lord
for the service of the Lord.”32 Here again attempts are made to get
around the obvious. Reading the Hebrew text literally, Eve
understood the prophecy of 3:15 to refer to a God-Man.
Nevertheless, in Genesis 4:1, she made the assumption that Cain was
that God-Man. Eve’s interpretation of Cain’s birth is a good
example of correct theology with the wrong application. Cain was
not the God-Man, but the birth of Cain produced the initial hope.
Then, in 4:2a, is the birth of Abel: And again she bore his brother
Abel. The Hebrew construction again is the same as 4:1. With the
sign of the direct object, it literally reads, “she bore his brother:
Abel.” The Hebrew word for Abel is hevel, which means “vanity.”
Literally, his name means “a breath.” It emphasizes the brevity of
human life. It is used that way in Job 7:16: for my days are vanity or
of a breath; Psalm 144:4: Man is like to vanity or a breath. This
shows that by the time Abel is born, the curse of the Fall had begun
to make itself felt in the lives of Adam and Eve. Therefore, the birth
of Abel came during a time or a sense of vanity, and the hope of
32 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 22:2.
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Cain had failed. By the time of Abel, she had realized that whatever
Cain was, he was no God-Man. Rashi interprets the word et here as
an extension that is used three times. First, it means that Cain was
born with a twin sister. Second, Abel was born with two twin sisters.
Rashi interprets that to mean a total of three girls were born,
corresponding to the three times the word et, the Hebrew word for
the sign of a direct object, is used. Rashi is being imaginative in his
exegesis.
Genesis 4:2b deals with the occupations of Adam and Eve’s two
sons. As for Abel: Abel was a keeper of sheep. He was a sheepherder, a
shepherd. Since animals were not as yet used for food, the sheep were
used for milk, because the sheep include goats, and goat milk is
drinkable. Both were also used for clothing purposes, such as wool.
Furthermore, sheep were raised for the purpose of sacrifice. So the
sheep were used for milk, for clothing, and for sacrifices. As for Cain:
Cain [became] a tiller of the ground. He became a farmer to raise
vegetarian food, and so he followed his father’s profession, because
this was true of Adam before the Fall (2:15), as well as after the Fall
(3:24).
Then in 4:3-4a came the sacrifices, or better, the offerings. The
timing was: And in the process of time it came to pass. The Hebrew
literally reads “at the end of days,” meaning “at a specific appointed
time.” So already, this early in human history, there was a fixed time
in which the offerings were to be offered. It was clearly a regularly
prescribed time. This being so, this means that this was not the first
time sacrifices were offered or even the first time that Cain offered a
sacrifice. Previously, since Abel was the shepherd and Cain was the
farmer, in order to have a blood-sacrifice, Cain would have had to
purchase a sheep or a goat from his brother, Abel. However, this
time, he chose not to do it that way, but Cain brought of the fruit of
the ground an offering. The Hebrew word is minchah, which means
“an offering” in general terms. Nevertheless, in Cain’s case, it was
bloodless; and because it was bloodless, it was unacceptable. This is
an example of an act of religion, but apart from faith. He was only
going through the motions to try to discharge his duty. Although
God later did accept grain offerings, even the grain offerings of the
Mosaic Law always came in contact with blood. Therefore, what
Cain offered was from the fruit of the ground; and there is no
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indication as to its being of the best quality, no indication even that
it was of the first fruits. Bringing it unto Jehovah meant he brought it
to a specific place, to a prescribed place; but there is no mention of
an altar. So again, the place may well have been at the entrance to
the Garden of Eden, where the presence of the Shechinah Glory was
manifested. Then came the offering of Abel: And Abel, he also brought
of the firstlings of his flock. Abel’s offering was different from Cain’s in
two ways: It was a firstling, a firstborn; and it was a blood sacrifice.
The text adds that Abel brought of the fat thereof, which was viewed
as the best part (Lev. 3:16). For Abel, this sacrifice was an act of
faith, to perform his spiritual duty. The mention of the fat shows
that the issue was the sacrifice of blood. Popular relational theology
tries to claim that the whole thing was an issue of attitude, that Cain
had the wrong attitude but Abel had the right attitude. However,
there is simply no indication of this in the text, and the thrust of
Scripture is that the problem was a lack of blood, as shown in
Hebrews: By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than
Cain (Heb. 11:4); Messiah’s blood that speaks better than that of Abel
(Heb. 12:24). The clear emphasis here is on blood, not merely
attitude. Both Cain and Abel were sinners; both were born after the
Fall and outside the Garden of Eden; both had the same parents, the
same upbringing, the same environment, and the same knowledge.
However, Cain’s offering was not of faith, while Abel’s offering was
an act of faith in response to revelation and knowledge.
In Genesis 4:4b-5a, God responds. In verse 4b, God responds to
Abel’s offering: And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering.
He respected Abel’s faith, and He had respect for Abel’s offering,
because it was of the prescribed type. It was a firstling, and it had
blood. Just how God showed His acceptance, it does not say.
According to Rashi, it was accepted by fire descending out of
Heaven and consuming it. Although there is no indication of this in
the text, it is clear that it was made obvious in some way. In verse 5a,
God responds to Cain’s offering: He had not respect. God rejected
Cain because Cain had no faith, and his lack of faith showed in the
type of offering he offered. God had no respect for Cain’s offering
because it was not the first-fruits and there was no blood involved.
Genesis 4:5b records the reaction of Cain: Cain was very angry,
and his countenance fell. Jude 11 mentions the way of Cain; and the
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way of Cain is rejecting God’s way and then becoming angry when
God does not accept one’s own way to God.
Genesis 4:6-7 reports on God’s response to Cain’s anger. In
verse 6, God responded with two questions: Why are you angry? and
Why is your countenance fallen? These were rhetorical questions not
requiring answers. Then in verse 7, God gave a warning to Cain, but
also gave him instruction: If you do well, shall it not be lifted up? To do
well in this context means to offer a proper sacrifice, to obey God’s
Word. If Cain does so, it shall be lifted up. What shall be lifted up? It
could be his countenance or it could also be the offering. The Targum
Onkelos reads, “It will be forgiven you,” because it is used that way in
Genesis 18:24 and 18:26. Other rabbis interpret being lifted up as
meaning, “You will be exalted above your brother, because you are the
firstborn.” Then God added: If you do not well, meaning if Cain does
not bring a proper sacrifice, then: Sin couches at the door. Here is the
first use of the word sin. He pictures sin as crouching like a lion ready
to spring forth, the same imagery found in Genesis 49:9. Rashi writes
that the word sin here is feminine because sin is personified as a
crouching beast. He then goes on to say that it refers to the evil
inclination, which continually desires to make man sin. The Hebrew
word for crouches is roveitz. In Akkadian, one of the ancient Near
Eastern languages, the word for crouching is used of a governmental
official. However, the word literally means “to crouch,” “to lie down,”
or “to bow down beneath a heavy burden.” The latter is the way the
word is used in Exodus 23:5 and Numbers 22:27. Then God added:
Unto you shall be its desire, meaning the sin nature wishes to rule Cain.
The point is that the sin will long for him; that is, it will try to have
dominion over him and to make him crouch down to the ground. But
God instructed: But do you rule over it, and Cain’s obligation is to
master it. Here is the echo of Genesis 3:16. The following paraphrase
of the verse summarizes the teaching of this verse: “If you do well, you
will stand upright. If you do not well and continue to sin, this sin will
be the burden that will cause you to crouch upon the ground.” The
Targum gives the following paraphrase: “If you will amend your ways,
your sins shall be forgiven; but if you will not amend your ways, your
sin awaits you for your day of judgment when you will be punished if
you will not repent. But if you repent, it will be forgiven you.” Another
paraphrase: “If you do well, will there not be acceptance for you?
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However, if you do not well, sin is lying at the door like a crouching
beast ready to spring upon you; onto you is sin’s desire. But you should
rule over it.” One last paraphrase: “If you do or offer not well, even
then there is a sin offering ready at hand for use as a propitiation. And
not only so, but Abel, your brother, will submit himself to you as the
firstborn, and you will exercise your right of authority over him.”
These are all possible ways of expanding the full meaning of verse 7.
Genesis 4:8 records the first murder in history. It begins with:
And Cain told Abel his brother. Rashi interprets this to mean that Cain
started a conversation with Abel in order to draw him into a quarrel.
However, the thrust of the words means that Cain lured Abel to the
field, away from the public eye. That is the way the terminology is
used in Deuteronomy 22:25-27. Other texts read as follows: “Let us
go out into the field.” It reads that way in the Septuagint, the
Samaritan Text, and in the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. Then the verse
goes on to say: And it came to pass, when they were in the field.
Whatever it was that Cain told Abel, it resulted in the two being out
in the field. After Abel was lured out into the field by Cain, then:
Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. This is the first
homicide and also the first fratricide, the killing of a brother. This
was the death of a righteous man, so emphasized in Matthew 23:35
and Luke 11:51. First John 3:12 states: Cain was of the evil one, and
slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his works were evil,
and his brother’s righteous.
The first eight verses of Genesis 4 are written in the form of a
chiasm arranged as follows:
Cain’s birth - Abel’s birth
Abel’s occupation - Cain’s occupation
Cain’s offering - Abel’s offering
Abel’s acceptance - Cain’s rejection
Cain’s reaction - Abel’s death
Genesis 4:9-15 details the judgment upon Cain. In verse 9, God’s
inquisition begins: And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel your
brother? Of course, God knows. This is pedagogic, a teaching question
to get Cain to confess. Cain’s answer was: I know not. This is the first
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human lie. He compounds the problem by saying: am I my brother’s
keeper? Here is the first human question in the Bible. Cain’s question
is actually a rejection of God’s question as being inappropriate.
However, in 4:10, God takes on the role of a prosecutor: And he
said, What have you done? This question was an accusation. Then God
said: The voice of your brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground. This
is the first mention of blood, and it cries out for vindication.
In Genesis 4:11-12, God issues the curse of Cain. In verse 11 is
the curse of the blood: And now cursed are you from the ground; the
cursing is of the ground from which Cain made his living. So the
very ground from which Cain made his living is now cursed further.
Furthermore, this ground has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s
blood from your hand. The picture of the earth opening its mouth is
found several times. In Numbers 16:30-35, the earth opened its
mouth and swallowed Korah; in Deuteronomy 11:6, the earth
opened its mouth swallowing Dathan and Abiram; in Psalm 106:17,
the earth swallowed up Dathan and Abiram; and in Isaiah 5:14,
Sheol opens its mouth. Now the earth opens its mouth here to
swallow the blood of Abel. Because the blood cries out to be
vindicated, verse 12 describes Cain’s punishment. First, he loses his
“green thumb,” when you till the ground, it shall not henceforth yield
unto you its strength. Therefore, Cain’s curse will come from the
ground just as his brother’s blood cries out from the ground. Second,
Cain is to become a vagabond, a fugitive and a wanderer…in the
earth, an aimless wanderer, who will be rootless and detached. Cain
was not punished by execution, since the death penalty would not be
put into effect until 9:6.
Genesis 4:13-15 deals with the mark of Cain. Cain’s complaint
is presented in verses 13-14. The basis is in verse 13: And Cain said
unto Jehovah, My punishment is greater than I can bear. The word
punishment literally means “my iniquity.” My iniquity is greater than I
can bear. Adam did not protest his expulsion from the Garden, but
Cain, a greater sinner, objects to his. He declared his iniquity was
too great to be forgiven. Cain now recognizes his sin and its
punishment. In verse 14, he lists his fourfold punishment. First he
states, Behold, you have driven me out this day from the face of the
ground, recognizing the loss of his farming ability. Second, he states:
and from your face shall I be hid; there will now no longer be fellowship
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between God and Cain. Third, Cain states: I shall be a fugitive and a
wanderer in the earth; he now becomes a vagabond and a nomad.
Fourth, Cain states: It will come to pass, that whosoever finds me will
slay me, which opens Cain up to be killed by anyone. This is an ironic
complaint since he himself has become the first murderer. What
Cain’s statement shows is that already at this point other people were
in existence. The statement in 5:4 about Adam and Eve bearing
many other sons and daughters was already in process. Therefore, by
this time, it was not only Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel who were
around, but there were already others around. Cain fears one of these
others will kill him for murdering Abel.
In Genesis 4:15, God gives His response. The declaration is:
And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slays Cain, vengeance
shall be taken on him sevenfold. The term sevenfold means a perfect
measure. The rabbis interpret this to mean that Cain cannot be
killed until seven generations go by, and then he may be killed. As
will be seen later, the rabbis believe he was killed. However, biblically
speaking, God displayed His grace, because Cain received divine
protection. Then came the mark: Jehovah appointed a sign for Cain.
The purpose of the sign was: lest any finding him should smite him.
The exact nature of the sign is unknown, but it was obviously visible
because the same word is used in Exodus 12:13 and 12:23 of the
visible Passover blood and in Joshua 2:18 of the visible scarlet thread.
Furthermore, this sign was widely known, as Genesis 4:24 makes
clear. The rabbis presented five different views for what this sign
was: First, that God put on Cain one letter of his four-lettered
Name; second, that He put all four letters of His Name; third, that
He made Cain leprous so others were afraid to touch him; fourth,
the sign was a watchdog to warn of approaching danger; and fifth, it
was a horn on his head to fight off any attacker.
2. Line of Cain - 4:16-24
16And Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah,
and dwelled in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bore
Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the
city, after the name of his son, Enoch. 18And unto Enoch
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was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael
begat Methushael; and Methushael begat Lamech. 19And
Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one
was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20And Adah
bore Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents and
have cattle. 21And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was
the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe. 22And
Zillah, she also bore Tubal-cain, the forger of every
cutting instrument of brass and iron: and the sister of
Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23And Lamech said unto his
wives:
Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
Ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech:
For I have slain a man for wounding me,
And a young man for bruising me:
24If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold,
Truly Lamech seventy and seven-fold.
The line of Cain is characterized by the development of the arts
and crafts in order to make life easier, and his descendants can be
called artistic technocrats. Verse 16 begins with the wandering of
Cain: Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah. Obviously, Cain
cannot get away from God’s omnipresence, so here we are dealing
with the localized presence of the Shechinah Glory. Cain went away
from the entry point of the Garden of Eden, and he dwelled in the
land of Nod. The word Nod means “wandering.” He had no
permanent residency; he went from place to place. It goes on to say:
on the east of Eden, and so Cain is compelled to leave the presence of
God eastward of Eden, from God’s very visible presence at the entry
of the Garden of Eden.
In Genesis 4:17, the line begins with Enoch. The opening
statement: and Cain knew his wife has led to a common question,
“Where did Cain get his wife?” Coming from unbelievers this is
usually more of a smoke screen than anything else. As will be seen in
the next chapter, in Genesis 5:4, Adam and Eve had many daughters
as well as sons. Therefore, he could have easily married his sister,
which was allowable at this stage of human history, since actual
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prohibition did not go into effect until the Mosaic Law. On the
other hand, if enough time had transpired, he might also have
married his niece, or even his grandniece in light of the longevity at
that time. There really is no problem with deciding biblically where
Cain got his wife. Then it states: She conceived, and bore Enoch. In
Hebrew, it is pronounced Chanoch and the word means “consecration
or dedication.” In fact, that name is the same Hebrew root as the
name Chanukkah, which is the Feast of Dedication. Then it states:
He builded a city. In Hebrew, it is in the participial form meaning “he
was building.” Therefore, Cain started building a city, but it probably
means that Enoch was the one to finish it since Cain might have
needed to go on and wander again. Perhaps Cain was trying to cease
from wandering by building a city; but if so, it was an act of defiance
against God’s decree for him. Cain thus became a city man, since the
curse made him lose his green thumb. Finally: He called the name of
the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
Genesis 4:18a comes to the next one in line, Irad: And unto
Enoch was born Irad, meaning “city man.”
Then in 4:18b: Irad begat Mehujael, which means “God makes
me live” showing that even in Cain’s line there apparently were some
believers.
Next, in 4:18c: Mehujael begat Methushael, meaning “man of
God” or “man of prayer,” again indicating there were believers in
Cain’s line.
In 4:18d-24 is the family of Lamech: and Methushael begat
Lamech (18d). The name means “warrior,” “conqueror,” or “strong
youth.” This generation was the seventh from Adam.
Genesis 4:19 speaks of the wives of Lamech: Lamech took unto
him two wives. This is the first case of bigamy and polygamy, which
by itself was never expressly forbidden by Scripture. The names of his
two wives have sensual connotations: the name of the one was Adah.
Adah in Hebrew means “adorned” or “ornament.” According to
rabbinic interpretation, she was the wife for the purpose of
child-bearing. The name of the other was Zillah, meaning “shady,”
“twinkle,” or “tingling.” According to rabbinic view, she was the one
for sexual pleasure.
Genesis 4:20-21 deals with the children of the first wife, Adah,
who provided him with two sons. The first one was Jabal: And Adah
TOLDOT of the Heavens and the Earth
125
bore Jabal, meaning “producer” or “procession.” The root of this word
means “to yield,” “to produce,” “to bring in procession.” Concerning
him: He was the father of such as dwell in tents. He was the originator
of tent dwellers; he was the originator of the nomadic life style, as is
typical of the Bedouins today. So previously, while this line moved
into the city, this generation moved out of the city. It also states that
he was the father of such as have cattle, meaning he was also the
originator of pastoral life. Since Abel was a shepherd, how is it
possible to call Jabal the father of such as have cattle? There are two
possible explanations. The first explanation is that he was the
originator of pastoral life again, because it fell into disuse after Abel.
Or a second possible explanation is that Abel was stationary, while
this one moved from place to place. Furthermore, there is a different
Hebrew word used here than in the case of Abel. The one used here
is more comprehensive; it also includes camels and donkeys, which
are not included in what Abel raised. According to the Jewish
tradition, this son was the first to build temples to idols. Verse 21
introduces the second son, Jubal: His brother’s name was Jubal,
meaning “producer.” It is the same basic word as the word “jubilee.”
He was the originator of musical instruments: He was the father of all
such as handle the harp, which refers to stringed instruments, and pipe,
which refers to wind instruments. So Jubal is the originator of both
the stringed and wind instruments. Both brothers’ names come from
the same root. They are responsible for producing technology to
make life easier and to reduce the effects of the curse.
Genesis 4:22 presents the children of the second wife, Zillah.
The first one is Tubal-cain: And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-cain,
meaning “one who has acquired production.” The Hebrew root here
is exactly the same as for the other two brothers. In this case, they
were his two half-brothers. This one was the originator of metal
works: the forger of every cutting instrument, which would include brass
(and brass includes copper and bronze), and also iron. These are the
beginnings of metallurgy. In addition to a son, this one also gave him
a daughter named Naamah: the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
Naamah means “pleasant,” “graceful,” “gorgeous.” Normally, a sister’s
name is not mentioned, but apparently, she must have been
somewhat significant in the line. According to Rashi, this one
became Noah’s wife, but again, there is no biblical evidence of it.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
126
Genesis 4:23-24 records the Song of Lamech. This song was
addressed to his wives: And Lamech said unto his wives. This is the
first poem or song in the Bible, but it is a song of defiance against
God. The song is comprised of three couplets. The first couplet is:
Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
Ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech.
This is written in Hebrew poetry. Hebrew poetry was not based on
rhythm and rhyme, but on parallelism, so that the second line
somehow refers back to the first line, as is the case with the first
couplet: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Ye wives of Lamech, (which
parallels Adah and Zillah) hearken unto my speech (which parallels hear
my voice). The second couplet is:
For I have slain a man for wounding me,
And a young man for bruising me.
The second couplet shows he was bragging about his prowess in
combat and his ability to defeat a younger warrior. A young man
wounded Lamech and, in vengeance, he murdered him, which went
beyond the basic need for self-defense. It was the law of the jungle; it
was pride and self-justification. According to rabbinic tradition,
Lamech was blind, and so was led around by his son Tubal-cain to
go hunting. Now Tubal-cain happened to see Cain but told Lamech
that there was a deer in front of him. Therefore, Lamech shot an
arrow and killed Cain. When Lamech realized what really happened,
he then went ahead and also killed Tubal-cain, and that was the
young man that he killed. The third couplet is:
If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold,
Truly Lamech seventy and seven-fold.
The point of the third couplet is that whoever hurts Lamech will
receive in retaliation from Lamech ten times greater vengeance than
that which God promised to Cain. While Cain felt the need for
divine protection, Lamech boasts in his own self-security. Lamech
TOLDOT of the Heavens and the Earth
127
teaches to avenge seventy times, while Messiah teaches to forgive
seventy times seven (Matt. 18:22).
Three observations can be made of this section before moving on
to the next one. First, there are seven generations in Cain’s line, and
Adam died in the seventh generation. For that reason, probably, that
is as far as that record goes. (See figure 1.) Second, Jude 11 describes
the way of Cain; and from this account, the way of Cain includes
committing murder (v. 8), lying about it (vv. 9-12), pitying himself
(v. 13), separating himself from God (vv. 14-16), and seeking worldly
security (v. 17). The ultimate Way of Cain is seeking one’s own way to
God in place of the way God has preordained. All false religions
follow the Way of Cain. The third observation is to note the world
development during these seven generations. By this time, some have
an urban lifestyle, but others have a nomadic lifestyle. Both the urban
lifestyle and the nomadic lifestyle develop contemporaneously. Three
crafts were developed: cattle raising, metal working for tools and
weapons, and the making of musical instruments. Other developments
include polygamy, the ability to write, and poetry.
Figure 1. Line of Cain
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128
3. Line of Seth - 4:25-26
25And Adam knew his wife again; and she bore a
son, and called his name Seth: For, said she, God has
appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew
him. 26And to Seth, to him also there was born a son;
and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call
upon the name of Jehovah.
The focus is on Seth in verse 25: And Adam knew his wife again;
he knew her in the sense of sexual intercourse and in the sense of
being sexually successful in that a child was produced. In addition,
the result was: and she bore a son. She named him: and called his name
Seth, meaning “appointed.” The root meaning of this name is
“foundation,” because here is the foundation for a new line, the line
of Seth. The reason she named him Seth is: For…God has appointed
me another seed instead of Abel. This was a seed to replace Abel, since
he died before producing children. Therefore, of all the other sons to
be mentioned in 5:4, Seth was the Seed-Son, appointed to continue
the Seed of the Woman. This shows Eve’s recognition of God’s
program, and a development of spiritual maturity in her. Finally, she
gave the reason: for Cain slew him. When Cain slew Abel, he cut off
Abel’s line because at that point Abel did not produce any further
seed. Nevertheless, there is recognition that Seth is the continuity.
The fact that she did the naming shows a mother’s authority over her
children.
Genesis 4:26 continues the line with only one more generation
before the first toldot ends, and that is Enosh: And to Seth, to him also
there was born a son, showing that this line was not cut off as it was
with Abel. And he called his name Enosh, meaning “frail man.” It
emphasizes mortal frailty and human frailty. The name puts the
emphasis on the weakness of humanity. Psalm 103:15 reflects this
weakness. The word is used: As for man, [Enosh] his days are as grass,
[that flourishes] As a flower of the field. Then Genesis 4:26 concludes:
Then began men to call upon the name of Jehovah. This means a
religious turning point occurred in Enosh’s lifetime. The phrase to
call upon the name of Jehovah is a Hebrew phrase referring to regular
TOLDOT of the Heavens and the Earth
129
public worship. The content of this new religious turning point is the
beginnings of regular public worship.
Three observations can be made concerning this toldot, the first
concerning the concept of naming. In this toldot, Adam named the
animals, and he named his wife. Nevertheless, Eve named at least
two of the sons, Cain and Seth. This shows that the woman also
enjoyed a measure or degree of authority.
The second observation has to do with the prominence of the
figure seven. The name Abel appears seven times. The name Cain
appears fourteen times, which is two times seven. The references to
“brother” in pronoun form (your, his, mine), also appear seven times.
Cain is to be avenged sevenfold. Lamech is to be avenged seventy
times seven. There are seven generations from Adam to Lamech. All
names listed in Cain’s family, counting parents and sisters, total
fourteen, which is two times seven. The word “name” appears seven
times. By combining Genesis chapters 2-4, the word land is found
seven times; the word field is found seven times; the word ground is
found seven times; and the combined usage of Adonai and Elohim, or
Jehovah and God, appears thirty-five times, which is five times
seven. In chapters 1-5, the combined usage of Adonai and Elohim
appears a total of seventy times, which is ten times seven. All this
shows that this record is not a combination of records inscribed
together by an anonymous redactor, but by a divinely inspired
singular author.
The third observation is to note New Testament quotations and
applications. There are four things to note. First, the blood of Abel is
referred to by Jesus in Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:51, which
became understood as a type for the persecution and martyrdom of
believers. In Hebrews 12:24, the blood of Abel is the type of
Messiah’s blood. Second, I John 3:11-12 notes that Cain is an
example of one who did not love his brother: Cain was of the evil one,
meaning Satan; and Cain murdered because his own deeds were evil.
Third, according to Jude 11, the usage of the phrase the way of Cain
means false religion, just as Cain was guilty of murder and seeking
his own way to God through an inappropriate offering. Fourth,
Hebrews 11:4 teaches that Abel’s offering was an offering of faith.
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III. Toldot of Adam - 5:1 - 6:8
A. Introduction - 5:1-2
1This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the
day that God created man, in the likeness of God made
he him; 2male and female created he them, and blessed
them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they
were created.
These verses contain the introduction to a new toldot. In
verse 1a: This is the book of the generations of Adam, that is, this toldot
relays what became of Adam. There is a slight difference in the title
here in that it mentions the book of, and the Hebrew word is seipher.
This is the first mention of a book or more correctly, a scroll, in the
Book of Genesis. This again shows that these toldot sections were
individually written; and therefore Moses was primarily a compiler.
While the phrase these are the generations of appears a total of eleven
times in Genesis, the phrase This is the book of the generations of is
used only once in Genesis. The only other time it appears that way is
in Matthew 1:1: The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, a logical
connection since the Messiah is the Last Adam.
Genesis 5:1b-2 summarizes the first toldot of Genesis (2:4 - 4:26).
It says: In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he
him. Since man was created in the image of God in the previous toldot,
this chapter is concerned about the passing down of this image
through the succeeding generations. Furthermore, Genesis 5:2a states:
male and female created he them, further summarizing the first toldot.
God blessed them, which He did in the Edenic Covenant; and called
their name Adam. Here Adam is not used as a proper name of the first
man, but in the generic sense of humanity or mankind. Hence, God
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132
called their (plural) name Adam (singular). The timing was: in the day
when they were created, and they were created on the sixth day of
creation.
B. Genealogy of the Seed Line - 5:3-32
1. Adam - 5:3-5
3And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat
a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his
name Seth: 4and the days of Adam after he begat Seth
were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and
daughters. 5And all the days that Adam lived were nine
hundred and thirty years: and he died.
The passage begins in verse 3 by giving Adam’s age at the time
of the birth of the seed-son: Adam lived a hundred thirty years [130]
and begat a son. Adam means “mankind,” but here it is used
individually of his personal name. The status of the seed-son was: in
his own likeness, after his image. Here the text states that Adam had a
son, not in the image of God, but in the likeness and the image of
Adam, because man is now born inheriting Adam’s fallen nature.
While he still has the image of God, he also has the image of Adam
in that he inherits Adam’s fallen nature and so it is a fallen image. As
to his name, he called his name Seth or “foundation.”
Next, in 5:4, comes the number of years after the birth of the
seed-son: And the days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight hundred
[800] years. During that time, he begat sons and daughters. This shows
that while only three sons were named, other sons were born as well
as an unknown number of daughters. This solves the common
question as to the origin of Cain’s wife.
Then 5:5 records the total years: And all the days that Adam lived
were nine hundred and thirty [930] years. The concluding statement
shows the result of Adam’s sin: and he died.
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133
2. Seth - 5:6-8
6And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begat
Enosh: 7and Seth lived after he begat Enosh eight
hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:
8and all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve
years: and he died.
Verse 6 deals with Seth’s age at the birth of the seed-son: And
Seth lived a hundred and five [105] years, and begat Enosh. Again, Seth
means “appointed” or “foundation.”
Genesis 5:7 gives the years after the birth of the seed-son: And
Seth lived after he begat Enosh eight hundred and seven [807] years and
begat sons and daughters. Although only the seed-son is named in this
section; nevertheless, it points out that he was not the only child.
Each son begat many other sons and daughters, causing the earth to
become populated.
Genesis 5:8 gives the totality of his years: and all the days of Seth
were nine hundred and twelve [912] years: and he died.
3. Enosh - 5:9-11
9And Enosh lived ninety years, and begat Kenan.
10and Enosh lived after he begat Kenan eight hundred
and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: 11and all
the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years: and
he died.
Verse 9 gives the age at the birth of the seed-son: And Enosh
lived ninety [90] years, and begat Kenan. Enosh means “frailty” or
“humanity” in its weakness.
Then 5:10 gives the years after the birth of the seed-son: Enosh
lived after he begat Kenan eight hundred and fifteen [815] years, and
begat sons and daughters.
Then 5:11 gives his total years: And all the days of Enosh were nine
hundred and five [905] years: and he died.
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4. Kenan - 5:12-14
12And Kenan lived seventy years, and begat
Mahalalel: 13and Kenan lived after he begat Mahalalel
eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and
daughters: 14and all the days of Kenan were nine
hundred and ten years: and he died.
Genesis 5:12 gives the age of Kenan at the birth of the seed-son:
And Kenan lived seventy [70] years, and begat Mahalalel. Kenan means
“smith,” and so his name is similar to Cain.
Genesis 5:13 gives the years after the birth of the seed-son: and
Kenan lived after he begat Mahalalel eight hundred and forty [840]
years, and begat sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:14 gives the total years: and all the days of Kenan were
nine hundred and ten [910] years: and he died.
5. Mahalalel - 5:15-17
15And Mahalalel lived sixty and five years, and
begat Jared: 16And Mahalalel lived after he begat Jared
eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and
daughters: 17and all the days of Mahalalel were eight
hundred ninety and five years: and he died.
Verse 15 gives Mahalalel’s age at the birth of Jared the seed-son:
And Mahalalel lived sixty five [65] years, and begat Jared. The name
Mahalalel means “praise of God.”
Genesis 5:16 gives the years after the birth of the seed-son: And
Mahalalel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty [830] years,
and begat sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:17 gives the total years: and all the days of Mahalalel
were eight hundred and ninety five [895] years: and he died.
6. Jared - 5:18-20
18And Jared lived a hundred sixty and two years,
and begat Enoch: 19and Jared lived after he begat Enoch
TOLDOT of Adam
135
eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
20And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and
two years: and he died.
Verse 18 gives the age at the birth of Jared’s seed-son: And Jared
lived a hundred and sixty and two [162] years, and begat Enoch. Jared
means “descent.”
Genesis 5:19 gives Jared’s years after the birth of his seed-son:
and Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred [800] years, and begat
sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:20 gives the total years: and all the days of Jared were
nine hundred sixty two [962] years: and he died.
7. Enoch - 5:21-24
21And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat
Methuselah: 22and Enoch walked with God after he
begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons
and daughters: 23and all the days of Enoch were three
hundred sixty and five years: 24and Enoch walked with
God: and he was not; for God took him.
So far, every previous section followed, almost word for word, a
specific pattern where the only changes were the names and
numbers. There is only one variation so far, and that was in the case
of Adam, which mentioned Adam’s siring a son in his own image, in
his own likeness. However, after Adam, the pattern was word for
word the same. But with Enoch, there is a second variation.
Genesis 5:21 gives Enoch’s age at the birth of his seed-son:
Enoch lived sixty and five [65] years, and begat Methuselah. There is an
interesting contrast between the father and the son, Enoch and
Methuselah, because the father does not die; in fact, he has the
shortest life span on earth from all the ones listed. In contrast to that,
his son Methuselah will have the longest life span and will even be the
longest living person on earth. Enoch and Lamech are the only two
names that are in both Seth’s line and in Cain’s line. The name
Enoch means “dedication” or “consecration,” and he is the seventh
from Adam in Seth’s line. Seven generations was as far as Cain’s line
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136
was detailed in the text, but Seth’s line will be carried further in the
following verses.
Genesis 5:22 gives Enoch’s years after the birth of his seed-son:
and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred
[300] years. This may indicate that Enoch only began walking with
God after the birth of his seed-son. Because Enoch had the shortest
life span on earth, his own father outlived him by 435 years. Enoch
also begat sons and daughters. Although he had the shortest life span,
he produced more children than just the seed-son.
Genesis 5:23 gives Enoch’s total years: and all the days of Enoch
were three hundred sixty and five [365] years.
Finally, in Genesis 5:24, Enoch is translated: and Enoch walked
with God. The Hebrew word here is hithaleich, the same word used
of God walking around the Garden of Eden; this term emphasizes
fellowship and communion, the service of a loyal servant. Jude 14-15
states that Enoch was a preacher of righteousness and a prophet. He
was the seventh from Adam, so he was approximately a
contemporary with the Lamech of Cain’s line. The contrast is that
while Lamech was one who was not in conformity with God, Enoch
was. In one of the ancient documents from Sumaria called The
Sumarian King List, the seventh king in the line was said to be
intimate with the gods and well versed in occult practices. This was
not true of Enoch, of course; but it is interesting that there is a
correlation here with this ancient document, which may be
presenting a convoluted polytheistic version of the true account of
Genesis. Instead of saying and he died, as has been the case so far, the
verse simply reads: and he was not. These four words are only one
word in Hebrew, and the meaning is that he “disappeared.” It means
he was “raptured” or “translated” alive (Heb. 11:5). The reason is: for
God took him. So in contrast to and he died, the expression is for God
took him. According to two of the Aramaic paraphrases, the Targum
Jonathan and the Targum Onkelos, Enoch ascended to Heaven alive
and became Metatron, who in rabbinic Angelology is the key leading
angel. However, that claim is not a unanimous rabbinic view, and
some claimed that Enoch did die. In fact, one point of debate
between early Messianic Jews and the rabbis was over this very point:
TOLDOT of Adam
137
Some minim asked Rabbi Abbahu: We do not find
that Enoch died? He inquired: How so? Said they:
“taking” is employed here, and also in connection
with Elijah. He answered: if you stress the word
“taking,” then “taking” is employed while in Ezekiel,
Behold I take away from you the desire of your eyes.31
His point is that “taking” is also used of death. Rashi says Enoch
died while he was a righteous man, but his mind was easily swayed to
turn away and do evil. Therefore, God took him quickly, and he died
before his time. Rashi’s view of Enoch is simply the opposite of what
is actually stated in the text, and he also disagrees with the much
earlier Targumim.
8. Methuselah - 5:25-27
25And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven
years, and begat Lamech: 26and Methuselah lived after
he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years,
and begat sons and daughters. 27And all the days of
Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and
he died.
Now the text goes back to the basic format. Verse 25 gives the
age and the birth of Methuselah’s seed-son: And Methuselah lived a
hundred eighty and seven [187] years, and begat Lamech. In Hebrew,
Methuselah may mean “man of the spear,” or more likely “when he
dies, it shall be sent.” If this is true, his name was given to him
prophetically. “It shall be sent” was a prophecy of the Flood, as
Methuselah’s father, who was also functioning as a prophet
according to Jude 14-15, gave him this name. Indeed, according to
the chronology of Genesis, the very year Methuselah died was when
the Flood came.
31 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 25:1.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
138
Genesis 5:26 gives Methuselah’s years after his seed-son: and
Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two
[782] years, and begat sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:27 gives his total years: and all the days of Methuselah
were nine hundred sixty and nine [969] years, making him the oldest
man who ever lived. Indeed, his long life was a sign of God’s grace:
As long as Methuselah was living, the Flood would not come. The
Flood came only after he died. As long as he was living, man was
given the chance to repent (II Pet. 3:8-9). He was about 850 years
old when Noah began building the ark.
9. Lamech - 5:28-31
28And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two
years, and begat a son: 29and he called his name Noah,
saying, This same shall comfort us in our work and in
the toil of our hands, which comes because of the ground
which Jehovah had cursed. 30And Lamech lived after he
begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and
begat sons and daughters: 31And all the days of Lamech
were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he
died.
This section presents a third variation from the usual fixed
format in this toldot. Verse 28 gives Lamech’s age at the birth of his
seed-son: Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two [182] years, and begat
a son. The name Lamech means “warrior” or “conqueror.”
Then comes the break from the norm. In Genesis 5:29, Lamech
names his seed-son: He called his name Noah: saying, This same shall
comfort us. The Hebrew word for comfort is nacham; hence, Noah
means “comfort.” Here again is a word play that only works in
Hebrew. The name was given on the assumption that Noah was the
Seed of the Woman or the Messiah: This same shall comfort us in our
work and in the toil of our hands, which comes because of the ground
which Jehovah had cursed, in reference to the Adamic curse. Lamech
made the same mistake that Eve made. When Cain was born, Eve
thought that he was the Messiah. When Lamech sired Noah, he
recognized that Noah was going to play an important role in human
TOLDOT of Adam
139
history. But he misinterpreted that role, and Lamech thought that
Noah was the Messiah and would remove the Adamic curse from the
earth. So Lamech recognized that Noah was a special person in the
will and plan of God, but made the wrong application. The rabbis
asked the question, “How did Lamech know?” The ground was
cursed because of the havoc of Adam for how long? Until one is born
circumcised. And because Noah was born circumcised, that is how
Lamech knew. All this is purely rabbinic tradition.
Genesis 5:30 deals with Lamech’s years after the birth of his
seed-son: And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and
five [595] years, and begat sons and daughters. These were Noah’s
siblings, many if not all of whom would die in the Flood.
Genesis 5:31 presents the total years: And all the days of Lamech
were seven hundred seventy and seven [777] years. Therefore, his father
Methuselah outlived him by five years and he [Lamech] died.
10. Noah - 5:32
And Noah was five hundred years old: And Noah
begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The name Noah means “comfort” or “rest.” Noah was five
hundred years old by the time he had three sons. This statement does
not mean that his sons were triplets, only that all were born by the
time Noah was 500 years old. He named the three sons Shem, Ham,
and Japheth. Shem means “name”; Ham means “hot”; and Japheth
means “beauty.”
By way of conclusion of this section, some observations can be
noted. The first observation is based on the data in table 7.
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140
Table 7. Years and Ages of Adam’s Seed Line:
Adam to Noah
Yr. of
Father’
s
Father’s Age
at Birth of
Yrs. Lived
A
fter Birt
h
Father’
s
T
otal
Yr. of
Fathe
r
’
s
Fathe
r
Birth
*
of Seed-Son*
*
of Seed-Son
Ag
eDeat
h
A
dam 1 130 800 930 930
L
X
X
**: 230 LX
X
: 700
Seth 130 105 807 912 1042
LX
X
:205 LX
X
: 707
Enosh 235 90 815 905 1140
LX
X
:190 LX
X
: "715
Kenan 325 70 840 910 1235
LX
X
:170 LX
X
: 740
Mahalalel 395 65 830 895 1290
LX
X
:165 LX
X
: 730
J
ared 460 162 800 962 1422
Sam.*** 62 Sam. 785 Sam. 847
Enoch 622 65 300 365 987
LX
X
:165 LX
X
: 200
Methuselah 687 187 782 969 1656
LX
X
:167 LX
X
: 802
Sam. 67 Sam. 653 Sam. 720
Lamech 874 182 595 777 1651
LX
X
:188 LX
X
: 565 LX
X
:753
Sam. 53 Sam. 600 Sam. 653
Noah 1056 (500) 450 950 2006
•
T
he Flood 1156 600
* Counted from creation.
** LXX indicates the data according to the Septuagint.
*** Sam. = Samaritan Text
TOLDOT of Adam
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Table 7 shows the ten names from Adam to Noah with the
various figures presented. The dates given are not based on B.C. or
A.D., but upon A.H., meaning ano homini or “the year of man.”
Because there is sometimes a variation between the Hebrew
Masoretic Text and the Septuagint Text (LXX), which is the Greek
translation of an older Hebrew document, this chart also gives the
variations of the LXX. Beside the Septuagint, another document
known as the Samaritan Text or the Samaritan Torah, also gives age
variations that differ from the Masoretic Text; and these are also
noted on the chart. The Samaritan Text document is still owned by
the Samaritan community.
A second observation is that all these ten names are Hebrew
names and only make sense in Hebrew, although Jewish history has
not yet begun. Moreover, all these people and their names existed
prior to the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, again indicating that the
first language was the Hebrew language.
A third observation is that there are no gaps in the genealogy.
Some try to put gaps into the genealogy in order to accommodate the
scientific long age of man, but the wording does not allow for that. If
the text only said begat, then that would be permissible since the
word “begat” does not always require direct father/son relationship.
It could mean grandfather, great grandfather, or ancestors and so on.
Nevertheless, the wording in this section does not allow for that
interpretation. The text does not say simply begat. It gives the years
before and after the birth of the seed-son. So this type of language
simply does not allow gaps to occur.
Fourth: The years here are normal years. They are not months,
as some people have tried to make them, again, only to accommodate
the assumption that no one could have ever lived as long as the Bible
shows them living. If months were indicated rather than years, some
of these people would have given birth to children while they were
themselves children.
Fifth: From Adam to the Flood was 1,656 years, according to
the Masoretic Text. The Septuagint version gives 2,242 years, and the
Samaritan Text gives 1,307 years. This commentator largely follows
the Masoretic Text.
Sixth: Not one of the seed-sons died in the Flood. Each one died
before the Flood, with one dying in the year of the Flood.
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Seventh: Adam lived until the 56th year of Lamech, the father of
Noah. This means the tradition as told from Adam to his
descendants was only once removed from Lamech and only twice
removed from Noah.
Eighth: The phrase and he died that appears constantly
throughout the passage, with the exception of Enoch, shows the
principle of Romans 5:12a and 5:14: as through one man sin entered
into the world, and death through sin…nevertheless, death reigned from
Adam…. This is God’s answer to Satan’s lie of Genesis 3:4: You shall
not surely die.
A ninth observation is that later biblical writers in both
testaments accepted these names as historical: I Chronicles 1:1-4 and
Luke 3:36-38.
The tenth observation summarizes the whole account. First: God
preserved the seed-line and recorded the birth of each seed-son; He
was not concerned with the non-seed line. Second: The command to
be fruitful and multiply was being carried out in every case; besides
the seed-son each figure had other children: He begat sons and
daughters. Third: The curse is fully in effect; all must die unless God
intervenes in a special way as He did with Enoch; for everyone
except Enoch, the text declares and he died, with sin being the cause
of death.
The eleventh observation is connected with archeology. There
are two kings’ lists from archeology that reflect what is happening in
this chapter. The first is the Sumarian King List from Sumer in
Mesopotamia, dating from about the year 2000 B.C. It lists a total of
ten kings, with a total of 241,200 years. That is an average of about
24,000 years per king. Therefore, the concept of longevity of ten
generations is something reflected in the Sumarian King List. It is
also interesting that after the list of the ten kings, it then adds, “and
then the flood came.” The flood came with the tenth, just as it is in
this Genesis 5 passage. The second is the Berussos King List. Berussos
was a Babylonian priest of the third century B.C., and he also lists ten
kings before the flood.
The twelfth observation correlates this account with New
Testament quotations and applications, of which there are three.
First: There is a correlation between Genesis 5 and Matthew 1:1-17.
Both sections begin with: This is the book of the generation of... In fact,
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the Septuagint version of Genesis 5:1 and the Greek statement of
Matthew 5:1 is the same: biblos geneseos. Furthermore, the genealogy
of Noah is followed by the story of Noah, and the genealogy of Jesus
is followed by the story of Jesus. A second correlation is Genesis 5
with Luke 3:38. The Matthew genealogy only goes as far back as
Abraham, but the genealogy of Jesus in Luke includes the line from
Adam to Noah. A third correlation is Genesis 5:21-24 and
Hebrews 11:5-6. The writer of Hebrews understood the Genesis text
to mean that Enoch did not die: so that he should not see death. He
understood the phrase and he was not to mean and he was not found;
the reason the writer of Hebrews gave is because God translated him.
C. The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men
- 6:1-8
1. Intermarriage - 6:1-4
1And it came to pass, when men began to multiply
on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto
them, 2that the sons of God saw the daughters of men
that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that
they chose. 3And Jehovah said, My spirit shall not strive
with man for ever, for that he also is flesh: yet shall his
days be a hundred and twenty years. 4The Nephilim
were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when
the sons of God came unto the daughters of men, and they
bore children to them: the same were the mighty men
that were of old, the men of renown.
The point of debate over the meaning of this passage revolves
around identifying exactly what kind of intermarriage is being
described here. Some contend that it was an intermarriage between
the two lines of Adam, represented by godly Sethites and ungodly
Cainites. Others defend the interpretation that the intermarriage
described is between fallen angels and human women. This Bible
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commentator believes there is more support for the latter
interpretation.
It is clear from the toldot of Adam thus far that Adam and each
of his sons begat both sons and daughters. Since there was no
prohibition against marrying within family lines at this time, the
many sons and daughters of Adam and of his sons supplied a
sufficient pool for the multiplication of humanity.
In 6:1, the phrase and it came to pass links what follows in 6:1-4
with the genealogy of Adam in chapter 5. While the previous section
focused on Adam’s sons, this section focuses on Adam’s daughters.
The following phrase, when men began to multiply on the face of the
ground, shows the result of the multiplication of births of 3:16 and
chapter 5: and begat sons and daughters. The result was men began to
multiply on the face of the earth. The Hebrew word for men here is
ha-adam, which means “man.” The word is generic: It means
“humanity in general,” including both male and female.
The use of the word ha-adam for “man” in 6:1 gives us a few
clues regarding the argument that Sethites were godly while Cainites
were ungodly. According to the proponents of the view that the
intermarriage described in 6:1-4 is natural and not supernatural, the
sons of God mentioned in 6:2 refers to the godly sons of Seth. The
daughters of men mentioned in 6:2, therefore, must be the ungodly
offspring of Cain, according to this same view. However, the use of
ha-adam in 6:1 is generic; it would include the males in both Seth’s
and Cain’s lines. Furthermore, the Hebrew word ha-adam includes
males and females. Therefore, Genesis 6:1 is stating that men and
women from both lines were multiplying the human race. There is
no distinction between Sethites and Cainites. A third point that
speaks against the view that the intermarriage here is between a
righteous line and an unrighteous line is that descendants of both
Seth and Cain died in the Flood. The Flood that was yet to come
would be a judgment on man in general, not on only one line of
Adam’s son Cain.
Genesis 6:1 continues, Daughters were born unto them, referring
back to Genesis 5, which repeats for each son and grandson of Adam
in Seth’s and Cain’s lines that they begat sons and daughters. The
Hebrew word for daughters means “females,” and the emphasis here
is on the female portion of humanity. The first phrase, when men
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began to multiply on the face of the ground, is a reference to humanity in
general, which includes both male and female; the second phrase
focuses on the female portion of humanity. Once again, the term
cannot be limited to the female descendants of Cain. The basic
translation of the first verse is: Mankind, adam, (singular) multiplied;
and daughters, (plural) were born unto males and females. By this
time there were many more than just two lines, since Adam and Eve
had other sons than those named. There is something more unique
in this context, as seen from what is missing in the text as well as
what is mentioned. The text states sons of God and daughters of men,
not “sons of man and daughters of God,” which would be the case if
this were purely a human endeavor.
Genesis 6:2 records the actual intermarriage that occurred. The
first statement, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they
were fair, presents the crisis. The sons of God in Hebrew is bnei
ha-Elohim. This term, in the Hebrew Bible, is always a reference to
angels, both good and bad ones. Examples occur in Job 1:6 and 2:1,
where Satan was among the sons of God, and in Job 38:7 where the
sons of God were present at creation. The Septuagint uses the same
term in Deuteronomy 32:8, where it refers to angels. A variation of
this term is bnei eilim, which is usually translated as “the sons of the
Mighty,” a term also used of angels. Examples include: Psalm 29:1,
the sons of the mighty or the sons of God; Psalm 89:6, the son of the
mighty or the sons of God; and Psalm 82:6 uses a different variation,
the sons of the Most High. Another form is the Aramaic bar Elohim,
which means a son of God. So everywhere else this word is used, it is
always in reference to angels, a point on which all expositors concur.
Nevertheless, some wish to make Genesis 6 the one exception.
However, it is not wise to make exceptions unless there are very good
exegetical reasons to do so, and there is no good reason to make this
one passage the exception to the rule. As in all other passages, the
term sons of God should be understood as being angels. They are sons
in the sense of being directly created by God, and this includes
angels, both fallen and unfallen. In the New Testament, the Greek
term sons of God is applied to other entities besides angels, but the
common element is that of being directly created by God. For
example, Adam, in Luke 3:38 is called the son of God, since he was
directly created by God. Believers are called the children of God in
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John 1:12 because believers are viewed as a new creation, created by
God. The term sons of God has the meaning to be created by God.
The exception is the uniqueness of the only begotten Son of God;
the word “only” emphasizes His uniqueness in that He was always in
existence and not created. The ancients viewed this term to mean
“angels”; and the oldest Jewish view of this verse, and those living
closest to the time when these things were written, took sons of God
to be angels, not humans. For example, the Septuagint, dated from
about 250
B.C., translates this verse as angels of God. Josephus32
understood this as angels, and so do the Book of Enoch and the
Dead Sea Scrolls documents of Qumran.33 Furthermore, in the
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, 6:1, 6:2, and 6:4 also make these angels.
Also seven books in the Pseudopigrapha interpret this as a reference
to angels (I Enoch 6:1-2; Jubilees 4:15, 5:6; II Enoch 18;
II Baruch 56; and The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs
[Reuben 5:5-6 and Naphtali 3:3-5]). Philo and the Midrashim34 also
adhere to this view. Finally, this was also the meaning in other
Semitic languages. For example, the Canaanite bn il signifies deities
in general. In the Ugaritic Texts, the god El married the daughters of
men by whom he had two sons, Shcht and Shim, who both became
gods. To summarize the point, the term man (Genesis 6:1) refers to
humanity; and the term sons of God in 6:2 refers to “angelanity,” to
coin a word. Therefore, the contrast is not Sethites versus Cainites,
but the contrast is humanity and angelanity.
The purely human view of 6:2 originated with Augustine and
Chrysostom, and it ignores the myriads of other lines of humanity
from the sons and daughters of chapter 5. The phrase the daughters of
men, in Hebrew, bnot ha-adam, is a generic term for women, and
encompasses both female Cainites and female Sethites, and every
other female line of that day. There is no exegetical justification to
make this phrase mean “ungodly women.” The reference here is
simply “womankind.” Thus, the sons of God saw the daughters of men
32 Antiquities 1:73.
33 The Genesis Apocrypha; The Damascus Document 2:16-19; The Zadokite
Document.
34 Yalkut 44; Pirkei Avot Rabbi Eliezer 22.
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that they were fair, meaning that they looked good, pointing to their
sinful, sexual attraction to the women.
The second statement in 6:2 is: and they took them wives of all that
they chose. The text limits the relationship strictly as one way: The
sons of God marry the daughters of men but nothing about “the
daughters of God” marrying the “sons of men.” This reciprocal
relationship would be expected if the terms simply meant that godly
men were marrying ungodly women. Why would godly men marry
ungodly women? The one-way use of the terminology implies that
this intermarriage was not strictly within a human sphere. The only
logical explanation is that something other than natural marriage
between men and women was occurring. Today, male believers
marry unbelieving females, and believing females marry unbelieving
males. That is normative in a strictly human setting. Again, there is
no record of the daughters of God marrying the sons of men; only
sons of God marrying the daughters of men. So this type of
intermarriage would in theory be confined to godly men marrying
ungodly women and never godly women marrying ungodly men, and
things do not happen that way. Furthermore, would a godly man
marry an ungodly woman? The answer would be “no.” Nevertheless,
the text limits the relationship strictly as a one-way marriage of the
sons of God and the daughters of men, showing that it cannot be a
strictly human sphere.
Another point to observe about Genesis 6:1-4 is that the context
of the greater passage is causes for the Flood, and such a worldwide
catastrophe would require an unusual cause. This passage gives the
angelic cause, the cohabitation that is unusual and unnatural;
Genesis 5-6 gives the human cause, the degree of sin that developed
from this intermarriage.
Those who reject the angelic view of this passage often cite
Matthew 22:30, which, they claim teaches that angels are sexless.
However, angels are always described in the male gender. In Hebrew
that is not conclusive since Hebrew only has masculine and feminine
genders and no neuter form. Greek does have a neuter, but it is not
used of angels; only the masculine is used of angels. When Jesus was
speaking about marrying and giving in marriage, He was not
speaking of angels in general, but specifically of angels in heaven:
Good or holy angels in heaven neither marry nor are given in
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marriage. However, Genesis is speaking of fallen angels on earth, not
good angels in heaven. Moreover, in this same passage in Matthew,
Jesus made the same point about humans in heaven not marrying or
being given in marriage. Therefore, in heaven, humans will not marry
or be given in marriage. But what do humans do here on earth?
Humans do marry and are given in marriage. Therefore, in heaven,
humans do not marry and give in marriage, just as it is with angels in
heaven. However, Genesis is dealing with a situation that is
happening on earth. One thing is clear: Angels do not procreate after
their kind; they do not give birth to other angels as such. However,
on earth, they are able to produce something that is superhuman.
Furthermore, it is wrong to teach that angels are sexless, because
angels are always described in the masculine gender. They are never
described as being in the female gender nor referred to in the neuter
form. In addition, when angels become visible, they always appear in
Scripture as young men and more often are mistaken for young men
(Gen. 18:1 - 19:22; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:4-7; Acts 1:10, 1:11).
Continuing with Genesis 6:2, the Hebrew word for took is
commonly used for marriage transactions. For example, it is used for
taking a wife for oneself (Gen. 4:19, 11:29, 12:19, 20:2-3, 25:1, 36:2,
36:6). Took is also used for taking a wife for someone else
(Gen. 21:21; 24:4, 24:40, 24:48). While the word is not always used
of marriage in male/female relationships, it often does have that
meaning. It also has sexual connotations even apart from marriage
(Gen. 34:2).
These angels who intermarried were angels who were already
fallen; they fell when Satan fell. Now some of the angels who fell
with Satan began to intermarry with human women, or Satan
arranged for them to do so. The question is: Why would Satan even
bother doing this? The answer lies in the first messianic prophecy of
Genesis 3:15, which declared that the Messiah would be born of the
Seed of the Woman. Satan knew this prophecy because it was
directly addressed to him. He knew that a descendant of the woman
he tempted would someday come and defeat him. Therefore,
Genesis 6:1-2 is Satan’s response to Geneses 3:15. This was a satanic
attempt to corrupt the Seed of the Woman by having some of his
angels take on human form and intermarry with human women to
try to corrupt the seed so that the Messiah could not come. There is
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a parallel here with Genesis 3:6, where in the case of Eve: The
woman saw that the tree was good for food, and...she took. With the
three words saw, good, and took; she violated a barrier between God
and man. Now 6:2 states that these angels saw the daughters of men
that they were fair and they took… Here again, the same three words
are used: saw, good, and took, and they violated the barrier between
angels and men.
Genesis 6:3 declares the judgment of God. With the words: And
Jehovah said, the oracle of judgment is introduced: My spirit shall not
strive with man for ever. Here again is an implication of plurality.
The pronoun My refers to God, and the word spirit refers to the
Holy Spirit. This is not the first mention of the Holy Spirit, as the
Holy Spirit was already introduced as early as Genesis 1:2. The
Hebrew word for strive is yadon, which is a hapax-legomenon, a word
that appears only once in the entire Bible. If the meaning is “to
strive,” from the Hebrew root din, then it means “striving” in the
sense of restraining sin; the Spirit was striving in the sense of
restraining sin through the preaching of Enoch and Noah. However,
if the meaning is “to remain,” from the Hebrew root danan, then it
means the spirit of life, which God breathed into man, will not
remain in man forever. The use of the Hebrew word olam means that
God will not allow the race to continue forever in such a sin as
described in Genesis 6:2. There will be a limit. Then He adds: for
that he [man] also is flesh, and that is the necessity for restraining.
They are flesh; they have the sin nature. So in contrast to the eternal
spirit, man is flesh; and he is subject to death, as can be seen by
connecting 6:13 with 7:21. Then the verse concludes with the
allotted time: Yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years. These
are the years remaining before the Flood, a 120-year period of grace.
As I Peter 3:20 puts it: When the longsuffering of God waited in the
days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing. From the initial decree,
God gave those 120 years for humanity to repent during the long
time the ark was being built; this was a measure of His grace.
Genesis 6:4 goes on to describe the results of the union, the
results of the intermarriage between fallen angels and human
women. It is a further exposition of 6:2: The Nephilim were in the
earth in those days. The Hebrew word Nephilim means “fallen ones.”
The King James Version reads giants: There were giants in the earth in
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those days. Nevertheless, the Hebrew word nephilim does not mean
“giants” in the sense of big, huge people. The reason some English
Bibles read the word as “giants” is not based upon the Hebrew, but
on the Septuagint, which translated the Hebrew word Nephilim by
the Greek word gigentes. The Greek word gigentes is the source of
the English word giant, but it does not quite mean the same thing.
The Greek term gigentes is the word for the Latin “Titans.” Titans
were part man and part god; they had human characteristics, but at
the same time were superhuman. When the Jewish translators were
trying to find a Greek word that would express to the Greek reader
what the Nephilim were, the best word in Greek was gigentes. In
English however, the word giant gives the wrong connotation
altogether. So it is best to transliterate the Hebrew word Nephilim or
“fallen ones.” These are the product of the union of the sons of God
and the daughters of men, as is explained in the remainder of the verse.
According to rabbinic interpretation, these beings were so named,
meaning Nephilim, because they fell and caused the world to fall.
Moreover, this is more in keeping with the meaning of the term.
The phrase were in the earth in those days means the days of the
intermarriage, but not after the Flood. Some use Numbers 13:33 to
teach that they existed after the Flood because, when the spies came
back, ten of the spies said that the Nephilim were in the Land. Some
assume that these ten spies were telling the truth; but they were not.
The reported existence of the Nephilim after the Flood was a lie of
the ten spies, as they tried to discourage the people. This was one of
several lies they told. When Joshua conquers the Land, he never runs
into any Nephilim. Therefore it seems apparent that these Nephilim
were the product of the intermarriage of the fallen angels and human
women, and they only existed before the Flood in keeping with the
phrase in those days; they did not remain after the Flood.
Then Genesis 6:4 goes on to say: and also after that to explain
how the Nephilim came into existence. Following the opening
statement: The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, it explains how
they came into being, and the explanation is introduced by the
phrase also after that. The phrase does not mean that the Nephilim
existed after the Flood. Also after that introduces the phrase: when the
sons of God came unto the daughters of men, which repeats the facts of
6:2, and then adds: They bore children unto them. These children were
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the Nephilim. So the Nephilim were the children of human woman
and fallen angels. They were human on one side but superhuman on
the other: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of
renown. The term the mighty men is the Hebrew word giborim.
Because of their unique origin, they proved to be exceptional. The
rabbis interpret this to mean that they were the mighty in their
rebellion against God. This is a valid conclusion since the same
terminology will be used of Nimrod in chapter 10 It also states that
they were the men of renown. The rabbis interpret this to mean that
they were men who brought desolation upon the world because of
the correlation in Hebrew between the word renown and the word
desolation. At any rate, this intermarriage produced a grotesque race
that was superhuman both mentally and physically in strength, but
not necessarily in size. Genesis 6 is the account of what really
happened. This actual historical event became the source of Greek
and Roman mythology, where the gods and goddesses intermarry
with humans, producing great men such as Achilles. The difference
between Genesis and Greek mythology is that Genesis states what
really happened while mythology is a corrupted account. In Genesis,
the intermarriage is expressed negatively in all its sinfulness; in the
mythology, it is glorified. This shows why the Flood was necessary—
to destroy the product of fallen angels and human women.
Interpreting Genesis 6:1-2 as being an intermarriage of human
women with fallen angels provides the only adequate explanation for
the statements found in II Peter and Jude. In these passages, three
points are made. First, this phenomenon of intermarriage was a
peculiar, unique sin; second, the sin was timed in conjunction with
the Flood; and third, it is different from the original fall of angels;
otherwise, all angels would end up being in permanent confinement.
(See discussion that follows on this point.) The first passage,
II Peter 2:4-5, talks about a confinement of a select group of angels.
Verse 4 mentions the place of confinement as being Tartarus, and
Tartarus must be distinguished from the Abyss. The Abyss is a section
of Sheol or Hades, which is a temporary place of confinement for
fallen angels. Tartarus is another section of Sheol or Hades, which is a
permanent place of confinement for fallen angels. Tartarus is
described as being pits of darkness, and they are reserved unto
judgment. These angels confined in Tartarus are reserved unto the
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Great White Throne Judgment. Unlike the demons in the Abyss that
do get released after the course of time, those in the Tartarus will
never be freed. They will go directly from Tartarus to the Lake of
Fire, by means of the Great White Throne Judgment. The
confinement of these angels permanently was necessary so as to
assure that they would not repeat the sin again with subsequent
women after the Flood. Then verse 5 reports on the timing of their
confinement, and the timing is in conjunction with the Flood. The
second passage is Jude 6-7. Verse 6 deals with the fact of the fall and
makes four statements. First, the rebellious angels kept not their own
principality, meaning they did not remain in their position and place
of rank in the satanic cosmos. Second, they left their proper habitation,
meaning they left the demonic angelic sphere and then entered the
human sphere by intermarriage. Third, they are now kept in
everlasting bonds under darkness, and they are kept there in Tartarus as
a result of the above two sins. Fourth, they are being kept there until
the judgment of the great day, that is, the Great White Throne
Judgment. Again, the angels who perpetrated this intermarriage will
never be loosed at any time to roam free again. Then verse 7 reveals
the nature of this sin. The key phrase is in like manner. In like
manner as Sodom and Gomorrah, they went after strange flesh. The
phrase in like manner with Sodom and Gomorrah means the sin of
these angels was also a sexual sin, and the term strange flesh refers to
sexual relations that are unnatural. In the case of Sodom and
Gomorrah, it was homosexuality; in the case of angels, it was seeking
female flesh. Therefore, instead of remaining in their usual state of
residence, they made a new state of residence of alien flesh to
commit gross sexual immorality. Only by interpreting Genesis 6 to
mean angels in keeping with normal usage of the Hebrew
terminology can the two passages of II Peter and Jude be understood.
2. Divine Response - 6:5-8
5And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6And it
repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth,
and it grieved him at his heart. 7And Jehovah said, I
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will destroy man whom I have created from the face of
the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things,
and birds of the heavens; for it repents me that I have
made them. 8But Noah found favor in the eyes of
Jehovah.
Verses 5-7 record the judgment of God. The basis for the
judgment of God is brought out in verse 5: the sinfulness of man.
This section shows the failure of conscience to restrain sin. It begins
with: And Jehovah saw. This introduces God’s evaluation of
humanity. What God saw was two things: first, that the wickedness of
man was great in the earth, meaning they were committing acts of sin,
emphasizing external sin; and second, that every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually; this deals with internal
sin, in thoughts, in imaginations. This has to do with deliberate and
cognitive plans to do evil. The word every emphasizes the fact that
sin was pervasive. The Hebrew word for imagination here is yatzar.
It is the same word that was used in 2:7, which dealt with God’s
forming of man. The correlation is this: God formed humanity by
design, but humanity took its God-given abilities to devise or design
evil continually.
Genesis 6:6 reveals God’s response and God’s pain. First is
God’s response: And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the
earth, because man had now negated God’s purpose in creation.
When the word “repentance” is used in reference to God, it refers to
a change in God’s actions resulting from a change in the objects of
His actions. For example, in I Samuel 15:11, God repented that He
made Saul king. Yet I Samuel 15:29 goes on to say that God does
not repent. Therefore, in this one chapter, God repents and God
does not repent. Is there a contradiction within this same chapter?
Actually, it is easily solvable if viewed differently between man’s
perspective and God’s perspective. Here is the resolution. Because
the Bible teaches that God does not repent (I Sam. 15:29), it is only
from our own perspective that He seems to repent, meaning He
seems to change His mind because man has changed his attitude
toward Him (I Sam. 15:11). Therefore, God may seem to repent
when man changes his mind, for God’s attitude toward man is
conditioned by man’s attitude. So God responds to man in one way
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when man obeys; He responds another way when man disobeys.
Initially, Saul was obedient; and he was made king. He then became
disobedient, so God removed the kingship from him. It appears from
the human perspective that God repented; He changed his mind.
Actually no change has taken place. God simply responds one way to
obedience, and He responds a different way to disobedience. The
Hebrew word for repent here is nacham, the same root as Noah, and
the normal meaning is “to comfort” (Gen. 5:29). So literally it reads,
“God was comforted,” meaning God was comforted in the sense of
being justified in executing judgment, because the sin of man
requires judgment from God. Second, Genesis 6:6 reveals God’s
pain: It grieved him at his heart. All this made God sad. In contrast
with the heart of man in verse 5, the heart of God is in pain. This
verse uses three Hebrew terms that are also found in 5:29. The first
term, nacham, is translated in 5:29 as “comfort” and in 6:6 as
“repent.” The second term, etzev, is translated in 5:29 as “toil” but in
6:6 as “grieve.” The third term is asah, which in 5:29 is translated as
“work,” but in 6:6 as “made.” So there is a correlation between what
happens in 5:29 in reference to Noah and what sets the stage for the
Noahic Flood in 6:6. A rabbinic commentary on this passage states
the following:
Rabbi Judah said: [God declared] It was a
regrettable error on My part to have created him out
of earthly elements for had I created him out of
heavenly elements, he would not have rebelled
against Me. Rabbi Abihu interpreted: It was a
regrettable error on My part to have created an evil
urge (yetzer hara) within him, for had I not created
an evil urge within him, he would not have rebelled
against Me.35
This is an example in rabbinic theology of how God is
sometimes reduced to human concepts. Here they seem to say that
35 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 27:4.
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God actually made a mistake, and God wished He had made man a
different way than He did. This is not a high view of God.
Genesis 6:7 records God’s decree: And Jehovah said. Here we have
God’s intent, God’s plan, and God’s oracle of judgment and
destruction: I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the
ground. The Hebrew word for destroy here means “to blot out,” “to
wipe out,” “to totally erase” (Gen. 7:4, 23; Exod. 32:32-33;
II Kings 21:13; Ps. 51:1). It means a complete removal of one thing
from another. In this verse, it means the complete removal of the
human race from the face of the earth. So now, humanity is to be
blotted out. Then God spelled out some specifics: both man, and beast,
and creeping things, and the birds of the heavens. No fish are mentioned
since the destruction will come by water. The reason is: It repents me
that I have made them.
Nevertheless, Genesis 6:8 moves from a negative to a positive,
from the judgment of God to the grace of God. The grace of God
was present contemporaneously with the judgment of God: But Noah
found favor in the eyes of Jehovah; he found grace in the eyes of God.
This was the way out of the devastation. This is grace in the context
of judgment. The word found shows grace is not won and it is not
earned. Noah simply found grace in God.
Other Old Testament references to Noah outside of Genesis are
threefold: I Chronicles 1:4; Isaiah 54:9; and Ezekiel 14:14 and 14:20.
In the New Testament, there are six references to Noah:
Matthew 24:37-39; Luke 3:36 and 17:26; Hebrews 11:7; I Peter 3:20;
and II Peter 2:5.
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Figure 2. Genealogies of Adam
IV. Toldot of Noah - 6:9 - 9:29
Before beginning with the exposition, there are six observations
to be made of this third toldot, that of Noah, as a whole.
First: The third toldot is comprised of twelve paragraphs. The
first paragraph describes the corrupt situation of the world before the
Flood (6:9-12). The second paragraph is the command to build the
ark and why (6:13-22). The third paragraph is the command to enter
the ark (7:1-5). The fourth paragraph is the entrance into the ark
(7:6-9). The fifth paragraph is the start of the Flood (7:10-16). The
sixth paragraph is the description of the Flood (7:17-24). The
seventh paragraph is the end of the Flood and the return to
normality (8:1-14). The eighth paragraph is the command to exit the
ark (8:15-17). The ninth paragraph is the exit from the ark and
Noah’s sacrifice (8:18-22). The tenth paragraph is God’s blessings on
Noah and his sons (9:1-7). The eleventh paragraph is the Noahic
Covenant (9:8-11). The twelfth paragraph is the token of the
covenant, which is the rainbow (9:12-17). Furthermore, these twelve
paragraphs are composed of two groups with six paragraphs per
group. The first group of six gives, step by step, the acts of God that
bring about the destruction of the earth, starting with the
proliferation of world violence and ending with one lone ark in a
world inundated with water. The second group of six gives, step by
step, the acts of God to renew the life in the earth, beginning with
the world being destroyed by water and ending with a promise that it
will not happen again. The flow of the two sections is from life to
destruction and from destruction back to life.
Second: The first and the twelfth paragraphs end with the words
upon the earth (6:12, 9:17).
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Third: At the end of each of the four intermediate paragraphs in
the first group of six, there is a statement noting Noah’s obedience
(6:22, 7:5, 7:9, 7:16).
Fourth: In the second group of six paragraphs in the toldot of
Noah, each paragraph contains the words the earth, with the eighth
and twelfth paragraphs containing the full phrase upon the earth
(8:14, 8:17, 8:22, 9:7, 9:11, 9:17).
Fifth: There is symmetry in the second group of six paragraphs
in the toldot, which comes out in seven ways. First: In Hebrew, the
term shachat, which means “corrupt,” appears seven times in the first
two and the last two paragraphs. Second: God is viewed as “seeing”
in the first and the last paragraphs. Third: The term generations is
used in both the first and twelfth paragraphs. Fourth: In the second
and the eleventh paragraphs, the second from the beginning and the
second from the last paragraph, there is a mention of the making of
the Noahic Covenant. Fifth: The first group of paragraphs mentions
the order of seven days, forty days, and 150 days (chapter 7, vv. 4, 10,
12, 17, 24), while the second group of paragraphs mentions 150
days, forty days, and seven days, in the exact reverse order (chapter 8,
vv. 3, 6, 10, 12). Sixth: The first group with the commencement of
the Flood (7:6, 7:11), and the second group with the termination of
the Flood (8:13), both mention the date in connection with Noah’s
age. Seventh: Both groups mention the following two elements: the
windows of heaven and the foundations of the deep (7:11, 8:2); both
groups mention the mountains (7:19-20, 8:4-5).
Sixth: Throughout this section, once again, the number seven
tends to be very prominent; and it shows up in ten ways. First: There
is mention of seven days (7:4, 7:10; 8:10, 8:12). Second: There are
seven pairs of clean animals and birds (7:2-3). Third: God spoke to
Noah seven times (6:13; 7:1; 8:15; 9:1, 9:8, 9:12, 9:17). Fourth: the
second paragraph uses the root asah, meaning “to make,” seven times
in connection with the building of the ark. Fifth: In paragraphs 3, 4,
and 5, the root “to come” is used seven times in reference to entering
the ark. Sixth: The root, “to destroy” or “to wipe out,” appears seven
times. Seventh: In the last two paragraphs, the word covenant is
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159
found seven times. Eighth: The word water is found twenty-one
times, which is three times seven. Ninth: The word flesh is used
fourteen times, which is two times seven. Tenth: Noah’s name
appears thirty-five times, which is five times seven.
All of these observations and symmetry, if anything, shows again,
that Genesis is not simply different documents just haphazardly
meshed together by an anonymous redactor, but a unified work by a
single author who knew what he was doing.
A. Situation Before the Flood - 6:9-12
9These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a
righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah
walked with God. 10And Noah begat three sons, Shem,
Ham, and Japheth. 11And the earth was corrupt before
God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God
saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh
had corrupted their way upon the earth.
Verses 9-10 serve as the introduction to the toldot, and verse 9a
begins a new tablet starting with the phrase these are the generations of
Noah, or what became of Noah.
Genesis 6:9b describes the spirituality of Noah in two ways.
First: Noah was a righteous man, he was a tzaddik, meaning righteous.
This emphasizes justification; it is inward, and it shows salvation.
Second: Noah was perfect in his generations. The Hebrew word for
“perfect” here is tamim. It means “without blemish,” as is used of the
sacrifices (Lev. 1:3, 1:10; 3:1, 3:6). It means “free from defect,” and
this emphasizes Noah outwardly. Therefore, he was inwardly and
outwardly right before God. The next phrase is: in his generations,
meaning unlike others of his generation, he was not contaminated by
the intermarriage. According to rabbinic tradition, the term
generations is used in the plural, because he was the most righteous of
the ten generations. So he is described as being both tzaddik and
tamim; both righteous and perfect. When the two words are used
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together, the emphasis is on being wholly righteous (“just and perfect”
in Job 12:4 and “righteousness of the blameless” in Prov. 11:5), a
condition which is the result of having found grace in the Lord.
Furthermore, it states: Noah walked with God, which means he
obeyed God’s commands. It is the same term that was used of Enoch
(Gen. 5:22-24). Moreover, the same point is made of him in
Hebrews 11:7. In the Hebrew text for Genesis 6:9, there are exactly
ten words that begin and end with the name Noah, and Noah was
the tenth generation. Here again, it shows how careful the writer
was: Ten words of a sentence that begins and ends with the name
Noah, and Noah was the tenth in his line.
Genesis 6:10 lists the sons of Noah: And Noah begat three sons,
Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Shem means “name,” Ham means “warm” or
“hot.” Japheth means “fair” or “beautiful.” By Jewish tradition, Noah’s
wife’s name was Naamah, and she was the daughter of Lamech. That
belief is purely traditional with no historical validity.
Genesis 6:11-12 describes the corrupted state of the earth, with
verse 11 stating the writer’s evaluation: The earth was corrupt before
God, corrupted by the intermarriage; and the earth was filled with
violence, and the violence was the result of the corruption. Verse 12
gives God’s evaluation: And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was
corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. The term all
flesh shows the extent of Satan’s success. Only four women were
untainted by the intermarriage: Noah’s wife and the wives of the
three sons. Here again, this was the reason for the Flood. In the
Hebrew text, the word shachat here is used three times in the sense of
corruption.
A number of other commentaries have noted the following
chiastic structure36 of 6:11 - 8:22:
36 Note that the content of a chiasm shows symmetry around a central
theme, which in this passage is contained in Genesis 8:1a. The
symmetry of the content is noted as ABCDEFEDCBA.
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161
A: God resolves to destroy the earth, 6:11-13
B: Noah builds the ark, 6:14-22
C: God commands Noah and his family to enter the ark, 7:1-16
D: The Flood begins, 7:10-16
E: The Flood prevails for 150 days with the mountains
covered, 7:17-24
F: God remembers Noah, 8:1a
E: The flood recedes after 150 days, and the mountains
become visible, 8:1b-5
D: The earth dries up, 8:6-14
C: God commands Noah and his family to exit the ark,
8:15-19
B: Noah builds the altar, 8:20
A: God resolves not to destroy humanity, 8:21 and 8:22.
B. Commission to Noah - 6:13-22
13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh has
come before me; for the earth is filled with violence
through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the
earth. 14Make you an ark of gopher wood; rooms shall
you make in the ark, and shall pitch it within and
without with pitch. 15And this is how you shall make it:
the length of the ark three hundred cubits, the breadth of
it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16A light
shall you make to the ark, and to a cubit shall you finish
it upward; and the door of the ark shall you set in the
side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shall
you make it. 17And I, behold, I do bring the flood of
waters upon this earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the
breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in
the earth shall die. 18But I will establish my covenant
with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, and your
sons, and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort
shall you bring into the ark, to keep them alive with you;
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they shall be male and female. 20Of the birds after their
kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping
thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall
come unto you, to keep them alive. 21And take you unto
you of all food that is eaten, and gather it to you; and it
shall be for food for you, and for them. 22Thus did Noah;
according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
This section begins in 6:13 with the decree of the destruction,
and this verse begins with the initial revelation to Noah: And God
said unto Noah. In this long section of Genesis with God conversing
with Noah, Noah is never quoted as to his response. In fact, in the
whole Flood account there is no quotation of Noah, and he is only
quoted as to the curse of Canaan after the Flood (9:25-27). So there
is no record of what Noah said to God or what Noah said to
anybody else. However, throughout this large section, seven times
God spoke to Noah and not once is there a record of Noah speaking
to God. The concept of God speaking seven times comes out in two
other places. In Psalm 29, seven times the voice of God thunders
forth (vv. 3, 4a, 4b, 5, 7, 8, 9). Revelation 10 records the voice of the
seven thunders. What God said to Noah concerned His decree of
destruction: The end of all flesh has come before me. This is the
beginning of the 120 years; and within those 120 years, the ark was
built, the necessary food gathered, and the animals collected. Now
the reason given was: for the earth is filled with violence through them.
In addition, the intent was: Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
The Hebrew word for destroy here is shachat, which was also used
with what man was doing to the earth. Therefore, when it is used for
man in this context, it is because man is corrupting the earth; when
God uses it in this context, it is because God is destroying the earth.
The correlation is: They ruined the earth with sin, so now God will
ruin them with water. Relating to Genesis 6:13, II Peter 3:6 reflects
the degree of destruction: The world that then was, being overflowed
with water, perished.
Then in Genesis 6:14-16, God focused upon the ark itself with
verse 14 giving its basic makeup, and here God says three things.
First: God said, Make you an ark of gopher wood. The two key words
are ark and gopher. The Hebrew word for ark is teivah, which is an
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163
Egyptian loan word, and the Egyptian word itself does not refer to a
boat, but to a box. In fact, this word is used only in two connections:
of Noah’s ark and also of a much smaller ark in which the parents of
Moses placed him as a babe (Exod. 2:3-5). In both cases, Moses,
who would have spoken fluent Egyptian, could have easily used this
Egyptian loan word to describe what exactly Noah was to build.
There is a similarity between the small ark in which Moses was
placed and the larger ark that Noah is asked to build. In both cases,
one was to be saved from drowning and destined to bring deliverance
to others. Noah brought deliverance to humanity; Moses brought
deliverance to Israel. The second key word is gopher, and it is not
known what kind of wood that was. The word gopher is merely a
transliteration of the Hebrew word. Here again is a
hapax-legomenon.37 Because the exact nature of this word is
unknown, there is no way of translating the word; so it is merely
transliterated. Second: God said, Rooms shall you make in the ark. The
Hebrew word for rooms literally means “nests” like a bird’s nest.
While it might be a reference to reeds, since it is sometimes used
that way, the ark was not made of reeds. Nests probably refers to
compartments in which animals and other things were to be placed.
Third: God said, and [you] shall pitch it within and without with pitch.
This is for the purpose of water-proofing. Moses did not use the
regular Hebrew word for pitch, but used the word kaphar, which
normally, literally means “a covering.” It is the same Hebrew root for
the word “atonement.” There is a correlation, because the covering of
the outward with pitch saved them physically from water seepage,
keeping the ark from sinking. As a parallel, the covering of blood
saved spiritually.
Genesis 6:15 gives the measurements for the ark: This is how you
shall make it, followed again by three things: the length, the breadth,
and the height. The length of the ark was to be 300 cubits or about
450 feet long (or to be exact, 440 feet long). The breadth of it was to
be 50 cubits or about 75 feet wide (to be exact, 73 feet wide). The
height of it was to be 30 cubits or about 45 feet high (exactly 44 feet
high). Based upon these measurements, the interior was about
37 Word used only one time throughout all of Scripture.
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1,500,000 cubic feet, or 95,700 square feet (based on three stories). It
had the capacity to carry 43,000 tons, equal to 550 livestock cars such
as are used today by American railroads. The ark could hold about
130,000 sheep, but the actual number of animals was somewhere
between 35,000 and 70,000, which was not beyond the capacity of
these measurements of the ark.
Genesis 6:16 gives some specifics of the ark, once again,
mentioning three things: light, door, and stories. First: A light shall you
make to the ark. This may refer to a window, or to a sloping, pitched,
or vaulted roof. The text does not use the regular Hebrew word for
light, but tzohar, a hapax-legomenon, which literally means an
opening for daylight. The measure is: To a cubit shall you finish it
upward, a window at the top, and the measurement of this window
or opening for daylight was to be eighteen inches, or 1-1/2 feet
square. This might very well refer to a sloping roof. The roof would
slope down on both sides along the length of the ark, leaving above
the two sloping slides a horizontal area about one cubit wide along
the whole length of the ark. Such a one-cubit opening extending all
around the ark’s circumference near the roof would provide light and
ventilation. It probably had an overhang to keep the rain out.
Second: and the door of the ark shall you set in the side thereof. There
was to be only one door. Third: With lower, second, and third stories
shall you make it. Each story was ten cubits (fifteen feet) high. The
end product was a gigantic box, made only for floating, not for
sailing. A gigantic box of that size would be very stable and would be
almost impossible to capsize. This ark could even be tilted up to just
short of ninety degrees, and it would still right itself upward. There
are critics who do not believe these accounts. They call the account
of the ark a myth since the way the ark was built, it only could float
and sail as the wind might drive it. It could not actually be sailed to
any destination; it could not be aimed in any direction. This is a silly
criticism because that is all the ark was intended to do; it was built
only to float. Moreover, with the whole world under water, where
would you want to go anyway? Therefore, this is one of the ways that
unbelievers try to criticize the Bible, missing the point of the whole
thing to begin with.
Then in Genesis 6:17, Noah is told what the means of the
destruction will be: And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon
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165
this earth. There had never been a flood of any kind before, because
there was no rain before. This announcement was news to Noah.
The Hebrew word for flood is mabul with a definite article, ha-mabul,
meaning “the flood.” This specific Hebrew word for flood is used
only of the Noahic Flood and no other flood. Outside of
Genesis 6-9, the word is found only one more time, in Psalm 29:10.
In other appearances of the word flood in the Old Testament, it is a
different Hebrew word. The Hebrew word mabul is used exclusively
for the Noahic Flood, showing this flood was unique in that it
covered the whole world and not merely a local area. So the Hebrew
word distinguishes the Noahic Flood from all other floods. It is also
true in the Greek New Testament, which uses the word kataklusmos,
the source of the English word cataclysm. Kataklusmos is a word used
strictly of the Noahic Flood, (Matt. 24:39; Luke 17:27; II Pet. 2:5,
3:6), in place of the normal Greek word for flood. So the use of the
Hebrew word mabul or the Greek word kataklusmos, again, shows the
Flood is distinct from all other floods. What made it unique and
distinct was that it was universal and not merely local. The purpose
of the Flood was: to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from
under heaven. In other words, the goal is to destroy all air-breathing
animals and man. The fish would not be included here, as they will
survive in the water. The result will be: Everything that is in the earth
shall die.
In 6:18a, God predicts the coming of the Noahic Covenant: But
I will establish my covenant with you. The Noahic Covenant is to be
established, the details of which will be given in chapter nine. This is
the first use of the word covenant.
Genesis 6:18b-21 lists the inclusions for the ark. In verse 18b,
the family of Noah is included: You shall come into the ark, you, and
your sons, and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. In verses 19-20,
the focus is on the animal kingdom. In verse 19, the animals are to
be taken by pairs: of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shall
you bring into the ark. The purpose was: to keep them alive with you;
and both sexes are to come: they shall be male and female, for the
obvious purpose of reproduction, to reproduce after their kind. In
verse 20, He goes on to give the categories, of which there are three:
first, Of the birds after their kind; second, of the cattle after their kind;
and third, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind. Here
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again, there is no mention of the fish, since they would naturally
survive in water. The focus for now was on the pairs, two of every sort.
Later Noah will be told how many pairs of each he is to take. Later
he will be told to take one pair of the unclean and seven pairs of the
clean. However, for now, he is only told that all animals are to be
taken by pairs and not singularly. Then God adds: shall come unto
you. Noah did not have to go out and hunt these animals and gather
them; they were supernaturally brought to Noah. This destroys the
argument of the critics that these four men would not have had time
to go out and hunt for all these animals. No hunting was necessary;
God supernaturally brought the animals to them. Based upon known
species, as the term is used today, both extinct and non-extinct, there
would have been a maximum of 75,000 animals on the ark. The
Hebrew word for kind is broader than the English word “species,”
and so the number would actually be less than the 75,000 because
there is no exact correspondence between the Hebrew kind and the
English “species.” But going with the highest possible figure, 75,000,
that would still make the ark only 60 percent full based on the
estimate of room for 130,000 sheep estimated in the discussion of
6:15. Furthermore, it was not necessary that the animals be fully
grown. The remaining 40 percent of space aboard the ark would be
for insects, for food, and for living quarters. Verse 21 then deals with
the food: Take you unto you of all food that is eaten, in other words, a
sufficient supply; and Gather it to you. Therefore, while the animals
will supernaturally come to Noah, he is responsible to gather the
food for them. The purpose is to sustain life of two types: it shall be
food for you, meaning for human life, and for them, meaning animal
life.
This section ends in 6:22 with Noah’s obedience: Thus did Noah.
Noah obeyed: According to all that God commanded him, so did he. This
is in contrast to the disobedience of his contemporaries. The
emphasis of Noah’s obedience will be repeated three times (7:5, 7:9,
7:16).
New Testament passages that correspond to this are: Luke 17:26-27,
I Peter 3:20, and II Peter 2:5.
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167
C. Command to Enter the Ark - 7:1-5
1And Jehovah said unto Noah, Come you and all
your house into the ark; for you have I seen righteous
before me in this generation. 2Of every clean beast you
shall take to you seven and seven, the male and his
female; and of the beasts that are not clean two, the male
and his female: 3of the birds also of the heavens, seven
and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive upon the
face of all the earth. 4For yet seven days, and I will cause
it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and
every living thing that I have made will I destroy from
off the face of the ground. 5And Noah did according unto
all that Jehovah commanded him.
The command to enter the ark begins in verse 1 with the family
of Noah: And Jehovah said unto Noah, Come you and all your house into
the ark. All together then, eight persons were to enter the ark. The
reason is: for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Of
all the myriads of humanity at this point, only one family remained
righteous.
Genesis 7:2-3 deals with the animals, with verse 2 focusing on
the beasts: Of every clean beast you shall take to you seven and seven. In
other words, seven pairs for a total of fourteen clean animals, the male
and his female: of the beasts that are not clean two, the male and his
female; one pair, two animals, male and female. In verse 3a, He
focuses on the birds: of the birds also of the heavens, seven and seven;
fourteen in all, male and female. Verse 3b gives the purpose: to keep
seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
Genesis 7:4 gives the timing of the Flood: For yet seven days, and
I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; so rain
was to begin in just seven more days, and this would be the first rain
in human history. According to rabbinic tradition, the reason for the
seven-day delay was to allow for the seven days of mourning for
Methuselah, who had just died. At any rate, the rain was to continue
for forty days and forty nights once it began. The result would be:
Every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the
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ground. The Hebrew word for living thing is used only in this
section, except for Deuteronomy 11:6, and in both verses the context
is of a general destruction.
Genesis 7:5 again concludes with Noah’s obedience: And Noah
did according unto all that Jehovah commanded him.
D. Entry Into the Ark - 7:6-9
6And Noah was six hundred years old when the
flood of waters was upon the earth. 7And Noah went in,
and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him,
into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. 8Of clean
beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of birds, and
of everything that creeps upon the ground, 9there went in
two and two unto Noah into the ark, male and female,
as God commanded Noah.
With the entry into the ark, verse 6 gives the actual date: And
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the
face of the earth.
Genesis 7:7 describes the entry: And Noah went in, and his sons,
and his wife, and his sons’ wives. The reason is also given: because of the
waters of the flood.
Genesis 7:8-9 includes the animals. Verse 8 gives four categories
of the animals: clean beasts, beasts that are not clean, birds, and of
everything that creeps upon the ground. Verse 9 gives the extent: There
went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God
commanded Noah.
E. Rain - 7:10-16
10And it came to pass after the seven days, that the
waters of the flood were upon the earth. 11In the six
hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on
the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were
all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the
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windows of heaven were opened. 12And the rain was
upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
13In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and
Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife,
and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
14they, and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle
after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps
upon the earth after its kind, and every bird after its
kind, every bird of every sort. 15And they went in unto
Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh wherein is
the breath of life. 16And they that went in, went in male
and female of all flesh, as God commanded him: and
Jehovah shut him in.
Verse 10 describes the coming of the rain. The timing was: And
it came to pass after the seven days. After seven days of waiting came
the fact: that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
Genesis 7:11a gives the date: In the six hundredth year of Noah’s
life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month.
Genesis 7:11b details the two sources that provided waters for
the worldwide flood. The first source was: On the same day were all
the fountains of the great deep broken up. In other words, subterranean
fountains of water were released. The text literally reads: “the springs
of the great abyss.” The Hebrew phrase here is tehom rabah, literally
the great abyss, used elsewhere only in poetic contexts such as:
Psalms 36:6 and 78:15; Isaiah 51:10; and Amos 7:4. Therefore, there
was movement of the ground upward causing and forcing the waters
to rise. The deep valleys of the bottoms of the ocean began to rise,
naturally causing the water level to rise as well. The Hebrew word for
broken up, literally means “to break forth,” “to cleave,” “to divide,”
and it is often connected elsewhere in the Bible with the use of water
(Exod. 14:16, 14:21; Judg. 15:19; Neh. 9:11; Job 28:10; Ps. 74:15,
78:13, 78:15; Prov. 3:20; Isa. 35:6, 48:21, 63:12; Hab. 3:9). The
second source of the waters was: and the windows of heaven were
opened. Not only did the floors of the bottoms of the oceans rise
upward causing the water levels to rise as the fountains of the great
abyss were broken up, but also the windows of heaven being opened
meant a massive rain from above. Moreover, if there were such a
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thing as a canopy, it would mean that the canopy suddenly collapsed.
However, the text does not demand a canopy. Literally it reads, “the
floodgates of the sky suddenly were opened up with massive rain
falling from above.” So these were the two sources of the waters for
the Flood. Both of these sources originated as part of the six days of
creation in Genesis 1:6-7. What this implies is that the Noahic
Flood essentially “uncreates” what was originally created. The world
goes back to a formless state where there is only water as found in
Genesis 1:2. A very limited remnant of human and animal life
continues; but as far as the earth is concerned, it looks like it did
when the days of creation began.
Genesis 7:12 describes the extent of the water: And the rain was
upon the earth forty days and forty nights. The rains from above
continued falling for a period of forty days and forty nights. This is not
how long the Flood itself lasted, but how long it kept raining. How
this compares to the length of time that the waters were coming up
from beneath is not stated. It may have been that the waters that
arose from beneath were just the initial out-flowing of water, but the
rains from the massive rainfall continued for forty days and forty
nights.
Genesis 7:13 records the actual entrance of the family into the
ark: In the selfsame day entered Noah, and the sons of Noah, Shem, and
Ham, and Japheth…and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons
with them, eight people, into the ark.
Genesis 7:14-16a describes the entrance of the animals. Verse 14
again links the categories, but is a bit more extended. First come the
wild animals: every beast after its kind. Second come the domesticated
animals: all the cattle after their kind. Third comes every creeping thing
that creeps upon the earth after its kind. Fourth comes every bird after its
kind. Fifth comes every bird of every sort. This last category means all
winged creatures including insects. Verses 15-16a talk of the
entrance with verse 15 focusing on the pairing: And they went in unto
Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life.
Verse 16a again stipulates the animals entered by sexes: And they that
went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded
him.
Finally, in verse 16b is the shutting of the door of the ark:
Jehovah shut him in. God closed the door. That signified the point of
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no return. Anyone who failed to go in before the door was shut
would be unable to go in. On one hand, it marked the point of no
return; but, second, it also signified God’s divine protection of a
believing Remnant.
F. The Flood - 7:17-24
17And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the
waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it was lifted
up above the earth. 18And the waters prevailed, and
increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon
the face of the waters. 19And the waters prevailed
exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains
that were under the whole heaven were covered.
20Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the
mountains were covered. 21And all flesh died that moved
upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, and beasts, and
every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth, and
every man: 22all in whose nostrils was the breath of the
spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died. 23And
every living thing was destroyed that was upon the face
of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things,
and birds of the heavens; and they were destroyed from
the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were
with him in the ark. 24And the waters prevailed upon
the earth a hundred and fifty days.
Verse 17a starts off with the timing of the rain: And the flood was
forty days upon the earth.
Genesis 7:17b-18 describes the relationship of the Flood and the
ark with verse 17b dealing with the lifting up of the ark: and the
waters increased, which is the flood stage, and then it bore up the ark,
as the water got higher and higher, it lifted the ark up: and it was
lifted up above the earth, and so it began to float upon the surface of
the water. Verse 18 then describes the next stage: And the waters
prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon
the face of the waters. Not only was the ark lifted up off the ground, it
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also floated on the face of the waters. It sailed only in the sense that
it was driven by whatever wind there was; so it began to float on the
face of the waters away from its original position. In fact, it began in
the area of Mesopotamia and floated all the way to the area of
Mount Ararat, which could be anywhere in the current countries of
Southern Russia, Turkey, or Armenia.
Genesis 7:19-20 emphasizes the universality of the Flood and
does so in several ways. First: And the waters prevailed exceedingly
upon the earth. In the Hebrew text, this statement uses a very
emphatic form; and the word “very” or exceedingly is repeated twice
in a row: “very very,” or prevailed exceedingly. Second: and all the high
mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. This is clear
universal language: all the high mountains and under the whole heaven.
There is no way of taking these terms as describing simply a local
flood; one has to ignore the simple meaning of the words to make
this local. Third: Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; the
water level was twenty-two feet above the highest mountain and that
explains why the mountains did not stop the ark and why the bottom
of the ark did not scrape upon the mountains. Even if only half the
ark cleared the water, it would still clear the highest mountain.
Fourth: and the mountains were covered, giving the result of the Flood.
Therefore, clearly, this flood was universal, not local for at least
eleven reasons. (See table 8.)
Genesis 7:21-23a describes the universality of the destruction:
And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both birds and cattle, fowl
and animal, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creeps upon the
earth, and every man: all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of
life. All that was on the dry land died. The emphasis is clearly on the
destruction of all living things on dry land with the breath of life,
again, excluding all fish life. Then he states: And every living thing
was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle,
and creeping things, and birds of the heavens, and they were all destroyed
from the earth. The Hebrew word means “erased.” They were blotted
out.
Genesis 7:23b lists those that were spared: Noah only was left, and
they that were with him in the ark.
Finally, Genesis 7:24 concludes with the timing of the Flood:
And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty [150] days.
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Table 8. Universal Reach of the Flood
(Biblical Statements and Evidence)
Point Statement / Evidence Ref.
1 A local flood would make the building of the ark
unnecessary, because Noah and the animals could have
g
one to hi
g
her
g
round.
2 The very large size of the ark would be unnecessary if the
flood were local.
3 Since animals were universal, if not men, the gathering of
the animals would not have been necessary if this were
onl
y
a local flood.
4 The use of universal language in the relevant passages
indicates the physical world was covered (v. 19); all
p
h
y
sical life was destro
y
ed (v. 22).
Gen. 7:19
and 7:22
5 The long time the people and animals spent in the ark
requires a universal Flood to account for the need; a local
flood would not have taken all this time to recede.
- The earth was totally covered by water for 150 days.
- It took about 75 days of decreasing water before the
tops of the mountains could be seen.
- The flood waters disappeared only after 317 days,
and the earth was dry only after 375 days.
- While the Flood prevailed for 150 days, it took 225
more days for the earth to dry up.
A
ll this re
q
uires a universal, not a local flood.
Gen. 7:24
Gen. 8:3-5
Gen. 8:13-14
with 7:11
6 The Flood covered all the high mountains by 22 feet,
w
hich could onl
y
ha
pp
en with a universal Flood.
7 The purpose of the Flood was to judge the entire world
population, both animal and man, which again would
re
q
uire a universal Flood to accom
p
lish.
Gen. 6:5-7
and 6:11-13
8 God promised He would bring no more Flood upon the
earth; if this was a local flood, then God has broken His
promise many times since there have been many local
floods. However, if this promise was universal, God has
ke
p
t His
p
romise.
Gen. 8:21-22
and 9:11-15
9 All present humanity is said to have originated from the
three sons of Noah, which would not be the case if this
Flood had been merel
y
local.
Gen. 9:18-19
and 10:32
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Point Statement / Evidence Ref.
10 All the biblical references to the Flood outside of Genesis
presuppose a universal Flood.
The II Peter 3:5-6 passage makes a comparison with
creation and the final destruction of the world in the
Tribulation, which is also universal.
Job 22:15-16
Ps. 104:5-9
Isa. 54:9
Matt. 24:39
Luke 17:27
Heb. 11:7
I Pet. 3:20
II Pet. 2:5
and 3:5-6
11 The universal Noahic Flood has parallels in over 40 other
cultures that did not have the Bible.
Before leaving Genesis chapter 7, there are four observations.
First: Each of the first three verses (17-19) in this chapter concludes
with the phrase upon the earth. Second: In each of them, the word
flood or the synonym, waters, occurs as the subject after the initial
word (vv. 17-20, 24). Third: The phrase upon the earth is found seven
times in this passage (17-24) and always at the end of the sentence in
the Hebrew text, though not the English. Fourth: the word flood is
used once and the word water is used six times for a total of seven in
the same passage (17-24).
G. Flood Waters Recede - 8:1-14
1. The Gradual Decrease of the Waters - 8:1-5
1And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and
all the cattle that were with him in the ark: and God
made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters
assuaged; 2the fountains also of the deep and the
windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from
heaven was restrained; 3and the waters returned from
off the earth continually: and after the end of a hundred
and fifty days the waters decreased. 4And the ark rested
in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the
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month, upon the mountains of Ararat. 5And the waters
decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth
month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the
mountains seen.
The turning point begins with the remembrance of God in
verse 1a: And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the cattle
that were with him in the ark. The word remember does not mean
remember in the sense that God temporarily forgot about the ark
and its inhabitants; rather it means remembering in the sense of
movement toward the object. For example, in Genesis 19:29, God
remembered Abraham with a view to saving Lot; in Exodus 2:24, God
remembered his covenant with the Patriarchs with a view to rescuing
Israel; in Jeremiah 2:2, God remembered Israel with a view toward
her restoration; in Jeremiah 31:20, God remembered Ephraim with a
view toward extending mercy to him; and in Luke 1:54-55, God
remembered Israel with a view toward sending the Messiah to Israel.
Furthermore, the sense was that of God remembering a covenant;
although in this case the covenant itself had not yet been made. He
said earlier in chapter 6, that He would establish His covenant with
Noah. Furthermore, in 7:4 God remembered that the rain would only
last forty days. All these usages fit into the word “remember.”
Genesis 8:1b-2 gives the means by which God expresses his
remembrance. First, in verse 1b, God uses the wind: and God made a
wind to pass over the earth. This is very similar to Genesis 1:2, and
this section uses the creation motifs of Genesis 1-2, where water
recedes and dry land appears and vegetation grows. God first used
the wind to evaporate the water without the use of the sun, and the
result was: the waters were assuaged. Second, in 8:2, God stopped the
two sources of water: the fountains also of the deep and the windows of
heaven, resulting in a cessation of rain: and the rain from heaven was
restrained.
Genesis 8:3 describes the continuous decrease of water: the
waters returned from off the earth continually. The Hebrew word
returned is used twice, showing it returned both downward by seepage
and upward by means of evaporation. A corollary picture is stated in
Psalm 104:6-9. The duration was: after the end of a hundred and fifty
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176
days the waters decreased. The waters did not completely disappear,
but they now returned to their former position.
In Genesis 8:4, the ark came to a stop: And the ark rested. This is
the second time “rest” is mentioned after Genesis 2:2-3. The date
was: in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, and the
place was: upon the mountains of Ararat. The ark rested on an
unspecified mountain in the mountain range of Ararat, where the
highest peak is 17,000 feet high; but there is no need to assume that
it rested on the highest peak. The mountain range stretches between
Southern Russia, Turkey, and Armenia, and it is not possible to
know exactly from the text here where in the mountain range of
Ararat the ark actually rested.
Genesis 8:5 records the first appearance of the mountains, given
in three statements. First: And the waters decreased continually; there
was a continuous decrease of the water. Second, the date was: until
the tenth month, on the first day of the month. Third: At this time were
the tops of the mountains seen.
2. The Emergence of Dry Land - 8:6-14
6And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that
Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
7and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro,
until the waters were dried up from off the earth. 8And
he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were
abated from off the face of the ground; 9but the dove
found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned
unto him to the ark; for the waters were on the face of the
whole earth: and he put forth his hand, and took her,
and brought her in unto him into the ark. 10And he
stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the
dove out of the ark; 11and the dove came in to him at
eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off:
so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the
earth. 12And he stayed yet other seven days, and sent
forth the dove; and she returned not again unto him any
more.
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13And it came to pass in the six hundred and first
year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the
waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah
removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold,
the face of the ground was dried. 14And in the second
month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month,
was the earth dry.
With verse 6, Noah opens the window. The timing was: And it
came to pass at the end of forty days. This was followed by the act: that
Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. This refers to
the opening of the hatch, either in the ark’s roof or in the ark’s side.
The purpose of the opening is to send out the birds, and this is done
in four stages.
Genesis 8:7 records the first stage of releasing the birds: and he
sent forth a raven. A raven is black; it is a wild bird; it is also unclean
by special mention in the Mosaic Law (Lev. 11:15, Deut. 14:14) and
elsewhere (Job 38:41, Ps. 147:9, Prov. 30:17). Yet, God feeds the
ravens (Luke 12:24), and by a divine act, they fed Elijah
(I Kings 17:6). Then 8:7 reads: and it went forth to and fro until the
waters were dried up from off the earth. In other words, it continued
flying back and forth until the waters dried up. The raven, being an
unclean animal, will eat carcasses; so the raven ate off the carcasses
floating on the water. It did not return to the ark. The peaks now
being visible, it could rest there.
In 8:8-9 came the second stage of releasing birds. Noah sends
the first dove (v. 8): And he sent forth a dove from him. A dove is a
clean animal, white in color, and can be and has been domesticated.
In the Scriptures, the dove is used as a positive symbol: a symbol of
the eyes of youth (Song of Sol. 1:15, 4:1, 5:12); and a symbol of love
(Song of Sol. 2:14, 5:2, 6:9). The dove is able to fly long distances
(Ps. 55:6, Isa. 60:8, Hos. 11:11). The purpose of sending the dove
was: to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground. Until
now, Noah received direct revelation from God, but now he must use
natural means to find out the condition of the earth, since God is not
speaking to him at this moment. This shows the balance between
learning things by divine revelation and learning things by natural
means. Both are seen as being valid options everywhere in the
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Scriptures. Therefore, he first used the raven, and now he uses the
dove to find out the actual conditions on the earth. The raven did not
return because it was able to live on carcasses, but doves do not
function that way. So, in 8:9, the first dove returns. The reason was:
but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, meaning she found
nowhere to land. Doves will only land on objects that are dry and
clean, and there was as of yet no dryness. The result was: She returned
unto him to the ark; and the reason was: for the waters were on the face
of the whole earth. Doves prefer valleys rather than mountains, so the
dove chooses not to rest on a mountain peak as the raven did. Its
return showed that the valleys were still flooded. So Noah put forth
his hand and brought her in unto him into the ark.
Then, in Genesis 10-11, verse 10 records that Noah sent the
second dove, and that is the third stage of the release. Noah’s timing
was: And he stayed yet other seven days. A week passed by, and then
came the act: again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. Verse 11
reports on the return of the dove: and the dove came in to him at
eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off. Olive trees only
grow on the upper sections of the mountains, so this shows that
there was now life, but the mountains were still not dry, and the
valleys were still flooded. Olive trees grow in high elevations and can
also grow submerged in water. From all of this, Noah knew that the
waters were abated from off the earth.
Genesis 8:12 records the fourth stage of sending and the third
dove. Noah’s timing was: He stayed yet other seven days. Another week
passed, and then: he sent forth the dove. The result was: and she
returned not again unto him any more. The earth was now dry. The
failure of the dove to return showed that even the valleys had finally
dried up. There may have been three different doves, or more likely,
from the text, the same dove was sent out three times.
Finally, Genesis 8:13-14 reports on the drying up of the earth,
with verse 13 describing the removal of the covering. The account
begins with the date: And it came to pass in the six hundred and first
year—that is, the 601st year of Noah’s life—in the first month, the first
day of the month. The passengers have now spent a total of 378 days in
the ark or a total of 53 weeks. Then came the fact: the waters were dried
up from off the earth. The Hebrew word for dried up here means “to be
free of moisture.” Then came the act: and Noah removed the covering of
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179
the ark. The result was: and [he] looked, and, behold, the face of the
ground was dried. Then in verse 14, another date is given: in the second
month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month. It is the 27th day of
the second month. The total time is one year and eleven days, based on
the lunar calendar: but this now totals exactly one solar year. After all
this time: was the earth dry. This is a different word for dry than was
used in verse 13. There it meant “to be free of moisture,” but here it
means “the complete absence of water.”
Table 9 gives the chronology of the Flood. The chart shows that
Noah was in the ark a total of 377 or 378 days; making it one year
and 17 or 18 days in the ark, with the Flood itself lasting 371 days.
Table 9. Chronology of the Flood
Even
t
Ref. Mo. Day* #** Description Days***
Family enters the ark. 7:7-9 2 10 0 Waited in the ark
seven days
0
Rain begins. 7:11 2 17 7 7
Rain stops—
w
ater keeps
pouring 7:12 3 27 40
Water continues for
150 days
47
A
rk settles on mountain.
W
ater sto
p
s risin
g
7:24 7 17 110 157
W
ater begins to settle 8:4 8 27 40 --- 197
A
rk on dry land.
Mountain to
p
s ex
p
osed. 8:5 10 1 34
Water recedes in
150 days.
231
Raven—no return 8:6-7 11 11 40 271
First dove—returns 8:8-9 11 18 7 278
Second dove
—
returns
w
ith lea
f
8:10 11 25 7 285
Third dove—no return 8:12 12 2 7 292
W
ater receded. 8:12 12 17 29 --- 321
Noah removes the
coverin
g
. 8:13 1 1
57 Earth dry in
57 days 378
Noah opens the door and
disembarks. 8:14 2 27
*Day of the month
** Intervals, in days.
*** Running total of days.
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H. Disembarkation - 8:15-19
1. The Command - 8:15-17
15And God spoke unto Noah, saying, 16Go forth from the
ark, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons’
wives with you. 17Bring forth with you every living
thing that is with you of all flesh, both birds, and cattle,
and every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth; that
they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful,
and multiply upon the earth.
The period of divine silence is broken by a divine command,
with verse 15 recording the breaking of the silence: And God spoke
unto Noah, saying.
In 8:16, God addressed Noah’s family, saying: Go forth from the
ark, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. It
was one year and seventeen days earlier that God said, “Go in,” now
He commands, “Go out.”
In 8:17, the command includes the animals: Bring forth with you
every living thing that is with you of all flesh, both birds, and cattle, and
every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. The purpose was: that
they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply
upon the earth.
2. The Obedience - 8:18-19
18And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and
his sons’ wives with him: 19every beast, every creeping
thing, and every bird, whatsoever moves upon the earth,
after their families, went forth out of the ark.
First, in verse 18 came the obedience of the family: And Noah
went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him.
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Second, in 8:19 came the animals: every beast, every creeping
thing, and every bird, whatsoever moves upon the earth, after their
families, went forth out of the ark.
I. The Offering and the Promise - 8:20-22
20And Noah built an altar unto Jehovah, and took of
every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered
burnt-offerings on the altar. 21And Jehovah smelled the
sweet savor; and Jehovah said in his heart, I will not
again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, for that
the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth;
neither will I again smite any more everything living, as
I have done. 22While the earth remains, seedtime and
harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter,
and day and night shall not cease.
In verse 20, the new era begins the same way as the previous one:
with a blood offering. For that reason: …Noah built an altar unto
Jehovah. This is the first mention in the Bible of an altar. With the
Flood, the Garden of Eden had been destroyed; and so the Shechinah
Glory presence was no longer there. Mankind no longer had the
visible Shechinah presence to which offerings could be brought. In
place of the presence of the Shechinah, humanity will now make use
of the altar. Following the construction of the altar, Noah took of
every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on
the altar. So of each of the seven pairs of clean animals, he took at
least one, if not one pair, of each category to offer up as an offering
to the Lord. This was the reason for taking seven pair of clean
animals and not just one pair. At this point, the term clean applies to
what kind of animal was permitted for sacrifice. It did not yet apply
to either objects, food, or people, since that would only come with
the Law of Moses.
In Genesis 8:21-22, God makes a promise, the one usually
associated with the aftermath of the Flood. Verse 21a records God’s
response: And Jehovah smelled the sweet savor; and Jehovah said in his
heart. The phrase in his heart means God is about to commit Himself
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182
to something, and the commitment is in verses 21b-22. The
commitment has both a negative and a positive side. Negatively, in
verse 21b, the promise is: I will not again curse the ground any more for
man’s sake. This is a promise made in spite of God’s evaluation of
humanity: for that the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.
The Hebrew word for imagination is yeitzer; and because in Hebrew
the term “evil inclination” is yeitzer ha-ra, the use of this word
became the source of the rabbinic doctrine of the evil inclination.
Rabbi Hertz interprets 8:21b as: “The evil inclination in man, yeitzer
ha-ra, which too often gains the mastery over the good inclination;
yeitzer ha-tov.” Rashi writes, “From the moment the embryo bestows
itself to have an independent existence, the evil inclination is given to
it.” While Judaism denies believing in a sin nature, it comes close to
it with this concept of the evil inclination. At any rate, in spite of
man’s evil, there would never again be such a total destruction of
human life by water. Therefore, the promise is: neither will I again
smite any more everything living, as I have done. However, as the
context shows, the promise of not destroying the mass of humanity is
limited to not doing so by water. For it will happen again, but next
time by fire (Isa. 24:5-6). Positively, in verse 22 the commitment is
continued. As long as the earth remains, certain things will not cease;
and God mentions four things: first, seedtime and harvest; second, cold
and heat; third, summer and winter; and fourth, day and night. The
point of this promise is that as long as the earth’s cycle exists, as long
as the earth exists, the cycle of life will continue. Moreover, this is
what Jeremiah refers to as the covenant of seasons (Jer. 31:35-37,
33:17-26). According to the rabbis, this oath would only be enforced
“as long as the earth lasts.” As long as heaven and earth endure, the
oath is in effect. But in the end of days, God will destroy the earth
completely and renew it; and at that time, He will not be restrained
by this oath. This rabbinic view comes close to the view of Scriptures
since this earth will, of course, be done away with at the end of the
Millennium when God will make a new earth altogether.
Waltke comments on the historicity of the Flood:
To be sure, stories of a great flood are found all
over the world. For example, Deucalion, son of
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Prometheus, and the only survivor of the flood
brought on by Zeus, offers him a sacrifice like the
one at Medone, and it is accepted. In that account
the gods are also present, and they feed on the
sacrifices or on the smoke that rises from the
burning fat.
However, no deluge accounts are so strikingly
similar to the Noah account as those of ancient
Mesopotamia. The three parallels most striking are:
(1) the Sumerian account with the hero Ziusdra, (2)
the Old Akkadian account with the hero Atrahasis,
and (3) the Old Babylonian account contained in the
Gilgamesh Epic, Tablet 11, with the hero
Utnapishtim. Although these accounts share many
similarities with the biblical account, the biblical
account stands apart in significant ways. In
Mesopotamian stories the petty gods bring the flood
to control overpopulation and/or to get rid of the
annoying noise of people. Once the flood comes,
they are frightened by it, and afterward they hungrily
gather around the sacrifice. In contrast, God
sovereignly brings the Flood because of human
wickedness, and in response to Noah’s sacrifices, he
pledges never again to destroy the earth [by water].
Whereas in the Atrahasis Epic the problem
redressed by the flood is overpopulation, in Genesis
life is an unqualified good.38
38 Waltke, 132.
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J. Noahic Covenant - 9:1-17
1. Provisions of the Covenant - 9:1-7
1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto
them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon
every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the
heavens; with all wherewith the ground teems, and all
the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered.
3Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; as
the green herb have I given you all. 4But flesh with the
life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
5And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I
require; at the hand of every beast will I require it. And
at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s
brother, will I require the life of man. 6Whoso sheds
man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the
image of God made he man. 7And you, be ye fruitful, and
multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and
multiply therein.
These verses list five provisions of the Noahic Covenant. The
covenant begins in verse 1a with the blessing of God: And God blessed
Noah and his sons. With Noah, there is now a second Adam in the
sense of a new beginning. As with Adam, there is a covenantal
concept, the importance of blood. From now on, all humanity will be
not only a descendant of Adam but also of Noah. The context of
God’s blessing is the covenant itself; God blessed them with the
Noahic Covenant. Then with the words, and said unto them, the
provisions of the covenant are given.
The first provision of the Noahic Covenant (9:1) is: Be fruitful,
and multiply, and replenish the earth. Noah is now the new Adam; and
so once again, the earth is to be filled with humanity. Like Adam,
Noah stands as the representative head of the human race since all
humanity is now descended from Noah. This is a reaffirmation of a
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provision of the Edenic Covenant in Genesis 1:28 to Be fruitful, and
multiply. Moreover, whereas the words were originally addressed to
Adam, and Adam would multiply thereafter, these words are
addressed to Noah. However, Noah will have no more children after
the Flood. The children he had came before the covenant was made,
and so actually the covenant will begin to be carried forth through
his three sons. Because Noah’s sons will actually repopulate the
earth, this verse begins not only with the blessing of Noah, but also
with the blessing of his sons.
The second provision of the Noahic Covenant is given in 9:2:
And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the
earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; with all wherewith the ground
teems, and all the fishes of the sea. Now God puts the fear of man into
the animal kingdom. This fear is observed throughout the world.
This is necessary to help protect animal life to some degree because
animals now become food for man. So God creates a fear of man in
the animal kingdom. By scenting a human, an animal has a chance to
flee and hide. Then God said: Into your hand are they delivered.
Therefore, man retains his authority over the animal kingdom. He
still has the authority over the animal kingdom, a repetition of a
provision of the Edenic Covenant. Nevertheless, the command to
subdue the earth is not repeated, since this authority now belongs to
Satan, who usurped the authority from man when man fell.
The third provision of the Noahic Covenant is given in 9:3:
Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. Whereas up until
now, under both the Edenic and Adamic Covenants, man was to be
strictly vegetarian, this now changes. Man is now able to eat two
classes of food: meat and vegetation. The first category is meat,
meaning that mandatory total vegetarianism now ends. Until now,
animals were raised for the purposes of clothing, such as from their
wool, for dairy products, and for sacrifices. Now, all animals become
fit for food. Furthermore, no limits are mentioned as to which
animals may be eaten: Every moving thing that lives shall be food for
you. Therefore, man’s authority over the animal kingdom now leads
to a negative consequence for the animal kingdom. So for this
reason, animals were given the fear of man for self-preservation. The
second category of human diet is vegetable: As the green herb have I
given you all. This was already given in the Edenic Covenant, and
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this portion of the Edenic and Adamic Covenants continues under
the Noahic Covenant.
The fourth provision (in 9:4) is the one prohibition given in the
Noahic Covenant, and that is not to eat blood: But the flesh with the
life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. This principle
that the life of the flesh is in the blood is the same prohibition later
incorporated into the Mosaic Law (Lev. 3:17, 17:10-14, 7:26-27;
Deut. 12:15-16, 12:20-24). This prohibition will play a later role in
the advice given to Gentile believers in Acts 15:29. Furthermore,
drinking blood is often connected with demonism; thus this
prohibition might be, to some degree, a response to the events of
Genesis 6:1-4 when intermarriage between humans and fallen angels
took place.
The fifth provision of the Noahic Covenant, given in 9:5-6, is
for capital punishment, and there is both a divine and human side.
Verse 5 presents the divine retribution: And surely your blood, the
blood of your lives, will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require
it. And at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, will I
require the life of man. It is God Who mandates capital punishment,
and this punishment is to be applied to both man and animal. God
has already exercised this prerogative of divine retribution with the
Flood. However, there is also now to be human retribution, in 9:6:
Whoso sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed. Man now has
the authority to put another man to death. Capital punishment
requires legal execution, and this enactment sets the stage for human
government. Under the Noahic Covenant, the mandatory death
penalty was only for the crime of premeditated murder. Later, the
Mosaic Covenant will add other crimes requiring the death penalty,
but as far as the Noahic Covenant goes, it is mandatory only for
premeditated murder. The purpose is not to deter crime, but to
punish the evildoer. Much of the argument today about the use of
capital punishment concerns whether it does or does not deter crime.
Biblically speaking, that is irrelevant and not the issue. The issue for
the Bible is punishing the evildoer, not reforming him or her.
Genesis 9:6 concludes by giving the reason why there will be both
divine and human retribution for the shedding of human blood: For
in the image of God made he man. Therefore, although after the Fall it
is a marred image, the image of God is still there.
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Genesis 9:7 reaffirms the first provision: And you, be ye fruitful,
and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
In the Hebrew, there is clear use of alliteration. The command to
multiply is repeated again, but the command to subdue the earth is
not repeated. So man retains the authority over the animal kingdom
and the vegetable kingdom; but he does not have the authority over
the earth. That authority has been given to Satan, who usurped the
authority from man. John 12:31 states that Satan is the prince of this
world; II Corinthians 4:4 states he is the god of this age; and
Luke 4:6 states that Satan has the authority over the kingdoms of
this world.
2. Token of the Covenant - 9:8-17
8And God spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with
him, saying, 9And I, behold, I establish my covenant
with you, and with your seed after you; 10and with every
living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and
every beast of the earth with you. Of all that go out of the
ark, even every beast of the earth. 11And I will establish
my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off
any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there
any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12And God said,
This is the token of the covenant which I make between
me and you and every living creature that is with you,
for perpetual generations: 13I do set my bow in the cloud,
and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and
the earth. 14And it shall come to pass, when I bring a
cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the
cloud, 15and I will remember my covenant, which is
between me and you and every living creature of all
flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to
destroy all flesh. 16And the bow shall be in the cloud; and
I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting
covenant between God and every living creature of all
flesh that is upon the earth. 17And God said unto Noah,
This is the token of the covenant which I have
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established between me and all flesh that is upon the
earth.
Not every covenant has a token or sign (the Hebrew word is the
same) connected to it. The first and second covenants did not have a
special token to them, but the third of the four covenants in Genesis
does have a token.
Genesis 9:8-10 deals with the establishment of the Noahic
Covenant, and it is established with two groups. First: It is
established with man in verses 8-9. In verse 8, the Word of God
comes again: And God spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him,
because his sons are included in the circle of the covenant. The
covenant is with humanity, in verse 9: And I, behold, I establish my
covenant with you, and with your seed after you. This verse includes all
Noah’s descendants. The Hebrew word for establish means “to make
stand,” “to erect.” Therefore, God erects a covenant with Noah, and
God erects a new covenantal relationship with humanity in
fulfillment of His promise in Genesis 6:18. In Genesis 9:10, God
also includes the animal kingdom: and with every living creature that
is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you. Of
all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.
In Genesis 9:11, God spells out the promise of the Noahic
Covenant. The basis is: I will establish my covenant with you, and this
is the Noahic Covenant. The promise is: neither shall all flesh be cut off
any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood
to destroy the earth. That means there will never again be a universal
flood, and God will never again destroy the mass of humanity with a
universal flood. The next time God destroys the mass of humanity, it
is going to be by fire (Isa. 24:5-6, II Pet. 3:10). This promise again
indicates the Flood was universal, not local. The language states
clearly what had just happened: all flesh (except those on board the
ark) and the earth had been destroyed.
Then in Genesis 9:12-17, God actually focuses on the token
itself. In verse 12, the token is for perpetuity: And God said, This is the
token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living
creature that is with you. It is to be for perpetual generations, meaning
in this context, the remainder of human history. This is the first of
three signs or tokens given regarding a covenant. For the Noahic
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Covenant, the token is a rainbow; for the Abrahamic Covenant, the
token will be circumcision (17:11); and for the Mosaic Covenant, the
token will be the Sabbath (Exod. 31:16-17). Genesis 9:13 gives the
actual token: I do set my bow in the cloud. The Hebrew word for bow is
keshet, the same word used of the battle bow. It is as if God hung up
his battle bow on the cloud as a sign of peace in place of being a sign
of war: and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
In 9:14-16, the rainbow will serve as a remembrance of God’s
promise. In 9:14: And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the
earth, meaning when it rains, the bow shall be seen in the cloud. The
rainbow is associated with rain, and there was no rain before the
Flood; therefore, no rainbows had been seen before this time.
Genesis 9:15 presents the remembrance of the covenant: I will
remember my covenant, which is with all humanity, which is between
me and you and every living creature of all flesh. Moreover, the promise
is: The waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. Thus, the
promise of not destroying the mass of humanity again is limited;
God will not again destroy humanity by means of water. In 9:16, He
declares His covenant to be everlasting: The bow shall be in the cloud;
and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant
between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
Again, as in 7:4, the word remember is used showing a covenantal
relationship and referring to God’s faithfulness to his covenant. The
rainbow will show this is an everlasting covenant; and everlasting
means here to be in force throughout the whole history of humanity.
Isaiah 24:5-6 makes a reference to this same covenant, pointing out
that the next time God destroys the mass of humanity, it is going to
be by means of fire. This great fire will happen during the Great
Tribulation, and the reason that the mass of humanity is going to be
destroyed by fire is for violating the Noahic Covenant. Genesis 9:17
presents the conclusion of the token of the Noahic Covenant: And
God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have
established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. The rainbow
is the token of the Noahic Covenant. Outside the Book of Genesis
and in the Noahic Covenant, the rainbow is found three times
elsewhere: Ezekiel 1:28, where it is a part of the Shechinah Glory;
Revelation 4:3, where it is also a part of the Shechinah Glory; and
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Revelation 10:1, where it deals with the reflected glory of a leading
angel.
Two observations on this section involve the repetition of key
terms. First, the word bow is found three times in connection with
the word cloud (9:13, 9:14, 9:16); the expression every living creature
is found three times (9:10, 9:15, 9:16). The term earth appears three
times (9:14, 9:16, 9:17); the word establish in connection with the
covenant is found three times (9:9, 9:11, 9:17). Therefore, one key
number the author works with is the number three. Second: The
word covenant appears seven times in this passage (9:9-17).
The Noahic Covenant is the basis for the Seven Noachide Laws
of Judaism. Rabbinic Judaism teaches that while Jews are under the
Law of Moses and can receive righteousness through the Law of
Moses, Gentiles do not have to obey the Law of Moses for
righteousness but can receive it through the Seven Noachide Laws.
As far as the basics, the seven laws are as follows.
First: For Justice, which involves establishing courts of law,
and it is imperative to pursue social justice and
prohibitions against any miscarriage of justice.
Second: Against Blasphemy, which means not to pronounce
the Name of God and prohibits curses directed toward
God.
Third: Against Idolatry, which prohibits the worship of idols
or planets.
Fourth: Against Immorality, which prohibits four areas of
immorality: adultery, incest, sodomy, and bestiality.
Fifth: Against Homicide, prohibiting both murder and suicide.
Sixth: Against Theft, prohibiting wrongful taking of
another’s property.
Seventh: Prohibiting eating regarding limbs of a living creature,
meaning the flesh of a living animal, which prohibits
the eating of animal parts severed from a living animal,
thus protecting the animal from unnecessary pain.
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Those are the general categories, but the rabbis gave more
specifics. The Mosaic Law contains 613 commandments, and these
Seven Noachide Laws for the Gentiles include within it hundreds of
the 613 commandments. In addition, the rabbis divide the 613
commandments into negative and positive commandments, which
will be indicated below with (N) for negative and (P) for positive.
The rabbis have specifically numbered the 613 commandments, and
the number in parenthesis will correspond to the rabbinic
enumeration of the commandment.
The first category of the Noachide Law is Justice, which covers
twenty of the 613 commandments:
1. (176) to appoint judges and officers in each and every
community (P);
2. (177) to treat litigants equally before the law (P);
3. (178) to testify in court (P);
4. (179) to inquire diligently into the testimony of a witness
(P);
5. (226) for the courts to administer the death penalty by the
sword (P);
6. (273) against wanton miscarriage of justice by a court (N);
7. (274) against the judge accepting a bribe or gift from a
litigant (N);
8. (275) against a judge showing marks of honor to only one
litigant (N);
9. (276) against a judge acting in fear of a litigant or of a
litigant’s threat (N);
10. (277) against a judge acting out of compassion and favor for
a poor litigant because he is poor (N);
11. (278) against a judge acting out of discrimination against a
litigant, because the litigant is a sinner (N);
12. (279) against a judge acting out of a softness and putting
aside the penalty of a murderer or killer (N);
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13. (280) against a judge discriminating against a stranger or
orphan (N);
14. (281) against a judge hearing one litigant in the absence of
the other (N);
15. (284) against appointing a judge who lacks knowledge of
the law (N);
16. (285) against testifying falsely (N);
17. (289) against the court killing an innocent man (N);
18. (290) against incrimination by circumstantial evidence (N);
19. (292) against anyone taking the law into one’s own hands to
kill someone guilty of capital punishment (N);
20. (294) against punishing for a crime committed under duress
(N).
The second category of the Noachide Law is Blasphemy, which
covers eight of the 613:
1. (1) to acknowledge the existence of God (P);
2. (4) to fear God (P);
3. (5) to pray to God (P);
4. (9) to sanctify God’s Name, even in the face of death when
appropriate (P);
5. (11) to study the Torah (P);
6. (16) against blaspheming (N);
7. (63) against desecrating God’s Name, even in the face of
death when appropriate (N);
8. (209) to honor the scholar and to revere one’s teacher (P).
The third category of the Noachide Law is Idolatry, which
covers ten of the 613. Some of these will be repetitious in the
numeral system, because they fall into more than one category:
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1. (1) against entertaining the thought that there exists any
deity other than God (N);
2. (2) against making any graven images or having someone
else make them for us (N);
3. (3) against making idols for use by others (N);
4. (4) against making any forbidden statue, even for ornamental
purposes (N);
5. (5) against bowing to any idol or to sacrifice or to burn
incense even when it is not the customary way of worship in
worshipping this particular idol (N);
6. (6) against worshipping idols in any of the customary
manners of worship (N);
7. (7) against causing our children to pass through the fire in
the worship of Molech (N);
8. (8) against practicing witchcraft (N);
9. (9) against practicing the consultation of the dead (N);
10. (10) against turning to idolatry in word, thought, or deed by
any observance that may draw us to idol worship (N).
The fourth category of the Noachide Law is Immorality, and this
covers ten of the 613 in rabbinic counting:
1. (330) against a man having sex with his mother (N);
2. (331) against a man having sex with his sister (N);
3. (332) against a man having sex with the wife of his father
(N);
4. (347) against a man having sex with another man’s wife
(N);
5. (348) against a man having sex with an animal (N);
6. (349) against humans having sex with an animal (N);
7. (350) against a man lying carnally with a man (N);
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8. (351) against a man lying carnally with his father (N);
9. (352) against a man lying carnally with his father’s brother
(N);
10. (353) against engaging in erotic conduct that may lead to
prohibitive union as in petting (N).
The fifth category of the Noachide Law has to do with
Homicide. The rabbis do not list a specific number, because it does
not add anything to go beyond the law against murder, since all the
other laws in relation to homicide were either relevant only to Israel
or are already included in the categories of justice or theft. For
example, Number 289 under justice was against the killing of an
innocent man, and that includes the homicide factor.
The sixth category of the Noachide Law is Theft, which covers
sixteen of the 613:
1. (194) robbers are to return or make restitution for stolen
property (P);
2. (201) workers are permitted to eat from the food among
which he works (P);
3. (208) all are to be exact in use of weights and measures (P);
4. (243) against kidnapping (N);
5. (244) against dealing with violence (N);
6. (245) against robbing with violence (N);
7. (246) against moving a landmark (N);
8. (247) against cheating (N);
9. (248) against repudiating a claim of money earned (N);
10. (250) against overcharging (N);
11. (265) against coveting or outwardly asking for another’s
property (N);
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12. (266) against desiring or an inner craving for another’s
property (N);
13. (267) against a laborer eating of such fruit when not
working in the orchard (N) (based upon 201);
14. (268) against a worker taking food home (N);
15. (271) against false weights and measures (N);
16. (272) against possession of false weights and measures (N).
The seventh category of the Noachide Law has to do with the
Limbs of a Living Creature, which covers two of the 613:
1. (181) against eating the flesh of any animal which was torn
by a wild beast, since it is prohibited to eat of such flesh as
was torn off an animal while it was still alive (N);
2. (182) against eating a limb severed from a living animal,
beast, or fowl (N).
K. The Three Sons and the New Beginning -
9:18-19
18And the sons of Noah, that went forth from the
ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the
father of Canaan. 19These three were the sons of Noah:
and of these was the whole earth overspread.
Genesis 9:18-19 introduces the new beginning, with verse 18
listing the three sons with the phrase: And the sons of Noah that went
forth from the ark. This introduction connects this with the Flood
account in the previous section. The sons were Shem, and Ham, and
Japheth, listed in the actual order of birth (Gen. 5:32, 6:10, 7:13,
10:1; I Chron. 1:4). Then the author adds: Ham is the father of
Canaan. This statement connects this section with the next passage
(9:20-27). Ham, acting as he did, showed that he was the true father
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of Canaan, and Canaan will become the focal point from chapter 12
onward.
Genesis 18:19 deals with the new beginnings of these three sons
of Noah: and of these was the whole earth overspread. All humanity
after the Flood descended from these three men, and this statement
connects this section with the events of chapter 10. Furthermore, it
shows that the command to multiply was actually first applicable
only to the three sons; Noah had no more sons than those he had
before the Flood.
L. Curse of Canaan - 9:20-27
20And Noah began to be a husbandman, and planted
a vineyard: 21and he drank of the wine, and was
drunken. And he was uncovered within his tent. 22And
Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his
father, and told his two brethren without. 23And Shem
and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their
shoulders, and went backward, and covered the
nakedness of their father. And their faces were backward,
and they saw not their father’s nakedness. 24And Noah
awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son
had done unto him. 25And he said,
Cursed be Canaan;
A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
26And he said,
Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem;
And let Canaan be his servant.
27God enlarge Japheth,
And let him dwell in the tents of Shem;
And let Canaan be his servant.
The next section begins in verses 20-21 with the drunkenness of
Noah. In verse 20, Noah begins a new occupation: And Noah began to
be a husbandman. The word began means that this was not his
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pre-Flood occupation; it is an occupation he took on only in the
post-Flood period. In Hebrew, it literally says “a man of the soil,” a
worker of the earth. He became a farmer, and what he planted was a
vineyard. That, by itself, was not wrong, but this could be used in a
sinful manner. Verse 21 records the sin. The act was: and he drank of
the wine, which, again, of itself was not a sin (Judg. 9:13, Ps. 104:15),
but it became a sin because of the result, and was drunken, and
drunkenness in the Bible is sin. To drink wine is no sin. To get
drunk is sin. This shows that although it was stated earlier that Noah
was righteous and perfect, anyone can sin; it shows that everyone
does sin. The same point is made in I Kings 8:46 and
Ecclesiastes 7:20. The effect was: And he was uncovered within his
tent; it led to the exposure of Noah’s nakedness. Frequently,
drunkenness is connected with nakedness (Lam. 4:21, Hab. 2:15).
Therefore, the effect of the misuse of wine was two things:
drunkenness and nakedness. This is in sharp contrast with the
previous Noah who was called “righteous, perfect, and one who
walked with God.” However, it should be noted, on the positive side,
that he was naked within his tent and not in the public eye.
Genesis 9:22 records Ham’s response, introduced with the
phrase: And Ham, the father of Canaan. This is the second time Ham
is connected with Canaan and by association, with the curse. What
this may imply is that Canaan may have participated in his father’s
sin, adding an affront to the dignity of the father—a transgression
against filial piety. A second option is that Canaan may have had the
same characteristics as Ham. The sin of Ham was that he saw the
nakedness of his father. For Ham this was an attack on Noah’s privacy.
Ham perhaps showed his disrespect, for he saw the nakedness with
glee, and so the moral rectitude of the father was now destroyed. The
“seeing” involved a violation of a boundary; the looking was a
negative looking. It will be used again in Genesis 19:26, with Lot’s
wife looking back; in Exodus 33:20, in that no one can look at God
and live; in Judges 13:22, when Manoah said, We shall surely die,
because we have seen [or looked upon] God, and in I Samuel 6:19,
where those who looked into the ark died. The rabbis claim that
what Ham did here was to castrate his father so that he would not
have a fourth son; but, again, there is no biblical validity for that.
Others have claimed that this was a homosexual act; however, there
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is no exegetical ground for this either. However, it does imply that he
looked upon the nakedness of his father with glee; not necessarily to
derive sexual pleasure from it, but certainly in a mocking tone,
making fun of his father, and so he told his two brethren. The sin of
Ham will cause the cursing of his fourth son, and the sin lay in three
things: seeing but failing to cover the father himself, as he could
have; telling others about it, further shaming him; and deriding his
father.
Genesis 9:23 reveals the response of Shem and Japheth: And Shem
and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and
went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces
were backward so as not to see, and so they saw not their father’s
nakedness.
Genesis 9:24 deals with the knowledge of Noah. The timing
was: And Noah awoke from his wine, meaning he finally sobered up,
and knew what his youngest son had done unto him. The Hebrew word
for youngest can simply mean “younger,” and that is probably the
better translation because Ham was the middle son. How he knew is
not stated. The phrase had done clearly implies a very negative act, as
in the sense when someone asks, “What have you done?”
Genesis 9:25-27 presents Noah’s curse on and his blessing on
Shem and Japheth, with verse 25 giving the curse focused on
Canaan. It begins with: And he said, meaning Noah said, and these
are the only words of Noah actually recorded anywhere in Genesis.
What Noah declared was: Cursed be Canaan. The curse falls on
Ham’s fourth son, Canaan. Nevertheless, Ham is included because
his name is missing in the entire account of the three sons here under
the blessings. However, Canaan is focused on because Canaan
developed Ham’s characteristics, and the immorality of the
Canaanites became great (Gen. 15:16, 18:20-21, 19:4-10;
Lev. 18:1-3; Deut. 12:29-31). The principle involved in the cursing
of Canaan rather than Ham is threefold. First, the sins of the fathers
are visited upon the children (Exod. 20:5, 34:6-7). Second, one reaps
what he sows. Since Ham sinned as a son, by that principle he was
punished in his son. Third, God shows His mercy since the sin of
Ham was punished on only one of his sons, not all. The sin of Ham
was embodied in Canaan and the Canaanites, and they acted as their
ancestor did. According to the rabbis, Canaan saw Noah naked and
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told Ham; and that was his complicity in the sin. Since Ham
castrated Noah to prevent him from having a fourth son, Ham’s
fourth son was, therefore, cursed.39 The result of the curse of Canaan
was: A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. The term
servant of servants is a superlative genitive and therefore means the
most abject slavery. Canaan, and by inference Ham, is going to be
that to Ham’s brothers, Shem and Japheth (I Kings 9:20-21). The
Canaanites became servants to the Jews, who were of Shem. The
Phoenicians became servants to the Persians, the Greeks, and the
Romans all of whom were of Japheth. The Roman destruction of
Carthage brought the Canaanite history to an end in 146 B.C.
Genesis 9:26 focuses on Shem, combining a blessing and
cursing. The blessing is: Blessed be Jehovah the God of Shem. It is the
God of Shem and not Shem himself who was blessed. Shem will
uniquely possess the knowledge of God. Therefore, the Seed of the
Woman will come through Shem and not through Ham or Japheth.
Then came the curse: And let Canaan be his servant. In addition, the
Canaanites would become the slaves of the Shemites. The fulfillment
of this comes as early as Genesis 14:4 where Canaanites became
slaves to non-Jewish Shemites, and then in I Kings 9:20-21, where
Canaanites became slaves to Jewish Shemites.
Genesis 9:27 focuses on Japheth, again combining the blessing
and the curse. The blessing is: God enlarge Japheth. Japheth will have
the largest number of descendants. His descendants would include
the inhabitants of both Asia and Europe. The prophecy is: And let
him dwell in the tents of Shem. The word dwell here has the meaning
of “having fellowship with.” So while the Japhethites would conquer
the Jews physically, the Jews would conquer the Japhethites
spiritually. Japhethites, more than the Hamites, adopted the God of
Shem. According to rabbis dealing with this verse, the blessing
includes that the Torah would be translated into Greek, meaning the
Septuagint; and the beauty of Japheth would be the Greek language.
Then came the curse: And let Canaan be his servant. The fulfillment
came when the Phoenicians became the slaves to the Greeks and the
Romans. Therefore, the curse of Canaan is to become enslaved to the
39 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 36:7.
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two brothers of Ham. In some circles in preceding times, it was
taught that the curse of Canaan was upon the Negro or the Black
race, which is simply not true to the text. While it is true that Blacks
are the descendants of Ham, not all descendants of Ham were black-
skinned people. Only one of Ham’s sons was cursed, and that was
Canaan. As is known from the Egyptian portrayals of the
Canaanites, the Canaanites were not black-skinned; they were white,
or it would be more correct to say, olive-skinned. Therefore, black
skin has nothing to do with this curse, and the curse of Canaan is not
biblical grounds for the enslavement of Blacks.
M. Death of Noah - 9:28-29
28And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and
fifty years. 29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred
and fifty years: and he died.
Verse 28 gives the years after the Flood: And Noah lived after the
flood three hundred and fifty [350] years. Then verse 29a gives the total:
And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty [950] years. Then
comes the terminus in verse 29b: and he died. This ends the toldot.
There are four New Testament quotations or applications of this
toldot.
The first concept is the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37-39,
Luke 17:26-27). The days of Noah is a time comparable to the days
preceding the Rapture. During both times, before the Flood and
before the Rapture, normal day-to-day activities characterize the time.
The second concept from the toldot of Noah and mentioned in the
New Testament is the faith of Noah (Heb. 11:17). Hebrews 11:7
speaks of the faith of Noah: Noah was warned of God concerning things
not seen as yet. He never saw a flood, and he never even saw rain.
Noah’s faith was manifested in his building of the ark without any
evidence in advance, and the result was that Noah became an heir of
righteousness, which comes by faith. Also Noah’s faith, by contrast,
condemned the world. The whole time while building the ark, he also
proclaimed the sin of his generation. Their failure to respond to
Noah’s message condemned them to perish in the Flood.
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201
Third, I Peter 3:19-21 makes the analogy that just as the ark saved
Noah’s family physically, so will baptism save the Jewish believers
physically. Furthermore, in His spirit, Jesus went down to Sheol and
proclaimed to the spirits that were disobedient in Noah’s day. He
announced to them that the plan to thwart the Seed of the Woman
from coming had failed. The Messiah was now here, and this
guarantees their final judgment.
Fourth, II Peter 2:5 uses Noah and his family as an example of the
fact that God knows how to deliver from judgment.
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V. Toldot of the Sons of Noah
- 10:1 - 11:9
The fourth toldot contains two main elements: the Tablet of
Nations and the Tower of Babel.
A. The Tablet of Nations - 10:1-32
1. Introduction - 10:1
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah,
namely, of Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them
were sons born after the flood.
This verse is the introduction to a new toldot: Now these are the
generations of the sons of Noah, namely, of Shem, Ham, and Japheth;
that is, what became of the sons of Noah, namely, the seventy
nations. It specifics: and unto them were sons born after the flood. These
three sons of Noah and their wives had no children before the flood;
all the children were born after the flood, and all humanity ever since
came from the three sons of Noah. (See table 10.)
The following ten observations can be made about 10:1-32 as a
whole.
First: This toldot does not begin with the eldest son, Shem. Shem
is covered last, after the author dispenses with the non-seed line
consisting of Noah’s sons Japheth and Ham. This principle of dealing
with the eldest son last will be repeated several times in the Book of
Genesis.
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Second: The purpose of the section (10:1-32) involves three
things regarding the status of Israel and of the Gentile nations. First,
God showed His divine providence in the distribution of the nations.
Second, God showed the relationship of Israel to the other nations
(Deut. 32:8-9) in that when He gave different peoples territories on
the earth, this division was based in part on the number of Jews that
played a role in that nation’s history. Third: God showed the unity of
humanity, that there is no such thing as racial or ethnic superiority.
Even the election of Israel was not based on ethnic superiority, nor
did the election of Israel give them ethnic superiority. On the
contrary, Israel’s election was for the purpose of fulfilling God’s
divine program, and it placed upon Israel a greater responsibility and
accountability.
Third: With very few deviations, chapter 10 is copied in
I Chronicles 1:4-23, showing that it was taken to be quite historical.
Fourth: There is no parallel to chapter 10 in any of the Ancient Near
Eastern Texts, neither in those collected in ANET 40 nor in any other
ancient Near Eastern document. Although ANET shows other ancient
Near Eastern documents having many parallels to the early chapters of
Genesis and beyond, there is nothing in the Near-Eastern literature to
parallel this chapter. It stands unique in ancient literature.
Fifth: The structure of chapter 10 follows a three-part division
and each section has a heading, a middle, and an ending that are
parallel. See table 11 for an overview of the structure.
Sixth: The division of humanity covers four areas: geographical,
dialectical, tribal, and national (vv. 5, 20, 31).
Seventh: The names in Genesis 10 fall into four categories:
Some names are listed as individuals; some as tribes; some as cities;
and some as nations.
Eighth: Two different formulas followed for describing the
expansion of the nations. The first formula is the bnei formula, meaning
sons of. The second formula is the yalad formula, which means begat.
40 Ancient Near Eastern Texts. The many cross-references given here are
from the ANET, yet no other source gives a tablet of nations as is found
in Genesis chapter 10.
TOLDOT of Noah’s Sons
205
Table 10. Tablet of the Nations
(Genesis 10)
NOAH (70*)
SHEM (26) HAM (30*) JAPHETH (14)
1. Elam 1. Cush 1. Gome
r
2.
A
sshu
r
-Seba -
A
shkena
z
3.
A
rpachshad -Havilah -Riphath
- Shelah - Sabtah -
T
ogarmah
- Ebe
r
- Raamah 2. Mago
g
-Pele
g
- Sheba 3. Madai
-Joktan - Dedan 4. Javan
-
A
lmodad -Sabteca -Elishah
-Sheleph -Nimrod -
T
arshish
-Hazarmaveth 2. Mizraim - Kittim
-Jerah -Ludim -Dodanim
-Hadoram -
A
namim 5.
T
ubal
-Uzal -Lehabim 6. Meshech
-Diklah -Naphtuhim 7.
T
iras
-Obal -Pathrusim
-
A
bimael - Casluhim
-Sheba (Philistines)
-Ophi
r
-Caphtorim
-Havilah 3.Pu
t
-Jobab 4. Canaan
4. Lud - Sidon
5.
A
ram - Heth
- U
z
- Jebusites
- Hul -
A
morites
- Gethe
r
- Girgashites
- Mash - Hivites
-
A
rkites
- Sinites
-
A
rvadites
- Zemarites
-Hamathites
__________________
* Number of nations, not counting Nimrod.
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Table 11. Structure of Genesis Chapter 10
Initial Heading – Verse 1
Line of Japheth
vv. 2-5
Line of Ham
vv. 6-20
Line of Shem
vv. 21-31
Section Headings:
The Lines of
Humanity
v. 2 v. 6 vv. 21-22
Middle:
Expansion of the
Nations
vv. 3-4 vv. 7-19 vv. 23-29
Colophon:
Division of the
Land
v. 5 v. 20 vv. 30-31
Final Colophon – Verse 32
Ninth: In 10:1, the heading verse for this chapter, the order of
the names is Shem, Ham, and Japheth, giving the order of birth.
However, in the Table of Nations, which follows verse 1, the order is
reversed: Japheth, Ham, and Shem. The purpose of the reverse order
is, again, to dispense with the non-seed line so that the text can go
right into focusing on Shem, which is the main line the author is
concerned about.
Tenth: While many of the names listed are known geographically,
many are not. In this exposition, it will be noted which are definite,
which are possibilities, and which are unknown.
2. The Line of Japheth - 10:2-5
2The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and
Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and
Tiras. 3And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Riphath,
and Togarmah. 4And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and
Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5Of these were the isles
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207
of the nations divided in their lands, every one after his
tongue, after their families, in their nations.
The record begins with the youngest son, Japheth. Verse 2 lists
his own sons, of which there are seven. The first son was Gomer, the
Gimirraya of the Cuniform Akkadian Inscriptions, and the Cimmerians
of the Classical Texts, basically located in the area south of the Black
Sea. According to the Herodotus, they were displaced by the
Scythians and settled in the area of Lake Van. After being defeated
by the Assyrians, they settled in the area of Cappadocia. Other
suggestions as to their region include Germany, France, and
Cambria of Wales.
Japheth’s second son was Magog, located between the Black and
Caspian Seas, the area of ancient Lydia that is presently Southern
Russia, and the region between Armenia and Cappadocia. Josephus
identifies them as the Scythians. They are associated with both
Meshech and Tubal in Ezekiel 38:2 and with both Gomer and
Togarmah in Ezekiel 38:6.
Japheth’s third son was Madai. These are the Medes by the
Caspian Sea (II Kings 17:6, 18:11; Isa. 13:17, 21:2; Jer. 25:25, 51:11,
51:28). It is believed that some of Madai’s descendants migrated to
India, and an ancient Indian legend claims that Iyapeti is the father
of the Afghans of India. Japheth’s name in Hebrew is Yapheth, and
so this may have a linguistic connection.
Japheth’s fourth son was Javan, which in Hebrew is Yavan.
Javan’s name refers to Greece, and the Hebrew name parallels the
name Ionia, and this is the Ionia of Homer. It refers to the Hellenic
race. These people settled along the Aegean Coast of Asia Minor
and became known as the Ionian Greeks. They are mentioned in the
eighth century B.C. cuneiform literature. The Ugaritic Literature of
the 13th Century B.C. refers to the Greeks, often connected with the
Elishah to be mentioned in 10:4. Other references are Isaiah 66:19,
where the Greeks are connected with Tarshish and Tubal;
Ezekiel 27:13, where they are connected with Meshech and Tubal;
and Joel 3:6, where they are connected with the Phoenicians and the
Philistines. A Greek legend states that Iapetos is the father of the
Greeks, and it is known that Iapetos is the Greek form of Yapheth or
Japheth.
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Japheth’s fifth son was Tubal. These are the Tabali of the
Assyrian Inscriptions. Herodotus places them in the region of Cilicia
and others in East Asia Minor or Eastern Antonia, and including
areas of modern Russia. Others suggestions for their locations have
included Tobolsk in Siberia on the Tubol River, and others have
connected then with the Tibareni in Pontus.
Japheth’s sixth son was Meshech. These are the Mushki of the
Assyrian Cuniform Inscriptions and also mentioned in Egyptian
literature. They were located between the Black and Caspian Seas,
and were localized in Northern Cilicia and Eastern Cappadocia.
Herodotus puts them in Phrygia. Other suggestions include the
Southwest Black Sea, Russia, Moscow on the Mosilua River, and the
Moschian Mountains near Armenia. They are always mentioned in
conjunction with Tubal (Ezek. 27:13, 32:26, 38:2-3, 39:1).
Japheth’s seventh son was Tiras, who is associated with the
Tursenoi of the Greek Texts or the Etruscans, and the Turcsha of the
Sea Peoples in the Egyptian Inscriptions. Other suggestions include
the Tyrrhenian of Italy and the Thracians. In Rabbinic tradition, this
is Persia.
Genesis 10:3 lists the three sons of Gomer. The first son is
Ashkenaz. This is the Ashkuza of the Assyrian Cuneiform Tablets, the
Saka of the Persian Texts, and the Scythes of the Greek Texts. In the
Classical Greek, they are the Scythians. Others suggestions include
Indo-Germanic tribes related to the Scythians, Germany, Scandia,
Saxony, Denmark, and Armenia. The Ashkenaz are mentioned in
Jeremiah 51:27 in conjunction with Ararat and Minni, located south
of Lake Van.
Gomer’s second son is Riphath. In I Chronicles 1:6, the name is
spelled as Diphath, due to a scribal error since in Hebrew the letter
resh (r) and daleth (d) look very much alike and are sometimes
mistaken for each other. Josephus identifies them as the
Paphlagonians, located between the Black Seas and Bythinia on the
southern edge of the Black Sea. Other suggestions include the
Tiphean Mountains of Cappadocia, Rhebas, the Celts, and
Anatonia.
Gomer’s third son is Togarmah. This is the Togarama of the
Hittite Texts, the Til-Garimmu of the Assyrian Akkadian Texts. Other
suggestions as to the actual location include Cappadocia, Armenia,
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209
and Turkey-Turkistan (Asia Minor). Other references to the house
of Togarmah are in Ezekiel 27:14, noted for exporting horses to Tyre,
and in Ezekiel 38:6 where they are part of Gog’s army.
Genesis 10:4 lists the four sons of Javan, or Yavan. The first son
is Elishah, a word related to Hellas, the Greek name for themselves.
These are the Alashiya of the Mari, the Nuzi, Ugaritic, and the
El-Amarna Texts, and the Boghazroy (Hittite) Inscriptions. They are
also the Eilesians of Homer. They have been located on Cyprus,
which is rich in copper in the central and western parts of the island,
and have also been connected with Crete.
Javan’s second son is Tarshish. His descendants were located in
southwestern Spain. They are the Tartessus of Spain and of
Herodotus. They have also been located in Sardinia. Other
references to them are in I Kings 10:22, where they were exporters of
gold and silver, ivory, and apes and peacocks; in Isaiah 23:1, where they
are connected with ships; in Jeremiah 10:9, where they were
exporters of silver; and in Ezekiel 27:12, where they are connected
with Tyre and are mentioned as exporters of silver, iron, tin, and lead.
This area was the direction of Jonah’s flight (Jon. 1:3), and it was
also the destination of Solomon’s ships (II Chron. 9:21) and of
Jehoshaphat’s ships (I Kings 22:49).
Javan’s third son is Kittim, mentioned in Phoenician records,
located on Cyprus or the Phoenician section of Cyprus in contrast to
the part of Cyprus settled by Elisha. The ancient name in Cy of the
modern city of Larnaca was Kitom on Cyprus. One suggestion puts
them on the south coast of Asia Minor as well. Other references are
Numbers 24:24, where they are associated with ships; Isaiah 23:1,
where they are described as a land; and Ezekiel 27:6, described as
isles.
Javan’s fourth son is Dodanim, (in I Chron. 1:7 spelled as
Rodanim, another scribal error for the same reason noted above).
These are the Dodanoi of ancient Greece, the people of the
Peloponnesus during the Mycenaean Period, located at different
times in northern Greece, Macedonia, and Rhodes.
Genesis 10:5 concludes with the colophon to the account of
Japheth’s house: Of these were the isles of the nations divided in their
lands. The isles of the nations is an implication of transoceanic areas,
which included both East and West: to Europe in the West and as
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far East as Persia and India and most of Asia. Some families also
spread north and south. They spread over so much territory that this
is the fulfillment of Noah’s blessing from Genesis 9:27: God enlarge
Japheth. Verse 5 shows a threefold basis of division of Noah’s
descendants. First, They were divided by languages: everyone after his
tongue. This phrase shows that chapter 10 was written after the
dispersion of Genesis 11, since that is when the confusion of tongues
occurred. Second: They were divided by their families, which would
include tribal divisions; and this points to the development of a
society. Third: They were divided in their nations, referring to
national divisions. Genesis 10:5 describes a total of fourteen nations,
and the time span given here is two generations.
3. The Line of Ham - 10:6-20
6And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and
Put, and Canaan. 7And the sons of Cush: Seba, and
Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca; and
the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan. 8And Cush
begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
9He was a mighty hunter before Jehovah: wherefore it is
said, Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Jehovah.
10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and
Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and built
Nineveh, and Rehoboth-Ir, and Calah, 12and Resen
between Nineveh and Calah (the same is the great city).
13And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and
Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 14and Pathrusim, and
Casluhim (whence went forth the Philistines), and
Caphtorim. 15And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born,
and Heth, 16and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the
Girgashite, 17and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the
Sinite, 18and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the
Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the
Canaanite spread abroad. 19And the border of the
Canaanite was from Sidon, as you go toward Gerar,
unto Gaza; as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah and
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211
Admah and Zeboiim, unto Lasha. 20These are the sons of
Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their
lands, in their nations.
The line of Ham begins with verse 6 listing his four sons. The
first son is Cush. He and his line most likely lived in the land of
Nubia and Ethiopia since the vast majority of the cases where Cush is
mentioned refer to Ethiopia. However, in light of 10:8-12, his
descendants might be associated with the Kisshites or Cassites of
Mesopotamia.
Ham’s second son is Mizraim, and this is the well-known
Hebrew name for Egypt. In Hebrew, this name is a dual form
indicating the inclusion of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Ham’s third son is Put. This is the Putaya of the Old Persian
Inscriptions and they were located in North Africa in the area of
modern-day Somaliland or Somalia, and their territory is believed to
include Libya. Put is the only son of Ham whose genealogy is not
given. Other references to Put are Jeremiah 46:9, where he is
associated with Cush; Ezekiel 30:5, where he is associated with
Ethiopia and Lud; and Ezekiel 38:5, where he is associated with
Cush and Persia.
Ham’s fourth son is Canaan, the father of the Canaanites.
Therefore, the Canaanites were Hamitic in national and racial
origin, but they adopted a Semitic language and culture. It was this
son and his descendants that fell under the curse of Noah.
Genesis 10:7a lists the five sons of Cush. The first son is Seba.
Josephus identifies him as the Seba between the Blue Nile and the
White Nile. Strabo identifies him as the Seba along the African
Coast. Others suggestions locate them in Upper Egypt on the Nile
and the Sudan. Cush’s second son is Havilah, who settled in Southern
Arabia, the proverbial source of gold mentioned as early as
Genesis 2:11 and which is located along the Arabian Coast. Ishmael
lived here (Gen. 25:18) and also the Amalekites (I Sam. 15:7).
Havilah is also mentioned under Shem. Perhaps it is a different
person of the same name, or perhaps this double occurrence indicates
a mixing of the races. Cush’s third son is Sabtah. This is the Shabwat
of the Sabean Inscriptions and the Sabatoh of the Greek Texts, which
locate them in the western Hadramaut region. Others locate them
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on the west coast of the Persian Gulf. They are sometimes identified
with Sabaka, who ruled Ethiopia 712-700
B.C. Sabaka conquered
Egypt and set up the 25th dynasty. Cush’s fourth son is Raamah,
identified with the Ragmah of the Sabean Inscriptions who lived in
the extreme southwest of Saudi Arabia. They are also identified with
Oman. The fifth son is Sabteca, connected with the land of Nubia, or
Ethiopia. This is an Ethiopian tribe. Others connect them with
Samudake, east toward the Persian Gulf. Raamah is also sometimes
identified with Sabaka, who succeeded his brother Sabrika as king
and ruled 700-689/688 B.C. in Phoenicia.
Genesis 10:7b lists the two sons of Raamah. The first one was
Sheba. This is the Sabean Kingdom of southwest Arabia and the
home of the Queen of Sheba, identified with Marib in Yemen.
Raamah’s second son is Dedan, identified with the Oasis of el-’Ela in
Northwestern Saudi Arabia, also identified with the Julia of
Northern Arabia. Other references to Dedan are: Isaiah 21:13, which
mentions the caravans of Dedan; Jeremiah 25:23, which connects
Dedan with Edom; Jeremiah 49:8, which again connects him with
Edom; and Ezekiel 25:13, saying his location borders on the land of
Edom.
Then in Genesis 10:8-12, the writer focuses on one key person
who was a Hamite: Nimrod. Verse 8a gives his origin: And Cush begat
Nimrod. He was the sixth son of Cush in addition to the five sons
already listed in verse 7a. The name Nimrod comes from the Hebrew
word meaning “to rebel,” and it may have been an assigned name
given to him later in life. Historians have tried to identify him with
other known individuals such as Sargon the Great, the founder of the
city of Akkad; Naram-sin, the war-like grandson of Sargon; Marduk,
a god of Babylon; Ninurta, the Babylonian god of war, the god of the
hunt who was called “The Arrow” or “The Mighty Hero”;
Gilgamesh, who was a great hunter in Sumarian literature;
Nu-Marad, meaning the man from the city of Marad;
Tukulti-Ninurta I, an Assyrian king (1246-1206 B.C.) who captured
Babylon and carried off the idol of Marduk and who was the first to
rule both Babylonia and Assyria; Amenophis/Amenhotep III, an
Egyptian pharaoh (1416-1379
B.C.); Orion, a Greek mythical
hunter; and Ninos, a Greek folk hero. Some of these are speculative
and none have conclusive evidence. Elsewhere Nimrod is mentioned
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only in I Chronicles 1:10 and Micah 5:6. Genesis 10:8b-9 define
Nimrod as the mighty hunter. In relationship to the earth: He began to
be a mighty one in the earth, restated in I Chronicles 1:10. The term
mighty is used three times in verses 8-9. He was a hunter of animals,
but he was also a hunter of men. According to rabbinic tradition,
Nimrod began to display man’s power over the wild animals by
hunting them and capturing them, and Nimrod began to stir up the
revolt against God, which resulted in the Tower of Babel judgment.
Verse 9 deals with Nimrod’s relationship to God: He was a mighty
hunter before Jehovah. The terminology implies antagonism;
antagonism against and in opposition to God. The Jerusalem
Targums translates this as follows:
He was powerful in hunting and in wickedness
before the Lord, for he was a hunter of the sons of
men, as he said to them, “Depart from the judgment
of the Lord and hear the judgment of Nimrod.”
Therefore, it is said, as Nimrod the strong one,
strong in hunting, and wickedness before the Lord.
In rabbinic interpretation, the phrase a mighty hunter means he
snared men with his words and incited them to rebel against God.
The phrase before the Lord they take to mean that his intention was to
provoke God. At any rate, because of Nimrod’s actions, a saying
developed even in his time, and quoted here in Scripture: wherefore it
is said, Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Jehovah. This became a
proverbial saying. In addition, the rabbis say that this is said of one
who is exceedingly wicked and seeks to incite men against God. So
Nimrod began to show his might over other people; and just as he
was a mighty hunter of animals, he was also the first to establish
kingdoms.
Genesis 10:10-12 presents the picture of Nimrod as the empire
builder, and this happened in two stages. The first stage is in
verse 10 regarding his kingdom in the land of Shinar: And the
beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh,
in the land of Shinar, which is Babylonia. The author mentions the
building of four cities. Babel is Babylon on the Euphrates, thus
planting the seeds of the future Babylonian Captivity. Erech, the
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Babylonian and Akkadian Uruk, was situated about one hundred
miles southeast of Babylon. This was the home of Gilgamesh of
Babylonian mythology, who today is known as Warka. Accad, or
Akkad, was well known from many ancient inscriptions to be located
north of Babylon on the Euphrates. The exact location of Calneh is
unknown. Then in 10:11-12 came the second stage, in the land of
Assyria: Out of that land he went forth into Assyria. The phrase out of
that land means from Babylonia; and Nimrod went into Assyria. The
land of Assyria is called the land of Nimrod in Micah 5:6. The text
does not state here why Nimrod left Babylonia for Assyria, but the
reason is recorded in 11:1-9 in the second part of the toldot of the
Sons of Noah. The context indicates that Nimrod was the actual
leader of the revolt of the Tower of Babel, and it was the confusion
of tongues that would have forced Nimrod to go from Babylonia to
Assyria. Here also he builds four cities: Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,
and Resen. Nineveh was located on the Tigris River two hundred
miles north of Babylon and became the capital of the Assyrian
Empire, thus planting the seeds of the Assyrian Captivity. Rehoboth-
Ir, known today as Rebit, was a suburb of Nineveh. Calah, known
today as Kalhu, was located eighteen miles south of Nineveh on the
Tigris and is near the modern town of Nimrud. Resen, located
between Nineveh and Calah, is now known as Risdu. Then the
author states: the same is the great city, because all four parts actually
made up Nineveh, the great city, and so it became a large metropolis.
Initially, all these cities were Hamitic cities; but in the course of
time, they became Semitic cities; the Hamites were displaced by the
Shemites.
Genesis 10:13-14 lists the seven sons of Ham’s second son,
Mizraim. His first son was Ludim, who was located in Lydia in
North Africa; he was also associated with an African tribe located
west of the Delta Region. Other references include Jeremiah 46:9,
where Ludim is associated with Cush and Put as well as in
Ezekiel 30:5, where the association is made with Cush and Put (in
the Hebrew, but not in the English translation). Mizraim’s second
son was Anamim, connected with Cyrene. This is the Anami of the
inscriptions of Sargon II. The third son was Lehabim, located in the
vicinity of Egypt and Libya. The fourth son was Naphtuhim, located
in Lower Egypt in the Delta Region; his were the people of
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Memphis. The fifth son was Pathrusim, located in Upper Egypt in
the land of Pathros. The sixth son was Casluhim (whence went forth
the Philistines). These were the people west of the Delta between
Egypt and Canaan. In the Greek text, these are the Nasmonim, who
lived in the area of the Gulf of Sidra. This was as close as the
Philistines came to Egypt. The seventh son was Caphtorim, the
Kaptara of the Amarna Letters, also connected with Crete; Caphtor is
mentioned in Amos 9:7: the Philistines from Caphtor.
Genesis 10:15-18a focuses on the sons of Canaan: And Canaan
begat, a total of eleven sons. The first son was Sidon, his first-born.
Sidon’s house was in Phoenicia and the land of the Sidonians. The
second son is Heth, the father of the Hittites. After the fall of the
Hittite Empire, they migrated to the Far East and became known as
the Cathay now associated with Hong Kong. Remnants of the Hittites
occupied the Hill Country of Judah at one time (Num. 13:29). The
third son is the Jebusite who inhabited Jerusalem, located in the Hill
Country of Judah (Num. 13:29, Josh. 11:3). Joshua 15:8 mentions the
border of the Jebusite, and the same is Jerusalem; Joshua 18:28 states the
Jebusite is the same as Jerusalem; in Judges 1:21, the Jebusites inhabited
Jerusalem; in Judges 19:10, Jebus is the same as Jerusalem; in
II Samuel 5:6-9, David took Jerusalem, the Jebusite stronghold. The
fourth son is the Amorite, the Amurru of the Cuniform and the
Egyptian Texts. The Amorites also occupied the Hill Country of Judah
at one time (Num. 13:29, Deut. 1:44, Judg. 10:5, Josh. 11:3). They
also occupied the east side of the Jordan, or the Trans-Jordan
(Num. 21:13; Deut. 1:4, 1:7; Josh. 2:10, 9:10, 24:8; Judg. 10:8, 11:22).
Mamre was an Amorite city (Gen. 14:13), and Shechem was an
Amorite city after the Hivites were destroyed (Gen. 48:22). The fifth
son is the Girgashite. The name is found in Phoenician Texts and in the
Egyptian Inscriptions of Ramses II. The exact location of the
Girgashites is unknown. If they are related to the Gerasenes of
Luke 8:26 and 8:37, it would put them in the area of the Sea of
Galilee. The sixth group mentioned was the Hivites. They occupied
the central Hill Country of Judah, north of Jerusalem, including the
city of Gibeon (Josh. 9:3-7, 9:17; 11:19). They occupied the city of
Shechem in the Hill Country of Ephraim (Gen. 34:2). The seventh
name is the Arkite, the Irgata of the Cuniform Tablets and the Amarna
Letters. They occupied Tel Argoh in Lebanon (Phoenicia), about
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eighty miles north of Sidon, eleven miles north of Tripoli. The eighth
group was the Sinites. These are the Siyanru of the Assyrian Cuniform
Inscriptions and the Ugaritic Texts. They made up a city-state located
on the coast between Ugarit and Arvad. Some have identified the
Sinites with China, and in Modern Hebrew the word is used of
China; but it is questionable whether that was the meaning in
Classical Hebrew. The ninth group of descendants from Canaan was
the Arvadites, the Ruad of the Assyrian, Egyptian, and Classical
sources. They also are the Arwada of the Amarna Letters. Theirs was
an island city in northern Phoenicia and associated with Tyre in
Ezekiel 27, verses 8 and 11. The tenth group is known as the
Zemarites, the Tzimira of the Assyrian Inscriptions, the Tzumur of the
Amarna Letters, and are also mentioned in Phoenician and Classical
records. They were the northernmost Egyptian stronghold in the
Land of Canaan located at the border of Amurru. This is modern
Sumra, a city between Arvad and Tripoli at the mouth of the El-kabir
River, also known as the Eleutheros River. The eleventh son was the
Hamathite. This group would be associated with Hamath on the
Orontes River in Syria.
Then, in Genesis 10:18b, is the dispersion of Canaan: and
afterward, meaning after a period of time in the above settlements,
were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. Indeed, it is possible
that the Hittites and the Sinites may have moved to the Far East
where they fathered the Mongols of China and Japan, and this
would also ultimately include the American Indians.
Genesis 10:19 describes the border of the Canaanites: And the
border of the Canaanite was from Sidon, which is Phoenicia in
Lebanon, the northwestern border: as you go toward Gerar, unto
Gaza, which is Philistia and is the southwestern border. Next, the
border was: as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and
Zeboiim, which is the Arabah, and is the southeastern border.
Finally, their area continued: unto Lasha, this is the northeastern
border. The western border is understood to be the Mediterranean.
This is indeed the approximate borders of the Promised Land that
which is later promised to Abraham.
In Genesis 10:20 is the colophon, giving the spread of Ham:
These are the sons of Ham division by tribes, after their families;
division by languages, after their tongues; division by territory, in their
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lands; and division by nations, in their nations. There are a total of
thirty nations here, although this has various interpretations (29
excluding Nimrod and the Philistines; 30 including either the
Philistines or Nimrod; 31 including the Philistines and counting
Nimrod once; or 32 including the Philistines and counting Nimrod
twice for Babylon and Nineveh). The time span given here is three
generations.
4. The Line of Shem - 10:21-31
21And unto Shem, the father of all the children of
Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were
children born. 22The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur,
and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram. 23And the sons of
Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. 24And
Arpachshad begat Shelah; and Shelah begat Eber. 25And
unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was
Peleg. For in his days was the earth divided. And his
brother’s name was Joktan. 26And Joktan begat
Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
27and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, 28and Obal,
and Abimael, and Sheba, 29and Ophir, and Havilah,
and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. 30And their
dwelling was from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the
mountain of the east. 31These are the sons of Shem, after
their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after
their nations.
The line of Shem begins in verse 21: And unto Shem, the father of
all the children of Eber. Eber in Hebrew is Ever and is the source of
the Hebrew word for “Hebrew,” Ivrit. To be the father of the
Hebrews is the main significance of the line of Shem. He was the
elder brother of Japheth, which shows that Shem is the firstborn son of
Noah, even though he is dealt with last. The phrase, to him also were
children born, is the introduction to the line of Shem.
Genesis 10:22 lists the five sons of Shem. The first son was Elam,
identified with the country east of Babylon, which later became part of
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Persia; and the capital was Susa or Shushan. Today this area is located
in southwestern Iran.
Shem’s second son was Asshur, identified with the land of Assyria
along the Tigris. The capitol of Asshur was Nineveh. These were the
Semitic Assyrians that supplanted the Hamitic Assyrians of
Genesis 10:11.
Shem’s third son was Arpachshad. Josephus identified him with the
Chaldeans. Others identify him with the Araphu in the area of Nuzi,
with the Babylonian section of Chaldea, or with the Arpachides in
Assyria, northeast of Nineveh. Arpachshad was the seed-son.
Shem’s fourth son was Lud, associated with the Ludi of the
Classical Sources, and the Lubdu of the Assyrians in the area of
Nuzi. This location is the Lydia of Asia Minor.
Shem’s fifth son was Aram, the same as the name of the land of
Aramea between Damascus and the Euphrates River. Aram was the
common Hebrew name for Syria.
Genesis 10:23 lists the four sons of Aram, and these sons of
Aram fathered the Syrian tribes between Aramea and Mesopotamia.
The first son was Uz. Josephus locates him in the area of
Trachonites in northeastern Canaan. He was located in northwest
Mesopotamia (Gen. 22:21), and, perhaps, was in the same location
as the home of Job (Job 1:1). Uz’s territory may also be the same as
the land of Uz in Jeremiah 25:20. The second son was Hul. Josephus
locates him in Armenia; more likely, he was located in the Leja
region. The third son was Gether. His specific location is unknown,
but Josephus puts him in Bacteria, in northeastern Afghanistan. The
fourth son was Mash. His specific location is also unknown, but
Josephus puts him in Mesene at the mouth of the Euphrates near
Charax. Others place him in Strabo’s Mount Masius in the Tur
Abdin Range between the Tigris River and the Habar Triangle.
Genesis 10:24-30 focuses on the line of Arpachshad, who is the
seed-son. Verse 24 states: And Arpachshad begat Shelah. Shelah’s
location is unknown. (The Septuagint and the Book of Jubilees state:
Arpachshad begat Kenan and Kenan begat Shelah, placing Kenan
between Arpachshad and Shelah. The shorter order is picked up in
Luke 3:35-36. Obviously, the Hebrew Text behind the Septuagint
included a generation left out by the Masoretic Text.) Then Shelah
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begat Eber. Eber is the name of the region of Ur of the Chaldeans,
Haran, and Paddan-aram; and Eber is the father of the Hebrews.
Genesis 10:25 lists the two sons of Eber: And unto Eber were born
two sons: the name of the one was Peleg. For in his days was the earth
divided. The name Peleg means “to divide.” Some identify this event
with the continental divide or the continental drift. However,
contextually, it more likely refers to the language division of the
Tower of Babel judgment. This means that the confusion of tongues
occurred during Peleg’s lifetime. A text of King Tukultininurta II
refers to a people called Palga near the Harbur River. The author of
Genesis then adds: his brother’s name was Joktan, an Arabian tribe.
Genesis 10:26-30 lists the thirteen sons of Joktan, each of whose
families became Arabian tribes. Verses 26-29 list the sons of Joktan,
the first being Almodad, the South Arabian people of the Tribe of
Al-Mudad in Yemen. The second son was Sheleph, listed in the
Sabean Inscriptions and Arabic geographical notations. According to
Ptolemaus, this was the Salipeni between Sheba and Hadramaut.
This is the South Arabian people of es-Sulaf in Yemen, also called
Salaf or Salif. The third son was Hazarmaveth, whose name appears
in the Sabean Inscriptions and in the Classical Texts, located in
Hadramaut of South Arabia. The fourth son was Jerah, the Jerakh
next to the Hazarmaveth. The fifth son was Hadoram, the Adramitae
in South Arabia. The sixth son was Uzal, which is the old name for
modern Sana, the capital of Yemen. His land might alternatively be
Azalla in the area of Medina. The seventh son was Diklah, the
Dakalah of Yemen. The eighth son was Obal, the Abel of South
Arabia or Yemen. The ninth son was Abimael, nothing more about
him is known. The tenth was Sheba, the Sabeans of southwest
Arabia, also listed as being part of Ham’s line in 10:7. The eleventh
was Ophir identified with Aphar, the Sabean capital. Some have
identified Ophir’s territory with Somalia or Somaliland. His area was
famous for its gold (I Chron. 29:4; II Chron. 8:18; Job 22:24, 28:16;
Ps. 45:9). The twelfth son was Havilah, located on the west coast of
Arabia north of Yemen, also known as Khawlan in Arabia Felix and
also mentioned in Ham’s line in 10:7. The thirteenth son was Jobab,
the Yobaritai mentioned by Ptolemaus in southeast Saudi Arabia.
His land was also identified with the town of Juhaibab, in the area of
Mecca. Genesis 10:29 concludes all these were the sons of Joktan.
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Verse 30 concludes with the borders of their land: And their dwelling
was from Mesha, which is the western border, as you go toward Sephar,
which is the eastern border, the mountain of the east.
In 10:31 is the colophon: These are the sons of Shem; division by
tribes after their families; division by languages, after their tongues;
division by territory, in their lands; division by nations, after their
nations. There are a total of twenty-six nations and the time span
covers five generations.
5. Conclusion - 10:32
These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their
generations, in their nations: and of these were the
nations divided in the earth after the flood.
This verse concludes the Tablet of Nations. The first phrase
summarizes the whole chapter: These are the families of the sons of
Noah, after their generations, in their nations. The second phrase
states: Of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. The
cause of the division is discussed in the next section. The total
number of nations, combining the families of all three is seventy.
Thus, the human race at this point until today is united by virtue of a
common ancestor: Noah, through his three sons. However, on the
other side of the coin, the human race is divided hopelessly by
language, by race, by territory, and by politics, and the origin of this
division is now to be spelled out in Genesis 11.
The numbers seven and twelve are emphasized in Genesis 10. First,
the number seven again plays a rather prominent role, in ten ways. First,
the word eretz, or land, is found fourteen times, which is two times
seven. Second, the word eretz is found seven times in those verses that
specifically speak of the division of Noah’s offspring, (chapter 10, vv. 5,
25, 32; chapter 11, vv. 4, 8, 9). Third, Japheth had seven sons. Fourth,
Japheth had seven grandsons. Fifth, Japheth fathered fourteen nations,
two times seven. Sixth, the sons of Cush number seven, excluding
Nimrod. Seventh, the sons of Mizraim are seven. Eighth, the sons of
Joktan, with Joktan, number fourteen, two times seven. Ninth, the word
bnei, meaning “sons of,” is found fourteen times, two times seven.
Tenth, the combination of the genealogical term avi, meaning “the
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father of,” and banim, meaning “sons,” and toldot, meaning “generations
of,” and the verb yalad, meaning “begot,” appears twenty-eight times,
which is four times seven.
A second observation is that the number twelve also plays a role.
First, Canaan and the sons of Canaan number a total of twelve.
Second, the descendants of Shem until Peleg number twelve.
B. The Tower of Babel - 11:1-9
Genesis 11:1-9 follows the Law of Recurrence because it
explains how the dispersion of chapter 10 took place. In Genesis 10,
the nations are already dispersed. How did they get that way? The
answer is: by the events of Genesis 11. It also helps to explain why
Nimrod later left Babel (Babylon) and went to Assyria. It also
explains exactly what happened in the days of Peleg.
1. The Rebellion of Man - 11:1-4
1And the whole earth was of one language and of
one speech. 2And it came to pass, as they journeyed east,
that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they
dwelled there. 3And they said one to another, Come, let
us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had
brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. 4And they
said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top
may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest
we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Verse 1 begins by describing what the original state was: the
whole earth was of two things. First, there was one language. The
Hebrew word literally reads “of one lip.” As already noted, that
language was Hebrew, since all names are Hebrew names prior to
this chapter and all the word plays only make sense in Hebrew.
Second, the whole earth was of one speech. The Hebrew term means
“words”; all people had one vocabulary.
Genesis 11:2 describes the settlement in the land of Shinar: And
it came to pass, meaning in the course of time: as they journeyed east,
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meaning east of Ararat: they found a plain in the land of Shinar. The
word plain means it was good land for cultivation, and Shinar means
Babylonia. This is where life originated, and now the survivors of the
Flood and their families came back to it.
Then 11:3-4 describes the rebellion against God, and this
rebellion came in two stages. The first stage, in verse 3 was the
making of building material: And they said one to another, Come, let us
make brick, for building purposes, and burn them thoroughly. This is to
make the bricks hard and to make them last a very long time. The
result was that they had brick for stone; the hardened brick was used
for building in place of stone. Indeed, South Mesopotamia is rich in
alluvial deposits, but is extremely short in stone. Furthermore, slime
had they for mortar. They used bitumen because they had no clay to
use as mortar. They had to use slime or asphalt. The second stage in
11:4 was to build a city and a tower: And they said, Come, let us build,
and what they want to build is two things. First: They wish to build
a city. The desire for a city as such existed even before the Flood
(4:17); but here and now, their desire comes to full fruition. In this
case, the city was Babylon, which gives the explanation of the
circumstances of 10:10 (and the beginning of his [Nimrod’s] kingdom
was Babel…). Second: They wanted to build a tower, with the goal
being: whose top may reach unto heaven, or literally, “with its peak in
the heavens.” The very name “Babylon” in Hebrew, Babel, means
“the gate of God.” The point is that they want to reach out to the
heavens. The purpose of this tower was for the purpose of astrology,
or the signs of the zodiac. This act marks the beginnings of false
religion and idolatry. That is why Revelation 17:5 refers to Babylon
as THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS, the mother of all false
religious systems. The building of this tower expressed the people’s
desire for a new religion, and so Nimrod became Marduk, or as it
appears elsewhere, Merodach, who was the chief god of Babylon.
Their next desire was: Let us make us a name. They had a desire for a
city, a desire for a tower, and now they had a desire for a name and
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reputation. This desire, too, existed before the Flood (4:17).41 Here is
the birth of humanism, something that is human-centered, with all
the wrong motivation, motivated from pride. The motivation was:
lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. This is an act
of rebellion against God in violation of the Noahic Covenant in
Genesis 9:1 and 9:7, which commanded them to scatter throughout
the world. According to rabbinic interpretation of this verse, they
paraphrase the people saying: “It does not rest with God to choose
the celestial sphere for Himself and assign the earth for us. Let us,
then, make war against Him.”
2. The Judgment of God - 11:5-9
5And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower,
which the children of men built. 6And Jehovah said,
Behold, they are one people, and they have all one
language; and this is what they begin to do: and now
nothing will be withheld from them, which they purpose
to do. 7Come, let us go down, and there confound their
language, that they may not understand one another’s
speech. 8So Jehovah scattered them abroad from thence
upon the face of all the earth: and they left off building
the city. 9Therefore was the name of it called Babel;
because Jehovah did there confound the language of all
the earth: and from thence did Jehovah scatter them
abroad upon the face of all the earth.
The judgment of God begins in verse 5 with God’s observation:
And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower. Here the author
uses anthropomorphic satire, to satirize what puny man is trying to
do. No matter how high man towered, God still has to come down to
see it and to get a better look. This shows that God is interested in
41 Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch.
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the affairs of men, but God is so high and man is so puny that God
had to come down to get a better look. What He came down to see
is the city and the tower, which the children of men built. The word for
men here is “adam” meaning “mankind” or “humanity.” Based upon
the tense here, the city and the tower were actually completed.
Genesis 11:6 gives God’s evaluation: Behold. There are two
situations: They are one people, meaning one nationality; and they have
all one language; they have one unified language that helps keep them
together. These conditions raised two problems. The first problem
was: This is what they begin to do, meaning this is only the first act of
rebellion in this one place; if left to themselves, more such acts will
follow in this one place. The second problem was: Now nothing will
be withheld from them, which they purpose to do, meaning they will
purpose to sin in many other ways as well. While no one can thwart
the purpose of God, nothing will be able to thwart the purpose of
man unless this initial project, which is an act of rebellion against the
divine rule, is stopped. The roots of the two words, thwart and
purpose are used elsewhere only in Job 42:2. The rabbis interpret this
verse as meaning: “With such unity, they will enthrone idolatry for
all time so that no man will be able to turn to the worship of the true
God.” This provides an example of the failure of government to
restrain lawlessness.
In 11:7 comes the judgment: And God said: Come, let us go
down. This is a “going down” for the second time. However, this
time it was not to observe, but to thwart man’s purpose. Once again
the word us, the plural pronoun, is used, implying a plurality in the
Godhead. The rabbis interpret this to mean that God was talking to
the angels. The purpose of coming down is to confound their
language. The Hebrew word for confound is balah, which will have a
relevance to the name Babylon or Babel. Balah means “to confuse,” to
come down and confuse the language. The goal was: that they may
not understand one another’s speech. The Hebrew in 11:7 reads, “They
will not hear a man the language of his friend.” In verse 3, the
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Hebrew reads: “and the man said to his friend,” but now they will
not be able to do that anymore.
Genesis 11:8-9 concludes the paragraph with three results. The
first result in verse 8a was the dispersion of humanity: So Jehovah
scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth, and this
was the way that the dispersion of Genesis 10:5, 10:20, 10:31, and
10:32 was accomplished. From thence means from Babylon. Again,
this explains why Nimrod had to leave Babylon for Assyria. The
second result in verse 8b was: They left off building the city; no more of
the city was built at that time. Although the tower was finished, all
that they had planned for the city was incomplete. It was no longer
necessary to complete it, since it was large enough for those who did
speak the same language. The others had to go elsewhere. Then in
verse 9a is the third result, the naming of the city: Therefore was the
name of it called Babel. Babel or Bavel is the Hebrew word for
Babylon. The reason it was called Babel is because Jehovah did there
confound the language of all the earth. This is an example of a
paronomasia, a word play between two words of different origin but
having similarity in sound. Babylon in Hebrew is Bavel, a Babylonian
word, which comes from Babalu, meaning “to scatter.” Another
Babylonian word is Babilu, which means “the gate of God.”
Therefore, what was intended to be “the gate of God” has become a
“scattering.” However, the word “confuse” comes from the Hebrew
word balal, which means “to confuse,” “to confound,” “to loosen the
coherence of a thing,” or “to babble confusion.” The contrast is from
“the gate of God” to “the gate of confusion.” While the people called
it Babel, the gate of God, God made a babble of it. Verse 9b
summarizes the results. First: because Jehovah did there confound the
language of all the earth. This is the origin of the multi-language
world. The one-world language will be restored in the Messianic
Kingdom (Zeph. 3:9). Second: From thence did Jehovah scatter them
abroad upon the face of all the earth, in contrast to their goal in 11:4.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
226
Six observations can be made based on chapter 11:1-9. First:
Other commentators have noted that this section is written in a
chiastic state:42
A: All the earth had one language - 1
B: there - 2
C: One to another - 3a
D: Come, let us make bricks - 3b
E: Let us make for ourselves - 4a
F: City and tower - 4b
G: The Lord came down - 5a
F: City and tower - 5b
E: Man has built - 5c
D: Come, let us confuse - 7a
C: One to another, the language - 7b
B: From there - 8
A: Confused the language of the whole earth - 9
A second observation is to note the antithesis of the opening and
closing. In 11:1: now the whole earth was of one language; in 11:9:
Jehovah did there confound the language of all the earth.
A third observation is that three Hebrew letters, beth (b), lamed
(l), and nun (n) reappear in close association in verses 3, 4, 5, 7,
and 9.
A fourth observation is that there is an alliteration with the letter
shin (sh) and the letter sin (s) in verses 2, 3, 7, and 9.
Fifth, there is also alliteration with the letter lamed, letter “l” in
verses 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9.
Sixth, there are also paronomasia or word plays, and here are three
examples. First: In 11:3, where the word play is nilbenah leveinim,
meaning “Let us brick bricks.” Also nisrephah lisreiphah, which means
“Let us burn them with burning.” Another is halveinah le-even,
meaning “brick for stone.” Second: In verse 3, the word play is
vehacheimar lrayah lahem lachomer, literally, “they have asphalt for
mortar.” Another is banu bnel, “The son had built.” Third: There is a
word play with the word putz, meaning “scatter,” with the phrase, “the
face of all the earth,” in verses 4, 8, and 9.
42 In a chiasm, which is a poetic form emphasizing the central line, the
lines of the text are mirrored or contrasted as shown by the lettering
scheme used here.
VI. Toldot of Shem - 11:10-26
10These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a
hundred years old, and begat Arpachshad two years after
the flood. 11and Shem lived after he begat Arpachshad
five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 12And
Arpachshad lived five and thirty years, and begat
Shelah. 13and Arpachshad lived after he begat Shelah
four hundred and three years, and begat sons and
daughters. 14And Shelah lived thirty years, and begat
Eber: 15and Shelah lived after he begat Eber four
hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
16And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
17and Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and
thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. 18And Peleg
lived thirty years, and begat Reu: 19and Peleg lived after
he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat
sons and daughters. 20And Reu lived two and thirty
years, and begat Serug: 21and Reu lived after he begat
Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and
daughters. 22And Serug lived thirty years, and begat
Nahor: 23and Serug lived after he begat Nahor two
hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 24And
Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
25and Nahor lived after he begat Terah a hundred and
nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. 26And
Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor,
and Haran.
This next toldot is a short one, and it begins in verse 10a with the
phrase: These are the generations of Shem; that is, what became of
Shem. This toldot has both similarities and dissimilarities to Genesis
chapter 5. Chapter 5 lists the line from Adam to Noah, a line of ten
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
228
generations, which then concludes with Noah’s three sons Shem,
Ham, and Japheth and mentions the nephew of the seed-son,
Canaan. Chapter 11 traces the line from Shem to Abraham, also ten
generations, and concludes with Terah’s three sons Abram, Nahor,
and Haran and mentions the nephew of the seed-son, Lot. (See
figure 3.) The style in Genesis 11 is the same as Genesis 5, except
the account of Shem’s line does not use the phrase “and he died,” nor
is the total life span given. Finally, in chapter 11, man’s lifespan
gradually decreases.
Figure 3. The Line of Shem
This toldot is the prelude to the story of Abraham and is the
preface to the history of Israel. By now, man has been tested and
failed three times: in Eden, by the Flood, and at Babel. Therefore,
man was ready for a new start. Genesis now moves from a universal
TOLDOT of Shem
229
history to a national history with a transition from many families and
lands (10:5, 10:20, 10:31-32), to one family (11:10-32), and to one
land (12:1-3). Elsewhere in the Old Testament, the line of Shem is
given in I Chronicles 1:24-27.
In Genesis 11:10b-26, the actual lineage from Shem to Terah is
given, beginning with Shem in verses 10b-11. The meaning of the
name Shem is “name.” Shem’s age was a hundred [100] years old when
he begat Arpachshad, his seed-son. The timing was two years after the
flood, re-emphasizing that they had no children until after the Flood.
The years after the birth of the seed-son are stated: Shem lived after
he begat Arpachshad five hundred [500] years, and begat sons and
daughters. Shem’s total years, then, were 600.
The second generation was Arpachshad, in Genesis 11:12-13.
The meaning of the name is not totally clear. Arpachshad’s age at the
birth of his seed-son is given: Arpachshad lived five and thirty [35]
years, and begat Shelah. Then Arpachshad’s years after the birth of his
seed-son are given: Arpachshad lived after he begat Shelah four hundred
and three [403] years, and begat sons and daughters. His total years
were 438. It is at this point that the account in Luke adds the name
Cainan. This is not something that Luke invented, but Luke based
his genealogy (Luke 3:36) on the Septuagint, which adds the name
Cainan in the account of the line of Shem here in Genesis and also
in Genesis 10:22 and 10:24. This detail may have been copied from
Adam’s list. The name also appears in the Book of Jubilees.33 Waltke
comments:
This should read, “When Arphaxad had lived 35
years, he became father of Cainan. And after he
became the father of Cainan, Arphaxad lived 430
years and had other sons and daughters. When
Cainan had lived 34 years he became the father of
Shelah. And after he became the father of Shelah,
Cainan lived 330 years and had other sons and
daughters.” This reading is based on the Greek text
and Luke 3:35-36 (see Gen. 10:24). From a text-
critical point of view, it is much simpler to explain
33 One of the intertestamental Jewish writings.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
230
an accidental deletion of a name than an addition.
This deletion is explained easily by the similarity of
the two entries, a common scribal error. In all
likelihood, the Masoretic Text then was corrected as
necessary to accommodate the omission. This seems
more likely than a scribe adding a name to a fixed
genealogy. Some, supporting the Masoretic Text,
argue that Abraham is the tenth generation, but the
parallel is imprecise, for they include the segmented
genealogy as part of the linear, unlike the ten linear
names in Genesis 5.34
The third generation is Shelah, in Genesis 11:14-15. The
meaning of Shelah in Hebrew is “the sent one.” His age at the birth
of his seed-son is given: And Shelah lived thirty [30] years, and begat
Eber. The years after the birth of Shelah’s seed-son are given: Shelah
lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three [403] years, and begat
sons and daughters. Shelah’s total years were 433.
The fourth generation is Eber, in Genesis 11:16-17. The
meaning of Eber is “to cross over.” His age at the birth of the
seed-son is given: And Eber lived four and thirty [34] years, and begat
Peleg. Eber’s years after the birth of his seed-son are given: And Eber
lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty [430] years, and begat
sons and daughters. Eber’s total years, then, were 464.
Shem’s fifth generation is Peleg, in 11:18-19. The meaning of
the name Peleg is “division,” for it was during his lifetime that the
confusion of tongues took place. Peleg’s age at the birth of his
seed-son is given: And Peleg lived thirty [30] years and begat Reu. The
years after Peleg’s seed-son are given: and Peleg lived after he begat
Reu two hundred and nine [209] years, and begat sons and daughters.
Peleg’s total years, then, were 239.
Shem’s sixth generation is Reu, in 11:20-21. The meaning of the
name is “friend” or “neighbor.” Reu’s age at the birth of his seed-son
is given: and Reu lived two and thirty [32] years, and begat Serug.
Reu’s years after the birth of his seed-son are given: and Reu lived
34 Waltke, 189.
TOLDOT of Shem
231
after he begat Serug two hundred and seven [207] years, and begat sons
and daughters. Reu’s total years were 239.
Shem’s seventh generation is Serug, in 11:22-23. The meaning of
the name is not totally clear. Serug’s age at the birth of his seed-son
is given: and Serug lived thirty [30] years, and begat Nahor. Serug’s
years after the birth of his seed-son are given: And Serug lived after he
begat Nahor two hundred [200] years, and begat sons and daughters. His
total years were 230 years.
Shem’s eighth generation is Nahor, in 11:24-25. The meaning of
the name is “river.” Nahor’s age at the birth of his seed-son is given:
and Nahor lived nine and twenty [29] years, and begat Terah. Nahor’s
years after the birth of his seed-son are given: and Nahor lived after he
begat Terah a hundred and nineteen [119] years, and begat sons and
daughters. His total years were 148.
Shem’s ninth generation is Terah, in 11:26. The meaning of the
name is “moon.” And Terah lived seventy [70] years, and begat,
meaning by the time he was seventy years old he had three sons
Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Abram means “exalted father,” Nahor
means “river,” and Haran means “a mountaineer.”
Before leaving the Toldot of Shem, there are three observations to
be made.
First: In Shem’s genealogy, as in the previous genealogy of Adam
(Genesis 5), the language does not allow for gaps in the genealogy,
since the text does not merely say begat, but it is more specific, giving
the age of the father when the seed-son is born and how many years
the father lived thereafter.
Second, there is a gradual decrease in the age of man. A sharp
drop occurs between Shem and Arpachshad, between the first and
second generation, during which time the Flood occurred. What
probably caused the sudden decrease was the Flood. This was part of
God’s divine judgment on humanity. A second sharp drop occurs
between Eber and Peleg, which are the fourth and fifth generations.
It was between the fourth and fifth generation that the Tower of
Babel event occurred. Therefore, with these two divine judgments, a
sharp drop in the longevity of man occurs. If the canopy theory35 is
35 The belief that a cloudy canopy was covering the whole world until it
collapsed in the Noahic Flood.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
232
correct, that might account for it. However, even without the canopy
theory, divine judgment will easily account for this decrease, because
it is following the divine judgments that the sharp drops occurred.
Third, only four life spans link together the continuity of
tradition from Adam to Jacob, and these make three links. The four
life spans are Adam, Lamech, Shem and Jacob. The three links are
from Adam to Lamech, since Adam was living when Lamech was
born; from Lamech to Shem, since Lamech was living when Shem
was born; and from Shem to Isaac and Jacob, since Shem was still
living when both Isaac and Jacob were born. Therefore, there are not
many gaps in the tradition to retain the history. Along this line, the
following points should be made: Noah lived until Terah, the father
of Abraham, was 128 years old; Shem and Eber outlived Terah; Eber
outlived Abraham; and, based upon when Terah died, Shem died
when Isaac or Jacob was 48 years old (See table 12, Chronology of
Shem’s Genealogy). So as to the question of how history was
maintained and how the tradition was kept, there is really no
problem here because quite a bit of overlapping occurs within these
genealogies.
TOLDOT of Shem
233
Table 12. Chronology of Shem’s Genealogy
Person
Age
at
Birth
of
Son
A.H.*
Yr. of
Birth
Yrs.
After
Birth
of
Son Total
A
g
e
A.H.*
Yr. of
Death
Age at
Birth
of Son
(
Sam.**
)
Age
at
Birth
of
Son
(
LXX
)
Shem 100 1556
(8)
500 600 2156
(8)
A
r
p
achshad 35 1658 403 438 2096 135 135
Shelah*** 30 1693 403 433 2126 130 130
Ebe
r
34 1723 430 464 2187 134 134
Pele
g
30 1757 209 239 1996 130 130
Reu 32 1787 207 239 2026 132 132
Seru
g
30 1819 200 230 2049 130 130
Naho
r
29 1849 119 148 1997 79 179
Terah 70
(130)
1878 135 205 2083 130
A
braham 100 1948
(2008)
75 175 2123
(2183)
Isaac 60 2048
(2108)
120 180 2228
(2288)
J
acob 2108
(2168)
130 2238
(2298)
* A.H. stands for anno homini, the year of Man. It counts from the creation of
Adam onward instead of using the B.C.-A.D. system.
** Samaritan Text
*** Between Arpachshad and Shelah, the LXX has Kenan (Cainan) who begat
Shelah at the age of 130.
Note: Material in parentheses is calculated based on the date of Terah’s death,
which is uncertain.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
234
VII. Toldot of Terah - 11:27 - 25:11
A. The Story of Terah - 11:27-32
27Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah
begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
28And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of
his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. 29And Abram and
Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was
Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the
daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father
of Iscah. 30And Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31And
Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his
son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son
Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of
the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they
came unto Haran, and dwelled there. 32And the days of
Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died
in Haran.
Verse 27a begins with the phrase: Now these are the generations of
Terah. This toldot tells what became of Terah; namely, that his line
produced Abraham. According to Joshua 24:2, Terah was an idolater
who worshipped the moon god Sin. Haran, where the family
originally came from, and Ur of the Chaldees, where they lived for
awhile, were both centers of moon worship. The names of the family
members actually show the influence of moon god worship. For
example, the name Sarai comes from the word Sharrate, which
means “queen.” This was the Akkadian translation of the Sumarian
name of Ningal, the wife of the moon god Sin. Another name is
Milcah, from the word Malkatu, which means “princess” and was the
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
236
title of Ishtar, the daughter of the moon god Sin. The name Laban
means “white” and is the poetic term for the full moon. Therefore,
these various names all show the influence of the worship of the
moon god, reaffirming what Joshua 24:2 said about Terah being an
idolater. The family was originally from Haran in the land of
Aramea (Aram-Syria), but they moved to Ur of the Chaldees, which
was about 600 miles to the southeast.
Genesis 11:27-28b presents the family of Terah: Terah begat
Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and then it adds: Haran begat Lot. Lot’s
birth is mentioned because he will play a role in later chapters in
Genesis. The passage then records the death of Haran: Haran died
before his father Terah. What made this unusual is for the son to die
before the father. Moreover, this is to explain why Lot became
fatherless and more or less fell under the authority of Abram. The
place of Terah’s death was: the land of his nativity. He died in Ur of
the Chaldees, the place where Haran was born. It does not mean that
Terah came from Ur of the Chaldees, since Terah came from the land
of Haran. Apparently, Terah moved to Ur of the Chaldees in his
younger days. In addition, it was while he was in Ur of the Chaldees
that Nahor was born. So, the land of his nativity also refers to Nahor
and not to Terah.
Then 11:29-30 goes on to deal with the wives of Abram and
Nahor, with the marriage described in verse 29: And Abram and
Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai. Sarai was
the daughter of Terah by a different wife than the mother of Abram,
and so she was Abram’s half-sister. She was named after Sharrate,
the queen-wife of the moon god Sin. The name of Nahor’s wife was
Milcah, the daughter of Haran, meaning he married his niece. Haran
was the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah, making both Milcah
and Iscah daughters of Haran, and so they were sisters. It also means
they were the sisters of Lot. Then verse 30 goes on to state Sarai’s
problem: And Sarai was barren; she had no child, which sets the stage
for the story of Abraham and the key problem of barrenness.
Genesis 11:31 describes the journey from Ur of the Chaldees to
Haran: And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his
son’s son, meaning Terah’s grandson. Terah also took Sarai his
daughter-in-law. At this point, she is only identified as his
daughter-in-law; although it will be pointed out later, she was also
TOLDOT of Terah
237
his daughter. The origin was: and they went forth with them from Ur of
the Chaldees, where Abram first received his call. The destination was
intended to be: to go into the land of Canaan. However, Terah did not
know that the final destination was Canaan. This is stated from
perspective of the writer of Genesis, because he knows what the
whole story was by this time. What the text implies, then, is that
Abram had persuaded his father to take the family out of Ur of the
Chaldees and head for the land that God was going to show him,
which would have been the land of Canaan. Nevertheless, there is an
interruption in the journey: and they came unto Haran, and dwelled
there. Again, Haran was the family’s original home; and when Terah
got back to his original home, he did not want to leave it again and
chose to go no further. Therefore, the family stayed in Haran until
Terah died.
Then in 11:32 is the death of Terah: And the days of Terah were
two hundred and five [205] years. And the place of death was stated:
and Terah died in Haran.
What is not stated in the text of Genesis 11:27-32 is exactly
when Abram left Haran for Canaan. Was it before or after his
father’s death? How can the timeline for a chronology be put
together? The key pieces of information are Terah’s age at Abram’s
birth, Abram’s age upon leaving Haran for Canaan, and Terah’s age
at his death. Also relevant is Acts 7:4, which makes a reference to
this timeline. However, there appears to be a conflict between the
dating in the Genesis and Acts accounts, which also will be
considered in this discussion.
The timeline preferred in this commentary is based on an
interpretation from the Masoretic Text. Genesis 11:26 states that
Terah, Abram’s father, began to generate sons at age 70 (11:26).
Assuming that Abram was his firstborn, Terah would have been 145
when Abram left Haran for Canaan, based on Abram’s age at that
time being 75 (12:4). Since 11:32 states Terah’s age at death as 205,
that would mean that Abram left Haran sixty years before his father
died. (See figure 4, top timeline.)
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
238
Figure 4. Timelines for Abram’s Departure from Haran
Alternate Interpretation of Gen. 11:26
Terah’s
Timeline
Terah’s
death at
a
g
e 205
A
ge 130
A
bram leaves
Haran at age 75,
after Terah dies
A
bram
born
Samaritan Pentateuch
Terah’s
Timeline
A
ge 70 Terah dies at age 145
A
bram leaves
Haran at a
g
e 75
A
bram
born
M
asoretic Text
Terah’s
Timeline
Terah’s
death at
age 205
A
ge 70
A
ge 145
A
bram leaves
Haran at age 75
60-
y
r. gap
before
Terah dies
A
bram
born
A
bram is
135
TOLDOT of Terah
239
Acts 7:4 presents an apparent contradiction to the view that
Abram left Haran before his father died: Then came he [Abram] out of
the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelled in Haran: and from thence, when
his father was dead, God removed him into this land [Israel], wherein ye
now dwell. How can this difference be explained?
The first option for explaining the differences in the accounts in
11:27-32 and Acts 7:4 is to say that the author of Genesis applied a
literary technique used elsewhere in the Bible; namely, to dispense
with one person who is no longer relevant before moving ahead with
the story of the main character. Therefore it was necessary to speak
of Terah’s death before Abram could move forward in response to
God’s call on his life (12:1-3). In this scenario, Abram is not viewed
as the firstborn, but rather as having been born when his father
Terah was 130 years old. Therefore, Terah’s death at age 205 and
Abram’s departure at age 75 would coincide. (See figure 4, middle
timeline.)
A second option for explaining the differences in the timelines in
Genesis and Acts is to conclude that Abram was born when Terah
was 70 and that Terah died at age 145, not 205. (See figure 4,
bottom timeline.) In other words, when Stephen states in Acts 7:4
that Abram left Haran after his father died, rather than before as the
Masoretic Text indicates, he was quoting from a source such as the
Samaritan Text that provides a different timeline. This explanation
seems to be supported more by evidence than the option that Abram
was born later in his father’s life. The difference between the
chronologies amounts to a total of 60 years.
See figures A-1 and A-2 in the Appendix for two depicted
genealogies of Terah.
B. The Abrahamic Covenant - 12:1-3
1Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get you out of your
country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s
house, unto the land that I will show you: 2and I will
make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and
make your name great; and be you a blessing; 3and I will
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
240
bless them that bless you, and him that curses you will I
curse: and in you shall all the families of the earth be
blessed.
Verse 1a begins with the opening statement of God’s direct
words to Abram: Now Jehovah said unto Abram. This is the first of
seven times that Abraham receives a direct revelation from God. In
12:1-3 is God’s initial call to Abram outside the Land of Canaan; in
12:7 is the first appearance to Abraham in the Land; in 13:14-17,
Abraham encounters God after the separation of Lot; in 15:1-21,
God signs and seals the Abrahamic Covenant; in 17:1-21, Abraham
receives the token of the covenant; in 18:1-33, God speaks to him in
conjunction with the destruction of Sodom; and in 22:1-2 and
22:11-18, God directs Abraham to offer Isaac. In the opening phrase
of 12:1 is the beginning of Abraham’s friendship with God;
Abraham is referred to as the friend of God three times
(II Chron. 20:7, Isa. 41:8, Jas. 2:23). To summarize the chronology
of Abram’s response to God’s call: Abram received his call in Ur of
the Chaldees, his family left Ur of the Chaldees for Canaan by way
of Haran (11:31), but Terah stayed behind and died in Haran
(11:32). Abram continued on to Canaan, either waiting until after
his father had died (if the Samaritan Text is correct) or leaving sixty
years before his father died (if the Masoretic Text is correct). In
Genesis, Moses tends to terminate the account of one individual who
is no longer germane to the main history before continuing with the
main story line.
The structure of Genesis 12:1-3 in the Hebrew text is that of
two imperatives, followed by three promises by God.36 The structure
goes something like this: “You do one and I will do three; then in
turn, you do one more thing, and I will do three more things.” There
are three promises based on Abram’s call to leave Haran and three
more promises based on his being a blessing. The word bless is used a
total of five times.
God’s first command to Abram is in Genesis 12:1b: Get you, in
Hebrew lech lecha. It emphasizes a separation. Abraham is to separate
36 Ross, 260-261.
TOLDOT of Terah
241
from his country and to do so immediately. Literally, the Hebrew
states, “Go for yourself,” meaning “Go for your benefit.” The
blessing for Abram will only begin upon arriving in the Land. Other
places where this same terminology structure is used include
Genesis 21:16, concerning Hagar’s separation from Ishmael;
Genesis 22:2, where Abraham is told to go to a mountain that God
will tell him of; Exodus 18:27, about Jethro’s separation from Moses
to go home; Joshua 22:4, to the Trans-Jordanian Tribes about to
separate from the others; I Samuel 26:11-12, of David’s separation
from Saul; Jeremiah 5:5, of Jeremiah’s separation from the people;
Song of Solomon 2:10, 2:13; and 5:6, the separation of the lover
from the beloved; Song of Solomon 4:6, the separation of the
mountain; and the Song of Solomon 2:11, about the rainy season
departing from the Land.
The specifics of this separation are given as follows. First, God
directs Abram to go out of your country both from Ur and from
Haran; second, from your kindred, away from your fellow citizens and
away from your extended family; third, from your father’s house, away
from the immediate family (and since Terah will go only as far as
Haran, this becomes important); and fourth, it is a separation from
the lesser to the greater and from distance to nearness in location.
Abram will move from the lesser to the greater in that he will be
separating from the least important place to the one that is the most
important. It is hard to leave one’s country where all one’s
associations and associates are. It is even harder to leave fellow
citizens. It is even harder to leave one’s family. The destination is
given as: unto the land that I will show you. The promise thus far is
only to be shown a land; nothing more than that is promised at this
stage. Moreover, upon leaving Haran, Abram did not know he was
heading for Canaan (Heb. 11:8).
Following the first command, Genesis 12:1b-2a contains the
first three promises. First is: I will make of you a great nation. In
Hebrew it is goy gadol. Normally the word goy refers to a Gentile; but
now and then, it is used of Israel as a nation. The first promise is to
make of Abram one specific nation. Therefore, in addition to the
seventy nations of Genesis 10, there will now be one additional
nation, and that nation is Israel. Second is: I will bless you, meaning
God will bless Abram. These blessings upon Abram included both
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material and spiritual blessings. Third is: I will…make your name
great. Abram37 was to become famous, and he is to this day; three of
the world’s religions honor him to a lesser or greater degree: Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam. Therefore, what the builders of the Tower of
Babel wanted for themselves (11:4), a great name, is something that
God now promised individually to Abram.
In Genesis 12:2b is the second commandment: Be you a blessing.
Since Abram is to be blessed by God, as contained in the first three
promises, he is now to become a blessing to others. God will bless
those who are exposed to Abram in a positive way, such as
Melchizedek, who received from Abram a tithe of the spoils of war.
Then in 12:3 are the second three promises. The first promise is:
I will bless them that bless you; so those who bless Abram will be
blessed. This will later extend to the nation of Israel: Those who
bless the Jews will be blessed (Num. 24:9). The second promise is:
Him that curses you will I curse. Therefore, those that curse Abram
will be cursed; and indeed those that curse the Jews will be cursed
(Num. 24:9). The first word for curse is kalal, which means “to treat
lightly,” “to hold in contempt,” or “to curse.” To merely treat Abram
and the Jews lightly is to incur the curse of God. The second word for
curse used in this phrase (him that curses you will I curse) is aor, from
the Hebrew root arah, which means “to impose a barrier,” “to ban.”
This is a much stronger word for curse than the first one in the
phrase. Altogether, there are three dynamic changes in 12:3. First,
the number of participants changes from plural, them, regarding
blessings to singular, him, regarding curses. Second, vocabulary
changes from a weaker word for curse to a stronger word for curse.
Third: The language changes from a cohortative to an obligatory
imperfect meaning “The one who treats you lightly, I must curse.”
Therefore, even a light curse against Abram or against the Jews will
bring a heavier curse from God. The third promise is that in you shall
all the families of the earth be blessed. Abram is to become a channel of
blessing to the whole world. This promise of spiritual blessing will
extend to the Gentiles; they are the ones to whom Abram will be a
37 Abram’s name was changed to Abraham in Genesis 17:5.
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blessing. This is the one promise that goes beyond Israel and is
reaffirmed in the Abrahamic Covenant more than once: to Abraham
in Genesis 22:18, to Isaac in 26:4, and to Jacob in 28:14. This
blessing to the Nations is to be accomplished through the Messianic
Seed of Abraham because, as the prophets pointed out, it will be
through the Messiah that the Gentiles will receive their spiritual
blessings (Isa. 42:1, 42:6, 49:5-6; Amos 9:11-12).
Two observations on the first three verses can be made. First is
the principle of election, in that God chose Abram to father the elect
nation. In addition, while Abram was elected individually, the
national election of Israel also begins. Second is the use of the
number seven. Seven statements of benevolence follow the command
to Abram.
As far as New Testament quotations and applications, three things
can be noted: first, Genesis 12:1 is quoted by Stephen in Acts 7:3;
Genesis 12:3 is quoted by Peter in Acts 3:25, where Peter is speaking
to the Jews. Paul also quotes Genesis 12:3 in Galatians 3:8.
C. The Journey into the Land - 12:4-9
4So Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken unto him; and
Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five
years old when he departed out of Haran. 5And Abram
took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all
their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that
they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into
the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they
came. 6And Abram passed through the land unto the
place of Shechem, unto the oak of Moreh. And the
Canaanite was then in the land. 7And Jehovah appeared
unto Abram, and said, Unto your seed will I give this
land: and there builded he an altar unto Jehovah, who
appeared unto him. 8And he removed from thence unto
the mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent,
having Beth-el on the west, and Ai on the east: and
there he builded an altar unto Jehovah, and called upon
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the name of Jehovah. 9And Abram journeyed, going on
still toward the South.
Verse 4a begins with Abram’s obedience: So Abram went, as
Jehovah had spoken unto him. The point of this phrase is that Abram’s
obedience was immediate, and it was an act of faith (Heb. 11:8). It
was this obedience that rendered unconditional all the promises of
verses 1-3; once he met this condition of leaving, everything else
became unconditional, since he fulfilled the only condition that had
been given. The structure of verses 4-5 follows the pattern of
departure: So-and-so, who is the head of the family, took so-and-so,
who is a member of the family, and they gathered such-and-such,
which includes possessions such as Lot, and went. This same
structure is found in 11:31, 36:6, and 46:5-6. Outside of Genesis,
this structure is found in Exodus 19:2-4.
Genesis 12:4b-5a records Abram’s actual departure from Haran,
adding: and Lot went with him. There is nothing negative here. Some
commentators condemn Abram for allowing Lot to come, because it
disobeyed the separation from the family rule. However, the
commandment to Abram was to separate from his family in Haran,
and if members of the family chose to go along with him, there was
nothing wrong. Abram’s age is noted: and Abram was seventy and five
[75] years old when he departed out of Haran. Throughout the account
of Abraham, his age is always given at specific turning points of his
life. The text mentions those who accompanied Abram: And Abram
took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that
they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran. These
souls would be slaves or servants, such as Eliezer of Damascus.
According to rabbinic tradition, these were the proselytes of Abram.
The departure and the arrival of Abram and his entourage are stated
simply: and they went to go forth into the land of Canaan; and into the
land of Canaan they came.
Genesis 12:6-9 records Abram’s sojournings in the Land,
beginning in verses 6-7 with Shechem, with verse 6 emphasizing the
place: And Abram passed through the land. Geographically, he would
have gone via Wadi Faria to Shechem, specifically, unto the oak of
Moreh, which puts them outside the pagan city of Shechem. The
Hebrew word for oak, eilon, is often translated as terebinth, and just
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as often, it refers to a place of idolatry. The two Hebrew words Eilon
Moreh together mean the “Terebinth of the Teacher,” which was
actually a center of the Canaanite teaching of the oracles. The oak of
Moreh has a history in Scripture: in Genesis 35:4, this is where
Jacob’s household will bury their idols; in Deuteronomy 11:30, it is
identified with Shechem; in Joshua 24:26, Joshua laid a large stone
here; in Judges 9:6, this is where Abimelech was made king; and, in
Judges 9:37, it is referred to as the “Terebinth of the Diviner.” The
Oak of Moreh was connected with Canaanite paganism, Canaanite
idolatry, and occult practices. It is in this area that Abram chose to
first erect his tent. Then the verse states: And the Canaanite was then
in the land. The Canaanites are the antagonists. The Land was
promised to Abram, but at that time it was occupied by others.
These “others” were pagans, and they were perverse in their
reasonings and practices. It was they who practiced the oracles of
Eilon Moreh, not Abram. Abram had not come to be absorbed by the
Canaanites, nor had he come to worship their gods. He was there
but did not participate in any of the paganism.
Upon his arrival at Canaan, in Genesis 12:7a, Abram received
the first reaffirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant: And Jehovah
appeared unto Abram. This was God’s second appearance to him.
This time it is in the form of a theophany, because here it uses the
phrase Jehovah appeared unto, a phrase that will come up more and
more times in the Book of Genesis (17:1; 18:1; 26:2, 24; 35:9). What
God declared in this reaffirmation was: Unto your seed will I give this
land. At this point, the Land is promised to the seed of Abram; the
promise of the Land does not yet include Abram. This makes the
first time God spoke to him within the border of the Promised
Land.
Genesis 12:7b gives Abram’s response: There builded he an altar
unto Jehovah. The word there means near Shechem by the Oak of
Moreh. Therefore, in contrast to a pagan oracle, there stood an altar
to the true God built by Abram. The reason he built it there is that
God appeared to him there. While this was the second divine
revelation that had come to Abram, this is the first appearance of
God to Abram, perhaps in a vision. With this event, the building of
altars became a patricharical habit (12:8, 13:18, 22:9, 26:25, 33:20,
35:7).
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In 12:8, Abram moves from Shechem to Bethel: And he removed
from thence, meaning from Shechem, unto the mountain on the east of
Beth-el, and pitched his tent between the two cities. He thus was
actually separated from both cities: Beth-el was on the west side of
him and Ai on the east side of him. Moreover, Abram’s actions in
Beth-el included two things: building and worshipping. First, he
builded an altar unto Jehovah, for sacrificial purposes. Second, he
called upon the name of Jehovah, a phrase meaning public worship;
with this, he initiated public worship in the Land.
In 12:9, Abram makes a third geographical move: And Abraham
journeyed, going on still toward the South, meaning the Negev. This is
the Negev Desert in the southern part of the Land. This causes an
even greater separation from the inhabitants from the Land, as the
Negev was very sparsely settled compared to the Hill Country where
Shechem, Bethel, and Ai were located.
Four observations can be made regarding this section. First,
Abram’s movement is north to south along the trunk route, the
watershed road of the central Hill Country, which later became the
Hill Countries of Ephraim and Judah. By so doing, he was staking
out a claim to the whole Land. Second, these sojournings in the
Land were an act of faith because it was land that he did not own but
traveled in, showing his faith in God’s promises (Heb. 11:9). Third,
there has been no contact with the Canaanites; Abram is shown as
wandering from place to place. He lives along the border or near
inhabited areas in Canaan, but he does not move in or live among
them. Fourth, the use of the number seven again plays a role.
Abram’s name appears seven times in this section; and the word
“land” appears seven times.
As far as New Testament quotations and applications are
concerned, Genesis 12:4, which shows Abram’s obedience, is
emphasized in Acts 7:3 and Hebrews 11:8. Abram’s faith as
demonstrated by his sojournings is spelled out in Hebrews 11:9.
D. The Sojourn in Egypt - 12:10-20
10And there was a famine in the land: and Abram
went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine
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was sore in the land. 11And it came to pass, when he had
come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai
his wife, Behold now, I know that you are a fair woman
to look upon: 12and it will come to pass, when the
Egyptians shall see you, that they will say, This is his
wife: and they will kill me, but they will save you alive.
13Say, I pray you, you are my sister; that it may be well
with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because
of you. 14And it came to pass, that, when Abram had
come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that
she was very fair. 15And the princes of Pharaoh saw her,
and praised her to Pharaoh: and the woman was taken
into Pharaoh’s house. 16And he dealt well with Abram
for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses,
and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses,
and camels. 17And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his
house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
18And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that
you have done unto me? why did you not tell me that she
was your wife? 19why did you say, She is my sister, so
that I took her to be my wife? now therefore behold your
wife, take her, and go your way. 20And Pharaoh gave
men charge concerning him: and they brought him on the
way, and his wife, and all that he had.
This section deals with Abram’s sojourn down into Egypt, with
verse 10 giving the cause: And there was a famine in the land. At this
time, Abram’s faith was not mature to the point that he knew he
could trust God under any circumstances. Having heard that the
famine did not affect the land of Egypt, he chose to go down there.
Therefore, the result was: Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn
there. The Hebrew word for sojourn means “temporary residence.” It
shows that Abram’s intent was to reside in Egypt temporarily until
the famine in the Land of Canaan had passed; he did not intend to
establish permanent residence in Egypt. However, his faith did not
operate here. Due to a lapse in his faith, he departed from the Land,
the Land God had led him to. Once again, the reason is mentioned:
for the famine was sore in the land, which intensifies the first statement
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of the existence of the famine. Archeology has verified what is
described in this verse, because paintings in the Tomb of
Khnun-hotep III in Beni Hagan, which dates back to the time of
Sesostris II (1897-1878 B.C.), show the arrival of thirty-seven Asiatic
men, women, and children in the same time period of Abram. Thus,
Egypt regularly experienced migrations of Asiatics into Egypt,
especially in times of famine.
Verses 11-13 record Abram’s lie, with verse 11a giving the
situation: It came to pass, when he had come near to enter into Egypt.
Abram now came close to the Egyptian border. Verse 11b focuses on
Sarai’s beauty: that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that
you are a fair woman to look upon. The Hebrew literally reads “of
beautiful appearance.” This is phenomenal in light of the fact that
she was 65 years old at this time. Nevertheless, in light of her
longevity, she obviously aged at a slower pace than people do now.
Abram’s fear is spelled out in verse 12: and it will come to pass, when
the Egyptians shall see you, meaning they will see her beauty, that they
will say, This is his wife. This is not merely a statement of fact. The
very statement, This is his wife, automatically becomes a threat to the
life of Abram. As the archives also show, Egyptians of this period
were famous for wife abduction. The result will be: They will kill me,
but they will save you alive. Therefore, Abram’s initial lapse of faith,
which caused them to leave Canaan for Egypt, now leads to the fear
associated with self-preservation. That, in turn, leads to the
conspiracy of verse 13. Abram’s request was: Say, I pray you, you are
my sister; and this is indeed half true, but it is still a lie because its
intent is to hide something. However, if Abram is passed off as her
brother only, he would be the one to negotiate for her in any
marriage proposal. During the negotiations procedure, he would
have time to get away. The reason she is to do what she does is: that
it may be well with me for your sake, meaning Abram’s good will is for
Sarai’s benefit, and that my soul may live because of you, that he might
stay alive. Therefore, his fear now led to living a lie.
Moreover, indeed, Abram’s worst fears are realized in
Genesis 12:14-16 with the taking of Sarai. Verse 14 again focuses on
the beauty of Sarai, and the timing was: And it came to pass, that,
when Abram had come into Egypt, that is, after he entered the country,
the result was: the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
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The Hebrew means “very beautiful,” and the phrase the Egyptians
means the people in general. Rashi claims that Abram hid Sarai in a
chest but was discovered at the border crossing point when they
checked customs.38 However it occurred, in 12:15, she ended up as
part of Pharaoh’s harem. The means was: The princes of Pharaoh saw
her. Her reputation went from the common people to the
government officials, and these governmental officials praised her to
Pharaoh. Here is the first use of the Hebrew word halal, meaning “to
praise.” Sarai got Pharaoh’s attention because of the princes’ praise of
her. The result was: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
Pharaoh, being Pharaoh, did not need to bargain; and so the action of
taking Sarai was immediate. This shows that Abram’s fear was
indeed reasonable. However, since there was no negotiation period,
he did not have the opportunity to get away. As a result, Abram had
placed the ancestry of the Jewish people in danger and had
endangered the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant since the seed
would come only through Sarai and no other. However, Pharaoh
does follow the standard custom of that day in that he is more than
willing to pay the bride price. In 12:16: He dealt well with Abram for
her sake. The ancient law codes state that if the father was dead, the
brother was the legal guardian of an unmarried sister. Since Abram
had been passed off strictly as her brother, Pharaoh paid to Abram
the bride price. This is rather ironic in light of Abram’s fear in 12:13,
where he said: that it may be well with me for your sake. Now, Pharaoh
dealt well with Abram for her sake. There is irony between these two
verses. Abram was enriched for Sarai’s sake, and the list includes a
total of seven things: sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, meaning male
donkeys, men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, meaning
female donkeys, and camels. Three observations can be made here.
First, this shows that prosperity does not automatically mean divine
blessing on proper action because here the prosperity was received
through subterfuge. God had promised to bless Abram as part of an
unconditional covenant; and so even when Abram fails, God still
fulfills His promises. Second, this increase in Abram’s animal wealth,
the sheep, the oxen, the he-asses, the she-asses, and the camels, will lead
38 Based on Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 40:4-5.
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to the conflict with Lot in the next chapter. Third, Abram received a
number of maid-servants. Later there will be a focus on one
particular maid-servant named Hagar, who was an Egyptian. In the
context of Genesis, the only place that he would have gotten an
Egyptian handmaid is in this chapter. This, in turn, sets the stage for
the conflict between Sarai and Hagar in chapter 16, the conflict
between Isaac and Ishmael in chapter 21, and the Jewish/Arab
conflict that is continuing to this very day.
Genesis 12:17 describes the judgment of God. The fault here
was not entirely on the part of the king of Egypt. He had no way of
knowing that Sarai was Abram’s wife. Nevertheless, because of the
unconditional nature of the Abrahamic Covenant, God will
intervene to fulfill His covenantal promises, although the covenanted
one may not be thoroughly righteous. Therefore, the judgment of
God falls not on Abram but on Pharaoh. Moreover, the act of God
is: Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues; and He
plagued in two areas: on Pharaoh and on Pharaoh’s house. In addition,
in the Hebrew text, the emphasis is on the severity of these plagues.
This is the first example of the outworking of the cursing aspect of
the Abrahamic Covenant. The text does not state exactly what these
plagues were, but according to rabbinic tradition, they were leprosy.39
According to Rashi, the plagues were a debilitating skin disease that
made sexual intercourse impossible. The reason for theses plagues
was: because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Because by taking Sarai away,
Pharaoh had cursed Abram, and so Pharaoh and his whole house
were stricken by the plague. However, Sarai remained untouched,
giving Pharaoh the clue as to the cause of the plagues. Abram must
learn that he survives not by human strategy, as he thought, but by
divine covenantal protection. It is God Who intervenes to save the
situation and not Abram. Although it was Abram who sinned, God
still intervenes because the Abrahamic Covenant is indeed
unconditional.
Genesis 12:18-20 details Pharaoh’s response. In verse 18a is the
summons of Abram: And Pharaoh called Abram. Again, through the
plagues, Pharaoh was able to discern the problem. Perhaps by now
39 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 41:2
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Sarai might have confessed, or perhaps it was revealed by divine
revelation, as will be the case in a similar situation with Abimelech
(20:3). In 12:18b-19, Abram suffers Pharaoh’s rebuke in the form of
three questions. First: What is this that you have done unto me?
Pharaoh has suffered greatly because of Abram’s lie. For Pharaoh, it
was a sin of ignorance, but it was inexcusable nevertheless. Second:
Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? This was the truth that
was hidden. Third: Why did you say, She is my sister, so I took her to be
my wife? The intent was to make her the royal wife, but through
God’s providence, the plagues struck before any sexual union actually
took place. Pharaoh concluded with the return of Sarai and with an
expulsion order: Now therefore behold your wife, take her, go your way,
to leave Egypt. Under normal circumstances, Pharaoh could have
had Abram executed. But Pharaoh had experienced the power
behind Abram, and so Pharaoh is not about to go any further than
he already has. Genesis 12:20 records the conclusion of the incident
with the royal escort. Pharaoh’s instructions were: And Pharaoh gave
men charge concerning him. The result was: and they brought him on the
way. Abram was escorted and expelled out of the land of Egypt with
his wife, who was the key to this event, and all that he had, meaning
his new wealth. Therefore, Abram left Egypt a richer man than
when he came, as 13:1 shows. Lot went with Abram down to Egypt,
and he returned to Canaan with Abram as well.
The key observation here is that indeed the Abrahamic
Covenant has now begun to work in earnest: Pharaoh was cursed for
cursing Abram, and Abram was blessed in spite of his wrong actions.
This all shows evidence that the covenant was unconditional.
E. The Separation from Lot - 13:1-18
1. The Separation - 13:1-13
1And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife,
and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South.
2And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in
gold. 3And he went on his journeys from the South even
to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the
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beginning, between Beth-el and Ai, 4unto the place of
the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there
Abram called on the name of Jehovah. 5And Lot also,
who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6And the land was not able to bear them, that they might
dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they
could not dwell together. 7And there was a strife between
the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s
cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then
in the land. 8And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no
strife, I pray you, between me and you, and between my
herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9Is
not the whole land before you? separate yourself, I pray
you, from me. If you will take the left hand, then I will
go to the right. Or if you take the right hand, then I will
go to the left. 10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all
the Plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every
where, before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,
like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as you
go unto Zoar. 11So Lot chose him all the Plain of the
Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated
themselves the one from the other. 12Abram dwelled in
the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the
Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13Now the
men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against Jehovah
exceedingly.
Verses 1-4 deal with the sojournings of Abram, with verses 1-2
describing the section of the country from which they originally left:
the Negev. Verse 1 focuses on the return: And Abram went up out of
Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him. This
shows that Lot did go down with him to Egypt, although he was not
mentioned in the account in Genesis 12. They returned into the
South, meaning the Negev, the place from which Abram had left for
Egypt (12:9). Verse 2 summarizes his wealth: And Abram was very
rich, the first mention of wealth in the Bible. He was rich in three
areas: in cattle, much of which he gained in Egypt, in silver, and in
gold. Thus, Abram has begun experiencing the material wealth
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promised to him in the Abrahamic Covenant. Then verses 3-4 go on
to the next geographical location, which was Bethel, with verse 3
dealing with the return to Bethel. It states: he went on his journeys,
meaning he left the Negev, the South, from the dry desert, even to
Beth-el, to the central Hill Country, which was more productive. The
text then adds: where his tent had been at the beginning and that
beginning was in 12:8. This was a geographical return. However, in
verse 4, it is also a spiritual return, to a place of commitment or
re-commitment: unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at
the first, as recorded back in 12:8; and there Abram called on the name
of Jehovah. This was the place where Abram had begun public
worship, and now public worship is resumed. Thus, Abram renewed
his commitment to the Lord after his failure in Egypt.
Genesis 13:5-7 deals with the strife between Abram’s and Lot’s
herdsmen, beginning in verse 5 describing the status of Lot. Lot
followed Abram: Lot also, who went with Abram, and as far as his
possessions were concerned, Lot also had flocks, and herds, and tents.
The mention of tents means he also had a large slave group and
servants, since the numerous tents would have accommodated much
more than his immediate family. The text does not claim that Lot
was as rich as Abram, but he had his own possessions, and Abram’s
increase in wealth did not help the situation. Here again is the
outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant in that Lot was being
blessed because of his relationship to Abram. Then came the problem
of verse 6: The land was not able to bear them, meaning there was
insufficient pasture. That thinking might seem odd just in terms of
the amount of territory around them, but the actual free territory that
was not controlled by the various city-states of Canaan would have
been minimal. They were not able to graze their animals just
anywhere they wanted to. The city-states controlled a certain amount
of territory for their own citizens, and therefore nomads like Abram
and Lot had to make use of neutral land, which was limited. Indeed,
depending on the time of year, the amount of grass available might
have been even more minimal if the conflict happened toward the
end of the dry season. The result of all this was: The land was not able
to bear them; there was insufficient pasture to continue grazing side
by side. The reason was: for their substance was great, which included
the great wealth that was gained in Egypt, and the result was: so that
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they could not dwell together. The two large groups could no longer
live off the same area side by side. This led to the conflict of 13:7:
And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the
herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. Then the author gives a reason. Though it
seems to be a passing statement, it actually presents the reason why
there was a lack of available land: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite
dwelled then in the land. This was the key reason for the crowded
condition. The term Canaanite was a general term for the
inhabitants of the land, while the Perizzite was a specific Canaanite
tribe in this particular part of Canaan where this strife took place.
The strife was not personal between Abram and Lot, but between
the two sets of herdsmen watching out for their lords’ welfare.
Genesis 13:8-9 presents Abram’s offer. In verse 8, Abram
initiated the offer: And Abram said unto Lot. Abram’s desire was: Let
there be no strife, I pray you. The Hebrew word for strife is merivah,
the same word used of the strife in the Wilderness Wanderings
(Exod. 17:7; Num. 20:13, 20:24, 27:14; Ps. 81:7, 95:8). While in
Exodus, Numbers, and the Psalms the word merivah became a
technical name for a specific place in the Sinai wilderness, here the
word is used merely as a descriptive term for what is going on: Let
there be no strife, I pray you, between me and you—that is no personal
strife—and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, between the two
sets of employees. The reason that there should be no strife was: for
we are brethren, in that Lot was the son of Abram’s brother; he was
Abram’s nephew. In verse 9, Abram gave Lot the first choice with
the question: Is not the whole land before you? The answer to this
rhetorical question was obviously “Yes.” The phrase, before you,
meant Abram was giving Lot the first choice. The request was
separate yourself, I pray you, from me. The choice was: If you will take
the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right hand, then
I will go to the left. The contrast was this: Abram had wealth, but the
wealth did not have Abram; Lot also had wealth, and the wealth had
Lot. Both men were wealthy, and both men had material possessions;
but there was a difference in outlook between the two men. Abram
had wealth, but he was not controlled by the wealth and did not need
to maintain the wealth at any cost. Lot also had wealth, and he was
more materialistically minded than Abram was.
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In Genesis 13:10-12 came Lot’s choice and separation. The
choice is made in verses 10-11a, beginning with the fact: And Lot
lifted up his eyes, to get a good look, to see which way was better for
him. In addition, as he surveyed the territory from where they were
standing, he had a good view of the Plain of the Jordan. The Hebrew
phrase actually means the “Circle of the Jordan.” Lot noticed it was
well watered every where, and the reason it looked so good compared
to what it is today is because this was before Jehovah destroyed Sodom
and Gomorrah. While now it is a dry, thirsty, salty desert, then it was
like the garden of Jehovah, meaning it was like the Garden of Eden,
which was well watered since it had the four rivers running through
it. Furthermore, it was like the land of Egypt, as you go unto Zoar,
which is in the Nile Delta region, also very well watered. So the
choice that Lot made was: So Lot chose him all the Plain of the Jordan.
He made the choice thinking about himself, not thinking about
Abram; whereas Abram let Lot make the first choice, since he was
thinking about Lot and not about himself. Genesis 13:11b-12
records Lot’s departure, with verse 11b marking the separation: and
Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
Verse 12 goes on to detail the separation. Concerning Abram: Abram
dwelled in the land of Canaan, in the center of Canaanite territory,
where he had to make use of the limited neutral grazing territory.
Concerning Lot: Lot dwelled in the cities of the Plain, and moved his
tent as far as Sodom. At this point, Lot was still a nomadic tent
dweller, living at the edge of the city-state of Sodom.
The section closes with 13:13 giving the divine evaluation of
Sodom: Now the men of Sodom were wicked. The Hebrew word for
wicked describes external wickedness. It goes on to state they were
sinners against Jehovah exceedingly. The Hebrew means “very sinners.”
Moreover, they were “very sinners” against Jehovah, meaning God
was offended. At this point, there is no indication in the text that
Lot was aware of this. There is also a parallel here with the account
of Noah. In both cases there is a concern of extreme wickedness (6:5,
8:21), and this corruption had to be wiped out (6:12-13, 19:13). In
both accounts, it was one person and family that was spared. Lot’s
move to Sodom sets the stage for the events of chapters 14 and
18-19.
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Before leaving the discussion of Abram and Lot’s separation, it
should be noted that Lot’s progression and association went through
five steps. First, he looked toward Sodom and could see what good
territory that was (13:10). Second, he chose the area of Sodom
(13:11). Third, he pitched his tent near Sodom (13:12); and at this
point, he was outside the city, still living the life of a nomad just as
earlier Abram was outside Shechem and outside Bethel. Fourth, Lot
lived in Sodom (Gene. 14:11-12, II Pet. 2:7-8); and fifth, he sat at
the Gate of Sodom, meaning he became a citizen of the city, and he
became an elder of the city (19:1).
2. The Abrahamic Covenant - 13:14-17
14And Jehovah said unto Abram, after that Lot was
separated from him, Lift up now your eyes, and look
from the place where you are, northward and southward
and eastward and westward: 15for all the land which
you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed for ever.
16And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth: so
that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then may
your seed also be numbered. 17Arise, walk through the
land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto
you will I give it.
This reaffirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant began with the
arrival of the Word of God in verse 14a: And Jehovah said unto
Abram. This is the second reconfirmation of the Abrahamic
Covenant, and the timing was after that Lot was separated from him,
after Lot took the best part of the land for himself. This was the third
time the Word of God came to Abram, the third time he received
direct revelation from God.
In Genesis 13:14b-15, Abram received the promise of the Land.
The promise began with the instruction: Lift up now your eyes. At
God’s command, Abram was to take a good look at the Land just as
Lot earlier in verse 10 took a good look at the Land. While Lot did
it on his own initiative for his own self-interest, Abram was told to
do it by God, and only then did he do so. The Hebrew text adds the
word na, which is translated as I pray you, or “please.” The use of the
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257
word na is common throughout the Old Testament and appears
about sixty times in the Book of Genesis alone. However, in the Old
Testament, it is used only four times when God is addressing a man,
and in each case, the use of na has to do with something beyond
human understanding. The first use is here in verse 14: na, to lift up
his eyes to get a good look at the Land because Abram will be given
the Land. The second time it appears is in Genesis 15:5, with the
promise that he will have a son in spite of his old age. The third
time, in Genesis 22:2, Take now your son, na, he is directed to
sacrifice Isaac. The fourth time, in Exodus 11:2, na, the children of
Israel are to ask the Egyptians for a gift. Of these four times where
the polite word na appears, three of these times God addresses
Abram specifically. Now, na, look from the place where you are. This is
the same place from where Lot looked. All that Abram sees is what
Lot already saw. Abram was told to look in the four directions:
northward and southward and eastward and westward. The Hebrew
word for northward is the standard word for the north. The Hebrew
word for southward means “toward the Negev,” which is in the
South. The Hebrew word for eastward means “toward the
sun-rising.” The Hebrew word for westward means “toward the Sea,”
meaning toward the Mediterranean Sea, which is on the west side of
the Land. Then God promises Abram: all the land which you see,
which includes all four directions, as well as the very area Lot chose
to go, the Circle of the Jordan. Everything Abram saw now became
Abram’s by divine grant: To you will I give it, and to your seed. The
Land promise has been extended: To you will I give it, meaning the
Land is now also promised to Abram individually, not just to
Abram’s descendants; Abram himself is someday to own this Land. In
the case of Abram, he waited for God to give it; but Lot took it for
himself. Then God added: and to your seed, reaffirming a promise
already made earlier. It will not be given to Lot’s seed but to Abram’s
seed, to the Jewish people. Furthermore, it was to be given for ever, in
Hebrew, ad olam; literally, “for an age,” because it is during the
Messianic Age that Abram and Abram’s seed will enjoy all the
Promised Land.
In Genesis 13:16, God’s promise further expands on Abram’s
seed: And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man
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can number the dust of the earth, then may your seed also be numbered, a
promise that the descendants of Abram will become innumerable.
In 13:17, the promise that the Land is to be given to Abram is
restated. Once again, Abram receives instruction: Arise, walk through
the land. Abram was now told to take the first ever Holy Land tour;
and furthermore, he was to walk in the length of it (north and south)
and in the breadth of it (east and west). This way, he would get to
know the Land very well. As he walked through the Land, he took
physical possession of the Land, prophetically speaking, since he did
not get to own the Land in his lifetime; but he will own the Land in
the Messianic Kingdom. The reason for the instruction to walk the
Land is because: unto you will I give it. Again, the promise is
affirmed that Abram himself is to possess the Land, and not only his
seed. It is verses like this that become totally meaningless in the
amillennial view of the end times, which interprets the Land
promise as nothing more than a symbol of Heaven. Such a view,
which denies that a literal thousand-year reign of Messiah on the
earth is prophesied by the Bible, renders verses such as 13:17 totally
nonsensical. Is God asking Abram here to come up to Heaven and
take a look around to see if he likes it because someday he is going to
get to possess Heaven? This is hardly the meaning of the text. The
text is obviously talking about a piece of real estate upon which he
was living at that time. He was told to walk around with his feet all
over the Land, because someday he was going to possess it. A view
like this cannot just be spiritualized away in order to make it fit a
preconceived theology. No doubt, the New Testament teaches
Abram also looked for a city, a heavenly one; but one aspect does not
contradict the other or cancel out the other. It is not “either/or” but
“both/and.” Abram was promised both a physical inheritance on
earth as well as a spiritual one in Heaven.
3. The Sojourn to Hebron - 13:18
And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelled by
the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an
altar unto Jehovah.
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259
The words, Abram moved his tent, shows he continued living a
nomadic life style, although for the first time, he had been promised
actual ownership of the Land. However, never possessing the Land
in his lifetime, his nomadic wondering continued: and [Abram] came
and dwelled by the oaks of Mamre. Here again, it means the
“Terebinths of Mamre.” Like the location outside of Shechem, it was
a center of pagan worship outside the City of Hebron. The name
Mamre was so named after its original owner, Mamre the Amorite
(14:13). It will be from here that Abram will later plead for the
sparing of Sodom (18:1). Nearby this place were the field and the
Cave of Machpelah, which will become the burial place of the
Patriarchs (23:17-19). The statement: which are in Hebron, indicates
Abram still stayed outside but near the city, as it was with Shechem,
and as it was with Bethel. Hebron was not the original name of the
city. The original name was Kiryat Arba, which means “the Town of
the Four,” but it was later renamed Hebron, from the Hebrew word
meaning “friend.” This was the new name given to Kiryat Arba.
Hebron was named after Abram, who was the friend of God
(II Chron. 20:7, Isa. 41:8, Jas. 2:23). Here also: He built an altar unto
Jehovah by the oaks of Mamre. Again, Abram built a true altar in a
pagan worship place. By walking through the Land, Abram was
prophetically taking physical possession of the Land; and by building
these altars in pagan places, Abram was also taking spiritual
possession of the Land.
By way of an observation concerning the contrast between
Genesis 13 and 14, in chapter 13 Abram is a man of peace; in
chapter 14, Abram is a man of war. Both actions are Abram’s
response to his responsibility toward his nephew.
F. The War of the Kings - 14:1-24
1. The War - 14:1-12
1And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of
Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of
Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2that they made war
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with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of
Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king
of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar). 3All
these joined together in the vale of Siddim (the same is
the Salt Sea). 4Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer,
and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5And in the
fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that
were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-
karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in
Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6and the Horites in their mount
Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. 7And
they returned, and came to En-mishpat (the same is
Kadesh), and smote all the country of the Amalekites,
and also the Amorites, that dwelled in Hazazon-tamar.
8And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of
Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of
Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar); and
they set the battle in array against them in the vale of
Siddim; 9against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal
king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and
Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five.
10Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the
kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there,
and they that remained fled to the mountain. 11And they
took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their
victuals, and went their way. 12And they took Lot,
Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelled in Sodom, and his
goods, and departed.
The war of the four kings against the five begins in verses 1-2
giving the list of the antagonists, with verse 1 reporting who the
invaders were. The phrase: And it came to pass in the days of,
introduces the first-ever recorded military campaign in the Bible:
four kings invading the territory of the five kings. The text begins
with the invaders. The first is Amraphel king of Shinar. Amraphel is a
Semitic name, more specifically, an Amorite name. According to
Rashi, Amraphel was the same as Nimrod, but there is no evidence of
this. At one time, the scholars felt he was the same as Hammurabi,
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but the four-king invasion of Genesis 14 took place in the year
2088 B.C. while Hammurabi became king only in 2068 B.C. Shinar,
where the Tower of Babel was built, is Babylonia. Here again,
Shinar-Babylonia became a major player. The second king was
Arioch king of Ellasar. His is a Hurrian name, and in Hurrian it
would be Eri-ku. In the Mari Tablets, the name is found as Arriyuk.
Some historians identify Arioch as Rimsin, king of Larsa who came
to the throne in 2098 B.C., ten years before this invasion took place.
Ellasar was a leading tribe in South Babylonia. The third king was
Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and his is a typical Elamite name. In
Elamite, the name was Kudur. Elam was in Persia or Iran. The
fourth king was Tidal king of Goiim. Tidal is a Hittite name, and in
Hittite, it appears as Tudhalia. A king by that name attacked
Babylon in ancient history. The word goyim is simply a standard
Hebrew word for “nations,” probably a reference to the large area
controlled by Hittites that was more than just one nation. Rabbinic
tradition interpreted these four kings as symbolizing the four Gentile
Empires of the Book of Daniel. Nevertheless, what should be noted
here is that for the first time in the biblical text, non-Hebrew names
appear. This shows the effect of the judgment of the confusion of
languages and tongues. This again shows that Hebrew indeed was
the original language before the event of the Tower of Babel.
Genesis 14:2 deals with kings who were invaded: They made war
with the five kings of the Circle of Jordan. First was Bera king of
Sodom. His name meant “victor” or it can also mean “in evil.” The
second king was Birsha king of Gomorrah. Birsha means “sturdy man,”
or it could also mean “in wickedness.” The third king was Shinab
king of Admah. Shinab refers to the moon god Sin, and it means “Sin
is father.” The fourth king was Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and his
name means “Your name is mighty.” Moreover, the fifth king was the
king of Bela. This king’s name is not given as the others, but the text
states that Bela was the same as the town of Zoar. A rabbinic
commentary on the verse reads as following: “Rabbi Eleazar ben
Rabbi Abina said: When you see the powers fighting each other,
look for the footsteps of the King Messiah.”40
40 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 42:4.
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Genesis 14:3 identifies the place of the battle: All these joined
together in the vale of Siddim, which is the southern end of the Dead
Sea. The author identifies it as: the same is the Salt Sea. The Salt Sea is
now called the Dead Sea.
Genesis 14:4 reveals the reason for the invasion: Twelve years
they served Chedorlaomer; the five kings had served the King of Elam
for twelve years as tributaries and vassals. However, in the thirteenth
year they rebelled, and it was this rebellion that brought on the
invasion. The purpose was to re-subjugate those kings to Elam.
Genesis 14:5-7 details the invasion of the four kings. In verse 5a,
the timing was: the fourteenth year when they came, a year after the
rebellion. Verses 5b to 6 list the specifics. The mention of
Chedorlaomer shows him to be the leader of the four kings that were
with him. The campaign began in the Hill Country of the Amorites,
which is the Trans-Jordanian mountainous region. First to be
attacked were the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim. This battle occurred
in the area of Bashan, or the modern-day Golan Heights. Later, Og,
king of Bashan, was the last king of the Rephaim; he was killed in the
battle against the Israelites before they crossed the Jordan River
(Num. 21:33-35). Second to be attacked were the Zuzim in Ham.
The Zuzim are the same as the Zamzummim of Deuteronomy 2:20
and 3:11. Previously, this was the territory of the Rephaim, of
Bashan, and the Ammonites called them the Zamzummim. The
Ammonites, descendants of Lot, later disposed them out of what
later became Ammon. When the Ammonites dispossessed the
Zamzummim, it forced them to retreat into Bashan, where they were
originally from. The name Ham was the original name of Rabbah,
which became the capital of the Ammonites. Today, it is the city of
Amman, the capitol of Jordan. Third to be attacked were the Emim
in Shaveh-kiriathaim, also mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:10-11.
Previously, this was also the territory of the Rephaim. The Moabites
called them the Emim, and these were dispossessed by the Moabites.
Moab was the other son of Lot. Fourth to be attacked were the
Horites in their mount Seir, and these were later dispossessed by the
Edomites (Deut. 2:12), who were the descendants of Esau, the
brother of Jacob, the son of Isaac. The invading kings went as far
south as unto Elparan, the modern day Akaba and Eilat, which is by
the wilderness, meaning the wilderness of Paran, the place where
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Ishmael grew up (21:21) and mentioned in Numbers 10:12, where
later Israel would also camp. Two observations are to be made about
the invasion route. First, the route they took was the famous King's
Highway, one of the three major trade routes of the ancient Middle
East. This was on the Trans-Jordanian side of the territory. The
second observation is that they invaded the area later to be occupied
by Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites. In the providence of God,
this very invasion, and the destruction by this invasion, prepared the
way for the takeover of these areas. Indeed, the very areas they
destroyed were later inhabited by descendants of people related to
Abraham; that is, the sons of Lot, the Ammonites and Moabites;
and the sons of Isaac, the Edomites, through Esau. The center and
military might of the previous possessors of the area had now been
destroyed, emptying the territory for these new inhabitants that will
come out of Abram and Isaac. Then in verse 7, the invasion changed
directions: And they returned. The invasion had been from north to
south, but they now turned north and invaded the Negev until they
came to En-mishpat, (the same is Kadesh), meaning Kadesh-Barnea,
where the Israelites would camp some time later. They smote all the
country of the Amalekites, referring to the territory that the Amalekites
would later inhabit, since at this point the Amalekites did not as yet
exist. By taking this circular route, the invading kings were able to
flank the other five kings from the southwest. Finally, they closed in
on the Amorites, that dwelled in Hazazon-tamar, the same as En-Gedi
(II Chron. 20:2). Thus they flanked the five kings from the northeast
as well and were then ready to move against the them.
Genesis 14:8-10 describes the war of the four kings against the
five, with verse 8 dealing with the defenders: And there went out the
king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and
the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar). The four
kings acted against the five: and they set the battle in array against
them. The place was: in the vale of Siddim. Verse 9 lists the invaders:
Chedorlaomer king of Elam, who was the leader, Tidal king of Goiim,
and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. The sides
were: four kings against the five. Verse 10 summarizes the actual
battle, beginning with a background statement: The vale of Siddim
was full of slime pits, meaning pits of bitumen, a rich source of
building materials. It probably helped in the building of these five
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cities. This battle had two results. First: The kings of Sodom and
Gomorrah (meaning two of the five) fled after the military defeat, and
they fell there, meaning that the two kings died in the vale of Siddim.
Second: and they that remained (meaning the other three) fled to the
mountain. Those that were still alive fled from the cities of the Plain,
and they fled to the mountain, in Hebrew, a specific mountain.
Genesis 14:11 records the taking of the spoil: And took all the
goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and they went their
way. The victorious kings now intended to return to their own cities.
The spoils will play a role later in chapter 14.
Genesis 14:12 reports on the capture of Lot: And they took Lot,
Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelled in Sodom. This shows that Lot was
now living in the city, in Sodom. Now he was taken to become a slave
with his goods, meaning all of Lot’s possessions, the same possessions
that caused the separation from Abraham. The kings departed to
return their own lands.
2. The Rescue of Lot - 14:13-16
13And there came one that had escaped, and told
Abram the Hebrew: now he dwelled by the oaks of
Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of
Aner; and these were confederate with Abram. 14And
when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive,
he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three
hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. 15And
he divided himself against them by night, he and his
servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto
Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16And he
brought back all the goods, and also brought back his
brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the
people.
The man of peace now became the man of war, and the object of
both peace and war was Lot. In verse 13, Abram heard the news
about Lot’s capture. The source was: And there came one that had
escaped, meaning a refugee. According to rabbinic tradition, this is
the same as Og, King of Bashan, but as with so many rabbinic
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traditions, there is no real biblical validity to this one. In addition,
the report was: and [he] told Abram the Hebrew. This is the first use of
the term Hebrew in the biblical text, and it will be used a total of
thirty-three times in the Old Testament. The term Hebrew is always
used as an ethnic identification. The refugee came to the place where
Abram lived: Now he dwelled by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite. This
Mamre was both the brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner, who had an
alliance with Abram: These were confederate with Abram. The Hebrew
text means they had a covenantal relationship with him. Indeed, in
those days even to live there temporarily required a treaty. This, in
turn, shows Abram’s strength, materially (in wealth) and physically
(in manpower), for certain inhabitants of the Land to make this
treaty with him. But this treaty also required the other three
covenantal parties to join him in battle, and they now honored this
treaty and did so. These may also have been Abram’s converts in the
worship of Jehovah.
Genesis 14:14 describes Abram’s army. The occasion was: And
when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive. This shows the
word brother was used in a wider sense, and in this case it refers to his
nephew Lot. Abram then led forth his trained men. The Hebrew word
for trained men is a hapax-legomenon, found only here and nowhere
else in the Hebrew Bible. This term is found in the Tel Amarna
Letters, where it denotes Canaanite chieftain retainers,41 as is the case
here. It goes on to describe them as: born in his house. These were all
part of his household, a rather large household since there were three
hundred and eighteen [318] men, and this only counts the males of
fighting age. Abram’s army pursued the enemy as far as Dan. At that
point, there was no Dan, but the point is that it was what later
became Dan, the northernmost part of the territory.
Genesis 14:15 describes the attack. The strategy was: He divided
himself against them by night. He means Abram, on one side with a
force of his servants, the 318. Those that were confederate with him
would have been on the other side. Furthermore, the attack came by
night, which was not a normative time to fight in those days, but it
41 Retainers refers to those kept for service, implying prepaid service, such
as employees paid by a monetary sum up front.
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was part of the strategy since they would have been tremendously
outnumbered anyway. The battle is described in a very simple
statement: and smote them, on both sides. The attack was followed by
Abram’s response, which was that he pursued them unto Hobah, which
is on the left hand of Damascus, quite a lengthy pursuit even in later
times.
Genesis 14:16 records the rescue: And he brought back all the
goods, meaning the spoils of war, and also brought back his brother Lot,
and his goods. So as a result, Lot was liberated. The fact that his
possessions were recaptured shows Lot was able to retain his wealth.
He liberated the women also, the female captives, and the people,
meaning the citizens of the cities who had become prisoners of war.
However, although they were rescued by Abram, representing the
true God, they experienced the grace of God and the knowledge of
the true God through Abram and Melchizedek. Nevertheless, these
freed citizens of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim all failed
to respond spiritually and turn away from their sins. Although they
were rescued at this point, all of these people died in Genesis 19
when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.
3. Abram and the Two Kings - 14:17-24
17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after
his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the
kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh (the
same is the King’s Vale). 18And Melchizedek king of
Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest
of God Most High. 19And he blessed him, and said,
Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven
and earth: 20and blessed be God Most High, who has
delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him
a tenth of all. 21And the king of Sodom said unto Abram,
Give me the persons, and take the goods to yourself.
22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up
my hand unto Jehovah, God Most High, possessor of
heaven and earth, 23that I will not take a thread nor a
shoe-latchet nor aught that is yours, lest you should say, I
have made Abram rich: 24save only that which the young
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men have eaten, and the portion of the men that went
with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their
portion.
This section concludes with Abram’s encounter with two kings,
or to paraphrase a famous novel, it could be called A Tale of Two
Kings. The first king, in verse 17, was the king of Sodom, who went out
to meet him. This one is the new king of Sodom, since the king who
had actually participated in the war was killed (v. 10). The timing of
this meeting was: after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer
and the kings that were with him. In addition, the place of this
meeting was at the vale of Shaveh, and he explains: The same is the
King’s Vale. Today this is known as the Valley of Jehoshaphat in the
Valley of Kidron. The Valley of Kidron is a long valley turning into a
wadi that empties into the Dead Sea. However, that part of the
Kidron Valley which parallels the Old City of Jerusalem on the west
and the Mount of Olives on the east is known as the Valley of
Jehoshaphat. It was in this valley where the king of Sodom came to
meet Abram. Later, it would be the place that Absalom would build
his pillar (II Sam. 18:18).
The second king, in Genesis 14:18-20, was the king of
Jerusalem. Verse 18 introduces this individual by giving his name,
Melchizedek, and his two positions. His first position was king of
Salem. Salem is a shortened form for Jerusalem (Ps. 76:2). The name
Melchizedek means “king of righteousness.” Thus, he was the king of
the City of Jerusalem, which in those days was a Jebusite city. His
second position was: the priest of God Most High. This is the first
biblical mention of a priest. What this account shows is that there
were other believers in existence besides the House of Abram, since
this was a priest, not of a pagan deity like the rest of the Land of
Canaan, but he was priest of God Most High. In Hebrew, this is El
Elyon, and this title for God is found four times in these verses.
Outside of this passage, it is found only in Psalm 78:35. Otherwise,
the main phrase used elsewhere in Scriptures is “Most High,” but not
“Most High God.” The Ras Shamra Tablets show that this was a
rather common name for God in pre-Mosaic Canaan. When Abram
returned from the war, this one greeted Abram bringing forth bread
and wine. There is no reason to read into this a communion service
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as many have done. While many have taught that Melchizedek was a
preincarnate Christ, this simply cannot be. This was not a
theophany, because theophanies came and went; they appeared, gave
their proclamation, message, or commandment and then
disappeared. Theophanies never held an office here on earth. Here,
Melchizedek holds two offices: that of king and that of priest. The
only other reference to Melchizedek in the Old Testament is
Psalm 110:4. In rabbinic tradition, Melchizedek was the same person
as Shem, the son of Noah. Genesis 14:19-20a records the blessings
of Melchizedek. First, in verse 19, he blesses Abram: And he blessed
him. The declaration was: Blessed be Abram of God Most High.
Melchizedek recognized Abram to be a fellow believer; he recognized
Abram’s God and that Abram was God’s servant. He refers to this
God Most High as the possessor of heaven and earth. This shows that
the meaning of the name God Most High emphasizes God as the
possessor of the heavens and the earth. The very fact that
Melchizedek blessed the Patriarch shows Melchizedek’s exalted
position as the priest of God Most High. Second, in verse 20a,
Melchizedek blesses God: and blessed be God Most High. As the priest
of this God, he could make this proclamation, and the reason for this
proclamation was that God had delivered [Abram’s] enemies into [his]
hand. Melchizedek recognized two things: This was the work of the
true God, and Abram was the servant of the true God. In verse 20b is
Abram’s response to Melchizedek: And he gave him a tenth of all.
Abram is again proving to be a blessing to others. What should be
noted, however, is that Abram is giving a tenth of the spoils of war,
not his income. Many have used this passage to try to claim that
tithing was an Old Testament law even before the Mosaic Law, and
they do this because they recognize that the Mosaic Law is no longer
in effect. If, therefore, they want to teach tithing, they have to use a
different basis for tithing; and so they often refer to this event.
However, one should note the following points. First, there was no
commandment to do so; Abram did it voluntarily. Second, this was a
one-time event; there is no record of him doing it repeatedly. Third,
this was not a tithe from his income; there is no record of Abram
giving a tenth of the income he received from all the wealth gifted to
him by Pharaoh, etc. This is one-tenth from the spoils of war, and
the spoils originally belonged to others.
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To summarize Melchizedek’s role in the Book of Genesis, six
facts can be stated: First, Melchizedek was the king of Salem.
Second, Melchizedek was the priest of God Most High. Third,
Melchizedek brought out bread and wine for Abram. Fourth,
Melchizedek blessed Abram on God’s behalf. Fifth, Melchizedek
blessed God in Abram’s place. Sixth, Melchizedek received tithes
from Abram.
The text then returns to the first king, in Genesis 14:21-24, the
king of Sodom. In verse 21, the king made Abram an offer: And the
king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons. These persons had
become the captives of the four kings. However, since Abram had
recaptured them, under the laws of that day, all these persons legally
belonged to Abram by right of conquest. Abram had the legal
authority to keep all these people, and they could become his slaves.
Abram was not obligated to return them to the king of Sodom.
Nevertheless, he chose to do so. Furthermore, since the general
population of Sodom was captured, this king desperately needed
these people back; otherwise, he would have no one to be a king
over, no one from whom he could collect taxes, etc. So he made
Abram this offer: Give me the persons, and take the goods to yourself. Of
course, Abram did not need the king of Sodom’s permission to keep
the goods; all the spoils were his by right of conquest anyway. So this
was not much of an offer because the goods already belonged to Abram
by right of conquest. Genesis 14:22-24 records Abram’s response. In
verse 22, Abram relates his oath: I have lifted up my hand unto
Jehovah, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; by lifting up his
hand to make an oath, Abram showed the solemnity of the oath. The
content of this oath is spelled out in verse 23: I will not take a thread
nor a shoe-latchet nor aught that is yours, meaning that prior to going
into battle, Abram made a commitment not to keep any of the spoils.
The reason was, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. Then in
verse 24, while he himself will accept nothing, he made two
exceptions that in no way benefited himself personally but instead
benefited others. First: Save only that which the young men have eaten,
meaning the food that was eaten by the 318 servants of the
Household of Abram in order to sustain them; however, these
servants will not take any of the spoil. As these are his own servants,
Abram was able to speak for them. Second: and the portion of the men
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that went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
The three brothers who participated in the invasion will partake of
the spoil, for Abram cannot speak for them; but by saying that they
may help themselves of the spoil, he again proved to be a blessing to
others.
Before leaving chapter 14, three observations can be made. The
first observation is that this is the only place where Abram is viewed
as a warrior. The second observation is that in Genesis 12-25, the
chapters that cover the life of Abraham, this is the only chapter
where God does not speak. However, He is represented by a high
priest. The third observation is to note the outworking of the
Abrahamic Covenant and the facet of blessing for blessing.
Melchizedek was blessed by receiving a tenth of the spoil, and the
three brothers confederate with Abram also receive a blessing of
spoils. On the other hand, there is also the outworking of the curse
for curse in that the four kings suffered the curse. The principle is
curse for curse in kind, meaning the way the Jew is cursed, God will
take the same curse and apply it to the one doing the cursing. They
cursed by a military conquest, and they were cursed by a military
conquest, curse for curse in kind.
As for New Testament quotations and applications, the main
focus is on Melchizedek. The only place in the Old Testament where
he is mentioned outside of Genesis is in Psalm 110:4. In the New
Testament, the only place he is found is in the Book of
Hebrews 5:6-10 and 6:20 - 7:17. Moreover, Melchizedek is treated
typologically, as a type in that he was both priest and a king. This
was not allowed under the Mosaic Law and the Levitical Priesthood,
but was allowed under the Melchizedekian Priesthood. Again, he
was not a theophany (or he was only a type), for several reasons.
First, theophanies merely appeared and disappeared, not holding an
earthly office like king or priest. Second, Hebrews 5:1, which begins
listing several prerequisites for priesthood, makes the point that a
priest had to be human. The Messiah did not become human until
the Incarnation. So for Melchizedek to first be a priest, he first had
to be human. Third, Hebrews states that he was like the Son of God,
not that he was the Son of God: He was made like unto the Son of
God. Therefore, there is no biblical basis for making Melchizedek a
theophany or the preincarnate Christ. Melchizedek was a human
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being who was said to be a type of the Messiah in that he was both
king and priest. When the Book of Hebrews mentions that he had
no genealogy—no father, no mother—the main point of the author
of Hebrews is that there is no record of a genealogy for Melchizedek,
no mention of a father or a mother. It does not say that he did not
have one, only that there is no record of it. The point Hebrews is
making is that the correct genealogy was vital for the Levitical
Priesthood. Unless one could prove that he was a descendant of
Aaron, he could not serve as a priest under the Levitical Law.
However, the Melchizedekian Priesthood was not based upon
descent, but it was based strictly on divine appointment. When
Hebrews states: neither beginning nor end, it does not say he did not
have one; it just means that there is no beginning or end of his
priesthood in the biblical record. The typology being drawn is that of
a continuous priesthood, as is the case with Jesus. Others try to
defend the theophany view by pointing out that the name
Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; and, therefore, he had to
be a preincarnate Christ. However, the last part of the name, zedek,
was a Jebusite dynastic name for the kings of Jerusalem. This is seen
in Joshua 10:1, where the king of Jerusalem then was named
Adonizedek, which means the “lord of righteousness”, yet this was a
wicked, idol-worshipping, Canaanite, Jebusite king. So using the
meaning of the name to prove a theophany does not work here, since
zedek was merely a dynastic title of Jebusite kings of Jerusalem, as in
the case of Melchizedek and Adonizedek.
G. The Sealing of the Abrahamic Covenant
- 15:1-21
1. The Covenantal Promise - 15:1-6
1After these things the word of Jehovah came unto
Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am your
shield, and your exceeding great reward. 2And Abram
said, O Lord Jehovah, what will you give me, seeing I go
childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is
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Eliezer of Damascus? 3And Abram said, Behold, to me
you have given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is
my heir. 4And, behold, the word of Jehovah came unto
him, saying, This man shall not be your heir; But he that
shall come forth out of your own bowels shall be your
heir. 5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look
now toward heaven, and number the stars, if you be able
to number them: and he said unto him, So shall your seed
be. 6And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to
him for righteousness.
Verse 1 begins with a divine declaration, with the opening
phrase: After these things, meaning after the events of chapter 14, after
the war of the kings. This is now the third reaffirmation of the
Abrahamic Covenant. At this point: The word of Jehovah came unto
Abram. This is the first mention of the phrase: the word of Jehovah;
God’s word first came unto Abram. This is now the fourth
appearance to Abram, and this time it came in a vision. This is also
the first mention of a vision in the biblical text. There is more than
one Hebrew word for vision, and the word used here is machazeh, a
word found only three other times in reference to a vision of God
(Num. 24:4, 24:16; Ezek. 13:7). Literally, the Hebrew reads “in the
vision,” a specific vision, a divinely initiated vision. It is the vision
that will lead to the actual sealing of the Abrahamic Covenant. God’s
initial declaration is: Fear not, Abram. This is the first mention of the
phrase Fear not. God will say this again to Isaac (26:24) and to Jacob
(46:3). So all three Patriarchs at one point in their encounters with
God receive the message Fear not. For Abram, this is being said in
light of his courage in attacking the far superior armies of the kings.
Yet the word of Jehovah comes to him and declares: Fear not, Abram,
and God then gives two reasons for not fearing. The first reason is: I
am your shield. A shield, of course, is a soldier’s defensive protection.
In addition, what God told Abram was that God is the One who
protected Abram from the four kings. This is the first mention of
God as a shield. The Hebrew word is magen, as in the term Magen
David, or the Shield of David, sometimes mistranslated as the “Star”
of David. However, the Bible itself never speaks of a Magen David,
the Shield of David; but it does speak of a Magen Avram, the Shield
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of Abram. The second reason not to fear is because of your [Abram’s]
exceeding great reward. The way this phrase reads in the Hebrew, it
could be taken in one of two different ways. The first option is that
God Himself is the reward. The second option is that Abram’s
reward would be very great. While the Hebrew allows for both
translations as far as the end product is concerned, it does not matter
because both were true. God was the reward, and God also rewarded
Abram. This promise of enrichment came in light of Abram’s refusal
to accept the spoils of war from the king of Sodom.
Abram, in Genesis 15:2-3, responded in two ways. His first
response is in verse 2: And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah. In Hebrew it
is Adonai YHVH, the first time in the Hebrew text that the Hebrew
word for Lord, Adonai, and God’s four-lettered Name, YHVH, are
actually combined. This combination is used twice in this very
chapter; whereas elsewhere in the Mosaic Law, it is used only twice
(Deut. 3:24, 9:26). Also found here is the first actual dialogue
between God and Abram. In the past, God merely appeared to
Abram, or the word came to Abram to give a message or a command,
but no dialogue was recorded. In this dialogue, Abram revealed what
his fear actually was: What will you give me, seeing I go childless.
Materially speaking, Abram had enough prosperity; what he lacked
was not prosperity but posterity. Therefore, what is the value of this
great reward if it cannot be transmitted? The inheritor Abram had
was one of his servants: He that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer
of Damascus, who was his chief servant. This statement is in
accordance with the Code of Hammurabi and the Nuzi Tablets: A
childless husband and wife were free to adopt their slave in order to
have an heir to inherit their possessions. In the Hebrew text, there is
a play upon words between the word for possessor, Ben-Mesek, and the
word for Damascus, Damesek. Abram’s second response, in 15:3, again
expressed his fear: Behold, to me you have given no seed; and the
inheritor is going to be a servant: and, lo, one born in my house is my
heir. Therefore, Eliezer of Damascus was his servant, born in the house
of Abram, and he was the son of a servant from Damascus, not a
natural son of Abram.
Then came God’s promise, in Genesis 15:4-5, with verse 4
containing God’s declaration of the promise. For the second time in
this context, it states: Behold, the word of Jehovah came unto him,
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saying, and God declared something to Abram, which was both
negative and positive. Negatively: This man shall not be your heir; so
Eliezer of Damascus will not be the heir of Abram’s wealth. The
Hebrew text is quite emphatic, which literally reads as follows: “not
your heir this one.” Positively: but he that shall come forth out of your
own bowels [or loins] shall be your heir. The promise was that Abram
would have a son directly out of his own loins. In addition, this
reaffirms a previous promise about a seed. At this point, it was not
stated that Sarai would be the mother, only that Abram would be the
father. Then in 15:5, God gave him an illustration. The
circumstance was: And he brought him forth abroad, and said. God sent
Abram outside under the open sky, and what this shows is that the
vision took place at night and inside a tent. But now God told him
to come outside the tent where he could see the stars of the heavens,
followed by the promise that his seed would become innumerable:
Look now toward heaven, and number the stars. The reference to stars
shows that the vision took place at night. God then points out the
impossibility of counting them: if you be able to number them; and, of
course, he would not be able to number the stars. That led to the
promise: and he said unto him, So shall your seed be. Earlier, in 13:16,
God compared Abram’s seed with the dust of the earth. Here the
comparison is made with the stars of the heavens, but both
illustrations mean the same thing. Some have tried to make a
distinction by claiming that the dust of the earth represents the
earthly seed, the Jewish nation, while the stars of the heavens
represent the heavenly seed, the Church. But the Bible nowhere
allows for such a distinction. In fact, in this context He was dealing
with a literal son of Abram, not a spiritual son nor an adoptive son,
when He gives this illustration of the stars of the heavens. God
simply used two different illustrations to teach the same thing, and
there is no biblical basis to teach that Israel is the earthly seed with
earthly promises and the Church is the heavenly seed with heavenly
promises. In fact, both Israel and the Church have earthly and
heavenly promises. However, dust and stars are symbols of
innumerability. In fact, three different illustrations are used to make
the same point: dust (13:16, 28:14), stars (15:5, 22:17, 26:4), and the
sand of the seashore (22:17, 32:12).
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Genesis 15:6 contains the declaration of Abram’s faith. This is a
soteriological statement containing both the human requirement and
the divine response. The human requirement is: And he believed in
Jehovah. This is not sequential to verses 1-5. Obviously, Abram was
already a believer as of Genesis 11-12 when he obeyed God to leave
Ur of the Chaldees. This verse is a general statement concerning
Abram’s life of faith, since his belief in Jehovah was already clear
from 12:1 and probably even earlier, at the end of chapter 11. The
content of Abram’s faith was what he heard and understood directly
from God. The content of Abram’s faith was belief in the promises
of the Abrahamic Covenant. There was no indication that the
content of Abram’s faith was belief in the Messiah as such. There is a
tendency to oversimplify the difference between the Old and New by
saying the Old Testament saint looked forward to the death of
Messiah and the New Testament saint looks back. That is an
oversimplification, and the Bible simply does not allow for it. Indeed,
there always was, always is, and always will be only one means of
salvation: by grace through faith. That does not change. What
changes is the content of faith. What is it that one has to believe to be
saved? This changes based upon what God has revealed up to any
given point. What was it that Abram actually believed? The Bible
does not say that he believed in the coming of the Messiah; it does
not say he believed that the Messiah was going to die for his sins. It
states: He believed in Jehovah. In addition, in this context, what he
believed was the promises of God in the Abrahamic Covenant. So
concerning the salvation of Abram, the means was he believed; he
exercised faith. The content of his faith was the promises of God.
The object of his faith was Jehovah. The Hebrew word for believed is
in the hiphil stem, and the same word will be used two more times in
Genesis (42:20, 45:26). The human requirement leads to the divine
response: and he reckoned it to him for righteousness; God imputed
righteousness to Abram. Thus, Abram was saved by grace through
faith, and the content of his faith was the promises of God. Here is
the first mention of three key soteriological terms: “believe,” meaning
faith in God; “reckon,” and “righteousness.”
Before leaving this section, two general observations can be
made. The first observation is that the promises of the Abrahamic
Covenant were unconditional promises, and that very fact of the
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unconditionality of the Abrahamic Covenant was recognized by
rabbinic commentaries as well. Soncino quotes Rabbi Nachmanides as
saying: “Having received God’s assurance, Abraham now believed
that the prophecy would certainly be fulfilled, and that he was not to
fear that he might forfeit it through sin.”42 It was an act of grace that
no matter what happened to Abram personally, God’s promise
regarding his descendants would stand. The second observation
concerns two major elements of the Abrahamic Covenant: the seed
and the Land. The seed has been the concern of 15:1-6 and the
Land will be the concern of 15:7-21.
Finally, there are three New Testament quotations and
applications. First, Romans 4:3, 4:9, and 4:22 make reference to this
passage to show that Abraham was saved through faith and not
through works. Second, Galatians 3:6 refers to this passage to show
that Abram was saved through faith and not by the works of the
Law. So the only way of salvation is still by grace through faith
(Rom. 3:7-9). Third, James 2:21-23 makes reference to Abraham’s
willingness to sacrifice Isaac to show that Abraham was justified by
faith, because his willingness to sacrifice Isaac was the evidence of
Abram’s faith as expressed in Genesis 15:6. The passage is cited to
show that Abram’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac was evidence of his
previously declared righteousness through faith. In other words, his
actions were evidence of his faith in God and showed the maturity of
his faith. Therefore, Abram was justified by faith, and his work of
offering up Isaac was the evidence of that justification by faith.
2. The Covenantal Ritual - 15:7-21
7And he said unto him, I am Jehovah that brought you
out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit
it. 8And he said, O Lord Jehovah, whereby shall I know
that I shall inherit it? 9And he said unto him, Take me a
heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and
a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young
pigeon. 10And he took him all these, and divided them in
42 The Soncino Commentary on the Bible: Genesis, 72.
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the midst, and laid each half over against the other: but
the birds divided he not. 11And the birds of prey came
down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep
fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell
upon him. 13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety
that your seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not
theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them
four hundred years; 14and also that nation, whom they
shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come
out with great substance. 15But you shall go to your
fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.
16And in the fourth generation they shall come hither
again; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.
17And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down,
and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a
flaming torch that passed between these pieces. 18In that
day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying,
Unto your seed have I given this land, from the river of
Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19the
Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, 20and
the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, 21and
the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite,
and the Jebusite.
By means of a covenantal ritual, the Abrahamic Covenant was
officially signed and sealed. This section like the previous one begins
in verse 7 with a divine declaration: And he said unto him, I am
Jehovah, in which God used His Hebrew four-letter name of God,
which emphasizes God as the covenant-keeping God. The first
section began with I am your shield, emphasizing the fact that God
was Abram’s protector, in chapter 14. Now, this section begins with:
I am YHVH, the covenant-keeping God in light of the issue of
whether Abram will or will not have a son. By using God’s
covenant-keeping Name, it means that the promises already made
will indeed be kept. The Name is used in making or fulfilling a
covenant. To verify this covenant that has already appeared in several
segments of Genesis 12 and 13, it is now to be signed and sealed.
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Then God reminded him that He was the One Who originally
issued Abram’s call: that brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees. This is
the prelude to the sealing of the covenant, and it is similar to
Exodus 20:2, which identifies God as the One Who brought Israel
out of Egypt as a prelude to the Mosaic Covenant. The purpose was:
to give you this land to inherit it. Earlier, the focus was on the seed;
now it is on the Land. Once again the Land was promised to Abram
individually and not only to his seed.
Genesis 15:8 records Abram’s response and request: And he said,
O Lord Jehovah, and once again, it is Adonai YHVH. The question
Abram raised was: Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? In
addition, what Abram is now requesting is an authenticating sign of
the promise of God. The Midrash on the passage states Abram asked
for a sign because he feared that as soon as his descendants sinned
they would not be allowed to enter into or be in the Promised Land.
Here, again, the rabbis observed Abram’s concern to verify the
unconditional nature of these covenantal promises.
Genesis 15:9-11 deal with the division of the animals as the
prelude to the signing of the covenant. In verse 9, God commanded:
And he said unto him, Take me, meaning take aside for God five
things: first, a heifer three years old; second, a she-goat, a female goat
that is three years old; third, a ram that is three years old; fourth, a
turtle-dove; and fifth, a young pigeon. The Midrash on this passage
interprets this as God’s answer to Abram’s fear: Even if his
descendants sin, God has provided atonement for them. Moreover,
the nature of these animals as having atoning value was recognized
by the rabbis, and they called these the korbanot, meaning
“sacrifices.” According to rabbinic tradition, there were actually a
total of eleven offerings. There were three heifers, one for Yom
Kippur (Day of Atonement), a sacrifice for the priest in accordance
with Numbers 29:8; one for when halachah (rabbinic law) is
misinterpreted by the Beth Din (the house of judgment delivered to
the rabbinic court) cited in Leviticus 4:13-14; and one heifer whose
neck was to be broken if a man was found dead and the murderer
was unknown, in accordance with Deuteronomy 21:4. Then,
according to the rabbinic tradition, there were three goats: one for
the Day of Atonement in accordance with Leviticus 16:15; one for
the Day of Atonement as a musaf (additional offering) in accordance
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with Numbers 28:15, 22, 30; and one for a sin offering of the
individual in accordance with Leviticus 4:28. Furthermore, there
were three rams: one as an asham (a trespass or guilt offering), for a
man who knows he has sinned, in accordance with
Leviticus 5:17-18; one as an asham for a man who is in doubt if he
sinned or not, in accordance with Leviticus 6:6; and one as a chatat (a
sin offering) for individual transgression, in accordance with
Leviticus 4:32. Finally, according to rabbinic tradition two birds were
also sacrificed. While the claim that Abram sacrificed three of these
animals is not true to the Genesis text, the main thing to observe
from the rabbinic interpretation of this passage is that they
connected all these animals with blood atonement, and they
recognized the principle of blood atonement even though in this
passage that is not clearly stated. In this passage, blood was used to
make a blood covenant. Genesis 15:10 describes Abram’s obedience
and the division or cutting in half of the animal sacrifices: And he took
him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over
against the other, meaning he cut each in half and lined them up in
two rows so one half of the animal faced the other half of the body.
All this required the shedding of blood. The exception is that while
he divided the three animals, he did not divide the birds. This was all
in keeping with the ancient methods of making a blood covenant.
For example, in the Mari Tablets, to make a covenant was “to slay an
animal.” Normally, when two men made a blood covenant, only one
animal was used. Here, a total of five animals were used, showing the
solemnity of the covenant. Verse 11 describes Abram’s protection of
what he had prepared. The statement: And the birds of prey came down
upon the carcasses, implies a bad omen. Indeed, there was one negative
element in the covenant: the prediction of the Egyptian Bondage.
Abram responded by driving them away.
At this point, it might be helpful to explain exactly what a blood
covenant was and how it differs from other covenants. The nature of
a blood covenant is spelled out in Jeremiah 34:8-11 and 17-20. A
blood covenant pledged the lives of the ones making the covenant to
the covenant: If one failed, his blood was to be poured out just as the
blood of the animal had been poured out. In other words, he would
invoke upon himself the death penalty. The animal sacrificed was the
substitute in death for the two making the covenant. Once the
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covenant was made and once both parties walked between the pieces
of the animal, the terms of the covenant could not be changed. The
following quote is an example of this: “This head is not the head of a
lamb, it’s the head of Mati’lu. If Mati’lu sins against this Somat, just
as the head of this spring lamb is torn off…the head of Mati’lu be
torn off, and his sons.”43 That was the nature of a blood covenant,
and that should be distinguished from the hand covenant, the salt
covenant, and the shoe covenant. The hand covenant was the
shaking of hands or the striking of the pelvis when an agreement was
reached (Ezra 10:19, Ezek. 17:18). In the shoe covenant, two parties
making the covenant exchanged sandals; the covenant was in force
until they were exchanged again (Ruth 4:7-12). In the salt covenant,
one would put his thumb into a salt pouch of the other, then put it
into his own salt pouch; the original pinch of salt could never be
retrieved (Lev. 2:13; Num. 18:19; II Chron. 13:5). Of these four
types of covenants, the blood covenant was by far the most solemn.
Genesis 15:12-21 records the actual signing and sealing of the
Abrahamic Covenant. Verse 12 provides the circumstance: And when
the sun was going down, meaning it was dusk, which shows that a
whole day had transpired since verse 5. This entire vision moves
from night to day until night, covering a great number of hours. At
that point: A deep sleep fell upon Abram. This was a visionary sleep, for
Abram was fully conscious of what was taking place. The Hebrew
word for deep sleep is tardeimah; it was a supernatural deep sleep that
fell upon Abram. It was the same deep sleep that fell upon Adam
(Gen. 2:21) in preparation for the creation of Eve. It also fell upon
Saul (I Sam. 26:12 and Dan. 8:18; 10:9). It is also mentioned in
Job 4:13 and 33:15. Then: A horror of great darkness fell upon him.
This again shows that Abram was fully conscious in the midst of the
deep sleep, because he felt horror; he felt fear. Delitszch comments on
this deep sleep:
A valiant plunging of the natural life of perception
and thought into unconsciousness and inactivity,
cessation and a casting into slumber of the ordinary
43 ANET, 532.
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activity action of the mind and sense for the purpose
of unsealing the inner eye.
In Genesis 15:13-16, God declares the Egyptian Bondage that
is to come. In verse 13, He prophesies the four hundred years of
sojourning: Know of a surety that your seed shall be sojourners in land
that is not theirs. For a period of time Abram’s seed will live in a land
that is not their own. Initially, that was Canaan; ultimately, it was
Egypt. Furthermore, they shall end up as slaves: and shall serve
them. The slavery will come with affliction: and they shall afflict
them. The Hebrew word for afflict is anah, the same word used in
Exodus 1:11-12, where the Egyptians afflicted Israel, whereby this
prophecy finds its fulfillment. The duration is: four hundred years.
This figure is also mentioned in Acts 7:6, and the dates would be
1876-1476 B.C. Another figure, 430 years, is given in Exodus 12:40-41
and Galatians 3:17, which would cover 1876-1446 B.C.; and so there is
an apparent contradiction. There are two options in reconciling the
figure 400 and the figure 430 years. The first option is that the
Egyptian sojourn lasted a total of four hundred thirty years while the
affliction itself lasted four hundred years. That means the enslavement
began thirty years after the sojourn into Egypt began. The second
option is to take this verse as using a form of Hebrew poetic meter:
A-B-B-A. This means that the first and fourth lines go together, and
the second and third lines go together. The verses would be lined up as
follows:
A: Your seed shall be strangers in a land that is not theirs;
B: They shall serve them;
B: They shall afflict them;
A: Four hundred years.
The second option for reconciling the two figures is that the
430-year period lasted from the sealing of the covenant until the
Exodus from Egypt. The actual Egyptian Bondage itself was 215
years. The figure four hundred years began with the weaning of Isaac
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until the Exodus. Cases could be made for both options, but the
author favors the second one of the two. Genesis 15:14 predicts the
Exodus, beginning with the judgment of Egypt: and also that nation
[Egypt], whom they shall serve [as slaves], will I judge. Here again is
the outworking of the cursing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant.
This will be followed by the enrichment of Israel: and afterward,
meaning after the sojourning as strangers and after the enslavement,
shall they come out with great substance, fulfilled in Exodus 3:21-22
and 12:35-36. In 15:15, God made a promise of peace for Abram:
But you shall go to your fathers in peace, meaning Abram will die
peaceably of old age; he will not live to see his descendants enslaved.
By stating: You shall go to your fathers, God is saying that the
ancestors of Abram are viewed as being in a definite place to which
Abram will go. That definite place is Sheol in the center of the earth.
This kind of phraseology always emphasizes the afterlife and reflects
faith in the afterlife. Furthermore, this has to be a reference to the
soul of Abram and not to the interment of his body because the
fathers of Abram were in Haran and in Ur, but they were not here in
the Land where Abram’s physical remains would be buried. Then
God promised: You shall be buried in a good old age. He will be buried
in the Land, and he will be buried at the age of 175. Genesis 15:16
contains the promise of the return to the Land. The timing is: And in
the fourth generation they shall come hither again; Abram’s descendants
will return in the fourth generation, and the four generations are
found in Exodus 6:16-21: (1) Levi, (2) Kohath, (3) Amram, and (4)
Moses and Aaron. This verse shows that the word generation does
not always mean forty years, which has been too common of a
teaching. Actually, the Bible never specifies only one span of time for
a generation. While it is at times forty years, sometimes it is twenty,
sometimes sixty, sometimes eighty. Here, it is a hundred years, since
four generations with an overall span of four hundred years means
each generation in this instance is a hundred years. In most cases, the
term generation is not a time span but rather a word that is used the
same way it is used today, meaning “contemporaries.” So when one is
comparing his own generation with his father’s generation, he does
not imply then there are forty years between them; for it may only be
twenty years. It is merely a comparison between his contemporaries
as over against his father’s. The reason God was going to wait this
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span of time before giving the Land was: for the iniquity of the
Amorite is not yet full. This was the reason for the delay in giving
Abram and Abram’s descendants the Land. The cup had not yet
overflowed. The iniquity of the Amorite is described in
Leviticus 18:24-30 and 20:22-27; and in Deuteronomy 18:9-14.
Thus Joshua’s future conquest of the Land would be not only
militaristic, and not only nationalistic, but also judicial, a divine
judgment, because by then the iniquity of the Amorites would be
full. God’s waiting until four generations had transpired shows the
extension of His grace, leaving the Amorites without excuse.
Genesis 15:17 records the actual signing and the sealing of the
Abrahamic Covenant; and it came by means of the Shechinah Glory.
The signing is introduced by the phrase: And it came to pass. The
timing was: when the sun went down. In 15:12, the sun was merely
going down, but it was still visible. Now it is no longer visible. The
Hebrew word for sun is shemesh, normally treated as masculine, but
here it is treated as feminine. Elsewhere it is treated as feminine only
three times in the many times the sun is mentioned (Isa. 45:6,
Nah. 3:17, Mal. 4:2). Now the state was not merely dusk, but it was
dark; daylight was totally gone. Then came the appearance of the
Shechinah Glory, introduced with the word behold, calling for special
attention: The Shechinah Glory is the visible manifestation of God’s
presence, usually appearing as a light, as a fire, as a cloud, or as some
combination of these three things. Here two things become visible: a
smoking furnace and a flaming torch. The term smoking furnace in
Hebrew means “a smoking flower pot,” “a smoking oven.” It was a
pillar of smoke. The point of comparison is the cylindrical form, the
circular, cylindrical shape of the appearance. The term flaming torch
in Hebrew means “a rising flame,” and this would keep the fire going
in the oven. What the Shechinah Glory did was to pass between these
pieces, meaning it passed by in between the two rows of animal
pieces. Here was something normal and something abnormal. The
normal procedure was for both persons making the covenant to walk
between the pieces of the animal, rendering the terms of the
covenant obligatory to both parties. This procedure also rendered the
covenant conditional: If one party broke the terms and forfeited his
life, it would exempt the other party from keeping his part of the
covenant. Since the covenant was between God and Abram, it was
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normal here that God passed between these pieces. The previous
abnormality was the fact that in place of one animal, there were five.
Now there was a second differentiation. It was not God and Abram
that walked between these pieces of the animals, but it was God alone
Who passed between the pieces of the animals, which rendered the
covenant unconditional. Abram’s lack of participation emphasizes
the unconditionality of this particular covenant. So Abram did not
become an active participant in the signing and sealing of the
covenant as such; he was only the recipient of the covenant and the
covenantal promises. It meant that no matter how often Abram
failed (and he will fail in the next chapter), and no matter how often
his seed, the Jewish people fail, the Abrahamic Covenant cannot be
rendered null and void.
Genesis 15:18-21 concludes with the divine declaration. In
verse 18a, the covenant was sealed: In that day Jehovah made a
covenant with Abram, saying… What was promised verbally in
Genesis 12-13 is now visibly sealed. Whatever may now be added
cannot change the original content. It was permitted to make
additions to a blood covenant, but none of these additions could
change the original terms. In verse 18b, for the first time the
northern and southern borders of the Promised Land are given with
the opening statement: Unto your seed have I given this land. The land
is to be inherited by Abram’s seed, and this is in addition to the
promise of 15:7, where Abram was promised the possession of the
land individually. The southern border of the Land is from the river of
Egypt. The river of Egypt is not the Nile, as has often been
misinterpreted; for if it was the Nile, the Jews were already in the
Promised Land before they ever left Egypt. Nor is the River of
Egypt the Wadi el-Arish, the wadi that runs through the center of the
Sinai Peninsula, because that was referred to in the Bible as the
Brook (nachal) of Egypt, not the River (nahar) of Egypt. The river of
Egypt refers to the most eastern branch of the Nile Delta. As the
Nile River flows from south to north before emptying into the
Mediterranean Sea, it breaks up into various branches flowing
through the Nile Delta, and the most eastern branch was known as
the River of Egypt. This is known today as the Pelogiac branch of the
Nile Delta, which flows into Lake Sironbis. It is also known as the
River Shihor, the fourteenth nome of Egypt. The northern border is
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the great river, the river Euphrates. Genesis 15:19-21 lists the
inhabitants of the Land that are to be dispossessed. The list is
comprised of ten tribes, and this is the most complete list. Other
passages list six nations (Exod. 3:8, 3:17, 23:23; Deut. 20:17) or
seven nations (Deut. 7:1, Josh. 3:10). The Kenite inhabited the
Arabah. The exact location of the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite is
unknown. The Hittite originally came from Asia Minor (Turkey) but
migrated to the Land. The location of the Perizzite is unknown. The
Rephaim lived on both sides of the Jordan. Amorite is a word in
Hebrew that means “western.” These western people flooded the
Land around 2000
B.C. Canaanite may refer to the inhabitants in
general but to the Phoenician area in particular. The Girgashite may
be the same as the Karkisha of Asia Minor that migrated south. The
Jebusite inhabited the area of Jerusalem.
H. The Birth of Ishmael - 16:1-16
1. Sarai and Hagar - 16:1-6
1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children:
and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was
Hagar. 2And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now,
Jehovah has restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray
you, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain
children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of
Sarai. 3And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the
Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelled ten
years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her
husband to be his wife. 4And he went in unto Hagar,
and she conceived: and when she saw that she had
conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5And
Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon you: I gave
my handmaid into your bosom; and when she saw that
she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: Jehovah
judge between me and you. 6But Abram said unto Sarai,
Behold, your maid is in your hand; do to her that which
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is good in your eyes. And Sarai dealt harshly with her,
and she fled from her face.
Verse 1 gives the circumstances, involving two things: Sarai’s
barrenness and her handmaid. First: Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore
him no children; Sarai was still barren in spite of God’s promise of a
son to Abram back in Genesis 15. Thus far, what God had clearly
revealed was that Abram would be the father, but God never actually
stated that Sarai was going to be the mother of that son. Second: She
had a handmaid, a slave. By way of national identification, this slave
was an Egyptian. In the context of Genesis, the only place she would
have gotten an Egyptian handmaid was in Genesis 12:16, when they
sojourned to Egypt. According to the rabbinic tradition, this Hagar
was Pharaoh’s daughter.44 Her name was Hagar, a word that means
“to be a fugitive,” “to flee,” “flight.” So even though she was an
Egyptian, her name was Hebrew. This means her name was probably
given to her by Abram or by Sarai because of their experience in
Egypt.
Genesis 16:2 records Sarai’s proposal: And Sarai said unto Abram,
Behold now, Jehovah has restrained me from bearing. The basis for her
proposal, then, was her barrenness, a problem already noted as early
as Genesis 11:30. As a result, she made Abram an offer, saying: Go
in, I pray you, unto my handmaid. This offer was in keeping with the
Nuzi Tablets and with the Code of Hammurabi in that if a wife proved
to be barren, she was obligated to provide to her husband a handmaid
through whom he could have children so that his seed does not die
out. Therefore, what Sarai proposed was in keeping with the laws of
that day. However, for Sarai it was a lapse of faith; although God
had not specifically said that she was going to be the mother, it
should have been an assumed fact since she was Abram’s only wife.
Nevertheless, by law, it was her prerogative to do this. The reason
she gave was that it may be that I shall obtain children by her. The
Hebrew literally reads, “That I may be builded by her,” because
normally such children become officially and legally the children of
the mistress. The verse concludes with Abram’s acceptance: And
44 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 45:1.
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Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai; for Abram, this was another
lapse of faith (in addition to his flight to Egypt during the famine).
Abram hearkened, he “obeyed” the voice of Sarai as over against
obeying the voice of God. The same wording was used in
Genesis 3:17, when Adam “obeyed” his wife, and both of these
ended up with negative consequences. Rashi, trying to avoid the
negative, claims that Abram listened to the Holy Spirit within her.
Hagar thus became the concubine of Abram. Outside the Book of
Genesis, seven men were reported to have had concubines, and this
included both those who were classed as spiritual and non-spiritual:
Caleb (I Chron. 2:46, 2:48); Gideon (Judg. 8:31); the unnamed
Levite (Judg. 19 - 20); Saul (II Sam. 3:7, 21:11); David
(II Sam. 5:13, 15:16, 16:21-22, 19:5, 20:3; I Chron. 3:9); Solomon
(I Kings 11:3); and Rehoboam (II Chron. 11:21). In all these
instances, with the exception of the unnamed Levite, reference is also
made to “wives,” showing a clear distinction between wives and
concubines. Wives were the legal wives who were there to produce
children who would inherit family property. Concubines were
generally for sexual pleasure; although in this particular case, Hagar
was being used to produce children because of the legal wife’s
inability to do so. Again, this was quite in keeping with the laws of
that day. The Code of Hammurabi,45 which dates from the second
millennium B.C., not that distant from Abraham’s own time, states:
When the freemen marries a priestess and she gave a
female slave to her husband and she has then born
children, if later that female slave has claimed
equality with her mistress because she bore children,
her mistress may not sell her; she may mark her with
the slave mark and count her among the slaves.
A second example is the Nuzi Tablets, also from the second
millennium B.C.:
45 Paragraph 146.
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If Gilimninu, [the bride] will not bear children,
Gilimninu shall take a woman of Lullo land as a
wife for Shennima [the groom].
This was a prenuptial agreement that the bride is responsible to
provide a handmaid if she is unable to reproduce.
A third example is the Old Assyrian Marriage Contract, also from
the second millennium B.C.:
Lagipum took (in marriage) Hatals the daughter of
Enisru. In the country, Lagipum shall not take (in
marriage) another (woman), (but) in the city (of
Ashshur), he may take (in marriage) a priestess. If
within two years, she has not procured offspring for
him, only she may buy a maid-servant and even later
on, after she procures somehow an infant for him,
she may sell her whenever she pleases.
Another example is the Neo-Assyrian Text, which dates from the
first millennium B.C.:
If Sabetu does not conceive (and) does not give
birth, she may take a maid-servant (and) as a
substitute in her position, she may place (her). She
(Sabetu) will thereby bring sons into being (and) the
sons will be Sabetu’s sons. If she loves (the
maid-servant), she may keep her. If she hates her,
she may sell her.
Therefore, what Sarai was doing was in keeping with the laws of
that day. However, she did not need to do this because of the divine
promise. While there was no immorality here and everything was
legal, it was still a failure to trust God to fulfill His promise through
the normal course of events.
In Genesis 16:3 came the consummation. The act was: And
Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid. The
timing was: after Abram had dwelled ten years in the land of Canaan.
Ten years have passed between Genesis 12 and 16, and because of
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that wait of ten years, there has been this lapse of faith. That means
that Abram at this point was eighty-five years old and Sarai was
seventy-five years old. Rashi deducts from this that if a wife does not
give birth after ten years, she is to be divorced. Then came the
marriage: gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. What took
place here was a legal marriage. She was not his concubine for sexual
pleasure; this was a legal marriage for producing children. In the
Book of Genesis, a woman could be both a wife and a concubine.
Here Hagar is called a wife, and in Genesis 25:6 she is called a
concubine. Keturah is called a wife in Genesis 25:1, and then a
concubine in Genesis 25:6 and I Chronicles 1:32. Bilhah is called a
wife in Genesis 30:4 and 37:2 and a concubine in Genesis 35:22.
In 16:4, this led to conflict between Sarai and Hagar. The
background was: And he went in unto Hagar, that is, sexual union,
and the result was, she conceived. This led to Hagar’s new attitude:
When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
In biblical days, few women were more despised than barren women
were. Therefore, when Hagar conceived, she began to display this
negative attitude toward barren women. The Hebrew word for
“despise” is qalal, the same word used for “curse” in Genesis 12:3.
Therefore, Hagar displayed the common attitude toward barren
women in that day, and she ended up cursing, by lightly esteeming,
her mistress.
This led to Sarai’s complaint in Genesis 16:5-6a: And Sarai said
unto Abram, My wrong be upon you: The phrase means “My wrong is
your fault.” She blamed Abram. The problem was: I gave my
handmaid into your bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I
was despised in her eyes: Jehovah judge between me and you, meaning
“Let God judge between us.” Abram’s response was: But Abram said
unto Sarai, Behold, your maid is in your hand: Hagar is still officially,
legally, and technically Sarai’s possession. Returning Hagar to slave
status was in keeping with the laws of that day. The Code of
Hammurabi reads:
If she gave a female slave to her husband, and she
has then born [sic] children; if that female slave has
claimed equality with her mistress because she had
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born [sic] children, her mistress may not sell her, she
may put her among the slaves.
While Hagar could not be sold to someone else now that she has
conceived, she could be returned to slave status, and that is
essentially what happened. It also meant there was no more sexual
intercourse between Abram and Hagar. Abram said: Do to her that
which is good in your eyes. This was all legally true and valid.
Genesis 16:6b records Hagar’s flight. The cause was: Sarai dealt
harshly with her. This is the same word that is used of the Egyptian
affliction of Israel in Exodus 1:11-12. The irony here is that the
Jewish woman is afflicting the Egyptian. The result was: She [Hagar]
fled from her face. The events here show the truth of
Proverbs 30:21-23: For three things the earth does tremble, And for four,
it cannot bear:…a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
2. Hagar and the Angel of Jehovah - 16:7-14
7And the angel of Jehovah found her by a fountain of
water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to
Shur. 8And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s handmaid, where are
you coming from? and where are you going? And she
said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, Return to your
mistress, and submit yourself under her hands. 10And the
angel of Jehovah said unto her, I will greatly multiply
your seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, Behold, you are
with child, and shall bear a son; and you shall call his
name Ishmael, because Jehovah has heard your affliction.
12And he shall be as a wild ass among men; his hand
shall be against every man, and every man’s hand
against him; and he shall dwell over against all his
brethren. 13And she called the name of Jehovah that spoke
unto her, You are a God that sees: for she said, Have I
even here looked after him that sees me? 14Wherefore the
well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between
Kadesh and Bered.
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Verse 7 introduces a new entity: And the angel of Jehovah found
her. This is the first appearance of the angel of Jehovah, a very unique
individual in the biblical record. This being is called the Angel of
Jehovah a total of fifty-eight times. He is also called the Angel of God
a total of eleven times. This one is not a common, ordinary angel;
this one is always the second member of the Triunity. This is always
a reference to the preincarnate Messiah. Rabbi Hertz in his
commentary states that the phrase “angel of the Lord” is sometimes
used to denote God Himself. Indeed, in every context He appears,
He is referred to as an angel; and somewhere else in the same
context, He is referred to as God. The place of the encounter was: by
a fountain of water in the wilderness, this being the first mention of a
fountain in the biblical record. The wilderness here is the Negev
Desert. Furthermore, it was by the fountain in the way to Shur. The
way to Shur was a major highway between Egypt and the Land of
Canaan and is mentioned several times elsewhere (Gen. 20:1, 25:18;
Exod. 15:22; I Sam. 15:7, 27:8). This puts Hagar in the border area
between the Sinai and the Negev. This implies that she was on her
way back to Egypt.
In 16:8, Hagar’s divine encounter led to a conversation with the
angel of Jehovah, Who asked the questions: Where are you coming
from? and where are you going? Hagar’s answer was: I am fleeing from
the face of my mistress Sarai. Hagar answered the first question; she
knew where she was coming from. However, she did not answer the
second question, which may imply that she was wandering aimlessly,
not sure of her future, not knowing where she was going, though the
general direction was a movement toward Egypt.
In 16:9, the angel issued a command: And the angel of Jehovah said
unto her, Return to your mistress, meaning return to the House of
Abram and submit yourself under her hands. This meant that she was
not to despise Sarai any further; she was to submit to Sarai even in ill
treatment.
Then in 16:10-12, the angel of Jehovah made some specific
prophecies regarding Hagar and her seed. The first prophecy is in
verse 10: And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, I will greatly multiply
your seed, a promise of posterity. Here the Angel is speaking as God
Himself: I will, etc. God will so multiply the seed that it shall not be
numbered for multitude: It is to become innumerable just as Abram’s
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seed was promised to be innumerable. The Arab peoples are to
become innumerable. The Patriarchs were given similar promises,
but Hagar is the only woman to receive such a promise. Verses 11-12
contain the second prophecy: And the angel of Jehovah said unto her,
with verse 11 prophesying about the son of Hagar: Behold, you are
with child, and shall bear a son. This was the revelation of something
future: The sex of the child will be male, and God Himself chose the
name of the child: You shall call his name Ishmael, which in Hebrew
means “God hears.” This is the first unborn child to be named by
God in the biblical text. Others in this category will include Isaac
(Gen. 17:19), Jesus (Matt. 1:21, Luke 1:31), and John the Baptist
(Luke 1:13). The reason he was to be named Ishmael was: because
Jehovah has heard your afflictions. Then in verse 12, He prophesied the
nature of Ishmael, and stated four things about the nature of her son.
First: He shall be as a wild ass among men. God was not calling Ishmael
any names here as the word is used today; rather He was saying that
Ishmael and his descendants would be characterized as roamers. In
the Negev and the Sinai Peninsula in those days were herds of wild
asses roaming from one part of the desert to another, never
stationary. Ishmael and his descendants would be characterized as
being roamers, roaming from one part of the desert to another,
leading a nomadic life. These roaming wild asses are also mentioned
in Job 39:5-8, Isaiah 32:14, Jeremiah 2:24 and 14:6, and Hosea 8:9.
The rabbis interpret this to mean that he will love the wilderness and
the hunt and he will be free among men, that no stranger will ever
rule over him. Second: His hand shall be against every man; he will be
characterized as an aggressor, characterized by aggression. As he
roams the deserts, he will meet other people groups, and his
tendency will be to attack them. Rabbinic tradition interprets this to
mean that Ishmael would become a highwayman. Third: every man’s
hand against him refers to the principle of retaliation. As he roams
around the desert, Ishmael will be exposed to other groups of people;
and he will be characterized as the aggressor, attacking them. Then
those he attacks will regroup and attack him in retaliation.
Therefore, his aggression will lead to retaliation. This principle has
been frequently repeated in the years of Israel’s history since 1948.
Arab aggression by means of war and terrorist attacks have led to
heavy Israeli retaliation. In rabbinic interpretation, this verse means
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that all will hate him and fight against him. Fourth: He will dwell
over against all his brethren, a phrase that has a double meaning. On
one hand, he will live side by side with brother Isaac, but on the
other hand, the side-by-side living will be with an attitude of
hostility. Putting the two meanings together, what it means is the
descendants of Ishmael will live side by side with the descendants of
Isaac; but it will be in hostility and not in peace.
Genesis 16:13 records Hagar’s response: She called the name of
Jehovah that spoke unto her. She recognized that the Speaker was God
Himself, and not a common angel, and she said: You are a God that
sees. In Hebrew, it is El Roi; literally, “the God of Seeing” or “the
God of Sight.” The reason was: For she said, Have I even here looked
after him that sees me? More correctly, “Have I seen after my Seer?”
Another possibility is, “Have I seen the back of my Seer?” as Moses
did in Exodus 33:23.
Genesis 16:14 records the history and geography of this location
as well: Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi, which means “the
Well of the Living One Who Sees Me.” Later, this became the
home of Isaac (Gen. 24:62, 25:11). The location is given as: Behold,
it is between Kadesh and Bered. Kadesh is Kadesh Barnea, but as for
Bered, this is the only mention of the place in Scripture. The exact
location is unknown except that it was in the vicinity of the
Sinai/Negev border.
3. The Birth - 16:15-16
15And Hagar bore Abram a son: and Abram called
the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16And
Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bore
Ishmael to Abram.
Verse 15 records Ishmael’s birth and his naming. First, the birth
is noted: And Hagar bore Abram a son. Second, the naming is noted:
and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Hagar
was the biological mother while Sarai was the legal mother. The
naming was done by Abram and not Hagar. It shows that Hagar told
the story to Abram, and Abram obviously believed her account; since
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she was already instructed that the name of the son was to be
Ishmael, Abram named his son accordingly.
Genesis 16:16 gives Abram’s age: And Abram was fourscore and
six years old, meaning he was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was
born. However, he was not Abram’s promised seed-son, and there
will be another fourteen-year wait before that promise is fulfilled.
Before leaving chapter 16, as far as New Testament quotations
and application, the key passage is Galatians 4:21-31, where Ishmael
is pictured as the son of the bondwoman and Isaac is pictured as the
son of the freewoman.
I. The Token of the Abrahamic Covenant -
17:1-27
It was noted previously in Genesis that while not every covenant
has a token connected to it, some do. In addition, while the Edenic
and Adamic Covenants did not have any particular token connected
to them, the Noahic Covenant did have a token, which was the
rainbow. Now this one, too, will have a token.
1. The Provisions of the Covenant - 17:1-8
1And when Abram was ninety years old and nine,
Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am
God Almighty; walk before me, and be you perfect. 2And
I will make my covenant between me and you, and will
multiply you exceedingly. 3And Abram fell on his face:
and God talked with him, saying, 4As for me, behold, my
covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a
multitude of nations. 5Neither shall your name any more
be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for
the father of a multitude of nations have I made you.
6And I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make
nations of you, and kings shall come out of you. 7And I
will establish my covenant between me and you and your
seed after you throughout their generations for an
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everlasting covenant, to be a God unto you and to your
seed after you. 8And I will give unto you, and to your
seed after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land
of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be
their God.
Verse 1a gives the timing: And when Abram was ninety years old
and nine [99]. This means twenty-four years had passed since God
first made His promise to Abram in Genesis 12, and thirteen years
have passed since the events of Genesis 16 when Ishmael was born.
The structure of Genesis 17:1-3a is similar to the structure of
Genesis 12:1-3: Two imperatives walk and be perfect are followed by
two imperfects containing promises. Abram’s response was: Abram
fell on his face. This is the fourth reaffirmation of the Abrahamic
Covenant.
Genesis 17:1b-2 contain the divine declaration. God’s declaration
begins with His revelation: Jehovah appeared to Abram; this is God’s
fifth appearance to Abram, and it has been twenty-three years since
the previous appearance in Genesis 15 when the covenant was signed.
Now another appearance comes forth for the purpose of giving the
token of the covenant. As far as Abram knew at this point, Ishmael
was the promised son, but that was about to change. Then came the
divine declaration: I am God Almighty, in Hebrew El Shaddai, the first
usage of this Name for God. El Shaddai is used a total of forty-eight
times in the Old Testament. In the Book of Job, it is found thirty-one
times as Shaddai without the use of the word El. Within the five
Books of Moses, it appears nine times, six of which are in the Book of
Genesis (17:1, 28:3, 35:11, 43:14, 48:3, 49:25). In Genesis, this Name
for God, El Shaddai, always appears with the promise of prosperity,
with one exception (43:14). The meaning of the name El Shaddai,
then, emphasizes God’s power. However, the origin of the word
Shaddai is the Akkadian word Shaddu, which means “breast,” and so
this Name emphasizes not only the power of God but also His ability
to supply His majestic strength. The Hebrew root is shadad, which
means “to be strong” or “powerful.” The introductory phrase: I am God
Almighty, is similar to the closing phrase found at the end of
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Genesis 17:8: I will be their God.46 This is followed by God’s two
commands. The first command is: Walk before me. This phrase denotes
service or devotion of a faithful servant to his king (Gen. 5:22, 5:24,
6:9, 24:40, 48:15; Deut. 10:8, 18:17; Judg. 20:28; I Kings 1:2, 10:8;
Jer. 52:12; Ezek. 44:15). The second command is: Be you perfect. The
Hebrew word is tamim, used of Noah in Genesis 6:9, and will be used
of Jacob in Genesis 25:27. It is also used of animal sacrifices and thus
carries the meaning of being unblemished (Exod. 12:5; Lev. 3:1, 3:6,
4:3, 4:23). The word tamim describes a physical condition or a
lifestyle. After giving Abram the two commandments, God makes two
promises. The first promise is: I will make my covenant between me and
you. This is a reaffirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant. Seven times
in this chapter, God will say, I will, this being the first of the seven
times. Furthermore, the word covenant is used thirteen times in this
chapter: nine times, my covenant; three times, everlasting covenant; and
once, the covenant between me and you. The second promise is: and [I]
will multiply you exceedingly. For the second time God declares: I will,
and He reaffirms His previous promise to Abram.
Genesis 17:3a describes Abram’s response: And Abram fell on his
face. Not only is this an act of worship, it shows that Abram knew
with Whom he was talking.
Genesis 17:3b-8a contains the continuation of the promises,
with verses 3b-4a pointing to the Word of God: and God talked with
him, saying, As for me, meaning “this is what I will do.” Then He
continues: Behold, my covenant is with you, reaffirming the Abrahamic
Covenant. When God states in verse 4b: and you shall be a father of a
multitude of nations, He makes a new promise. Up until now, Abram
was promised to father only one nation; now he is going to be the
father of a number of nations. This is fulfilled in two Jewish nations,
Israel and Judah, and also in the many Arab countries and tribes. In
the course of time, indeed, he became the father of many nations.
Then in verse 5, God changes Abram’s name to emphasize His new
promise: Neither shall your name any more be called Abram. In Hebrew,
Abram is Avram, which means “exalted father.” Now God declares:
Your name shall be Abraham. In Hebrew, Avraham means “the father
46 Ross, 330.
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of a multitude.” The first part of the name, Av, means “father.” The
second part comes from raham, which means “multitudes,” “a great
number.” This is actually a word play and not an etymology, because
Avraham in Hebrew sounds like Avhamon, which would mean “the
father of a multitude.” The reason for this change of name is: For the
father of a multitude of nations [Avhamon] have I made you. The
Hebrew word for nations here is goyim, emphasizing Gentile nations
coming from him, and this, too, is a new provision, a new promise.
According to Rashi, Avraham has the numerical value of 243, while
Avhamon has the numerical value of 248, which is the number of
bones in the human body. In 17:6, God promised the fruitfulness of
Abraham: And I will make you exceeding fruitful. This is the third I
will in the passage. The evidence of Abraham’s fruitfulness will be
twofold: First, I will make nations of you (the fourth I will), and this
is a reaffirmation of a previous promise; and second, Kings shall come
out of you, another new provision not mentioned earlier. The promise
included both Jewish and Gentile kings. Then in verse 7 is the
reconfirmation of the covenant: I will establish my covenant (the fifth
I will) between me and you, meaning between God and Abraham,
and your seed after you, throughout their generations. So then, the
covenant is to be established with and through only one specific seed
(which was established in Genesis 12:1-3). While God will make
many nations of Abraham, the covenant is going to be sustained
through only one nation. The duration is: for an everlasting covenant.
The Hebrew word for everlasting is the word olam, which does not
contain the concept of eternity as it does in English but means “up to
the end of a period of time.” In this case, it is for the whole duration
of human history. This is reaffirmed twice in this chapter (vv. 13 and
19). The promise of the covenant is twofold: First, to be a God unto
you, to be Abraham’s God, personally; and second, and to your seed
after you, to be the God of Abraham’s seed. Finally, in verse 8a, there
is the promise of the Land: And I will, (the sixth I will), give unto
you. Again, the Land is promised to Abraham individually; Abraham
himself is to possess the Land: and to your seed after you, the Land
was also promised to Abraham’s seed. The content is: the land of your
sojournings; the very land that Abraham was told to walk throughout
in 13:17 is the land he is destined to inherit. This is reaffirmed with
the next phrase: all the land of Canaan; so the promise is the
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possession of all the Promised Land. Again, Abraham owned almost
nothing of the Promised Land. While his seed has possessed much
more of the Promised Land, they have not as yet in Jewish history
possessed all the Promised Land. However, the promise here is clear:
to have all the land of Canaan, all the Promised Land. This is yet
future, to be fulfilled in the Messianic Kingdom. The duration is: for
an everlasting possession. It will always be Jewish Land. The word
everlasting again means “to the end of a period of time,” in this case
throughout the history of this planet. Only when God does away
with this planet will the Land no longer exist. But for the duration of
the existence of this planet, the Land is a Jewish Land. It is irrelevant
whether the Jews are inside the Land or outside the Land; by divine
grant, the Land belongs to the Jewish people.
Finally, in verse 8b is the conclusion: and I will be their God (the
seventh I will).
2. The Token: Circumcision - 17:9-14
9And God said unto Abraham, And as for you, you
shall keep my covenant, you, and your seed after you
throughout their generations. 10This is my covenant,
which ye shall keep, between me and you and your seed
after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.
11And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin;
and it shall be a token of a covenant between me and
you. 12And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised
among you, every male throughout your generations, he
that is born in the house, or bought with money of any
foreigner that is not of your seed. 13He that is born in
your house, and he that is bought with your money, must
needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your
flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14And the
uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of
his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he
has broken my covenant.
The passage begins in verse 9a with the introduction of the
Word of God: And God said unto Abraham. Then He said: And as for
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you, thus introducing something Abraham must do as a proper
response to God’s I will. In light of the seven “I wills” of the previous
segment and of all God’s promises, here is what Abraham should do
as a loving response. This is not conditional: God does not say that if
Abraham fails to do this, then God will not fulfill what He said in
verses 1-8. God will fulfill verses 1-8 regardless of Abraham’s
response. Nevertheless, in light of God’s blessings for Abraham, He
expects Abraham to fulfill certain conditions. But God’s fulfillments
of His promises remain unconditional. However, the principle is that
unconditional promises set up the expectation of a response. God
will do what He said He will do no matter what; in response,
Abraham should do something. It is the same principle in salvation.
Salvation is by grace through faith, not based on works. Once saved,
believers retain salvation unconditionally; but in response to God’s
love for them, believers are expected to keep His commandments.
However, whether believers keep them or do not keep them, their
salvation is secure.
Genesis 17:9b focuses on the recipients of the token: As for you,
you shall keep my covenant. The recipients include you, meaning
Abraham, and your seed after you, meaning Abraham’s covenant seed.
The duration is: throughout their generations. For as long as Jewish
history continues into the future, as long as this covenant is in effect,
and this covenant remains in effect throughout human history, this
practice must be performed.
Then Genesis 17:10-11 spells out exactly what the token is: This
is my covenant, meaning this is the covenantal sign, which ye shall
keep, between me and you and your seed after you: every male among you
shall be circumcised. By stating male, it automatically rules out female
circumcision that is practiced in some cultures and societies. While
female circumcision is practiced elsewhere, it was not to be practiced
among the Jews. The token of the covenant is focused on the organ
of reproduction, emphasizing the promise of a seed, as it is through
the reproductive organ that this seed is reproduced. Circumcision did
not begin with Abraham; it was practiced by other societies before
Abraham such as the Egyptians (Jer. 9:25-26). After Abraham, it
was also practiced by Arabs, Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites
(Jer. 9:25-26). It was not practiced by Mesopotamians, Arameans, or
Philistines (Judg. 15:18; I Sam. 17:26, 17:36). Mesopotamia and
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Aramea were where Abraham came from. While circumcision or the
act of circumcision itself was not particularly unique in the ancient
world, neither is it particularly Jewish in the present world. What
makes this token of circumcision unique is discussed below. God
then states the limitation: Ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your
foreskin. Again, the emphasis is on the sexual organ, because
Jewishness is to be transmitted through natural generation through
the male line. Then He adds in this passage: It shall be a token of a
covenant between me and you. Thus, circumcision is the token of the
Abrahamic Covenant. The very act of circumcision requires the
shedding of blood, and this reinforces that this is a blood covenant;
the spilling of some blood in the act of circumcision will serve as a
constant reminder that this is a blood covenant. Thus, circumcision
in the Abrahamic Covenant becomes a sign of identity with God’s
inheritance through Abraham. It is a sign to the circumcised one of
his origins and of his commitment. Any time he looks on it, he will
be reminded of his covenantal relationship with God.
However, what makes Jewish circumcision unique is brought out
in verse 12a, which states the actual timing of circumcision: He that is
eight days old shall be circumcised among you. So again, it is not the act
of circumcision that will be unique, but the timing of it is what made
it unique: It was to be performed on the eighth day of life. While
certain exceptions will be permitted, as will be shown later in this
chapter, performing circumcision on the eighth day is the normal
practice to be followed. The other unique aspect of this sign of
circumcision was that it begins to identify a specific nation that will
descend through Abraham. This ethnic group is referred to as
Hebrews, Israel, Jews, etc. Continuing on with verse 12a, a person
who had Jewish origins through the male line and was not
circumcised at the proper time was still mandated to be circumcised.
Later Scriptures allow circumcision on other occasions if it had not
been performed on the eighth day. Such was the case with Moses’
son. One area of debate between the School of Hillel and the School
of Shammai was over the question: “What if the eighth day is a
Sabbath Day?”47 Should circumcision be performed on a Sabbath
47 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 46:12.
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Day, since obviously that requires work or labor? The ruling of Hillel
was to postpone it. The ruling of Shammai was to do it on the
Sabbath Day; the Law of Circumcision supersedes the Law of the
Sabbath. It was Shammai’s view that became halachah, the official
rabbinic ruling. The second question that arose in the
Hillel/Shammai debate was: What if a proselyte is already
circumcised? The view of Hillel was that there was no need to draw
blood; the view of Shammai was that although he was circumcised,
there must still be a cutting to draw blood. Here, again, the rule of
Shammai became official rabbinic law.
Genesis 17:12b-13a lists the inclusions for circumcision. First,
inclusion was extended to Abraham’s seed: every male throughout your
generations, he that is born in the house. Second, circumcision was
extended to the commonwealth: or bought with money of any foreigner
that is not of your seed. Therefore, people brought in from the outside
who become part of a Jewish household are to undergo circumcision.
The mandate is: must needs be circumcised. He then repeats: He that is
born in your house, (the natural seed), and he that is bought with your
money, the commonwealth.
Genesis 17:13b gives the duration of the token: My covenant shall
be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. Circumcision is as
everlasting or as long as the Abrahamic Covenant itself. Therefore,
while today there is no basis for circumcision under the Law of
Moses, there is a requirement of circumcision under the Abrahamic
Covenant. It is still mandatory for Jews, which therefore includes
Jewish believers in Jesus. In rabbinic theology, it is taught “since the
token is connected with the organ whereby the species is
perpetuated, it symbolizes the eternity of the covenant.” At any rate,
the token of the covenant is to last for the duration of the covenant
itself (Gal. 3:19 – 4:7). In addition, indeed, the New Testament does
not rule out circumcision for Jews; only circumcision for Gentiles is
ruled out under the Mosaic Law (insofar as for religious reasons,
although circumcision for health reasons is a separate issue).
Genesis 17:14 spells out what the judgment is going to be for
disobedience: And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the
flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. The phrase
cut off signifies divine punishment of a premature death that could
come in a number of different ways. God may use human means, or
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He may use strictly divine means. There is a word play in the
Hebrew text, and it goes something like this: “If the foreskin is not
cut off, he shall be cut off.” An example of this is in the case of
Moses (Exod. 4:24-26), where God struck him with some kind of a
deadly illness or plague; and he was about to die because of his failure
to circumcise his second son. Only when his wife intervened and had
the second son circumcised was the life of Moses spared. So the
failure to circumcise invoked a cutting off. The reason is that a
failure to circumcise or be circumcised is the breaking of the
Abrahamic Covenant.
To conclude with a few things from rabbinic tradition about this
whole area of circumcision as the token of the Abrahamic Covenant,
Rashi states:
Special angels take this blood and store it in a special
place. When God is angry with Israel, He looks at
this blood and He has mercy upon them.
What is interesting is that Rashi saw the blood as having some
kind of atoning value here, a means of receiving mercy. The Mishnah
states:
God swore to Abram that all of his descendant[s]
who are circumcised will not be sent into Hell.
Abraham stands guard so that none of his
descendants bearing the mark of circumcision should
enter into the place of divine punishment. But if a
person dies without repentance, special angels come
and attach his foreskin. He is again uncircumcised
and can go into Hell. Abraham does not help him,
since he is uncircumcised.
The point of this quote is that any circumcised person cannot go
into Hell, so with the unrepentant man, the foreskin is put back on
by angels so that he can go into Hell. The Mishnah goes on later to
say that this reversal was specifically applied to Jewish believers by
rabbinic theology. A third example from the Midrash is as follows:
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Abraham said, before I circumcise myself, men come
and join me in my new faith. Will they come and
join me when I am circumcised? And God said to
him, Abraham, let it suffice that I am your patron.48
The point of this quote is that Abraham objected to circumcision
by saying that he was able to gain proselytes in an uncircumcised
state; but if God now demands circumcision, what would happen?
Would Abraham still gain more converts? God’s answer was that
God is Abraham’s reward and not to worry about such things.
Nevertheless, the footnote for this passage states:
God has showed Abraham that even if circumcision
did deter would be [sic] converts, it did not matter.
This may be, therefore, directed against Paulinism,
which abolished circumcision in order to facilitate
the spread of Christianity.
As the footnote notes, this was a statement that might have been
directed specifically against the Apostle Paul, because of his negation
of mandatory circumcision for Gentiles.
3. The Role of Sarah - 17:15-21
15And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai your
wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall
her name be. 16And I will bless her, and moreover I will
give you a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall
be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.
17Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and
said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a
hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years
old, bear? 18And Abraham said unto God, Oh that
Ishmael might live before you! 19And God said, Nay, but
Sarah your wife shall bear you a son; and you shall call
48 Midrash Rabbah 46:3.
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his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with
him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.
20And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: behold, I have
blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will
multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget,
and I will make him a great nation. 21But my covenant
will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto
you at this set time in the next year.
Verses 15-16 list the provisions concerning Sarai, and the
passage is introduced with the Word of God: And God said unto
Abraham. Verse 15 deals with a change of Sarai’s name: You shall not
call her name Sarai, which means “my princess,” but Sarah shall her
name be, and Sarah means “the princess”; it was a rewording of the
name from an older to a newer form. She is the only woman in
Scripture to have her name changed. Then in verse 16 is the blessing
of Sarah: I will bless her, followed by the specific means of blessing:
Moreover, I will give you a son of her. For the first time, it is clearly
stated that Sarah was to be the mother of the covenant-son. Up until
now, Abraham clearly assumed and decided that Ishmael was the
promised covenant-son. That was as far as he knew, but now he was
told otherwise. Sarah will produce a child, and she will be the mother
of the covenant-son. God then again states emphatically: Yea, I will
bless her; and the means of this blessing is: She shall be a mother of
nations. Three nations did spring from her: Judah, Israel, and Edom.
God went on to say: Kings of peoples shall be of her, and that includes
both Jewish and non-Jewish kings. So what was promised to
Abraham in verse 6 is now also promised to Sarah.
Genesis 17:17-18 records Abraham’s response. First comes his
emotional response in verse 17, and there are two acts involved: Then
Abraham fell upon his face; and he laughed. The Hebrew here is
yitzchak, “laughing,” which later became the name of the son. In this
case, Abraham laughed out of disbelief: And he said in his heart, Shall
a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that
is ninety years old, bear? Abraham was already calling her by her new
name, so there is instantaneous obedience. According to verse 1,
Abraham was ninety-nine years old. By saying, a hundred years old,
there is a clear recognition that if this were really true, the fulfillment
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would still be a year away since Sarah was not yet pregnant. Verse 18
records Abraham’s verbal response: And Abraham said unto God, Oh
that Ishmael might live before you! This shows Abraham’s concern for
Ishmael. Ishmael, after all, had now been a beloved son for thirteen
years. Moreover, up to now, he had believed that Ishmael was that
promised seed. Now he wishes for Ishmael to be in the promised line
and to be the covenant-son.
Nevertheless, in Genesis 17:19-21 with the phrase: And God said,
comes God’s answer. First, God deals with Isaac, in verse 19, and
declares Nay, a rejection of Ishmael as the covenant-son. Instead: but
Sarah your wife shall bear you a son. It is God Who chooses the name:
You shall call his name Isaac, or in Hebrew, yitzchak, meaning
“laughter,” or more literally, “he laughs.” This is God’s response to
Abraham’s emotional reaction in verse 19. Then God states: I will
establish my covenant with him. The Abrahamic Covenant was to be
reconfirmed through Isaac and not Ishmael. The duration is: for an
everlasting covenant. The Hebrew is brit olam, which again means “to
continue up to the end of a period of time”; as long as the Abrahamic
Covenant is to continue. By stating: for his seed after him means
through Isaac and his seed, which promises that Isaac himself will have
posterity. The covenantal line will go through Isaac and Isaac’s seed
and not Ishmael and Ishmael’s seed. Verse 20 deals with God’s
answer concerning Ishmael: And as for Ishmael, I have heard you; in
response to Abraham’s request in verse 18, God heard Abraham’s
concern for Ishmael, and Ishmael will receive promises, but he will not
receive the Abrahamic Covenant. God declared: Behold, I have blessed
him. Ishmael is blessed because of his connection to Abraham, and
that is followed by a promise of multiplication: First, God will make
him fruitful; and second, God will multiply him exceedingly. These
statements have been fulfilled with the rather large and extensive
Arab population today. Furthermore, the promise was: Twelve
princes shall he beget. He is going to father twelve sons who will head
up twelve Arab tribes, corresponding to the twelve Jewish tribes as
well. The fulfillment is recorded in Genesis 25:12-18. Finally, He
promised the nationhood of Ishmael: I will make him a great nation;
and this is today the Arab nation and the Arab people. Finally, in
17:21 is the timing of the Isaac’s birth. God responded: But my
covenant will I establish with Isaac, a reconfirmation of the statement
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He made in 17:19. Normally, the Hebrew would read, “to cut a
covenant”; but here it states He is going to establish a covenant,
which involves the maintaining of an existing covenant. Therefore,
God did not make a brand new covenant with Isaac; He was
establishing with Isaac a preexisting covenant, which is the
Abrahamic Covenant. It is this Isaac whom Sarah shall bear unto you.
Again, the emphasis here is that of a son of Sarah. It will be the son
of Sarah and not the son of Hagar through whom the covenant is
going to be established. The timing of the birth of Isaac is: at this set
time in the next year, meaning exactly one year from now. What this
means is that Sarah will become pregnant in three more months, and
that will be enough time for Abraham to be healed from his own
circumcision. So the promised son will be conceived only after
Abraham is circumcised. During that three-month period between
circumcision and conception, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah will
take place in chapters 18-19, and the story of Abimelech in
chapter 20 will take place either during these three months as well or
during the early stages of pregnancy.
4. The Obedience of Abraham - 17:22-27
22And he left off talking with him, and God went up
from Abraham. 23And Abraham took Ishmael his son,
and all that were born in his house, and all that were
bought with his money, every male among the men of
Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their
foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
24And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he
was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25And
Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26In the selfsame
day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
27And all the men of his house, those born in the house,
and those bought with money of a foreigner, were
circumcised with him.
The obedience of Abraham begins immediately in verse 22 with
the cessation of the appearance: And he left off talking with him, the
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cessation of the verbal communication; and God went up from
Abraham, the cessation of the vision as well. With God as the
subject, the term went up marks the end of a theophany (Gen. 35:13,
Ezek. 11:24). As God “disappears,” the theophany that began in
verse 1 with Jehovah appeared then ended.
Genesis 17:23 records the circumcision of the house of
Abraham. The recipients were: And Abraham took Ishmael his son (this
was his natural son) and all that were born in his house (these were the
home born slaves) and all that were bought with his money (these were
the purchased slaves) every male among the men of Abraham’s house
(meaning the male sex only underwent the act of being circumcised)
and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin. The timing was: in the
selfsame day. The same day that the commandment came, Abraham
and his whole household were circumcised. The basis was: as God had
said unto him; the motivation was keeping the commandments of
God.
Genesis 17:24-26 focuses on Abraham and Ishmael. The age of
Abraham in verse 24 was: Abraham was ninety years old and nine; He
was 99 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
Verse 25 gives the age of Ishmael: And Ishmael his son was thirteen
years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Verse 26
combines the father and son together. Again, the timing was: In the
selfsame day; the day the commandment came is the day they were
circumcised. The act is restated: was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael
his son.
Genesis 17:27 focuses on the House of Abraham: first, all the
men of his house; second, those born in the house; and third, those bought
with money of a foreigner, and they were circumcised with him.
To conclude this section with the New Testament quotations
and applications, five points can be made. First, in the New
Testament there are four individuals who were circumcised in
keeping with both the Abrahamic Covenant and, in some cases, the
Mosaic Law: John the Baptist (Luke 1:59-60); Jesus (Luke 2:21);
Paul (Phil. 3:5); and Timothy (Acts 16:1-3). Second, the New
Testament teaches clearly that physical circumcision is of no spiritual
value; it does not guarantee the salvation of anyone, and the act itself
does not carry any particular spiritual value (I Cor. 7:19, Gal. 5:6).
Third, the emphasis in the New Testament is on the need for
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spiritual circumcision, meaning the circumcision of the heart, which
is described as being a circumcision not made with hands, as is the
physical circumcision (Rom. 2:28-29, Gal. 6:12-15, Col. 2:11-13).
Fourth, Romans 4:9-12 teaches that the value of circumcision for
Abraham was that it was a sign or seal of the righteousness of God,
which God had already imputed to him. He was not made righteous
by circumcision, nor did he gain righteousness by circumcision. It
was a sign of his righteousness already declared two chapters earlier,
in 15:6. Fifth, the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) clearly decided that
circumcision was not mandatory for Gentile believers. It did not say
that it was not mandatory for Jewish believers.
To put this all together as far as circumcision today is concerned:
Because the Mosaic Law has been rendered inoperative with the
Messiah’s death, there is no basis for circumcising Jews or Gentiles
under the Mosaic Covenant. However, the point of the Abrahamic
Covenant is that it is a continuous covenant throughout the rest of
human history. As long as human history continues on this planet,
Jews are required to circumcise their sons on the eighth day; Jewish
believers in the Messiah are not exempt from this particular ruling.
That helps to explain Paul’s actions between Acts 15 and 16. In
Acts 15, he argued against the circumcision of Titus, who was a
Gentile. In Acts 16, he had Timothy circumcised. What was the
difference? Timothy had Jewish origins and Titus did not, which put
Timothy under the Abrahamic Covenant. Timothy was, therefore,
circumcised.
J. The Overthrow of the Cities of the Plain -
18:1 - 19:38
1. The Visitation - 18:1-15
a. The Hosting - 18:1-8
1And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of
Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men
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stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran
to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to
the earth, 3and said, My lord, if now I have found favor
in your sight, pass not away, I pray you, from your
servant: 4let now a little water be fetched, and wash
your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5and I will
fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart;
after that ye shall pass on: forasmuch as ye are come to
your servant. And they said, So do, as you have said.
6And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and
said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal,
knead it, and make cakes. 7And Abraham ran unto the
herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it
unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it. 8And he took
butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and
set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree,
and they did eat.
Verses 1-2a describe the appearance. The place was: And Jehovah
appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre. This is the sixth appearance
of God to Abraham, which is shortly after the fifth one, in the
previous chapter. In addition, the place was the Terebinth of Mamre.
According to rabbinic tradition, God came to visit him while he was
recovering from circumcision. The occasion was: as he sat in the tent
door in the heat of the day. The fact that he sat in the tent door shows
that Abraham was still living the life of a nomad and a sojourner. In
the heat of the day means that it was early in the afternoon, the time
when the main meal was normally eaten in the traditions of the
Middle East to this very day. In the rabbinic tradition, this text refers
to the third day of circumcision. While Abraham was sitting at the
tent door, perhaps waiting for the meal to be ready, he lifted up his eyes
and looked, and what he saw was: and, lo, three men stood over against
him. As the context shows, one of these three men is God in visible
form, and the other two are angels. In rabbinic tradition, all three are
angels; and the reason they say God sent three angels is because they
believe no one angel is given more than one thing to do. Therefore,
because there are three tasks involved, God had to send three angels.
According to Rashi, one angel was there to heal Abraham of his
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circumcision, and that was the angel Raphael; the second one was to
inform Sarah that she will have a son, and that was Michael; and the
third one came to destroy Sodom, and that was Gabriel.
Genesis 18:2b-5a record Abraham’s invitation, with the action in
verse 2b. The timing was: and when he saw them, then came the act:
He ran to meet them from the tent door. All this shows a sense of
urgency. The greeting was: and he bowed himself to the earth. The
Hebrew word for bowed is shachat, and this is the first time this word
is used in the biblical text. This is the first of several contrasts
between the welcome here and what will soon happen in Sodom:
Abraham welcomed the guests, but the Sodomites want to molest
them. In verses 3-5a is the salutation: and [Abraham] said, My lord.
The Hebrew word for Lord is in the plural: not Adoni, which is
singular, but Adonai, which is plural. The reason is not that he is
addressing all three, since the next second person pronoun is
singular. Rather, Abraham recognized one of the three to be God
Himself and used the divine title of Adonai, literally, “My Lords.”
The rabbis know what the Hebrew reads, of course, and they have
come up with three options to get around the obvious implication
that one of these three men happens to be God Himself. The first
option is that he was merely addressing the chief of them, and so,
consequently, the word does not imply or signify God Himself. The
second option is that he was speaking to God, pressing Him to wait
until he had attended to his guests. The third option is that he
recognized that they were angels and, therefore, called them by their
Master’s name, LORD. All three options are attempts to get around
the obvious. The basis of Abraham’s request was: if now I have found
favor in your sight; then came the request: Pass not away, I pray you,
from your servant. Abraham then gave the visitors an offer of rest: Let
now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves
under the tree. He then made an offer of food: and I will fetch a morsel
of bread, and strengthen ye your heart. Abraham actually did a lot more
than what he said he would do; he gave them a lot more than merely
a morsel of bread. Abraham then concluded: after that ye shall pass on:
forasmuch as ye are come to your servant.
In 18:5b came the visitors’ acceptance: And they said, So do, as you
have said.
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Genesis 18:6-8 details Abraham’s actual hospitality. Verse 6
shows the role of Sarah. Following the acceptance of the offer by the
three: Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah; again, there is a
sense of urgency, and said, Make ready quickly three measurers of fine
meal. This still shows a sense of urgency, and three measures is a very
large quantity for only three men. This, again, shows that he went
well beyond the minimum requirements of hospitality. Finally, he
instructed her: Knead it, and make cakes. Verse 7 tells of the role of
the servant: And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender
and good, and gave it unto the servant. Abraham personally chose the
calf that was to be slaughtered, and he made sure the best one was
picked. Then he hasted to dress it, a statement that contains the sense
of urgency. In verse 8 is the role of Abraham. Concerning the food:
And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he dressed. It should be
noted that Abraham served milk and meat together, something
forbidden by rabbinic law today. Because the rabbis believed that the
Law of Moses always existed, they tried to find a way to get around
this and came up with two options. The first option is that Abraham
first served butter and milk as soon as it was prepared; then he served
the meat, which was permitted after the milk products but not vice
versa. A second option the rabbis give is that the calf was what is
called a ben pakkua, a calf found in the womb of a slaughtered
mother, and so it did not require ritual slaughter; and thus the laws
of milk and meat did not apply. These are two rabbinic ways to try to
validate their anachronistic view of the Law. Then came the serving:
and [he] set it before them. Abraham’s position was: and he stood by
them under the tree. This was the role of the host and a sign of
respect. The text concludes: and they did eat. Eating a meal together
was often in conjunction with the making of a covenant or the
ratifying of a treaty. Therefore, these are the implications of a
covenantal meal, as those made in 26:28-31 and Exodus 24:1-11.
The eating together was also a symbol of fellowship (Rev. 3:20).
The New Testament refers to this event in Hebrews 13:2: Some
have entertained angels unawares.
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b. The Promise of Isaac - 18:9-15
9And they said unto him, Where is Sarah your wife?
And he said, Behold, in the tent. 10And he said, I will
certainly return unto you when the season comes round;
and, lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah
heard in the tent door, which was behind him. 11Now
Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age;
it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of
women. 12And Sarah laughed within herself, saying,
After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord
being old also? 13And Jehovah said unto Abraham, Why
did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child,
who am old? 14Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the
set time I will return unto you, when the season comes
round, and Sarah shall have a son. 15Then Sarah denied,
saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said,
Nay; but you did laugh.
Verse 9 changes the focus to Sarah: And they said unto him, Where
is Sarah your wife? Here the text uses the plural pronoun: they. The
Speaker of the group obviously knew Sarah’s new name and also
knew where she was. The question was presented merely to focus
attention on her. Abraham answered: Behold, in the tent.
Genesis 18:10a records the promise: And he said, I will certainly
return unto you when the season comes round, meaning the promise is to
be fulfilled one year later. This time there is the use of I, the singular
pronoun. Although three people are present, the use of the singular
pronoun shows only One, the LORD Himself, is speaking.
Comparing this statement here with the statement in 17:21, only a
short time had transpired between chapters 17 and 18. The promise
was: and, lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son. God was doing the
speaking, and this promise was going to be fulfilled in 21:1, which
clearly states God was the One speaking.
However, 18:10b-12 reveals Sarah’s unbelief. Verse 10b describes
the circumstance: And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind
him, either behind Abraham or behind the Speaker. Sarah was there,
and she overheard what the Person said. Verse 11 describes the status
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of Abraham and Sarah: Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well
stricken in age. It then adds an important fact: It had ceased to be with
Sarah after the manner of women, meaning her menstrual periods had
come to an end. She had already entered menopause, after which,
from a human perspective, it is impossible to conceive. This explains
Sarah’s reaction in verse 12: And Sarah laughed within herself. It was a
laughter of unbelief, but her unbelief did not cancel the unconditional
promise. She laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I
have pleasure, my lord being old also? The word lord in Hebrew is
singular, in contrast with the way Abraham addressed the Person in
the plural. This is the passage Peter refers to in I Peter 3:6 when
complimenting Sarah in that she called her husband lord.49
Then came God’s reaffirmation in 18:13-14, which is introduced
by: And Jehovah said unto Abraham, again showing that one of the
three is God Himself. Verse 13 contains the rebuke: Why did Sarah
laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old? This shows
omniscience, because what she said was within herself; she said it
without verbalizing it. So the question in verse 14a was: Is anything
too hard for Jehovah? The Hebrew word for hard is pele, which means
“wonderful,” “extraordinary,” “surpassing.” It is one of those Hebrew
words that is only used of God, never of man (Judg. 13:18; Ps. 139:6;
Isa. 9:6, 28:29). Literally: “Is anything too ‘wonderful’ for God to
do?” The same question is asked in Matthew 19:26. Then in
verse 14b is the reaffirmation of the promise: At the set time, meaning
one year from now, I will return unto you, not necessarily physically
returning by another appearance, but returning in the sense of the
fulfillment of the promise, when the season comes round, one year from
now, and the result will be, and Sarah shall have a son.
After being rebuked, in verse 15a Sarah responded: saying, I
laughed not. The reason she defended herself, basically lying here,
was: for she was afraid. However, God’s response in verse 15b was:
And he said, Nay; but you did laugh.
49 The Hebrew word she used was adoni, “my lord.” The Greek word is
kurion, which means “lord” and is the same term used in Greek for
YHVH.
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2. The Prophecy of Sodom’s Destruction - 18:16-33
a. The Doom of Sodom - 18:16-21
16And the men rose up from thence, and looked
toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring
them on the way. 17And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from
Abraham that which I do; 18seeing that Abraham shall
surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the
nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19For I have
known him, to the end that he may command his
children and his household after him, that they may keep
the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the
end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which
he has spoken of him. 20And Jehovah said, Because the cry
of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is
very grievous; 21I will go down now, and see whether
they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which
has come unto me; and if not, I will know.
Verse 16 records the departure of Abraham’s three visitors: And
the men rose up from thence, meaning the two angels and the visible
God. Then their stance is given: and looked toward Sodom; they faced
the direction in which they were headed, which was Sodom. The
response of Abraham was: and Abraham went with them to bring them
on the way, meaning to escort them part of the way, which was the
customary way of doing things in those days.
At this point, God chose to give to Abraham the revelation of
Sodom’s destruction. In Genesis 18:17-19, God gave the basis for
His revelation to Abraham. In verse 17, He raised the question: Shall
I hide from Abraham that which I do? The obvious answer is “no.” The
reasons are found in verses 18-19. God’s first reason, in verse 18, is
based on the future fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant: seeing
that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation. Once
again, He used the word goy in reference to Israel; this time he does
not refer to a Gentile nation but to the Jewish nation. Furthermore:
All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him, once again showing
that the spiritual facets of the Abrahamic Covenant are to extend to
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the Gentiles; and Abraham and his seed will be the means of
blessing to other nations. Now one nation composed of four cities is
to be removed from this opportunity of blessing. The second reason
for confiding in Abraham is given in verse 19, and is based on
Abraham’s spiritual status: For I have known him. The Hebrew word
for known is “to know by experience,” “intimate knowing.” It was
because of His intimate relationship with Abraham that Abraham
became known as the friend of God. God then gave one purpose of
His revelation to Abraham: that he may command his children,
meaning that he may pass down the commandments of the Lord to
his posterity and his household after him. Even the larger household will
be taught to obey by Abraham, as was Eliezer of Damascus
(Gen. 24). What they were going to be taught was to obey: that they
may keep the way of Jehovah. This obedience involved doing two
things: to do righteousness, which is internal, and to do justice, which is
external. In fact, God was about to destroy four cities because of
their unrighteousness and because of their injustice. Then He gave
another purpose: to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that
which he [had] spoken of him, so that God could fulfill all His
promises to Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant.
In Genesis 18:20-21 is the actual revelation, with verse 20
focusing on the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah: Because the cry of Sodom
and Gomorrah is great. The word cry is zaakah, which makes a word
play with the Hebrew word for “righteousness,” tzedakah. In place of
tzedakah, righteousness, it is zaakah, a cry, because their sin is very
grievous. Verse 21 is God’s investigation: I will go down now, and see,
for the purpose of destruction as in 11:5 and 11:7, whether they have
done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come unto me; and if
not, I will know. It was not an admission that God did not already
know these things, but the point is to show that God had carefully
scrutinized every detail. Therefore, when God performs a massive
judgment, it does not come out of any ignorance. This will show that
the punishment came after a very full investigation and a very full
account.
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b. Abraham’s Intercession - 18:22-33
22And the men turned from thence, and went
toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah.
23And Abraham drew near, and said, Will you consume
the righteous with the wicked? 24Peradventure there are
fifty righteous within the city: will you consume and not
spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25That be far from you to do after this manner, to slay
the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous
should be as the wicked; that be far from you: shall not
the Judge of all the earth do right? 26And Jehovah said, If
I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I
will spare all the place for their sake. 27And Abraham
answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me
to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes:
28peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous:
will you destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said,
I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five. 29And
he spoke unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure
there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not
do it for the forty’s sake. 30And he said, Oh let not the
Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall
thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I
find thirty there. 31And he said, Behold now, I have
taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure
there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not
destroy it for the twenty’s sake. 32And he said, Oh let not
the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once:
peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I
will not destroy it for the ten’s sake. 33And Jehovah went
his way, as soon as he had left off communing with
Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Abraham’s intercession on behalf of Sodom was no doubt
instigated by his concern over his nephew Lot, who now was living
in that city. Verse 22 gives the circumstance, beginning with the two
angels: And the men turned from thence, meaning from God and
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Abraham, and went toward Sodom. As for the third member: but
Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. God’s visible form stayed behind,
and Abraham was standing before God’s visible manifestation in
human form.
Then 18:23-32 records the actual intercession. In verse 23,
Abraham began by drawing near to God: And Abraham drew near,
and said. Drawing near often has the concept of worship. Abraham
was already standing near God but now took on a posture of
worship. The basis for Abraham’s pleading with God was the
question: Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? Then he
pleaded for the fifty in verses 24-26. In verse 24, the focus is on the
fifty: Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: will you
consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
The basis is given in verse 25: That be far from you to do after this
manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should
be as the wicked; that be far from you, followed by the famous
statement: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? God’s answer is
in verse 26. The basis was: If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the
city; the result will be, then I will spare all the place for their sake.
However, Abraham suspects that there may not be fifty in there. So
in verses 27-28, he pleads for forty-five. The basis of the plea is in
verse 27: Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon
me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. In Hebrew, dust
and ashes is a play upon words, because they sound almost the same:
aphar and epher. Then in verse 28a, he made the request for the
forty-five: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: will
you destroy all the city for lack of five? God’s answer in verse 28b was: I
will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five people. In verse 29, he
reduced the number further and pleaded for forty: And he spoke unto
him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there;
and God’s answer was: And he said, I will not do it for the forty’s sake.
In verse 30, he then reduced it by ten and pleaded for the thirty: And
he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure
there shall thirty be found there; and God answered: I will not do it, if I
find thirty righteous there. Then in verse 31, he reduced it to twenty:
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord:
peradventure there shall be twenty found there; and the answer was: And
he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake. Abraham then made
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one last effort to reduce it by ten more, and pleaded for the ten in
verse 32: And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet
but this once; meaning he will make one more request, peradventure
ten shall be found there. God again responded positively: I will not
destroy it for the ten’s sake. Abraham stopped at ten, because he
assumed that would be sufficient because of the size of Lot’s family,
since Lot’s total household at this point did number ten: Lot; Lot’s
wife; Lot’s two sons (19:12); his two married daughters (19:14); and
his two sons-in-laws (19:14); and finally, his two single virgin
daughters (19:8). While Lot’s household was numerically strong at
ten, the problem was that not all ten were righteous. In fact, perhaps
only one might have been righteous, and that was Lot.
Genesis 18:33 concludes the theophany. Concerning God: And
Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with
Abraham. As for Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place; he
went back to his tent at the Oaks of Mamre.
Two observations can be made. The first observation concerns
five things that can be noted Abraham’s prayer. First, it is very
specific, numerically specific. Second, he was willing to come to God
with boldness, making his request. Third, at the same time, his
boldness was coupled with humility, recognizing he was dust and
ashes before God. Fourth, there was earnestness involved, pleading
to be allowed to approach just one more time, expressing a sense of
earnestness. Fifth, he was persistent, willing to go from fifty to
forty-five, to thirty, to twenty, to ten. The second observation
concerns God’s answer. God did not answer Abraham’s specific
request to spare Sodom because Sodom was, after all, destroyed.
However, God did answer Abraham’s desire, which was to save Lot,
because Genesis 19:29 states that God remembered Abraham when
He rescued Lot. Moreover, the reason He rescued Lot was because
of Lot’s relationship to Abraham. Sometimes God will not respond
positively to specific prayer requests, but He will respond to the
desire behind those prayer requests.
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3. The Destruction of the Cities - 19:1-29
a. The Angels in Sodom - 19:1-11
1And the two angels came to Sodom at even; and
Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot saw them, and
rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face
to the earth; 2and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn
aside, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all
night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and
go on your way. And they said, Nay; but we will abide
in the street all night. 3And he urged them greatly; and
they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and
he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread,
and they did eat. 4But before they lay down, the men of
the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house
round, both young and old, all the people from every
quarter; 5and they called unto Lot, and said unto him,
Where are the men that came in to you this night? bring
them out unto us, that we may know them. 6And Lot
went out unto them to the door, and shut the door after
him. 7And he said, I pray you, my brethren, do not so
wickedly. 8Behold now, I have two daughters that have
not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto
you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto
these men do nothing, forasmuch as they have come
under the shadow of my roof. 9And they said, Stand
back. And they said, This one fellow came in to sojourn,
and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse
with you, than with them. And they pressed sore upon
the man, even Lot, and drew near to break the door.
10But the men put forth their hand, and brought Lot into
the house to them, and shut to the door. 11And they smote
the men that were at the door of the house with
blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied
themselves to find the door.
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This section begins with the arrival of the two angels in verse 1a:
And the two angels came to Sodom at even. This shows that two of the
three men who were speaking with Abraham in 18:2 were angels.
Rashi identified the three men as three angels. According to him,
one angel came to destroy Sodom, and one angel came to save Lot
(the same one who came to heal Abraham), while the third angel
returned to Heaven. Again, this is based upon the rabbinic thinking
that no angel is given more than one thing to do at a time. The
timing was at even; and because it was evening, this sets the stage for
Lot’s invitation. The verse then reveals Lot’s position: Lot sat in the
gate of Sodom. This marks the final stage of Lot’s progression from
living in a tent outside the city as a nomad (13:12), to living in a
house in Sodom (14:12), to sitting at the gate of Sodom, which shows
a position of authority. He had become one of the elders of the city,
a position of authority and prominence; he became a magistrate.
This may have been due to the fact that the inhabitants of Sodom
knew the reason they were rescued by Abraham earlier was because
of Lot, and that may have explained how Lot was able to advance so
quickly when normally that would not have been the case.
In 19:1b-3 is the record of Lot’s invitation to the two visitors.
Verse 1b gives Lot’s approach: and Lot saw them, and rose up to meet
them; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. Then in verse 2a is
the invitation: Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your
servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise
up early, and go on your way. However, in verse 2b, initially there is a
rejection of the offer: And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street
all night. This was a test for Lot, because Lot knew the streets of
Sodom were quite dangerous. In verse 3 came their acceptance,
beginning with Lot’s insistence: And he urged them greatly; by doing
so, Lot succeeded in passing the test. Then came the hosting: and
they turned in unto him, meaning they accepted his invitation, and
entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened
bread, and they did eat. This is the first mention of unleavened bread
in the Scriptures.
Genesis 19:4-11 provides an illustration of the sin of Sodom and
why God chose to destroy the city. Verses 4-5 describe the attack on
the house of Lot, with verse 4 recording their approach. The timing
was: But before they lay down, meaning before they went to bed, the
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people, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house
round, meaning they surrounded the house of Lot. The attackers
included: both young and old, all the people from every quarter. The
word about the presence of these two visiting men had obviously
spread very quickly throughout the entire city, and men who had
come from all over the city now surrounded Lot’s house. In verse 5,
they made their demand: and they called unto Lot, and said unto him,
Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out unto us.
They then stated exactly what they wanted to do: that we may know
them, using a Hebrew word meaning “intimate knowing.” They were
demanding homosexual relations with these men.
Nevertheless, in 19:6-8 came Lot’s refusal and counteroffer. In
verse 6, Lot exited his house: And Lot went out unto them to the door.
Lot met the Sodomites outside, all alone, and shut the door after him,
to prevent any entry. Verse 7 records Lot’s plea: And he said, I pray
you, my brethren, do not so wickedly; it was indirectly a condemnation
of their wickedness, showing, as the New Testament later affirms,
that his righteous soul was indeed vexed by the unrighteousness that
surrounded him in Sodom. Lot makes his counteroffer in verse 8:
Behold now, I have two daughters that have not known man, meaning
they are virgins. His offer was: Let me, I pray you, bring them out unto
you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes. In other words, he offered
his daughters’ bodies for gang rape. This was how far he was willing
to go to fulfill the rules of hospitality: Only unto these men do nothing.
They were to leave the two guests alone because from the perspective
of Lot, homosexuality was a greater sin than rape. Indeed, the Bible
does characterize it just that way. Nevertheless, the compromise Lot
offered went way beyond what the God of Abraham would allow.
The reason they were to leave the men alone was: forasmuch as they
have come under the shadow of my roof. For Lot to give into their
demands would violate the ancient laws of hospitality. Waltke
describes Lot’s situation as follows:
Lot himself is now confronted with the tragic
consequence of choosing to identify with Sodom
rather than with his God blessed uncle (see chapter
13). He faces woeful immoral choices-whatever he
does will be wrong. On the other hand, he has the
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obligation to protect his home, including the
sanctity of his daughters who are presumably
pledged to be married (19:14). In Mosaic law, the
violator of a betrothed woman’s sanctity was subject
to death by stoning (Deut. 22:23-27). Most
important, as bearers of God’s image, their persons
are sacrosanct. Possibly Lot’s suggestion is meant to
stress to the men the seriousness and fatal
consequences of their evil plan. Nevertheless, by
handing his daughters over to be violated, Lot would
implicate himself in the crime. On the other hand,
Lot has the obligation to protect his guests, who
have come under the protection of his home. They
too are God’s image-bearers. (Lot seemingly does
not know at this point that he is entertaining
angels). If he hands himself over, his family and
guests are left without a protector. Since the holy
angels could have intervened before this, they force
him to make the choice. Presumably, had Lot
handed the angels over, his family would not have
been spared in the judgment on Sodom. He is saved,
but only by the skin of his teeth.50
Genesis 19:9 records the response of the Sodomites: And they
said, Stand back. Lot was to simply get out of the way. They then
criticized Lot: And they said, This one fellow came in to sojourn. Lot
originally was a nomad living outside the city, and he was originally a
non-citizen; however: He will needs be a judge. Now he is acting as a
judge. They recognized that he was judging them and condemning
them for their wickedness (II Pet. 2:6-8). This was followed by a
pressing threat: Now will we deal worse with you, than with them.
They were threatening Lot himself with homosexual abuse. Then:
They pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and drew near to break the
door, intending to get both him and the two men.
50 Waltke, 276-277.
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But in Genesis 19:10-11 came the response of the angels, with
verse 10 declaring the rescue of Lot: But the men put forth their hand,
meaning they had opened the door and put out their hand and
brought, even dragged, Lot into the house to themselves. They next:
shut to the door, meaning the door was locked again. Then in 19:11
came the angels’ judgment of blindness: And they smote the men that
were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great. The
Hebrew word for blindness here is not the normal word that is used.
Outside this verse, this word for blindness is found only once
elsewhere, in II Kings 6:18, which is also in the context of angels.
This word refers to a partial blindness with mental bewilderment;
that is, mental confusion resulting from distorted vision. The result
was: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. They were so
insistent upon their wickedness, so intent on homosexual abuse, that
even after being struck with blindness they still tried to get through
the door until they simply got too tired to continue. They were all in
a dazzled and dazed state, as Paul was on the Damascus Road.
b. Rescue of Lot - 19:12-22
12And the men said unto Lot, Have you here any
besides? son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters,
and whomsoever you have in the city, bring them out of
the place: 13for we will destroy this place, because the cry
of them is waxed great before Jehovah: and Jehovah has
sent us to destroy it. 14And Lot went out, and spoke unto
his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said,
Up, get you out of this place; for Jehovah will destroy the
city. But he seemed unto his sons-in-law as one that
mocked. 15And when the morning arose, then the angels
hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take your wife, and your
two daughters that are here, lest you be consumed in the
iniquity of the city. 16But he lingered; and the men laid
hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and
upon the hand of his two daughters, Jehovah being
merciful unto him; and they brought him forth, and set
him without the city. 17And it came to pass, when they
had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for
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your life; look not behind you, neither stay you in all the
Plain; escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed.
18And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my lord: 19behold
now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you
have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have
showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to
the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die: 20behold
now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one.
Oh let me escape thither (is it not a little one?), and my
soul shall live. 21And he said unto him, See, I have
accepted you concerning this thing also, that I will not
overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22Haste
you, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till you have
come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called
Zoar.
The account of the angels’ rescue of Lot begins with the
announcement of destruction of the city, in verses 12-13, with
verse 12 containing the call to gather the family: And the men said
unto Lot, Have you any here besides? son-in-law, and your sons, and your
daughters, and whomsoever you have in the city, bring them out of the
place. The reason is stated in verse 13: for we will destroy this place.
The basis was: because the cry of them is waxed great before Jehovah;
events that just happened around Lot’s house would provide ample
evidence of this commotion. The result of the angelic visitation was:
Jehovah has sent us to destroy it.
In 19:14, Lot went out to his sons-in-law. Since the Sodomites
were now stricken blind, it was safe for Lot to go out into the streets;
and he went to speak unto his sons-in-law, who married his daughters.
He began with the appeal: Up, get you out of this place, and the reason
was: Jehovah will destroy the city. Nevertheless, the sons-in-law
rejected the warning: But he seemed unto his sons-in-law as one that
mocked. They did not take Lot very seriously and thought that he was
only mocking or playing games with them. As a result, Lot lost his
two married daughters and their husbands who stayed behind.
In 19:15 came the angels’ call to leave the city. The timing was:
And when the morning arose. The action was: Then the angels hastened
Lot, trying to get Lot to move quickly since he seemed to show a
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reluctance to leave. The command was: Arise, take your wife, and your
two daughters that are here, meaning the ones that are in the house,
not the ones outside. The other two stayed with their husbands. The
reason was: lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city, meaning lest
he also die with the punishment of the city. Thus, God will not
destroy the righteous with the wicked, just as Abraham prayed in
18:23.
In 19:16, the angels enforce their command. The reason was:
But he lingered; Lot was reluctant to leave the city because not all his
family was together, and so the angels had to enforce the rule: and
the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon
the hand of his two daughters. The basis of this enforcement was:
Jehovah being merciful unto him. Thus, Lot again experienced the
blessing aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant because of his
connection with Abraham, and Abraham again proved himself a
blessing to others. Therefore by force: They brought him forth, and set
him without the city.
In 19:17, once outside the city, Lot received the specific
instructions from one of the angels. First, they must escape: And it
came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said,
Escape for your life. The emphasis was on the speed of the impending
cataclysm, and the need to get away as far as possible from Sodom.
Second, they must look forward: Look not behind you, a clear
command not to look back but to keep looking forward. Third:
Neither stay you in all the Plain; they must flee away from the Plain,
from the Circle of the Jordan, because the entire area was to be
destroyed. Fourth: They are to escape to the mountain, which will
serve as the area of safety. The definite article the used with mountain
probably refers to the mountains of the Trans-Jordan where the
descendants settled. The reason to escape was: lest you be consumed.
Genesis 19:18-20 records Lot’s request, beginning in verse 18
with a negation: And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my lord, a protest
against the advice of the angel. Then in verse 19, he gave the reasons
for the request. His first reason was on the basis of God’s mercy to
Lot: Behold now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you
have magnified your lovingkindness, the evidence being: which you have
showed unto me in saving my life. The second basis was Lot’s
self-expressed inability: I cannot escape to the mountain, lest evil
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[calamity] overtake me, and I die. Then came the request in verse 20:
Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh let me
escape thither (is it not a little one?). Lot emphasized a little one twice.
In other words, this town was so little compared to the other four
that perhaps God could leave this one alone and let Lot flee to that
one so that [Lot’s] soul shall live.
In 19:21-22a came the angelic response. In verse 21, the request
was granted: See, I have accepted you concerning this thing also. So here,
again, there was a display of God’s grace towards Lot, which in
turned saved one city from destruction. The angel says: I will not
overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Comparing Abraham with
Lot, although Abraham was obviously the man of greater faith, yet
the way God answers prayer requests will not always be based on the
degree of faith. Abraham’s intercession for Sodom did not spare
Sodom, but Lot’s intercession for Zoar did spare Zoar. Some
answers to prayer are based upon the measure of faith; but at other
times, the will of God will overrule the prayer of men of faith. Then
in verse 22a, Lot received a new instruction: Haste you, escape thither;
for I cannot do anything till you have come thither.
The result of this answered prayer is reflected in 19:22b:
Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. It was at this point that
the town’s name became Zoar. In the Hebrew text, there is a play
upon words. The Hebrew word for little used here is the word
meitzar, and Zoar in Hebrew is tzoar. The original name of the city
was Bela (14:2, 8). Thus, Zoar became the only city of the five cities
of the Plain to survive the overthrow, and only because of Lot’s
intercession for Zoar. Although Lot wanted to go there in place of
going to the mountain, as verse 30 shows, eventually he felt he had to
leave Zoar; and he did finally go to the mountain where God first told
him to go.
c. The Destruction - 19:23-29
23The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came
unto Zoar. 24Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and
upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of
heaven; 25and he overthrew those cities, and all the
Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that
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which grew upon the ground. 26But his wife looked back
from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 27And
Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where
he had stood before Jehovah: 28and he looked toward
Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the
Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the land went up
as the smoke of a furnace. 29And it came to pass, when
God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that God
remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of
the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which
Lot dwelled.
Finally, after a long prelude which actually began in
Genesis 18:1, came the actual destruction, or to use biblical
terminology, the “overthrow.” Genesis 19:23 gives the timing of it:
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came unto Zoar. It had been
a long night during which Lot had tried to save the other members
of his family without success, and only four escaped.
Genesis 19:24-25 describes the actual overthrow, with verse 24
dealing with the means: Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon
Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven. There are two
Jehovahs in this passage: a Jehovah on earth and Jehovah in heaven,
showing a plurality in the Godhead. The first Jehovah, on the earth,
rained judgment from the second Jehovah, in heaven. Even the
ancient rabbis recognized that there seem to be two Jehovahs, and
they had to find a way around it.51 Some rabbis identified the first
Jehovah as Gabriel and the second Jehovah as God. Other rabbis tried
to simplify it further by claiming it represented God in His heavenly
court. Again, all this is just a simple way of getting around the
obvious of a plurality in the Godhead. This is the first mention of
this particular Hebrew word for fire. Verse 25 then identified what
was destroyed: and he overthrew those cities. Although only two cities
are named here, He overthrew four altogether: Sodom, Gomorrah,
Admah, and Zeboiim, which are included in all of the Plain, all the
land in general (14:2, 14:8; Deut. 29:23). The destruction also
51 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 5:1.
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included the population: and all the inhabitants of the cities, and the
vegetation: and that which grew upon the ground. Before this
destruction, this area was like the Garden of Eden. Now, the whole
area changed into the desert it has become today. In addition,
indeed, the term “overthrow” became a technical term for the
destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. In the New
Testament, there developed Greek technical terms for the Flood and
for the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and both terms are
found in II Peter 2:4-9. The technical term for the Flood is
kataklusmos, the origin of the English word “cataclysm.” The
technical term for the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah is
katastrophei, the origin of the English word “catastrophe.”
However, in 19:26, Lot lost another member of his family: But
his wife looked back from behind him, and that action was in clear
violation of the command given in verse 17. The result was: [She]
became a pillar of salt, meaning she was covered with a saline
encrustation and changed into a statue of salt. Luke 17:32-33 implies
that Lot’s wife was seeking to hang on to the good life she had back
in Sodom.
Genesis 19:27-28 records Abraham’s response, with verse 27
stating what he did: And Abraham got up early in the morning to the
place where he had stood before Jehovah; meaning he went back to the
place where he and God had been talking the previous day. Abraham
was obviously apprehensive. Verse 28 reveals what he saw: and he
looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the
Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a
furnace. Now Abraham knew that Sodom had been destroyed. He
may not have known immediately what happened with his nephew,
but he recognized that God did not find ten righteous persons in the
city of Sodom, nor in all four cities combined.
Genesis 19:29 presents a summary of all that had transpired so
far in four points. First, the timing of the destruction is given: And it
came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain. Second, God’s
action is described: God remembered Abraham. Once again, the word
“remember” does not mean that God forgot; rather it means
remember in the sense of taking action on behalf of. Therefore, God
remembered Abraham; He remembered the Abrahamic Covenant; He
remembered Abraham’s real concern was Lot. Third, God answered
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Abraham’s desire, and the means was: and he sent Lot out of the midst
of the overthrow, emphasizing that Lot was the reason for Abraham’s
intercession anyway. Fourth, again the timing is referenced: when he
overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelled.
4. The Sin of Lot and the Origin of Moab and Ammon
-19:30-38
30And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelled in the
mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared
to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelled in a cave, he and his
two daughters. 31And the first-born said unto the
younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the
earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
32come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will
lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
33And they made their father drink wine that night: and
the first-born went in, and lay with her father; and he
knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34And
it came to pass on the morrow, that the first-born said
unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my
father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and
go you in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of
our father. 35And they made their father drink wine that
night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and
he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their
father. 37And the first-born bore a son, and called his
name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto
this day. 38And the younger, she also bore a son, and
called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the
children of Ammon unto this day.
Sodom’s sin culminated with Lot’s sins, which resulted in the
origin of two nations that will remain a sore point in Israel’s history.
Verse 30 introduces the section with Lot’s movements, beginning
with the departure: And Lot went up out of Zoar, and the destination
was: and dwelled in the mountain. This was where he originally did
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not want to go, but now he does go there. Again, there is the use of
the definite article, the mountain, pointing to a specific mountain,
possibly the mountain range in which Moab and Ammon settled.
The family now included only his two daughters with him that were
single. The reason for the move was: for he feared to dwell in Zoar.
The likely reason for his fear is that the people of Zoar were guilty of
the very same sins as those of the other four cities, so God might yet
destroy Zoar as well. Furthermore, it was very possible that the
people of Zoar did not trust Lot since Lot, alone, escaped the
destruction. Furthermore, the devastation made the whole area
destitute and no longer productive. These were various reasons why
he may have feared to continue living in Zoar. So he left to establish
a new residence: He dwelled in a cave, he and his two daughters. He
went from a wealthy nomad, to a city dweller, to becoming a cave
man. It shows that he and his two daughters had been reduced to
poverty after his wealth in livestock was destroyed with Sodom. Lot’s
wrong choice to settle in Sodom led to poverty in place of
enrichment.
In Genesis 19:31-32, their new situation led to his two
daughters’ plan. According to verse 31a, the instigator was the
firstborn: And the first-born said unto the younger. In verse 31b, she
expressed the problem: Our father is old, meaning his time is running
out for him to be able to produce sons. Furthermore: There is not a
man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth.
Sometimes this phrase has been misinterpreted to mean that they
thought that everybody in the world was destroyed and there were no
men left, but that is simply not true. They did, after all, spend some
time in Zoar, and so they knew there were males available.
Therefore, they were not saying that there were no men left alive
anywhere in the world to whom they could be joined in marriage.
Rather, the issue was that no men would be willing to marry them,
since their survival of such destruction implied that they were
somewhat bad luck. Twice now, Sodom suffered a calamity, and
both times Lot and his family were involved. Furthermore, the
married parts of the family were also killed. Therefore, in verse 32,
the older daughter came up with a solution: Let us make our father
drink wine. The Hebrew word means, “Let us make our father
drunk.” She does not merely want him to drink wine, but she wants
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him to become drunk. Then: We will lie with him. There is a play
upon the words in the Hebrew text again. To make drunk is nashke;
to lie with him is nishkavah. “Let us make him nashke and then we
will nishkavah. The purpose was: that we may preserve seed of our
father. They agreed together to have an incestuous relationship with
their father for what they felt was a higher good: preserving the seed
of their father. They decided to commit incest in order to become
pregnant by him. So while the daughters were taken out of Sodom, it
is obvious that Sodom was not taken out of the daughters. The fact
that they can so easily come up with this kind of a solution shows
that the daughters have been influenced by Sodom. In the daughters,
there is the rebirth of Sodom. As with Noah, drunkenness will lead
to immorality.
Genesis 19:33-38 gives the account of the incest. The firstborn is
dealt with in verse 33: And they made their father drink wine that
night: and the first-born went in, and lay with her father; and he knew
not when she lay down, nor when she arose. He was so drunk he did not
realize he was having sexual relations with his own daughter. He was
not conscious of her coming in, having sex, and leaving again;
whereas, Noah was not so totally drunk that he did not know what
was going on. According to 9:24, Noah realized that something
negative had taken place, but Lot was so totally drunk that he did
not know anything. Then in verse 34, the plan was repeated. The
timing was: And it came to pass on the morrow, one day later. The
instigator, again, was the firstborn: the first-born said unto the younger.
The fact was: Behold, I lay yesternight with my father. The new plan is
to follow the same two steps: Let us make him drink wine this night
also; and go you in, and lie with him, with the same purpose: that we
may preserve seed of our father. Therefore, in verse 35, the younger one
fulfilled her part of the arrangement: And they made their father drink
wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him, with the
same result: He knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose. The
result again is in verse 36: Thus were both the daughters of Lot with
child by their father. Verses 37-38 then detail the two sons that were
born as a result. Verse 37 deals with Moab: And the first-born bore a
son, and called his name Moab, which literally means “from father.”
The daughter has a son from the father. The very name implied how
the son was conceived: the same [Moab] is the father of the Moabites
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unto this day. Then in 19:38 is the account of the second son,
Ammon: And the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-
ammi, which means “the son of my people,” “the son of my near
kinsman.” Again, the name implied a close relationship with the
father: the same is the father of the children of Ammon until this day.
Moab and Ammon became two nations located east of Israel. Today
Ammon is Northern Jordan and Moab is Central Jordan. Sometimes
the two together are referred to as the children of Lot (Deut. 2:9,
2:19; Ps. 83:8). With this account, Lot disappears from the biblical
record and is not referred to again. What else happened to him now
becomes irrelevant to the main story. Now that it is revealed that he
fathered Moab and Ammon, these two nations become the concern,
not the father of these two nations.
Before leaving this chapter, two observations can be made. First,
chapter 19 teaches that homosexuality is considered a grievous sin,
worse than any other sexual sin. There are degrees of sin; and
homosexuality is considered one of the worst types of sins; and it is a
sin that God will eventually judge. The second observation is that in
the future Messianic Kingdom, Sodom is to be restored. In addition,
there will be a city known as Sodom, a saved nation, a moral city in
that day (Ezek. 16:44-57).
Concerning New Testament quotations and applications of this
passage, there are three references. The first reference is
Matthew 11:23-24, where Jesus declared that it would be more
tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment than for Capernaum.
Although homosexuality is a very grievous sin, an even more grievous
sin is having been confronted with spiritual truth, especially
concerning the Messiahship of Jesus, and rejecting it. Since so many
miracles of Jesus were performed in Capernaum and the people
living there rejected Him anyway, it will be more tolerable for
Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for Capernaum. The second is
II Peter 2:6-9. Verse 6 mentions the overthrow of Sodom and
Gomorrah for their ungodliness. Then verses 7-8 mention that God
did deliver Lot and describes Lot in terms that are positive, not
negative. Lot is usually portrayed as a “carnal Christian,” but that is
not the portrait of Lot actually found in Scripture. Verse 7 states that
Lot was righteous, and that righteous Lot [was] sore distressed by the
lascivious life of the wicked. Then verse 8 adds that this righteous man
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was vexed in his righteous soul because of Sodom’s lawless deeds. The
New Testament teaches that Lot was a righteous man and, indeed,
his righteous soul was vexed. The claim that as a believer, he should
not have been living in the city of Sodom presupposes that believers
cannot live in a sinful city. However, if it was wrong for Lot to live in
Sodom, it is also wrong for believers in Jesus today to live in San
Francisco. There was nothing wrong with Lot living in Sodom, and
he did not compromise his faith. People knew where he stood, and
he was almost attacked by a mob for where he did stand. In addition,
because of Lot’s righteousness, verse 9 states that God showed His
ability to rescue the godly by rescuing Lot. The third passage is
Jude 7, which states that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed
because of sexual immorality in that they went after strange flesh,
sexual unity that was not normative. In their case, it was
homosexuality.
K. The Abimelech Incident - 20:1-18
1. The Background - 20:1-2
1And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the
land of the South, and dwelled between Kadesh and
Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2And Abraham said of
Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of
Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
The Abimelech incident begins with the background in
verses 1-2, with verse 1 tracing Abraham’s movement: And Abraham
journeyed from thence; that is, from the Oaks of Mamre near Hebron,
from the Hill Country of Judah toward the land of the South, meaning
toward the Negev; toward the desert, and he dwelled between; he
lived between two areas, Kadesh, which is Kadesh Barnea on the east
and Shur, which is on the Egyptian border on the west. In between
those two locations is the town of Gerar: He sojourned in Gerar,
which puts him in the Philistine Plain. In verse 2, what he once did
in chapter 12, he does again: And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She
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is my sister. This happened within the last year before the birth of
Isaac, but as yet, no pregnancy, or she may have been pregnant, but
there was no sign of pregnancy yet. Abraham once again endangered
the promise of the seed. And indeed, the result is again the same:
Abimelech king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah. Abimelech was not a
proper name, but a title of the king of Gerar, just as the term
“Pharaoh” is not a proper name, but the title of the king of Egypt.
What his personal name was is not revealed. He sent, and took Sarah,
which put things in danger again, the danger of keeping Isaac from
being born.
2. Abimelech and God - 20:3-8
3But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night,
and said to him, Behold, you are but a dead man, because
of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man’s
wife. 4Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he
said, Lord, will you slay even a righteous nation? 5Said
he not himself unto me, She is my sister? and she, even
she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my
heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.
6And God said unto him in the dream, Yea, I know that
in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I
also withheld you from sinning against me: therefore
suffered I you not to touch her. 7Now therefore restore the
man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for you,
and you shall live: and if you restore her not, know you
that you shall surely die, you, and all that are yours.
8And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and
called all his servants, and told all these things in their
ears: and the men were sore afraid.
The discussion between Abimelech and God begins in verse 3
with God’s warning, and it came by means of a divine intervention:
But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night. In Genesis and
elsewhere, God more than once appeared to pagans by means of a
dream. In Genesis, Abimelech is the first of five pagans to receive a
divine revelation of things by a dream, and all were warnings. The
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other four were Laban (31:24), the butler and the baker (40:5), and
Pharaoh (41:1). Then came the warning: God said to him, Behold, you
are but a dead man. Here, Abimelech, individually and personally, was
being threatened, another example of the outworking of the cursing
aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant. Because of the unconditional
nature of the covenant, although it was Abraham who told the
half-truth and half-lie, God intervenes nonetheless. The reason that
Abimelech was in danger was: because of the woman whom you have
taken; for she is a man’s wife.
In 20:4-5, Abimelech made his defense before God. The text
begins with a statement of fact: Now Abimelech had not come near her;
so far he had not attempted to have sexual relations with Sarah.
Then came the defense: and he said, Lord, will you slay even a righteous
nation? Previously, the threat was only against Abimelech, but here it
is also a threat to the whole city-state of Gerar. He then pointed to
the deception: Said he not himself unto me, She is my sister? and she,
even she herself said, He is my brother. They both verified each other’s
story that they were brother and sister, and so Abimelech’s actions
were the result of their lie. Then came Abimelech’s protestation
regarding his actions, that he had done this in the integrity of [his]
heart, which had to do with his internal attitude. He had no
intention to sin against Abraham or against God. Abimelech did this
also in the innocency of [his] hands, which has to do with the external
act. He so far had not actually committed any sexual sin.
Genesis 20:6-7 records God’s response to Abimelech. In verse 6,
God acknowledged the claim of innocence. The means again was:
And God said unto him in the dream; this is a second dream, and so
some time, perhaps a day and a night, had transpired since the first
dream, and this gave Abimelech time to repent. The
acknowledgment was: Yea, I know that in the integrity of your heart you
have done this, and for that reason there was divine action. God
informed Abimelech that it was He Who kept him away from Sarah:
and I also withheld you from sinning against me: therefore suffered I you
not to touch her. Then in verse 7, God gave him some instructions,
both positive and negative. Positively: Now therefore restore the man’s
wife. The reason was: for he is a prophet, the first use of the term
prophet in the biblical text. Abraham was a prophet because he
received direct revelation from God. If Abimelech obeys, then will
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come the reward: and he [Abraham] shall pray for you. In spite of
Abraham’s own sin, his standing before God remains the same.
Abraham will pray for Abimelech, and you shall live; Abimelech’s
personal life will be spared. Negatively: if you restore her not, know
that you shall surely die, and that includes you, and all that are yours;
the punishment will include his whole family.
Finally, in Genesis 20:8, is Abimelech’s report. The timing was:
And Abimelech rose early in the morning, which followed the night
dream. The act was: and called all his servants; these were probably his
advisors. The report was: and told all these things in their ears. The
result was: The men were sore afraid.
3. Abimelech and Abraham - 20:9-15
9Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him,
What have you done unto us? and wherein have I sinned
against you, that you have brought on me and on my
kingdom a great sin? you have done deeds unto me that
ought not to be done. 10And Abimelech said unto
Abraham, What did you see, that you have done this
thing? 11And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely
the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me
for my wife’s sake. 12And moreover she is indeed my
sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of
my mother; and she became my wife: 13and it came to
pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s
house, that I said unto her, This is your kindness which
you shall show unto me: at every place where we shall
come, say of me, He is my brother. 14And Abimelech took
sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants,
and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah
his wife. 15And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before
you: dwell where it pleases you.
This section begins in verses 9-10 with Abimelech’s accusation
of two charges against Abraham. In verse 9 is Abimelech’s first
charge, which came by means of raising two questions. The first
question was: What have you done unto us? “Why did you do this to
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us?” The second question was: Wherein have I sinned against you, that
you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? On me,
meaning personal, and on my kingdom, meaning national. “What did
I ever do to you to cause the consequence of this sin on us?” Then
came the accusation: You have done deeds unto me that ought not to be
done. The irony here is that a pagan king condemned a patriarch for
his sin. In 20:10 is Abimelech’s second charge, also with a question:
What did you see, that you have done this thing? “What did you see here
that would cause you to do such a terrible thing?”
Genesis 20:11-13 records Abraham’s justification, beginning in
verse 11 with Abraham’s fear. Abraham’s assumption was: Surely the
fear of God is not in this place, which led to the fear: they will slay me
for my wife’s sake. Then in verse 12, he explained his relationship with
Sarah: And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father,
but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. Therefore,
Sarah was Abraham’s wife, but she was also his half-sister, having
the same father, but a different mother. This was later forbidden by
the Law of Moses (Lev. 18:9, 18:11, 20:17; Deut. 27:22;
Ezek. 22:11), but this law was not in force in Abraham’s day. Then,
in verse 13, Abraham revealed his policy as they began to travel: and
it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house.
He makes the point that this was their policy at least since Haran if
not since Ur of the Chaldees. This is your kindness which you shall
show unto me: at every place where we shall come, say of me, He is my
brother. This has been a twenty-five year policy. Whenever they
traveled and people asked, Sarah was passed off as Abraham’s sister.
This indicates that this action was done more frequently than the
two times recorded in Genesis. This was Abraham’s initiative: that I
said unto her. This policy seemed to have worked everywhere they
went, but it did fail in these two places. The phrase, God caused me to
wander, in Hebrew, literally reads, “the Gods (plural), they (plural)
caused me to wander.” The word God, Elohim, is a plural noun, and
when used of pagan gods it is translated in the plural; but when it is
used of the true God, it is translated in the singular, because
normally the verb that goes with the noun is in the singular not in
the plural. Several exceptions exist where both the noun and the verb
are plural when speaking of the true God, and this again indicates a
plurality in the Godhead. Here in this verse is one example. The
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plural verb is used with Elohim, which is unusual when used of the
true God. In addition, there are at least three other examples of this:
Genesis 35:7, because there Elohim (they) appeared to him;
II Samuel 7:23, Elohim (they) went; Psalm 58:11, verily Elohim
(they) judge. Therefore, these uses imply a plurality in the Godhead.
Genesis 20:14-15 describes Abimelech’s responses. In verse 14,
Abimelech did two things. First, he gave Abraham four things: sheep
and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants. As was the case with
Pharaoh, the incident made Abraham richer again, showing the
covenant was unconditional. Abimelech showed respect to Abraham in
spite of what Abraham did to him by enriching him. By accepting
these gifts, Abraham considered the matter settled and closed.
However, Abimelech still needed Abraham’s intercession for the
reasons explained below. Abimelech’s action is in keeping with
Middle Assyrian Law (15th-12th century B.C.):
If in the case of a seignior’s [man’s] wife, one not her
father, nor her brother, nor her son, but another
person, has caused her to take to the road, but he did
not know that she was a seignior’s wife, he shall (so)
swear and he shall also pay two talents of lead to the
woman’s husband.”
Abimelech’s second response was: he restored him Sarah his wife.
Verse 15 contains Abimelech’s offer: And Abimelech said, Behold, my
land is before you; in contrast to Pharaoh, who ordered Abraham to
leave, Abimelech offered Abraham to stay: Dwell where it pleases you.
Abraham was given permission to dwell anywhere in the land. Here
is a situation where the unbeliever outdoes the believer.
4. Abimelech and Sarah - 20:16
And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given your
brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, it is to you a
covering of the eyes, to all that are with you: and in
respect of all you are righted.
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This verse records the parting of Abimelech and Sarah: And unto
Sarah he said, Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of
silver. Therefore, Abraham received a cash gift in addition to the
animals and the servants of verse 14. Still speaking to Sarah, he
states: I gave it to your brother, not “your husband,” and this
reemphasizes Abimelech’s innocence in the affair. Then he declared:
Behold it is to you a covering of the eyes, to all that are with you, meaning
it is to render one blind to what happened and therefore to preclude
all criticism. This is the Hebraic way of saying “This vindicates you.”
The result was: and in respect of all you are righted, meaning you are
approved.
5. The Removal of the Curse - 20:17-18
17And Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed
Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants; and
they bore children. 18For Jehovah had fast closed up all
the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah,
Abraham’s wife.
The removal of the curse begins in verse 17a with the fact that
Abraham prayed: And Abraham prayed unto God. He was the one who
lied; but it takes his prayer to remove the curse because, again, the
Abrahamic Covenant holds and works in spite of disobedience. That
is the nature of an unconditional covenant.
The result in 20:17b was: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife,
and his maid-servants, and the result was, and they bore children; the
curse was lifted. All of this implies that some time had passed,
enough time for it to become noticeable that no births had taken
place while Sarah was in Abimelech’s household.
Finally, in 20:18, the actual curse is revealed: For Jehovah had fast
closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah,
Abraham’s wife. Here again is an example of the outworking of the
Abrahamic Covenant and the curse-for-curse-in-kind principle.
Abimelech’s action would have resulted in Isaac not being born, and
so the specific curse against Abraham was the danger of extinction of
Abraham’s line and the promised nation by keeping birth from
occurring. If Isaac would not be born, the Jewish nation would then
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die out with the death of Abraham. If God had not reversed the
curse on Abimelech, he would have been faced with the real danger
of extinction because of the inability of the women in his household
to give birth to children. When Abimelech restored Sarah to
Abraham, the future of Abimelech’s nation is restored by God.
L. The Birth of Isaac - 21:1-7
1And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and
Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2And Sarah
conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the
set time of which God had spoken to him. 3And Abraham
called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom
Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 4And Abraham circumcised his
son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had
commanded him. 5And Abraham was a hundred years
old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 6And Sarah
said, God has made me to laugh; every one that hears
will laugh with me. 7And she said, Who would have said
unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck?
For I have borne him a son in his old age.
The birth of Isaac, the birth of the promised seed-son, begins in
verses 1-2 with the fulfillment of the promise with verse 1, focusing
on the promise of God: And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and
Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken. These things were said and
spoken in chapters 17-18. He that opened the wombs of the House of
Abimelech now opened the womb of Sarah. Verse 2 then deals with
the fulfillment: And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old
age. The promise of God was fulfilled at the set time of which God had
spoken to him. Spoken in Genesis 18:14, the promise of God was
fulfilled exactly one year later. Three times it is stated in these verses
that God had said or God had spoken, emphasizing the fulfillment of
His Word.
Genesis 21:3 records the naming of Isaac: And Abraham called the
name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
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Genesis 21:4 deals with the circumcision of Isaac: And Abraham
circumcised his son Isaac. The timing was: when he was eight days old, as
God had commanded him. Now the token of the covenant was being
applied on the day that it was commanded, and Isaac is the first one
recorded to be circumcised on the eighth day, since all those
circumcised in chapter 17 were beyond the age of eight days.
Genesis 21:5 specified the age of Abraham: Abraham was a
hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. It was a
twenty-five year wait before the promise of God was fulfilled; the
promises of God are not always immediate, but they are always sure.
Genesis 21:6-7 focuses on Sarah and Sarah’s joy. Verse 6 deals
with Sarah’s laughter: And Sarah said, God has made me to laugh. The
Hebrew literally reads “laughter to me,” again a play upon words
with Isaac’s name, but it was a positive play on words with Isaac’s
name. She then added: every one that hears will laugh with me, or “will
laugh for me,” in contrast with the past when people like Hagar
laughed at her. In addition, it is another positive word play on Isaac’s
name. She was saying that others will share her joy, but as the
chapter continues, it shows that Sarah’s statement was not totally
true. In verse 7 is Sarah’s recognition: And she said, Who would have
said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? The
unbelievable and the impossible have taken place. Furthermore,
Sarah uses the plural form, showing her faith in the Abrahamic
Covenant that from Isaac will come many more descendants. The
reason was: For I have borne him a son in his old age. The use of the
singular shows she was now focused on Isaac. She clearly recognized
that what happened was supernatural. She no longer laughed in
unbelief, but in joy.
Two observations on Genesis 21:3-5 can be made. First, the
name Isaac appears three times. Second, the phrase his son appears
three times.
As far as New Testament quotations and applications are
concerned, references to this event are found in Romans 4:17-22 and
Hebrews 11:11-12.
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M. The Expulsion of Ishmael - 21:8-21
8And the child grew, and was weaned: and
Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was
weaned. 9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian,
whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.
10Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this
handmaid and her son: for the son of this handmaid shall
not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11And the
thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account
of his son. 12And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be
grievous in your sight because of the lad, and because of
your handmaid. In all that Sarah said unto you, hearken
unto her voice; for in Isaac shall your seed be called.
13And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a
nation, because he is your seed. 14And Abraham rose up
early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of
water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her
shoulder, and gave her the child, and sent her away: and
she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-
sheba. 15And the water in the bottle was spent, and she
cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16And she went,
and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it
were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not look upon the
death of the child. And she sat over against him, and
lifted up her voice, and wept. 17And God heard the voice
of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of
heaven, and said unto her, What ails you, Hagar? fear
not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in your hand; for I
will make him a great nation. 19And God opened her
eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and
filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
20And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he
dwelled in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an
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archer. 21And he dwelled in the wilderness of Paran: and
his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
This account of the expulsion of Ishmael begins by describing
the circumstances that caused it in verses 8-9, with verse 8 dealing
with the weaning of Isaac: And the child grew, and was weaned. In
those times, children were weaned between the ages of three through
five, so this would make Ishmael somewhere between the ages of
seventeen and twenty years old. In keeping with the customs of those
days: Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. In
place of yearly birthdays, the tradition in those days was to have a
special feast on the official day of the weaning of the child.
Therefore, in place of a birthday party, it was a “weaning party.” This
was a special, joyous occasion and in keeping with the customs of
that day. The day that Isaac was weaned, Abraham made a feast on his
behalf. In verse 9, while everybody else was rejoicing, there was one
negative element that led to the expulsion of Ishmael. The cause was:
And Sarah saw, and what she saw, she took quite personally: the son of
Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.
Instead of saying “Ishmael,” the author states: the son of Hagar the
Egyptian, focusing on Hagar’s Egyptian nationality to emphasize that
the animosity of Hagar towards Sarah has now been instilled in
Ishmael toward Isaac. What she saw him doing was mocking. The
Hebrew word for Isaac and the Hebrew word for mocking is the same
root, but appears here as a piel intensive. Here again there is a play
upon words with Isaac’s name but this time in a negative sense.
Ishmael took Isaac’s name and its meaning and reduced it to
mockery; he was “isaacing” Isaac. Nor was Ishmael just a young
child. He was seventeen to twenty years old, and he was mocking
someone who was between three and five years old. This form of the
Hebrew word for mocking (metzachek) is found several times in
Genesis. It is used in a negative sense of ridicule in 19:14, 39:14, and
39:17. It is also used in 26:8, in the positive sense of merely playing.
Outside of Genesis, the term is also used in the sense of making
sport, as in Exodus 32:6 where it includes idolatry and in
Judges 16:25 where it includes ridicule. Ishmael was not merely
playing with Isaac; he was toying or trifling or making ridicule, not
participating in the joy. Rabbis have various explanations concerning
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the meaning of metzachek.52 Rabbi Akiba’s view was that this was
immorality, and Sarah saw Ishmael ravish maidens and seduce wives.
This information is based upon the meaning of that term in 39:17.
Rabbi Ishmael’s view was that this was idolatry, and Sarah saw
Ishmael building altars, catch and sacrifice locusts, and this is based
upon the usage of the word in Exodus 32:6. Rabbi Eleazar took this
to mean that he was guilty of shedding blood, based upon the usage
of the word in II Samuel 2:14. Rabbi Azariah in the name of Rabbi
Levi said that he shot an arrow at Isaac. In addition, Rabbi Simeon
said Ishmael wanted Isaac’s inheritance. New Testament reference to
this event is found in Galatians 4:29 where it states: Ishmael
persecuted Isaac. The word persecuted means “to pursue with hostility.”
Therefore, in 21:10, Sarah made a demand, and the text starts
out by saying: Wherefore she said unto Abraham. The Wherefore or
reason is based on the above incident. The demand was: Cast out this
handmaid and her son, meaning they are to be expelled from the
household of Abraham. The reason was: for the son of this handmaid
shall not be the heir with my son, even with Isaac; Isaac was to be the
heir, and Ishmael was to be disinherited. This again fits with the
Nuzi Tablets and the Code of Hammurabi, in which the son of the
wife has precedence over the son of a handmaid, even if the son of
the wife was born later. The father was forbidden, however, to expel
the son of the handmaid if the son of the wife had been born.
Ishmael was to be disinherited, but he was not to be dishonored.
Hence, God’s intervention would have to come into play for the
expulsion to occur.
Genesis 21:11 records Abraham’s grief in response to Sarah’s
suggestion: And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on
account of his son. This shows again how much Abraham loved
Ishmael.
However, in 20:12-13, God comforted Abraham by showing
His plan as it concerned Isaac and as it concerned Ishmael. Verse 12
concerns Isaac: And God said unto Abraham. This was the seventh
divine appearance for Abraham, and it began with a word of comfort:
Let it not be grievous in your sight because of the lad, and because of your
52 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 53:11.
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handmaid. Then came the divine instruction: In all that Sarah said
unto you, hearken unto her voice. This is the only time a husband is
told by God to harken to or to obey his wife. The reason was: for in
Isaac shall your seed be called, meaning Isaac was to be the son of the
inheritance; Isaac was the covenant-son to whom the Abrahamic
Covenant was going to be sustained. Whatever may have been
Sarah’s motivation for her demand, it was the will of God as well. It
was because of this divine revelation that Abraham went against the
laws of that day and expelled Hagar and Ishmael. Verse 13 reveals
God’s plan concerning Ishmael: And also of the son of the handmaid
will I make a nation; this is the Arab nation. The reason was: because
he is your seed; Ishmael will not receive the Abrahamic Covenant, but
he will benefit from the blessing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Then in 20:14-16 came the expulsion. It begins in verse 14a with
the provisions by and the actions of Abraham. Abraham did five
things: First, he rose up early in the morning, showing that the
decision had now been made. Second, he took bread and a bottle of
water, and this emphasized the lack of inheritance. Third, he gave it
unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder. Fourth, he gave her the child.
Abraham put Hagar in charge of Ishmael, and he was now under her
authority. Fifth, he sent her away, which was the official expulsion.
However, here the Hebrew text does not use the word garash, which
was used by Sarah in verse 10 and carried the meaning of being
expelled in a hostile way. The word used is shalach, which is a neutral
term, at times used in the sense of a friendly release. It is also the
same word used of sending Adam and Eve out of the Garden of
Eden in 3:24. The provisions Abraham gave Hagar would normally
have been sufficient to get them to the next oasis or desert well, but
the problem was that she got lost on the way. In verse 14b is the
departure: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of
Beer-sheba; in other words, she became lost. In verse 15, their lives
are endangered, for after a while, the water in the bottle was spent; all
the water was gone. At that point: She cast the child under one of the
shrubs. In spite of his young manhood (he was between seventeen
and twenty), Ishmael was affected first; and he apparently was
fainting. So she put him under a shrub to provide him with some
shade. Verse 16 records Hagar’s subsequent actions, which involved
two things. First, she separated herself from Ishmael: And she went
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[further away], and she sat her down over against him a good way off, as
it were a bowshot, a good distance away. The reason was: for she said,
Let me not look upon the death of the child, she did not want to be
anywhere near when the child expired. Second, And she sat over
against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.
In 21:17-19, Hagar had a second encounter with the Angel of
Jehovah. Verse 17a gives God’s response: And God heard the voice of
the lad; for the second time, God heard in conjunction with Ishmael.
The first time was in 16:11, which became the basis of Ishmael’s
name. In verses 17b-18 is the voice of the Angel of Jehovah. Here
He is called the angel of God (this is the God of the previous phrase),
and He called to Hagar out of heaven. The source is Heaven, again
showing that God and the angel of God are the same person. The
message was one of comfort and began with a question: What ails
you, Hagar? The comfort was: Fear not. The reason was: for God has
heard the voice of the lad where he is. Then Hagar received some
instructions: First, Arise; second, lift up the lad; and third, hold him in
your hand. All this will convey to her that both she and he will
survive. The promise was: I will make him a great nation. Again, there
is a promise of the Arab nation; but for him to be able to have this,
he must survive. In verse 19 came the divine provision. God’s action
was: And God opened her eyes; and the result was: She saw a well of
water. The water may have been miraculously provided, but the
context implies that it was a well or a spring that was already there,
and she simply did not see it. Hagar then did three things: First, She
went toward the well; second, filled the bottle with water; and third,
gave the lad drink.
The section ends in verses 20-21 (of Genesis 21) with the
development of Ishmael. God’s role was: And God was with the lad,
fulfilling His promise to Abraham made earlier. Ishmael developed in
the desert setting: and he grew; and he dwelled in the wilderness, setting
the stage for the beginnings of Ishmael’s desert wanderings. Ishmael’s
occupation is mentioned: [He] became, as he grew up, an archer, and
that set the stage for his aggression. He now became a hunter. In the
context of Genesis, this is not a positive but a negative, as already
indicated with Nimrod; for he, too, was a mighty hunter before the
Lord. Ishmael’s location is given: And he dwelled in the wilderness of
Paran, along the border or between the Negev and the Sinai. The text
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concludes with his marriage: and his mother took him a wife; the wife
was chosen by Hagar. The origin was: out of the land of Egypt. The wife
for Ishmael was the same nationality as the mother. The ancient
Egyptians were Hamitic. As is known from Egyptian archeology, the
Hamitic Egyptians were quite anti-Semitic, which would add to the
antagonism that was already there.
There are two New Testament quotations and applications.
First, in Romans 9:7-8, there is the reference to the statement: In
Isaac shall your seed be called, in a context that makes a contrast
between the Remnant (the Jews who believe) and the non-Remnant
(the Jews who do not believe). Second, in Galatians 4:21-31, Paul
makes a reference to the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael to teach the
spiritual lesson that law and grace as ways of salvation simply cannot
coexist.
N. The Covenant of Beersheba - 21:22-34
22And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech
and Phicol the captain of his host spoke unto Abraham,
saying, God is with you in all that you do: 23now
therefore swear unto me here by God that you will not
deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s
son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto
you, you shall do unto me, and to the land wherein you
have sojourned. 24And Abraham said, I will swear.
25And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well
of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken
away. 26And Abimelech said, I know not who has done
this thing. Neither did you tell me, neither yet heard I of
it, but to-day. 27And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and
gave them unto Abimelech; and they two made a
covenant. 28And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the
flock by themselves. 29And Abimelech said unto
Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which you
have set by themselves? 30And he said, These seven ewe
lambs shall you take of my hand, that it may be a
witness unto me, that I have dug this well. 31Wherefore
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he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they swore
both of them. 32So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba:
and Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host,
and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33And
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and
called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting
God. 34And Abraham sojourned in the land of the
Philistines many days.
The Covenant of Beersheba was instigated in verses 22-23 with
the request of Abimelech. Verse 22a lists the actual people involved.
The timing was: And it came to pass at that time, meaning the time of
the weaning of Isaac, the time of the of expulsion of Ishmael, these
spoke unto Abraham. Then the text lists two men: Abimelech, who was
the king of Gerar as already known from Genesis 20, and Phicol the
captain of his host. Phicol, like Abimelech, is not a proper name but the
title of the commander-in-chief. Verse 22b records their recognition:
God is with you in all that you do; they have come to recognize the
presence of God with Abraham. Their recognition now motivates
them to enter into a covenantal relationship with him. Verse 23
records the official request: Now therefore swear unto me here by God;
and the content of the oath was: that you will not deal falsely with me,
nor with my son, nor with my son’s son. The basis of the request was:
but according to the kindness I have done unto you, you shall do unto me,
and to the land wherein you have sojourned. What this shows is that
Abraham had become a strong chieftain, a nomadic one, but a
chieftain nonetheless, to be feared by the local city-kings of the
city-states. They recognized that God was with Abraham, but
Abraham had been deceptive once before. That was the paradox
Abimelech faced: God was with Abraham, but Abraham was
deceptive; it was this contradictory element that called for a binding
treaty.
Genesis 21:24-25 records Abraham’s twofold response. First, in
verse 24, is Abraham’s agreement: And Abraham said, I will swear; he
will take an oath; he will make a covenant. However, before that is
made, in verse 25, Abraham had his own complaint: And Abraham
reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech’s
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servants had violently taken away. What this shows is that the House
of Abimelech had not acted fairly either.
Genesis 21:26 gives Abimelech’s threefold response. First: I
know not who has done this thing; he had no knowledge of who was
guilty among his servants. Second: Neither did you tell me; this is the
first time Abraham had mentioned this event. Third: Neither yet
heard I of it, but to-day; this was the first news of it; he did not even
hear a rumor of it. Abimelech’s response seemed to satisfy Abraham,
as Abraham’s following action clearly shows.
In 21:27-32 is the making of the actual covenant. In verse 27,
the covenant is made: And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave
them unto Abimelech; and they two made a covenant. It was a covenant
of peace. Normally, this was as far as they needed to go with the
making of the covenant, but Abraham went a step further in
verses 28-31 with the seven ewe lambs. In verse 28 is the setting
aside: And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves,
something that Abimelech noticed in verse 29: What mean these seven
ewe lambs which you have set by themselves? “What is the significance
of the seven ewe lambs?” Abraham’s explanation is given in verse 30:
And he said, These seven ewe lambs shall you take of my hand; they were
a gift to Abimelech. The reason was: that it may be a witness unto me,
that I have dug this well. The gift of sheep was a visible sign to
Abimelech that this well, located in Beer-Sheba where they were
making the covenant at the present time, was the well that Abraham
dug and no one else; therefore, it was Abraham’s by right of labor.
Abimelech’s acceptance of the lambs shows that he recognized
Abraham’s claim. Not only is there a covenant of peace, but with the
seven ewe lambs, there is a covenant of justice. Verse 31 records the
result: Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba. In Hebrew, the name
comprises two words: Be’er Sheva, literally meaning “the well of the
seven.” The figure seven comes from the seven lambs. The reason
given is: because there they swore both of them. Not only does the word
sheva mean “seven,” but it also comes from the root shava, which
means “to swear,” because they swore an oath. Therefore, it carries a
double meaning: “the well of the seven,” because of the seven ewe
lambs and “the well of the swearing” because there they swore an
oath. In verse 32, the covenant is concluded: So they made a covenant
at Beer-sheba. Then came the departure: Abimelech and Phicol the
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captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
Actually, there were no Philistines living in the area yet. Nevertheless,
the title is given to these proleptically. It means that this is the area
where later the Philistines indeed settled, and Gerar was part of the
Philistine Plain. The Philistines arrived later, in the twelfth century
B.C. These were their forerunners who now controlled the same
territory the Philistines would control later on.
Finally, in 21:33-34, the author records three results of the
covenant. First, in verse 33, was the planting of the tree: And
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba. This was in honor of
the covenant. The fact that he planted the tree shows that he
intended to stay there for some time, and so for now there would be
no more roaming. In fact, this covenant allowed him to stay where
he was by the Well of Beersheba, because Abimelech had recognized
Abraham’s claim to that well. Second, in his action, Abraham
instituted public worship: and called there on the name of Jehovah, the
Everlasting God; in Hebrew, El Olam. The root meaning of the word
olam is that which is “secret,” “hidden,” “concealed,” or “unknown.”
Olam implies an unknown or indefinite period of time. Again, the
term “everlasting” does not carry the concept of eternity as the
English word would, but stands for an indefinite period of time or
“up to the end” of a period of time, to be determined by context.
Only because God’s nature is everlasting can the term have the
meaning “eternal” here; He is indeed the Everlasting God. The point
is that olam indicates an unknown period of time, so that the context
alone determines the time element applied, and in this context
everlasting would be equivalent to the English sense of eternal. Third,
in verse 34, the result of the covenant was: Abraham sojourned in the
land of the Philistines many days.
Before leaving chapter 21, it should be observed that the number
three dominates in this section in three ways. First, the word swear is
used three times (vv. 23, 24, 31). Second, the word seven is used
three times (vv. 28-30). Third, the name Beer-sheba is used three
times (vv. 31-33). Again, this shows design by the author Moses,
who put Genesis together.
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O. The Offering of Isaac - 22:1-19
1. The Testing of Abraham - 22:1-10
1And it came to pass after these things, that God did
prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he
said, Here am I. 2And he said, Take now your son, your
only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and get you into
the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-
offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you
of. 3And Abraham rose early in the morning, and
saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him,
and Isaac his son; and he cleft the wood for the burnt-
offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which
God had told him. 4On the third day Abraham lifted up
his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5And Abraham said
unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I
and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and
come again to you. 6And Abraham took the wood of the
burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he
took in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went
both of them together. 7And Isaac spoke unto Abraham
his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I,
my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood: but
where is the lamb for a burnt-offering? 8And Abraham
said, God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt-
offering, my son: so they went both of them together.
9And they came to the place which God had told him
of; and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood
in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the
altar, upon the wood. 10And Abraham stretched forth his
hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
The passage begins in verses 1-2 with God’s instructions,
beginning in verse 1a with the divine purpose. The timing was: And
it came to pass after these things, meaning after the events of Isaac,
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Ishmael, and Abimelech in chapter 21. Moreover, these two
introductory verses cover a gap of time of about thirty to thirty-one
years. The author now comes to the high climax of the story of
Abraham. The purpose was: God did prove Abraham. This was going
to be Abraham’s supreme test. In verse 1b, came the call of God: and
said unto him, Abraham; this was the eighth appearance of God to
Abraham. Abraham’s response was: Here am I. Waltke comments:
This emphatic particle hinneni is the only word
Abraham utters to God in this scene (22:11).
Although Abraham has not always been faithful, the
repetition shows that in this climactic test of his
faith he is attentive and receptive to God’s word
(cf. Isa. 6:8).53
Then in 22:2, Abraham received the command which was
focused on his son. The command was given in such a way that a
step by step increase of identification of Isaac made the test step by
step more painful: First, Take now your son; second, your only son;
third, whom you love; and fourth, even Isaac. This verse is an example
how the word only can be used in the Jewish concept. It does not
necessarily emphasize origin, but can emphasize uniqueness, as is the
case here, since Isaac was not the only son Abraham had, but he was
the only son of promise because Ishmael had been expelled.
Therefore, from the viewpoint of uniqueness, Isaac was his only son.
This verse contains the first use of the word love. Rabbinic tradition
elaborates on the four steps:
“Take your son.” Abraham answers, “Which one? I
have two sons.” So God says, “Your only son.”
Abraham answers, “But each one of the two is the
only one of his mother.” So God says, “Whom you
love.” Abraham answers, “I love both.” So the
identification comes, “Even Isaac.”54
53 Waltke, 304.
54 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 45:7.
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Abraham was told where to take Isaac: Get you into the land of
Moriah. The Hebrew here is lech lecha, the same form He used to call
Abraham in 12:1 when He first told him to go out from the land of
his home. These two usages are the only places the phrase is found in
the Hebrew text. The place was the land of Moriah where Solomon
would eventually build the First Jewish Temple (II Chron. 3:1).
Once he got there, he was to: Offer him there for a burnt-offering. The
more specific place was: upon one of the mountains which I will tell you
of; this was Mount Moriah, later to become Mount Zion. The test
was not only to see if Abraham would obey God and kill his beloved
son Isaac, but also to see if Abraham would kill his only son through
whom the Abrahamic Covenant could be sustained and fulfilled. At
this point of progressive revelation, God did not actually forbid
human sacrifice, which was later prohibited by the Law of Moses
(Lev. 18:21, 20:1-5; Deut. 18:10).
Genesis 22:3 records Abraham’s obedience, and his actions are
spelled out in seven steps. First, Abraham rose early in the morning,
just as he did with the expulsion of Ishmael in 21:14, showing again
that his decision had been made. Second, he saddled his ass. Third, he
took two of his young men with him; and in rabbinic tradition, these
two young men were Ishmael and Eliezar of Damascus. Fourth, he
took Isaac his son. Fifth, and he cleft the wood for the burnt-offering.
Sixth, and he rose up. Seventh, and he went unto the place of which God
had told him. These are detailed actions of the obedience of faith.
Genesis 22:4 describes the arrival. The timing was: On the third
day. He now traveled a distance of fifty to sixty miles from where he
was, and this would roughly be a three-day journey. At that point:
Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off; he could see the
mountain from a distance where Isaac was to be brought.
Genesis 22:5 gives his instructions for the servants: And Abraham
said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will
go yonder; and we will worship, and come again unto you. Abraham
phrased the last sentence as, “we will return,” using the first person
plural; that showed that Abraham had faith that both of them were
going to return. Abraham had faith in God’s power in resurrection to
fulfill His covenantal promises (Heb. 11:17-19). The basis of
Abraham’s faith was the promise of God in 21:12 that: In Isaac will
your seed be called; and Isaac was supposed to produce the seed. So far,
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Isaac had not, and so for God to fulfill His promise if Abraham had
to kill Isaac, God would have to resurrect Isaac back to life.
Genesis 22:6 describes the continuation of the journey beyond
where he left the two young men: And Abraham took the wood of the
burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son. So Isaac carried the wood,
which as far as Abraham knew now would be the thing upon which
his son would die, just as later the Messiah, the Son of God, would
carry the cross upon which He was going to die. Furthermore: and he
[Abraham] took in his hand the fire and the knife, just as God the
Father would offer the Son (Isa. 53:7-10), and they went both of them
together.
Genesis 22:7-8 records a conversation between Abraham and
Isaac, beginning with Isaac’s address to his father: And Isaac spoke
unto Abraham his father, and said, My father. Abraham responded:
Here am I, my son. Then came Isaac’s inquiry: And he said, Behold, the
fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering? Abraham’s
answer was: And Abraham said, God will provide himself the lamb for a
burnt-offering, my son. In Hebrew, it reads yireh-lo, which allows for
two options. The first option is that God will provide for Himself or,
second, that God will provide Himself as an offering. It was a divine
provision either way. Isaac inquired no further, and: So they went both
of them together.
Genesis 22:9-10 details the offering of Isaac, with verse 9
describing the preparation. The place was: And they came to the place
which God had told him of. Then came the altar: and Abraham built the
altar there. Until now, it was only an altar on the mount, but several
centuries later, a temple was built on this mount. Then came the
wood: He laid the wood in order. This was followed by the binding:
and bound Isaac his son. The Hebrew word for “binding” has become
the actual name of this event in Jewish thinking. Jewish writings
mention the akeidah, meaning the “binding” of Isaac.55 Next,
Abraham laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Isaac was not a child
anymore, but a young man with enough strength to be able to resist
what his father was doing to him. But Isaac submitted to what his
55 This section is read in the synagogue service for Rosh Hashanah, or
Feast of Trumpets.
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father was doing to him, and obviously trusted him. Finally, in
verse 10, Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac: And Abraham stretched
forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. Outside of verses 6 and
10, the Hebrew word for knife is used only twice elsewhere:
Judges 19:29 and Proverbs 30:14.
2. The Divine Substitutionary Provision - 22:11-14
11And the angel of Jehovah called unto him out of
heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said,
Here am I. 12And he said, Lay not your hand upon the
lad, neither do you anything unto him; for now I know
that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your
son, your only son, from me. 13And Abraham lifted up his
eyes, and looked, and, behold, behind him a ram caught
in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took
the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the
stead of his son. 14And Abraham called the name of that
place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the
mount of Jehovah it shall be provided.
Genesis 22:11-12 describes divine intervention regarding
Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, beginning with the call to Abraham in
verse 11: And the angel of Jehovah called unto him out of heaven, and
said, Abraham, Abraham. The doubling of a person’s name makes the
call emphatic. This marks the ninth appearance of God to Abraham.
The response was: He said, Here am I. Then in verse 12, Abraham
received some new instructions regarding the sparing of Isaac: Lay
not your hand upon the lad, neither do you anything unto him. Then
God gave the reason: For now I know that you fear God. God already
knew this, but now it is known by experience. The evidence was:
seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.
Therefore, Abraham’s faith has been vindicated by his works; his act
of faith was the evidence of salvation he was already declared to have
had in 15:6. This same point is made in James 2:22-24.
Genesis 22:13 describes the provision of the ram: And Abraham
lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the
thicket by his horns. Abraham understood this ram to be the substitute
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for Isaac: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a
burnt-offering in the stead of his son. The phrase: in the stead of his son, is
a clear statement of substitution; the ram dies in Isaac’s place. This was
also recognized in rabbinic tradition. Regarding every act of this
sacrifice, such as slaughtering, sprinkling the blood, etc., the rabbis
teach that Abraham prayed, (meaning he prayed over and over again),
“May God regard this as though it were done to my son. May God
reckon this as having been done to my son.”
In 22:14 is the naming: And Abraham called the name of that place
Jehovah-jireh, meaning “Jehovah Will See” or “Jehovah Will
Provide.” This led to a proverbial saying: As it is said to this day, In the
mount of Jehovah it shall be provided; and the mount of Jehovah is
Mount Moriah, the Temple Mount, which also became known as
Mount Zion. This will be the future place of the atonement, and so
atonement on this mountain will be provided. Rabbinic tradition56
states that when Abraham put the knife to Isaac’s throat, his soul
departed from his body; that would imply that Isaac died without
actually being killed by Abraham. The tradition goes on to say that
the ram was created on the eve of the Sabbath of the six days of
creation to become the sacrifice in place of Isaac. So Abraham
prayed: “Master of the universe, regard the blood of this ram as if it
were my son’s blood and its entrails as if they were those of my son
Isaac.” Then when Isaac heard the words of the angel, “Do not lay
your hands on the lad,” Isaac’s soul returned to his body. Here is a
concept of resurrection. Then Abraham recited the blessing, “Blessed
are you, O Lord, who will raise the dead.” Rabbi ibn Ezra
(1089-1116) taught that Abraham actually killed Isaac, but God
raised him back to life. So in rabbinic tradition, there is a concept of
resurrection here, and the same point is made by the writer of
Hebrews; but the latter made it clear that it was not a literal
resurrection but “in a manner of speaking.”
56 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 46:9.
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3. The Abrahamic Covenant - 22:15-18
15And the angel of Jehovah called unto Abraham a second
time out of heaven, 16and said, By myself have I sworn,
said Jehovah, because you have done this thing, and have
not withheld your son, your only son, 17that in blessing I
will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your
seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is
upon the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of
his enemies; 18and in your seed shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice.
The introduction to the fifth affirmation of the Abrahamic
Covenant begins in verse 15 with a call: And the angel of Jehovah called
unto Abraham a second time out of heaven. This is the second
appearance of the Angel of Jehovah in this incident, but it is the
tenth appearance of God in total to Abraham, and this time it is the
angel of Jehovah. This call is also the fifth and final reaffirmation of
the Abrahamic Covenant.
Genesis 22:16 gives the basis of the reaffirmation, beginning
with a divine declaration: By myself have I sworn, said Jehovah, which
was the most possible solemn oath that God could make. It is also
used in Isaiah 45:23; Jeremiah 22:5, 49:13, and 51:14; Amos 6:8; and
Hebrews 6:13-14. Then God continued spelling out the basis of the
reaffirmation: because you have done this thing, and have not withheld
your son, your only son.
In Genesis 22:17-18a, God states some of the provisions of the
covenant, mentioning four things. First, God states that in blessing I
will bless you. Second, God states and in multiplying I will multiply
your seed, giving two illustrations: as the stars of the heavens, and as the
sand which is upon the seashore, showing that these are really
synonymous phrases. Third, God continues: Your seed shall possess the
gate of his enemies. Fourth, God concludes: In your seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed. As in the first statement of the
Abrahamic Covenant, here in the last affirmation of it to Abraham,
God clearly promises Gentile blessing.
Genesis 22:18b then restates the basis of this reaffirmation of the
Abrahamic Covenant: because you have obeyed my voice.
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4. The Return to Beersheba - 22:19
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose
up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham
dwelled at Beer-sheba.
Abraham now returned to where he left his servants, and
together they returned to the city where he had been living,
Beer-sheba. As he said to them earlier, both father and son returned.
Abraham lived in Beer-sheba for some time.
A number of observations can be made from the story of
Abraham’s obedience to God regarding Isaac. First, there are three
lessons to learn from this section: Faith obeys completely and
emphatically God’s Word; faith surrenders the best to God holding
nothing back; and faith waits on the Lord to provide for all needs.
A second observation is a comparison and a contrast between
two chapters: chapter 21 with the focus on Ishmael, and chapter 22
with the focus on Isaac. There are a total of nine comparisons. First,
a son is in danger, with Ishmael in danger in chapter 21 and Isaac in
danger in chapter 22. Second is a concept of casting out, with
Ishmael, the firstborn of Hagar, cast out but to become a nation; and
in chapter 22, Isaac, the firstborn of Sarah, cast out but to become a
great nation. Third is God’s promise concerning Ishmael to make a
nation of him because he was Abraham’s seed (21:13), and God’s
promise to make a great nation of Isaac because Abraham did not
withhold him (22:16-18). Fourth is the time of day; in both cases
Abraham rose up early in the morning to obey (21:14, 22:3). Fifth,
there was divine intervention in 21:17 when the Angel of God called
out to Hagar, reversing the danger, and in 22:11-12 when the Angel
of Jehovah called out to Abraham, reversing the danger. Sixth, God
made provision: in 21:19, water to preserve Ishmael’s life, and in
22:13, a ram to preserve Isaac’s life. Seventh, there is something to be
seen: In 21:19 Hagar saw the heretofore unseen well, and in 22:13
Abraham saw the heretofore unseen ram. Eighth, the provision is
appropriated: In 21:19, Hagar appropriated the water without a
specific directive; and in 22:13, Abraham appropriated the ram
without a specific directive. Ninth is the marriage for each son:
Hagar, an Egyptian, takes a wife from Egypt for Ishmael in 21:21;
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and Abraham, the Aramean, will take an Aramean wife for Isaac
(24:10).
There are also a total of five contrasts between chapters 21 and
22. First, there is a crisis in 21:10 created as a result of a human
directive in that Sarah told Abraham to cast out Hagar and Ishmael.
In contrast, in 22:2, a crisis was created as a result of a divine
directive when God told Abraham to offer Isaac. Second, in 21:11,
Abraham showed a real reluctance to follow through with Hagar and
Ishmael, but in 22:3-10, Abraham showed no reluctance to follow
through with Isaac. Third, there is a contrast in God’s identification
of the two sons of Abraham. In 21:13, Ishmael is identified as
Abraham’s seed, and in 22:2, Isaac is identified as Abraham’s son.
Fourth, the response of the two parents is contrasted. In 21:15-16,
Hagar could not stand to watch her son die; but in 22:10, Abraham
did not shrink from killing his son. Fifth concerns the place of the
two crises. In 21:14, Hagar and Ishmael were cast into the wilderness
of Beersheba; and in 22:2-4, Abraham’s trial with Isaac occurred in
the land of Moriah.
A third observation about the story of Abraham is to note the
four crises in his life: the crisis to leave home, the crisis with the
separation from Lot, the crisis to give up Ishmael, and the crisis to
offer Isaac.
The fourth observation is to note that two other passages speak
of the sacrifice of a son. First, in II Kings 3:27, the king of Moab
sacrificed his firstborn son to Molech in order to end a war. The
second example is Micah 6:6-7, where Micah asks: Shall I give my
first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
The question obviously required a negative answer.
The fifth observation concerns the Abrahamic Covenant. This
being the last passage on this covenant, it is now possible to see the
Abrahamic Covenant as a whole. It can be summarized in five areas:
provisions, recipients, ramifications, motifs, and historical and
prophetic significance.
Provisions. The Abrahamic Covenant contained a total of
fourteen specific provisions. First, Abraham is to become the father
of a great nation, and that nation is Israel (12:2; 13:16; 15:5; 17:1-2,
7; 22:17). Second, God promises land, the Land of Canaan (12:1, 7;
13:14, 15, 17; 15:7-12, 17-21; 17:8). Third, Abraham will be blessed
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(12:2, 15:6, 22:15-17). Fourth, Abraham’s name will be great (12:2).
Fifth, Abraham will be a blessing to others (12:2). Sixth, those who
bless Abraham will be blessed (12:3). Seventh, those who curse
Abraham will be cursed (12:3). Eighth, in Abraham all will be
blessed, which is the promise of Gentile blessing (12:3, 22:18).
Ninth, Sarah will have a son, implied in (15:1-4) and clearly stated in
(17:16-21). Tenth, the Egyptian Bondage is foretold (15:13-15).
Eleventh, other nations were to come from Abraham, such as the
Arab tribes and nations (17:3-4, 6). Twelfth, his name was to be
changed from Abram, meaning “exalted father,” to Abraham,
meaning “the father of a multitude” (17:5). Thirteenth, Sarai’s name,
meaning “my princess,” was changed to Sarah, “the princess” (17:15).
Fourteenth, the token of the covenant would be circumcision to be
performed on the eighth day to distinguish Jewish circumcision from
all others, and that would serve as a sign of Jewishness (17:9-14).
Recipients. The provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant can be
categorized in three categories, since some were made to Abraham,
some to Abraham’s seed, and some to the Gentiles. First, the
provisions made to Abraham individually included the following: He
was to be the father of one great nation; he would possess the Land;
other nations were to come from him; kings, both Jewish and
non-Jewish kings, would come from him; there would be personal
blessings to him; he himself would be a blessing; and his name would
be great. Second, the provisions to the seed, meaning Israel, included
the following: The nation will be great; Abraham’s descendants will
become innumerable; they are to possess the Land; and the nation of
Israel will gain victory over her enemies. Third, the provisions to the
Gentiles include the following: There will be blessings for blessing
Israel and curses for cursing Israel; and someday the Gentiles will
receive the spiritual blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant, but this
will come through the seed of Abraham. In Hebrew, the word seed is
always a singular; therefore, it could be used as an absolute singular,
meaning one, but also could be used as a collective singular meaning
many. Whenever the word seed is used as a collective singular in
reference to the Abrahamic Covenant, it refers to Israel. But when
the word seed is used as an absolute singular in reference to the
Abrahamic Covenant, it refers to the Messiah. The Gentiles were to
receive their spiritual blessings though the Messiah. Thus, the
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Messiah Himself must be of the seed of Abraham; and, therefore, the
Messiah must come from Jewish humanity. While the physical
promises were limited to the Jews, the spiritual promises were to
extend to the Gentiles.
Ramifications. The first ramification of the Abrahamic Covenant
concerns the blessings. The Abrahamic Covenant contained both
material and spiritual blessings; however, again, only the spiritual
blessings were to extend to the Gentiles. Second, while a covenant is
made at a specific point of time, not all the provisions and/or
conditions go into effect immediately. Some provisions go
immediately into effect, such as circumcision and the change of
names. Some provisions only come to pass in the near future, and the
near future might be twenty-five years away, as the birth of Isaac, or
four centuries away, such as the Egyptian Bondage and the Exodus.
Other provisions are fulfilled only in the distant prophetic future,
such as the Patriarch’s ownership of the Promised Land and Israel’s
dwelling in all the Promised Land. Third, the word seed in Hebrew is
always singular but can be used in two senses: as an absolute singular
or as a collective singular. As an absolute singular, it refers to the
Messiah; but as a collective singular, it refers to the people of Israel.
Motifs. The Abrahamic Covenant contains three basic motifs:
the Land aspect, the seed aspect, and the blessing aspect. The other
three unconditional covenants God made with Israel elaborate on
each of these three primary aspects or motifs of the Abrahamic
Covenant. The land aspect is further developed by the Land
Covenant;57 the seed aspect is further elaborated upon by the Davidic
Covenant; and the blessing aspect is further elaborated upon by the
New Covenant.
Historical and Prophetic Significance. The Abrahamic Covenant
plays a role after Genesis in history and in prophecy. In
Exodus 2:22-25, it was the basis for the deliverance from the
Egyptian Bondage. In Exodus 4:24-26, it was the reason Moses
57 The Land Covenant is often called the Palestinian Covenant in many
other works. While this was an appropriate title when it was first
coined, it is no longer appropriate due to intervening events in the
Middle East.
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almost lost his life. In Exodus 6:2-8, it became the basis for the
Exodus. In Exodus 32:11-14, it became the basis for Moses’ pleading
for God to avert His wrath. In Leviticus 26:40-42, it is the basis for
Israel’s final restoration. In Deuteronomy 34:4, it was the basis for
receiving the Land. In II Kings 13:22-23, it was the basis for Jewish
survival in spite of disobedience. In I Chronicles 16:15-19, it was the
basis for giving the Land. In II Chronicles 20:7-8, it was the basis
for giving the Land. In Nehemiah 9:7-8, it was the basis for the
Exodus (vv. 9-11), the Wilderness Wanderings (vv. 12-22), and the
entrance into the Land (vv. 23-25) in spite of many acts of
disobedience. In Psalm 105:7-12, it was the basis of the Exodus. In
Luke 1:54-55, it was the basis for Messiah’s coming. In
Luke 1:68-73, it is the basis of the Messianic redemption of Israel.
In Galatians 3:15-18, in contrast to the Mosaic Covenant, which was
temporary, the Abrahamic Covenant is eternal. In Hebrews 6:13-20,
it is the basis for the assurance of salvation. In Matthew 22:23-33,
along with its parallel passages in Mark 12:18-27 and
Luke 20:27-40, it is the basis for the resurrection of the Old
Testament saints; and for this reason many will come in the kingdom
to dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matt. 8:11-12;
Luke 13:29-30). Finally, in Acts 26:6-8, the Abrahamic Covenant
serves as the basis for the resurrection.
Concerning New Testament quotations and applications
regarding the offering of Isaac (22:1-19), there are three. First,
Hebrews 6:13-14 focuses on the oath of God, which is made here to
Abraham in the final reconfirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Second, Hebrews 11:17-19 teaches that for Abraham it was indeed
an act of faith to offer up Isaac, as Abraham was fully convinced that
even if he had to kill Isaac, God would raise Isaac back to life. It was
Abraham’s faith in the resurrection that gave him the boldness to
carry out what he was about to do. Third, in James 2:21-24,
Abraham’s willingness to offer up Isaac was the action that
vindicated Abraham’s saving faith.
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P. The Family of Nahor - 22:20-24
20And it came to pass after these things, that it was
told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she also has borne
children unto your brother Nahor. 21Uz his first-born,
and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram.
22And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and
Bethuel. 23And Bethuel begat Rebekah. These eight did
Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24And his
concubine, whose name was Reumah, she also bore
Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maacah.
Chapter 22 ends with a report on the family of Nahor. Verse 20
speaks of a report that came to Abraham, beginning with the timing:
And it came to pass after these things, meaning after the testing of
Abraham. While the report came after the events of Isaac’s sacrifice,
it also sets the stage for what follows in Genesis 24 when it will be
necessary to find a bride, a wife, for Isaac. So after the testing, it was
told Abraham, saying. A message now came to Abraham from his
former home, and so it has been many, many years since he has had
contact with his family. Moreover, the message was: Behold, Milcah,
she also has borne children unto your brother Nahor.
Genesis 22:21-23 lists the actual sons of Milcah, Nahor’s wife.
The first son was: Uz his first-born. His name is also found in 10:23
and 36:28. The place where he may have settled and founded became
the home of Job (Job 1:1); the land of Uz is also mentioned in
Jeremiah 25:20. The second son was: Buz his brother. His name is
also found in Jeremiah 25:23, and the territory by that name was the
home of Elihu (Job 32:2, 5). The third son was Kemuel, said to be the
father of Aram. Therefore, Aram was Nahor’s grandson; this
particular name is also found in Genesis 10:22. The fourth name is
Chesed, and he was the ancestor of the Kassdim or Chaldeans and is
mentioned in Job 1:17. Then came Hazo, who settled in Northern
Arabia. He was followed by Pildash, and Jidlaph, and finally Bethuel.
The text then states: Bethuel begat Rebekah, who is to play a major
role later in the book. The mention of Rebekah here being the
daughter of Bethuel sets the stage for the events coming up in chapter
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24. Bethuel was also the father of Laban, who was Rebekah’s
brother. The conclusion is: These eight did Milcah bear to Nahor,
Abraham’s brother.
Genesis 22:24 closes the account with the mention of the sons of
Reumah, who was Nahor’s concubine, listing four sons. The first son
was Tebah, a name mentioned in II Samuel 8:8 and
I Chronicles 18:8. The second son was Gaham. The third son was
Tahash. The fourth was Maacah, and he will be the father of the
Maacathites in Deuteronomy 3:14; Joshua 12:5; II Samuel 10:6, 8;
and I Chronicles 19:6. The Maacathites settled in Southern Syria
with Gilead on the south, Bashan on the east, and Mount Hermon
to the north.
Q. The Death and Burial of Sarah - 23:1-20
1. The Death of Sarah - 23:1-2
1And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and
twenty years: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
2And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron),
in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for
Sarah, and to weep for her.
Verse 1 gives Sarah’s age and death: Sarah was a hundred and
seven and twenty [127] years old when she died. What is significant
here is that she is the only woman in the entire Bible whose age at
death is recorded, which clearly indicates her special place in biblical
history. Her special place was also noted the way she is mentioned
later on; Isaiah 51:1-2 makes reference to Sarah, as does Peter in
I Peter 3:5-6. That meant that Abraham, at this point, was one
hundred thirty-seven [137] years old. It also means that Isaac was
thirty-seven [37] years old when his mother died.
Genesis 23:2 records her actual death: And Sarah died, and the
place was: in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron). Therefore, Hebron
was a later name. The original name was Kiriat Arba, which means
the “Village of the Four”; but later, because of Abraham’s
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connection, it was renamed Hebron, which means “friend,” because
he was the friend of God. The Kiriath-arba/Hebron connection is
mentioned elsewhere (Josh. 14:15, 15:13, 21:11; Judg. 1:10).
Moreover, the author specified that it was in the land of Canaan. It
then states: and Abraham came, meaning he had to come to where
Sarah was. She died in Hebron, but according to 21:33-34 and 22:19,
Abraham was living in Beersheba. Therefore, for some reason not
stated, Abraham and Sarah were geographically separated at the
point of her death. So now, he came from Beersheba to Hebron to
mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
2. The Cave of Machpelah - 23:3-18
3And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke
unto the children of Heth, saying, 4I am a stranger and a
sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying-
place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying
unto him, 6Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God
among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury your dead;
none of us shall withhold from you his sepulchre, but that
you may bury your dead. 7And Abraham rose up, and
bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the
children of Heth. 8And he communed with them, saying,
If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my
sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of
Zohar, 9that he may give me the cave of Machpelah,
which he had, which is in the end of his field; for the full
price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a
possession of a burying-place. 10Now Ephron was sitting
in the midst of the children of Heth: and Ephron the
Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the
children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of
his city, saying, 11Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I
you, and the cave that is therein, I give it you; in the
presence of the children of my people give I it you: bury
your dead. 12And Abraham bowed himself down before
the people of the land. 13And he spoke unto Ephron in the
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audience of the people of the land, saying, But if you
will, I pray you, hear me: I will give the price of the
field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. 14And
Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, 15My
lord, hearken unto me: a piece of land worth four
hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and
you? bury therefore your dead. 16And Abraham
hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to
Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of
the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver,
current money with the merchant.
17So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah,
which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which
was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that
were in all the border thereof round about, were made
sure 18unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of
the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate
of his city.
The negotiations and the purchase of the Cave of Machpelah
opens up in verses 3-4 with Abraham’s request, and verse 3 describes
Abraham’s approach to the Hittites: And Abraham rose up from before
his dead. Since Sarah was not yet buried, he rose up from before her
body, and then went to the Hittites who were then in the Land, and
spoke unto the children of Heth, saying. The specific request is in
verse 4, where Abraham stated three things. First, Abraham’s
position was: I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. He was a
nomad living in the Land which was promised to him; but at this
point, in the Land that he was supposed to own, he was a stranger
and a sojourner, not having enough real estate even to bury one body.
Second, the request was: Give me a possession of a burying-place with
you. Third, the purpose was: that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
Genesis 23:5-6 gives the Hittites’ response: And the children of
Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, Hear us, my lord. They
acknowledged Abraham’s position among them: You are a prince of
God among us. The Hittites’ response is an example of the fulfillment
of God’s promise that Abraham’s name would be great, and for that
reason came the offer: In the choice of our sepulchres bury your dead; in
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other words, “Choose any one of our sepulchres you like.” The
promise was: None of us shall withhold from you his sepulchre, but that
you may bury your dead. Therefore, they offer Abraham any sepulchre
he wanted, and no one will say “no” to him. The first implication
here is that they were offering it to him for free or a borrowed
sepulchre, but that was part of the negotiation process.
Abraham’s response to the Hittites is in 23:7. He followed strict
Middle East procedure where they negotiate slowly with all the right
moves: And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the
land, even to the children of Heth. Abraham carefully followed the
customs of the Land, typical of the Middle East, because it is
permitted to follow local customs and traditions that do not violate
the Word of God. He did not follow their religious customs but
their social customs, which of themselves were neutral and, therefore,
permissible.
Genesis 23:8-9 records Abraham’s request of Ephron. The
negotiation process continued: And he communed with them, saying;
and the basis of the request was: If it be your mind that I should bury
my dead out of my sight, if that is really what they are desirous to have
him do, then: Hear me. The request was: and entreat for me to Ephron
the son of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah. Machpelah
is a Hebrew word, literally meaning “a double cave.” It was in
Ephron’s possession, which he had, and the location was: which is in
the end of his field. He was not requesting for it free, but was willing
to pay: For the full price let him give it to me. In other words, he is
willing to pay top dollar, top shekel; he was willing to pay the full
value. The location was: in the midst of you, in that area of Canaan
then controlled by the Hittites, and the purpose was: for a possession
of a burying-place.
In Genesis 23:10-11, Ephron made an offer, with verse 10
introducing the person: Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the
children of Heth, indicating a position of authority. The setting of his
response was: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the
audience of the children of Heth. The phrase in the audience means they
were serving as witnesses to the sale, and so all this was very public.
This was witnessed by people coming and going: even of all that went
in at the gate of his city, where all transactions were legalized. Sitting
by the gate was here, as it was in Sodom, a position of authority. This
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was where business transactions took place in the presence of
witnesses. Verse 11 gives the offer: Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give
I you, and the cave that is therein, I give it [to] you; in the presence of the
children of my people give I it to you: bury your dead. Here again is what
appears to be an offer of a free place to bury, but the free offer was
not intended to be taken seriously because that was just the way
things were done in the ancient Middle East. Abraham understood
that he was not to accept the offer as given.
So 23:12-13 presents Abraham’s counter-offer, beginning in
verse 12. He again follows the traditional customary courtesy: And
Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. Negotiations
were done slowly. To make it palatable for the customs of that land,
one went through all of the motions. Then in verse 13, the offer
itself is given: And he spoke unto Ephron in the audience of the people of
the land, saying, But if you will, I pray you, hear me; and the offer was:
I will give the price of the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead
there. Following the custom of refusing a free offer and insisting on
payment was in keeping with the expected negotiation practice.
Then came Ephron’s asking price in 23:14-15: And Ephron
answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: a piece
of the land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me
and you? Yes, he was willing to sell the land and the cave for four
hundred shekels of silver. Then, with the question: What is that betwixt
me and you, he implied that this was not too high a price. In fact, this
was a highly inflated price because the average cost then was four
shekels per acre; but Abraham, at this price, will be paying about forty
shekels per acre. Again, this followed a Middle East custom in that
the initial asking price was intended to be deliberately a high price,
and then they would begin negotiating downward. So the offer was
at a very high price, and then Abraham could: Bury therefore [his]
dead.
But now, going contrary to the custom of negotiating downward,
Abraham chose not to negotiate, but in 23:16, he accepted this
inflated price: And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron. He did not
choose to negotiate downward, and Abraham weighed to Ephron the
silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth. Again,
these are the witnesses. He weighed out four hundred shekels of silver,
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current money with the merchant. In other words, he weighed out the
silver at the going rate at that time.
Then in 23:17-18, the purchase was officially sealed. Verse 17
records the inclusions: So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah,
which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and
all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders thereof
round about, were made sure. Finally, in verse 18, the sale was
legalized: that they were made sure unto Abraham for a possession in the
presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his
city. Once the legal transactions had taken place at the city gate and
before witnesses, the transaction was legal.
One observation to note here is that except for a well or possibly
several wells, this lot was the only part of the Promised Land
Abraham owned; and he voluntarily purchased it at a very inflated
price.
Another observation of the whole passage (23:3-18) in general is
that all was in keeping with the Hittite Law Code. For example,
several questions are answered by this understanding. Why does the
field come into play? Why could not Abraham have just bought the
cave? Why does he also have to have the field? Why did Ephron
insist turning over the field with the cave? Since Abraham was not
one who would be planting crops anyway, since he was strictly a
herdsman and shepherd and a nomad, why the field? The reason was
that Hittite law included feudal responsibilities for landowners, in
that service to be rendered to kings by landowners fell only if one
purchased a complete lot but not on someone who purchased only
part of the lot. Therefore, if Abraham purchased only the cave, then
Ephron would still have feudal responsibilities to the king regarding
it. The Hittite Law Code required the owner of a complete unit of
the land to perform the king’s ilku or feudal services:
If in a village anyone holds fields under as inheritance,
if the fields have all been given to him, he shall render
the services; if the fields have been given to him only
to a small part, he shall not render the services; they
shall render them from his father’s house. If he usurps
fields of the estate leaver, or the people of the village
give a field (to him), he shall render the services.
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If anyone holds fields as a gift from the king, he
shall not render services. The king only takes a loaf
from (his) table and gives it to him. If anyone buys
all the fields of a craftsman, they shall ask the king,
and he shall render those services which the king
orders. If there remains a field in the hands of the
man from whom he buys, he shall not render the
services. If the fields (and) fallow are vacant or the
people of the village give it to him, he shall render
the services.58
The reason Ephron did not want to sell only the cave is that he
would still be obligated to render feudal services. Therefore, by
getting rid of all of it, the whole unit, that would free him from
paying feudal responsibilities to the king for that section. As part of
the deed, he also mentioned the trees, and the mention of trees is
characteristic of Hittite business documents. It all fits well into the
second millennium B.C.
3. The Burial - 23:19-20
19And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the
cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (the same is
Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20And the field, and the
cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a
possession of a burying-place by the children of Heth.
The burial itself is described in verse 19. The timing was: And
after this, meaning after all the transactions, came the act: Abraham
buried Sarah his wife. The place was: in the cave of the field of
Machpelah before Mamre (the same is Hebron), and it was in the land of
Canaan.
Genesis 23:20 reaffirms this plot was Abraham’s only land
possession: And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure
58 Hittite Law Code, paragraphs 46-47.
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unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the children of Heth.
The Hittites were the neighbors to the burial cave.
Three observations of this passage can be made. First, Abraham
knew as of 22:20-24 that he still had a family in Haran in the land of
Aram where there was already a family burying place, and he could
have had the body of Sarah transferred to the family burial plot if he
had desired, just as Joseph would have Jacob’s body transferred from
Egypt to this same cave in the future. Therefore, Abraham had the
option of having the body buried in a family burial plot already that
already existed. Second, burying Sarah in the Land after buying the
field and the cave at a highly inflated price was, from his perspective,
an act of renunciation of Aram and Haran as being his home. Third,
Abraham recognized that his future was to be only in this Land.
That is the significance of the burial of Sarah and the purchase of the
Cave of Machpelah.
R. A Wife for Isaac - 24:1-67
1. Abraham’s Admonition to the Servant - 24:1-9
1And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age
and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things. 2And
Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house,
that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray you, your
hand under my thigh: 3 and I will make you swear by
Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth,
that you will not take a wife for my son of the daughters
of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4but you shall
go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife
for my son Isaac. 5And the servant said unto him,
Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow
me unto this land: must I needs bring your son again
unto the land from whence you came? 6And Abraham
said unto him, Beware you that you bring not my son
thither again. 7Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me
from my father’s house, and from the land of my
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nativity, and who spoke unto me, and who swore unto
me, saying, Unto your seed will I give this land; he will
send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for
my son from thence. 8And if the woman be not willing to
follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath;
only you shall not bring my son thither again. 9And the
servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his
master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
Verse 1 gives the occasion, describing Abraham’s age: And
Abraham was old, and well stricken in age; Abraham was now one
hundred forty [140] years old. Also by now: and Jehovah had blessed
Abraham in all things. Many, but not all, the individual promises to
Abraham contained in the Abrahamic Covenant were fulfilled in his
lifetime; one that has not been fulfilled was the ownership of all the
Promised Land. Nevertheless, Abraham had been extremely blessed
with wealth, status, and influence.
Genesis 24:2-4 deals with the oath between Abraham and his
servant, beginning in verse 2a with the addressee: And Abraham said
unto his servant, the elder of his house, which was a position of
authority: that ruled over all that he had. This was the chief servant,
the same as the Eliezer of Damascus (15:2). In fact, he would have
been the inheritor had Isaac not been born, but he lost his right of
inheritance once Isaac was born, or perhaps even earlier when
Ishmael was born. Nevertheless, he held no animosity. As a good
servant, he looked out for the welfare of his master; now he was the
one who was assigned to find a wife for Isaac. Verse 2b describes the
sign of the oath: Put, I pray you, your hand under my thigh. This was a
euphemism for genitals and actually meant the holding of the
genitals. It is the same word that is translated as “loins” in 46:26.
One reason for this procedure was due to the fact that the genitals
are the source of life and the seat of vital power, and so this would
solemnize the oath at the point of the very source of life. It was a
solemn sign that if the oath was not carried out, the children will
avenge the oath-taker’s unfaithfulness. This may be related to the
covenant of circumcision, which was on the same part of the body.
This procedure will be mentioned one more time, in 49:29. Then in
24:3a is the divine witness to the oath: and I will make you swear by
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Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth. The content of the
oath is spelled out in verses 3b-4, where Eliezer was told what he was
not to do and what he was to do. In verse 3b, what he was not to do:
that you will not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the
Canaanites, among whom I dwell. He was not to find a wife for Isaac
from among the Canaanites under any and all circumstances, and
that was the key element in the oath. Intermarriage with the
Canaanites would disinherit Abraham’s descendants from the Land.
However, in verse 4, Eliezer was instructed what he was to do: but
you shall go unto my country, go to Aram, Abrahamic country of
origin: and to my kindred, to the members of his family, those he only
learned about in 22:20-24, following the offering of Isaac. The
purpose was: and take a wife for my son Isaac.
In Genesis 24:5, the servant raised a question of supposition:
Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land.
Suppose he finds a woman willing to marry Isaac but she was not
willing to come to Canaan? What should he do? He then suggested
one possible solution: Must I needs bring your son again unto the land
from whence you came? In other words, should he then bring Isaac
back to Aram so he could be married there and live there?
Abraham’s answer comes in 24:6-8 and begins with a very strong
admonition in verse 6: Beware that you bring not my son thither again.
The you is emphatic: “Beware you that you bring not my son there
again.” Isaac was not to be taken to Aram. His place is in this Land
and nowhere else. Verse 7 reveals Abraham’s faith in God’s
provision: Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s
house, and from the land of my nativity, and who spoke unto me, and who
swore unto me, saying, Unto your seed will I give this land. For that
reason, Isaac must have a wife and produce a son. He will send his
angel before you; Abraham believed that there would be divine
providence in finding a wife for Isaac and that an angel would go
before the servant. The angel is not mentioned again, and the role
that he played was silent and totally unobserved, which is the normal
way that angels carry out the planned will of God. Nevertheless,
because of the providence of this angel, the result will be: and you
shall take a wife for my son from thence. So the content of the oath
included that the servant was not to find a wife for Isaac from among
the Canaanites nor take the son back to Aram, and those two things
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were unchangeable. The third element in this oath was that he was
to find a wife from Abraham’s family in Aram. It was this one point,
in verse 8, that Abraham gave to ease the servant’s anxiety and
provide an exemption: And if the woman be not willing to follow you,
then you shall be clear from this my oath, meaning he would be cleared
from his oath with Abraham to bring a wife from the family back to
Canaan. Since Abraham already stated that he believed that God
would provide the wife, he added this caveat to ease the servant’s
anxiety. Again, the part of the oath that was unchangeable: Only you
shall not bring my son thither again. Therefore, while the servant will
be exempt from this oath of bringing a family member back to
Canaan if she was not willing to go, he was not exempt from the part
of the oath that prohibited him from bringing Isaac to Aram. It is
better that Isaac should remain single in the Land than to go to
Aram and be married.
Finally, in 24:9, the oath was made: And the servant put his hand
under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this
matter.
2. The Servant’s Prayer - 24:10-14
10And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of
his master, and departed, having all goodly things of his
master’s in his hand: and he arose, and went to
Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. 11And he made the
camels to kneel down without the city by the well of
water at the time of evening, the time that women go
out to draw water. 12And he said, O Jehovah, the God of
my master Abraham, send me, I pray you, good speed this
day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham.
13Behold, I am standing by the fountain of water; and
the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to
draw water: 14and let it come to pass, that the damsel to
whom I shall say, Let down your pitcher, I pray you,
that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will
give your camels drink also: let the same be she that you
have appointed for your servant Isaac; and thereby shall
I know that you have showed kindness unto my master.
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Verse 10 describes the journey to Aram: And the servant took ten
camels. These were only a portion of the camels of his master, and it
proved to be a caravan of wealth: and [the servant] departed, having all
goodly things of his master’s in his hand. All this was to serve as the bride
price. The figure ten in gift giving is common in the Old Testament:
Jacob’s ten bulls (32:15), Joseph’s ten donkeys (45:23), Jesse’s ten
loaves (I Sam. 17:17), Jeroboam’s ten loaves (I Kings 14:3), and
Naaman’s ten talents (II Kings 5:5). Then came the journey: and he
arose, and went to Mesopotamia. In Hebrew, Aram Naharaim means
“Aram (or Syria) of the Two Rivers.” He traveled unto the city of Nahor,
which was the city of Haran. The total distance was four hundred fifty
miles. According to Rashi’s rabbinic imagination, the servant arrived
in Haran the same day he left because God shrunk the world for him.
Genesis 24:11 records the servant’s arrival: And he made the camels
to kneel down without the city by the well of water at the time of evening,
the time that women go out to draw water, a practice still followed in the
Middle East in many Arab towns. This is the first of three times when
a man interacts with a woman at a well, ending in marriage. The other
two men were Jacob (29:1-14) and Moses (Exod. 2:15-21).
Genesis 24:12-14 records the servant’s prayer, with verse 12
containing the actual request: O Jehovah, the God of my master
Abraham, send me, I pray you, good speed this day, and show kindness
unto my master Abraham. The servant did not ask for his own sake,
but asked for Abraham’s sake as a good servant looking out for the
welfare of his master. In verses 13-14, he requests a sign, with
verse 13 describing the position of the servant and the action of the
women: Behold, I am standing by the fountain of water; and the
daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. That is to
be the circumstance for the sign. Then in verse 14, he asked for
God’s providence in the phrase and let it come to pass. The specific
sign was to be as follows: that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down
your pitcher, I pray you, that I may drink …and she shall say, Drink, and
I will give your camels drink also. The fact that she would on her own
initiative be willing to provide drink for ten thirsty camels after such
a long journey would certainly attest to her industriousness, and that
would be the convincing sign: Let the same be she that you have
appointed for your servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that you have
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showed kindness unto my master. Again, his concern is not for himself,
but for Abraham.
3. The Servant and Rebekah - 24:15-27
15And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that,
behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the
son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother,
with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16And the damsel
was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any
man known her: and she went down to the fountain,
and filled her pitcher, and came up. 17And the servant
ran to meet her, and said, Give me to drink, I pray you,
a little water from your pitcher. 18And she said, Drink,
my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon
her hand, and gave him drink. 19And when she had done
giving him drink, she said, I will draw for your camels
also, until they have done drinking. 20And she hasted,
and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again
unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. 21And
the man looked stedfastly on her, holding his peace, to
know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous
or not. 22And it came to pass, as the camels had done
drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel
weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels
weight of gold, 23and said, Whose daughter are you? tell
me, I pray you. Is there room in your father’s house for us
to lodge in? 24And she said unto him, I am the daughter
of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nahor.
25She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and
provender enough, and room to lodge in. 26And the man
bowed his head, and worshipped Jehovah. 27And he said,
Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who
has not forsaken his lovingkindness and his truth toward
my master: as for me, Jehovah has led me in the way to
the house of my master’s brethren.
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The account of the servant and Rebekah begins in verses 15-16
with the introduction to Rebekah, starting with her origin in
verse 15. The timing was: And it came to pass, before he had done
speaking, in other words, God had answered his prayer before he was
even finished praying. The action was: Rebekah came out, who was
born to Bethuel, who was the son of Milcah, which means she was the
granddaughter of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, meaning she was also the
granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, making her Abraham’s
grandniece. That is who she was, picking up from 22:20-22, showing
the family relationship. She was Isaac’s second cousin, and her name
meant “calf-like.” She came, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
Verse 16a describes Rebekah in two ways. First, her beauty: And the
damsel was very fair to look upon, as was the case with Sarah (12:11).
Second, she was a virgin. The Hebrew word here is betulah, from the
Hebrew root batal, which means “to separate,” “to keep oneself in
modesty,” “to be marriageable.” Since the word itself does not denote
absolute virginity, this is why the author had to add an explanation:
neither had any man known her, an explanation that would not have
been necessary if the word betulah by itself was sufficient to denote
absolute virginity. The Talmud also recognized this fact: Betulah by
itself does not imply the characteristic of virgin purity, but only states
age and condition.59 The word almah, as in Isaiah 7:14, is a better
word to convey that truth. Verse 16b states her arrival: and she went
down to the fountain, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
Then in 24:17, the servant approached her with his test question:
The servant ran to meet her, showing a sense of urgency, and then:
said, Give me to drink, I pray you, a little water from your pitcher.
Rebekah’s response is recorded in 24:18-20, with verse 18 giving
her response to the servant: And she said, Drink, my lord: and she
hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
However, this was not yet the sign, for what she offered would have
been the common courtesy of that day. Nevertheless, she passed the
test in verses 19-20, in connection with the camels. In verse 19, she
made the offer. The timing was: And when she had done giving him
drink, once he was satisfied with water, she said, I will draw for your
59 Yevamot 61b.
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camels also, meaning she offered to provide water for all ten, until they
are done drinking, and camels do drink a lot. In verse 20 is the
fulfillment: And she hasted, meaning she was expeditious, and emptied
her pitcher into the trough, the first of many times she had to do so,
and ran again unto the well to draw. This required many repeated
actions: and drew for all his camels. In verses 16-20, Rebekah is
viewed as being very active. The Hebrew text here has only one verb
for speech, but Rebekah is the subject of eleven verbs of action.
Genesis 24:21 reveals the servant’s observation: And the man
looked stedfastly on her, holding his peace. He said nothing; he simply
observed. The purpose of his observation was to know whether
Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not. He was observing to see
if this was indeed the answer to his prayer.
Genesis 24:22 describes the servant’s action after his period of
observation. The timing was: And it came to pass, as the camels had
done drinking. After all the camels had been satisfied, then came the
gift: that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, [the Hebrew
word means it was a nose ring] and two bracelets for her hands of ten
shekels weight of gold.
Then in 24:23 came the servant’s inquiry, and he raised two
questions. The first question was: Whose daughter are you? tell me, I
pray you. The second question was: Is there room in your father’s house
for us to lodge in?
Genesis 24:24-25 records Rebekah’s two answers. The first
answer is in verse 24: She said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel
the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nahor, which showed that she
was related to Abraham’s family, which was part of the condition
Abraham had laid upon his servant. Then in verse 25 is the second
answer: She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender
enough, and room to lodge in. Her invitation includes all the other men
who came with the servant, not just the camels.
In Genesis 24:26-27 are the servant’s two responses. The first
response, in verse 26, was that of worship: And the man bowed his
head, and worshipped. The second response is in verse 27, that of
thanksgiving: Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who
has not forsaken his lovingkindness and his truth toward my master. In
this thanksgiving, there is a clear recognition of God’s covenantal
loyalty to Abraham: As for me, Jehovah has led me in the way to the
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house of my master’s brethren; he recognized God’s providential
control, that the angel was doing things that were not mentioned
and were sight unseen. God providentially, through that angel, made
sure that the first woman who even came to the well was the one that
met Abraham’s condition of being of that same family and that she
was willing to do what the servant asked as a sign. The servant
recognized God’s total providential control.
4. The Servant and Laban - 24:28-49
a. The Servant in the House - 24:28-33
28And the damsel ran, and told her mother’s house
according to these words. 29And Rebekah had a
brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran
out unto the man, unto the fountain. 30And it came
to pass, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets
upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the
words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spoke the
man unto me; that he came unto the man; and,
behold, he was standing by the camels at the
fountain. 31And he said, Come in, you blessed of
Jehovah; wherefore stand you without? for I have
prepared the house, and room for the camels. 32And
the man came into the house, and he ungirded the
camels; and he gave straw and provender for the
camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the
men that were with him. 33And there was set food
before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I
have told my errand. And he said, Speak on.
Verse 28 records Rebekah’s report: And the damsel ran, (again,
there was a sense of urgency), and told her mother’s house according to
these words.
In 24:29-30, the key response came not from Rebekah’s parents,
but from her brother Laban, with verse 29 describing Laban’s action:
And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran
out unto the man, unto the fountain. Laban’s motivation is spelled out
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in verse 30: And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets
upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister,
saying, Thus spoke the man unto me. Laban’s motivation was not the
family connection but the wealth. This was true here and will be true
again in the story of Jacob later in the Book of Genesis. Laban was
motivated by what he saw, and that was the wealth. His action was:
that he came unto the man; and, behold, he was standing by the camels at
the fountain, still standing right where Rebekah had left him waiting
to see what God would do next.
Genesis 24:31 records Laban’s invitation: Come in, you blessed of
Jehovah. It is obvious that Laban had a knowledge of the true God;
that knowledge was still retained in the Mesopotamian region.
Wherefore stand you without? “Why are you still standing out here?”
Then Laban claimed: for I have prepared the house, and room for the
camels. He hardly has had time to do so, but he wanted to set up the
relationship very quickly, due to the wealth with which he was so
impressed.
In 24:32-33, Laban’s hospitality was given in two categories: to
the caravan as a whole and to the servant in particular. The first
category, in verse 32, was for the caravan: And the man came into the
house, and he ungirded the camels; and he gave straw and provender for
the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men that were
with him. This shows that the servant was not traveling alone; there
were others with him as well. A group of men had come to find one
woman. The second category, in verse 33, was the hospitality for the
servant in particular: And there was set food before him to eat. It was
now time to partake of the Middle East hospitality meal, yet the
servant delayed the partaking of the food: But he said, I will not eat,
until I have told my errand. He wanted to expedite his mission, and
that was more important to him than eating the food. The response
of Laban was: Speak on. No doubt, he wished to know what brought
all this wealth into his domain.
b. The Telling of the Story - 24:34-49
34And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. 35And Jehovah
has blessed my master greatly. And he is become great.
And he has given him flocks and herds, and silver and
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gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels
and asses. 36And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my
master when she was old. And unto him has he given all
that he has. 37And my master made me swear, saying,
You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of
the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell. 38But you shall
go unto my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a
wife for my son. 39And I said unto my master,
Peradventure the woman will not follow me. 40And he
said unto me, Jehovah, before whom I walk, will send
his angel with you, and prosper your way; and you shall
take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s
house. 41Then shall you be clear from my oath, when you
come to my kindred. And if they give her not to you, you
shall be clear from my oath. 42And I came this day unto
the fountain, and said, O Jehovah, the God of my master
Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go.
43Behold, I am standing by the fountain of water; and let
it come to pass, that the maiden that comes forth to
draw, to whom I shall say, Give me, I pray you, a little
water from your pitcher to drink. 44And she shall say to
me, Both drink you, and I will also draw for your
camels. Let the same be the woman whom Jehovah has
appointed for my master’s son. 45And before I had done
speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with
her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the
fountain, and drew. And I said unto her, Let me drink,
I pray you. 46And she made haste, and let down her
pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will
give your camels drink also. So I drank, and she made
the camels drink also. 47And I asked her, and said, Whose
daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of
Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore unto him. And
I put the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her
hands. 48And I bowed my head, and worshipped
Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master
Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my
master’s brother’s daughter for his son. 49And now if ye
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will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And
if not, tell me. That I may turn to the right hand, or to
the left.
The servant now gave a lengthy repetition of what had already
been stated in the account itself. Beginning in verse 34, the servant
identifies himself: And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. A good
servant he was, always looking out for the benefit of his master, not
jealous that Isaac, having been born, would now receive Abraham’s
inheritance, which otherwise would have been his.
Then in 24:35, the servant related the blessing of Abraham: And
Jehovah has blessed my master greatly. And he is become great. Then he
spelled out how God blessed Abraham, listing a total of eight things:
flocks, herds, silver, gold, men-servants, maid-servants, camels, and asses.
Next, in 24:36, the servant moved from telling about Abraham’s
material wealth to the subject of Abraham’s son: And Sarah my
master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; she was ninety
[90] years old at the time. Now this son has become the heir: And
unto him has he given all that he has. Isaac, not Eliezer of Damascus,
will receive the inheritance; Isaac, not Ishmael, will receive the
inheritance.
Then in 24:37-41, the servant recounted to them the oath that
he was asked to take, beginning in verse 37 with the prohibition: And
my master made me swear, saying, You shall not take a wife for my son of
the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, showing that at
this point, Abraham recognized the Canaanites still had ownership of
the land; he knows that he and his son do not yet have ownership of
this land. So in verse 38, the servant explains that he was sent to seek
a wife from Abraham’s family: but you shall go unto my father’s house,
and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son. The servant then
recounts his concern in verse 39: Peradventure the woman will not
follow me. Abraham’s response is given in verses 40-41, with verse 40
recounting Abraham’s faith in God’s providence and what Abraham
said to him: Jehovah, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you,
and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son of my kindred,
and of my father’s house. From Abraham’s perspective, there was no
doubt this was something God was going to do. However, in
verse 41, it is clear that was not necessarily true from the servant’s
TOLDOT of Terah
383
perspective. Thus, Abraham provided the condition by which the
servant could be free from his oath: Then shall you be clear from my
oath, when you come to my kindred. And if they give her not to you, you
shall be clear from my oath.
Next, in 24:42-44, the servant recounted his prayer at the well,
with verse 42 recording his cry for help: And I came this day unto the
fountain, and said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, if now
you do prosper my way which I go, then let there be the sign. In
verses 43-44, he requests the sign, beginning with the circumstance:
Behold, I am standing by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass,
that the maiden that comes forth to draw. Here the word for maiden is
not the same word used earlier. Instead, almah is used, which is the
actual word for virgin; and because it does clearly imply virginity, it
did not require the explanatory statement as with betulah in verse 16.
The content of the sign was to be: I shall say, Give me, I pray you, a
little water from your pitcher to drink. And she shall say to me, Both drink
you, and I will also draw for your camels. Let the same be the woman
whom Jehovah has appointed for my master’s son.
Finally, in 24:45-48, the servant repeated the answer to the
prayer, beginning in verse 45a with Rebekah’s approach. The timing
was: And before I had done speaking in my heart, the answer came.
Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down
unto the fountain, and drew. Then in verse 45b came the test question:
I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray you, followed in verse 46 with the
passing of the test: And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from
her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give your camels drink also. The
result was: So I drank, and she made the camels drink also. The
conversation is related in verse 47 between the servant and Rebekah:
And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The
daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore unto him. The
identification was followed by the servant’s action: And I put the ring
upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands. In verse 48, Abraham’s
servant recounts his thanksgiving: I bowed my head, and worshipped
Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, and the
reason was: who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s
daughter for his son. Therefore, he recounted the entire story in great
detail, to show the importance of the mission, and the need for the
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384
family to see that it was important for Rebekah to return with him to
the House of Abraham.
In 24:49, he then made a specific request, which had a positive
and a negative aspect. Positively: And now if ye will deal kindly and
truly with my master, tell me. Nevertheless, negatively: And if not, tell
me. The reason he needed to know was: That I may turn to the right
hand, or to the left, so he will know which action he must take from
this point on. The servant clearly recognized the hand of the Lord in
all that has transpired so far, but he still made no assumptions. He
waited for his prayer to be fulfilled in its entirety.
5. The Betrothal of Isaac and Rebekah - 24:50-60
50Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The
thing proceeds from Jehovah. We cannot speak unto you
bad or good. 51Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her,
and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as
Jehovah has spoken. 52And it came to pass, that, when
Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself
down to the earth unto Jehovah. 53And the servant
brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and
raiment, and gave them to Rebekah. He gave also to her
brother and to her mother precious things. 54And they did
eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and
tarried all night. And they rose up in the morning, and
he said, Send me away unto my master. 55And her
brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with
us a few days, at the least ten. After that she shall go.
56And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing Jehovah
has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to
my master. 57And they said, We will call the damsel, and
inquire at her mouth. 58And they called Rebekah, and
said unto her, Will you go with this man? And she said,
I will go. 59And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and
her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men. 60And
they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Our sister, be
you the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let
your seed possess the gate of those that hate them.
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385
The betrothal of Isaac and Rebekah begins with verses 50-51
recording the consent of Laban and Bethuel, and in verse 50, they
recognized divine providence: Then Laban and Bethuel answered and
said, The thing proceeds from Jehovah: we cannot speak unto you bad or
good. Meaning they were not the ones to say yes or no; the thing was
obviously superintended by Jehovah God. Therefore, in verse 51,
Laban and Bethuel offered their consent: Behold, Rebekah is before
you, take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Jehovah
has spoken. The consent came from both the father and the brother.
In fact, a brother’s participation in these types of negotiations was
common in those days (34:5-7; Judg. 21:22).
Genesis 24:52 records the servant’s further thanksgiving: And it
came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed
himself down to the earth unto Jehovah. Now the prayer had been fully
answered.
Then in 24:53, the servant paid the bride price: And the servant
brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave
them to Rebekah. He gave also to her brother and to her mother precious
things.
Finally, in 24:54a, Abraham’s servant was able to partake of the
festive meal: And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with
him, and tarried all night. It would have been easier to enjoy the meal
now that all the questions were answered.
In 24:54b came the servant’s request for the departure: And they
rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. The
servant now wished to complete his mission without any delay.
In 24:55, however, came the request for a delay: And her brother
and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least
ten. After that she shall go. They wanted to prolong the departure for
at least ten days more.
However, in 24:56, the servant issued his rejection of the delay:
He said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing Jehovah has prospered my way.
Send me away that I may go to my master. Seeing that God had
expedited things, therefore, the servant needed to expedite things.
In 24:57-58, there seemed to be another attempt at a delay by
insisting on getting Rebekah’s consent. Verse 57 states: We will call
the damsel, and inquire at her mouth. Verse 58 records that they were
hoping she would provide a request for delaying the journey, but that
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386
was not what happened. She was asked: Will you go with this man?
Normally in ancient Middle East practices, the daughter’s consent
was not required; but under Hurrian Law, which was in effect here,
the consent of the daughter was required. Her answer was: I will go.
Rebekah’s consent was immediate; she was ready to leave that very
morning, and so she did not encourage any delay either.
Finally, in 24:59-60 came the departure for Canaan, with
verse 59 dealing with Rebekah’s entourage: And they sent away
Rebekah their sister, and her nurse. According to 35:8, the nurse’s
name was Deborah. She was the one that had suckled Rebekah at
birth; by the time she died, Deborah was a part of Jacob’s household
(35:8). In addition to the two women were: Abraham’s servant, and
his men. The party is sent out in verse 60, with the betrothal blessing:
And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Our sister, be you the mother
of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those
that hate them.
6. Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah - 24:61-67
61And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode
upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant
took Rebekah, and went his way. 62And Isaac came from
the way of Beer-lahai-roi; for he dwelled in the land of
the South. 63And Isaac went out to meditate in the field
at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and,
behold, there were camels coming. 64And Rebekah lifted
up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from
the camel. 65And she said unto the servant, What man is
this that walks in the field to meet us? And the servant
said, It is my master: and she took her veil, and covered
herself. 66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he
had done. 67And Isaac brought her into his mother
Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife;
and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his
mother’s death.
After a very long prelude came the marriage of Isaac and
Rebekah, with verse 61 describing the journey and the arrival of the
bride, starting with the fact: And Rebekah arose, and her damsels,
TOLDOT of Terah
387
showing that there were a number of other maid-servants besides
Deborah. Their means of transportation was: they rode upon the
camels, and followed the man. The role of the servant was: and the
servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
Genesis 24:62-63 records Isaac’s encounter, with verse 62
reporting on Isaac’s journey: And Isaac came from the way of
Beer-lahai-roi, which was the place of Hagar’s encounter with the
Angel of Jehovah in 16:14. By this point, the water, which had
provided sustenance for Hagar and Ishmael, had under the
ownership of Isaac as his property. According to Rashi, Isaac went
there to fetch Hagar to bring her back to Abraham now that Sarah
was dead, but there is no evidence of this in the text. What it does
say is: for he dwelled in the land of the South, meaning Isaac, like his
father, lived in the Negev Desert; and it was there that Beer-lahai-roi
was located. Verse 63 gives the occasion: And Isaac went out to
meditate in the field at the eventide. In other words, this was Isaac’s
evening prayer time; toward the evening, when it was the cool of the
day, he went out to meditate. The Hebrew word for meditate is a
hapax-legomena, and this is the only place it appears in the biblical
text. During his meditation, Isaac made the following observation:
He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming. He
saw the caravan coming, and perhaps anticipated it might be carrying
the woman he was to marry.
Genesis 24:64-65 records Rebekah’s encounter, with verse 64
giving the occasion: And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw
Isaac, she alighted from the camel. The Hebrew word for alighted is
naphal, which normally means “to fall.” The picture being conveyed
is that when she saw Isaac, she “fell off” her camel. This did not
happen because she knew who he was, because the event happened
before she knew who he was. Therefore, when she saw Isaac,
something about Isaac’s demeanor or looks or whatever caused her to
fall off her camel. If ever there was any implication of love at first
sight, this may very well be it. Again, this was before she knew who
he was; because only in verse 65 is Isaac identified to her. Her
question was: And she said unto the servant, What man is this that walks
in the field to meet us? The servant’s answer was: It is my master.
Rebekah’s response was: and she took her veil, and covered herself, she
now veiled her face. What this shows is that the women in this
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388
context did not walk around with veiled faces. Her face had been
unveiled up to this point, and only now does she veil her face. That
was in keeping with the custom of those days in that the bride’s face
was veiled on the wedding night. This helps to explain why later in
Genesis, Jacob did not recognize with whom he was actually sleeping
that first night. Nevertheless, realizing that Isaac is the one she is
going to marry, in keeping with the tradition of a bride veiling her
face on the wedding night, she veiled herself.
In 24:66 came the servant’s report to Isaac: And the servant told
Isaac all the things that he had done. As he had recounted everything to
Laban, Eliezer (the servant) now also recounted to Isaac, adding
details of the things that happened thereafter. Therefore, there was
no doubt in Isaac’s mind that Rebekah was the one that was chosen
by God to be his wife. Everything was in keeping within the confines
of the oath that the servant was asked to take from Abraham.
Finally, in 24:67, is the marriage between Isaac and Rebekah.
The ceremony was: And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent.
That was the essence of the ceremony in that day—nothing
elaborate. Although Sarah had been dead and buried for three years
now, the tent was still there—empty but still there—waiting for the
wedding ceremony to occur. The essence of the wedding ceremony
was taking her into the tent, and following that came the first sexual
intercourse: and [he] took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and then
came the commitment: and he loved her. The result was: and Isaac was
comforted after his mother’s death. According to Rashi, in one of his
far-fetched interpretations, Rebekah was only three years old at the
time. Hardly logical and even less so exegetical.
This helps to clarify exactly what a biblical marriage is and is not.
A biblical marriage is not merely living together; nor is a biblical
marriage merely sexual union. It was possible to have sexual union
without marriage even within the biblical context. However, there
were three elements in a biblical marriage. First, there had to be a
commitment to one another; she was committed to Isaac, and Isaac
was committed to her. There may not have been any love at this
point because, as in the case here, they had only just met. This shows
it is possible to make a commitment without the feeling of love per
se, but the commitment to love the one you marry. The second
necessary element is the marriage ceremony, a ceremony recognized
TOLDOT of Terah
389
by society to be a marriage ceremony. With different societies there
are different customs, but every society has a ceremony for marriage,
such as marrying under a canopy or the custom of exchanging rings
and exchanging vows. The third element for a biblical marriage is the
first sexual union by which the couple becomes one.
S. Abraham and Keturah - 25:1-6
1And Abraham took another wife, and her name
was Keturah. 2And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan,
and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3And
Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan
were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. 4And the
sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and
Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of
Keturah. 5And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
6But unto the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had,
Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac
his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east
country.
This is another account of a marriage, this time of Abraham and
Keturah, beginning in verse 1 with a statement of the marriage: And
Abraham took another wife. In I Chronicles 1:32, she is listed as a
concubine. Moreover, Abraham was one hundred thirty-seven years
old when Sarah died, so Abraham still had thirty-eight years to live
after that. He was one hundred [100] years old when Isaac was born
(21:1-3), he was a hundred thirty-seven [137] years old when Sarah
died (23:1), and he was one hundred seventy-five [175] years old
when he died (in 25:7). So he lived another thirty-eight years after
Sarah died. The identity of the new wife was: and her name was
Keturah, meaning “perfume” or “incense.” According to Rashi, this
was not another woman, but it was Hagar.
Genesis 25:2-4 lists the descendants of Keturah. Verse 2 lists her
six sons. Her first son was Zimran; and his descendants are located on
the West Arabian Coast and are identified by some with the Amereni
Tribe of the interior of Arabia. The second son was Jokshan, located in
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390
South Arabia. The third son was Medan, located South of Eilat on the
eastern shore of the Gulf of Eilat, or the Gulf of Aqaba, and identified
with the Modiana of Eilat. The fourth son was Midian, located in
Northwest Arabia and South Sinai. Because the Midianite tribe does
play roles in later history, it is mentioned in several places:
Genesis 37:28; Exodus 2:15 - 3:1 (for forty years their territory was the
home of Moses, and the wife of Moses was a Midianite); Exodus 18:1;
Numbers 25:16-18; Joshua 13:21; and Judges 6:1 - 7:25. The fifth son
was Ishbak, located in the Edomite country in what is now Southern
Jordan. The sixth son was Shuah, located in the Syro-Arabian Desert,
and the home of Bildad the Shuhite (Job 2:11). Therefore, Abraham
had six more sons for a total of eight. Then in verse 3a is a list of the
sons of Jokshan: And Jokshan begat two sons. The first was Sheba,
located in Southwest Arabia. The Semitic Sheba replaced the Hamitic
Sheba of Genesis 10:7, and these were the Sabeans of Job 1:15 and the
Sheba of Job 6:19. The second son is Dedan, located in Southwestern
Arabia. His people replaced the Hamitic Dedan of Genesis 10:7.
Sheba and Dedan are mentioned together in Isaiah 21:13,
Jeremiah 25:23 and 49:8, and Ezekiel 25:13. Verse 3b lists the three
sons of Dedan, but they are listed as tribes rather than individuals, and
were located in Northern Arabia. These tribes were: the Asshurim; the
Asir or the Aser people of South Hejas; the Letushim, the Banu Leits
on the Hejas; and the Leummim, the tribe of Banu Lam in
Mesopotamia. Verse 4a lists the five sons of Midian: Ephah, also
mentioned in I Chronicles 2:46; Epher, the tribe known as the Banu
Gifar of the Hejas; Hanoch, the Hanokye tribe north of Medina; Abida,
the tribe of Abide; and Eldaah, the tribe of Ladah. Verse 4b contains a
summary statement: All these were the children of Keturah, and this list is
parallel to I Chronicles 1:32-33. (See figure 5 for a genealogy chart for
Abraham and Keturah.) The birth of these sons, grandsons, and great
grandsons is in fulfillment of one of the promises God made to
Abraham in 17:4, to make of Abraham a father of many nations. His
six sons fathered six tribes or nations, and some of the other sons
fathered others. This shows that the vitality that was restored to
Abraham at the age of ninety-nine was permanent and not temporary
in that he was able to produce through this restored virility six more
children.
TOLDOT of Terah
391
Figure 5. The Sons of Abraham and Keturah
Then in 25:5, a contrast is made between the son of Sarah and
the sons of Keturah: And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. Isaac
was the covenant-son, so Isaac became the heir of all things. Then
the focus shifts to the sons of the concubines, the sons of the other two
women, Hagar and Keturah, who are listed as concubines. Keturah is
also referred to as such in I Chronicles 1:32. In verse 6, to his other
seven sons, Abraham gave gifts. These were one-time, probably
sizable, costly presents; they are one-time parting gifts in place of the
ongoing inheritance that was given to Isaac. Then the text states: He
sent them away from Isaac his son. He made sure that there was a
distance between Isaac and his other sons, for Isaac was to inherit the
Land. The Hebrew word means it was a deliberate sending away
from his son and from the Promised Land because they were not
part of the covenant; the Abrahamic Covenant was sustained only
through Isaac. This he did while he yet lived. He did not wait until he
died for things to be worked out; in order that there be no disputes
after his death whatsoever as to what was to go to Isaac and what was
to go to his other sons, he divided his inheritance while he yet lived.
He gave the others gifts and then sent them all away; he sent them
eastward, east of the Promised Land: unto the east country; he sent
them into the Trans-Jordan area and the Saudi Arabian area.
T. The Death of Abraham - 25:7-11
7And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life
which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years.
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392
8And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old
age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to
his people. 9And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in
the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of
Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre. 10The field
which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. There
was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. 11And it came
to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed
Isaac his son. And Isaac dwelled by Beer-lahai-roi.
This toldot ends with the death and burial of Abraham. Verse 7
gives his age: And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he
lived. And the years are a hundred threescore and fifteen [175] years. This
was a fulfillment of God’s promise to him (15:15) that he would be
buried at a good old age. Isaac was now seventy-five years old, and Jacob
and Esau were fifteen years old, thus Abraham got to see his
grandchildren from Isaac. This again shows that Genesis was not
written in strict chronological sequence. It is basically chronological,
but not strictly chronological, because sometimes one story comes to
an end; and then the text goes back earlier into history to begin a new
story, as in the case of the account of Jacob and Esau coming up shortly.
Genesis 25:8 records the actual death of Abraham: And Abraham
gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age. His stated death is
described in two phrases: first, he was an old man; and second, he was
full of years. At this point, he was gathered to his people, again
indicating faith in the afterlife. This cannot be speaking of his
physical interment because he was not put together physically with
his people. Physically, these people were in Mesopotamia, and the
family burial plot was in Haran; but he was buried in the Land.
Therefore, this is speaking of the immaterial part of Abraham, not
the material part. This phrase “gathered to his people” is used ten
times, and only in the Pentateuch: Genesis 25:8, of Abraham; 25:17,
of Ishmael; 35:29, of Isaac; 49:29, of Jacob; 49:33, of Jacob;
Numbers 20:24, of Aaron; 20:26, of Aaron; 27:13, of Moses; 31:2, of
Moses; and Deuteronomy 32:50, of Aaron and Moses. A parallel
phrase is gathered to his fathers in Genesis 15:15 and 47:30. The
process of Abraham’s death is presented in four chronological steps:
breathing his last, dying, being gathered to his ancestors, and being
TOLDOT of Terah
393
buried. The dying precedes being gathered to the ancestors, and the
gathering to the ancestors precedes being buried; so being gathered
and being buried are not the same. Being gathered implies a reunion
in the afterlife. At least four of the individuals of whom the phrase is
used were not buried in their ancestral cemetery: Abraham, Ishmael,
Aaron, and Moses. This was also the rabbinic view: He gathered into
the band of eternal life together with the righteous of all generations
who, being like him in that respect, were “his people.”
Genesis 25:9-10 records Abraham’s burial: Isaac and Ishmael his
sons buried him. The two half-brothers got together for this occasion,
and the place was: in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son
of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre. This was: The field that
Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. There was Abraham buried,
and Sarah his wife. Isaac and Ishmael bury Abraham where he had
earlier buried Sarah in the cave of Machpelah.
This section and this toldot end in 25:11 with the blessing of
Isaac. The timing was: And it came to pass after the death of Abraham;
following Abraham’s death came the act: God blessed Isaac his son. Up
to now, Isaac was blessed because he was under the Household of
Abraham; therefore, he merely partook of the blessings God was
giving to Abraham. Now Isaac received the blessing of God in his
own right, showing that the Abrahamic Covenant has now been
transferred to Isaac in fulfillment of 17:21. Isaac’s place of residence
was: He dwelled by Beer-lahai-roi. This was the place where the
Angel of Jehovah appeared to Hagar informing her of Ishmael’s
birth; but Isaac, not Ishmael inherits the Land.
Table 13 summarizes Abraham’s position in his family, his
marriages, and his children that would receive God’s promises.
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394
Table 13. Genealogy of Terah:
From Terah to the Twelve Sons of Jacob
T
ERAH
Haran Nahor Sarai
*
A
br
a
m
-Lo
t
(
dau
g
hter Ha
g
ar
(
Sarai’s
-Moab o
f
Terah, handmaid
)
-
A
mmon wi
f
e o
f
Ishmael
-
I
scah
(
dau
g
hter
A
braham
)
o
f
Haran
)
-Milcah Milcah
(
wi
f
e o
f
(
dau
g
hter o
f
N
ahor
)
Haran, Uz
w. o
f
Nahor
)
Buz
Kemuel
Hazo
Pildash
J
idla
p
hSarai
(
wi
f
e o
f
Abraham
)
Bethuel Isaac
Rebekah Rebekah, wi
f
e o
f
Isaa
c
(
wi
f
e o
f
Isaac
)
Esau
Laban
J
acob
Leah Leah
(
wi
f
e o
f
Jacob
)
1.
R
EUBEN
2. SIMEON
3. LEVI
4.
J
UDAH
5. ISSACHAR
6. ZEBULUN
Dinah
Rache
l
Rachel
(
wi
f
e o
f
Jacob
)
Reuman
(
wi
f
e o
f
7.
J
OSEPH
N
ahor
)
-E
p
hraim
Tebah -Manasseh
Gaham 8. BENJAMIN
Maacah Bilhah
(
w. o
f
Jacob
)
Tahash 9. D
A
N
10. N
A
PHTALI
Zil
p
hah
(
w. o
f
Jacob
)
11. G
A
D
12.
A
SHER
Ketura
h
(
wi
f
e o
f
Abraham
)
Zimran
J
okshan
Medan
Midian
Ishba
k
Shuah
* Sarah was Abram’s hal
f
-sister.
VIII. Toldot of Ishmael - 25:12-18
A. The Sons of Ishmael - 25:12-16
12Now these are the generations of Ishmael,
Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s
handmaid, bore unto Abraham. 13And these are the
names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to
their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth,
and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 14and Mishma,
and Dumah, and Massa, 15Hadad, and Tema, Jetur,
Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These are the sons of Ishmael,
and these are their names, by their villages, and by their
encampments. Twelve princes according to their nations.
The eighth toldot begins with the list of the sons of Ishmael with
verse 12a stating: Now these are the generations of Ishmael, meaning
what became of Ishmael, which was his twelve sons and tribes.
In Genesis 25:12b is Ishmael’s identification: Abraham’s son,
whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bore unto Abraham.
Genesis 25:13-15 goes on to list the twelve sons, beginning in
verse 13a with an introductory statement: And these are the names of the
sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations, meaning
there will be twelve Arab nations or tribes. Then in verses 13b-15 is
the list of names, which are paralleled in I Chronicles 1:28-31. The
first name is Nebaioth, and he was the first-born of Ishmael. From him
came the Nabateans, who built the famous cities of Petra and Teman,
mentioned in Isaiah 60:7. The second son is Kedar, located in
Northwest Arabia, also mentioned in Psalm 120:5 and in
Isaiah 21:16-17, 42:11, and 60:7 (the latter being the only other
passage where the first two sons are named together); and in
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Jeremiah 2:10 and 49:28-33; and also in Ezekiel 27:21. The third son
is Adbeel, located in Northern Arabia, identified with the tribe of
Idiba’il or Idibi’li. The fourth son was Mibsam, mentioned also in
I Chronicles 4:25. The fifth son is Mishma, located northeast of
Medina, and also mentioned in I Chronicles 4:25. The sixth son is
Dumah, located in the Arabian Highlands north of Teman, identified
with the Dumat el jeudel or the Dumat al jandel and also mentioned in
Joshua 15:52 and Isaiah 21:11. The seventh son is Massa, located
northeast of Duma and mentioned in Proverbs 30:1 and 31:1. The
eighth son is Hadad, location unknown. Otherwise the name Hadad
only appears of individuals from Edom (Gen. 36:35-36,
I Kings 11:14-25, I Chron. 1:50-51). The ninth son is Tema, located
in Northwest Arabia, northwest of Medina, between Dedan and Buzi.
Today it is the town of Tema, mentioned in Job 6:19, Isaiah 21:14,
and Jeremiah 25:23. The tenth son is Jetur, located in Trans-Jordan,
identified with the Itureans of Luke 3:1 and also mentioned in
I Chronicles 5:19. The eleventh son is Naphish, located in
Trans-Jordan, also mentioned in I Chronicles 5:19. The twelfth son is
Kedemah, the exact location unknown, mentioned in 25:15.
Genesis 25:16 relates their divisions: These are the sons of Ishmael,
and these are their names, by their villages, where they have settled in
towns, and by their encampments, when they chose to remain as
nomads. The total was: Twelve princes according to their nations. (See
figure 6.) Therefore, like Jacob, Ishmael had twelve sons; and they
also fathered twelve tribes. This was in fulfillment of God’s promise
concerning Ishmael made in 17:20.
Figure 6. The Twelve Sons of Ishmael
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397
B. Death of Ishmael - 25:17
And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred
and thirty and seven years. And he gave up the ghost
and died, and was gathered unto his people.
The years of Ishmael were as stated: These are the years of the life of
Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven [137] years. Ishmael in this verse
is stated as having given up the ghost and died. The result was: and was
gathered unto his people, again, a statement of the afterlife. The purpose
of recording the death of Ishmael here, which is not a strict
chronological sequence, is to continue the author’s pattern in the book,
which is to dispense with the non-seed line before dealing with the
main seed line, in this case Ishmael’s half-brother Isaac.
C. Territory of Ishmael - 25:18
And they dwelled from Havilah unto Shur that is before
Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He abode over against
all his brethren.
This toldot concludes by describing Ishmael’s territory and
descendants: And they dwelled from Havilah unto Shur that is before
Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. That means the territory extended
from the Euphrates River in the north to the Red Sea in the south,
and from the Northern Sinai to the western border of Babylonia.
Havilah was the southeast border of his territory, located in
Northeast Arabia. Shur was the southwest border toward Assyria,
giving the northern border. Basically, this was the Arabian Peninsula
that is described.
The state was: He abode over against all his brethren. In Hebrew, the
word for abode over against means “to fall” or “to fall upon.” It has a
double meaning here: First, “to live side by side”; but second, “to live in
a state of hostility.” It is used in Deuteronomy 21:16 and in Job 1:11,
6:28, and 21:31. This verse is a fulfillment of Genesis 16:12.
IX. Toldot of Isaac - 25:19 - 35:29
A. Birth of Esau and Jacob - 25:19-26
19And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s
son. Abraham begat Isaac. 20And Isaac was forty years
old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the
Syrian of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian,
to be his wife. 21And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his
wife, because she was barren. And Jehovah was
entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22And
the children struggled together within her. And she said,
If it be so, wherefore do I live? And she went to inquire
of Jehovah. 23And Jehovah said unto her,
Two nations are in your womb,
And two peoples shall be separated from your bowels.
And the one people shall be stronger than the other
people.
And the elder shall serve the younger.
24And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled,
behold, there were twins in her womb. 25And the first
came forth red, all over like a hairy garment. And they
called his name Esau. 26And after that came forth his
brother, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. And his
name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years
old when she bore them.
Like the other toldots, this one begins in verse 19 with the
phrase, And these are the generations of Isaac, meaning what became of
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Isaac; namely, Esau and Jacob. It then states the Jewish line thus far:
Isaac was Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac.
Genesis 25:20 focuses on Isaac and Rebekah. According to this
text, Isaac’s age was forty years old when he was married, when he took
Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian [or Aramean] of
Paddan-aram. She was the sister of Laban the Syrian, or Laban the
Aramean, and she became Isaac’s wife.
Genesis 25:21-23 deals with Rebekah’s pregnancy, beginning in
verse 21 with Rebekah’s barrenness: And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his
wife, because she was barren, and this was after twenty years of
marriage. So, Isaac finally resorted to making it a special point of
prayer, and the answer came: And Jehovah was entreated of him, and
Rebekah his wife conceived. Not all that much is recorded of Isaac’s
own life; but he did pray, and his prayer was answered. He did not
resort to concubinage as Abraham did to produce seed. Verse 22
describes the struggle in the womb: And the children struggled together
within her, leading to Rebekah’s response: If it be so, wherefore do I
live? “What is this struggle about?” It is obvious that she thought
this struggle in the womb might even take her life: [Why] do I live?
She also resorted to prayer: She went to inquire of Jehovah, a proper
response for a meaningful question. In verse 23, she received the
prophecy by divine revelation: And Jehovah said unto her. The content
of this revelation was put into the format of Hebrew poetry, which is
not based upon rhythm and rhyme but on parallelism. The first line
of the answer was: Two nations are in your womb. The word nations is
plural, and the Hebrew word is goyim, showing that this word is used
for both the Jewish and Gentile nations. The two nations are the
nations of Israel (the Jewish nation) and Edom (one of the many
Gentile nations). The parallelism of the second line is: And two peoples
shall be separated from your bowels. That is the Hebrew reading, but
probably a better way of conveying it into English would be “from
your womb.” Line three states: And the one people shall be stronger than
the other people; Israel will be stronger than Edom. Then the parallel
fourth line states: And the elder shall serve the younger. Edom will be
enslaved to Israel.
Genesis 25:24-26 records the birth of the sons, with verse 24
dealing with the birth of the twins. The timing was: And when her
days to be delivered were fulfilled, then comes the fact: Behold, there
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401
were twins in her womb. Verse 25 tells about the firstborn, Esau,
beginning with his appearance: And the first came forth red. The
Hebrew has the meaning of “ruddy” or “reddishness,” and that
became the basis for the name of his nation, Edom, which has the
meaning of “red.” This word is used again only of David
(I Sam. 16:12, 17:42). Furthermore, he was red all over, like a hairy
garment. He was born hairy with reddish or ruddy hair, and so they
named him Esau, meaning hairy or “hairiness.” So his personal name
was based upon him being born hairy, and his nation was named
based on his hair color. In verse 26a came the second son, Jacob. The
timing was: And after that came forth his brother; and the manner was:
His hand had hold on Esau’s heel. The word heel in Hebrew is akeiv,
and this situation of heel-holding is also reflected in Hosea 12:3: In
the womb he took his brother by the heel. Just as Esau was named by his
appearance, Jacob was named based upon his action: His name was
called Jacob, in Hebrew Yaakov, the same root as the word heel. The
primary meaning of his name is “the one that takes by the heel” or
“heel-holder,” and it carries no negative connotation. Only by a
secondary meaning does it mean “supplanter,” “one who supplants.”
But even then, it is itself a neutral term, neither positive nor negative.
Whether it is positive or negative is based purely upon the context.
However, at the time the name was given to Jacob, it had a positive
connotation; but it lent itself to a negative one (Genesis 27:36,
Jer. 9:4). Verse 26b declares Isaac’s age: And Isaac was threescore [60]
years old when she bore them.
B. The Selling of the Birthright - 25:27-34
27And the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful
hunter, a man of the field. And Jacob was a quiet man,
dwelling in tents. 28Now Isaac loved Esau, because he
did eat of his venison. And Rebekah loved Jacob. 29And
Jacob boiled pottage. And Esau came in from the field,
and he was faint. 30And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I
pray you, with that same red pottage. For I am faint.
Therefore was his name called Edom. 31And Jacob said,
Sell me first your birthright. 32And Esau said, Behold, I
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am about to die. And what profit shall the birthright do
to me? 33And Jacob said, Swear to me first. And he swore
unto him. And he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34And
Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils. And he did
eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way. So Esau
despised his birthright.
Verse 27 describes the development of Esau and Jacob: And the
boys grew, and then begins with Esau: Esau was a skillful hunter, just
as Nimrod was a skillful hunter (10:8-12). In the context of Genesis,
being a skillful hunter is not a positive statement, but a negative one.
This is important because throughout church history, Jacob has
received a lot of bad press. In most sermons, especially in Christian
circles, Jacob is painted very negatively, and attributes are ascribed to
Jacob that are not true to the Word of God and certainly do not
correspond with God’s own evaluation of Jacob. One of the ways
that Jacob has been portrayed is as being “a mamma’s boy” while
Esau is the hero, a skillful hunter. Furthermore, Esau was a man of the
field, meaning he chose to work outside the family unit. It also means
that he was a cunning person who forsook loyalty to the family unit
and the family covenant. God’s evaluation of Esau is not positive but
negative. Besides the famous statement in Malachi 1:2-3: Yet I loved
Jacob; but Esau I hated, Hebrews 12:16-17 refers to Esau as a profane
person. In contrast to his brother: Jacob was a quiet man, as the ASV60
reads. Other Bible versions give a variety of translations of this
phrase concerning Jacob, which might imply that the Hebrew word
here is not that clear. However, it is very clear. The exact meaning of
this Hebrew term is very obvious, but because its meaning does not
seem to correspond to the evaluation given of Jacob by church
history, the indication then is that there is something wrong with the
wording. But the Hebrew word here is tam, a word that is translated
elsewhere as meaning “perfect.” It carries the meaning of “upright,”
“whole,” “complete,” “blameless,” or “without blemish.” For example,
it is used of God in Job 22:3, that you make your ways perfect; of Noah
in Genesis 6:9, Noah was a perfect man; and of Job in Job 1:8, where
60 American Standard Version of the Bible.
TOLDOT of Isaac
403
it refers to Job as a perfect man. It is used of both God and man in
Psalm 18:25: With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect. It
carries the concept of moral integrity in Job 1:1, 1:8, 2:3, and
9:20-22. In other words, this word does not mean quiet, but perfect.
Why is it not translated that way? The reason is not because it does
not make sense in the text, but rather because it does not fit people’s
preconceived notions about Jacob. This is the first of several
examples where the biblical view of Jacob is opposite from the
portrayal of all too many commentators and preachers. While the
word tam means “perfect,” it does not mean sinless perfection; but it
has the meaning of righteousness, a man whose heart is right towards
God. Neither Job nor Noah were sinlessly perfect, but their hearts
were righteous toward God. To continue the biblical description of
Jacob, he was dwelling in tents (Gen. 25:27b), which again is
misconstrued to picture him as a mamma’s boy; but that is not the
meaning of the phrase. Rather, it means that he chose to labor
within the family clan unit; he chose to follow his family’s profession,
that of a shepherd, as was true of Abraham and also Isaac. Taking on
the job of a shepherd was not the job of a sissy. In fact, later on is a
vivid description of the suffering Jacob had to undergo being a
shepherd, and his courage could be compared to what David
exercised as a shepherd to protect his flock from both a lion and a
bear. Thus, Jacob’s choice to be a shepherd led to an ordered and
settled life in contrast to that of being a wandering man of the field.
Genesis 25:28 describes the parental preferences regarding the
twins. First, Isaac’s preference: Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did
eat of his venison. Literally the Hebrew reads, “There was game in his
mouth.” So because of the special provisions of game for Isaac, Isaac
had this preference for Esau—not exactly a good basis for preferring
him. Isaac essentially ignored the choice of God. On the other hand:
Rebekah loved Jacob, and God also loved Jacob, as Malachi 1:2-3
teaches: Yet I loved Jacob; but Esau I hated.
Genesis 25:29-34 records Jacob’s purchase of Esau’s birthright,
with verse 29 giving the occasion. As for Jacob, Jacob boiled pottage.
As for Esau, he came in from the field, and he was faint. The Hebrew
word does not mean anything more than that he was tired. In
verse 30, Esau made his request: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I
pray you, with that same red pottage. The Hebrew is a bit stronger and
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reads literally as follows: “Let me gulp down some of this red red.”
The Hebrew translated “swallow” appears only here and nowhere
else in the Hebrew text, and it means “to gulp.” It implies an
animal-like voraciousness. In rabbinic writings, this word is used for
cramming food down one’s throat. The Hebrew also literally reads,
not the red pottage but “the red red,” basically saying, “Let me gulp
down some of this red red,” showing the truth of how the author of
Hebrews evaluates him to be a profane person who merely lives for
the moment. The reason Esau gave was: For I am faint. The result
was: Therefore was his name called Edom. This is how he became to be
called “red,” and his descendants shared something of his nature.
While Jacob is willing to feed Esau, in verse 31 he offered Esau the
meal for a price: Sell me first your birthright. The Hebrew literally
reads, “Sell me today your birthright.” In the Nuzi Tablets, the
birthright was salable; the firstborn had the right to sell his
birthright. Esau’s birthright included four elements: physical benefits
(Deut. 21:17); spiritual benefits (I Chron. 5:1-2); being in the
Messianic line, because this is the birthright of the Abrahamic
Covenant; and the possession of the Land. Esau did not care
anything about the spiritual benefits. Because the spiritual benefits
were in the forefront, he did not particularly care to hang on to his
birthright. So in Genesis 25:32 came Esau’s agreement, with his
rationalization: Behold, I am about to die. Here is another case where
people have maligned Jacob merely because they take Esau’s wording
a bit too seriously. They take Esau’s wording at face value, assuming
that he was speaking the truth. Actually, Esau was exaggerating.
Furthermore, the household of Isaac was a very wealthy household;
all Esau had to do was go over to the next tent and he would be
given all the food he could possibly want. So Esau’s claim should not
be taken too seriously. Rather, Esau exercised a faulty logic: What
profit shall the birthright do to me? There is a lot of profit there, but the
spiritual benefits did not matter to him. So in 25:33 came the selling:
And Jacob said, Swear to me first. This swearing would make this sale
legal. This was followed by Esau’s agreement: And he swore unto him.
And he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Verse 34 contains the payment:
And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils, which shows Esau’s
acceptance of the payment, because he did eat and drink, and rose up,
and went his way. There were four steps in all: Esau ate, drank, rose,
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405
and went his way. Nothing in the passage implies Jacob took unfair
advantage of Esau. Esau could have gone elsewhere for food by
taking only a few steps to the next tent. Rather, the biblical
evaluation faults Esau, not Jacob: So Esau despised his birthright. The
Hebrew word for despise means “to treat as worthless,” or “to hold in
contempt.” Its use here shows that Esau had no spiritual sensitivity
to the things of God; he had no desire to be the means of God’s
program. Esau did not merely “sell” his birthright; he despised the
birthright.
There are two New Testament quotations and applications.
First, in Romans 9:10-12, the choice of Jacob was based upon God’s
election. Second, in Hebrews 12:16-17, Esau was a profane person
who sold his birthright for a mess of meat. In Old English, the term
meat referred to any kind of food, but not meat in the sense of
contemporary usage.
C. Reconfirmation of the Abrahamic
Covenant - 26:1-5
1And there was a famine in the land, besides the first
famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac
went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar.
2And Jehovah appeared unto him, and said, Go not
down into Egypt. Dwell in the land which I shall tell
you of. 3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and
will bless you. For unto you, and unto your seed, I will
give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I
swore unto Abraham your father. 4And I will multiply
your seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto your
seed all these lands. And in your seed shall all the nations
of the earth be blessed. 5Because that Abraham obeyed my
voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my
statutes, and my laws.
Genesis 26 is the only chapter totally devoted to events in Isaac’s
life. Genesis 25 concluded the life of Abraham and introduced Jacob;
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while in Genesis 27, the author continues with the story of Jacob.
Comparatively speaking, very little is said about Isaac, in spite of the
fact that of the three Patriarchs, he lived the longest. Isaac seemed to
be basically existing in the Land. By and large, he appears to have
been a rather passive individual, as not much is written about his
activities outside this particular chapter. In this chapter, there are two
reconfirmations of the Abrahamic Covenant. The point is that while
Abraham had a total of eight sons through three different women,
the covenant was confirmed through only one of his eight sons, and
that was Isaac. Chapter 26 drives that point home.
Genesis 26:1 provides the occasion or setting for the passage:
And there was a famine in the land. This is followed by a comparative
statement: besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham,
meaning the one mentioned back in 12:10 that caused Abraham to
go down to Egypt. Isaac’s response was: And Isaac went unto
Abimelech king of the Philistines. This was not the same Abimelech of
chapter 20 and of 21:22-34. Abimelech was a dynastic name for the
king of Gerar, and therefore was more of a title, such as “Pharaoh” is
a title, while the personal name would differ. Just as “Pharaoh” was a
dynastic name for the king of Egypt, Abimelech was a dynastic name
for the king of Gerar. He is mentioned as being king of the Philistines.
The Philistines were not yet living in the area at that time, and so the
term Philistines is used proleptically, meaning that this is the place
where later the Philistines settled. Gerar eventually became a
Philistine city, and the name Abimelech later became the dynastic
name of the Philistine kings. First Samuel 21:10-15 mentions that
Achish was one of the Philistine kings, but the superscription of
Psalm 34 mentions him as being Abimelech; Abimelech was his
dynastic title while Achish was his personal name. The specific place
Isaac went to was: unto Gerar, which is the same place Abraham had
gone to in 20:1. But at this point, Isaac did not leave the Land, since
Gerar was within the borders of the Promised Land. Although at this
point Isaac had not actually left the borders of the Land, the
implication is that he was thinking of doing so. Just as the famine
caused Abraham to go to Egypt in chapter 12, Isaac was also
thinking of heading to Egypt.
At this point, in 26:2-5, came a special divine revelation,
beginning with the appearance in verse 2a: And Jehovah appeared unto
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407
him. This is the first recorded revelation given directly to Isaac, and it
was a visible appearance, thus introducing the first reconfirmation of
the Abrahamic Covenant to Isaac. Verses 2b-5 detail the actual
revelation, beginning with the admonition in verse 2b, stated both
negatively and positively. Negatively, he was admonished to: Go not
down into Egypt; he was not to do what Abraham had done in
response to the earlier famine. This statement implies that Isaac was
thinking of doing so. Positively, he was admonished to: Dwell in the
land which I shall tell you of. Isaac was never to leave the Land. In
12:1, Abraham was told to go unto the land that I will show you. Now
Isaac was told: Dwell in the land which I shall tell you of; and the land
was the Land where he already was. Then in verses 3-4 God listed
the provisions of the covenant, starting with the basis for enjoying
the personal blessings from God: Sojourn in this land. He is not to
leave the Land in which he now lived. Although he had gone to
Gerar, Gerar was still within the borders of the Promised Land.
Then God specified seven provisions. First: I will be with you; God’s
Presence would be with him in this Land, and to go outside the
Land was to go away from the Presence of God. Second: I will bless
you. Third: I will give all these lands. The word lands is plural since
the Promised Land was then occupied by at least ten Canaanite
tribes that lived among an even larger number of city-states.
Furthermore, these lands will be given unto you, and so Isaac
personally was to own the Land; and unto to your seed. Isaac’s
descendants were to own the Land as well. It is important to note
that the Land was not merely promised to Isaac’s descendants, but to
Isaac personally, unto you, and unto your seed. What was individually
promised to Abraham twice was also individually promised to Isaac.
Fourth: I will establish the oath which I swore unto Abraham your father,
the oath of 22:16-18. The Abrahamic Covenant was confirmed
through Isaac and not through any of the other sons of Abraham.
Fifth: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven. Sixth: I will give
unto your seed all these lands; again He used the plural lands because
the inheritance included all the Canaanite tribal holdings and all
their city-states. A rabbinic comment on this verse reads as follows:
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“God only gave them one of the lands. When will he give them the
rest? In the Messianic future.”61 Seventh: And in your seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed. What God promised Abraham in
Genesis 12 and 22, He now promised to Isaac. Someday the spiritual
blessings would go out to the Gentiles through Isaac’s seed. Finally,
in 26:5 God declared the basis for His provisions: Because that
Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my
statutes, and my laws. This showed that while Abraham was saved by
grace through faith (15:6), he also had a rule of life and showed his
faith by obedience to the then-known laws of God. The Law of
Moses did not yet exist. However, the Abrahamic Covenant
contained a law code nonetheless, just as the Edenic, Adamic, and
Noahic covenants contained law codes.
D. Isaac and Abimelech - 26:6-11
6And Isaac dwelled in Gerar. 7And the men of the place
asked him of his wife. And he said, She is my sister. For
he feared to say, My wife. Lest, said he, the men of the
place should kill me for Rebekah. Because she was fair to
look upon. 8And it came to pass, when he had been there
a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked
out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was
sporting with Rebekah his wife. 9And Abimelech called
Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is your wife. And
how said you, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him,
Because I said, Lest I die because of her. 10And Abimelech
said, What is this you have done unto us? One of the
people might easily have lain with your wife, and you
would have brought guiltiness upon us. 11And Abimelech
charged all the people, saying, He that touches this man
or his wife shall surely be put to death.
61 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 64:3.
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409
Genesis 26:6-7 provides the occasion for the covenant,
beginning with the location in verse 6: And Isaac dwelled in Gerar. He
lived there in obedience to what he was commanded, since Gerar was
still within the borders of the Promised Land. Nothing in the
commandment required him to go back to Beersheba or Beer-lahai-
roi. But now, living in Gerar, in verse 7, he fell into the same sin that
Abraham fell into twice: passing his wife off as his sister. At least
with Abraham the ruse was half true; with Isaac it was not true at all.
The occasion was: And the men of the place asked him of his wife; they
inquired about who and what she was, and that led to Isaac’s
deception. Like his father, he claimed: She is my sister. The reason he
made that claim was: For he feared to say, My wife. Lest, said he, the
men of the place should kill me for Rebekah. The cause was: Because she
was fair [or beautiful] to look upon.
In 26:8 came the discovery. The timing was: And it came to pass,
when he had been there a long time; he had been there for quite awhile
and was able to live this lie out for a long time. Then came the
circumstance: that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a
window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
Here again is a play upon words, because the Hebrew word for
“Isaac” and the Hebrew word for sporting is the same basic word, the
same one that was used of Ishmael “mocking” Isaac in 21:9. So here
again, literally it reads, “Isaac was isaacing.” This shows that the
phrase could be used either in a negative or a positive sense. In the
case of what Ishmael was doing, it was negative; in the case of what
Isaac was doing to Rebekah, it was positive. Isaac was playing or
sporting in the way that husbands and wives do, and not the way
brothers and sisters do, which raised the suspicion in the mind of
Abimelech.
In 26:9-10 came the confrontation, beginning in verse 9 with
Abimelech’s accusation: And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of
a surety she is your wife. And how said you, She is my sister? Verse 9b
records Isaac’s excuse: Because I said, meaning he had convinced
himself, Lest I die because of her. In verse 10, Abimelech presented the
danger of Isaac’s lie and raised the question: What is this you have
done unto us? He then presented a real possibility: One of the people
might easily have lain with your wife; and the result would have been:
and you would have brought guiltiness upon us. This statement may
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very well have been a dynastic remembrance of the events that
occurred about sixty years earlier, in 20:1-18. In verse 11, Abimelech
then issued a decree: And Abimelech charged all the people, saying, He
that touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. The
significance of the fact that the violation of this decree carried the
death penalty, which was rather severe for a Canaanite law, signified
two things. First, there must have been a remembrance of the
plagues on the house of the earlier Abimelech (chapter 20) for this
Abimelech to act so very decisively. Second, this was also a recognition
of Isaac’s greatness; he was a power to be reckoned with. The
Canaanites understood to curse him meant to be cursed.
Before leaving this section, three basic observations can be made.
First, three “sister” stories are found in Genesis 12, 20, and 26; and
there are ten points of comparison. First, in both 12 and 26 there was
a famine in the land. Second, the emphasis is on the beauty of the
wife, true of Sarah in 12 and of Rebekah in 26. These first two
points were not mentioned in 20. Third, the “sister deception” is
mentioned in all three accounts. Fourth, in all three accounts, the
husbands feared death if the truth about their relationships to their
wives were discovered. Fifth, outsiders made observations. In the
case of chapter 20, the Egyptians saw Sarah; in chapter 26, the men
of the place asked Isaac about Rebekah. Sixth, in chapter 12, Sarah
was taken by Pharaoh and in 20 by Abimelech; however, there was
no taking of Rebekah in 26. Seventh, although the wealth of
Abraham is mentioned in chapters 12 and 20, no mention is made of
Isaac’s wealth in the third account. Eighth, the issue of penalties is
mentioned in each account. Plagues are mentioned in chapter 12. In
20, there are warning dreams and the plague of the closed wombs. In
26, even though Abimelech observed something, he suffered no
penalty because no sin had actually been committed; however, he
feared the possibility of divine retribution. Ninth, Abraham was
rebuked in chapters 12 and 20, and Isaac was rebuked in 26. Tenth,
the results differed in each case: expulsion in chapter 12, the prayer
of Abraham for Abimelech in chapter 20, and nothing particular in
the third account.
The second observation regarding Abraham and Isaac is to note
five points of similarity. First, the Patriarch sojourns in a land that is
ruled by others. Second, his wife is endangered by his deception.
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Third, a ruler takes the Patriarch’s wife into a harem in chapters 12
and 20 and is in danger of doing so in chapter 26. Fourth, divine
intervention occurs, found in chapters 12 and 20; or, in chapter 26,
human observation uncovers the deception. Fifth, the ruler confronts
the Patriarch.
The third observation is the contrast in localities where
Abraham’s and Isaac’s deceptions about their wives occur. The two
localities involved are: Egypt, which is outside the Land, and Gerar,
which is inside the Land.
E. Struggle for the Wells - 26:12-32
12And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in the
same year a hundredfold. And Jehovah blessed him.
13And the man waxed great, and grew more and more
until he became very great. 14And he had possessions of
flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household.
And the Philistines envied him. 15Now all the wells
which his father’s servants had dug in the days of
Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped, and
filled with earth. 16And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go
from us. For you are much mightier than we. 17And
Isaac departed thence, and encamped in the valley of
Gerar, and dwelled there.
18And Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they
had dug in the days of Abraham his father; for the
Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham.
And he called their names after the names by which his
father had called them. 19And Isaac’s servants dug in the
valley, and found there a well of springing water. 20And
the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac’s herdsmen,
saying, The water is ours. And he called the name of the
well Esek, because they contended with him. 21And they
dug another well, and they strove for that also. And he
called the name of it Sitnah. 22And he removed from
thence, and dug another well. And for that they strove
not. And he called the name of it Rehoboth. And he said,
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For now Jehovah has made room for us, and we shall be
fruitful in the land.
The account of the struggle to recover the wells that Abraham had
dug begins with Isaac’s prosperity, in 26:12-17. The story initially
focuses on Isaac’s wealth (vv. 12-14a), which was in three areas. First,
in produce, in verse 12: And Isaac sowed in that land. Farming was a
new aspect in his career; he was now growing crops. Until now, the
Patriarchs were strictly herdsmen. The result was: and [they] found in
the same year a hundredfold, and that was in spite of the famine. So
God’s promise to be with him if he stayed in the Land was fulfilled,
and indeed the reason is stated: And Jehovah blessed him. The second
area of his prosperity, in verse 13, was in personal greatness, and he
achieved this greatness in a threefold progression. First, the man waxed
great; second, he grew more and more; third, until he became very great.
The term great is used three times in this verse, and the progression is
from great, to greater, to greatest. The third area of his prosperity, in
verse 14a, was in possessions, and he had two categories of possessions:
animals, possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds; and servants, and a
great household.
Nevertheless, Isaac’s prosperity led to a specific response by the
Philistines in verse 26:14b-15. Verse 14b gives the internal problem:
And the Philistines envied him; they became jealous of him. That led in
verse 15 to the external problem: Now all the wells which his father’s
servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had
stopped, and filled with earth. The envy of the Philistines was so great
that they were willing to cut off vital water supply in the context of a
famine. This in turn led to Abimelech’s request in verse 16: And
Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us. The reason was: For you are much
mightier than we. Rather than fighting the issue, in verse 17 Isaac
chose to depart: And Isaac departed thence. He left the city of Gerar,
and encamped in the valley of Gerar. He progressed down the Wadi
Gerar and away from the city, and [he] dwelled there; he resided there
for a while. He that was promised ownership of the Land earlier is
now forced to leave a place where he had resided for some time. The
time of fulfillment of the Land promise had not yet arrived.
Then in 26:18-22 came the struggle, with verse 18 recording the
redigging of Abraham’s wells: And Isaac dug again the wells of water,
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which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father. For the Philistines
had stopped them after the death of Abraham. And he called their names
after the names by which his father had called them. Isaac had not
forgotten what his father named these wells. Verses 19-20 give the
account of the first well, with verse 19 describing the find: And Isaac’s
servants dug in the valley, meaning they dug in the Wadi. The result
was, they found there a well of springing water, meaning “living water.”
In verse 20, this led to the strife: And the herdsmen of Gerar strove
with Isaac’s herdsman, saying, The water is ours. Isaac’s response was:
And he called the name of the well Esek, meaning “contention,” because
they contended with him, which is a word play in the Hebrew text.
The struggle over the second well is in verse 21: And they dug another
well, and they strove for that also. And he called the name of it Sitnah,
which means “enmity” or “adversary,” having the same root as the
name “Satan.” Finally, in verse 22, regarding the third well: And he
removed from thence, meaning he went from Sitnah, and dug another
well. The result was: And for that they strove not. This led to the
naming: And he called the name of it Rehoboth, a plural form
emphasizing “room” or “broad place,” the reason being: For now
Jehovah has made room for us. Once again, there is a linguistic
connection between Rehoboth and “to make room.” Isaac’s conclusion
was: and we shall be fruitful in the land.
F. Sojourn in Beersheba - 26:23-25
23And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba. 24And
Jehovah appeared unto him the same night, and said, I
am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am
with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for
my servant Abraham’s sake. 25And he built an altar
there, and called upon the name of Jehovah, and pitched
his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.
Verse 23 describes Isaac’s journey: And he went up from thence,
meaning from Rehoboth, to Beer-sheba.
In 26:24 came God’s second reconfirmation of the Abrahamic
Covenant to Isaac: And Jehovah appeared unto him the same night.
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This was the second visible appearance to Isaac, occurring on the
same night of arriving at Beersheba. The revelation began with the
identification: I am the God of Abraham your father. Then came the
admonition: Fear not, for I am with you, reconfirming an earlier
promise. God then made two provisions: First, I will bless you,
promising personal blessings for Isaac; second, I will multiply your
seed. The basis was: for my servant Abraham’s sake, meaning for the
sake of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Genesis 26:25 records Isaac’s response to God’s revelation: And
he built an altar there, in Beersheba, and called upon the name of
Jehovah. This phrase means he publicly worshipped God. Finally,
Isaac pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well, which
means he stayed there for some time.
Combining the two reconfirmations of the Abrahamic Covenant
to Isaac yields a total of five provisions given by God to Isaac in
Genesis 26: First, Isaac was to be blessed (vv. 3, 24); second, the
Land was to be given to both Isaac and to Isaac’s seed (vv. 3, 4);
third, the seed is to be multiplied (vv. 4, 24); fourth, the Gentiles will
someday be blessed through the seed, again emphasizing the absolute
singular, through the Seed of Isaac, the Messiah (v. 4); and fifth, the
basis is the covenant God made with Abraham (vv. 3, 5, 24).
G. The Covenant with Abimelech - 26:26-33
26Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and
Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his host.
27And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore are ye come unto
me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?
28And they said, We saw plainly that Jehovah was with
you. And we said, Let there now be an oath between us,
even between us and you, and let us make a covenant
with you, 29that you will do us no hurt, as we have not
touched you, and as we have done unto you nothing but
good, and have sent you away in peace. You are now the
blessed of Jehovah. 30And he made them a feast, and they
did eat and drink. 31And they rose up betimes in the
morning, and swore one to another. And Isaac sent them
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away, and they departed from him in peace. 32And it
came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came,
and told him concerning the well which they had dug,
and said unto him, We have found water. 33And he
called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Beer-
sheba unto this day.
As Abraham had a covenant with Abimelech, so did Isaac,
although it was not the same Abimelech. Genesis 26:26 lists the
representatives: Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath
his friend, and Phicol the captain of his host. The approach by these
three leaders showed they indeed feared him.
Genesis 26:27 records Isaac’s challenge to the leaders: And Isaac
said unto them, Wherefore are ye come unto me, seeing ye hate me, and
have sent me away from you?
Genesis 26:28-29 gives the leaders’ response to Isaac: And they
said, We saw plainly that Jehovah was with you, again showing that
they did develop a fear of him. Therefore, they declared: Let there
now be an oath between us. They now had the desire for a covenant,
even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you, a
covenant of peace. The content of the covenant was to be a
non-aggression treaty: that you will do us no hurt, as we have not
touched you, and as we have done unto you nothing but good, and have
sent you away in peace. The bottom line is what they now recognized:
You are now the blessed of Jehovah.
Genesis 26:30-31a records the actual making of the covenant,
beginning in verse 30 with the covenant meal: And he made them a
feast, and they did eat and drink. In verse 31a, this feast was followed
by the oath. The timing was: And they rose up betimes in the morning.
The oath was: and [they] swore one to another.
Then in 26:31b came the departure of the leaders: And Isaac sent
them away, and they departed from him in peace.
In 26:32-33 came the naming of another well, with verse 32
introducing the new well. The timing was: And it came to pass the
same day, that means the same day as the covenant was made, that he
received a report: that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the
well which they had dug, and said unto him, We have found water. In
verse 33, that led to the naming: And he called it Shibah, from the
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Hebrew word meaning “to swear” or “to make an oath.” There is a
double word play here. First, there is a redundant meaning with the
swearing of the oath in verse 31a and with the name of the city,
Beer-shebah, meaning “the well of swearing.” The relationship is
noted in the statement: Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto
this day. That was the secondary source for the name. The primary
source for the city’s name (21:22-34) was the reference to the seven
lambs in that passage. The emphasis in Genesis 21 was on the
number seven; the emphasis in Genesis 26 is on the oath. Thus the
second word play on the name comes from the Hebrew words for
“swearing,” “oath,” and “seven” all being derived from the same
Hebrew root.
Three primary observations can be made about the story of Isaac,
with nine things to note. First, this chapter is the only one to deal
strictly with Isaac. Second, previous to this chapter, Isaac was
mentioned only as being Abraham’s son or as being part of
Abraham’s story, as in the story of the sacrifice of Isaac; but he did
not play a separate, distinct, singular role before chapter 26. Third,
this account brings to a conclusion the story of Isaac. Fourth, from
now on, Isaac is mentioned only in conjunction with Jacob, just as
before Genesis 26 he was mentioned only in conjunction with
Abraham. Only in chapter 26 did Isaac play his own role. Fifth, Isaac
lived for one hundred eighty years, so he was the longest living of the
three Patriarchs. Sixth, his life, however, is the least eventful and the
most obscure. Seventh, Isaac spent most of his life in the Negev
Desert. Eighth, the key events of his life basically included four
things: the prayer for Rebekah’s barrenness, the building of an altar,
his struggle for permanent residency, and God appearing to him
twice. Ninth, Isaac mostly serves as a connecting link between
Abraham and Jacob.
The second observation on chapter 26 is to point out some
similarities between the story of Abraham and that of Isaac. There
are seven such similarities. First, the focus is on the Land. Second,
Isaac also went to a place because of famine. Third, Isaac also was
personally enriched. Fourth, Isaac also lied about his wife. Fifth,
Isaac also struggled with others to stay in the Land. Sixth, for both
the covenant with Abimelech is connected with Beersheba. Seventh,
both father and son received divine revelation.
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The third observation on chapter 26 is to point out two contrasts
with Abraham. First, Abraham was very active while Isaac was
mostly passive. Things merely happened to Isaac, and he made no
attempt to control the events of his life, in contrast to Abraham.
Second, the test of faith, by God’s demands, differed in their lives.
Abraham’s whole life was a faith walk. All Isaac was asked to do was
to stay in the Land; that was all God ever actually required of him.
H. Wives of Esau - 26:34-35
34And when Esau was forty years old he took to wife
Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath
the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35And they were a grief
of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
Verse 34 deals with the Hittite wives of Esau, beginning with
the timing: When Esau was forty years old. At the age of forty, he
chose to marry. Isaac was the same age when he married Rebekah.
Placing Esau at age forty makes Isaac a hundred years old at this
point in time. By this age, Abraham had had Isaac. Isaac at this age
got two daughters-in-law as Esau took two wives. The first one was
Judith, meaning “praise.” It is the feminine form of “Judah.”
Furthermore, she was the daughter of Beeri the Hittite. The second
wife was named Basemath, which means “perfume,” the daughter of
Elon the Hittite. Therefore, Esau took two Hittite wives. Although
they were Hittites, they had Semitic names, which show that these
Hittites had been in the Land a very long time and had taken on
non-Hittite names.
Genesis 26:35 tells about the effect on his parents of Esau’s
marriage to foreign wives: They were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to
Rebekah. In Hebrew, it means a “bitterness of feeling” or a “bitterness
of spirit.” Esau’s marriages emphasized his continuing unfaithfulness
to the Abrahamic Covenant. Just as the selling of the birthright
shows he despised his birthright and its covenant-keeping element,
now by the same token the marrying of Hittite wives was a further
step downward in his unfaithfulness to the covenant.
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I. The Patriarchal Blessing - 27:1-40
1. Isaac’s Intent - 27:1-4
1And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and
his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau
his elder son, and said unto him, My son. And he said
unto him, Here am I. 2And he said, Behold now, I am
old, I know not the day of my death. 3Now therefore
take, I pray you, your weapons, your quiver and your
bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison. 4And
make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me,
that I may eat. That my soul may bless you before I die.
The account of the patriarchal blessing is introduced in verse 1a
by a description of the circumstance: And it came to pass, when Isaac
was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see. Apparently, the
losing of his eyesight is what caused Isaac to feel that he may not live
much longer.
In 27:1b came the fetching of Esau: He called Esau his elder son,
and said unto him, My son. And he said unto him, Here am I.
Genesis 27:2-4 records Isaac’s instructions, starting in verse 2
with his own age and situation: Behold now, I am old. At this point,
Isaac was indeed over one hundred years old. According to 25:26, he
was sixty years old when the twins were born. Genesis 26:34 states
that Esau was forty when he was married, which already makes Isaac
a hundred years old at that point. Actually, by the scene set in
chapter 27, Isaac was one hundred thirty-seven years old. At this
point, Jacob and his twin brother were seventy-seven years old. This
is a deduction from the following passages: According to 30:25,
Jacob worked fourteen years for his two wives; 31:38 states he served
Laban for twenty years total; 35:28 notes that Isaac died at the age of
one hundred eighty; 41:6, 53 deals with the seven years of plenty and
the seven years of famine for a total fourteen years; according to
45:11, when Jacob arrived in Egypt, there were five years left for the
famine to run; and finally, 47:9 notes that Jacob was one hundred
thirty when he arrived in Egypt. From all these clues, Jacob was
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seventy-seven years old, making Isaac one hundred thirty-seven years
old at this point in time. Since Isaac actually lived to one hundred
eighty, he was not exactly as close to death as he may have assumed.
His situation was: I know not the day of my death. Isaac actually lived
another forty-three years. His half-brother Ishmael, however, died
fourteen years before this incident, which happened to be the age
difference between Isaac and Ishmael. So perhaps because Isaac was
now the same age Ishmael was when he died, he assumed he might
soon die as well. Verses 3-4a describe what Esau was to do, and he
was to do two things. First in verse 3, Esau was to hunt: Now
therefore take, I pray you, your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and
go out to the field, and take me venison. Second, in verse 4a, Esau was
to cook: And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that
I may eat. Verse 4b then states what Isaac will do: That my soul may
bless you before I die. This was in clear violation of the revelation given
to Rebekah in 25:23. God had already revealed that Jacob would be
the one to carry on the line; therefore, the patriarchal blessing
rightfully belonged to Jacob, not to Esau. Furthermore, Esau had
already sold the birthright, and whoever had the birthright was
supposed to get the patriarchal blessing. Here again, the biblical
account differs from the way Jacob is often portrayed: as stealing the
patriarchal blessing from Esau. What was really happening in this
passage was that Esau was trying to steal the patriarchal blessing
from Jacob. The patriarchal blessing rightfully belonged to Jacob.
Isaac’s attempt was a violation of the revelation given to Rebekah,
and it was a violation of the birthright sale. Furthermore, Isaac’s
action was in spite of the fact that Esau had intermarried with the
Canaanites. Isaac’s statement in 27:4b: That my soul may bless you, is
repeated three times: once by Isaac (27:25), once by Jacob (27:19),
and once by Esau (27:31). So he really wanted to bless Esau with all
his resources, contrary to the agreement and contrary to what God
had already declared would be His will. What did Isaac want out of
this? He wanted venison. So great a blessing for so low a fee revealed
Isaac’s attitude. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup; Isaac was
willing to misdirect the patriarchal blessing for one venison meal. It
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should be observed, however, that Ancient Near Eastern Texts often
show consumption of food and drink in connection with the
bestowal of a blessing.62
2. The Conspiracy - 27:5-17
5And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his
son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and
to bring it. 6And Rebekah spoke unto Jacob her son,
saying, Behold, I heard your father speak unto Esau your
brother, saying, 7Bring me venison, and make me savory
food, that I may eat, and bless you before Jehovah before
my death. 8Now therefore, my son, obey my voice
according to that which I command you. 9Go now to the
flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the
goats. And I will make them savory food for your father,
such as he loves. 10And you shall bring it to your father,
that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.
11And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau
my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
12My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem
to him as a deceiver. And I shall bring a curse upon me,
and not a blessing. 13And his mother said unto him,
Upon me be your curse, my son. Only obey my voice, and
go fetch me them. 14And he went, and fetched, and
brought them to his mother. And his mother made savory
food, such as his father loved. 15And Rebekah took the
goodly garments of Esau her elder son, which were with
her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger
son. 16And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon
his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck. 17And she
gave the savory food and the bread, which she had
prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
62 The Ugaritic Texts: Keret 2:16-17; II Aghast 1:35.
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Verse 5 provides the circumstance of this conspiracy. On the side
of Rebekah: And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. On
the side of Esau: And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to
bring it.
Genesis 27:6-10 records Rebekah’s instructions to Jacob,
beginning in verse 6a with the addressee: And Rebekah spoke unto
Jacob her son, saying. In verse 5, it was Esau his son, and here it is Jacob
her son. The expressions Esau his son and Jacob her son reveal the
differential between the two sons and the parental preferences
between the two. Verses 6b-7 reveals Rebekah’s plan for Isaac:
Behold, I heard your father speak unto Esau your brother, saying, Bring
me venison and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before
Jehovah before my death. Therefore, in verses 8-10, she gave Jacob the
following instructions. In verse 8, he was to obey what she said to
him: Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I
command you. Then in verses 9-10a, she spelled out what Jacob was
to do: Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the
goats. What Rebekah would then do was: And I will make them savory
food for your father, such as he loves. Then what Jacob was to do was:
You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat. Verse 10b reveals the
purpose: that he may bless you before his death. The mother came up
with that scheme. Again, the sin in this chapter is not Jacob’s
stealing the patriarchal blessing; that rightfully did belong to Jacob.
The sin lay in their deceiving the father. Here again is a lapse of
faith, as it was with Abraham in chapter 12 and with Sarah in
chapter 16. Rebekah had the revelation from God, and so she simply
should have trusted God that He would intervene at the proper time
and work things out in such a way that indeed Jacob would get the
patriarchal blessing. Nevertheless, she felt she had to take matters
into her own hands because it seemed that nothing could stop Isaac
from giving the patriarchal blessing to Esau, and with that came
many material benefits. While Esau cared little about the spiritual
benefits, he wanted those material benefits.
However, in 27:11-12, Jacob expressed some doubts about his
mother’s plan, with verse 11 spelling out the contrast between
himself and Esau: And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau
my brother is a hairy man. The Hebrew word for hairy here is sair, and
that is the basis for the name of the central mountain range of Edom
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known as Mount Seir. As for Jacob, he continued: and I am a smooth
man. In verse 12, Jacob stated the danger: My father peradventure will
feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver. Jacob will appear to Isaac,
he says, as a mocker, meaning his action is mocking Isaac’s blindness.
The result will be: And I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
Genesis 27:13 gives Rebekah’s response: Upon me be your curse,
my son; Rebekah took the curse upon herself, since she was the
instigator. As for Jacob: Only obey my voice; Jacob was simply to obey
and not to worry. Her instructions were: and go fetch me them; “Fetch
the goats.”
In 27:14-17, the plan to deceive Isaac is carried out, beginning in
verse 14 with the preparation of the food and starting with Jacob’s
obedience: He went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother. Then
came Rebekah’s role: And his mother made savory food, such as his father
loved. Then in verses 15-16 came the clothes of deception, beginning
in verse 15 with Esau’s clothing: And Rebekah took the goodly garments
of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them
upon Jacob her younger son. These clothes would have the smell of the
outdoors associated with hunting. In verse 16, in addition to the
clothing of Esau, she added the goatskins: And she put the skins of the
kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck, and this
provided the feeling of hairiness. Therefore, Esau’s clothes would
provide the proper smell, and the goatskins would provide the proper
feel. Verse 17 describes the food of deception: And she gave the savory
food. It should be observed that she had the ability to make goat meat
taste like venison such that Isaac would not know the difference. And
she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, and she
turned these things over into the hand of her son Jacob. In her
preparations, she was able to cover all but one of the senses, either
actively or passively. As for the sense of sight, Isaac was blind; and so
that was not an issue. As for the sense of smell, Jacob was wearing
Esau’s clothing. As for the sense of taste, the goat would taste like
the venison. As for the sense of touch, the goatskins would be hairy.
The sense of hearing was the only problem she could not really
cover, and that fact will become a problem to a point of danger. The
setup for the situation is that Rebekah cooks like Esau and Jacob
smells and feels like Esau.
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3. The Deception and the Blessing of Jacob - 27:18-29
18And he came unto his father, and said, My father.
And he said, Here am I. Who are you, my son? 19And
Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau your first-born; I
have done according as you told me: arise, I pray you, sit
and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me.
20And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that you have
found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because
Jehovah your God sent me good speed. 21And Isaac said
unto Jacob, Come near, I pray you, that I may feel you,
my son, whether you be my very son Esau or not. 22And
Jacob went near unto Isaac his father. And he felt him,
and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the
hands of Esau. 23And he discerned him not, because his
hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands. So he
blessed him. 24And he said, Are you my very son Esau?
And he said, I am. 25And he said, Bring it near to me,
and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless
you. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat. And
he brought him wine, and he drank. 26And his father
Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my
son. 27And he came near, and kissed him. And he smelled
the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said,
See, the smell of my son
Is as the smell of a field which Jehovah has blessed.
28And God give you of the dew of heaven,
And of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of grain and new wine.
29Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be every one that curses you,
And blessed be every one that blesses you.
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Verses 18-27a record the deception, with verse 18 recording
Jacob’s entrance. Concerning Jacob: And he came unto his father, and
said, My father. Isaac answered: And he said, Here am I, [but] Who are
you, my son? There was an initial sense of suspicion. At that point, in
verse 19, is Jacob’s first lie: And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau
your first-born. In Hebrew there are two ways of saying “I,” ani and
anochi, and Jacob used the latter. A key grammatical point will
project an understanding of Jacob’s state at this moment. The word
anochi, when used with a predicate noun, emphasizes the pronominal
subject. In this case, the use of anochi would have focused on
identifying himself as first-born, to which he had some claim through
the birthright. The word ani is used to emphasize the predicate
nominative, as will be the case later, in 27:32. Ani emphasizes the
name and emphasizes the person. In this case, the use of ani would
have emphasized his identity to be that of Esau, clearly a false
statement. Therefore, what happened here was that while Jacob must
lie, he tries not to lie by using the non-normative anochi. He then
continued to lie concerning the act: I have done according as you told
me; Jacob now quickly tried to draw Isaac’s attention from the non-
customary pronoun that he used to address the issue at hand. So
Jacob lied, and his deception of his father was indeed sinful; that is
where Jacob’s sin lay. It should be noted that the sin is not the
stealing of the patriarchal blessing, but the deception of the father.
However, what Isaac and Esau were trying to do was even more
sinful, because they were trying to thwart the very purpose of God.
Then the verse concludes with Jacob’s admonition: First, Arise, I pray
you; second, Sit or sit up; third, Eat of my venison; and fourth, that
your soul may bless me. In verse 20 is Jacob’s second lie, beginning
with Isaac’s suspicion: And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that you
have found it so quickly, my son? Jacob’s lie was: Because Jehovah your
God sent me good speed. This is a clear lie, and by using God’s Name,
it makes it all the worse. There is no reason to excuse Jacob’s sin, but
it is important to make sure exactly what the sin was and what it was
not. In verses 21-23 came Isaac’s test, with verse 21 recording Isaac’s
further suspicions: And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray you.
The purpose was: that I may feel you, my son, whether you be my very
son Esau or not. In verse 22, came the successful deception: And Jacob
went near unto Isaac his father. And he felt him, and said, The voice is
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Jacob’s voice. The sense of hearing was the one sense Rebekah and
Jacob could not and did not cover. However, but the hands are the
hands of Esau. Therefore, Isaac allowed his sense of touch to
overshadow his sense of hearing. Verse 23 gives the reason and the
result. The fact: And he discerned him not; Isaac did not recognize
Jacob and who he was. The reason was because his hands were hairy, as
his brother Esau’s hands. The result was: So he blessed him. In verse 24,
came the third lie. Isaac still had some suspicion: And he said, Are you
my very son Esau? A direct question, and Jacob’s response was a direct
lie: And he said, I am. This time Jacob used the word ani without the
predicate, and so he did not arouse the suspicion that his earlier use
of anochi may have done. In verse 25, Isaac ate the meal. The request
was: And he said, Bring it near to me. The purpose was: and I will eat
of my son’s venison. The result was: that my soul may bless you. Then
Isaac ate it: And he brought it near to him, and he did eat. And he
brought him wine, and he drank. In verses 26-27a came the kiss. The
request was in verse 26: And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near
now, and kiss me, my son. In verse 27a, Jacob obeyed: And he came
near, and kissed him. This led to Jacob’s final act of deception. Isaac
smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him.
The kiss and the smell led to the actual patriarchal blessing in
27:27b-29. Verse 27b presents the blessing of God: See, the smell of
my son Is as the smell of a field which Jehovah has blessed. The
background to the material blessing of verse 28 is the blessing of
Jehovah in verse 27, and Isaac brought out three facets, all of which
promise agricultural prosperity: first, God give you of the dew of
heaven; second, And of the fatness of the earth; and third, And plenty of
grain and new wine. The rabbis have interpreted this symbolically: the
dew of heaven is Scripture, the fatness of the earth is Mishnah, the grain
is the Talmud, and the wine is the Hagaddah.63 Then in verse 29 is
the blessing of the lordship, with the theme: Be lord. Jacob is to be
served: Let peoples [plural] serve you, And nations bow down to you.
Furthermore, he will have lordship over his brothers: Be lord over
your brethren, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. In this
blessing, Isaac intended that Esau was to rule over his brother, and
63 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 66:3.
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this was in direct contradiction to what God said in 25:23. Indeed
this would be true, although initially it appeared otherwise (32:18;
33:3, 8, 13-15). Isaac concluded with the blessing and the curse:
Cursed be every one that curses you, And blessed be every one that blesses
you. This statement connects the patriarchal blessing with the
Abrahamic Covenant of 12:3. Therefore, contrary to Isaac’s
expectations or hope, the Abrahamic Covenant was to be sustained
through Jacob and not through Esau. Thus, Isaac blessed Jacob, and
this was the result of divine intervention in spite of Jacob’s sin. Isaac
blessed Jacob against his own will, as indeed later Balaam will bless
Israel against his own will.
4. Isaac’s Blessing of Esau - 27:30-40
30And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an
end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out
from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his
brother came in from his hunting. 31And he also made
savory food, and brought it unto his father. And he said
unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s
venison, that your soul may bless me. 32And Isaac his
father said unto him, Who are you? And he said, I am
your son, your first-born, Esau. 33And Isaac trembled
very exceedingly, and said, Who then is he that has taken
venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all
before you came, and have blessed him? Yea, and he shall
be blessed. 34When Esau heard the words of his father, he
cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said
unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
35And he said, Your brother came with guile, and has
taken away your blessing. 36And he said, Is not he rightly
named Jacob? for he has supplanted me these two times:
he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he has
taken away my blessing. And he said, Have you not
reserved a blessing for me? 37And Isaac answered and
said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him your lord, and
all his brethren have I given to him for servants. And
with grain and new wine have I sustained him. And
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what then shall I do for you, my son? 38And Esau said
unto his father, Have you but one blessing, my father?
Bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up
his voice, and wept. 39And Isaac his father answered and
said unto him,
Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be your
dwelling,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
40And by your sword shall you live, and you shall
serve your brother.
And it shall come to pass, when you shall break loose,
That you shall shake his yoke from off your neck.
Genesis 27:30 records the return of Esau. The timing was: And it
came to pass, as soon Isaac made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was
yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his
brother came in from his hunting. This was indeed a close call—as one
went out, the other came in.
Genesis 27:31 describes Esau’s preparation of his father’s meal:
And he also made savory food, and brought it unto his father. Then came
the admonition: And he said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat
of his son’s venison, that your soul may bless me.
At that point in 27:32-33 came Isaac’s realization, beginning in
verse 32 with the identification. First Isaac asked: And Isaac his father
said unto him, Who are you? Then Esau answered: I (ani) am your son,
your first-born. However, he had already sold his birthright, and so
declaring himself the first-born has now become meaningless: I am
your son, your first-born, Esau. In verse 33 came Isaac’s response: And
Isaac trembled very exceedingly. Literally the Hebrew reads, “Isaac
trembled a great trembling most exceedingly.” This was not anger,
but fear; it was a recognition of the divine will: and said, Who then is
he that has taken venison, and brought it to me, and I have eaten of all
before you came, and have blessed him? Yea, and he shall be blessed. In
that statement Isaac recognized the divine will, and the recognition
of the blessing he gave Jacob was indeed irrevocable: Yea, and he shall
be blessed.
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Genesis 27:34 records Esau’s cry: When Esau heard the words of
his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry. In Hebrew,
there is a word play basically saying, “And he cried a cry.” Literally
the Hebrew reads: “He cried a cry, a great one, and a bitter one most
exceedingly.” While Esau did not much care for the spiritual
ramifications and benefits of this blessing, he did want its material
blessings and promise of military superiority. So he made the
request: and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
Isaac’s response is given in 27:35. He started out with the fact:
And he said, Your brother came with guile, which was partly true; but
then he said: and has taken away your blessing, which was false. The
blessing had rightfully belonged to Jacob.
In 27:36 came Esau’s complaint and request. Esau’s complaint
was: And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob [yaaqov]? for he has
supplanted me these two times. In Hebrew, the word supplanted comes
from the same root as akav, “Jacob.” The meaning coming from
Esau’s lips goes from “over-reacher” or “supplanter” to “deceiver.”
The meaning of the name now moved from a positive to a negative
implication, but it was done by Esau and not by God. Again, Jacob’s
name comes from the Hebrew root akav, which basically means
“heel.” It also has the meaning in verbal form “to hold the heel in
order to get before.” That is its usage in Jeremiah 9:4. It has the
meaning of “heel-grabber,” one who trips another by the heel or
overtakes and supplants him in the race. Therefore, by way of
etymology, Jacob equaling “supplanter” is a developed meaning, not
the actual meaning of the word. Jacob twice “overtook” Esau; that is,
Jacob “tripped” him and “supplanted” him in the race. Esau’s
rhetorical question was: “Is he called Jacob, ‘over-reacher,’ that he has
twice overreached me?” “Is it because he bears this name that it has
now twice come to pass?” In other words, the question was: “Is it all
in the name?” Of course, it was not all in the name but rather in the
outworking of God’s plan. According to Esau, the two times were,
first: He took away my birthright, which was a lie since Esau had sold
his birthright; and second: and behold, now he has taken away my
blessing. This second claim, too, was a lie, since the blessing belonged
to the one with the birthright. Here again, in the Hebrew text is a
word play with a chiastic (symmetrical) construction. “My birthright
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he took; he took my blessing.” Then Esau concluded his complaint
with a request: And he said, Have you not reserved a blessing for me?
Isaac’s answer is in 27:37: And Isaac answered and said unto Esau,
Behold I have made him your lord, and all his brethren have I given to
him for servants. And with grain and new wine have I sustained him.
And what then shall I do for you my son? In other words, the blessing
given to Jacob is irrevocable. Indeed, the Nuzi Tablets teach that such
oral testaments were binding, and there is an example in the Nuzi
Court Record of Tarmiye. Tarmiye’s two older brothers contested
his inheritance of a slave girl, and Tarmiye’s defense was based upon
his father’s oral testament. The tablet reads as follows:
My father Huya was sick and lay on a couch; then
my father seized my hand and spoke thus to me: My
other sons being older have acquired a wife, so I give
here Sululi-Istar as your wife.
Indeed, the court ruled in his favor, because these oral-type
testaments were considered binding. Isaac began his statement in
verse 2 by saying: I am old and know not the day of my death. The Nuzi
Tablets also begin the same way when introducing the final
disposition of property. So here again with Isaac’s blessing of his sons
was a strong correlation with Ancient Near Eastern Texts.
Genesis 27:38 records Esau’s lament: And Esau said unto his
father, Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O
my father. His request was followed by a cry: And Esau lifted up his
voice, and wept.
At this point, there is a blessing for Esau, in 27:39-40. In verse 39,
he first of all speaks concerning Esau: Behold, of the fatness of the earth
shall be your dwelling. In the Hebrew text there is a min partitive;
literally, it should read: “Away from the fatness of the earth shall be
your dwelling.” The next phrase, of the dew of heaven from above, also
has a min partitive, literally meaning “away from the dew of heaven.”
The point is that while in some translations, it sounds similar to the
blessing he gave to Jacob, in the Hebrew text it is actually the opposite
of what was promised to Jacob. It means that since Esau’s place is
away from this and away from that, Esau will not inherit the Land.
Whatever his blessing, it will be away from the Land; he will not be
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the inheritor of this Land. Then in verse 40, Isaac spoke concerning
Esau’s nation: Edom. Isaac made three statements. First: And by your
sword shall you live; he will sustain himself by plunder, and he will live
the life a marauding dwelling nation. One example of the fulfillment
of this is in Numbers 20:14-21. Second: and you shall serve your brother.
Indeed, Edom was defeated by Saul (I Sam. 14:47) and then
subjugated by David (II Sam. 8:14). There was a failed revolt under
Solomon (I Kings 11:14-22). Edom rebelled from Joram but was
subdued again by Amaziah (II Kings 14:7; II Chron. 25:11-19).
Third: And it shall to pass, when you shall break loose, That you shall
shake his yoke from off your neck. This break happened first under
Joram (II Chron. 21:8-10) and then under Ahaz (II Kings 16:6,
II Chron. 28:16-17). In subsequent history, when the Jews went into
Babylonian Captivity, the Edomites left their territory at Mount Seir
in the Trans-Jordan and moved into the southern part of Judah, where
they became known as Idumeans. In addition, later these Idumeans
were conquered by one of the descendants of the Maccabees, John
Hyrcanos, who conquered them in 129 B.C., forcibly converted them
to Judaism, and then incorporated Idumea into the Jewish Judean
State. Eventually, these converted Idumeans produced the dynastic
rule of the House of Herod.
Before leaving the section on Isaac’s blessing of Jacob, there are
two observations. The first observation is the condemnation of Jacob.
Words of condemnation of Jacob in the text come only from the
mouths of Esau and Laban, hardly good witnesses as to what
constitutes honesty. Furthermore, God Himself never condemns
Jacob. When God speaks to Jacob, it is always a message of blessing
and of promise and never a rebuke, never a word of chastisement.
Negative things about Jacob come from his enemies; God is always
positive towards Jacob, and preachers should keep that in mind.
The second observation concerns the result of Jacob deceiving
his father and Isaac ignoring God’s choice and how these actions
affected four people. Isaac was punished by the deception he
suffered, since he knew of the prophecy of 25:23. Therefore, in his
preference for Esau, he went contrary to God’s choice. He was
punished for preferring Esau, and his preference was based upon
natural affection. He tried to bless Esau contrary to God’s choice.
Rebekah was the one who plotted this deception; now Jacob would
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have to leave the Land, and she would never see her favorite son
again. By the time Jacob returns, Rebekah will have died. Because
Esau despised the spiritual benefits of the birthright, he lost the
patriarchal blessing along with all its material benefits as well. As for
Jacob, he lived a long life of hardships and struggles. By his own
admission, long and evil were my days. He lived a long life of travel: in
Beersheba for sixty years, then in Haran for twenty years, the Land
of Canaan for fifty years, and then Egypt for seventeen years. Finally,
Jacob, too, would be deceived, first by Laban and second by his sons
on two occasions, in the Dinah incident and in the Joseph incident.
Finally for this section regarding Isaac’s faith in God and Esau’s
weakness, the New Testament quotation and applications are in
Hebrews. Hebrews 11:20 states that by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and
Esau concerning things to come. Now while his act of blessing did
not come out of faith, he did show faith in recognizing that what he
prophesied would come true. So Isaac’s faith was shown in that what
Isaac prophesied he believed would come to pass and that it was
indeed irrevocable. Then Hebrews 12:16-17 describes Esau as a
profane man who for one mess of meat sold his birthright. Although
later he desired to receive the patriarchal blessing, he was rejected.
J. Jacob’s Flight to Haran - 27:41 - 28:22
1. Cause - 27:41-45
41And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing
wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his
heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand;
then will I slay my brother Jacob. 42And the words of
Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent
and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him,
Behold, your brother Esau, as touching you, does comfort
himself, purposing to kill you. 43Now therefore, my son,
obey my voice. And arise, flee you to Laban my brother to
Haran; 44and tarry with him a few days, until your
brother’s fury turn away; 45until your brother’s anger
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turn away from you, and he forget that which you have
done to him: then I will send, and fetch you from thence:
why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?
The next main division, Jacob’s flight to Haran, begins in
verse 41 with the cause: And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing
wherewith his father blessed him. Esau made a resolution to kill Jacob,
and the timing was: The days of mourning for my father are at hand.
Esau obviously expected his father to die soon, but actually, Isaac
lived for another forty-three years. Esau’s intent was: then will I slay
my brother Jacob.
In 27:42-45 is Rebekah’s solution. Verse 42a records Rebekah’s
discovery: And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah.
Somehow someone overheard and gave the report to the mother.
Her response was: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son.
Verses 42b-45 contain Rebekah’s admonition to Jacob, with
verse 42b stating the problem: Behold, your brother Esau, as touching
you, does comfort himself, purposing to kill you; Esau was comforted in
the sense of planning to get even. So in verses 43-44a, Jacob is to go
to Paddan-Aram and the city of Haran: Now therefore, my son, obey
my voice. And arise, flee you to Laban my brother to Haran. This was a
distance of four hundred fifty miles. Tarry with him a few days, but
these few days will turn out to be twenty years. In verses 44b-45, is
the purpose: until Esau’s anger subsides, until your brother’s fury turn
away. Until your brother’s anger turn away from you, and he forgets that
which you have done to him. By putting it the way she did “until he
forgets what you have done to him,” she now shifted the blame for
the deception of Isaac entirely on Jacob. Nevertheless, what Rebekah
hoped would come to pass did take place (33:1-16). Moreover, Esau
prospered materially himself in his own inheritance, and so he was
eventually willing to forgive Jacob. Meanwhile, Rebekah’s plan was:
Then I will send, and fetch you from thence. This she would never get to
do, because she would die before Jacob’s return took place. Her fear
was: Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day? because if Jacob
were murdered, Esau would have to be executed in accordance with
the Noahic Covenant in 9:6.
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2. Jacob’s Flight - 27:46 - 28:5
46And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life
because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of
the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of
the land, what good shall my life do me?
1And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and
charged him, and said unto him, You shall not take a
wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2Arise, go to Paddan-
aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. And
take you a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban
your mother’s brother. 3And God Almighty bless you, and
make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a
company of peoples. 4And give you the blessing of
Abraham, to you, and to your seed with you. That you
may inherit the land of your sojournings, which God
gave unto Abraham. 5And Isaac sent away Jacob. And he
went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the
Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s
mother.
The account begins in verse 46 with Rebekah’s complaint: And
Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of
Heth. Therefore, Esau’s Hittite wives have made life impossible for
Rebekah. This was indeed a true reason why Jacob should relocate,
as already noted earlier; but it was not really the main reason for
sending Jacob away. She was trying to save Jacob’s life. Then the
danger she presents to her husband was: If Jacob take a wife of the
daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good
shall my life do me? Therefore, like Isaac, Jacob is to take a wife from
Paddan-Aram.
So in 28:1-4 is Isaac’s charge to Jacob, beginning in verse 1a with
the fetching of Jacob: And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and
charged him. In verses 1b-4, is Isaac’s actual charge to Jacob.
Verses 1b-2 contain the first part of this charge, which concerns
taking a wife. Negatively, in verse 1b, Isaac says: You shall not take a
wife of the daughters of Canaan. The positive side is in verse 2: Arise,
go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. And take
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you a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.
Then in verses 3-4, Isaac conveyed the Abrahamic Covenant to
Jacob; and he listed six provisions: First, God Almighty bless you;
second, make you fruitful; third, multiply you; fourth, that you may be a
company of peoples; fifth, give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to
your seed with you; and sixth, That you may inherit the land of your
sojourning, which God gave unto Abraham. So it was now clear to Isaac
that the Abrahamic Covenant was indeed to be sustained through
Jacob. For now, it came from Isaac; later in the chapter, it will also
come from God. Isaac finally capitulated to God’s will, and Isaac
recognized God’s choice.
Genesis 28:5 records Jacob’s departure: And Isaac sent away Jacob,
and he went to Paddan-aram, unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, [or
better, the Aramean], the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
3. Third Wife of Esau - 28:6-9
6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and
sent him away to Paddan-aram, to take him a wife from
thence. And that as he blessed him he gave him a charge,
saying, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of
Canaan. 7And that Jacob obeyed his father and his
mother, and had gone to Paddan-aram. 8And Esau saw
that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his
father. 9And Esau went unto Ishmael, and took, besides
the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael
Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
Verses 6-8 provide the background, beginning with verses 6-7,
containing Isaac’s admonition to Jacob as observed by Esau: Now
Esau saw, and what he saw and overheard in verse 6 was Isaac’s
charge: that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram,
for the purpose to take him a wife from thence. Therefore, what he
observed was: that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, You
shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Moreover, Esau noted
all that Isaac did for and said to Jacob. In verse 7, he also noted
Jacob’s obedience concerning marriage, And that Jacob obeyed his
father and his mother. The implication here is that Esau knew he
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should not have married the Hittites, but chose to go contrary to his
parents’ will and married the Hittite wives. Jacob was now in
obedience having gone to Paddan-Aram. In verse 8, Esau also clearly
noted Isaac’s displeasure of his own wives: And Esau saw that the
daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father. The emphasis here is
on Isaac being displeased; earlier the emphasis was on his mother’s
displeasure.
In 28:9 is Esau’s response: And Esau went unto Ishmael. Ishmael
was no longer living, so this would mean he went to the House of
Ishmael: and took, besides the wives that he had. He already had two,
and now he took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son. So
basically, he married his cousin, who was the sister of Nebaioth, to be
his wife. According to Genesis 36:3, she was also known as Basemath.
4. Reconfirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant - 28:10-22
10And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went
toward Haran. 11And he lighted upon a certain place,
and tarried there all night, because the sun was set. And
he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his
head, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12And he
dreamed. And behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and
the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of
God ascending and descending on it. 13And, behold,
Jehovah stood above it, and said, I am Jehovah, the God
of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land
whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed.
14And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you
shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to
the north, and to the south. And in you and in your seed
shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15And,
behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you
go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will
not leave you, until I have done that which I have
spoken to you of. 16And Jacob awaked out of his sleep,
and he said, Surely Jehovah is in this place. And I knew
it not. 17And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is
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this place! This is none other than the house of God, and
this is the gate of heaven.
18And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took
the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for
a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 19And he called
the name of that place Beth-el. But the name of the city
was Luz at the first. 20And Jacob vowed a vow, saying,
If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way
that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to
put on, 21so that I come again to my father’s house in
peace, and Jehovah will be my God, 22then this stone,
which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house.
And of all that you shall give me I will surely give the
tenth unto you.
Verses 10-12 give the circumstance, beginning in verse 10 with
Jacob’s departure: And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went
toward Haran. Then in verse 11 came the fateful night: And he lighted
upon a certain place. This was unknown to Jacob at this point, but it
happened to be Bethel. Many years earlier Abraham built an altar
here and began public worship here in the Land (12:8). Then came
Jacob’s act: and tarried there all night. The reason was: because the sun
was set. The next thing he did was: And he took one of the stones of the
place, and put it under his head, which has been misunderstood to
mean that he used it as a pillow, but a stone would make a rather
uncomfortable pillow. The Hebrew literally reads, “at his head,” not
“under his head.” It means the stone was placed at his head, as was
the case with Saul’s spear in I Samuel 26:7, where the same
terminology is used. Then: and lay down in that place to sleep. One
observation should be made here. In verses 10-11 of the Hebrew
text, only preterits are used. However, in verses 12-13a of the
Hebrew text, the word hineh, meaning “behold,” is followed by a
participial. In verse 12 is Jacob’s dream, beginning with the fact: And
he dreamed; this is the first patriarchal dream revelation, because the
earlier dream mentioned in Genesis 20 was given to Abimelech. In
the dream Jacob saw something before him: And behold a ladder. The
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Hebrew word for ladder here is sulam, a hapax-legomenon.64 It was
not a ladder in the modern sense of the term but has the meaning of
a “stairway,” indeed a stairway to heaven. It was set upon the earth,
which is where Jacob was, and reached to heaven, where God was.
The ladder pictured Jacob having access to Heaven. Furthermore:
And behold, the angels of God. In the Book of Genesis, the phrase the
angels of God is found only twice, here and in 32:1; and it is
significant as to the circumstances when it appears. Here in verse 12,
the angels of God are mentioned as Jacob departs from the Land. In
32:1, they appear again as Jacob is returning to the Land. However,
in his dream, these angels are ascending and descending on this
stairway.
Genesis 28:13-15 records the actual reconfirmation of the
Abrahamic Covenant, with verse 13a giving the first divine
appearance to Jacob: And, behold, Jehovah stood above it. God’s
presence was visibly manifested at the top of the ladder, and this
manifestation was the Shechinah Glory. Then came the divine
identification: I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham your father. Actually,
Isaac was Jacob’s father, but this shows that the word father does not
always mean a straight father/son relationship but also carries the
idea of ancestor, because Abraham was actually Jacob’s grandfather.
As a further identity, God declared that He was also the God of Isaac.
Verses 13b-15 contain the provisions of the covenant, listing four
provisions altogether. First is the promise of the Land in verse 13b:
The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it. The Land is promised to
Jacob individually and personally, to you will I give it, and to your seed,
meaning to Jacob’s descendants. The mention of seed shows that
Jacob will succeed in finding a wife. Second, concerning the seed, in
verse 14a, his seed is to become innumerable: And your seed shall be as
the dust of the earth. Then he mentions the spread: and you shall spread
abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south.
Third, there is the promise of Gentile blessing in verse 14b: And in
you and in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. All three
Patriarchs thus received the promise of the Gentile salvation. Fourth,
in verse 15 are the personal promises to Jacob, containing four
64 A term used only one time throughout the Scriptures.
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things: First, God’s presence, I am with you; second, God’s
protection, [He] will keep you wherever you go; third, God’s promise,
[He] will bring you again into this land, Jacob will return to the Land
of Canaan; and fourth, God’s commitment: I will not leave you,
God’s presence will always be and remain with Jacob, until I have
done that which I have spoken to you of, the fulfillment of the
covenantal promises.
Then in 28:16-17 came Jacob’s recognition of what just
occurred, with verse 16 dealing with the recognition itself. The
timing was: And Jacob awaked out of his sleep. Then came his
declaration: and he said, Surely Jehovah is in this place, meaning “This
is the place of the presence of God,” And I knew it not. Then in
verse 17 came Jacob’s fear. The fact was: And he was afraid; and that
is followed by his declaration: and he said, How dreadful is this place;
this reflected his fear of God. Then Jacob made a further declaration:
This is none other than the house of God; in Hebrew, the house of God is
Beth-el. So two places where the angels of God appeared to Jacob were
named by Jacob: first, Beth-el, the house of God, and later, Mahanaim,
the two camps. His conclusion was: This is the gate of heaven. Angels
appeared to Jacob when he left the Land and will later again appear
when he returns to the Land, at Mahanaim.
In 28:18-22, the account ends with the pillar and the vow,
beginning with the pillar in verse 18. The timing was: And Jacob rose
up early in the morning. Then came the act: and took the stone that he
had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the
top of it. By anointing the pillar, he consecrated it, symbolizing
devotion. In verse 19 came the naming: And he called the name of that
place Beth-el, which means “the House of God.” This symbolizes
commemoration, just as with Abraham in 12:8. Then verse 19 states:
But the name of the city was Luz at the first. This was actually a
renaming of the city. Originally, it was named Luz; it appears by that
name in Genesis 35:6 and 48:3, and in Joshua 16:2. It was here that
God first revealed Himself to Jacob, which is reaffirmed by
Hosea 12:4. In Genesis 27:20-22 was the vow. In verse 20a was the
act: And Jacob vowed a vow. This was Jacob’s response to the divine
revelation, and it symbolized dedication. Verses 20b-22 reveal the
content of Jacob’s vow. In verse 20b-21a, he focused on what God
would do, beginning in verse 21b with God’s provision for Jacob: If
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God will be with me, meaning if God’s presence will be indeed with
him. The word if can also mean “since.” [Since] God will be with me,
which is really more of a response of gratitude than a response of
testing, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to
eat, and raiment to put on. Verse 21a focuses on Jacob’s return: to come
again to my father’s house in peace. If God will do that, or since God
will do that, in verses 21b-22, this is what Jacob will do, then Jehovah
will be my God, in verse 21b. So on one hand, Jacob will
experientially know Who God is. On the other hand, Jacob will be
totally committed to this God. Then in verse 22a is the house of
God: then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house.
The meaning of this phrase is that this will be the place where Jacob
will return to worship the Lord. Then in verse 22b, Jacob promised
God his tithe: of all that you shall give me I will surely give the tenth
unto you.
The one key observation focuses on the reconfirmation of the
Abrahamic Covenant through Jacob. There are five things to note
here. First, this is Jacob’s first real spiritual experience, and God now
becomes the God of Jacob as well. Second, Jacob saw three things,
and each was introduced by the word behold. He saw a ladder, or
better, a staircase; the angels of God; and some kind of visible
manifestation of God. Third, out of Isaac’s two sons, then, only one
was chosen to inherit God’s blessings, and the Abrahamic Covenant
was reconfirmed only through Jacob. So Esau was rejected, and Jacob
was elected. Fourth, the basic motifs of the covenant are repeated:
the Land, the seed, and the spiritual blessings. Fifth, God’s basic
provisions for Jacob are as follows: The Land is promised to both
Jacob and Jacob’s seed (vv. 13, 15); the seed is to be multiplied
(v. 14a); and the Gentiles will someday be blessed through this seed
(v. 14b). So, finally, to each one of the Patriarchs, the promise was
made that there would be Gentile blessings someday extended
through their seed.
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K. Jacob in Haran - 29:1-30:43
1. Jacob’s Arrival - 29:1-14
1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the
land of the children of the east. 2And he looked, and
behold, a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep
lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the
flocks. And the stone upon the well’s mouth was great.
3And thither were all the flocks gathered. And they rolled
the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep,
and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in its
place. 4And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence
are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. 5And he said
unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they
said, We know him. 6And he said unto them, Is it well
with him? And they said, It is well. And, behold, Rachel
his daughter comes with the sheep. 7And he said, Lo, it is
yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be
gathered together. Water ye the sheep, and go and feed
them. 8And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be
gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s
mouth. Then we water the sheep. 9While he was yet
speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep.
For she kept them. 10And it came to pass, when Jacob
saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother,
and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob
went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth,
and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
11And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and
wept. 12And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s
brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son. And she ran and
told her father.
13And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings
of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and
embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his
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house. And he told Laban all these things. 14And Laban
said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And he
abode with him the space of a month.
Verse 1 describes Jacob’s journey: Then Jacob went on his journey.
The Hebrew literally reads: “Jacob lifted up his feet.” There was now
a new spring in his walk as a result of God’s revelation. Esau, for
now, was no longer Jacob’s problem. And [Jacob] came to the land of
the children of the east; he came to Aram-Naharaim.
Genesis 29:2-3 describes Jacob at the well: And he looked, and
this was the point of arrival, and behold a well in the field. Some
believe that this well may have been the same one as in Genesis 24,
but this is not definite. This well appeared to be outside of town
where the sheep grazed and were watered; the other well appears to
be by the town where drinking water was fetched, and so it is
somewhat questionable that it was the same well. The scene is
further described as: and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For
out of that well they watered the flocks. And the stone upon the well’s
mouth was great. Verse 3 describes the procedure for giving the water.
The timing was: And thither were all the flocks gathered. When
everyone’s flock was gathered together, then came the procedure.
First, they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; second, they watered
the sheep; and third, they put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in its
place.
Genesis 29:4-8 records Jacob’s conversation with the locals,
beginning in verse 4 with an identification. Jacob asked: And Jacob
said unto them, My brethren, whence are ye? The men responded: Of
Haran are we. This answer showed that Jacob had arrived at his
destination. In verses 5-6 came Jacob’s inquiry of his family: And
[Jacob] said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? Laban was
actually the son of Bethuel, and here the word son is used in the
sense of grandson. The men answered: We know him. Then Jacob
asked: And he said unto them, Is it well with him? The men responded,
It is well, but then added a fact: Behold, Rachel, his daughter comes with
the sheep. The word behold is used three times here, and then twice in
verse 2, the same way in which it was used earlier in chapter 28.
Rachel was not yet visible; the point is that she was among those to
arrive before moving the stone covering the well. In verses 7-8, is the
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inquiry concerning the water, beginning in verse 7 with Jacob’s
question. He first focused on the timing: Lo, it is yet high day, bright
daylight, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together,
meaning the larger herds. It was not the time for larger herds to
gather, and so the immediate action for now should be: Water ye the
sheep, give them water now; and go and feed them, take them to
pasture. Here Jacob spoke as a professional shepherd. However, the
men responded in verse 8: We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered
together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth. Then we water the
sheep. In other words, to water now goes contrary to the custom of
the place.
Genesis 29:9-12 provides the record of the meeting between
Jacob and Rachel, with verse 9 dealing with Rachel’s arrival. The
timing was: While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her
father’s sheep. For she kept them. The name Rachel means a “ewe
lamb.” In verse 10a is Jacob’s first sight of Rachel: And it came to pass,
when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and
the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother. Verses 10b-12a spell out Jacob’s
actions in which he did three things. First, in verse 10b, he removes
the stone: that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s
mouth, and watered the flocks of Laban his mother’s brother. Second, in
verse 11, he gave the greeting: And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his
voice, and wept. Third, in verse 12a, he identified himself: And Jacob
told Rachel that he was her father’s brother. Here, the word brother is
used in the sense of “nephew,” since he was Laban’s nephew. Also, he
was Rebekah’s son; Rebekah was Rachel’s aunt. Verse 12b records
Rachel’s response: She ran and told her father.
Genesis 29:13-14 describes Jacob in the home of Laban, with
verse 13 recording the meeting between Jacob and Laban. The
timing was: And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob
his sister’s sons. Laban’s sister had left ninety-seven years earlier.
Laban then responded to Jacob: he ran to meet him, and embraced him,
and kissed him, and brought him to his house. This led to Jacob’s
account: And he told Laban all these things; he told Laban completely
the family history that had transpired over the previous ninety-seven
years. In verse 14, Jacob is given the status of a guest: And Laban said
to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh, a recognition of family
ties, and Jacob stayed with Laban as a guest for the space of a month.
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2. Jacob’s Marriage - 29:15-30
15And Laban said unto Jacob, Because you are my
brother, should you therefore serve me for nought? Tell
me, what shall your wages be? 16And Laban had two
daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the
name of the younger was Rachel. 17And Leah’s eyes were
tender. But Rachel was beautiful and well favored.
18And Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, I will serve you
seven years for Rachel your younger daughter. 19And
Laban said, It is better that I give her to you, than that I
should give her to another man. Abide with me. 20And
Jacob served seven years for Rachel. And they seemed
unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
21And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for
my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 22And
Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and
made a feast. 23And it came to pass in the evening, that
he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. And
he went in unto her. 24And Laban gave Zilpah his
handmaid unto his daughter Leah for a handmaid.
25And it came to pass in the morning that, behold, it was
Leah. And he said to Laban, What is this you have done
unto me? Did not I serve with you for Rachel?
Wherefore then have you beguiled me? 26And Laban
said, It is not so done in our place, to give the younger
before the first-born. 27Fulfil the week of this one, and
we will give you the other also for the service which you
shall serve with me yet seven other years. 28And Jacob did
so, and fulfilled her week. And he gave him Rachel his
daughter to wife. 29And Laban gave to Rachel his
daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her handmaid.
30And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also
Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven
other years.
The account of Jacob’s marriages begins with the marriage
contract in verses 15-19. Verse 15 records Laban’s inquiry: And
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Laban said unto Jacob, Because you are my brother, meaning nephew
here, should you therefore serve me for nought? In other words, just
because Jacob is Laban’s kinsman, should he work for free? The
obvious answer would be “no,” and so then came the question of
salary: Tell me, what shall your wages be? Verses 16-17 serve as a
parenthesis, giving a description of Laban’s daughters: And Laban
had two daughters. Verse 16 identifies them. First: The name of the
elder was Leah. Leah means “a wild cow” or a kind of “antelope.”
Second: The name of the younger was Rachel, which means “a ewe
lamb.” Verse 17 presents their distinctiveness. First: Leah’s eyes were
tender. The Hebrew word means “tender” or “weak” and indicates
that she had poor eyesight. Second: But Rachel was beautiful, both in
face and in figure, and well favored, meaning she had no physical
defects or deformities. Verse 18 returns to the narrative of Jacob’s
wages, and the basis of Jacob’s request was: he loved Rachel;
therefore, he said: I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger
daughter. Jacob did not demand Rachel’s hand outright on the basis
of his lineage to Abraham, because in his case, he arrived
empty-handed. He had no bride price to offer, as did the servant in
Genesis 24; therefore, the seven years of labor would serve as the
bride price. Verse 19 records Laban’s agreement. And Laban said, It is
better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man.
The agreement was finalized when Laban said: Abide with me.
Genesis 29:20-30 details the marriages of Jacob. Verse 20
describes the seven years of labor by which Jacob paid the bride price:
Jacob served seven years for Rachel. Jacob’s own attitude was: And they
seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. In those seven
years, his love for Rachel never abated.
Genesis 29:21-25a deals with his marriage to Leah, beginning in
verse 21 with Jacob’s demand: And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my
wife. The reason was: for my days are fulfilled, meaning Jacob had
served the seven years. The purpose was: that I may go in unto her, a
reference to the wedding night. The festivities begin in verse 22 with
the wedding feast: And Laban gathered together all the men of the place,
and made a feast. This was a seven-day wedding feast, customary at
that time in the Middle East, and followed in verse 23 by the
wedding night, the night of Laban’s deception: And it came to pass in
the evening, he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. This
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refers to Leah entering the marriage tent where the first sexual union
took place. Now the deceiver is deceived, although the motivations
differ from good to bad. This is divine retribution in four ways. First,
Isaac’s blindness equals the darkness of Jacob’s wedding night, and
neither could see well as a result. Second, this Jacob is deceived by
being presented the older for the younger, the reversal of Isaac’s
presentation of Jacob for Esau. Third, Isaac thought Jacob was Esau
and Jacob thought Leah was Rachel. Fourth, Jacob pretended to be
his older brother, while Leah pretended to be her younger sister.
Then came the consummation of the marriage: and [Jacob] went in
unto her. In those days, brides were veiled on the wedding night, and
that was why Jacob did not recognize whom he was actually sleeping
with. In verse 24 is the wedding gift: And Laban gave Zilpah,
meaning “nearness” or “intimacy,” his handmaid unto his daughter
Leah for a handmaid. This practice is in keeping with what is known
from the Nuzi Tablets. In verse 25a came Jacob’s discovery. The
timing was: It came to pass in the morning; it was now daylight and the
veil was no longer on, and, behold, it was Leah.
Genesis 29:25b-30 deals with the second marriage, the marriage
to Rachel. It begins with Jacob’s complaint in verse 25b: And he said
to Laban, What is this that you have done unto me? It was a question of
fairness. Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Obviously, yes. Wherefore
then have you beguiled me? “Why did you deceive me?” Verses 26-27
contain Laban’s response. In verse 26, Laban defended his deception
because of the local custom: It is not so done in our place, to give the
younger before the first-born. However, this was not something Jacob
was informed of in advance. After living there for seven years, Jacob
would have been familiar with this custom, if there really was such;
thus it may have been just a lie on Laban’s part. Nevertheless, for
Jacob it was irony, since the issue of the firstborn and birthright now
entered in as it did with him and Esau. In verse 27 came Laban’s
offer: Fulfil the week of this one. The phrase this one refers to Leah.
Fulfil the week, meaning the marriage week for Leah, because the
wedding feast lasted for seven days (Judg. 14:12, 14;17). Then Laban
said: and we will give you the other also. The other refers to Rachel; in
other words, he will marry Rachel one week later (not seven years
later, but one week later), but there is a condition he must fulfill: for
the service which you will serve me yet seven other years. He was to agree
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to work for Laban seven more years, meaning he had a second bride
price to pay. In verse 28 came the second marriage, beginning with
Jacob’s agreement: And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He fulfilled
Leah’s week, and [then Laban] gave him Rachel his daughter to wife,
which was permitted before the Mosaic Law was given. Under the
Mosaic Law (Lev. 18:18), it was forbidden to marry sisters; But this
was before the Law was given; therefore, at this stage it was
permitted. Verse 29 discloses the wedding gift: And Laban gave to
Rachel his daughter Bilhah, meaning “terror,” his handmaid to be her
handmaid. Again, this is in keeping with the Nuzi Tablets. In
verse 30a came the consummation: And he went in also unto Rachel.
In verse 30b came the second seven years: He loved also Rachel more
than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
3. The Sons of Jacob - 29:31 - 30:24
a. Leah’s Four Sons - 29:31-35
31And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and he
opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. 32And Leah
conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name
Reuben. For she said, Because Jehovah has looked upon
my affliction. For now my husband will love me. 33And
she conceived again, and bore a son: and said, Because
Jehovah has heard that I am hated, he has therefore
given me this son also. And she called his name Simeon.
34And she conceived again, and bore a son. And said,
Now this time will my husband be joined unto me,
because I have borne him three sons. Therefore was his
name called Levi. 35And she conceived again, and bore a
son. And she said, This time will I praise Jehovah.
Therefore she called his name Judah. And she left off
bearing.
The account of the births of the sons of Jacob starts with the
children of Leah, which begins in verse 31 with the providence of
God: And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated. This is a good example
showing that love and hate do not always refer to the emotions but
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are used in reference to choice. Rachel, not Leah, was Jacob’s choice.
So Leah was hated in the sense of not being chosen. Rabbi
Nachmanides interprets this statement as meaning he did not
literally hate Leah, but she was less beloved of the two wives. Rabbi
Hertz believes the word only means “less loved,” not that Jacob had
an aversion to her, but that he preferred Rachel. Rabbis who often
criticize Jesus for saying one must hate parents in order to show love
for Him do not see any problems here in Genesis and therefore are
guilty of using a double standard. What Jesus obviously meant was
that it might be necessary to hate our parents, meaning that
sometime to choose the will of God requires one not to choose the
will of the parents. The result of the situation was that God blessed
Leah: He opened her womb. But Rachel was barren.
Genesis 29:32 records the birth of Jacob’s firstborn, Reuben: And
Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, literally
meaning “See ye a son.” The reason she named him thus was: Because
Jehovah has looked upon my affliction. The Hebrew for looked is raah,
“saw,” and the linguistic connection reflects the sound of the name,
not the actual meaning of it. The emphasis was on the producing of
the firstborn son. Her hope was: For now my husband will love me,
meaning that now Jacob will choose her over Rachel.
In 29:33 came Leah’s second son: And she conceived again, and
bore a son. The reason Leah gave for the subsequent name was:
Because Jehovah has heard that I am hated. In Hebrew, the word heard
is shamah. Again, the word hated here means “the one not chosen.”
However, it was because of this: He has therefore given me this son also.
Then came the naming: And she called his name Simeon, which means
“hearing.”
Then came the third son, in 29:34: And she conceived again, and
bore a son. The hope she expressed was: Now this time will my
husband be joined unto me. To be joined is from the Hebrew lavah,
meaning “to join.” The reason for the hope was: because I have borne
him three sons. Then came the naming: Therefore was his name called
Levi, meaning “joined.” This word play is also found in
Numbers 18:2, 4.
In 29:35 came Leah’s fourth son: And she conceived again, and
bore a son. The reason for the name was: This time I will praise
Jehovah. The word praise comes from the Hebrew root yadah, which
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means “to praise.” This will be the consolation for the unloved wife.
The naming was: She called his name Judah. In Hebrew, it is Yehudah,
meaning “praise,” or more literally, “He will be praised” or “Let him
be praised.” So for Leah, God is to be praised; for Jacob, Judah is to
be praised (49:8). Then comes the conclusion: She left off bearing.
This was only temporary, since she will have more children. It may
mean that Jacob stopped having sexual relations with her, until she
“bought” him with her son’s mandrakes.
In the naming of the first three sons, Leah named them with a
basic hope that Jacob would learn to love her or at least treat her
equally. That never happened. By the time she came to her fourth
son, she focused on God and not on Jacob, realizing that although
not loved by Jacob, she was loved by God. The two key institutions
of Israel, priesthood (Levi) and royalty (Judah), came from an
unplanned and unwanted marriage.
b. Bilbah’s Children - 30:1-8
1And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no
children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto
Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. 2And Jacob’s anger
was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s
stead, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?
3And she said, Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in unto her;
that she may bear upon my knees, and I also may obtain
children by her. 4And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid
to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. 5And Bilhah
conceived, and bore Jacob a son. 6And Rachel said, God
has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has
given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. 7And
Bilhah Rachel’s handmaid conceived again, and bore
Jacob a second son. 8And Rachel said, With mighty
wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have
prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.
This section begins with Rachel’s response in verses 1-2, starting
with Rachel’s complaint in verse 1. The background to her complaint
was: And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied
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her sister. Her response was: and she said unto Jacob, Give me children,
or else I die. She made a rather unreasonable demand, as if Jacob was
the one who was withholding. Since he loved her, he probably had
more relations with her than with Leah. The irony is that she
claimed that she would die if she did not have children, but in fact
she would later die giving birth to Benjamin. Jacob’s response in
verse 2 was somewhat unkind. First was his emotional response: And
Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel. Second was his verbal
response: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who has withheld from you
the fruit of the womb? Jacob recognized God’s providence.
So in 30:3-4, Rachel’s despair led to her offer of Bilhah to Jacob,
with verse 3 describing the offer: Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in unto
her; that she might bear upon my knees, meaning Rachel would be the
legal mother. This was in keeping with Code of Hammurabi, and for
that reason, it was Rachel, not Bilhah, who named the children.
Because Bilhah was the handmaid of Rachel, Rachel would be the
legal mother: and I also may obtain children by her; literally, “I may be
builded by her.” Verse 4 records the consummation: And she gave him
Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
In 30:5-6, Rachel’s first son through her handmaid was
produced, beginning with the birth in verse 5: And Bilhah conceived,
and bore Jacob a son. Rachel’s response is given in verse 6: God has
judged me. The Hebrew root danan means “to judge” but is used here
in the sense of “vindication,” meaning “but God had vindicated me.”
Rachel continued: And [God] has also heard my voice, meaning “my
prayer,” and has given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan, a
word play with the Hebrew word for judge.
In 30:7-8 came the second son produced in this way, with verse
7 recording the birth: And Bilhah Rachel’s handmaid conceived again,
and bore Jacob a second son. Verse 8 gives Rachel’s response. The
reason for the response was: With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled
with my sister. The phrase mighty wrestlings in Hebrew literally reads
“the wrestlings of God have I wrestled.” In Hebrew, “have I
wrestled” is niphtalti. The result was: and [I] have prevailed. That led
to the naming: and she called his name Naphtali, which means “my
wrestling.”
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c. Zilpah’s Children - 30:9-13
9When Leah saw that she had left off bearing, she
took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob to
wife. 10And Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bore Jacob a son.
11And Leah said, Fortunate! and she called his name
Gad. 12And Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bore Jacob a second
son. 13And Leah said, Happy am I! for the daughters
will call me happy: and she called his name Asher.
In verse 9, Leah followed her sister’s example: When Leah saw
that she had left off bearing, she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her
to Jacob to wife. Then we have the legal transaction. In verses 10-11
came the first son of this union, with verse 10 dealing with the birth:
And Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bore Jacob a son. Leah’s response in
verse 11 was: Fortunate! In Hebrew, bagad; literally, it means “with
fortune.” Then came the naming: and she called his name Gad,
meaning “fortune,” “good fortune,” or “fortune has come.”
In 30:12-13 came the second son out of this union with Leah’s
handmaid, with verse 12 dealing with the birth: And Zilpah Leah’s
handmaid bore Jacob a second son. Leah’s response is given in verse 13:
Happy am I, in Hebrew, beashri, literally “with my happiness,” for the
daughters will call me happy. Then came the naming: She called his
name Asher, meaning “happy.”
d. Leah Bears Again - 30:14-21
14And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest,
and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them
unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give
me, I pray you, of your son’s mandrakes. 15And she said
unto her, Is it a small matter that you have taken away
my husband? and would you take away my son’s
mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie
with you to-night for your son’s mandrakes. 16And Jacob
came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to
meet him, and said, You must come in unto me; for I
have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes. And he
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lay with her that night. 17And God hearkened unto
Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18And Leah said, God has given me my hire, because I
gave my handmaid to my husband: and she called his
name Issachar. 19And Leah conceived again, and bore a
sixth son to Jacob. 20And Leah said, God has endowed me
with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with
me, because I have borne him six sons: and she called his
name Zebulun. 21And afterwards she bore a daughter,
and called her name Dinah.
Leah again begins to bear children, with verses 14-16 giving the
background concerning the mandrakes. Verse 14a records Reuben’s
gift. The timing was: Reuben went out in the days of wheat harvest,
which would make it around the months of May and June. The
result was: and found mandrakes in the field. In Hebrew, the word for
mandrakes is dudaim, literally meaning “love apples.” These are
berries that have white and reddish blossoms and a yellow fruit
similar to small apples. It is mentioned in Song of Solomon 7:13 and
was considered an aphrodisiac; and, therefore, the Hebrew root is the
same as the Hebrew word for “lover.” Reuben picked the mandrake in
the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. In verse 14b, this led
to Rachel’s request: Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray you, of
your son’s mandrakes. Contextually, her request was based on it being
a sexual stimulant. However, in verse 15a, Leah refused: And she said
unto her, Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? and
would you take away my son’s mandrakes also? This was a rather harsh
refusal on Leah’s part. She did not intend to improve Rachel’s love
life in light of the fact that Rachel was already the favored of her
husband. Verse 15b records Rachel’s resignation: And Rachel said,
Therefore he shall lie with you to-night, meaning he will have sexual
relations with Leah, and the reason was: for your son’s mandrakes,
since it was an aphrodisiac. In verse 16 is the consummation. The
timing was: And Jacob came in from the field in the evening, and Leah
went out to meet him. This was followed by Leah’s proposal: and said,
You must come in unto me, meaning Jacob must have sexual
intercourse with her. The basis for her request was: for I have surely
hired you with my son’s mandrakes, because they were sexually
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stimulating. The Hebrew word for hired is sachar, which will be the
root of the name of her next son. By saying hired, this indicates that
Jacob normally slept with Rachel, whom he really loved.
Nevertheless, having the aphrodisiac, she hired her husband to sleep
with her. The result was: And he lay with her that night.
Out of that union in verses 30:17-18 came Leah’s fifth son, with
the birth in verse 17, beginning with the divine providence: And God
hearkened unto Leah. He hearkened unto what she was really after with
the mandrakes. The result was: and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth
son. Leah’s response is given in verse 18: God has given me my hire,
because I gave my handmaid to my husband. Leah had hired Jacob with
the mandrakes; now God has paid the higher price to Leah for
giving Zilpah to Jacob, and the payment was a fifth son directly from
her womb. Then came the naming: and she called his name Issachar,
which means “hire.”
Genesis 30:19-20 records the birth of Leah’s sixth son in
verse 19: And Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob. Leah’s
response is in verse 20. Her declaration was: God has endowed me with
a good dowry. The Hebrew for endowed me and dowry come from the
same root, zeved. The word zeved here is a hapax-legomenon, found
only here in the Hebrew text and nowhere else with the exception of
the repetition of this son’s name (Zebulun). In addition to the
meaning of “endowed” or “dowry,” the meaning of this son’s name
reflected Leah’s hope for her marriage. The Hebrew for dwell is from
the Hebrew zaval, which means “to dwell,” “to exalt,” or “to honor.”
The reason she named him what she did is stated as her hope: Now
will my husband dwell with me. In Akkadian, it was a word used for
the marriage gift. The basis for this hope was: because I have borne
him six sons. Therefore, she named him Zebulun, which means
“dwelling.” From her came six of the twelve Tribes of Israel.
In 30:21 is the mention of Leah’s one daughter, Dinah. The
timing was: And afterwards, that is after bearing six sons, she bore a
daughter. Actually this was one of several daughters Jacob had (37:35;
46:7, 15), but she is the only one of Jacob’s daughters named, and
this is because of her role in the events of chapter 34. Then came the
naming: and [she] called her name Dinah, which is the feminine form
for the name Dan, also meaning “judge.”
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e. Rachel’s Son - 30:22-24
22And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to
her, and opened her womb. 23And she conceived, and bore
a son: and said, God has taken away my reproach: 24and
she called his name Joseph, saying, Jehovah add to me
another son.
Verse 22 focuses on the providence of God: And God remembered
Rachel, not in the sense of forgetting her but in the sense of moving
toward her in grace. The cause was: And God hearkened to her; He
listened to her prayer. The result was: and opened her womb.
In 30:23a is the birth of Rachel’s first natural-born son: And she
conceived, and bore a son.
In 30:23b-24 is Rachel’s response: God has taken away my
reproach, the reproach of her barrenness. The Hebrew word for taken
away is asaf. Then came the naming: and she called his name Joseph; in
Hebrew Yoseph, which means “addition” or “He shall add.” It
combines the ideas of asaf, “to take away” as related to her former
state of barrenness, and yoseph, which means “to add.” Moreover, the
hope in naming him thus was: Jehovah add to me another son, because
Yoseph means “He shall add.” By naming him with the hope that
Jehovah shall add to me another son, her hope was that Joseph would
not be her only biological son and that she will have another one.
Indeed her hope was fulfilled later on when she gave birth to
Benjamin, although the fulfillment of that hope would cost Rachel
her life.
4. Jacob’s Contract with Laban - 30:25-36
25And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne
Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that
I may go unto mine own 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 my service
wherewith I have served you. 27And Laban said unto
him, If now I have found favor in your eyes, tarry: for I
have divined that Jehovah has blessed me for your sake.
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28And he said, Appoint me your wages, and I will give
it. 29And he said unto him, You know how I have served
you, and how your cattle have fared with me. 30For it
was little which you had before I came, and it has
increased unto a multitude; and Jehovah has blessed you
wherever I turned: and now when shall I provide for my
own house also? 31And he said, What shall I give you?
And Jacob said, You shall not give me aught: if you will
do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep
it. 32I will pass through all your flock to-day, removing
from thence every speckled and spotted one, and every
black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled
among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. 33So shall
my righteousness answer for me hereafter, when you shall
come concerning my hire that is before you: every one
that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and
black among the sheep, that if found with me, shall be
counted stolen. 34And Laban said, Behold, I would it
might be according to your word. 35And he removed that
day the he-goats that were ringstreaked and spotted, and
all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every
one that had white in it, and all the black ones among
the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons; 36and
he set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob: and
Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
The account of Jacob’s contract with Laban opens up in
30:25-26 with Jacob’s request. The timing was: And it came to pass
when Rachel had born Joseph. Jacob now had eleven sons with the
birth of Joseph. Furthermore, fourteen years have transpired and
both bride prices have been paid in full. That was all Jacob was to
receive from the arrangement; he had no other income than what he
had right there. Therefore, the request was: Jacob said unto Laban,
Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, meaning his home,
and to my country. For Jacob, the Land of Canaan is his country,
although he had no citizenship with any particular city-state. The
request was: Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served
you, and let me go. The basis for the request was: for you know my
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service wherewith I have served you. Laban clearly knew that Jacob’s
payment was now paid in full.
In 30:27-28, came Laban’s counteroffer to Jacob’s request to
leave, beginning in verse 27 with Laban’s recognition. The request
Laban made was: If now I have found favor in your eyes, tarry [stay].
He wanted Jacob to stay there. The reason was: for I have divined
that Jehovah has blessed me for your sake. The Hebrew word for
“divine” has the same root as the word “serpent” and literally means
“to divine through a serpent.” Laban was a pagan who practiced such
occult divination; and through occult practice, Laban, the pagan,
recognized that Jacob’s God, Whoever He might be, was blessing
Laban because of his relationship to Jacob. What Laban experienced
these past fourteen years was the blessing aspect of the Abrahamic
Covenant: I will bless them that bless you (12:3); and Laban did not
want to lose this blessing. If Jacob left, he realized he might lose it.
So Laban now offered to pay a wage to Jacob: Appoint me your wages,
meaning Jacob should tell him what his salary should be, and I will
give it, meaning Laban will surely pay it.
Genesis 30:29-30 records Jacob’s summary of his fourteen years
of labor for Laban, and he pointed out three things. First, Laban
knew well the value of Jacob’s work: You know how I have served you,
and how your cattle have fared with me. For it was little which you had
before I came, and it has increased unto a multitude. The Hebrew word
for increased means “to break forth.” In other words, there was a
sudden explosion of growth ever since Jacob came to work for him.
Second, Laban has been the recipient of the blessing aspect of the
Abrahamic Covenant as Jacob pointed out: And Jehovah has blessed
you wherever I turned. The change of pronouns is significant: God
blessed you wherever I turned. The point is that God had blessed
Laban not because of any righteousness or any spirituality on Laban’s
part, since he was a pagan idolater; God only blessed him because of
his relationship to Jacob. Third, Jacob expressed his desire: and now
when shall I provide for my own house also? This means Jacob wanted
to provide financial security for himself and his family. Up to now,
Jacob’s work had provided financial security for Laban; now Jacob
wanted to provide for the financial stability of his own family rather
than just working for room and board.
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In response, Laban asks Jacob a question in 30:31a: And he said,
What shall I give you?
In 30:31b-33, Jacob expressed what his wages were to be. He
began in verse 31 clearly stating what the basic starting point should
be: You shall not give me aught, meaning Laban was not to pay Jacob
anything now; there was to be no payment up front. Rather, if you
will do this thing for me, meaning if Laban will do the one thing Jacob
now requested: I will again feed your flock and keep it. Therefore, while
Jacob could have demanded an offer up front, he did not do so. In
verse 32, he made the offer of the wages: I will pass through all your
flock to-day, and as he passed through Laban’s flocks, he would be
removing from thence three categories of animals: First, every speckled
and spotted one, which is a general statement; second, every black one
among the sheep, because in the Middle East the sheep are usually
white, thus a black sheep would be rare; and third, [every] spotted and
speckled among the goats. In the Middle East, the goats are normally
dark brown or black. So the ones he was talking about would be
quite minimal. Then he declares: of such shall be my hire. This was the
starting point, and Jacob was willing to begin with the minimum.
Spotted animals were in the minority, and so Jacob asked for the
small number of off-colored, speckled, and spotted sheep and goats
from the flock. He was not getting all those animals in the three
categories he just mentioned; he was only to get the offspring of this
small group. One cannot fault Jacob for what he was asking. He
really did have the right to demand much more, for he had proven to
be such a great blessing to Laban; Laban had become a wealthy man
because of Jacob, and yet Jacob asked for a minimal starting point.
Furthermore, in verse 33, Jacob spelled out what the test of his
honesty would be: So shall my righteousness answer for me hereafter. In
other words, Jacob’s honesty in dealing with these issues will be
testable by merely looking over the flock: when you shall come
concerning my hire that is before you, meaning when Laban would
come to check what Jacob had taken as his wages: every one that is not
speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the sheep that if
found with me shall be counted stolen. All in all this was a very generous
offer. In verse 34 came Laban’s agreement: And Laban said, Behold, I
would it might be according to your word.
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In 30:35-36a, Laban took some precautionary actions, with
verse 35 describing the selection. He removed that day: first, the
he-goats that were ringstreaked and spotted; second, all the she-goats that
were speckled and spotted; third, every one that had white in it; and
fourth, all the black ones among the sheep. Therefore, what Laban did
was very unfair. Although Jacob was generous, Laban did not
respond with generosity. Laban removed everything that would favor
Jacob’s increase. What he took aside were the very animals that Jacob
was to start with, and his wages were to be the offspring from them;
but Laban set them aside. Now Jacob had to start with nothing. So
Laban has deceived Jacob for a second time. Furthermore: and gave
them into the hand of his sons. Apparently, sons had been born to
Laban since Jacob arrived because they were not in the picture at the
time Jacob arrived, for only the two daughters were mentioned. It
should be noted who was really cheating whom. Jacob was not
cheating Laban. He offered him very generous terms, and he asked
for a minimal starting point—the offspring of those that were
spotted, ring-streaked, striped, etc. Nevertheless, these were the ones
Laban now took away and gave to his sons born to him during the
previous fourteen years. Rather than Jacob starting with a minimum,
he now started with nothing. In verse 36a came their separation as
Laban traveled a distance away: and he set three days’ journey between
himself and Jacob. This was far away from the flock under the care of
Jacob, and it allowed no opportunity for any crossbreeding. Although
Laban entered into an agreement with Jacob that would provide
Jacob with wages, Laban made sure that Jacob would have as difficult
as possible a time achieving it.
Genesis 30:36b summarizes Jacob’s labor: and Jacob fed the rest of
Laban’s flocks. Jacob fulfilled his part of the agreement while Laban
failed to fulfill his.
5. Jacob’s Enrichment - 30:37-43
37And Jacob took him rods of fresh poplar, and of the
almond and of the plane-tree. And peeled white streaks
in them, and made the white appear which was in the
rods. 38And he set the rods which he had peeled over
against the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs
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where the flocks came to drink; and they conceived when
they came to drink. 39And the flocks conceived before the
rods, and the flocks brought forth ringstreaked, speckled,
and spotted. 40And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the
faces of the flocks toward the ringstreaked and all the
black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves
apart, and put them not unto Laban’s flock. 41And it
came to pass, whensoever the stronger of the flock did
conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the
flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the
rods; 42but when the flock were feeble, he put them not
in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
43And the man increased exceedingly, and had large
flocks, and maid-servants and men-servants, and camels
and asses.
This section records Jacob’s enrichment in spite of Laban’s
efforts to the contrary. In verse 37, Jacob made spotted rods: And
Jacob took him rods of fresh poplar, and of the almond and of the plane-
tree, and from these he made cuttings to provide the streaking. He
peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the
rods, so that it had a zebra effect.
In 30:38a came Jacob’s placing of the rods: And he set the rods
which he had peeled over against the flocks in the gutters in the watering-
troughs where the flocks came to drink; he placed them at the place
where the mating and the conception would naturally occur. In
verses 38b-39 came the result, beginning in verse 38b with the
conception: and they conceived when they came to drink, followed in
verse 39 with the product: And the flocks conceived before the rods, and
the flocks brought forth ringstreaked, speckled, and spotted. These were
the ones that would naturally belong to Jacob according to the
agreement, although the parents were not that way.
Then in 30:40 came the separation of the flock: And Jacob
separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstreaked
and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart,
and put them not unto Laban’s flock. Those that were born
ringstreaked, speckled, or black, he separated as his wages. He
separated from Laban’s flock in keeping with the agreement. What
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happened here was that Laban’s pure white sheep or pure black goats
produced the ringstreaked, the speckled, and the striped, which was
what belonged to Jacob.
Genesis 30:41-42 deals with the use of the rods, and the contrast
between the strong and the weak. Verse 41 deals with the strong:
And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger of the flock did conceive, that
Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might
conceive among the rods. Jacob only used the rods when the stronger
sheep mated. As for the weaker ones, in verse 42: but when the flocks
were feeble, he put them not in, He did not use the rods when the
weaker sheep mated. This was Jacob’s revenge for Laban’s deceit.
The weak ones, the feeble ones, were born either all white or all
black or black among the goats or white among the sheep, so these
were the ones that belonged to Laban. The ones that came
ringstreaked, spotted, or striped are the ones that belonged to Jacob,
and these were the stronger ones.
Genesis 30:43 summarizes Jacob’s wealth: And the man increased
exceedingly. Again, the word used means an explosion of increase;
what was true of Laban’s flock was now true of Jacob’s flock. The
word exceeding is actually two Hebrew words that are the same word,
meod, meod, meaning “very, very.” This was an “explosion of increase
very, very.” It specifies a massive amount of wealth, namely
consisting of: large flocks, and maid-servants, and men-servants, and
camels and asses. All this in six year’s time, and so indeed he became
very wealthy and financially stable.
By way of observation, what Jacob did to increase his flock was
three things. First, he placed peeled, streaked poles before the eyes of
the animals at the time of breeding as a prenatal influence
(vv. 37-40). Second, he put all the multi-colored animals born by the
rods so that they would interbreed and produce more of their own
kind (v. 40). Third, he used prenatal measures with the strong
animals and not with the weak ones so that the multi-colored born
would be the strong ones (v. 41). These were superstitious practices.
Jacob initially resorted to superstition and had accepted a popular
theory in those days of prenatal influence that said a vivid sight
during conception or pregnancy would leave its mark on the embryo.
That was what Jacob believed, and that is what he practiced here.
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What he eventually learned, according to 31:10-13, was that it was
not the rods that produced it. Rather, it was God working a miracle.
L. Jacob’s Flight from Haran - 31:1-55
1. Jacob’s Flight - 31:1-21
1And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying,
Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s; and of
that which was our father’s has he gotten all this glory.
2And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and,
behold, it was not toward him as beforetime. 3And
Jehovah said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of your
fathers, and to your kindred; and I will be with you.
4And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field
unto his flock, 5and said unto them, I see your father’s
countenance, that it is not toward me as beforetime; but
the God of my father has been with me. 6And ye know
that with all my power I have served your father. 7And
your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten
times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. 8If he said
thus, The speckled shall be your wages; then all the flock
bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstreaked shall
be your wages; then bore all the flock ringstreaked. 9Thus
God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given
them to me. 10And it came to pass at the time that the
flock conceive, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a
dream, and, behold, the he-goats which leaped upon the
flock were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled. 11And the
angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob: and I
said, Here am I. 12And he said, Lift up now your eyes,
and see, all the he-goats which leap upon the flock are
ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all
that Laban does unto you. 13I am the God of Beth-el,
where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow
unto me: now arise, get you out from this land, and
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return unto the land of your nativity. 14And Rachel and
Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any
portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15Are
we not accounted by him as foreigners? for he has sold us,
and has also quite devoured our money. 16For all the
riches which God has taken away from our father, that is
ours and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God has
said unto you, do.
17Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives
upon the camels; 18and he carried away all his cattle, and
all his substance which he had gathered, the cattle of his
getting, which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go
to Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan. 19Now
Laban had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the
teraphim that were her father’s. 20And Jacob stole away
unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not
that he fled. 21So he fled with all that he had; and he rose
up, and passed over the River, and set his face toward
the mountain of Gilead.
Jacob’s flight from Haran begins with the circumstance in
verses 1-3. Verses 1-2 describe the changed relationship. First, the
changed relationship in verse 1 was with the sons of Laban: And he
heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was
our father’s. That was their grievance, but it was simply a false
statement. Furthermore: of that which was our father’s has he gotten all
this glory; the claim was that Laban had enriched Jacob, and that,
too, was self-deception. Actually, the opposite was true; it was
because of Jacob that Laban was enriched. In the Nuzi Tablets, there
is an account of someone named Nashwi, who adopted Wullu and
gave him his daughter Nuhuya; and he adopted him because Nashwi
had no sons of his own. In accordance with the Nuzi Tablets, now
that Laban had sons, which he did not have twenty years earlier, they
were now to receive the inheritance; they were Laban’s heirs. The
trouble was, there was a lot less for them to inherit; and that was
their grievance. However, no thievery had taken place. The opposite
is true. Second, the changed relationship in verse 2 was with Laban
himself: And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was
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not toward him as beforetime. Again, the Nuzi Tablets state that as the
adopted son, Jacob still should receive something. However, as
before, Laban intended to give him nothing; and this went contrary
to even local custom. In addition to the twofold change of
relationship, in verse 3, Jacob received a divine revelation: And
Jehovah said unto Jacob. This was the second appearance of God to
Jacob, with twenty years having transpired between the two
appearances. The content of the appearance was a command: Return
unto the land of your fathers. As to his ancestry, he was already in the
land of your fathers, the land of Haran. Now the land of his fathers was
the Land of Canaan—not the land of Haran where his distant
fathers and his grandfather came from, but the Land of Canaan,
where his father was born. The land of Jacob’s father and grandfather
was where Isaac and Jacob were born. Jacob was to go: to your
kindred, meaning to his family. Then came the promise: I will be
with you.
Genesis 31:4-16 records Jacob’s discussion with Leah and
Rachel, his two wives, beginning in verse 4 with the fetching of the
wives: And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his
flock. Jacob was out in the field with the flocks; so he fetched his
wives from the tent to the field, which allowed for an unheard, frank,
and private conversation.
In 31:5-13, he presents his case before his wives, beginning in
verses 5-9 describing Laban’s treachery. In verse 5, he told them
about Laban’s changed attitude: I see your father’s countenance, that it
is not toward me as beforetime. In his self-deception, Laban believed
Jacob had taken his wealth away. However, as Jacob replied: but the
God of my father has been with me. God was the true source of Jacob’s
wealth, and he was about to explain this very point to his wives. In
verse 6, he describes his own faithfulness: And ye know that with all
my power I have served your father. Jacob’s diligence was something
the two wives could easily have observed, and they observed that
Jacob fully kept his part of the agreement—all this in spite of Laban’s
deception. Nevertheless, in verses 7-8, he related to them about
Laban’s deceptive practices. In verse 7, the key deceptive practice was
the changed wages: And your father has deceived me, and changed my
wages ten times. The intent was to disadvantage Jacob, but God’s
providence intervened: but God suffered him not to hurt me. Then in
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verse 8, he gave them an example of why this was true: If he said thus,
The speckled shall be your wages; then all the flocks bore speckled: and if he
said thus, The ringstreaked shall be your wages; then bore all the flocks
ringstreaked. Therefore, for each change of wages Laban forced on
Jacob, all of which went contrary to the original agreement, God
worked accordingly. In verse 9, the final result was: Thus God has
taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
Next, in 31:10-13, Jacob related the divine revelation whereby
Jacob finally learned the true source of the multi-colored flocks that
he gained. Verse 10a gives the timing: And it came to pass at the time
that the flocks conceived; this was the time that Jacob would normally
use the rods, and Jacob still thought the results would be achieved by
the rods. Nevertheless, the vision that he received showed him it was
God Who was doing it; the favorable breeding and yield would have
happened whether or not he put the rods out there. In verse 10b, he
described the dream vision that he had: I lifted up my eyes, and a saw
in a dream, and, behold, the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were
ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled. The point is that the he-goats were
leaping, meaning leaping in mating, leaping upon the backs of the
females. All those mating with the females in the vision had the
three characteristics of being ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled. So
regardless of how they appeared physically on the outside, they had
the genes of the three characteristics that would end up enriching
Jacob. Having seen the vision, in verses 11-12, Jacob received the
interpretation of the vision, beginning in verse 11 with the call to
him: And the angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob: and I said,
Here am I. Then in verse 12, he was given the interpretation: Lift up
now your eyes, and see, all the he-goats which leap upon the flock [in
mating] are ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled. Then God gave the
reason: for I have seen all that Laban does unto you. God did not fault
Jacob with anything, but only Laban. Laban’s actions against Jacob
put him under the cursing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Previously, Laban was under the blessing aspect and so was
materially blessed. Now, because of his changed attitude toward
Jacob in attempting to cheat Jacob, that put him under the cursing
aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant. Furthermore, he was cursed for
curse in kind: Laban cursed Jacob by trying to decrease his wealth in
flocks. In the curse-for-curse-in-kind principle, God decreased
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Laban’s wealth in the very same way. Finally, in verse 13, Jacob
received the call to return to Canaan. First, God identified Himself:
I am the God of Beth-el. The angel of verse 11 is God Himself in
verse 13, showing again that the Angel of Jehovah, or the Angel of
God, is always God Himself in visible form. By identifying Himself
as the God of Beth-el, He reminded Jacob of those twenty years
earlier: where you anointed a pillar (28:18). He also reminded Jacob
that this was: where you vowed a vow unto me (28:20-22). Twenty
years have transpired between the anointing of the pillar and the vow
in connection with it, and now it was time for Jacob to fulfill that
vow. So now, God commanded him: Now arise, get you out from this
land, the land of Haran in Paddan-Aram, and return unto the land of
your nativity, which is the Land of Canaan.
Genesis 31:14-16 records the response of Jacob’s wives to his
plan to leave their father, Laban’s household. In verse 14, they reveal
the loss of inheritance by asking a rhetorical question: Is there yet any
portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? The question requires
a negative answer. Now that Laban had sons, the daughters would
inherit nothing. Furthermore, in verse 15, Laban had not only
cheated Jacob, but he had also cheated his own daughters. Again,
they raise a rhetorical question: Are we not accounted by him as
foreigners? The question requires a positive answer. They then
presented the evidence: First, he has sold us, meaning he has treated
them as merchandise, sold them for fourteen years of labor; and
second, he has also quite devoured our money, meaning their dowry has
been taken away. Therefore, the payment of those fourteen years was
not treated as a dowry to provide a financial base for his daughters’
future; that was not what Laban did with the increase he received
from Jacob’s labors in the first fourteen years. According to the Nuzi
Tablets, the father of the bride was to give some of the bride price
money from the groom to the bride. Jacob did not give money to
Laban, but he gave him seven years of service for each wife.
However, no part of the fruit of Jacob’s work was given to the
daughters. None of the increase of the flocks was set aside for the
daughters. This went contrary to even the custom of their own
territory. Therefore, Laban would resort to local custom if it were to
his benefit; he would go against it if it did not benefit him. Not
Jacob but Laban was the cheat here. In verse 16a, Rachel and Leah
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recognized that all of Jacob’s prosperity was the result of divine
justice: For all the riches which God has taken from our father, that is ours
and our children’s. Therefore, while Laban failed to provide, as he
should have, God had done it accordingly. In verse 16b, they provide
the admonition: Now then, whatsoever God has said unto you, do; and
that means leaving their own homeland.
Genesis 31:17-21 gives the account of Jacob’s escape.
Verses 17-18 describe their departure, starting in verse 17 with the
family: Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons [eleven of them] and his
wives [four of them] upon the camels. In verse 18a, he gathered his
possessions: and he carried away all his cattle, and all his substance
which he had gathered, all his property that he had collected. This was
property he had acquired by purchase, and this shows that he was a
trader as well as a herdsman. These were his legitimately acquired
possessions, not things he stole from Laban: the cattle of his getting
which he gathered in Paddan-aram. The purpose is stated in verse 18b:
to go to Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan. Verse 19a reveals the
circumstance: Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, meaning he was
not in the area. Verse 19b then makes a statement about Rachel’s
actions: Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s. The teraphim
were statutes of little household gods. This was not necessarily
because Rachel was an idolatress; rather, in the laws of that day, the
one who had the household gods could claim the family property.
Taking the teraphim was Rachel’s attempt to gain Laban’s property
for Jacob. The Code of Hammurabi states that whoever has the
household gods owns the property. The Nuzi Tablets record an
incident of the person mentioned earlier and states:
If Nashwi has a son of his own, he shall divide the
estate equally with Wullu, (adopted son), but the
son of Nashwi shall take the gods of Nashwi.
However, if Nashwi does not have a son of his own,
the Wullu shall take the gods.
So owning the household gods meant the owner could claim the
property. Rachel was not worshipping idols, but rather it was her
attempt to gain the property of Laban for her husband. The irony is
that these gods could be stolen, and Rachel was guilty of
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“god-napping.” Verse 20 records their flight from Laban: And Jacob
stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, or, the Aramean, and the
means was: in that he told him not that he fled. Verse 21 gives the
direction of the flight: So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up,
and passed over the river, meaning the Euphrates, and set his face
toward the mountain of Gilead, located in the Trans-Jordan, the last
place to pass through before entering the Land of Canaan.
2. Laban’s Pursuit - 31:22-42
22And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob
was fled. 23And he took his brethren with him, and
pursued after him seven days’ journey; and he overtook
him in the mountain of Gilead. 24And God came to
Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said unto
him, Take heed to yourself that you speak not to Jacob
either good or bad. 25And Laban came up with Jacob.
Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and
Laban with his brethren encamped in the mountain of
Gilead. 26And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done,
that you have stolen away unawares to me, and carried
away my daughters as captives of the sword? 27Wherefore
did you flee secretly, and steal away from me, and did
not tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth
and with songs, with tabret and with harp; 28and did
not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? now
have you done foolishly. 29It is in the power of my hand
to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke unto me
yesternight, saying, Take heed to yourself that you speak
not to Jacob either good or bad. 30And now, though you
would needs be gone, because you sore long after your
father’s house, yet wherefore have you stolen my gods?
31And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was
afraid: for I said, Lest you should take your daughters
from me by force.
32With whomsoever you find your gods, he shall not
live: before our brethren discern you what is yours with
me, and take it to you. For Jacob knew not that Rachel
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had stolen them. 33And Laban went into Jacob’s tent,
and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two maid-
servants; but he found them not. And he went out of
Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent. 34Now
Rachel had taken the teraphim, and put them in the
camel’s saddle, and sat upon them. And Laban felt about
all the tent, but found them not. 35And she said to her
father, Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up
before you; for the manner of women is upon me. And he
searched, but found not the teraphim.
36And Jacob was angry, and chided Laban: and
Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass?
what is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?
37Whereas you have felt about all my stuff, what have
you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before
my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge
between us two. 38These twenty years have I been with
you; your ewes and your she-goats have not cast their
young, and the rams of your flocks have I not eaten.
39That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto you;
I bore the loss of it; of my hand did you require it,
whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40Thus I was;
in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by
night; and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41These twenty
years have I been in your house; I served you fourteen
years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock:
and you have changed my wages ten times. 42Except the
God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of
Isaac, had been with me, surely now had you sent me
away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of
my hands, and rebuked you yesternight.
Verses 22-23 describe the pursuit itself. In verse 22, the report
came to Laban: And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was
fled. It was three days before Laban learned of the flight. This was
the same amount of time as the distance separating the two flocks
(30:36); the three-day separation was of Laban’s own choosing. In
verse 23 came Laban’s chase after Jacob: And he took his brethren with
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him, family members, sons, etc., and he pursued after him seven days’
journey. It took only seven days to catch up, although Jacob had a
three-day head start. The reason that Jacob could not indefinitely
outrun Laban was that he would have been moving a lot slower since
he was there with family and very large flocks. The result was Laban
overtook Jacob: and he overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.
But in 31:24, God had a warning for Laban, and it came by
means of a dream: And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the
night. As in 20:3, where God came to Abimelech in a dream of the
night, here again God appears to an unbeliever with a divine
revelation for the purpose of giving a warning against harming a
Patriarch. Thus, this was the second time God has appeared to a
pagan to warn him against hurting a covenanted one: And he said
unto him, Take heed to yourself that you speak not to Jacob either good or
bad, meaning he was to stay neutral.
In 31:25, Laban caught up: And Laban came up with Jacob,
followed by a description of the two encampments: Now Jacob had
pitched his tent in the mountain: and Laban with his brethren encamped
in the mountain of Gilead. This was the same area as Jacob happened
to be.
Genesis 31:26-30 records Laban’s verbal attack on Jacob,
beginning in verses 26-28a with Laban’s supposedly wounded feelings
and several accusations. First, in verse 26, Laban decried the secret
flight: What have you done, that you have stolen away unawares to me,
and carried away my daughters as captives of the sword? Second, in
verse 27, Laban decried the lack of a feast: Wherefore did you flee secretly,
and steal away from me, and did not tell me that I might have sent you
away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret and with harp. Third, in
verse 28a, Laban protests the lack of a kiss: and did not suffer me to kiss
my sons and my daughters? Laban’s conclusion, in verse 28b was: Now
have you done foolishly. In verse 29, Laban revealed his desire and God’s
warning. Laban’s desire was: It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt.
This shows that the above three questions that he raised were false
questions. He claimed to have been personally hurt, wounded, but he
was not. Laban’s real intent was to hurt Jacob. Then came God’s
warning: But the God of your father spoke unto me yesternight, saying,
Take heed to yourself that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad. By
saying the God of your father, it shows that Laban recognized Jehovah to
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be the God of Isaac. Jehovah was not his god, but he recognized
Jehovah to be Jacob’s God. Laban did not adopt Jehovah as his only
god; he recognized Jehovah only to be one god of many, and not his
own god. However, this other God spoke to Laban with a warning
that he was not to try to talk Jacob into returning to Paddan-Aram. In
verse 30, Laban finally arrived at his true accusation. His accusation is
preceded by first recognizing Jacob’s need to return to his own land:
And now, though you would needs be gone, because you sore long after your
father’s house. This was not the real reason. The real reason was Laban’s
dishonesty, but Laban did not wish to take the blame for any injustice,
although the injustice was indeed his. Then came the accusation:
Wherefore have you stolen my gods? This reveals Laban to be a
polytheist. Furthermore, Laban believed that Jacob intended to come
back someday to claim Laban’s property by producing the household
gods. However, Jacob, of course, had no knowledge of the stolen
teraphim.
Jacob’s response is found in 31:31-32, and he stated two things.
First, in verse 31, the reason for his flight: Because I was afraid: for I
said, Lest you should take your daughters from me by force. This shows
how unfaithful Laban was in Jacob’s eyes. Second, concerning the
accusation in verse 32a, Jacob offered: With whomsoever you find your
gods, he shall not live, meaning the one who stole these household
gods will be executed before these witnesses. Jacob then added: before
our brethren, meaning before these very witnesses, discern you what is
yours with me and take it to you, or “Determine what really belongs to
you, and take it with you.” Verse 32b reveals what the problem was:
Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them, meaning the teraphim,
household idols.
Genesis 31:33-35 records Laban’s search for the teraphim,
beginning in verse 33a with the search in the other tents: And Laban
went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tents of the two
maid-servants, Bilhah and Zilpah, and the result was: but he found
them not. There was one tent left to search, and that was Rachel’s
tent where these teraphim indeed were. Verses 33b-35 describe the
search, with verse 33b describing the entry: And he went out of Leah’s
tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent. Verse 34a reveals the hiding of the
teraphim: Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, and put them in the
camel’s saddle, and the saddle was inside the tent. Furthermore: and sat
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upon them. Because of Jacob’s vow, her life was now in danger; if the
teraphim were found, she could be executed. There is no reason to
assume that Laban would not execute his own daughter. Verse 34b
records the search: Laban felt about all the tent, except for the saddle,
and the result was: but found them not. The only place left to search
now was the saddle, and Rachel knew this. So verse 35a gives
Rachel’s excuse: And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry that
I cannot rise before you; for the manner of woman is upon me. What she
claimed was that she was now having her period, so she was in pain
and discomfort and could not rise. Now if this was true (it may not
have been true since she may have been lying), this would have in
effect contaminated these household gods, rendering them unclean
because of coming into contact with menstrual blood. A woman in
the menstrual state did not need to rise. So Laban was deceived by
local custom, just as he once deceived Jacob by local custom (29:26).
Here again is curse for curse in kind. This indeed actually may have
saved Rachel’s life. Verse 35b records Laban’s failure to find the
statues: And he searched, but found not the teraphim.
Genesis 31:36-42 records Jacob’s angry response to Laban,
beginning in verse 36a with his emotional response: And Jacob was
angry, and chided Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban. In
verses 36b-37, he issued a challenge to Laban to produce evidence of
Jacob’s sin: What is my trespass? what is my sin, that you have hotly
pursued after me? Here was Laban’s opportunity to produce some
misdeed on Jacob’s part, but he was unable to do so in spite of the
fact: Whereas you have felt about all my stuff, what have you found of all
your household stuff? Set it before my brethren and your brethren; set it
before each other’s sons so these can serve as witnesses for both sides:
that they may judge between us two. Of course, Laban produced
nothing; he had no evidence. So in verses 38-41, Jacob recounted his
history with Laban, beginning in verses 38-40 with Jacob’s
faithfulness: These twenty years have I been with you, followed by the
results of Jacob’s being with Laban. First: Your ewes and your she-goats
have not cast their young; in other words, none of his sheep or goats
miscarried. Second: The rams of your flocks have I not eaten; Jacob did
not eat of the flocks when he was hungry. According to the Nuzi
Tablets, this was a common sin of shepherds, who frequently used
the flocks of their masters to feed themselves; but Jacob never did.
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Third: That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto you; I bore the
loss of it. Indeed, in those days, if a member of the flock was torn by a
wild animal, the shepherd could bring the body of the dead animal to
the master to show that he was not at fault, and that it was not
stolen; but Jacob did not do this either, but bore the loss of it. Fourth:
of my hand did you require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night;
Jacob had to make good for stolen property. Fifth: Thus I was,
meaning this was his condition: in the day the drought consumed me,
and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes. He suffered many
sleepless nights. All this shows that when Jacob was described as
dwelling in tents, it did not mean to portray him as a weakling. This
was the kind of life a shepherd had; these were the difficulties of the
life of a shepherd, and it was not the job of a coward. In the Code of
Hammurabi, any charge of negligence could be challenged in court.
A shepherd gave a receipt to the owner for the animals he took; he
had to return the animals with a reasonable increase, although he was
allowed to use some for food. He was not responsible for those killed
by lions or by lightning, but any loss due to carelessness had to be
repaid tenfold. This shows that Jacob did not demand or make use of
his own civil rights under the law in effect in that area of the country.
This reveals Jacob’s attitude in that he could have had an even greater
gain if he had resorted to the laws of his day to his benefit, but he
did not. In 31:41, Jacob spelled out Laban’s unfaithfulness: These
twenty years have I been in your house, and he went on to divide the
timing. First: I served you fourteen years for your two daughters; but the
original agreement was only for seven years and only for Rachel.
Second: [I served] six years for your flock: and you have changed my
wages ten times; the original agreement was one specific wage for the
entire duration of labor. So in both agreements, not Jacob, but
Laban, proved untrustworthy. So in verse 42, Jacob concluded with
God’s divine intervention: Except the God of my father, the God of
Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now had you
sent me away empty. As a name for God, the Fear of Isaac, appears
only here and in verse 53. In spite of all that Laban claimed in
verse 27, he would have sent Jacob away in the same manner in
which he arrived: empty-handed, with no possessions. So Jacob
concluded: God has seen my affliction, and the labor of my hands, and
rebuked you yesternight.
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3. The Covenant of Galeed - 31:43-55
43And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, The
daughters are my daughters, and the children are my
children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see
is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my
daughters, or unto their children whom they have borne?
44And now come, let us make a covenant, I and you; and
let it be for a witness between me and you. 45And Jacob
took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. 46And Jacob said
unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones,
and made a heap: and they did eat there by the heap.
47And Laban called it Jegar-saha-dutha: but Jacob called
it Galeed. 48And Laban said, This heap is witness
between me and you this day. Therefore was the name of
it called Galeed: 49and Mizpah, for he said, Jehovah
watch between me and you, when we are absent one
from another. 50If you shall afflict my daughters, and if
you shall take wives besides my daughters, no man is
with us; see, God is witness between me and you. 51And
Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the
pillar, which I have set between me and you. 52This heap
be witness, and the pillar be witness, that I will not pass
over this heap to you, and that you shall not pass over
this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. 53The God of
Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father,
judge between us. And Jacob swore by the Fear of his
father Isaac. 54And Jacob offered a sacrifice in the
mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they
did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mountain.
55And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his
sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban
departed and returned unto his place.
The Covenant of Galeed begins in verses 43-44 with Laban’s
proposal: And Laban answered and said unto Jacob. Laban made two
claims in verse 43. First, a claim of ownership: The daughters are my
daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks,
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and all that you see is mine. He made the claim, but he was bluffing.
Second, Laban made a claim of power: What can I do this day unto
these my daughters, or unto their children whom they have borne? This
was also a bluff. He knew from God’s warning that he could not do
what he thought he could do. So in verse 44 came Laban’s offer:
Come, let us make a covenant, I and you; so in place of causing harm, a
covenant shall be made; and the purpose was: Let it be for a witness
between me and you, that they will not do harm to each other.
In 31:45-50 is the erection of the witness, beginning in verse 45
with the pillar: And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. The
Hebrew word for pillar is matzeivah. In verse 46 is the heap: And
Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and
made a heap. The Hebrew word for heap is gal. As in the case of
Abimelech, it was customary in those days that when people made a
covenant, it was in conjunction with a covenant meal: and they did eat
there by the heap. In verses 47-49, came the naming of the marker. In
verse 47a, Laban called it Jegar-saha-dutha, an Aramaic name
meaning “the heap of witness.” But Jacob, in verse 47b, gave it a
Hebrew name, Galeed, also meaning “the heap of witness.” Verse 48
gives the meaning: And Laban said, This heap is witness between me
and you this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed.
Nevertheless, in verse 49, it also had another name, Mizpah,
meaning “watchtower.” The reason was: For he said, Jehovah watch
between me and you, when we are absent one from another. Many have
taken this to be a benediction to be applied to oneself when
separated from a girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, or wife, etc.
However, in the original meaning in context, this was not a
benediction but a warning, a warning between two men who could
not trust each other. The pillar and the heap now erected were to
mark a border over which neither one was to cross over. Laban did
not want Jacob to cross back over to Paddan-Aram with the teraphim
and claim his property. That was the real meaning of the actions
here. Verse 50 spells out the meaning of the heap of witness. If Jacob
did two things: If you shall afflict my daughters, and if you shall take
wives besides my daughters; with the condition being, no man is with
us, while Jacob will not come into human judgment, he will come
into divine judgment: See, God is witness between me and you. The
word witness is eid, thus the name Galeed. Here again there is
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documentation from the Nuzi Tablets, which states that Wullu
would lose the property of Nashwi if he took a wife besides Nashwi’s
daughter. The pillar and heap served as a border in which one would
not cross over to the other. The covenant was made between two
men who simply could not trust each other.
Genesis 31:51-53a gives the purpose of the heap and the pillar
from the perspective of Laban. In verse 51 is the focus: Behold this
heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set between me and you. In
verse 52, there are two witnesses to the covenant: This heap be
witness, and the pillar be witness. The content of what they were
witnessing was: that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you
shall not pass over the heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. In
verse 53a is the divine witness: The God of Abraham, and the God of
Nahor, (Nahor was Abraham’s brother), the God of their father (not
necessarily, of course, the same god), judge between us. Abraham and
Nahor’s father was Terah, and Terah did not worship the one true
God.
In 31:53b came Jacob’s agreement: And Jacob swore by the Fear of
his father Isaac. So to cross the boundary would break the covenant,
and this would render possession of the teraphim useless because the
covenant would be broken. Of course, this did not concern Jacob; he
did not even know about the teraphim at this point.
In 31:54, Jacob’s response was to offer a sacrifice: And Jacob
offered a sacrifice in the mountain. This was a sacrifice and/or a
covenantal meal: and called his brethren to eat bread. The brethren were
his sons, and since this was a covenantal meal, it subjugates the sons
to the very same agreement. This may be the reason why the sons
did not go to Haran to find wives for themselves, since they were not
to cross that line. If the sons now participated in the covenantal
meal, the prohibition against crossing applied to them as well: And
they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mountain.
The incident concludes in 31:55 (32:1 in the Hebrew text) with
Laban’s departure: And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed
his sons, meaning grandsons in this instance, and his daughters, and
blessed them; but he does not bless Jacob and seems to ignore him.
This is in sharp contrast with their first meeting, in 29:13, when
Laban ran to Jacob, embraced him, and kissed him. Finally: and
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Laban departed and returned unto his place. At this point, the family of
Paddan-Aram disappears from the biblical record.
By way of observation, Jacob’s return to Canaan was based on
three things: his personal desire to go home, the problem with Laban
and his sons, and the command of God.
M. Jacob and Esau - 32:1 - 33:17
1. Mahanaim - 32:1-2 (Hebrew Text 32:2-3)
1And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God
met him. 2And Jacob said when he saw them, This is
God’s host: and he called the name of that place
Mahanaim.
Verse 1 provides the background to the naming: And Jacob went
on his way, and the angels of God met him. Jacob and Laban had now
separated. Just as earlier (28:12): the angels of God met him, when he
was leaving the Land; now the angels of God met him as he was
returning to the Land. So all of this shows that Jacob was under
divine escort.
Genesis 32:2 records Jacob’s response: And Jacob said when he saw
them, This is God’s host. In Hebrew, the word host is machaneh, and
what he was saying was that this was God’s “camp.” This is not the
normal Hebrew word for host, but rather it is God’s “camp.” That led
to the naming of the place: and he called the name of the place
Mahanaim, a dual form of machaneh, literally meaning “two camps.”
The two camps were Jacob’s camp and God’s camp, where the angels
were. In later history, Mahanaim became a border town between the
tribes of Manasseh and Gad (Josh. 13:26, 13:30), and it became a
capital of Israel under Ishbosheth (II Sam. 2:8). Mahanaim was the
city to which David fled from Absalom (II Sam. 17:24, 17:27), and it
was made a district capital under Solomon (I Kings 4:14).
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2. Jacob’s Message to Esau - 32:3-21 (Hebrew Text 32:4-22)
3And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his
brother unto the land of Seir, the field of Edom. 4And he
commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye say unto my lord
Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, I have sojourned
with Laban, and stayed until now: 5and I have oxen,
and asses, and flocks, and men-servants, and maid-
servants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find
favor in your sight. 6And the messengers returned to
Jacob, saying, We came to your brother Esau, and
moreover he comes to meet you, and four hundred men
with him. 7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was
distressed: and he divided the people that were with him,
and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two
companies; 8and he said, If Esau come to the one
company, and smite it, then the company which is left
shall escape. 9And Jacob said, O God of my father
Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Jehovah, who
said unto me, Return unto your country, and to your
kindred, and I will do you good: 10I am not worthy of the
least of all the lovingkindnesses, and of all the truth,
which you have showed unto your servant; for with my
staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become
two companies. 11Deliver me, I pray you, from the hand
of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest
he come and smite me, the mother with the children.
12And you said, I will surely do you good, and make your
seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for
multitude.
13And he lodged there that night, and took of that
which he had with him a present for Esau his brother:
14two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two
hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty milch camels
and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses
and ten foals. 16And he delivered them into the hand of
his servants, every drove by itself, and said unto his
servants, Pass over before me, and put a space between
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drove and drove. 17And he commanded the foremost,
saying, When Esau my brother meets you, and asks you,
saying, Whose are you? and where go you? and whose
are these before you? 18then you shall say, They are your
servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau:
and, behold, he also is behind us. 19And he commanded
also the second, and the third, and all that followed the
droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau,
when ye find him; 20and ye shall say, Moreover, behold,
your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will
appease him with the present that goes before me, and
afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept
me. 21So the present passed over before him: and he
himself lodged that night in the company.
Verses 3-6 start off this section with the messengers to Esau,
beginning in verse 3 with the sending: And Jacob sent messengers before
him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir. Seir is the mountain range
running north to south where Esau settled, which was a location due
south of Gilead and where Jacob happened to be at this time. In
addition, the field of Edom is the country where Seir is located, which
meant it was also south of Ammon and Moab. The message to be
conveyed is in verses 4-5, with verse 4a giving the declaration: Thus
shall ye say unto my lord Esau. Jacob addressed Esau as lord, which was
the opposite of the patriarchal blessing contained in 27:29 and 27:37.
Verse 4 continues: Thus says your servant Jacob. Here Jacob called
himself a servant of Esau, and again this was a contradiction of the
actual patriarchal blessing. Nevertheless, as the context shows, Jacob
was acting from a sense of fear. The messengers were to state Jacob’s
sojourning: I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now,
meaning that for the last twenty years Jacob had been with Laban.
Verse 5a describes Jacob’s wealth: and I have oxen, and asses, and
flocks, and men-servants, and maid-servants. In the Hebrew text, these
are all collective singulars. In rabbinic tradition the ox and the ass
represent the two Messiahs.65 The ox represents Messiah the Son of
65 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 75:6.
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Joseph, “who will conduct the final war. According to tradition, he
would be descended from Joseph and would be the forerunner of the
real Messiah descended from David.” The Midrash Rabbah gives this
verse a Messianic interpretation, and the focus here is on the
suffering Messiah, the Son of Joseph Who will be the forerunner of
the conquering Messiah, the Son of David. The Soncino edition of
the Midrash on the ox in verse 5a states: “This refers to Joseph and is
understood to allude to the Messiah descending from him.”66 The
rabbis came up with the two-Messiah view in order to harmonize
why some passages speak of a suffering Messiah and other passages
speak of a conquering Messiah. According to the same sources, the
ass is interpreted as “referring to the Royal Messiah,” quoting
Zechariah 9:9 as a proof text. Therefore, the ox is the first Messiah,
the suffering One Who will die, Messiah, the Son of Joseph. The
second One is the ruling Messiah, the conquering Messiah, Who is
the Son of David.
Returning to the narrative of Jacob’s messengers, 32:5b gives the
purpose of the message to Esau: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I
may find favor in your sight. Verse 6 tells of the return of the
messengers: And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to
your brother Esau, and moreover he comes to meet you, and four hundred
men with him. The fact that Esau had four hundred men with him is
what scared Jacob a bit because this was far too many for a mere
escort. So what was Esau’s purpose? One possible interpretation was
that Esau was coming to actually attack Jacob, and that is one
rabbinic view. However, another possibility is that he was not
necessarily coming to attack Jacob; perhaps Esau thought Jacob was
coming to conquer in accordance with the blessing Jacob had
received. If so, Esau was taking his own precautions.
Having heard that Esau was on his way with four hundred men,
in Genesis 32:7-12 Jacob responded in two ways. His first response,
in verses 7-8, was to make camp preparations. In addition, Jacob’s
first response is introduced by noting Jacob’s fear in verse 7a: Then
Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. In verse 7b came the
division of the camp: and he divided the people that were with
66 Soncino edition, footnotes 1 and 2.
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him...into two companies; and the two companies both had three
things: flocks, herds, and camels. Verse 8 gives the reason: If Esau come
to the one company, and smite it, then the company which is left shall
escape; so he divided them into two camps hoping that if one was
destroyed the other would survive. His second response, in
verses 9-12, was his prayer preparations. In verse 9 is the addressee:
O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Jehovah,
who said unto me, Return unto your country, and to your kindred, and I
will do you good. In his opening statement in his prayer, he
acknowledged that the God of Abraham and Isaac had been the One
Who made the revelation to Jacob, giving him the order to return. In
verse 10, Jacob gives recognition to past blessings that were the
results of pure grace: I am not worthy of the least of all your
lovingkindness, and of all the truth, which you have showed unto your
servant. The evidence was both past and present. The past: for with
my staff I passed over this Jordan; when he crossed the Jordan River
the first time on his way to Haran, all he had in the way of material
blessings was his staff. Upon returning to Canaan in the present:
Now I have become two companies. In his prayer, Jacob confessed his
unworthiness and acknowledged God’s faithfulness to Jacob. In
verse 11, Jacob petitioned for deliverance: Deliver me, I pray you, from
the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau. The reason was: for I fear
him, lest he come and smite me, the mother with the children. In verse 12,
Jacob presented the basis of his petition for deliverance, which was
God’s promise to him made at Bethel: And you said, I will surely do
you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be
numbered for a multitude. That was what God promised him at
Bethel; if Esau destroyed the family, then this promise could never
be fulfilled. So Jacob’s petition was made based on God’s covenantal
promise to him (28:13-15).
Genesis 32:13-21 details Jacob’s gifts intended to appease the
anger of his brother. Verses 13-15 deals with the gifts themselves,
with verse 13 describing Jacob setting aside the gifts: He lodged there
that same night, that is, the place where he prayed, and took of that
which he had with him a present for Esau his brother. From his vast
holdings Jacob now set a percentage aside, and exactly what he gave
is listed in verses 14-15: two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats,
two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milch camels and their colts
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[for a total of sixty], forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten
foals. The total animal count was five hundred eighty animals, which
shows how much God had blessed him because this is only a portion
of what he now had. In verse 16, came the division of the animals:
And he delivered them in the hand of his servants, every drove by itself,
into five groups of animals: first, the group of goats containing two
hundred twenty total; second, the rams with the ewes, two hundred
twenty total; third, the camels, sixty total; fourth, the cattle, a total of
fifty; and fifth, the asses, for a total of thirty. Then came the
command: and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, meaning go
ahead of me, and put a space between drove and drove. Therefore, there
were five sections and there was to be a space between each drove of
animals. In this way, Esau would not see everything at once; Esau
was to receive five sets of gifts step by step, five categories of gifts. In
verses 17-20a, Jacob gave instructions to his servants, beginning in
verses 17-18 with the instructions to the first group: And he
commanded the foremost, saying, In verse 17, he raised the possibility
of Esau’s inquiry: When Esau my brother meets you and asks you saying:
first, Whose are you?; second, Where are you going?; and third, Whose
are these before you? Then, in verse 18, the answer they were to give is
as follows: First, they are your servant Jacob’s; second, it is a present
sent unto my lord Esau; and third, behold he also is behind us.
Verses 19-20a are the instructions to the remaining four groups, with
verse 19 giving the instructions: And he commanded also the second, and
the third, and all that followed the droves, meaning the fourth and fifth
groups. Following the parade of gifts would be the groups of people.
They are all to say: On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye
find him. In 32:20a, the answer to Esau’s inquiry for each section he
meets is to be: Ye shall say, Moreover, behold, your servant Jacob is
behind us. All this shows that Jacob was willing to relinquish the
patriarchal blessing, as seen in the title Jacob applied to Esau, lord;
and Jacob referred to himself as Esau’s servant. So on Jacob’s part
there was a willingness to nullify the family headship and the
blessings. However, while he is willing, he did not have it in his
power to change it because the patriarchal blessing was irrevocable.
Verse 20b reveals Jacob’s hope: For he said, I will appease him with the
present that goes before me. The Hebrew word for appease has the same
Hebrew root as “atonement.” What this means is that Jacob was
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seeking Esau’s forgiveness: Afterward I will see his face; peradventure
he will accept me. Verse 21 is the circumstance. Concerning the gifts:
So the present passed over before him, meaning the presents (collective
singular) went ahead of Jacob. Concerning Jacob: He himself lodged
that night in the company. This was an additional night to the one
mentioned in verse 13. So the division and the procedures took up a
whole day following Jacob’s prayer of verses 9-12.
3. Peniel - 32:22-32 (Hebrew Text 32:23-33)
In the previous section, in the Hebrew text, the word face
appeared five times: that I may cover his face, to appease him; gifts that
go before my face, gifts that precede me; when I see his face, when I face
him; he will raise my face, he will forgive me; and the gifts went on
ahead of his face, went ahead of him. This sets the stage for this next
division about Peniel, the Face of God.
22And he rose up that night, and took his two wives,
and his two handmaids, and his eleven children, and
passed over the ford of the Jabbok. 23And he took them,
and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which
he had. 24And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a
man with him until the breaking of the day. 25And when
he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the
hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was
strained, as he wrestled with him. 26And he said, Let me
go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let you go,
except you bless me. 27And he said unto him, What is
your name? And he said, Jacob. 28And he said, Your
name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for you
have striven with God and with men, and have
prevailed. 29And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I
pray you, your name. And he said, Why is it that you do
ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30And
Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for, said he, I
have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
31And the sun rose upon him as he passed over Penuel,
and he limped upon his thigh. 32Therefore the children of
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Israel eat not the sinew of the hip which is upon the
hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the
hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.
This well-known account of Jacob wrestling with the angel
begins in verses 22-23 with the sending away of the family. In
verse 22, he crossed the Jabbok River, which was the border between
Gilead and of what later became Ammon. By crossing the Jabbok
River, he crossed out of Gilead and into the country of Ammon. The
timing was: And he rose up that night. It was still night time, and it
was still dark. And [he] took three groups of people: his two wives, and
his two handmaids, and his eleven children, the eleven sons, and [he]
passed over the ford of the Jabbok. Then in verse 23 came the new
encampment: And he took them [the family], and sent them over the
stream [over the Jabbok], and sent over that which he had, the
possessions. Now they were closer to, but not yet in, the Promised
Land.
Genesis 32:24-29 details Jacob’s actual wrestling with the angel.
Verse 24a sets the stage: And Jacob was left alone. What Jacob did
after transferring family and possession over to the south side of the
Jabbok River was that he crossed back over to the north side of the
Jabbok and was back inside Gilead. The river separated him from
everybody and everything else. His isolation sets the circumstance for
God’s third appearance to Jacob. In verse 24b is the account of the
wrestling: and there wrestled a man with him. The Hebrew word for
wrestled is a word play based on the name of the river, which would
forever serve as a reminder. The Hebrew word for “wrestling” is
found only here and in verse 25 and nowhere else in the Hebrew
Bible. The word itself comes from the root avak, which means
“dust.” The basic meaning of this word for wrestling is “to get dusty
in wrestling” or “to get dusty while wrestling.” Altogether, there are
three similar-sounding words in Hebrew: Jacob; Jabbok; and “he
wrestled,” yaaveik. The One he wrestled with is called a man,
because He had the appearance of a man. This was the Angel of
Jehovah. An ancient rabbinic commentary67 refers to this angel as
67 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 77:3.
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being the guardian prince or the guardian angel of Esau. The Zohar
states it was the angel Samael, the chieftain of Esau. The two
wrestled for the duration: until the breaking of the day. In other words,
it was a long, indecisive, struggle. Verse 25 deals with the hollow of
the thigh. The situation was: And when he saw that he prevailed not
against him. The angel did not prevail against Jacob—not because the
angel could not have, for angels are stronger than men are. However,
in this case, it was not even a common, ordinary angel, but the
Second Person of the Godhead. However, it does mean that He
limited His strength so that He did not prevail against Jacob, and so
Jacob was able to hang on. Then came the action: He touched the
hollow of his thigh. The word touched means He gave the thigh a
blow. It was not a mere touch; it was an actual blow; it was a
supernatural touch like the one in Isaiah 6:7. The result of this
supernatural touch was: The hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained;
meaning the Angel dislocated Jacob’s hip. The occasion was: as he
wrestled with him. Verses 26-29 record the struggle for the blessing.
Verse 26 contains the demand of the Angel: Let me go, which shows
that in spite of his dislocated hip, Jacob hung on. The reason the
Angel gave was: for the day breaks. Jacob responded: I will not let you
go, except you bless me. Jacob apparently began to recognize something
here. Therefore, in verses 27-28 is the change of names. Verse 27
focuses on the old name when the Angel asked him: What is your
name? He answered: Jacob. In verse 28 is the new name: Your name
shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel. In Hebrew, it is Yisrael, a
combination of two Hebrew words: sarah and el, and it literally
means “he who strives with God.” Corollary interpretations include
“God strives,” “God fights,” “God contends.” A third alternative is:
“May God contend.” However, the basic meaning is this: God has
fought for Jacob, now God will fight for Israel. The reason for the
change of name was: for you have striven. The Hebrew is used only
here and in Hosea 12:3, which speaks of the same event and literally
means: “You have striven,” and this is the first part of the name
Israel-Sars. Furthermore, Jacob has striven with two categories: with
God, to gain the blessing; and with men, such as Esau and Laban, and
has prevailed. Even after his loss of strength by the dislocated hip, he
has still prevailed in that he received the blessing of God. That was
what he had striven for; that is what he received. In verse 29a is the
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Angel’s identification, beginning with Jacob’s question: Jacob asked
him, and said, Tell me, I pray you, your name. However, the Angel
answered the question with a question: Why is it that you do ask after
my name? The point was: “Think on it, and you will know what My
Name is.” And His Name is YHVH. This was very similar to
Manoah’s question. Manoah was the father of Samson. When
Manoah had an encounter with the Angel of Jehovah, the Angel of
God, he asked the same question that Jacob did: What is your name?
(Judg. 13:17-18). In that passage the Angel also answered, “Why do
you seek after My Name?” However, in the Judges passage, the
Angel did not stop there but added: seeing it is wonderful. Moreover,
the Hebrew word for wonderful is pele, one of those words in the
Hebrew text used only of God and never used of a man. In this way,
the Angel answered Manoah’s question. By combining the two
passages, there is the same question on the part of man and the same
answer with another similar question on the part of the Angel. The
additional answer given by the Angel in Judges indicates this was
clearly God Himself. In verse 29b, Jacob received the blessing: And
he blessed him there. Hosea 12:4 states: Yea he had power over the angel
and prevailed.
Genesis 32:30-32 gives the results of Jacob’s encounter with
God. The first result, in verse 30, is the naming of the place: And
Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, literally meaning “the Face of
God.” Other references to this place include Judges 8:8 and 8:17 and
I Kings 12:25. The reason was: for, said he, I have seen God face to face.
This shows that Jacob recognized the Angel to be God Himself. The
rabbinic Targums translate this as saying: “I have seen angels of God
face to face,” an attempt to avoid the obvious. Jacob also added the
fact: and my life is preserved, meaning preserved after the experience of
seeing God and preserved from Esau. Then verse 31 deals with
Jacob’s limp: And the sun rose upon him as he passed over Penuel. This is
a slight variation in spelling. Instead of Peniel, it is Penuel, which
shows that the new name was already being used. Then it states: and
he limped upon his thigh. The account ends in verse 32 spelling out
that this was the source of a Jewish eating tradition: Therefore the
children of Israel eat not the sinew of the hip which is upon the hollow of
the thigh, unto this day. This refers to the sciatic nerve; and so, unto
this day, the arteries and the tendons were removed before the meat
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was ritually prepared for Jewish consumption. However, this practice
eventually was not incorporated into rabbinic Jewish law, and it is
not considered part of kosher law today. However, this was the
original practice, and the reason given for this practice was: because he
touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.
4. Jacob’s Meeting with Esau - 33:1-17
1And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and,
behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred
men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto
Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. 2And he put the
handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and
her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
3And he himself passed over before them, and bowed
himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to
his brother. 4And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced
him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
5And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the
children; and said, Who are these with you? And he said,
The children whom God has graciously given your
servant. 6Then the handmaids came near, they and their
children, and they bowed themselves. 7And Leah also
and her children came near, and bowed themselves: and
after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed
themselves. 8And he said, What mean you by all this
company which I met? And he said, To find favor in the
sight of my lord. 9And Esau said, I have enough, my
brother; let that which you have be yours. 10And Jacob
said, Nay, I pray you, if now I have found favor in your
sight, then receive my present at my hand; forasmuch as I
have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you
were pleased with me. 11Take, I pray you, my gift that is
brought to you; because God has dealt graciously with
me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and
he took it. 12And he said, Let us take our journey, and let
us go, and I will go before you. 13And he said unto him,
My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the
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flocks and herds with me have their young: and if they
overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. 14Let my
lord, I pray you, pass over before his servant: and I will
lead on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that are
before me and according to the pace of the children, until
I come unto my lord unto Seir. 15And Esau said, Let me
now leave with you some of the folk that are with me.
And he said, What needs it? let me find favor in the
sight of my lord. 16So Esau returned that day on his way
unto Seir. 17And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built
him a house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the
name of the place is called Succoth.
Verse 1a describes Esau’s approach: And Jacob lifted up his eyes,
and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred
men.
Jacob’s response in Genesis 33:1b-2 was to divide the family into
three divisions, dividing up the children with their mothers. The first
division was Leah; the second was Rachel; and the third, the two
handmaids. Verse 2 details the order in which he put them. The first
division was: the handmaids and their children foremost. The second
division was: Leah and her children after. The third division was:
Rachel and Joseph hindermost. This might have been a precaution on
Jacob’s part in that if Esau attacked the first group, the mothers
might be spared; or it might have simply been the way he chose to
introduce the family to Esau, from least to greatest. Since the
handmaids were handmaid-wives, they approached first; then Leah
as a wife; and then Rachel, who was his favorite wife.
Genesis 33:3 then tells of Jacob’s approach: And he himself passed
over before them, meaning he went in front of the group so that if an
attack came, he and not they would be attacked first. Usually, Jacob’s
actions are interpreted as being most interested in saving Rachel, and
Jacob would be depicted as showing a sinister attitude towards Leah
and the handmaids. However, if one looks at this without prejudice,
there really is no need to see something sinister in the way Jacob
arranged his family. If he was that worried about himself, he would
have put himself at the very last where he would have had the best
chance of escaping. But the fact that he put himself in front of the
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family shows he was quite willing to take the brunt of Esau’s attack
should it come. Jacob’s action was: and [he] bowed himself to the
ground seven times, which was a common practice in ancient world
protocol. This he did: until he came near to his brother.
Genesis 33:4 records Esau’s greeting in four steps: First, he ran
to meet him; second, he embraced him; third, he fell on his neck; and
fourth, he kissed him. In the Hebrew of the Masoretic Text, the word
for he kissed him has a dot over each letter. The purpose of those dots
is to show that the rabbis did not believe that Esau actually came to
kiss Jacob, and so the dot over each letter is to indicate the rabbis
doubted Esau’s sincerity. The rabbis interpreted this action to mean
not and kissed him, but “and he bit him.” However, the text does
mean and [he] kissed him. The meeting concludes: and they wept.
Therefore, Esau, in contrast to Jacob, did not follow protocol; he
showed that he had forgiven Jacob.
Genesis 33:5-7 describes Esau’s meeting with Jacob’s family,
beginning in verse 5a with Esau’s inquiry: And he lifted up his eyes, and
saw the women and the children, and raised the question: Who are these
with you? Jacob answered in verse 5b: The children whom God has
graciously given your servant. Here again Jacob refers to himself as a
servant, a reversal and exchange of actual titles. In verses 6-7 are the
introductions: First, the handmaids came near, they and their children,
and they bowed themselves; second, And Leah also and her children came
near and bowed themselves; and third, and after came Joseph near and
Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
Genesis 33:8-11 records Esau’s acceptance of Jacob’s gifts. It
began in verse 8a with Esau’s inquiry: And he said, What [do you
mean] by all this company which I met? Jacob’s answer is in verse 8b:
To find favor in the sight of my lord. Again Jacob calls him lord; once
again, an exchange of titles. However, in verse 9 came Esau’s refusal
of the gifts: I have enough, my brother. Esau, too, had become
wealthy: Let that which you have be yours. Nevertheless, in
verses 10-11a, Jacob insisted that Esau keep them and he gave two
reasons. The first reason is in verse 10: Nay, I pray you, if now I have
found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand; forasmuch
as I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased
with me. This was a word play with the name Peniel. Therefore, the
first reason Esau should accept Jacob’s gift is because Jacob was glad
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to see Esau and that Esau received him graciously. The second
reason is in verse 11a: Take, I pray you, my gift that is brought to you.
In Hebrew, my gift is not the normal Hebrew word for gift, but it
carries the meaning “my blessing.” It was a reference to the
patriarchal blessing now to be shared with Esau. The reason was:
because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. The
Hebrew does not simply read I have enough but “I have everything.”
So while Esau had enough (v. 9), Jacob has “everything,” meaning
more than enough. Therefore, in verse 11b came his acceptance. On
the side of Jacob: He urged him. On the side of Esau: He took it.
Then in Genesis 33:12-15 came Esau’s offer of escort. The first
offer to travel together is made in verse 12: Let us take our journey,
and let us go, and I will go before you, meaning go before as an escort.
However, in verses 13-14, Jacob refused. In verse 13, he presented
the problem: My lord knows that the children are tender, meaning they
are young, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young: and if
they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. So instead, in
verse 14, he made a counter-suggestion: Let my lord, I pray you, pass
over before his servant, meaning Esau should travel ahead at his own
speed; and I will lead on gently, Jacob will go at a slower speed:
according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the
pace of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir. Nevertheless, as
the context will show, Jacob did not head to Seir, nor is there any
record of Jacob every going to Seir later. According to rabbinic
interpretation, Jacob will visit Esau in the day of the Messiah, and
the reconciliation between Israel and Edom will become complete.
Thus the rabbis interpreted Jacob’s promise to be fulfilled in the
Messianic Kingdom. Rashi wrote: “Jacob intended to go to Succoth.
When will he keep his promise to go to Seir? In the days of the
Messiah,” quoting Obadiah 21. In verse 15a, came Esau’s second
offer: Let me now leave with you some of the folk that are with me. It
was an offer of an armed escort. However, in verse 15b, Jacob again
refused with the question: What need is there?68 or “Who needs it?”
Let me find favor in the sight of my lord. This was a polite refusal,
saying to Esau there was no need for an armed escort.
68 The ASV literally says “What needeth it?”
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Therefore, in 33:16-17 came Jacob and Esau’s separation. In
verse 16 is the separation of Esau: So Esau returned that day on his
way unto Seir. In verse 17 is the separation of Jacob: And Jacob
journeyed to Succoth. This was still on the east side of the Jordan; so at
this point, Jacob was still outside the Land. He was near the Jordan;
he was very close to the Promised Land, but still outside of it.
Furthermore: Jacob built him a house, which shows that he lived there
for some time. According to rabbinic tradition, he lived there
eighteen months. Finally: and made booths for his cattle. All this shows
that he intended to stay there for some time; for some unstated
reason, Jacob seemed reluctant to return to the Land immediately.
The result was: Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. Succoth
is the Hebrew word for booths.
N. Shechem - 33:18 - 34:31
1. Jacob’s Arrival - 33:18-20
18And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem,
which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from
Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city. 19And he
bought the parcel of ground, where he had spread his
tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s
father, for a hundred pieces of money. 20And he erected
there an altar, and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
In verse 18, Jacob finally returned to the Land: And Jacob came in
peace to the city of Shechem. The statement in peace is the fulfillment of
28:15 and 31:3. Shechem was north of where his father was living, but
as the verse points out: It is in the land of Canaan. Jacob was now
back in the Promised Land. The timing was: when he came from
Paddan-aram, and there was an intermediate stop of unknown
duration in Succoth. Jacob then encamped before the city. In keeping
with the Canaanite society of that day as a non-citizen, he was a
nomad at the edge of the city, as Abraham was, as Isaac was, and as
Lot was before he became a citizen of Sodom. So Jacob was now
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back in the Promised Land, but he was far north from where Isaac
was living. For some unknown reason, Jacob was reluctant to return
to his father’s house.
Genesis 33:19 records the purchase of the field: And he bought the
parcel of ground. This field was the only part of the Promised Land
that Jacob actually owned. God promised him the whole Land, but
the part he actually owned he had to purchase with money, and that
was where he had spread his tent, or a piece of property outside the city
of Shechem. The seller was: at the hand of the children of Hamor,
Shechem’s father. The price was: for a hundred pieces of money. Years
later, this was where the bones of Joseph would be re-buried
(Josh. 24:32). The well Jacob would have dug here would become the
Well of Sychar (John 4:6, 4:11, 4:12).
In 33:20, Jacob followed the Patriarchal tradition of building an
altar: And he erected there an altar; which was followed by the naming:
He called it El-Elohe-Israel, which means “God, the God of Israel,”
or more literally “God, the Gods of Israel.” The first word, El, is the
singular form for God; the second word, Elohe, is the plural form in
construct state. So literally it reads, “God, the Gods of Israel.” By
saying Israel, this was the first use of Jacob’s new name.
2. The Dinah Incident - 34:1-31
a. The Rape of Dinah - 34:1-7
1And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she bore
unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
2And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of
the land, saw her; And he took her, and lay with her,
and humbled her. 3And his soul cleft unto Dinah the
daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spoke
kindly unto the damsel. 4And Shechem spoke unto his
father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife. 5Now
Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and
his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held
his peace until they came. 6And Hamor the father of
Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.
7And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they
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heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very
angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with
Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
The whole chapter gives a detailed description of the Dinah
Incident, which will have long-term consequences that are revealed
in chapter 49. The rape of Dinah begins in verse 1 with the occasion:
And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she bore unto Jacob, went out to
see the daughters of the land. She was now approximately between the
ages of fourteen and sixteen. She was probably born in the second
year of her parents’ marriage. This would make Simeon and Levi, her
two full-brothers who play a role here, about twenty-one and twenty
years old respectively. For the first time, a Jewess was having social
contact with the Canaanites.
Genesis 34:2 deals with Dinah’s rape and her rapist: Shechem the
son of Hamor the Hivite, one of the various Canaanite tribes. He was
the prince of the land, his father being the city king, and he saw her.
Then came the act, described in three stages. First: He took her.
Second: [He] lay with her. The Hebrew text does not use the indirect
object for her, which shows that Dinah was violated by force and not
by consent. The indirect form is also used in 39:7, where Potiphar’s
wife wanted intercourse with Joseph by consent. Third: He humbled
her. The Hebrew word here means “to humble,” “to defile,” and “to
afflict.” The same was used in Genesis 15:13; but here it has the
meaning “to rape”; and she was raped. A rabbinic commentary on
this passage claims that this was a divine punishment for Jacob for
withholding Dinah from Esau: “You have refused to give your
daughter to your circumcised brother, now worse will befall you as
she will be taken by an uncircumcised man.” There is no scriptural
basis for this claim.
In Genesis 34:3, the rapist ended up loving Dinah: And his soul
clave unto Dinah...he loved the damsel. This situation is quite the
opposite of what happened when Amnon raped Tamar; for after
raping her, he hated her (II Sam. 13:14-15). Nevertheless, Shechem
spoke kindly to Dinah. The Hebrew literally reads, “He spoke to the
heart of the damsel.” She was still in his house by force and more or
less a prisoner in his house. In verse 4, Shechem expressed his desire
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to marry Dinah: Shechem spoke unto his father Hamor; he was to
become the negotiator: saying, Get me this damsel to wife.
Genesis 34:5 records Jacob’s discovery of Shechem’s act: Now
Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; somehow, the
message got to Jacob quickly. The rape was public or the knowledge
of it was public. The circumstance was: and his sons were with his
cattle in the field. Jacob’s response was: and Jacob held his peace until
they came, because his sons would be involved in the decision-making
process.
Genesis 34:6 describes Hamor’s approach to Jacob: And Hamor
the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob. The purpose was to commune
with him; that is, to speak with Jacob about Dinah.
Genesis 34:7 records the response of her brothers: And the sons of
Jacob came in from the field when they heard it: and the men were
grieved, and they were very angry. The reason was: because he had done
folly in Israel. Two things should be noted in the phrase: He had done
folly in Israel. First, the word for folly refers to a godless act that
polluted the family, and eventually results in the breakup of existing
relationships between tribes and between family members and
between God and man. The word used is nevalah, which appears
thirteen times in the Hebrew text, and eight of those times it is used
of sexual crimes (Gen. 34:7; Deut. 22:21; Judg. 19:23, 19:24, 20:6,
20:10; II Sam. 13:12; Jer. 29:23). The means of this crime was: in
lying with Jacob’s daughter. However, the second thing to note is the
use of the term Israel. This is the first time the word is used for the
whole group. Jacob’s family now saw itself as a distinct entity from
the rest of the people. Their family members were separate; they
made up their own ethnic national entity. The verdict of the text is:
which thing ought not to be done, which was an understatement.
However, the point of the statement is that this is an act that should
not happen in Israel, and this is similar to Tamar’s response to
Amnon prior to her rape (II Sam. 13:12), where she said: Nay, my
brother, do not [humble] me, no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do
not this folly.
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b. Negotiations for Dinah - 34:8-17
8And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of
my son Shechem longs for your daughter: I pray you, give
her unto him to wife. 9And make ye marriages with us;
give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto
you. 10And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be
before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you
possessions therein. 11And Shechem said unto her father
and unto her brethren, Let me find favor in your eyes,
and what ye shall say unto me I will give. 12Ask me
never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according
as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.
13And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor
his father with guile, and spoke, because he had defiled
Dinah their sister, 14and said unto them, We cannot do
this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised;
for that were a reproach unto us. 15Only on this condition
will we consent unto you: if ye will be as we are, that
every male of you be circumcised; 16then will we give our
daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to
us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one
people. 17But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be
circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will
be gone.
The negotiations for Dinah begin in verses 8-10 with the offer of
Hamor in verse 8: And Hamor communed with them saying, starting
with his request for a marriage between Dinah and Shechem. The
basis was: The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; and the
request was: I pray you, give her unto him to wife. Then, in verse 9
came the offer of intermarriage: And make ye marriages with us; give
your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you. In verse 10,
Hamor’s first two offers were followed by the offer of citizenship:
And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and
trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein. This offer was an offer
of free state citizenship, something that the nomads of this period
wanted badly. Ancient records show that the Land of Canaan was
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comprised of city-states with nomads around the periphery who
hoped to become citizens of these city-states. There were many
nomads around wishing to have this status, and Lot was one who
had gotten that status. What happened here, then, was that Jacob
received an offer that Abraham and Isaac had never received: the
offer of citizenship. Jacob now had the opportunity to achieve it.
Furthermore, Hamor offered the land to Jacob, but this land will
ultimately be given to Jacob by God and not by Hamor. Hamor will
give a different story to his people in verse 23: that they will share in
Jacob’s wealth, and they can see the wealth that he had because he
was living on the edge of their territory.
In 34:11-12, the father’s offer to Jacob is followed by
verses 11-12a quoting Hamor’s son: And Shechem said unto her father
and unto her brethren, Let me find favor in your eyes, and what ye shall
say unto me I will give. Furthermore: Ask me never so much; that which
the groom normally had the right to expect, Shechem will make no
such demand. He will not demand a dowry for her to bring into the
marriage that he can use, nor a gift, which was his to keep. Rather: I
will give according as ye shall say unto me; Shechem will do all the
giving. In verse 12b, he wanted nothing except the girl: but give me
the damsel to wife. While the moral standard of these Canaanites was
low, Shechem was being very generous in his offer.
In 34:13-17 is the response of Dinah’s brothers, with verse 13
setting the stage: And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor
his father with guile, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
They were speaking to him with guile, for they wished to trick
Shechem into a situation because of his raping of their sister. The
brothers took the lead in the negotiations, which was not unusual in
that society. Earlier in the book, Laban took the lead for the
negotiations for Rebekah (24:50, 24:55-59). Verses 14-17 record
their demand, spelling out the rule of Israel, in verse 14: We cannot do
this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a
reproach unto us. Then, in verse 15, they laid out the condition: Only
on this condition will we consent unto you: if ye will be as we are, that
every male of you be circumcised. Not just Shechem but every male in
the city must be circumcised. Then, in verse 16, that will be the
condition of intermarriage: then will we give our daughters unto you,
and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and
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we will become one people. However, in verse 17, if the condition is not
met: But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we
take our daughter, and we will be gone.
c. Circumcision of the City - 34:18-24
18And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem
Hamor’s son. 19And the young man deferred not to do the
thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter: and he
was honored above all the house of his father. 20And
Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their
city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
21These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them
dwell in the land, and trade therein; for, behold, the
land is large enough for them; let us take their daughters
to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.
22Only on this condition will the men consent unto us to
dwell with us, to become one people, if every male among
us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. 23Shall not
their cattle and their substance and all their beasts be
ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell
with us. 24And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son
hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and
every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate
of his city.
Verses 18-19 record Hamor and Shechem’s agreement with
Jacob’s sons’ requirement, with verse 18 giving their consent: And
their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor’s son. Verse 19 reveals
the basis of it all, the love of Dinah: And the young man deferred not to
do the thing. Shechem was willing to be circumcised in spite of the
pain it would cause, and the reason was: because he had delight in
Jacob’s daughter. Furthermore, the status of Shechem was: and he was
honored above all the house of his father. The citizens honored Shechem
above every other member of the royal house, and that was the
reason they consented to be circumcised also.
Genesis 34:20-23 relates the report to the city, with verse 20
stating the basic fact: And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the
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gate of their city, which was the place where official court was always
held, and communed with the men of their city, saying… What they
actually said is in verses 21-23, beginning with the offer in verse 21:
These men are peaceable with us, meaning they perceived no negative
designs towards them, and so: Therefore let them dwell in the land, and
trade therein, meaning “Let Jacob’s family become citizens of our
city-state.” The basis was: for, behold, the land is large enough for them;
the city-state held enough territory to incorporate them all. Finally,
came the offer of intermarriage: Let us take their daughters to us for
wives, and let us give them our daughters. Then in verse 22, he laid
down the condition: Only on this condition will the men consent unto us
to dwell with us, to become one people, if every male among us be
circumcised, as they are circumcised. In verse 23, he gave them the
incentive; the pain will be to their gain: Shall not their cattle and their
substance and all their beasts be ours? This point was not brought up in
the negotiations with the brothers, and so the motivation here is pure
materialism. The condition was: Only let us consent unto them, and the
result will be: and they will dwell with us.
Genesis 34:24 records the agreement and the circumcision. First,
the agreement: And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all
that went out of the gate of his city. Second, the mass circumcision took
place: and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
d. Slaughter of the City - 34:25-29
25And it came to pass on the third day, when they were
sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi,
Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came
upon the city unawares, and slew all the males. 26And
they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of
the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and
went forth. 27The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and
plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28They took their flocks and their herds and their asses,
and that which was in the city, and that which was in
the field; 29and all their wealth, and all their little ones
and their wives, took they captive and made a prey, even
all that was in the house.
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Verse 25 describes the slaughter of Shechem itself in three
details. First, the timing: And it came to pass on the third day. It was
the third day after the mass circumcision when they were sore. At this
point, the pain was at its height; they were weak and were at the
point when they were most incapacitated. Second, the perpetrators
are noted: the two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi. These were
identified as Dinah’s brothers, for both were sons of Leah, and so
they were two of Dinah’s full-brothers, not half-brothers. Third,
Dinah’s brothers carried out the slaughter: they took each man his
sword, and came upon the city unawares. The Hebrew root for came
upon is batach from which the word “security” comes. It means they
came upon the city boldly, without fail, with full “security,” knowing
that the male population had been incapacitated. So although there
were just two of them, they were fully secure in what they were about
to do, and what they did was: [They] slew all the males.
Genesis 34:26 records the rescue of Dinah herself, beginning
with the slaughter of the royal house: And they slew...with the edge of
the sword, Hamor the king, and Shechem his son, the prince; and then
they took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went forth.
Then in 34:27-29 came the spoiling of the city, with verse 27
dealing with the plunder: The sons of Jacob came upon the slain. After
all were dead, after Dinah was rescued, came the act of the sons of
Jacob: they plundered the city. The reasons was: because they had defiled
their sister. The pronoun is plural, they defiled. The whole town was
held responsible for Dinah’s rape, since the whole town failed to act
responsibly. Verses 28-29 list the spoils, which included both
animals and people: They took their flocks and their herds and their asses,
and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field; and all
their wealth, and all their little ones and their wives, took they captive
and made a prey, even all that was in the house.
e. Jacob’s Remonstrance - 34:30-31
30And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled
me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land,
among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and, I being
few in number, they will gather themselves together
against me and smite me; and I shall be destroyed, I and
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my house. 31And they said, Should he deal with our sister
as with a harlot?
This division ends with Jacob’s remonstrance, beginning in
verse 30 with Jacob’s condemnation: And Jacob said to Simeon and
Levi, Ye have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the
land, meaning to those in the immediate vicinity of Shechem, and he
mentioned two: among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Jacob points
out the danger now facing him: I being few in number, they will gather
themselves together against me, and smite me, and I shall be destroyed, I
and my house.
However, in 34:31, the sons had a ready answer: Should he deal
with our sister as with a harlot? Jacob’s concern was misplaced. They
showed moral indignation. When Shechem offered to pay for Dinah,
they in essence turned her into a harlot, into a prostitute, practically
speaking. Therefore, they felt that Jacob was too willing to
compromise, and they defended their action for avenging their sister
as correct. The problem was, they went far beyond what they should
have. Their actions were correct, but they should have stopped at a
certain point. They went too far; and Jacob did not forget this, as will
come out in chapter 49.
Now before leaving this chapter dealing with Dinah’s rape, three
observations can be made. The first observation concerns the three
lessons of this chapter. First, there was to be no intermarriage with
the Canaanites because this would destroy Israel’s distinctive
identity. Second, the Canaanites must be destroyed. Third, there
must be no assimilation with the Canaanites.
The second observation has to do with the aftermath of the
slaughter perpetrated by Simeon and Levi, as found in two passages.
First, in Genesis 49:5-7, in Jacob’s blessing, these two sons will be
cursed in that they will not receive their own territory in the Land.
Second, in Joshua 8:30-35, Joshua took Shechem without a fight
because it was now recognized by the local population that Shechem
belonged to Israel by right of conquest under Jacob’s sons. So while
Joshua had to fight for other territories, he did not need to fight for
Shechem.
The third observation is to note a contrast between chapters 34
and 35 of Genesis. In chapter 34 there is absolutely no mention of
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God, no reference to God whatsoever. But in chapter 35, the word
God will be mentioned eleven times by itself, and God’s Name will
be found eleven more times in connection with specific names.
O. Jacob’s Return to Bethel - 35:1-15
1. Jacob’s Journey to Bethel - 35:1-8
1And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Beth-el,
and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, who
appeared unto you when you fled from the face of Esau
your brother. 2Then Jacob said unto his household, and to
all that were with him, Put away the foreign gods that
are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your
garments: 3and let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I
will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in
the day of my distress, and was with me in the way
which I went. 4And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign
gods which were in their hand, and the rings which were
in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which
was by Shechem. 5And they journeyed: and a terror of
God was upon the cities that were round about them,
and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. 6So Jacob
came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan (the same is
Beth-el), he and all the people that were with him. 7And
he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el;
because there God was revealed unto him, when he fled
from the face of his brother. 8And Deborah Rebekah’s
nurse died, and she was buried below Beth-el under the
oak: and the name of it was called Allon-bacuth.
The return to Bethel begins with the journey to Bethel,
instigated in verse 1 by a divine revelation: And God said unto Jacob.
This was now the fourth direct revelation God gave to Jacob, and he
received two commandments. The first command was: Arise, go up to
Beth-el, and dwell there. That last phrase meant he was to make
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Bethel his home in the Land for at least a duration of time. The
second command was: and make there an altar unto God. The reason
was that was where God appeared to him when he fled from the face of
Esau [his] brother. This was a reminder of the first appearance of
God to Jacob, which happened in Bethel; that was where the
Abrahamic Covenant was confirmed through Jacob and not Esau.
This was where God promised to bring Jacob back into the Land. It
was common practice for the Patriarchs to build altars spontaneously
(12:7, 8; 13:18; 22:9; 26:25; 33:20), but this was the only time God
actually commanded one to be built.
In 35:2 is Jacob’s related message to the household, with verse 2a
listing the addressees: Then Jacob said unto his household, meaning
unto his family, and to all that were with him. These were the
servants, the slaves, and prisoners of war that he got from Shechem.
In verse 2b, he instructed them to perform ritual cleansing by doing
three things. First, Put away the foreign gods that are among you; these
foreign gods would not only be the foreign gods worshipped by the
slaves from Shechem, but it would also include the teraphim Rachel
stole from her father, which Jacob still might not even have known
about. The new slaves from Shechem would have been idol
worshipers, and this was something that Jacob would have known
about. He clearly wanted them to get rid of their gods. Second, Jacob
instructed his household to purify yourselves, which was by means of
ritual immersion. Third: and change your garments, which was part of
their purification process.
In 35:3, Jacob revealed the goal of the journey: and let us arise,
and go up to Beth-el; and I will make there an altar unto God. The
reason for the building of this altar was because God answered me in
the day of my distress. This was true of his distress over Esau and of his
distress over Laban. God not only answered Jacob, but Jacob
acknowledged that God was with me in the way which I went, in
fulfillment of the promise in 28:15.
Genesis 35:4 describes the spiritual cleansing of the household:
And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand.
These were little statues, and the rings which were in their ears. This
does not mean the wearing of earrings was wrong, but in this kind of
a context, the wearing of the earrings was a means of using magic;
they were used for magical purposes, and for that reason they have to
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be put away (Hos. 2:13). Thus Jacob disposed of all these idolatrous
elements: and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem; these
gods could be buried, for they were dead.
Then in 35:5 came the journey: And they journeyed. This they did
under a divine protection: and a terror of God was upon the cities that
were round about them. From the divine side, God put fear into the
inhabitants. Furthermore, from the human side, they knew that only
two men slaughtered a whole city. If two men did all that, how much
more could twelve men do? Therefore, this kept the other Canaanite
tribes from attacking to avenge what happened in Shechem: and they
did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
Genesis 35:6 records Jacob’s arrival at Bethel: So Jacob came to
Luz, which is in the land of Canaan. As previously stated: Luz is the
same as Beth-el. Luz was the original name before the Patriarchs
renamed it. Jacob left Beth-el years before when he was all alone, but
now: All the people…were with him.
In 35:7 came the naming. First: And he built there an altar in
fulfillment of God’s command to him. Second: and called the place
El-beth-el, meaning “the God of the House of God,” “the God of
Bethel.” The reason was: There God was revealed unto him. The
timing of Jacob’s encounter with God at Bethel was when he fled from
the face of his brother, again, a reference to the first revelation given to
him.
In the Hebrew text, there is a clear implication of plurality in the
Godhead. Looking at the phrase, the word elohim is a plural noun,
which is used of both pagan gods and the true God. When elohim is
used of foreign gods or pagan gods, then the adjective or verb that
goes with it is also in the plural; but when elohim is used of the one
true God, then the adjective or the verb is normally in the singular.
However, there are exceptions. Now and then the plurality of the
Godhead comes out in that the adjective or the verb is also in the
plural in reference to the true God, and here is one example. In
Hebrew, the word revealed is in the plural; the plural verb is used
with the plural noun, and this is unusual when used of the true God.
So literally, this verse reads as follows: “Gods, they revealed
Themselves unto him”—a clear indication of plurality in the
Godhead. The rabbis recognize that here elohim is used of the true
God and that contrary to the norm, a plural verb is used. So one
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rabbinic explanation is to claim that the word elohim used here refers
to angels.69 Rashi explains this away by claiming the word Elohim
describes God under the aspect of Lordship and therefore may be
used with a plural verb. All this is a rather weak way of trying to get
around the obvious.
Genesis 35:8 records the death of Deborah: And Deborah
Rebekah’s nurse died. This is the first acknowledgement that
Rebekah’s nurse (24:59) was part of the household of Jacob. The fact
that she was now part of the household of Jacob and not part of the
household of Isaac shows that by now, Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, had
died. Apparently, Rebekah died while Jacob was in Haran, and
Deborah joined him in Haran and then came back to the Land with
Jacob. This would have made Deborah about one hundred eighty
years old at her death. The verse concludes with her burial: and she
was buried below Beth-el under the oak. The result was: The name of it
was called Allon-bacuth, meaning “the Oak of Weeping.”
2. The Divine Appearance - 35:9-15
9And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came
from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10And God said
unto him, Your name is Jacob: your name shall not be
called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be your name: and
he called his name Israel. 11And God said unto him, I am
God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a
company of nations shall be of you, and kings shall come
out of your loins; 12and the land which I gave unto
Abraham and Isaac, to you I will give it, and to your
seed after you will I give the land. 13And God went up
from him in the place where he spoke with him. 14And
Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with
him, a pillar of stone: and he poured out a drink-offering
thereon, and poured oil thereon. 15And Jacob called the
name of the place where God spoke with him, Beth-el.
69 Soncino Commentary.
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503
In verses 9 there is a divine appearance to Jacob: And God
appeared unto Jacob again, when he came up from Paddan-aram. This
was the second appearance of God to Jacob since returning to the
Land, and the fifth appearance to Jacob since the beginning of God’s
dealings with him. Moreover, the purpose was to once again
reconfirm the Abrahamic Covenant, which begins with the
statement that God blessed him. The blessing that he had striven for
all his life was now his. This was the second reconfirmation of the
Abrahamic Covenant through Jacob.
In 35:10 is the reconfirmation of Jacob’s change of name: And
God said unto him, Your name is Jacob: your name shall not be called any
more Jacob, but Israel shall be your name: and he called his name Israel.
From this very point, God called him by both names. The statement:
Your name shall not be called any more Jacob, should be taken in the
sense of “no longer only” be called Jacob. He will no longer only be
called Jacob; he will also be called Israel.
Then in 35:11-12 is the reconfirmation of the Abrahamic
Covenant, and in this reconfirmation four things should be noted.
First is God’s self-identification: I am God Almighty, which in
Hebrew is El Shaddai. This is the way God referred to Himself to
Abraham (17:1). Second is God’s command to Jacob: Be fruitful and
multiply. Since by now Jacob had eleven sons, this was not a
command that would be possible for him to disobey. However, the
point is that this command was now to be applied to Jacob’s sons.
Third, concerning Jacob’s posterity, God makes three points. First: A
nation…shall be of you, meaning one specific nation will arise out of
Jacob; and that nation will be Israel. Second: A company of nations
shall be of you. To Abraham, in 17:5, God said: a father of a multitude
of nations I will make you, and it referred to other nations that did
come out of Abraham besides Israel, such as the Arab States.
However, no other nation than Israel came out of Jacob. The
Hebrew word kahal is used here, relating to a company of nations.
This word is used uniquely of Jacob; it was not used in reference to
Abraham. It is the same word that is used of the congregation of
Israel. Therefore, a company of nations was not a reference to other
nations, as it was in the case of Abraham, but a reference to the
Tribes of Israel. The way it should read is that a company of tribes
will come out of Jacob, and so indeed a company of Twelve Tribes
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comprise this one nation. It may very well be that this also was
intended to mean that there will be such a multitude of Jewish
descendants as to appear to be many nations, as is the case in 48:19.
The third thing about Jacob’s posterity is: and kings shall come out of
your loins. This was a promise made to Abraham in 17:6 and to Sarah
in 17:16, and now it was also made to Jacob. Fourth is the promise of
the Land: and the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to you I
will give it, and to your seed after you will I give the land. Again, the
Land is promised personally to Jacob, not only to Jacob’s seed.
Genesis 35:13 records the termination of God’s appearance to
Jacob: And God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him.
Genesis 35:14-15 records Jacob’s two responses to God’s
appearance. The first response, in verse 14, is the memorial pillar:
And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of
stone. Jacob’s creation of the pillar of stone was followed by the
dedication: and he poured out a drink offering thereon, and poured oil
thereon. This was a repetition of the actions he performed the first
time he was here (28:18-22). While the pillar and the oil were
repeated, what was new here was the drink-offering. In 28:22, he
promised to make this place the house of God; now in this passage,
he fulfilled that promise. By giving a drink-offering here, he treated it
as the house of God. The second response, in verse 15, is the
naming: And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with
him, Beth-el. He had already done this before (28:19; 35:3, 7), but
now it is the house of God, not only in honor of a previous event, but
a place of worship and a place of offerings.
P. Benjamin’s Birth and Rachel’s Death -
35:16-20
16And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was
still some distance to come to Ephrath: and Rachel
travailed, and she had hard labor. 17And it came to pass,
when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto
her, Fear not; for now you shall have another son. 18And
it came to pass, as her soul was departing (for she died),
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505
that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called
him Benjamin. 19And Rachel died, and was buried in
the way to Ephrath (the same is Beth-lehem). 20And
Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave: the same is the
Pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.
This section records the birth of Benjamin, Jacob’s twelfth son,
and also the death of Rachel, his favorite wife. Verse 16a gives the
circumstance: And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was still some
distance to come to Ephrath. Ephrath is in the vicinity where
Bethlehem is located. The event itself did not occur in Bethlehem,
but on the road to Bethlehem. The road to Bethlehem is the central
trunk route that lies mostly on the ridge of the central mountain
range throughout the whole Hill Country of Ephraim and Judah, or
Samaria and Judea. According to I Samuel 10:2, this event happened
on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. According to I Samuel 7:17,
Samuel lived in Ramah, which is north of Jerusalem. Therefore, this
sepulchre was well within the territory of Benjamin, and the most
southern city of Benjamin was Jerusalem. While Jerusalem was in
Benjamin, Bethlehem itself was in Judah. This puts Rachel’s burial
place in Benjamin in the area of Ramah. Jeremiah 31:15 also
connects Rachel with Ramah. What this means is that the present
site that guides point to as Rachel’s tomb, just on the outskirts of the
City of Bethlehem is not the actual location of Rachel’s tomb.
Rachel’s tomb in the Bible is north of Jerusalem in the area of
Ramah; Bethlehem is south of Jerusalem and within the border of
Judah. Rachel was buried within Benjaminite territory. Bethlehem
and Ephrath are also connected in Micah 5:2, where it prophesies
about the place where the Messiah will be born: Bethlehem Ephrath.
A rabbinic commentary makes the following comment:
Men at the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. Others
say when you are departed from me today, you are in
the border of Benjamin at Zelzah, but you shall find
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two men by the tomb of Rachel and the latter is the
correct version.70
Another quote from the same source states:
Rabbi Jannai and Rabbi Jonathan were setting
together when a min came and asked them, What is
the meaning of this verse? [quoting I Samuel 10:2]
but surely Zelzah was in the territory of Benjamin
while Rachel’s tomb is in the territory of Judah for it
is written [quoting Genesis 35:19]. And while it is
written [quoting Micah 5:2]. Said Rabbi Jannai, take
away my reproach,” [meaning he did not know].
“Said he to him, this is the meaning of the first
verse: When you are departed from me today, [they
are] at the tomb of Rachel [in Judah], but there you
shall find them.71
According to this rabbinic quote, one of the points of
disagreement between Jewish believers and rabbinic Jews was over
the proper location of Rachel’s tomb. The Jewish believers took the
biblical account literally and put Rachel’s tomb in the territory of
Benjamin; but the rabbis chose to follow tradition rather than the
biblical text, and tradition put Rachel’s tomb south of Jerusalem at
the outskirts of Bethlehem. But, again, the authentic place is really
north of Jerusalem in the territory of Benjamin near the city of
Ramah.
Genesis 35:16b-18 records the birth of Benjamin, beginning in
verse 16b with Rachel’s labor: Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.
Verse 17 deals with the birth: And it came to pass, when she was in
hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; for now you shall
have another son; and this was in fulfillment of her hope (30:24).
Benjamin was the only one of the sons born within the borders of the
Promised Land. In verse 18 came his naming. First was Rachel’s
70 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 82:10.
71 Ibid. The term min was a rabbinic term for Jews who believed in Jesus.
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507
naming. The timing was: And it came to pass, as her soul was departing
(for she died); she realized that the birth of this son was causing her
death. So prior to her death, just as her spirit was departing from her
body, came the name: She called his name Ben-oni, which in Hebrew
means “the Son of My Sorrow,” since his birth was causing her
death. The irony was that in 30:1 she declared that she would die if
she did not have a child, but now she dies by having one. But second,
came Jacob’s naming: but his father called him Benjamin, which means
“the Son of the Right Hand,” which was a position of honor.
Genesis 35:19-20 deals with the death and the burial of Rachel.
Verse 19 states: And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath
(the same is Beth-lehem), also stated in Genesis 48:7. Again, it does
not say she was buried in Ephrath, but on the way to Ephrath, or the
Bethlehem road. Verse 20 speaks of the marker: And Jacob set up a
pillar upon her grave. The narrative still uses his old name. Then it
states: The same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day, meaning
that this pillar was still standing when Moses wrote Genesis.
Furthermore, it was still standing in Samuel’s day, because it was a
well-known sepulcher in Samuel’s day near his home in Ramah. It
was still visible in Jeremiah’s day as the Jews were being taken to
Babylonian Captivity (Jer. 31:15). However, it is no longer visible
today, which is why the location of the tomb has been lost and in
fact misplaced, being suggested as being located in Bethlehem.
Q. Migdal Eder - 35:21-22a
21And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the
tower of Eder. 22And it came to pass, while Israel
dwelled in that land, that Reuben went and lay with
Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard of it.
Verse 21 contains another geographical notation: And Israel
journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder. This time the
narrator used his new name. The tower of Eder should probably be
merely transliterated as the name Migdal Eder, which is outside of
Bethlehem, also mentioned in Micah 4:8. Since Jacob arrived in the
outskirts of Bethlehem only now, it shows that the tomb of Rachel
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could not be on the outskirts of Bethlehem, since there has to be
some amount of distance between Rachel’s tomb and the outskirts of
Bethlehem.
Genesis 35:22a records the sin of Reuben while they were there:
And it came to pass, while Israel dwelled in that land, meaning during
the time that he was in Migdal Eder, that Reuben went and lay with
Bilhah his father’s concubine; she was Rachel’s handmaid. This may
have been Reuben’s attempt to claim lordship over the family, as a
usurper sleeping with a king’s concubine (II Sam. 3:7; 12:8;
16:20-22). Eventually: Israel heard of it. Jacob said nothing about it
for now, but it will be brought up later, in 49:3-4, and it will cost
Reuben his birthright.
R. Jacob’s Twelve Sons - 35:22b-26
... Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
23The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s first-born, and
Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and
Zebulun; 24the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin;
25and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid: Dan and
Naphtali; 26and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid:
Gad and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, that were
born to him in Paddan-aram.
Verse 22b gives the introduction to this section: Now the sons of
Jacob were twelve in number.
In 35:23, The sons of Leah were six in number. First was Reuben,
identified as Jacob’s first-born, but because of the sin just mentioned
he will lose his firstborn rights. Second was Simeon; third, Levi;
fourth, Judah; fifth, Issachar; and sixth, Zebulun.
In 35:24, the sons of Rachel were two: Joseph and Benjamin.
In 35:25, the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid, were two: Dan
and Naphtali.
In 35:26a, the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, were two: Gad
and Asher.
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509
In 35:26b is the conclusion: These are the sons of Jacob that were
born to him in Paddan-aram. There is one exception, Benjamin.
S. Isaac’s Death - 35:27-29
27And Jacob came unto Isaac his father to Mamre, to
Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), where Abraham and
Isaac sojourned.
28And the days of Isaac were a hundred and
fourscore years. 29And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died,
and was gathered unto his people, old and full of days:
and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.
This toldot concludes with the death of Isaac. Verse 27 records
the reunion of father and son and notes two things. First: And Jacob
came unto Isaac his father; this appears to be the first contact Jacob
made with Isaac since returning to the Land; therefore, Isaac never
got to meet Rachel. Second, the place was: Mamre, to Kiriath-arba
(the same is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. Jacob was
seventy-nine [79] years old when he left Hebron, and one hundred
eight [108] years old when he returned. This means Jacob would be
with Isaac the last twelve years of Isaac’s life.
Genesis 35:28 gives the total years of Isaac: And the days of Isaac
were a hundred and fourscore years, one hundred eighty [180] years,
and he was the oldest of the Patriarchs. Jacob was one hundred
twenty [120] when Isaac died. Later, at the age of one hundred thirty
[130], Jacob went to Egypt (47:9).
Genesis 35:29 concludes with Isaac’s death and burial. First,
Isaac’s death: Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto
his people, a statement of life beyond the grave. Second, Isaac’s state
was that he was old and full of days. Third, Isaac was buried: and Esau
and Jacob his sons buried him. Here the two brothers meet again,
perhaps for the first time since the meeting on Jacob’s return and
perhaps for the last time in their lives, although this is not certain.
The place of the burial was in the Cave of Machpelah (49:31).
Before concluding this particular toldot, five observations can be
made. First: Isaac’s death is only reported here in order to end this
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particular story and this particular toldot. This was not when it
happened chronologically; but in keeping with the purpose of
Genesis, one person’s account is ended so that a new account can be
started. Second: Isaac lived for twelve more years after Jacob returned
to him, and the last twelve years they spent together. Third: Isaac
witnessed Jacob’s grief at the loss of Joseph at the age of one hundred
sixty-seven years. Fourth: Isaac died about the time of Joseph’s
elevation in the court of Pharaoh, never learning that Joseph was still
alive and in Egypt. Fifth: Isaac died about ten years before Jacob’s
move to Egypt during the famine.
X. Toldot of Esau,
The Same Is Edom - 36:1-8
1Now these are the generations of Esau (the same is
Edom). 2Esau took his wives of the daughters of
Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and
Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of
Zibeon the Hivite, 3and Basemath Ishmael’s daughter,
sister of Nebaioth. 4And Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz; and
Basemath bore Reuel; 5and Oholibamah bore Jeush, and
Jalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, that were
born unto him in the land of Canaan. 6And Esau took
his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the
souls of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and
all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of
Canaan; and went into a land away from his brother
Jacob. 7For their substance was too great for them to
dwell together; and the land of their sojournings could
not bear them because of their cattle. 8And Esau dwelled
in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
Two toldots are provided for Esau. The first one lists his wives
and sons.
In verse 1 is the tablet of Esau: Now these are the generations of
Esau, in other words, what became of Esau, namely the Edomites.
Esau’s generations are handled in two divisions: one in the Land and
later those outside the Land in mount Seir. The chapter begins: the
same is Edom. Edom is Esau’s alternate name, because that is the
name of the nation that came out of him.
Genesis 36:2-3 lists Esau’s wives. Verse 2 focuses on the two
Canaanite wives: Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan. The
first one was Adah, which means “ornament.” She was: the daughter of
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Elon the Hittite, and so she was actually the same one as Basemath,
the daughter of Elon the Hittite (26:34). Her alternate name, Basemath,
means “perfumed” or “fragrant.” The second Canaanite wife was
Oholibamah, a name which means “tent height” or “a tent of a high
place,” which carries a connotation of idolatry. She was: the daughter
of Anah. Anah was the father, and she was the daughter of Zibeon the
Hivite. In this case, Zibeon was the grandfather. She is the same as
Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite (26:34). Judith means
“praiseworthy” and is the feminine form of “Judah.” Verse 3 tells
about his Ishmaelite wife. Her name here was Basemath, which again
means “perfumed” or “fragrant.” She was: Ishmael’s daughter, sister of
Nebaioth. She is the same as Mahalath (28:9).
Genesis 36:4-5 focuses on the sons of Esau born in the Land,
with the sons themselves listed in verses 4-5a. As for Adah: Adah bore
to Esau Eliphaz. As for Basemath: Basemath bore Reuel. As for
Oholibamah: she bore to Esau three sons: Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah.
Verse 5b states the place where these five sons were born: they were
born unto him in the land of Canaan; when he was still living in the
Land of Canaan.
Genesis 36:6-8 relates Esau’s departure from Canaan, with verse
6 dealing with the actual departure: Esau took his wives, and his sons,
and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his cattle, and all of
his beasts, and all his possessions. These were the possessions Esau had
accumulated: which he had gathered in the land of Canaan. Esau’s act
was: He went into a land away from his brother Jacob. This shows that
Esau ceded the Land of Canaan to Jacob. Esau took the Patriarchal
Blessing quite seriously and decided that he must find his possession
away from the Land of Canaan (27:39-40), and that is what he did.
This Esau did soon after Jacob left but well before Jacob returned.
Verse 7 gives the reason: For their substance was too great for them to
dwell together; and the land of their sojournings could not bear them
because of their cattle. This very same issue separated Abraham and
Lot (13:6). As to the actual territory, there was plenty of room for
both Esau and Jacob as small as their holdings were. The problem
was that the Land of Canaan was comprised of city-states with each
city-state holding a large amount of land around it. Therefore, the
actual “neutral land” was quite minimal. That is why Abraham and
Lot had to separate, and that is why Jacob and Esau had to separate.
TOLDOT of Esau, the Same Is Edom
513
Verse 8 identifies the new land for Esau: And Esau dwelled in mount
Seir. The section concludes: Esau is Edom. This section begins and
ends the same way: by identifying Esau with Edom, the land where
Mount Seir is located.
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XI. Toldot of Esau,
Father of the Edomites - 36:9 – 37:1
A. Esau’s Sons and Grandsons - 36:9-14
9And these are the generations of Esau the father of
the Edomites in mount Seir: 10these are the names of
Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau,
Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. 11And the
sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and
Gatam, and Kenaz. 12And Timna was concubine to
Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek:
these are the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife. 13And these are
the sons of Reuel: Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and
Mizzah: these were the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife.
14And these were the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of
Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: and she bore
to Esau Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah.
The second division lists the sons and grandsons of Esau born
outside the Land of Canaan in Mount Seir. Verse 9 begins with the
tablet of Esau: And these are the generations of Esau, meaning what
became of Esau, namely, the Edomites. This is the second of two
headings dealing with his children, but this one deals with Mount
Seir; whereas, the previous one dealt with those while he was still in
the Land. So now the focus is on Edom and Mount Seir: the father of
the Edomites in mount Seir.
Genesis 36:10 deals with the sons of the Canaanite wives: These
are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah, the wife of Esau,
Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. Verses 11-12 list the sons
of Eliphaz of Adah. In verse 11, the sons of his wife were five in
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number. The first son was Teman. Later on this will be the place
where one of Job’s three friends comes from and in fact, one of Job’s
three friends is named Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 2:11). It may very
well have been the same Eliphaz, because the timing when it starts is
about the same, and in fact, the story of Job takes place in the area of
Edom. The second son was Omar. The third son was Zepho, spelled
as Zephi in I Chronicles 1:36. The fourth son was Gatam. The fifth
son was Kenaz. So these were the five grandsons of Esau through his
son Eliphaz. Verse 12a names the son of Eliphaz through his
concubine: And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she
bore to Eliphaz Amalek. Amalek played a key role in the subsequent
history of Israel. The descendants of Amalek, known as the
Amalekites, settled in the area of the Sinai and the Negev (14:7;
Num. 13:29, 14:43, 14:45). Amalek was the first nation to attack
Israel (Exod. 17:8-16). The Amalekites later subjugated Israel in the
period of the Judges (Judg. 3:13, 6:3, and 7:12). They were
slaughtered under Saul at God’s command (I Sam. 14:48, 15:1-9).
Still later, they were attacked by David (I Sam. 27:8, 30:1). The
Tribe of Simeon finally exterminated them in the days of Hezekiah
(I Chron. 4:42-43). Verse 12b draws the conclusion: These are the
sons of Adah, Esau’s wife.
Genesis 36:13 names the four sons of Reuel the son of
Basemath: These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, and Zerah, and
Shammah; and Mizzah. The conclusion was: These were the sons of
Basemath, Esau’s wife. These are the grandsons of Esau through his
son Reuel.
Genesis 36:14 list the sons of Oholibamah: And these were the
sons of Oholibamah…Esau’s wife; she was the daughter of both Anah
and Zibeon; hence, daughter and granddaughter, and she bore three
sons to Esau[:] Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah. All three are sons, and at
this point, no grandsons from her are listed as were listed with the
other two wives.
Two observations can be made about the Tribes of Esau in this
section. First, there were a total of five sons and ten grandsons, for a
total of fifteen. Second, there are a total of only thirteen tribes.
Eliphaz is represented by the tribes of his sons, and Reuel is
represented by the sons he bore. In the case of Oholibamah, Esau’s
sons rather than grandsons are listed as the chiefs; and therefore,
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their tribes are listed accordingly. So the grandsons of Esau by Adah
and Basemath form tribes, but the sons by Oholibamah form tribes.
(See figure 7 for Esau’s family tree.)
Two observations can be made about Esau’s House. The first
observation is to note that there is a parallel of this list of names of
this genealogy in I Corinthians 1:35-54. Second, there are a total of
eighty-one names, but only two contain the Name of God. One is
Reuel, which means the “friend of God,” and the other is Jeush, which
means “Jehovah help.”
B. Chiefs of the Sons of Esau - 36:15-19
15These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: the sons of
Eliphaz the first-born of Esau: chief Teman, chief
Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16chief Korah, chief
Gatam, chief Amalek: these are the chiefs that came of
Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah.
Figure 7. The House of Esau
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17And these are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: chief
Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah:
these are the chiefs that came of Reuel in the land of
Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 18And
these are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife: chief
Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah: these are the chiefs that
came of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife.
19These are the sons of Esau, and these are their chiefs:
the same is Edom.
This section lists the sons and grandsons of Esau in terms of
being chiefs beginning in verse 15a giving the introduction: These are
the chiefs of the sons of Esau.
Genesis 36:15b-16a lists the sons of Eliphaz, who was the
first-born of Esau; and Moses mentions seven chiefs: first, chief Teman;
second, chief Omar; third, chief Zepho; fourth, chief Kenaz; and fifth,
chief Korah, whose name is missing from the list in verses 9-14 and
also missing from I Chronicles 1:36. Korah’s name here may simply
have been miscopied from verse 18. The sixth son was chief Gatam
and the seventh was chief Amalek.
In 36:16b is the conclusion: These are the chiefs that came of
Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah.
Genesis 36:17 lists the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son, and Moses lists
four chiefs: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah.
The conclusion is: These are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife.
Then in Genesis 36:18 lists the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife;
and here three chiefs are mentioned, all being sons and not
grandsons: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. Then comes the
conclusion: These are the chiefs that come of Oholibamah the daughter of
Anah, Esau’s wife.
In Genesis 36:19 concludes the section: These are the sons of Esau,
and these are their chiefs: the same is Edom, repeating the point that this
is the nation of Edom.
There are a total of fourteen chiefs listed, but actually only
thirteen existed, since Korah is listed twice rather than just once.
A comparison between verses 9-14 and verses 15-19 reveals the
following. Verses 15-19 list Korah as one of the clans (political
structures) of Eliphaz for a total of seven clans, while verses 9-14 list
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519
only six. Verses 9-14 emphasize the sons of Esau, while verses 15-19
emphasize the clan of Esau. The concluding verse of verses 15-19
summarizes the material of both verses 9-14 and 15-19, and so it
serves as a colophon for the whole section including Esau’s
descendants (sons) and their political structure (clans).
C. Descendants of Seir the Horite - 36:20-30
20These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the
inhabitants of the land: Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon
and Anah, 21and Dishon and Ezer and Dishan: these
are the chiefs that came of the Horites, the children of
Seir in the land of Edom. 22And the children of Lotan
were Hori and Heman. And Lotan’s sister was Timna.
23And these are the children of Shobal: Alvan and
Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and Onam. 24And these
are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; this is Anah
who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he fed the
asses of Zibeon his father. 25And these are the children of
Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah.
26And these are the children of Dishon: Hemdan and
Eshban and Ithran and Cheran. 27These are the children
of Ezer: Bilhan and Zaavan and Akan. 28These are the
children of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29These are the chiefs
that came of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief
Zibeon, chief Anah, 30chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief
Dishan: these are the chiefs that came of the Horites,
according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.
These sections list the descendants of Seir the Horite, and there is
an interconnection between the Horites and the Edomites.
Verses 20-21 list the sons of Seir, with the introductory statements in
verse 20a: These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the
land, meaning these were the original inhabitants of the land of
Edom: The Horites lived in Mount Seir; they lived in the land
before it was known as the land of Edom. The meaning of the name
Horite is from a word that means “cave dwellers,” indicating that they
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lived in the caves found in the mountain range of Mount Seir.
Outside the Bible, the Horites are known as the Hurrians, frequently
mentioned in the Nuzi Tablets. They were originally an independent
nation (14:6). They were partially exterminated, but also partially
subjugated by Esau (Deut. 2:12, 2:22). The remnant of surviving
Horites intermarried with the Edomites and got absorbed into the
Edomites. The text now moves from the conquerors (Edom) to the
conquered (Horites). Two Horites are mentioned: Timna became
the concubine of Esau’s firstborn, Eliphaz. In addition, Oholibamah
became a wife of Esau. In verse 20b-21a, Moses lists the seven sons
of Seir the Horite. First was Lotan. He was the brother of Timna
(v. 22), and Timna was concubine to Eliphaz according to verse 12.
The others six sons were: Shobal and Zibeon and Anah and Dishon and
Ezer and Dishan. Verse 21b draws the conclusion: These are the chiefs
that came of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom. Seir
had seven sons from whom came twenty-one sons and daughters.
Genesis 36:22-28 lists the grandsons of Seir the Horite,
beginning with the first son, Lotan, in verse 22: And the children of
Lotan were Hori and Heman, spelled Homam in I Chronicles 1:39. It
states also that Lotan had a sister who was Timna, and Timna was
the concubine of Eliphaz (v. 12). The second son, Shobal, in verse 23,
produced a total of five children: Alvan, spelled Alian in
I Chronicles 1:40; Manahath and Ebal, Shepho, spelled Shephi in
I Chronicles 1:40; and Onam. Verse 24 lists the sons of Zibeon: And
these are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; and Anah’s claim to
fame was that this is the Anah who found the hot springs in the
wilderness. The Hebrew word for hot springs is a hapax-legomenon, a
form of the word found only here and nowhere else in the Bible. The
timing was that Anah found the hot springs: as he fed the asses of
Zibeon his father. Verse 25 lists the sons of Anah, who bore two
children: Dishon and Oholibamah. Oholibamah became one of the
wives of Esau. In verse 26, Moses deals with the next son, Dishon:
And these are the children of Dishon, and he produced four: Hemdan
spelled as Hamran in I Chronicles 1:41, Eshban and Ithran and
Cheran. Verse 27 lists the three children of Ezer: Bilhan and Zaavan
and Akan, spelled as Jaakan in I Chronicles 1:42. In verse 28, the
sons of Dishan are listed: These are the children of Dishan: Uz and
Aran.
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521
Then in 36:29-30, this section ends with the Horite chiefs of
Seir: These are the chiefs that came of the Horites; and he lists seven
chiefs: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, chief Dishon,
chief Ezer, and chief Dishan. These were his seven direct sons: These
are the chiefs that came of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land
of Seir.
D. Kings of Edom - 36:31-39
31And these are the kings that reigned in the land of
Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of
Israel. 32And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; and
the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33And Bela died,
and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his
stead. 34And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the
Temanites reigned in his stead. 35And Husham died, and
Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field
of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city
was Avith. 36And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah
reigned in his stead. 37And Samlah died, and Shaul of
Figure 8. Line of Seir the Horite
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522
Rehoboth by the River reigned in his stead. 38And Shaul
died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his
stead. 39And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and
Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was
Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter
of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab.
The list of the kings of Edom begins with verse 31 giving the
introductory statement: And these are the kings that reigned in the land
of Edom. This is a list of the kings of Edom who had ruled for quite
some time by the time Moses wrote Genesis. In most situations,
kingship was based upon dynasty according to the father-son
relationship. However, kingship in Edom was not based dynastically
or on a father-son relationship. Instead, Edom had an elected
monarchy. When a king died, the leaders or chiefs got together and
merely elected a new king. That is the reason why not one king
follows his father in this list of kings. The capital of Edom at any
given time was the hometown of the elected king. The fact that
Edom had an elected monarchy is also stated in Isaiah 34:12.
Because it was an elected monarchy, Edomite kings all originated
from different cities. While all other countries had capital cities, one
never reads of a capital of Edom because the capital shifted
accordingly from city to city depending on where the elected king
came from. The timing of the reign of the kings listed was: before
there reigned any king over the children of Israel. The Hebrew literally
reads as follows: “before the reigning of a king to the sons of Israel,”
meaning while as yet the Children of Israel have no king. There is no
indication of a past tense, emphasizing that it was written when a
king already did reign in Edom. However, Moses knew that Israel
would someday have a king because he spelled out laws for the time
when Israel would have a king (Deut. 17:14-20, 28:36). Therefore,
as Moses wrote this section of Genesis, Moses assured readers that
Israel’s history was not yet complete. There is a future history of
Israel in which Israel will have kings. Here again is an example where
those outside the Covenant initially seemed to do better than those
within the Abrahamic Covenant. Esau seemed initially to do better
than Jacob did. Edom seemed initially to do better than Israel. Lot
initially seemed to do better than Abraham, etc. Historically
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speaking, Edom’s kings reigned between Exodus 15:15 and
Numbers 20:14 because in Exodus 15:15 they are still referred to as
chiefs and not kings. But about forty years later, in Numbers 20:14,
Moses calls them kings. Altogether, eight Edomite kings are listed.
The first king is in 36:32: Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom;
and the name of his city was Dinhabah. According to the rabbis, this
man was the same as Balaam.
The second king is in 36:33: And Bela died, and Jobab the son of
Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.
The third king is in 36:34: And Jobab died, and Husham of the
land of Temanites reigned in his stead.
The fourth king is in 36:35: And Husham died, and Hadad the son
of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead;
his special claim to fame was the smiting of the Midianites in Moab
north of Edom. The name of his city was Avith.
The fifth king is in 36:36: And Hadad died, and Samlah of
Masrekah reigned in his stead.
The sixth king is in 36:37: And Samlah died, and Shaul of
Rehoboth by the River reigned in his stead.
The seventh king is in 36:38: And Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the
son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
The eighth and last king mentioned is in 36:39: And Baal-hanan
the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead. His name is
spelled as Hadad in I Chronicles 1:50. The name of his city was Pau,
but in I Chronicles 1:50 it is spelled as Pai. The text adds: His wife’s
name was Mehetabel, the only wife of the kings mentioned. She was
the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab. This being the last
king mentioned by Moses means that this was the king living at the
time of Moses, and the one to whom Moses wrote a letter asking
permission to cross through his land and who refused Moses
permission (Num. 20:14-21).
E. Chiefs of Esau - 36:40-43b
40And these are the names of the chiefs that came of
Esau, according to their families, after their places, by
their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth,
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41chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 42chief
Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 43chief Magdiel,
chief Iram: these are the chiefs of Edom, according to
their habitations in the land of their possession.
Verse 40a gives the introduction: These are the names of the chiefs
that came of Esau. These are names of districts under the names of
the chiefs of Edom. The emphasis is on the sphere of ownership and
influence rather than on the relationship to each other as was the
case earlier in the chapter. For that reason the verse states: according
to their families, emphasizing clans, and after their places, emphasizing
ownership of the land.
Then 36:40b-43a provides the listing of chiefs by their names:
chief Timna, chief Alvah (in I Chronicles 1:51 spelled as Aliah), chief
Jetheth, chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, chief Kenaz, chief
Teman, chief Mibzar, chief Magdiel, and chief Iram.
In 36:43b, Moses drew the conclusion: These are the chiefs of
Edom, followed by the statement of the sphere of their influence:
according to their habitations in the land of their possession.
F. The Division of the Two Brothers
- 36:43c - 37:1
43cThis is Esau, the father of the Edomites.
1And Jacob dwelled in the land of his father’s
sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
This section concludes with the division of Esau and Jacob, the
two brothers. First, concerning Esau in verse 43c: This is Esau, the
father of the Edomites. Esau settled in the land of Edom, and the
Land of Canaan was ceded to Jacob. With this statement, Esau
disappears from the Genesis record, and he is not mentioned again.
Second, concerning Jacob in 37:1: And Jacob dwelled in the land of
his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
Figure 9 summarizes the establishment of Edom and Esau’s
dynasty.
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525
Figure 9. Lines of Esau and Seir the Horite
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XII. The Toldot of Jacob
- 37:2 - 50:26
A. The Selling of Joseph - 37:2-36
1. Joseph’s Coat - 37:2-4
2These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being
seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his
brethren; and he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and
with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph
brought the evil report of them unto their father. 3Now
Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he
was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of
many colors. 4And his brethren saw that their father
loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated
him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
The passage opens up in verse 2a with the Tablet of Joseph:
These are the generations of Jacob, meaning what became of Jacob;
namely Joseph. The last fourteen chapters of Genesis are devoted to
the story of Joseph, which is the same number of chapters devoted to
Abraham. The story of Joseph completes the story of Jacob. In this
last toldot, there is an interaction between free choice as committed
by Joseph’s brothers and God’s sovereignty. There are three shifts of
emphasis within Joseph’s story. It begins with Joseph, shifts to the
brothers, then shifts again to Jacob. Joseph himself is the link
between Jacob’s family and the nation of Israel; linking from Israel
the family to Israel the nation. While Joseph is often taken as a type
of the Messiah, he is never so used by the New Testament. In the
New Testament, Joseph is mentioned four times: in John 4:5,
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Acts 7:9-14, Hebrews 11:21-22, and Revelation 7:8; but in none of
those four cases is he used as a type of Christ. Furthermore, Joseph is
never characterized by sin; not that he was sinlessly perfect—as no
one is—but that the biblical record does not mention any lapse of
faith in Joseph. The text relates lapses in Abraham, in Isaac, and in
Jacob, but no lapse is mentioned in the case of Joseph. Finally, there
is no account of any special revelation to Joseph. While there is
special revelation as God appears to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in
various forms, there is no such revelation to Joseph. So Joseph’s life
of faith is lived out based upon what he knew of the Word of God,
not based upon any special revelation given to him by God.
Genesis 37:2b describes Joseph’s relationship to his brothers and
states four things. First, his age is revealed: Joseph, being seventeen
years old. He left Paddan-Aram when he was six years old, and so
eleven years had passed since his departure from the place where he
was born. In addition, during that time, he lived in Succoth, in
Shechem, and in Hebron. Jacob was seventy-seven years old when he
arrived at Haran. He was ninety years old when Joseph was born. He
was one hundred seven years old when Joseph was sold, making Isaac
one hundred sixty-seven years old at that point. Jacob was one
hundred twenty years old at Joseph’s elevation. He was one hundred
thirty years old when he came to Egypt. That is the correlation with
Jacob’s age. Second, verse 2b describes his work: He was feeding the
flock with his brethren. Therefore, he, too, was learning the job of a
shepherd, working with his brother and half-brothers. Third, his
associations are given: He was a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with
the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. These two were the concubine
wives, the handmaids of his two full wives so to speak. So his
associations were with the sons of the handmaids, and that would
make some sense, because they were closer to his age than the others
were. Fourth, his actions were: Joseph brought the evil report of them
unto their father. Joseph reported the wrongdoing of his brothers to
Jacob; and so basically Joseph was a talebearer. Although some
commentaries on Genesis have found fault with Joseph on this, telling
a tale by itself is not wrong if the tale is true. If the others were
indeed guilty of wrongdoing, there is nothing wrong with reporting
it anymore than if one would report to the police a crime they saw
someone commit. So yes, he was a talebearer, but this was not wrong
TOLDOT of Jacob
529
in and of itself. What he said about the others was really true, and
that point should not be forgotten.
Genesis 37:3 describes Joseph’s elevation by Jacob and notes two
things: First, his father’s affection and the special token of the coat.
Jacob held a unique status before Jacob: Now Israel loved Joseph more
than all his children; and the reason given was: because he was the son of
his old age. While Benjamin was even younger, Joseph was the
firstborn son of his favorite wife, Rachel, and that is what made him
so special. Second, his elevation was evident as: He made him a coat of
many colors. In Hebrew, the phrase is ketonet pasim. Literally, it does
not mean a coat of many colors, but rather a long coat with full sleeves,
a coat of royalty (II Sam. 13:18-19). The tradition of many colors is
based on the Septuagint, which reads “a multicolored frock,” a
reading followed by the Latin Vulgate. The word pasim is found only
in this chapter (vv. 3, 23, 32) and in II Samuel 13:18-19. This action
by Jacob gave Joseph the right of the firstborn. Although he was the
eleventh son, being the firstborn of Rachel, his favorite wife, Joseph
received the rights of the firstborn. Therefore, Jacob, in this way,
showed who was to have preeminence: Joseph. Joseph was to replace
Reuben as having the right of the firstborn, and this was Jacob’s
response to Reuben’s sin (35:22). The Tombs of Bene Hassein in
Egypt dating back to the patriarchal age have pictorials that show
Semitic chiefs (and the family of Jacob was Semitic) wore coats of
full sleeves and many colors as an insignia of rulership. Therefore,
this was a sign that Jacob appointed Joseph the leader of the clan.
Genesis 37:4 describes the reaction of Joseph’s brothers to his
father’s favor. The basis of the reaction was: And his brethren saw that
their father loved him more than all his brethren. “Loving more” here
again emphasizes his having been chosen above the others. The
result was twofold. First: They hated him; and the first source of
hatred on the part of the brothers toward Joseph was due to Jacob’s
bestowing on Joseph the firstborn rights. Second: His brothers could
not speak peaceably unto him; they could not even be civil to him.
2. Joseph’s Dreams - 37:5-11
5And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his
brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6And he said
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unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have
dreamed: 7for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the
field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright;
and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made
obeisance to my sheaf. 8And his brethren said to him,
Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have
dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for
his dreams, and for his words. 9And he dreamed yet
another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said,
Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream: and, behold, the
sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his
father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this
dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother
and your brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to
you to the earth? 11And his brethren envied him; but his
father kept the saying in mind.
Verse 5 provides the second source of the brothers’ hatred stated
in three phrases. First: And Joseph dreamed a dream. Second: He told it
to his brethren, probably out of naivety. Third: They hated him yet the
more.
The first dream is in chapter 37, verses 6-8, with verses 6-7
giving the dream. Verse 6 is introductory: And he said unto them,
Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed. Verse 7 gives the
content of the dream: for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field,
and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves
came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. Verse 8 gives the
response of the brothers: And his brethren said to him, Shall you indeed
reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us? They
obviously understood the meaning of the dream and the result was:
And they hated him yet the more, for two reasons: for his dreams, the
dreams themselves; and for his words, meaning his interpretation of
those dreams.
Genesis 37:9-11 details the second dream, with verse 9
describing the dream itself: And he dreamed yet another dream, and told
it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream: and,
behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.
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531
Verse 10 gives Jacob’s response, which was one of rebuke: And he told
it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said
unto him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I, and your
mother, and your brethren. indeed come to bow down ourselves to you to
the earth? Jacob’s mention of the mother probably did not apply to
Rachel, since Rachel was now dead. It was probably a reference to
Rachel’s handmaid, Bilhah, who would have taken over the care of
Joseph. Verse 11 records a twofold response. First is the response of
the brothers: His brethren envied him. Second is the response of
Jacob: but his father kept the saying in [his] mind; meaning he
pondered it to see if and how it would be fulfilled.
Three observations on dreams can be interjected. First, in the
biblical record, Jews never need someone else to interpret their
dreams. There is no record of one Jew dreaming and then the dream
being interpreted by another Jew. Any kind of revelatory dream by
the Jews is understood by the Jews. The second observation is that
what is found in the Bible is individual Jews interpreting dreams to
Gentiles: Joseph explains dreams of Gentiles to Gentiles; Daniel
explains dreams of Gentiles to Gentiles. The third observation is the
reason for this: They [the Jews] were entrusted with the oracles of God
(Rom. 3:2).
There is one New Testament quotation and application from
this section on Joseph. In Genesis 37:9-10, the sun represents Jacob,
the moon represents Joseph’s mother (whether it is a natural
reference to Rachel or to Rachel’s handmaid), and the eleven stars
represent the eleven sons of Jacob, excluding Joseph, of course, who
was the dreamer. Revelation 12:1-2 makes a reference to this very
passage. John saw the vision of a woman arrayed with the sun, moon,
and twelve stars. The sun would represent Jacob, the moon,
probably, Rachel, and the twelve stars are the twelve sons of Jacob,
including Joseph. Since the Book of Revelation must be interpreted
by the background of the Old Testament, this Woman of
Revelation 12 represents Israel, not the church. The figure of a
woman is appropriate because Israel is the Wife of Jehovah.
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3. Joseph in the Pit - 37:12-24
12And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in
Shechem. 13And Israel said unto Joseph, Are not your
brethren feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will
send you unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14And he said to him, Go now, see whether it is well
with your brethren, and well with the flock; and bring
me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron,
and he came to Shechem. 15And a certain man found
him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the
man asked him, saying, What seek you? 16And he said, I
am seeking my brethren: tell me, I pray you, where they
are feeding the flock. 17And the man said, They are
departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to
Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found
them in Dothan.
18And they saw him afar off, and before he came
near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer
comes. 20Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and
cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil
beast has devoured him: and we shall see what will
become of his dreams. 21And Reuben heard it, and
delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not
take his life. 22And Reuben said unto them, Shed no
blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but
lay no hand upon him: that he might deliver him out of
their hand, to restore him to his father. 23And it came to
pass, when Joseph had come unto his brethren, that they
stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that
was on him; 24and they took him, and cast him into the
pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
Verses 12-17 describe Joseph’s search for his brothers. Verse 12
gives the brothers’ location: And his brethren went to feed their father’s
flock in Shechem. This was the city where Jacob’s sons Simeon and
Levi had slaughtered every male; and yet there was no opposition to
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these brothers being there in Shechem, because in the keeping with
the custom and laws of that day, it was now recognized as theirs by
right of conquest. In verses 13-14, Jacob sent Joseph, with verse 13a
giving Jacob’s initiation: And Israel said unto Joseph, Are not your
brethren feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you unto
them. In verse 13b, Joseph responded immediately to his father: And
he said to him, Here am I. In verse 14a, Jacob’s instructions to Joseph
were: And he said to him, Go now, see whether it is well with your
brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me word again. Verse 14b
summarizes Joseph’s journey: So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron,
and he came to Shechem. This would be about a three- or four-day
walk. Verses 15-17a record Joseph’s search in Shechem; with
verse 15a giving the circumstance: And a certain man found him, and,
behold, he was wandering in the field. Verses 15b-17a reveal the
conversation between Joseph and this unnamed individual, beginning
with the man’s inquiry in verse 15b: and the man asked him, saying,
What seek you? In verse 16, Joseph responded: I am seeking my
brethren: tell me, do you know where they are feeding [the flock]? In
verse 17a, the man answered: They are departed hence; they have left
Shechem, and I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. So in verse 17b,
Joseph journeys to Dothan: And Joseph went after his brethren and
found them in Dothan. Dothan is north of Shechem, another day’s
journey. The situation in Shechem may still have been somewhat
tense, but for one reason or another they had chosen to go further
north, and Dothan was the city located on the north-south trunk
route. Dothan was also located on the east-west trade route between
Gilead and the Coastal Plain where it connected with the Via Maris
that in turn would go south into Egypt. All this set the stage for the
selling of Joseph.
Genesis 37:18-24 details the brother’s conspiracy, with
verses 18-20 recording the plot to kill Joseph. Verse 18 gives the
timing of the plot: And they saw him afar off, and before he came near
unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. This shows the
degree of their hatred toward him; their actual intent was to murder
him. Verses 19-20 describe the plot itself, with verse 19 focusing on
the victim: And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer comes.
Their nickname for Joseph was the dreamer, but this also shows the
cause of their hatred for him: the dreams which implied that he
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would be their ruler. Joseph’s dreams seemed to already have been
verified by Jacob’s action in giving him the royal coat. Verse 20 gives
the content of the brothers’ plot: Come now therefore, and let us slay
him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast has
devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. So what
they wanted to do was to render Joseph’s dreams null and void. This
again shows the real issue that was bothering them. Verses 21-22
record Reuben’s intercession, with verse 21 describing how he saved
Joseph: Reuben heard it. Reuben was the firstborn son, but the
firstborn son did not participate in the conspiracy; instead he
delivered him out of their hand. He intervened with the admonition:
Let us not take his life. Reuben’s plan is spelled out in verse 22. First,
Shed no blood; in other words, Joseph should not be directly killed by
their hands with shedding of his blood. Second, Cast him into this pit
that is in the wilderness; Joseph was to be cast into a pit to die of
starvation, thirst, or exposure; but lay no hand upon him. The result of
this approach would be that no single brother would, therefore, be
guilty of murder. That was what Reuben said verbally to his other
brothers. However, his real intent was: that he might deliver him out of
their hand, to restore him to his father. Reuben intended to later rescue
Joseph from the pit and send him home. Although Reuben knew
how much Jacob loved Joseph and that Jacob intended to replace
Reuben with Joseph as the firstborn with the firstborn rights, he did
not allow this to motivate him to murder Joseph or to simply let
Joseph die. Thus Reuben did fulfill some firstborn responsibilities to
his father. In verses 23-24, the plan was carried out, beginning in
verse 23 with the removal of Joseph’s coat: And it came to pass, when
Joseph had come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the
coat of many colors that was on him. Then in verse 24, came the casting
into a pit: and they took him, and cast him into the pit: and the pit was
empty, there was no water in it. This was not merely a pit, but it was
actually a cistern that was empty of water. The event in Dothan is
described again later, in Genesis 42:21, when the setting is Egypt.
4. Joseph Sold - 37:25-36
25And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up
their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of
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Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels
bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it
down to Egypt. 26And Judah said unto his brethren,
What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his
blood? 27Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and
let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our
flesh. And his brethren hearkened unto him. 28And there
passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and
lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the
Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought
Joseph into Egypt. 29And Reuben returned unto the pit;
and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his
clothes. 30And he returned unto his brethren, and said,
The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? 31And they
took Joseph’s coat, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the
coat in the blood; 32and they sent the coat of many colors,
and they brought it to their father, and said, This have
we found: know now whether it is your son’s coat or not.
33And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat: an evil
beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in
pieces. 34And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth
upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort
him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I
will go down to Sheol to my son mourning. And his
father wept for him. 36And the Midianites sold him into
Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain
of the guard.
Verses 25-28 describe the selling of Joseph. Verse 25 reveals the
occasion: And they sat down to eat bread; they were sitting and eating
bread while Joseph was pleading for mercy (42:21); they ate and
drank and had no care for the affliction of Joseph (Amos 6:6). At that
point: they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of
Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing, for trade
purposes, three things: spicery, a word that means “gum”; balm, an
aromatic resin from the mastic tree; and myrrh, another tree resin or
labdanum, and they were going to carry it down to Egypt as part of the
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trading system of that day. At that point, in verse 26-27a, Judah
made a proposal beginning in verse 26 with the rhetorical question:
What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? This was
followed in verse 27a with the actual proposal: Come, and let us sell
him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, the reason
being: for he is our brother, our flesh. This shows that Reuben’s
intercession did have some effect on the brothers; what he said they
should not do, they now also say they really should not do. The
proposal was made by Judah, who was going to be in the Messianic
line. In verse 27b came the agreement: And his brethren hearkened
unto him. Verse 28 records the selling: And there passed by Midianites,
merchantmen. These are called merchantmen; for they were North
Arabian caravaneers who branched off through Gilead to the main
route to Egypt, the Via Maris, from the King’s Highway. The
Midianites were descendants of Abraham and Keturah, since Midian
was one of the six sons they had together. And they drew and lifted up
Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites. There is an
interchange of terminology between the Ishmaelites and Midianites,
and those two nationalities were often connected together
(Judg. 8:22-26). They were allies, and Midianites were eventually
absorbed by the Ishmaelites. The price that the brothers sold Joseph
for was: twenty pieces of silver, which was about the average price for a
slave in that day. Then came the merchant’s journey: They brought
Joseph into Egypt. While this was not the brothers’ intent, by selling
him in place of killing him, they rendered the fulfillment of the
dream certain. Although they thought they were rendering the
dreams null and void by what they were doing, they were actually
creating a situation that would cause the fulfillment of them, proving
the principle of Scripture: Even the wrath of men will end up
praising God.
Genesis 37:29-30 records Reuben’s response beginning in
verse 29 with Reuben’s discovery: And Reuben returned unto the pit; he
returned to rescue Joseph, which shows he was not present at the
time of the sale. His discovery was: and, behold, Joseph was not in the
pit. Reuben’s reaction was: He rent his clothes, renting (or tearing) in
the sense of mourning. In verse 30, he expressed his dilemma: And he
returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not. Normally, that
phrase means that the person is dead, and so the question is: Did he
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think that Joseph was dead? Then he lamented: and I, whither shall I
go? This would have been a crime of fratricide, and Reuben believes
he had failed in the responsibility of the firstborn.
Genesis 37:31-32 records the brothers’ report to Jacob, with
verse 31 describing the actual cover-up: And they took Joseph’s coat,
and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. Here again, there
is a form of retribution: Jacob deceived Isaac with goatskins (27:16),
now Jacob was being deceived with goat’s blood. Furthermore, Jacob
deceived Isaac with Esau’s clothes (27:15); now Jacob was deceived
by the use of Joseph’s clothes. In verse 32, Joseph’s coat was shown to
Jacob: and they sent the coat of many colors. They sent, meaning they
did not deliver it themselves, but probably the servants did. It could
alternatively mean the older brothers sent it by the younger ones.
The message was: and they brought it to their father, and said, This
have we found: know now whether it is your son’s coat or not.
Genesis 37:33-35 describes Jacob’s response in three ways. First
in verse 33, Jacob’s conclusion was: And he knew it, meaning he
recognized it, and said, It is my son’s coat: an evil beast has devoured
him; Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces. He concluded that Joseph
was dead. Second, in verse 34, Jacob mourned over Joseph: And Jacob
rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his
son many days. Third, in verse 35, Jacob lacks comfort: And all...rose
up to comfort him. This included his sons, who actually knew the
truth, and all his daughters, also mentioned in Genesis 46:7 and
46:15. This may be a reference to daughters directly, like Dinah, and
may indicate that Dinah was not his only daughter; but the term
could also be used of his daughters-in-law as well as of his
granddaughters. Jacob’s refusal is stated: He refused to be comforted;
and he said, For I will go down to Sheol to my son in mourning. And his
father wept for him. Sheol is the center of the earth, and before the
death of the Messiah, all souls descended there upon death; but the
faithful and unfaithful entered into different compartments in Sheol.
Finally, in 37:36, Joseph was sold again. First, the Midianites sold
him into Egypt, naming the nation where he was sold. Second, the
person they sold him to was Potiphar, who was two things: Potiphar
was an officer of Pharaoh’s, meaning he was part of the Egyptian
Military, and the captain of the guard, literally meaning “The Chief of
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the Executioners.” His name in Egyptian means “The Gift of Ra,”
and Ra was a key Egyptian god.
B. Judah and Tamar - 38:1-30
1. Tamar and the Sons of Judah - 38:1-11
1And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went
down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain
Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2And Judah saw
there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was
Shua. And he took her, and went in unto her. 3And she
conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name Er.
4And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she called
his name Onan. 5And she yet again bore a son, and
called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she
bore him. 6And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born,
and her name was Tamar. 7And Er, Judah’s first-born,
was wicked in the sight of Jehovah. And Jehovah slew
him. 8And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto your
brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s
brother unto her, and raise up seed to your brother. 9And
Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came
to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he
spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his
brother. 10And the thing which he did was evil in the
sight of Jehovah: and he slew him also. 11Then said
Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow
in your father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown up;
for he said, Lest he also die, like his brethren. And
Tamar went and dwelled in her father’s house.
Genesis 38:1 records Judah’s separation from the family. The
timing was: And it came to pass at that time, meaning at the time of
Joseph. The intent of this phrase is to put the account of Judah
leaving at the beginning of the account of Joseph being sold. This
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event of Judah relocating happened at the time that Joseph was
seventeen years old, at the time he was sold into Egypt. As the
account continues, it spans roughly twenty-two to twenty-three
years. The event was: that Judah went down from his brethren. Again,
Judah was of the Messianic line, and so what it means is, he left the
Hill Country of Judah and turned in to a certain Adullamite, meaning
someone living in the town of Adullam, whose name was Hirah, a
Canaanite. This would now put him at the Shephelah, away from
the Hill Country where the rest of the family was located.
Genesis 38:2 describes Judah’s wife: And Judah saw there a
daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. This shows that
the chosen family began to intermarry with the Canaanites. Focusing
on Judah means that this was particularly true of the Messianic line.
The intermarriage is told in simple terminology: And he took her,
meaning he married her, and went in unto her, referring to sexual
union.
Genesis 38:3-5 lists the sons of Judah, of which there were three.
The first son is in verse 3: And she conceived, and bore a son; and he
called his name Er. The first son was named by Judah, and the
Hebrew name Er means “watcher.” In verse 4 was the second son:
And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she called his name Onan.
This time the son was named by the wife, and the name Onan means
“strength” or “sorrow.” The third son is in verse 5: And she yet again
bore a son, and called his name Shelah. Once again, she did the naming,
and Shelah means “weak.” The place of the birth of these sons was:
and he was at Chezib, when she bore him. Judah was no longer in
Adullam but still in the Shephelah; he was still separated from his
brothers who lived up in the Hill Country. His third son was the
founder of the Shelanite Clan (Num. 26:20).
Genesis 38:6-10 records Tamar’s marriages. Her first marriage
was to Er in verses 6-7 with verse 6 describing the marriage: And
Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar,
meaning “palm tree.” She, too, was a Canaanite. Verse 7 deals with
the death of Er: And Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of
Jehovah. The Hebrew word for wicked here is the word ra. In the
Book of Genesis, this is the type of wickedness that deserves divine
punishment, and so it happened here: And Jehovah slew him. In
Hebrew this is a causative stem, literally meaning He “caused him to
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die.” So then came the second marriage to Onan in verses 8-10, with
verse 8 being the marriage: And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto your
brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother unto her, and
raise up seed to your brother. This was in accordance with the Code of
Hammurabi: If a man died childless, his brother had the obligation to
produce a son to carry on the seed of his brother. This was the law of
that day, and it was known as the levirite marriage, a word that
comes from the Latin word levir, which means “the husband’s
brother.” Later on, the levirite law was incorporated into the Law of
Moses (Deut. 25:5-10, Ruth 4:5-6, Matthew 22:24). Verse 9
describes Onan’s sin: And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; he
knew whatever child he had would be the legal child of his dead
brother: and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife,
meaning he had sexual intercourse with her, that he spilled it on the
ground, meaning he ejaculated on the ground. From this account
came the term “onanism,” and it is usually a euphemism for
masturbation, and so people have used this passage to teach that
masturbation itself is a sin.72 However, in fact, this was not
masturbation but coitus interruptus, meaning that he withdrew
himself before ejaculation and spilled the semen on the ground. His
problem was that he was not willing to fulfill the obligation he had
to his brother: lest he should give seed to his brother. This was the sin;
he did not want to honor his dead brother, so he obviously had a
hatred for his brother. He was willing to take Tamar for sexual
gratification, but he was not willing to take the responsibility to
fulfill his obligation. This was not just a one-time act; the way it is
phrased means he regularly spilled the seed on the ground. As a
result, in verse 10 came the death of Onan: And the thing which he did
was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and he slew him also. Here again, God
put this one to death as well. Numbers 26:19 states that Er and Onan
both died in Canaan; they were not part of the group that went
down into Egypt.
Genesis 38:11 then describes Tamar’s widowhood, beginning
with Judah’s instruction: Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-
law, Remain a widow in your father’s house. Judah now sent her home.
72 On the issue of masturbation, the Bible itself is silent.
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Technically, it was supposed to be temporary: till Shelah my son be
grown up. However, Judah feared: for he said, Lest he also die, like his
brethren. So Judah now considered Tamar to be bad luck, and it
seems that he had no intent of letting her marry his third son. But
Tamar, trusting Judah, went and dwelled in her father’s house.
2. Tamar and Judah - 38:12-26
12And in process of time Shua’s daughter, the wife of
Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up
unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend
Hirah the Adullamite. 13And it was told Tamar, saying,
Behold, your father-in-law goes up to Timnah to shear
his sheep. 14And she put off from her the garments of her
widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and
wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is
by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was
grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.
15When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for
she had covered her face. 16And he turned unto her by the
way, and said, Come, I pray you, let me come in unto
you: for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law.
And she said, What will you give me, that you may come
in unto me? 17And he said, I will send you a kid of the
goats from the flock. And she said, Will you give me a
pledge, till you send it? 18And he said, What pledge shall
I give you? And she said, Your signet and your cord, and
your staff that is in your hand. And he gave them to her,
and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 19And
she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her,
and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20And Judah
sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the
Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s
hand: but he found her not. 21Then he asked the men of
her place, saying, Where is the prostitute, that was at
Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There has been no
prostitute here. 22And he returned to Judah, and said, I
have not found her; and also the men of the place said,
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There has been no prostitute here. 23And Judah said, Let
her take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent
this kid, and you have not found her.
24And it came to pass about three months after, that
it was told Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law
has played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with
child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth,
and let her be burnt. 25When she was brought forth, she
sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man, whose
these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray
you, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the
staff. 26And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She is
more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to
Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
Verses 12-14 provide the occasion beginning with the death of
Judah’s wife in verse 12: And in the process of time Shua’s daughter, the
wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, meaning he went
through the period of ritual mourning, and after being comforted he
went up unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah. He was still living in the
Shephelah, still separated from his brothers. Timnah was twelve
miles northwest of Adullam, and Judah did not travel alone. The
travelers were: he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. Then in
verse 13, a message came to Tamar: And it was told Tamar, saying,
Behold, your father-in-law goes up to Timnah for the purpose, to shear
his sheep. Verse 14 reveals Tamar’s plan, and three points are made.
First is a description of her disguise, which was to dress up like a
prostitute. This entailed putting off from her the garments of her
widowhood, the wearing of special clothing that marked her out as a
widow. Then, she covered herself with her veil. As stated earlier, veils
were worn by brides on the wedding night, and so to imitate a bride
on the wedding night, the prostitutes dressed as if they were brides
for the wedding night. As a result, the very act of a woman in public
wearing a veil had sexual connotations in the culture of that day; and
then Tamar wrapped herself, she dressed herself like a cult prostitute.
Moreover, under Assyrian Law, no prostitute, except a married cultic
one, could wear this outfit. Second, Tamar’s position was that: she
sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah (also
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mentioned in Josh. 15:34 but spelled Enam there). Third was the
reason: For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given
unto him to wife. Both Hittite and Assyrian Law permitted levirite
marriage to be performed by a father-in-law. However, she was
already promised to Shelah; and, therefore, her act caused two sins:
first, it caused the sin of adultery for she was legally Shelah’s wife by
betrothal; and second, it caused incest, sex with her father-in-law.
Genesis 38:15-18 details the incest between Judah and Tamar,
beginning in verse 15 with her deception of Judah: When Judah saw
her, he thought her to be a prostitute. The Hebrew word for
“prostitute” here is zonah which means “a common prostitute,” and
that was what he thought she was. The reason he took her to be a
prostitute was: for she had covered her face with a veil. Therefore,
Judah, who had earlier deceived Jacob, initiating the selling of
Joseph, now is himself deceived. Verses 16-18a describe the
bargaining, beginning with verse 16a with Judah speaking: And he
turned unto her by the way, and said, Come, I pray you, let me come in
unto you. The reason he approached her was because, he knew not that
she was his daughter-in-law. Tamar’s response in verse 16b was that
she requested payment, as a prostitute would do: What will you give
me, that you may come in unto me? In verse 17a, Judah promised: I will
send you a kid of the goats from the flock; this was only a promise since
he did not have one with him. So in verse 17b came Tamar’s
response: And she said, Will you give me a pledge, till you send it? Since
Judah did not have the kid now, she asked for a pledge. What she was
conveying was that she did not trust him, but what she was really
doing was providing evidence of who the father of the child would
be. So Judah asked, in verse 18a: What pledge shall I give you? In
verse 18b, she responded by asking for three things: And she said,
Your signet, which was one’s most prized possession, and was used to
seal documents; and your cord, the necklace upon which the signet
ring was worn; and your staff that is in your hand, which was the
symbol of his occupation. In verse 18c is the agreement and the sin:
And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him;
the payment, the sexual union, and the result of the sexual union:
conception.
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Genesis 38:19 records Tamar’s return: And she arose, and went
away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her
widowhood. Therefore, she goes back to the way it was before.
Genesis 38:20-23 records Judah’s attempt to make the payment,
beginning in verse 20, with the search for Tamar: And Judah sent the
kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite. The purpose
was: to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand. Then came the
problem: He found her not. In verse 21 is Hirah’s inquiry: Then he
asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute, that was at
Enaim by the wayside? Here he used the term kedeishah, meaning a
temple prostitute; it refers to a woman dedicated to impure pagan
worship (Deut. 23:17, Hos. 4:14). However, they responded: There
has been no prostitute here. Indeed, that was the truth: She only
pretended to be one. In verse 22 came the report to Judah: And he
returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the
place said, There has been no prostitute here. Verse 23 then reveals
Judah’s decision: Let her take it to her, lest we be put to shame, in other
words, let the whole matter drop: I sent this kid, and you have not
found her; meaning Judah had tried to keep his commitment and his
agreement and the fact that she was nowhere to be found was no
fault of his.
Genesis 38:24-26 then reveals the revelation to Judah with
verse 24a giving the report to Judah: And it came to pass about three
months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar your
daughter-in-law has played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with
child by whoredom. In verse 24b, came Judah’s verdict: And Judah said,
Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. Being the Patriarch of the clan, it
was his patriarchal authority to be able to do this. Taking action was
his right, since Tamar was now technically guilty of adultery. But in
verse 25, Tamar makes a defense: When she was brought forth,
meaning for trial, she sent to her father-in-law, meaning he was not
present at the trial, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child:
and she said, Discern, I pray you, whose are these, the signet, and the
cords, and the staff. In verse 26 came Judah’s admission: And Judah
acknowledged them. Judah confessed: and said, She is more righteous
than I; comparatively speaking, of course, for she was hardly
innocent. The reason was: forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son,
as indeed the law demanded. Then it states: And he knew her again no
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more, meaning they had no further sexual relations. She could not be
his wife; and furthermore she could not now be given to Shelah
because the levirite requirement had been fulfilled. Her intercourse
with her father-in-law had produced seed. Therefore, her actions,
although dangerous in that she risked being punished, were within
the laws of that day. She had the right to have a child by the nearest
kin of her dead husband. That was the law.
3. The Twins of Judah and Tamar - 38:27-30
27And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that,
behold, twins were in her womb. 28And it came to pass,
when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and the
midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread,
saying, This came out first. 29And it came to pass, as he
drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and
she said, Wherefore have you made a breach for yourself?
Therefore his name was called Perez. 30And afterward
came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his
hand: and his name was called Zerah.
This account of Judah ends with the twins of Judah and Tamar,
with 38:27 dealing with the twins: And it came to pass in the time of
her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. Verse 28 tells the
story of the scarlet thread: And it came to pass, when she travailed, that
one put out a hand, meaning one began to come out with his hand
coming out first, and since that would indicate that he would be the
firstborn, the midwife bound a scarlet thread on his hand. This
would identify him and secure his right as the firstborn: This [twin’s
hand] came out first. However, that was not to be. Verse 29 records
the birth of the other twin first: And it came to pass, as he drew back his
hand, the hand went back into the womb, that, behold, his brother came
out. So the other brother actually was born first: and she said,
Wherefore have you made a breach for yourself? In Hebrew, there is a
play upon words: paratzta peretz, literally “you breached a breach.”
The result was: Therefore his name was called Perez because in Hebrew
peretz means “breach,” “a forging through,” or “he who breaks
through.” Perez was the founder of the Perezite Clan (Num. 26:20),
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the seed-son, the son of the Messianic line (Ruth 4:12, 18-22;
Matt. 1:3; Luke 3:33). The Targum Onkelos viewed this verse as
messianic, saying “What great powers do you possess to have such
strength?” This question is an allusion to the strength of the Messiah
who would descend from Perez. Verse 30 describes the birth of
Judah’s second son: And afterward came out his brother, that had the
scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zerah, meaning
“the shining one,” perhaps because of the scarlet thread. He was the
founder of the Zerahite Clan (Num. 26:20). He turned out to be the
ancestor of Achan who committed the sin in Israel that caused the
first defeat at Ai (Josh. 7:1).
Three observations about the account of Judah’s relocation and
sons can be made. First, this chapter interrupts the story of Joseph.
Immediately before, in Genesis 37:36 Moses states: And the
Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the
captain of the guard. At this point, the story of Joseph is dropped, but
then 39:1 repeats in different words the same thing: And Joseph was
brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain
of the guard, an Egyptian, him of the hand of the Ishmaelites, that had
brought him down thither. The account of Joseph picks back up where
it left off.
The second observation concerns the reason for chapter 38. Why
is this chapter interrupting the story of Joseph? There are three main
reasons. First, it traces the messianic line and shows how the
seed-son, Judah, produced the seed-son, Perez. Second, it shows the
reason why Judah’s Egyptian sojourn was necessary. The chosen
family was intermarrying with the Canaanites. What was avoided for
Isaac and Jacob is not avoided for the sons of Jacob. Jacob’s sons
began to intermarry with the Canaanites, and they began adopting
the immoral standards of the Canaanites, as seen in the sexual
irregularities of Genesis 38 and other ways. As a result, the chosen
family will be brought into Egypt, and there they will be preserved
physically as a nation. Separated from everybody else, including the
Egyptians, in the land of Goshen, the chosen family will also be
preserved morally. Third, Judah and Joseph are contrasted, showing
that Judah, who was of the messianic line, does not resist temptation
and was willing to have sexual intercourse with the one he thought
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was a prostitute, while Joseph does resist temptation as is soon to be
revealed.
The third observation on chapter 38 has to do with its
chronology, and how it fits in with everything else. First, Judah
separated from the rest of the family and married immediately after
the selling of Joseph, when Joseph was seventeen. Second, the three
sons were born to Judah and his Canaanite wife Shua about a year
apart, and the third was born when Joseph was twenty. Third, if the
firstborn son Er was married at eighteen, Joseph would have been
thirty-six, and this would be the sixth year of plenty. Fourth, if Er
died the same year of marriage, then Onan would have married
Tamar at seventeen. Fifth, Onan died the same year, and so Shelah
was sixteen and, hence, still too young for marriage. Sixth, after one
to two years passed Shelah had grown up but was not given to
Tamar. Seventh, Tamar was impregnated by Judah, when Joseph was
thirty-eight years old, when the first year of famine took place.
Eighth, Tamar gave birth to the twins in the second year of famine,
the very year the brothers went down to Egypt. This shows that
there is no problem with the chronology of Genesis 38 regarding the
story of Joseph. In spite of critics who have tried to make an issue by
saying the events could not have transpired so, the problem of timing
is not as great as they make it appear. (See table 14 for a timeline
summary.)
As for New Testament application for chapter 38, Tamar is
listed as being in the messianic line (Matt. 1:3).
C. Joseph in the House of Potiphar - 39:1-18
1. The Blessing of Joseph - 39:1-6
1And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and
Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the
guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the
Ishmaelites, that had brought him down thither. 2And
Jehovah was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man;
and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3And
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his master saw that Jehovah was with him, and that
Jehovah made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
4And Joseph found favor in his sight, and he ministered
unto him: and he made him overseer over his house, and
all that he had he put into his hand. 5And it came to pass
from the time that he made him overseer in his house,
and over all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the
Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of
Jehovah was upon all that he had, in the house and in
the field. 6And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand;
and he knew not aught that was with him, save the
bread which he did eat. And Joseph was comely, and
well-favored.
Table 14. Possible Chronology of Judah
Versus Joseph While Separated
Concurrent Events
Age of
Joseph Judah’s Milestones
Joseph sold into slavery 17 Judah relocated from the Hill
Country to the Shephelah.
18 Birth of first son Er by wife
Shua
19 Birth of Onan by Shua
20 Birth of Shelah by Shua
Sixth year of plenty before
the famine of Joseph’s
dream.
36 Er (18) marries Tamar and dies.
37 Onan (17) marries Tamar and
dies.
First year of the seven-
y
ear famine
38 Judah impregnates Tamar.
Second year of the famine. 39 Joseph’s brothers go down to
Egypt for food.
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Verse 1 records the Egyptian official’s purchase of Joseph,
beginning with the Ishmaelite’s journey to Egypt: And Joseph was
brought down to Egypt; again, this picks up the story from 37:36.
The buyer was: Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s. Joseph was possibly
sold about the year 1898 b.c.; and if so, the Pharaoh would have been
Sesotris, who ruled from 1897 to 1879 b.c. Furthermore, he was: the
captain of the guard, an Egyptian. Potiphar was three things: an
officer of Pharaoh Sesotris, the captain of the guard, and an Egyptian.
Then came the statement of Potiphar’s purchase: he bought him of the
hand of the Ishmaelites, that had brought him down thither. In 37:36, it
was the Midianites who sold him into Egypt, while here it was the
Ishmaelites who actually brought Joseph to Egypt and sold him to
Potiphar. What this means is that the Midianites sold Joseph to the
Ishmaelites who, in turn, sold him to Potiphar. (The Midianites and
Ishmaelites were two separates groups, but with connections to one
another.)
Genesis 39:2 describes God’s blessing on Joseph in three
declarative statements. First, as to the source: And Jehovah was with
Joseph; this is stated four times in this chapter (vv. 2, 3, 21, 23). God
was with Joseph as He was with the Patriarchs (26:3, 24, 28; 28:15;
31:3). This is true although God never speaks to him by divine
revelation. This is the only chapter when the Name of God, YHVH,
appears in the Joseph narrative (except for 49:18 where it is found in
the mouth of Jacob). It occurs seven times v. 3 [twice], 5 [twice], 21,
and 23 [twice]). Second, as to the result: and he was a prosperous man,
meaning Joseph was a successful man. Third, the verse states the
place where Joseph was blessed with Jehovah’s presence: He was in
the house of his master the Egyptian.
Genesis 39:3-4 deals with Joseph’s promotion, with verse 3
giving us Potiphar’s observation: And his master saw that Jehovah was
with him, and that Jehovah made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
This does not mean that Potiphar knew that God, Jehovah, was
behind it; he probably did not since he was an Egyptian pagan. What
he did see was the results of the work of the Hand of God in Joseph’s
life. So in verse 4, Potiphar promoted Joseph: And Joseph found favor
in his sight, and he ministered unto him, meaning Joseph served
Potiphar. The result was: and he made him overseer over his house, and
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all that he had he put into his hand. Now Joseph took charge of the
administration of the House of Potiphar.
In 39:5, promoting Joseph brought blessings to Potiphar. The
timing was: And it came to pass from the time that he made him overseer
in his house, and over all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the Egyptian’s
house for Joseph’s sake. Here again is the outworking of the Abrahamic
Covenant in its blessing aspect: Potiphar blessed Joseph the Jew;
God in turn blessed Potiphar. Furthermore, the blessing was all-
inclusive: and the blessing of Jehovah was upon all that he had, in the
house and in the field. Here, an Egyptian pagan received the blessings
of God because of his correct relationship to Joseph the Jew.
Genesis 39:6 relates the extent of Joseph’s control over Potiphar’s
affairs: And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, showing that this
was a total trust: and he knew not aught that was with him. In other
words, Potiphar did not bother even checking on Joseph; he trusted
him that much, and the trust was total. The exception was: save the
bread which he did eat and this exception was not because he did not
trust Joseph concerning the serving of bread, but it was an Egyptian
custom. Egyptians did not eat with foreigners nor allow foreigners to
eat their food (43:32). The verse ends with a description of Joseph:
And Joseph was comely, and well-favored. The Hebrew phrase here is
used only of two men in the whole Hebrew Bible: Joseph and David.
He was well-favored or beautiful to look upon; he was a handsome
man and his handsomeness was equivalent to David’s handsomeness.
Altogether, Joseph spent about seven to nine years in Potiphar’s
house.
2. Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife - 39:7-18
7And it came to pass after these things, that his
master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie
with me. 8But he refused, and said unto his master’s
wife, Behold, my master knows not what is with me in
the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand:
9he is not greater in this house than I; neither has he kept
back anything from me but you, because you are his wife:
how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against
God? 10And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by
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day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to
be with her. 11And it came to pass about this time, that
he went into the house to do his work; and there was
none of the men of the house there within. 12And she
caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he
left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
13And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his
garment in her hand, and was fled forth, 14that she
called unto the men of her house, and spoke unto them,
saying, See, he has brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock
us: he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a
loud voice: 15and it came to pass, when he heard that I
lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by
me, and fled, and got him out. 16And she laid up his
garment by her, until his master came home. 17And she
spoke unto him according to these words, saying, The
Hebrew servant, whom you have brought unto us, came
in unto me to mock me: 18and it came to pass, as I lifted
up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me,
and fled out.
The section on Joseph regarding Potiphar’s wife begins in verse 7
with the wife’s proposition. The timing was: And it came to pass after
these things, meaning after Joseph’s elevation to authority in
Potiphar’s house. Then came the event: that his master’s wife cast her
eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
However, in 39:8-9 came Joseph’s refusal: But he refused, with a
declaration unto his master’s wife, that he could not betray two
persons. First, he cannot betray Potiphar’s trust: Behold, my master
knows not what is with me in the house; Potiphar’s trust in Joseph was
total. Therefore, if Joseph went ahead and submitted to her
seductions, he could get away with it. However: He has put all that he
has into my hand: he is not greater in this house than I; as far as
functional authority was concerned, Joseph was an equal to Potiphar.
He of course, was under Potiphar, but Joseph was referring to
functional authority. Furthermore: neither has he kept back anything
from me but you, and that for good reason: because you are his wife.
Joseph concluded with the rhetorical question: How then can I do this
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great wickedness? Therefore, Joseph cannot betray the trust that
Potiphar placed in him. Second, he cannot sin against God, thereby
betraying God as well as Potiphar.
Genesis 39:10 records Potiphar’s wife’s persistence: And it came
to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day; and Joseph’s refusal: He
hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. He made every
effort that was in his power to avoid being in her presence.
In 39:11-12, Joseph’s refusal of Potiphar’s wife led to her
attempted sexual harassment of him with verse 11 giving the
occasion and the timing: And it came to pass about this time, meaning
the time after persistent refusals, that Joseph went into the house to do
his work. His responsibilities brought him into the house and the
circumstance was: there was none of the men of the house there within,
meaning all the servants were clearly no longer there. This was
followed by the actions in verse 12. First, the action of the wife: And
she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me. Second, Joseph’s
action was: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him
out. This is always the best answer to sexual temptation, to run away.
This was Paul’s advice in II Timothy 2:22: But flee youthful lusts.
However, as Joseph ran, she grabbed him by his garment, and that
garment was left behind. Potiphar’s wife now had a part of Joseph’s
clothing.
So, in 39:13-18 came Potiphar’s wife’s accusation, beginning
with the “evidence” left behind in verse 13: And it came to pass, when
she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth;
Joseph ran away, but she had his garment and that provided an
occasion to prove a saying: “Hell has no fury as a woman scorned.”
The garment was now to be used as false evidence of attempted rape.
Her accusations came in two stages. First, in verses 14-15, to the
servants: Then she called unto the men of her house, and spoke unto them,
saying, See, he has brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us. The pronoun
he refers to her husband Potiphar, and she put partial blame on him
in front of her servants. Furthermore, she referred to Joseph as a
Hebrew, and that was Joseph’s distinctive nationality. The term
Hebrew is used when Jews identify themselves to Gentiles. The word
for mock is again the same root as for “Isaac,” also used in
Genesis 26:8 with sexual connotations. Potiphar’s wife accused
Joseph by saying: He came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a
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loud voice. She claimed he tried to rape her, and she screamed as
Joseph tried to rape her: and it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted
up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and fled, and got
him out. So her first accusation was to the servants. The second
accusation was to Potiphar in verses 16-18, with verse 16 dealing
with the evidence: And she laid up his garment by her, as evidence:
until his master came home. Then, in verses 17-18, she made her
accusation: And she spoke unto him according to these words, saying, The
Hebrew servant, whom you have brought unto us, again putting the
blame on her husband. She obviously had a degree of bitterness
toward her husband for one reason or another, and she had
previously criticized him before her servants, but not directly. The
Hebrew servant, whom you have brought unto us, came in unto me to
mock me. She changed the pronoun from us to me. To the servants,
Joseph came in to mock us, so that the servants would be mad at
Joseph as well. Now it was to mock me. She continued her account to
her husband saying: and it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried,
that he left his garment by me, and fled out, indicating her position that
she had been the victim instead of the perpetrator.
D. Joseph in Prison - 39:19 - 40:23
1. The Blessing of Joseph - 39:19-23
19And it came to pass, when his master heard the
words of his wife, which she spoke unto him, saying,
After this manner did your servant to me; that his wrath
was kindled. 20And Joseph’s master took him, and put
him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners
were bound: and he was there in the prison. 21But
Jehovah was with Joseph, and showed kindness unto
him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the
prison. 22And the keeper of the prison committed to
Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison;
and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
23The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that
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was under his hand, because Jehovah was with him; and
that which he did, Jehovah made it prosper.
In 39:19-20, Potiphar responded to his wife’s account in two
ways. First, in verse 19, he responded with anger: And it came to pass,
when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke unto him,
saying, After this manner did your servant to me; that his wrath was
kindled. However, the text does not clearly state at whom he is angry;
Joseph? his wife? Second, in verse 20, came the imprisonment: And
Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison; this prison was
where the king’s prisoners were bound; this was the royal prison. There
is more than one Hebrew word for prison, and the term used here is a
word that is found only in Genesis chapters 39 and 40. It is actually
an Egyptian loan word, and it has the meaning of a royal prison.
Potiphar was an officer of Pharaoh’s and so this was actually under
his authority. Furthermore, he was the Captain of the Executioners,
and so under Egyptian law he could have executed Joseph, but he did
not. This may very well mean that he was not fully convinced of his
wife’s story.
Genesis 39:21-23 records the divine blessing beginning in
verse 21 with Joseph’s relationship to the prison keeper. The divine
source of Joseph’s blessing was: But Jehovah was with Joseph. The
result of God’s presence with Joseph was: He showed kindness unto
him; God showed kindness to Joseph and gave him favor in the sight of
the keeper of the prison. Joseph received favor; he impressed in a good
way the keeper of the prison. What had previously happened with
Potiphar had now happened with the keeper. Psalm 105:18-19 fills in
some blanks in the account of Joseph’s imprisonment. Initially,
according to that Psalm, Joseph underwent physical suffering and
torture; but somehow Joseph’s response to his torture and Joseph’s
actions caused the keeper of the prison to change his ways toward
Joseph, and that was what happened. Verses 22-23 then record
Joseph’s elevation, with verse 22 dealing with the prison keeper’s
action: And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the
prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was
the doer of it. What is described here is very similar to Potiphar’s
situation earlier in verse 4. Potiphar noticed Joseph’s ability and put
him in charge; the keeper noticed Joseph’s ability and put him in
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charge. Finally, in verse 23, is the extent of the elevation and the
prison keeper’s trust in Joseph: The keeper of the prison looked not to
anything that was under his hand; in other words, he did not bother
checking on Joseph’s work. Here again, the trust was total. The
reason was the divine source: because Jehovah was with him, and that
which he did, Jehovah made it prosper. Once again, the similarities to
the situation with Potiphar in verse 6 are striking.
2. The Two Dreams - 40:1-23
a. The Imprisonment - 40:1-8
1And it came to pass after these things, that the
butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their
lord the king of Egypt. 2And Pharaoh was angry against
his two officers, against the chief of the butlers, and
against the chief of the bakers. 3And he put them in ward
in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison,
the place where Joseph was bound. 4And the captain of
the guard charged Joseph with them, and he ministered
unto them: and they continued a season in ward. 5And
they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream,
in one night, each man according to the interpretation of
his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt,
who were bound in the prison. 6And Joseph came in unto
them in the morning, and saw them, and, behold, they
were sad. 7And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were
with him in ward in his master’s house, saying,
Wherefore look ye so sad to-day? 8And they said unto
him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is none that
can interpret it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not
interpretations belong to God? tell it me, I pray you.
Verse 1 gives the occasion of the imprisonment of Pharaoh’s
butler and baker. The timing was: And it came to pass after these
things; meaning after Joseph’s elevation, two offenders joined him.
The first offender was the butler of the king of Egypt; the Hebrew
word actually means “cup bearer.” He was the official cupbearer.
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However, the cupbearer served as a butler. The second offender was
his baker. The offended one was the Pharaoh; they offended their lord
the king of Egypt.
Pharaoh’s anger is stated in 40:2: And Pharaoh was angry against
his two officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the
bakers; so these were not just a cupbearer and a baker, but these were
the two chiefs of the two groups.
Genesis 40:3-4 describes the chief butler and baker’s imprisonment
beginning with the one who imprisoned them in verse 3: And he put
them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard. His name is not
mentioned, but the captain of the guard was Potiphar (37:36; 39:1). He
put them in the royal prison, the place where Joseph was imprisoned,
which sets the stage for the events that follow. Verse 4 reveals
Joseph’s role: And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them.
Potiphar put Joseph in charge of them; so not only did Joseph gain
the trust of the prison guard, he also regained trust from Potiphar.
This shows how much Potiphar still trusted Joseph and Joseph’s
ability. Then it states: He ministered unto them. Joseph served the two
officers of Pharaoh, and the duration was: and they continued a season
in ward, an unspecified duration of time.
Then 40:5-8 relates the prisoners’ troubled dreams. Verse 5
introduces the two dreams: And they dreamed a dream both of them,
each man his dream, in one night. Pharaoh’s butler and baker each had
a specific dream the same night: each man according to the
interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt.
It obviously affected them in some way because verse 6 shows
Joseph’s observation: And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and
saw them; and what he saw was their state: and, behold, they were sad.
In verse 7, this led to Joseph’s inquiry: And he asked Pharaoh’s officers
that were with him in ward in his master’s house, saying, Wherefore look
ye so sad to-day? Verse 8a gives their answer: And they said unto him,
We have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; in
other words, there was no professional interpreter of dreams available
there in the prison to interpret the dream for them. So, in verse 8b,
came Joseph’s offer: And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations
belong to God? tell it me, I pray you.
By way of observation, in the Scriptures only two men function
as interpreters of dreams: Joseph and Daniel. Furthermore, both
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served foreign monarchs who worshipped foreign gods, and both
interpreted in a foreign land where they had professional interpreters:
Egypt and Babylonia.
b. The Butler’s Dream - 40:9-15
9And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and
said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
10and in the vine were three branches: and it was as
though it budded, and its blossoms shot forth; and the
clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: 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. 12And Joseph said unto him, This is the
interpretation of it: the three branches are three days;
13within yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up your head,
and restore you unto your office: and you shall give
Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner
when you were his butler. 14But have me in your
remembrance when it shall be well with you, and show
kindness, I pray you, unto me, and make mention of me
unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: 15for
indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews:
and here also have I done nothing that they should put
me into the dungeon.
Verses 9-11 reveal the content of the dream: And the chief butler
told his dream to Joseph. In verse 9, what he saw was: Behold, a vine
was before me. In verse 10, he saw grapes: and in the vine were three
branches: and it was as though it budded, and its blossoms shot forth; and
the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes. Therefore, in this dream he
saw all stages of the development of the grape in quick succession:
buds, blossoms, and grapes, which become ripe. Then in verse 11, he
saw Pharaoh’s cup: and Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the
grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup; in other words, he made
juice or wine from the grapes: and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.
That was the essence of the cupbearer’s dream. In verses 10-11, the
number three is prominent: the vine had three branches; three terms
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are used to describe the grapes of the vine (budded, blossomed,
clusters of grapes); Pharaoh is mentioned three times; the word cup
is used three times; and three times the first-person pronoun is used
(I took, I pressed, I placed).
In Genesis 40:12-13, Joseph gave the interpretation of the
cupbearer’s dream: The three branches are three days; within yet three
days shall Pharaoh lift up your head, and restore you unto your office: and
you shall give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when
you were his butler. The essence of the interpretation is that within
three days he will be taken out of prison and restored to his position
as the Chief of the Cupbearers. Not every detail of the dream was
given an interpretation, only the basic points were made.
In Genesis 40:14-15, having interpreted the dream, which came
out positive, and knowing that restoration is going to take place,
Joseph makes a request. In verse 14, his request was: But have me in
your remembrance when it shall be well with you, and show kindness, I
pray you, unto me; in other words, when everything goes well, when
the good interpretation really comes true, then remember me and
show me kindness. The means was to make mention of me unto
Pharaoh; say a good word for me before Pharaoh, to bring me out of
this house. In verse 15, Joseph pointed out his own innocence, stating
he suffered two injustices. First, he states for indeed I was stolen away
out of the land of the Hebrews. By saying the land of the Hebrews,
Joseph clearly understood the promise of the Abrahamic Covenant:
This was not the Land of the Canaanites but the Land of the
Hebrews. Second, he maintains and here also have I done nothing that
they should put me into the dungeon.
c. The Baker’s Dream - 40:16-19
16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation
was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream,
and, behold, three baskets of white bread were on my
head: 17and in the uppermost basket there was of all
manner of baked food for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat
them out of the basket upon my head. 18And Joseph
answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: the
three baskets are three days; 19within yet three days shall
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Pharaoh lift up your head from off you, and shall hang
you on a tree; and the birds shall eat your flesh from off
you.
Verses 16-17 present the chief baker’s dream itself. Verse 16a
gives the basis for telling the dream: When the chief baker saw that the
interpretation was good; Joseph’s positive interpretation of the butler’s
dream encouraged the baker to reveal to Joseph his dream.
Verses 16b-17 give the content of the dream itself, which consisted
of two elements. First, in verse 16b: I also was in my dream, and,
behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head. Pictorials in
Egyptian tombs, where baskets of breads were carried on the head,
validate the description. The Hebrew word used here for white bread
is a hapax-legomenon.73 Second, in verse 17 the baker describes the
birds in his dream: and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner
of baked food for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket
upon my head.
Genesis 40:18-19 presents the interpretation of the chief baker’s
dream: This is the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three days;
within yet three days the same three days as the three branches in the
cupbearer’s dream shall Pharaoh lift up your head from off you; in other
words, the chief baker will be beheaded. In the Hebrew text, the
wording is exactly the same here as it was in the case of the butler,
but with the butler the head was “lifted up” in restoration; with the
baker the head is “lifted up” as punishment in the sense of being
beheaded: and he shall hang you on a tree; and the birds shall eat your
flesh from off you. Again, he gave the basic points without interpreting
every detail.
d. Fulfillment of the Two Dreams - 40:20-23
20And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s
birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and
he lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of
the chief baker among his servants. 21And he restored the
73 Word used only once in the Bible.
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chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the
cup into Pharaoh’s hand: 22but he hanged the chief baker:
as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23Yet did not the chief
butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Verse 20 gives the occasion for the fulfillment of the dreams.
The timing was: And it came to pass the third day. The event was:
which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants.
Then came the lifting up: He lifted up the head of the chief butler and
the head of the chief baker among his servants, but not in the same way.
Verse 21 deals with the butler: And he restored the chief butler unto his
butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. As for the
baker in verse 22a: but he hanged the chief baker, and all this was
Joseph’s vindication in verse 22b: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
However, in verse 23, Joseph was forgotten: Yet did not the chief butler
remember Joseph, but forgot him. While on the human side this was
ingratitude, on the divine side it was not yet time for Joseph’s release.
Joseph had to wait two more years.
E. Joseph Before Pharaoh - 41:1-57
1. The Two Dreams of Pharaoh - 41:1-8
1And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that
Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
2And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine,
well-favored and fat-fleshed; and they fed in the reed-
grass. 3And, behold, seven other kine came up after them
out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed, and stood
by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 4And the
ill-favored and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven
well-favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. 5And he
slept and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears
of grain came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 6And,
behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind,
sprung up after them. 7And the thin ears swallowed up
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the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and,
behold, it was a dream. 8And it came to pass in the
morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and
called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise
men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there
was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
Verse 1a gives the timing: And it came to pass at the end of two full
years, that Pharaoh dreamed. Two years have transpired between
chapters 40 and 41, but Joseph’s faith in God remained strong.
Genesis 41:1b-4 describes Pharaoh’s first dream. Verse 1b
reveals Pharaoh’s position in the dream: and, behold, he stood by the
river. The Hebrew word used here refers to the Nile River. In
verse 2, he saw seven fat cows: And, behold, there came up out of the
river seven kine, well-favored and fat-fleshed; and they fed in the
reed-grass. However, in verse 3, after them came seven thin cows:
behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill-favored
and lean-fleshed, and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
Verse 4a, then describes an unusual action: And the ill-favored and
lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favored and fat kine. Then
came the conclusion in verse 4b: So Pharaoh awoke.
In 41:5-7, as Pharaoh went back to sleep, he had a second
dream: And he slept and dreamed a second time, but this time in verse 5
he saw seven fat stalks: Behold, seven ears of grain came up upon one
stalk, and their appearance was twofold: rank, meaning they were
healthy and fat, and they were good. Nevertheless, in verse 6 arose
seven thin stalks: And, behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east
wind. The sharav or chamsin is the hot dry east wind that appears
periodically, causing a dryness over the land (Ezek. 17:10,
Hos. 13:15). These thin ears: sprung up after them, meaning
chronologically after the fat ears. Verse 7a describes the action of the
thin ears: And the thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears.
Then, again, the conclusion in verse 7b: And Pharaoh awoke, and,
behold, it was a dream.
Genesis 41:8 describes Pharaoh’s response. The timing was: And
it came to pass in the morning, his emotions were: his spirit was
troubled. The dreams had an obvious effect, the effect God wanted
them to have on Pharaoh. So then came his call: and he sent and
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called for all the magicians of Egypt. The Hebrew word for magicians is
chartumim, an Egyptian word meaning “sacred scribes,” those who
were “decipherers of hieroglyphics.” In the Book of Genesis, this
word is used only in this chapter. The same word is used seven times
of the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses in Exodus 7-9.
Outside the five books of Moses, it is found only in the Book of
Daniel (1:20, 2:2). In addition to the magicians, Pharaoh also called:
all the wise men thereof. This is a word that means that these were
expositors of ritual books. These were the experts of the priestly craft
and magic. These two groups were summoned, and Pharaoh told them
his dream; however, the result was failure: but there was none that could
interpret them unto Pharaoh.
2. The Butler’s Report - 41:9-13
9Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I
do remember my faults this day: 10Pharaoh was angry
with his servants, and put me in ward in the house of
the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker: 11and
we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed
each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12And there was with us there a young man, a Hebrew,
servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him,
and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man
according to his dream he did interpret. 13And it came to
pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored
unto mine office, and him he hanged.
In verse 9, there was an admission of fault by the chief butler: I
do remember my faults this day. In verses 10-13, he shared his prison
experience beginning in verse 10 with the imprisonment: Pharaoh
was angry with his servants, and put me in ward in the house of the
captain of the guard, me and the chief baker. In verse 11, he recounted
the dreams: and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed
each man according to the interpretation of his dream. Then in verse 12,
he told Pharaoh of Joseph’s interpretation: And there was with us there
a young man, a Hebrew; that was Joseph’s nationality, a servant to the
captain of the guard; that was his position. The chief baker continued:
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We told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according
to his dream he did interpret. In verse 13, came the fulfillment of the
dreams: And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he
restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. This set the stage for
Joseph’s elevation.
3. Pharaoh’s Dream Told to Joseph - 41:14-24
14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they
brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved
himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto
Pharaoh. 15And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have
dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it:
and I have heard say of you, that when you hear a dream
you can interpret it. 16And Joseph answered Pharaoh,
saying, It is not in me: God will give Pharaoh an
answer of peace. 17And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph, In my
dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river: 18and,
behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-
fleshed and well-favored: and they fed in the reed-grass:
19and, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor
and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never
saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: 20and the lean
and ill-favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
21and when they had eaten them up, it could not be
known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-
favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22And I saw in
my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up upon one
stalk, full and good: 23and, behold, seven ears, withered,
thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after
them: 24and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good
ears: and I told it unto the magicians; but there was
none that could declare it to me.
Verses 14-16 describe Joseph’s appearance before Pharaoh,
beginning in verse 14, with his removal from prison: Then Pharaoh
sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon.
Furthermore: and he shaved himself, since Egyptians did not approve
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of beards. In the Egyptian paintings, Semites are pictured as having
beards while the Egyptians are clean shaven. Finally: and [Joseph]
changed his raiment, since he could not appear before Pharaoh in
prison garments: and came in unto Pharaoh. Verse 15 records
Pharaoh’s request: And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a
dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of you,
that when you hear a dream you can interpret it. Verse 16 gives Joseph’s
response: And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me. The
ability was not innate in Joseph, but God will give Pharaoh an answer
of peace. This did not mean that the interpretation itself will be good
news, but that Pharaoh will have satisfaction in knowing the
meaning of his dreams.
In 41:17-24, Pharaoh revealed his dreams to Joseph, and he did
so individually, beginning in verses 17-21 with the first dream.
Pharaoh’s position in the dream is described in verse 17: I stood on the
brink of the river. Verse 18 describes the good cows: and, behold, there
came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored: and they
fed in the reed-grass. Verse 19 describes the thin cows: and, behold,
seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and
lean-fleshed. Pharaoh then made a comparative statement about the
thin cows: such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness. This
is new information not stated earlier in the passage. Then in verse 20
came the eating: and the lean and ill-favored kine did eat up the first
seven fat kine. In verse 21a, the result was: and when they had eaten
them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them. The reason
was: they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. In other words,
when the very thin cows ate up the seven fat cows, they were still as
thin as they were before they ate them. This, too, is new information
that was not revealed earlier. Then in verse 21b is the conclusion: So
I awoke. In verses 22-24a the second dream is described. In verse 22,
the fat stalks come first: And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears
came up upon one stalk, full and good. Then in verse 23, the thin stalks
follow: and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east
wind, sprung up after them. Verse 24a describes the eating: and the
thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. This section concludes in
verse 24b with Pharaoh’s problem of no interpretation: and I told it
unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it unto me.
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4. Joseph’s Interpretation and Advice - 41:25-36
25And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of
Pharaoh is one: what God is about to do he has declared
unto Pharaoh. 26The seven good kine are seven years;
and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27And the seven lean and ill-favored kine that came up
after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears
blasted with the east wind; they shall be seven years of
famine. 28That is the thing which I spoke unto Pharaoh:
what God is about to do he has shown unto Pharaoh.
29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty
throughout all the land of Egypt: 30and there shall arise
after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall
be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall
consume the land; 31and the plenty shall not be known in
the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it
shall be very grievous. 32And for that the dream was
doubled unto Pharaoh, it is because the thing is
established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and
wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh
do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and
take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven
plenteous years. 35And let them gather all the food of these
good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of
Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36And
the food shall be for a store to the land against the seven
years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that
the land perish not through the famine.
Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream begins in verse 25
with the introduction: And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of
Pharaoh is one: meaning both dreams mean the same thing, and so
these will not be two sets of interpretations but one. The purpose of
the dream was: What God is about to do he has declared unto Pharaoh;
this was a divine revelation of the future to a pagan king. The same
will be true with Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2).
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Then, in 41:26-32 is Joseph’s interpretation, with verses 26-27
giving the basic interpretation beginning in verse 26 with the fat
objects: The seven good kine are seven years, and the seven good ears are
seven years: the dream is one. In verse 27, the lean objects are
interpreted: And the seven lean and ill-favored kine that came up after
them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east
wind; they shall be seven years. Moreover, the meaning is: They shall be
seven years of famine. Therefore, the basic interpretation is to expect
seven years of famine. This is followed in verses 28-31 with a more
detailed interpretation. In verse 28, Joseph declared that these
dreams are God’s revelation to Pharaoh: That is the thing which I
spoke unto Pharaoh (in verse 25): What God is about to do he has shown
unto Pharaoh. In verse 29 is the seven years of plenty: Behold, there
come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt; the
whole country is going to experience seven years of great plenty.
However, in verses 30-31 come seven years of famine: and there shall
arise after them seven years of famine. The result will be: and all the
plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall
consume the land; and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason
of the famine which follows. The reason was: for it shall be very grievous.
This explains why in the dream, the position of the Pharaoh was by
the Nile. The Nile was the lifeline of Egypt since Egypt virtually has
no rainfall throughout the entire year. Egypt is dependent upon the
periodic flooding of the Nile to moisten the land and the plantings.
The Nile will flow in abundance for the first seven years but will
recede into inadequacy for the second seven years. That would be the
nature of a famine in the land of Egypt: not the withholding of rain,
but failure of the Nile to flood. In verse 32, Joseph explained the
decree of God: And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh; two
dreams, but they meant the same thing in order to drive the point
home. The reason was: because the thing is established by God, and God
will shortly bring it to pass. Seven-year famines are recorded in
Egyptian documents. For example, there is the text from the reign
and rule of King Djoser of the Third Dynasty (2700 B.C.):
I was in distress on the Great Throne, and those
who are in the palace where in the heart’s affliction
from a very great evil, since the Nile had not come in
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my time for a space of seven years. Grain was scant,
fruits were dried up, and every thing which they ate
was short. Every man robbed his companion. They
moved without going (ahead). The infant was
wailing; the youth was waiting; the heart of the old
men was in sorrow; their legs were bent, crouching
on the ground, their arms were folded.
So seven-year famines are not something merely recorded in
Scripture but also in Egyptian documents. This famine would affect
indeed the gods of Egypt. For example, it would affect Osiris, a god
who had the form of a bull was the god of the Nile. It would also
affect Isis, also known as Hathor, who was a goddess in the form of a
cow; and she was the goddess of fertility.
Genesis 41:33-36 records Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh. In
verse 33, Joseph advised Pharaoh to appoint an economic leader, in
modern terminology, an economic czar: Now therefore, in light of the
revelation just given: let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and
set him over the land of Egypt. Then, in verse 34, he should also
appoint overseers: Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers
over the land who will be under the authority of the economic leader.
Their function would be: and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt,
which will amount to a 20 percent tax. The duration was: in the seven
plenteous years. Then, in verse 35, there should be the storing of the
produce: And let them gather all the food of the good years that come; in
other words, take advantage of the seven years of plenty: Lay up grain
under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. In
verse 36 is the purpose: And the food shall be for a store to the land
against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that
the land perish not through the famine.
5. Joseph’s Elevation over Egypt - 41:37-46a
37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh,
and in the eyes of all his servants. 38And Pharaoh said
unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man
in whom the spirit of God is? 39And Pharaoh said unto
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Joseph, Forasmuch as God has showed you all of this,
there is none so discreet and wise as you: 40you shall be
over my house, and according unto your word shall all
my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater
than you. 41And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have
set you over all the land of Egypt. 42And Pharaoh took
off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s
hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put
a gold chain about his neck; 43and he made him to ride in
the second chariot which he had; and they cried before
him, Bow the knee: and he set him over all the land of
Egypt. 44And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh,
and without you shall no man lift up his hand or his foot
in all the land of Egypt. 45And Pharaoh called Joseph’s
name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife
Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On. And
Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood
before Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Joseph’s elevation over Egypt begins in verses 37-38 with
Pharaoh’s response, starting in verse 37 with Pharaoh’s reaction: And
the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his
servants; these servants were the advisors of the king. Pharaoh’s
rhetorical question is in verse 38: And Pharaoh said unto his servants,
Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is? A
better translation coming from Pharaoh is “the spirit of the gods”
since Pharaoh was a pagan. That was the same view that was held by
the pagans of Daniel, and Daniel was said to have the spirit of the gods
(Dan. 5:14) or the spirit of the holy gods (Dan. 4:8-9, 18).
Genesis 41:39-44 details Pharaoh’s appointment of Joseph. In
verses 39-40, he was appointed to the second highest position. In
verse 39, the focus is on Joseph’s abilities. The basis was: Forasmuch
as God has showed you all of this, there is none as you. In other words,
Joseph, was the qualified one; the one who was both discreet and wise.
In verse 40 came the appointment, with both a positive and negative
statement. Positively: You shall be over my house, and according unto
your word shall all my people be ruled; and negatively: Only in the throne
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will I be greater than you. So just as Potiphar and the prison guard
had raised Joseph into the next highest position, now Pharaoh did
the same. Verse 41 describes the extent of Joseph’s authority: I have
set you over all the land of Egypt; and this is repeated three times
(41:43, 42:6, 45:8). This was a position of a vizier or a prime
minister, and there is a parallel in the records of Thutmose III:
“Look you to this office of vizier. Be vigilant over everything that is
done in it. Behold, it is the support of the entire land.” Verse 42
deals with the royal garb consisting of three things. First was the
ring: And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon
Joseph’s hand. The signet ring was a symbol of authority, and so he
gave Joseph royal authority to issue decrees sealed with the Pharaoh’s
ring. Second was the clothing: and arrayed him in vestures of fine
linen. This, too, is paralleled in the Egyptian accounts. When
Rekhmire was appointed vizier, he wrote: “I was a noble, the second
of the king…It was the first occasion of my being summoned…I
went forth…clad in fine linen.” This was the type of clothing worn
by a vizier, a prime minister, someone who was second to the king.
Third was the chain: and put a gold chain about his neck. In verse 43a,
Joseph was given a royal chariot: and he made him to ride in the second
chariot which he had; the Hyksos introduced chariots into Egypt.
Then, in verse 43b, came the royal honor: and they cried before him,
Bow the knee. As Joseph rode in the chariot, heralds were sent out in
advance with the command: Bow the knee. This was a practice that is
well attested to in Egyptian pictures. So Joseph was clearly given
royal recognition, and the basis was: and he set him over all the land of
Egypt. Finally, in verse 44, Joseph was given the decree of authority:
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh; and so he had the
authority to place Joseph in this position: and without you shall no
man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt; an idiomatic
statement emphasizing Joseph’s full authority.
Genesis 41:45-46a records Pharaoh’s settlement with Joseph,
which involved three things. First, his name, in verse 45a: And
Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah, Egyptian words
meaning “the God speaks and he lives,” or “God has spoken and he
shall live.” The pronoun “he” might refer to Pharaoh or to Egypt, but
the emphasis is on the God of Joseph as being the preserver of life.
Second, in verse 45b was Joseph’s marriage: and he gave him to wife; it
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was customary for the owner to provide a wife for his slaves. Her
name was Asenath, an Egyptian name meaning “she of Neith.” The
name Asenath was the Egyptian name for Athena or Minerva, thus
his wife was named after an Egyptian goddess. She was the daughter
of Poti-phera, also an Egyptian name meaning “him whom Ra gave,”
a key Egyptian god, the sun god. So Joseph was married into a
pagan, priestly family, and her father was the priest of On, later called
the city of Heliopolis, meaning “the cities of the sun,” located seven
miles north of the present city of Cairo. After this chapter, Joseph’s
Egyptian wife is only mentioned again in 46:20. According to
rabbinic tradition, she was actually the daughter of Dinah and
Shechem. By that reckoning, she was driven from Jacob’s house, and
she was adopted by Potiphar and his wife, whose name was Zulaicha.
Another rabbinic tradition is that she was the daughter of Potiphar
and his wife. Third, in verse 45c was his survey of authority: And
Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. Finally, verse 46a reveals
Joseph’s age: And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before
Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was sold at the age of seventeen, and so
now it was thirteen years later. He will meet his brothers nine years
later when reaching the age of thirty-nine. Therefore, a total
separation of twenty years existed from the time he had last seen
members of his family until they were reunited in Egypt. The
Hyksos Period, during which Joseph’s story unfolds, was the
two-hundred-year period from 1750 until 1550
B.C. The Hyksos
were Semitic rulers that conquered Egypt and ruled during the
sixteenth and seventeenth dynasties. Thus the Pharaoh at the time of
Joseph was Semitic. This explains how a Semite such as Joseph could
rise to the second highest position in Egypt, which had a Hamitic
population.
6. Joseph’s Activities - 41:46b-57
46bAnd Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh,
and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47And in the
seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
48And he gathered up all the food of the seven years
which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in
the cities: the food of the field, which was round about
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every city, laid he up in the same. 49And Joseph laid up
grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left off
numbering; for it was without number. 50And unto
Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine
came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of
On, bore unto him. 51And Joseph called the name of the
first-born Manasseh: For, said he, God has made me
forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. 52And the
name of the second called he Ephraim: For God has made
me fruitful in the land of my affliction. 53And the seven
years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, came to an
end. 54And the seven years of famine began to come,
according as Joseph had said: and there was famine in all
lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the
people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto
all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he says to you,
do. 56And the famine was over all the face of the earth:
and Joseph opened all the store-houses, and sold unto the
Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land of
Egypt. 57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to
buy grain, because the famine was sore in all the earth.
Joseph’s activities begin with verse 46b showing the exercise of
his authority: And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and
went throughout all the land of Egypt; meaning he took a survey of the
land as part of his work.
Genesis 41:47-49 describes the seven years of plenty. In verse 47,
the abundance of food is mentioned: And in the seven plenteous years
the earth brought forth by handfuls, emphasizing abundance. Verse 48
details Joseph’s gathering and storage of food: And he gathered up all
the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, being the 20
percent tax portion of it. Then came the storage: and laid up the food
in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he
up in the same, meaning the place of storage was not out in the
country but in the cities. Verse 49 tells about the recordkeeping,
beginning with the abundance: And Joseph laid up grain as the sand of
the sea, very much. Then came the record: until he left off numbering, it
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finally became impossible to keep track of it all: for it was without
number.
Genesis 41:50-52 deals with Joseph’s family, focusing on his two
sons in verse 50: And unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of
famine came; the two sons were born during the seven years of plenty.
The mother was: Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, [who]
bore unto him. In verse 51 is the first son: And Joseph called the name of
the first-born Manasseh, meaning “making to forget.” The firstborn
was given a Hebrew name; not an Egyptian one. The reason that he
was named Manasseh was: God has made me forget all my toil, and all
my father’s house, not in the sense of being out of mind, but forgotten
in the sense of having his wounds healed. Verse 52 deals with the
second son: And the name of the second called he Ephraim, meaning
“double fruit.” His second son was also given a Hebrew, not an
Egyptian name. The reason was: For God has made me fruitful in the
land of my affliction. He was now elevated to what is called “the good
life,” but he still viewed the land of Egypt as the land of his affliction
because his true homeland was not the land of his birth, which was
Haran, nor the land of his residence, Egypt. This showed an act of
faith: His homeland was the Promised Land of Canaan. The fact
that Joseph gave the sons Hebrew names shows that he had not
adopted the Egyptian culture or religion. His marriage to a pagan
was the result of an order from the king and something he did not
have much choice about.
Genesis 41:53-57 describes the seven years of famine, beginning
in verse 53 with the ending of plenty: And the seven years of plenty,
that was in the land of Egypt, came to an end. In verse 54, is the
beginning of the seven years of famine: And the seven years of famine
began to come, according as Joseph had said. This verified Joseph’s
interpretation of the dreams. The extent was: and there was famine in
all lands, meaning the famine extended to lands outside of Egypt as
well, and because they did not prepare as Joseph did for Egypt, they
ran out of food very quickly. However: In all the land of Egypt there
was bread. While the famine came to Egypt as well, and although no
new produce was being produced, in all the land of Egypt there was
bread because of Joseph’s preparations. Verses 55-56 describe the
response of the Egyptians, with verse 55 containing the command of
Pharaoh. The timing was: And when all the land of Egypt was
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famished. Then came the circumstance: The people cried to Pharaoh for
bread; and he instructed them: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians,
Go unto Joseph: what he says to you, do. In verse 56, is the selling of the
grain. The fact: And the famine was over all the face of the earth, which
included Egypt and the lands around Egypt. Joseph’s response was:
and Joseph opened all the store-houses, where the grain had now been
stored from the previous seven years, and sold unto the Egyptians.
Again, the statement of fact: The famine was sore in the land of Egypt.
This shows that Egypt was also affected, and the abundance of bread
available for purchase was not due to new produce but to Joseph’s
preparation. This section ends in verse 57 with the response of the
foreigners: And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain,
because the famine was sore in all the earth. This set the stage for the
visit of Joseph’s brothers.
F. Joseph and His Brothers - 42:1 - 45:28
1. First Trip to Egypt - 42:1-38
a. Sending of the Sons - 42:1-5
1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and
Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon
another? 2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is
grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us
from thence; that we may live, and not die. 3And Joseph’s
ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But
Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his
brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure harm befall him.
5And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that
came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Verses 1-2 record Jacob’s instructions beginning in verse 1 with
Jacob’s rhetorical question. The occasion for the question was: Now
Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt. He heard about the
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abundance of food in Egypt: and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye
look one upon another? The meaning was, why look at one another in
consternation as to what to do? Then, in verse 2, he gave them
instructions: Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you
down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.
So in 42:3, came the departure: And Joseph’s ten brethren went
down to buy grain from Egypt.
However, in 42:4, there was one exception: But Benjamin,
Joseph’s brother, meaning Joseph’s only full brother, Jacob sent not with
his brethren. The reason was: for he said, Lest peradventure harm befall
him. He still favored the child of Rachel, and Benjamin is all Jacob
had left of his favorite wife.
Genesis 42:5 describes Joseph’s brothers’ arrival in Egypt: And
the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came; they were among
many groups that came to Egypt to buy grain. The reason was: for the
famine was in the land of Canaan, meaning in addition to affecting
the land of Egypt.
b. First Reunion with Joseph - 42:6-25
6And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was
that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s
brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with
their faces to the earth. 7And Joseph saw his brethren,
and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them,
and spoke roughly with them; and he said unto them.
Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of
Canaan to buy food. 8And Joseph knew his brethren, but
they knew not him. 9And Joseph remembered the dreams
which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are
spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 10And
they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are
your servants come. 11We are all one man’s sons; we are
true men, your servants are no spies. 12And he said unto
them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are
come. 13And they said, We your servants are twelve
brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan;
and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and
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one is not. 14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I
spoke unto you, saying, Ye are spies: 15hereby ye shall be
proved: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence,
except your youngest brother come hither. 16Send one of
you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be
bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be
truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are
spies. 17And he put them all together into ward three
days.
18And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do,
and live: for I fear God: 19if ye be true men, let one of
your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye,
carry grain for the famine of your houses: 20and bring
your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be
verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. 21And they
said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our
brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he
besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this
distress come upon us. 22And Reuben answered them,
saying, Spoke I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against
the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold,
his blood is required. 23And they knew not that Joseph
understood them; for there was an interpreter between
them. 24And he turned himself about from them, and
wept; and he returned to them, and spoke to them, and
took Simeon from among them, and bound him before
their eyes. 25Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels
with grain, and to restore every man’s money into his
sack, and to give them provisions for the way: and thus
was it done unto them.
His brothers’ first reunion with Joseph begins with 42:6-17
describing the first meeting, with verse 6, dealing with the meeting
itself. Joseph’s position was: And Joseph was the governor over the land,
he it was that sold to all the people of the land. In light of his position,
eventually contact would be made, and so it was: And Joseph’s brethren
came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth.
This led to Joseph’s recognition of his brothers in verses 7-9a, with
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verse 7 showing that the recognition was immediate: And Joseph saw
his brethren, and he knew them, meaning he recognized them, but
made himself strange unto them. In other words, he did not identify
himself to them, but even: spoke roughly with them; and he said unto
them, Whence come ye? He pretended he had no knowledge of them
previous to this particular encounter. Their answer was
straightforward: And they said, as far as origin, they came From the
land of Canaan; as far as their purpose for being in Egypt, that was to
buy food. Verse 8 notes that the recognition was not mutual: And
Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. In verse 9a, as they
were bowed down with their faces to the ground, Joseph
remembered his dreams: And Joseph remembered the dreams which he
dreamed of them; because these dreams were now being fulfilled.
To carry out Joseph’s basic ploy, in 42:9b-17 he accused them of
spying, with verse 9b containing the accusation: and [he] said unto
them, Ye are spies, an accusation made against his brothers four times
(vv. 9, 12, 14, 16) and accused them of coming to Egypt for the
purpose of reconnoitering: to see the nakedness of the land ye are come,
to see where Egypt was vulnerable to attack. But in verses 10-11,
they denied this, with verse 10 stating their real purpose: Nay, my
lord, but to buy food are your servants come. They were not there as
spies to look up Egypt’s weak points but were there to buy food and
nothing further. In verse 11, they spelled out their status: We are all
one man’s sons, not some spies of another government. Furthermore:
We are true men, meaning not liars, and, therefore: Your servants are
no spies. In verse 12, again Joseph accuses them: Nay, but to see the
nakedness of the land ye are come. In verse 13, his brothers again deny
it: We your servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land
of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one
is not. So there are twelve brothers in all: Ten are there; one,
Benjamin, has stayed with their father; but one is not, and that, of
course, was a reference to Joseph. The phrase one is not means he has
passed away. As far as they were concerned, Joseph was dead; and
that is the message they were relating. Having revealed the existence
of Benjamin verbally gave Joseph the opportunity for the action in
verses 14-16, with his challenge for vindication. In verse 14, Joseph
again presents the same accusation: That is it that I spoke unto you,
saying, Ye are spies, followed in verse 15 with the evidence of
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577
vindication: Hereby ye shall be proved, that there are really eleven
brothers and not just ten as they claimed. Then Joseph said: by the
life of Pharaoh, which made it an oath: Ye shall not go forth hence, not
leave Egypt, except your youngest brother come hither. He wanted
Benjamin to come down to prove their story that they were eleven
and not ten. Then in verse 16, he spelled out the means: Send one of
you, let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that is, held
hostage. The point is that nine of them will be held hostage in
Egypt. Only one brother will be allowed to return to Canaan for the
purpose of fetching Benjamin. The purpose was: that your words may
be proved, whether there be truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh
surely ye are spies. Then in verse 17 came their imprisonment: And he
put them all together into ward three days; they were to spend three days
in jail wondering what the outcome was going to be.
Then in Genesis 42:18-25, there was a change of plans with the
brothers being sent back. In verses 18-20a, Joseph made a new
proposal to them on the third day. In verse 18, the basis of the new
plan was: This do, and live: for I fear God. The basis of this change of
plan was Joseph’s declared fear of God. Then in verses 19-20a is the
content of the plan: If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound
in your prison-house. So in place of nine brothers being bound in
prison, only one will be bound in prison; and nine will get to go
back: but go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses: and bring your
youngest brother unto me. The result would be twofold: first, So shall
your words be verified; and second, and ye shall not die. Verse 20b
records their agreement, And they did so. Verses 21-22 reveal his
brothers’ deliberations: And they said one to another, and in verse 21
they made an admission: We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in
that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would
not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. This is added
information to what is recorded in chapter 37, which contained no
record of Joseph pleading in distress to be freed. Through this
admission of the brothers it is revealed that, Joseph indeed was
distressed and pleaded to be taken out of that particular pit. Verse 22
records the words of Reuben: Spoke I not unto you, saying, Do not sin
against the child; and ye would not hear? This was Reuben’s “I told you
so”; and Reuben indeed tried to interfere, but now he had a chance
to say that he was not as guilty as the others were. But their
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conclusion was: Therefore also, behold, his blood is required. To some
degree, Reuben was trying to convey that he was part of the
sufferings because of them. By overhearing this conversation, Joseph
learned that Reuben, the firstborn son, did not participate in selling
him into slavery. Verses 23-25 give Joseph’s response. Verse 23
reveals exactly what Joseph’s means of communication was. The fact
was: And they knew not that Joseph understood them, as they talked one
to another. The reason was: for there was an interpreter between them.
Throughout these discussions, Joseph was not speaking directly to
his brothers but through an interpreter, thus pretending that he did
not speak their Hebraic or Semitic language. Naturally, they made
the assumption that Joseph did not understand what they were
saying and therefore spoke freely to each other in his presence. But
Joseph overheard their discussion and knew exactly what they were
saying. Verse 24a describes Joseph’s reaction: And he turned himself
about from them, and wept; this is the first of five times that Joseph
wept (43:30; 45:1-2, 14-15; 50:17). In verse 24b came the binding of
Simeon: and he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon
from among them, and bound him before their eyes. By doing all this in
front of them, they did get the point. As they watched Simeon get
arrested and bound, they got the message that Joseph was quite
serious about the second alteration to the plan. Joseph picked the
second oldest brother since he was now viewed as the one most
responsible for selling Joseph into slavery. Then, verse 25 records
Joseph’s provision: Then Joseph commanded his servants to do three
things. First, they were: to fill their vessels with grain. Second, they
were: to restore every man’s money into his sack, so the money was
placed in such a way that it was not immediately visible. Third, they
were: to give them provisions for the way, so his brothers would not
have to eat immediately from the grain; and he gave them separate
provisions enough to get them back to Canaan. The conclusion was:
Thus was it done unto them; the instructions were all carried out.
c. Return of the Brothers to Egypt - 42:26-38
26And they loaded their asses with their grain, and
departed thence. 27And as one of them opened his sack to
give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his
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money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored;
and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed
them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying,
What is this that God has done unto us? 29And they came
unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and
told him all that had befallen them, saying, 30The man,
the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us
for spies of the country. 31And we said unto him, We are
true men; and we are no spies: 32we are twelve brethren,
sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day
with our father in the land of Canaan. 33And the man,
the lord of the land, said unto us, Hereby shall I know
that ye are true men: leave one of your brethren with me,
and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go
your way; 34and bring your youngest brother unto me:
then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are
true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall
traffic in the land. 35And it came to pass as they emptied
their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money
was in his sack: and when they and their father saw
their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36And Jacob
their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my
children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will
take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.
37And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying, Slay my two
sons, if I bring him not to you: deliver him into my
hand, and I will bring him to you again. 38And he said,
My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is
dead, and he only is left: if harm befall him by the way
in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs
with sorrow to Sheol.
The return of Joseph’s brothers to Canaan begins with verse 26
recording their departure: And they loaded their asses with their grain,
and departed thence; they were loaded, packed, and left.
On the way, Joseph’s brothers made two discoveries. The first
discovery is in 42:27-28, with verse 27 dealing with the discovery
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itself: And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the
lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his
sack. In verse 28a, he reported to the others: And he said unto his
brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack. However,
at this point, only one brother knew of his money being returned.
Verse 28b reveals their reaction: and their heart failed them, and they
turned trembling one to another, saying, What is this that God had done
unto us?
In 42:29-34, there is the detailed report to Jacob, beginning in
verse 29 with his sons’ return: And they came unto Jacob their father
unto the land of Canaan and told him all that had befallen them. In
verse 30, they tell Jacob about Joseph’s accusation: The man, the lord
of the land, spoke roughly with us and took us for spies of the country.
Nevertheless, in verses 31-32, they reported to Jacob their denial:
And we said unto him, We are true men; and we are no spies: we are
twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day
with our father in the land of Canaan. Verses 33-34 go on to tell about
Joseph’s test: And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us, Hereby
shall I know that ye are true men: leave one of your brethren with me, and
take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way; and bring your
youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that
ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in
the land, and then will they be allowed to do further business in
Egypt.
In 42:35 came Joseph’s brothers second discovery. The timing
was: And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every
man’s bundle of money was in his sack. Their reaction was: and when
they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
Genesis 42:36 gives Jacob’s reaction: And Jacob their father said
unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not. The way
Jacob phrased it, it raised a question. Does Jacob suspect something?
Jacob states: and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all
these things are against me. Jacob does not want to risk losing
Benjamin.
At that point, in 42:37, Reuben made Jacob an offer: Slay my two
sons, if I bring him not to you. Reuben knows that Jacob would not
really kill his two grandchildren. Reuben is reassuring Jacob that he
will return Benjamin to him. Reuben adds: Deliver him into my hand,
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581
and I will bring him to you again. So Reuben once again took on the
responsibility of the firstborn.
The brothers obviously wanted to return to Egypt immediately
in order to rescue Simeon, but in 42:38, Jacob refused: And he said,
My son shall not go down with you. The reason was: for his brother is
dead; again emphasizing the fact that Joseph and Benjamin were full
brothers: and he only is left; meaning his only surviving son of Rachel.
The danger to Jacob was: If harm befall him by the way in which ye go,
then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. Jacob in this
passage clearly anticipated going to Sheol at death, and the direction
of Sheol was clearly downward not upward.74
2. Second Trip to Egypt - 43:1 - 45:28
a. Jacob’s Sending of His Sons - 43:1-14
1And the famine was sore in the land. 2And it came
to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they
had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them,
Go again, buy us a little food. 3And Judah spoke unto
him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us,
saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be
with you. 4If you will send our brother with us, we will
go down and buy you food: 5but if you will not send him,
we will not go down; for the man said unto us, Ye shall
not see my face, except your brother be with you. 6And
Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell
the man whether ye had yet a brother? 7And they said,
The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and
concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive?
have ye another brother? and we told him according to
the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that
he would say, Bring your brother down? 8And Judah
74 It is not the purpose in this Genesis study to deal with the concept of
Sheol. For those who are interested a manuscript is available from Ariel
Ministries entitled, “The Place of the Dead.”
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said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we
will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both
we, and you, and also our little ones. 9I will be surety for
him; of my hand shall you require him: if I bring him
not unto you, and set him before you, then let me bear the
blame for ever: 10for except we had lingered, surely we
had now returned a second time. 11And their father
Israel said unto them, If it be so now, do this: take of the
choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down
the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey,
spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds; 12and take double
money in your hand; and the money that was returned
in the mouth of your sacks carry again in your hand;
peradventure it was an oversight: 13take also your
brother, and arise, go again unto the man: 14and God
Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may
release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And
if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
Joseph’s brothers’ second trip to Egypt is quite detailed, taking
up three chapters. It begins with Jacob’s sending of his sons, and
verses 1-2 provide the circumstance. First, in verse 1, the famine:
And the famine was sore in the land; leading to Jacob’s request in
verse 2. The timing was: And it came to pass, when they had eaten up
the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, after the depletion of
food from the first trip, Jacob commanded: Go again, buy us a little
food.
However, Judah’s response in 43:3-5 was negative, unless Jacob
was willing to meet a specific condition. In verse 3, he reminded
Jacob of Joseph’s command to bring Benjamin with them: The man
did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your
brother be with you. In verses 4-5, Judah laid down his condition for
returning, with verse 4, giving the positive side: If you will send our
brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But in verse 5, was
the negative side: but if you will not send him, we will not go down.
The reason was: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except
your brother be with you. So the brothers were willing to go, but
Judah, now acting as spokesman, said he would only go on the
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condition that Benjamin go with him. Obviously, if they go down,
and Joseph was really who he pretended to be—a foreign official—he
would execute them. Of course, he was their own brother, but from
the brothers’ perspective, that was not yet known.
At this point, in 43:6, Jacob issued his protest. Using his new
name: And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, and this was a
sign that he felt everything was against him, including his sons. The
means was: as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? Why did
you treat me so badly as to inform the man that you had another
brother?
Genesis 43:7 records the brothers’ answer: The man asked straitly
concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred; he asked simple,
straight questions, such as: Is your father yet alive? have ye another
brother? Moreover, of course, they answered as straightforwardly as
he asked them: and we told him according to the tenor of these words.
The reason was: Could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring
your brother down? When they answered his questions, they had no
expectation whatsoever that he would ask them to bring Benjamin
down.
Therefore, in 43:8-10 Judah makes Jacob his own offer with his
request in verse 8: And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad
with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both
we, and you, and also our little ones. In verse 9, Judah offered a surety:
I will be surety for him; in other words, Judah offered himself as the
security deposit for Benjamin’s safe return: of my hand shall you
require him: if I bring him not unto you, and set him before you, then let
me bear the blame for ever. In Hebrew it reads: “I shall have sinned
against you forever,” which carries with it the consequence to be cut
off from any and all inheritance. He was not expecting that Jacob
would execute him; Jacob would not do that. However, he was saying
that he would be willing to be cut off from any and all inheritance,
and that would be a sizable inheritance at this point. Furthermore,
any of Judah’s present property would become the property of Jacob.
So Judah made the offer. It was Judah who talked the other brothers
into selling Joseph (37:26-27), but now he was willing to become a
guarantee for Benjamin, Joseph’s full brother, realizing that the
affection Jacob once had for Joseph has been transferred to
Benjamin. In verse 10, Judah reminds Jacob of the cost of this delay:
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for except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.
This shows that this debate and this delay over Benjamin had taken
some time: Enough time had passed for them to have gone all the
way down to Egypt and returned with Simeon.
In 43:11-14 came Jacob’s instructions and agreement: And their
father Israel said unto them. In verse 11, Jacob instructed his sons to
take gifts. If it be so now, do this; in other words, since they will not go
without Benjamin, then they should do the following as well: Take of
the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and he listed six elements: a
little balm, used for medicinal purposes; and a little honey, spicery and
myrrh, nuts, which were pistachio nuts, and almonds. The purpose
was: and carry down the man a present. What this shows is that there
was some substance, these foods, but they were insufficient for real
survival; and, therefore, grain was needed as well as these fruits that
they could find. Then, in verse 12, he also tells them to take down
double money: and take double money in your hand. This was new
money for new supplies, and the old money: the money that was
returned in the mouth of your sacks, carry again in your hand;
peradventure it was an oversight. In verse 13, he relents concerning
Benjamin: Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man.
Since this was the one who demanded that Benjamin come down,
take him to that man. Then in verse 14 is Jacob’s prayer and
resignation. The prayer: and God Almighty give you mercy before the
man, that he may release unto you your other brother, meaning Simeon,
and Benjamin. The resignation was: And if I be bereaved of my
children, I am bereaved.
b. The Second Encounter with Joseph - 43:15-34
15And the men took that present, and they took double
money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and
went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16And
when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the
steward of his house, Bring the men into the house, and
slay, and make ready; for the men shall dine with me at
noon. 17And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man
brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18And the men were
afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and
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they said, Because of the money that was returned in our
sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek
occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for
bondmen, and our asses. 19And they came near to the
steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke unto him at the
door of the house, 20and said, Oh, my lord, we came
indeed down at the first time to buy food: 21and it came
to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, that we
opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in
the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we
have brought it again in our hand. 22And other money
have we brought down in our hand to buy food: we
know not who put our money in our sacks. 23And he said,
Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your
father, has given you treasure in your sacks: I had your
money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. 24And the
man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them
water, and they washed their feet. And he gave their
asses provender. 25And they made ready the present
against Joseph’s coming at noon: for they heard that they
should eat bread there.
26And when Joseph came home, they brought him the
present which was in their hand into the house, and
bowed down themselves to him to the earth. 27And he
asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well,
the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive? 28And
they said, Your servant our father is well, he is yet alive.
And they bowed the head, and made obeisance. 29And he
lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his
mother’s son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of
whom ye spoke unto me? And he said, God be gracious
unto you, my son. 30And Joseph made haste; for his heart
yearned over his brother: and he sought where to weep;
and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. 31And
he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained
himself, and said, Set on bread. 32And they set on for him
by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the
Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves: because
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the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for
that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. 33And they
sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright,
and the youngest according to his youth: and the men
marvelled one with another. 34And he took and sent
messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess
was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank,
and were merry with him.
Verse 15 summarizes the departure of Jacob’s sons from Canaan
and arrival in Egypt. First, their departure: And the men took that
present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and
rose up. Then the arrival: and went down to Egypt, and stood before
Joseph.
Genesis 43:16-25 gives the account of the brothers and the
steward, with verse 16 giving Joseph’s instruction to the steward. The
occasion was: And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, since by
bringing Benjamin down they had fulfilled their part of the
agreement, he then gave the instruction: He said to the steward of his
house, Bring the men into the house, and slay, and make ready; to make a
feast: for the men shall dine with me at noon, which was the main meal
of the day for the Middle East then and today. Then, in verse 17,
came the steward’s obedience: And the man did as Joseph bade; he
prepared the feast, and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house.
Verses 18-22 describe the response of the brothers, beginning with
their fear in verse 18: And the men were afraid, because they were
brought to Joseph’s house. That was not the way it had happened
before. Then came their response: and they said, Because of the money
that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in. They
now feared that the purpose was: that he may seek occasion against us,
and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, to enslave us, and our asses.
This was similar to what they once did to Joseph. Therefore, in
verses 19-22, they attempt to give an explanation to the steward,
with verse 19, giving their approach: And they came near to the steward
of Joseph’s house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house,
meaning they tried to explain themselves before entering the house.
In verses 20-22 is their explanation, with verse 20 stating the purpose
for the first trip: and said, Oh, my lord, we came indeed down at the first
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time to buy food, and the emphasis was on purchasing the food.
Nevertheless, in verse 21a, they describe their discovery: and it came
to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, which was one day’s journey
away from Egypt, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s
money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. Therefore,
since this was money that was supposed to pay for their food, they
now state in verses 21b-22a, they have come back with double
money. First, the old money, in verse 21b: and we have brought it
again in our hand. Now the new money, in 22a: And other money have
we brought down in our hand to buy food. In verse 22b, they claim
ignorance: We know not who put our money in our sacks. However, in
verse 23a came the steward’s answer: Peace be to you, fear not; your
God, and the God of your father, meaning Jacob’s God, has given you
treasure in your sacks. The fact that this was an Egyptian steward who
was talking about the God of your father might well imply that Joseph
has been evangelizing for the God of Israel and perhaps has won
some people to worship only this God. Then the steward answered: I
had your money. In other words, there was payment on the account;
the account showed that money was paid, and what that might
clearly indicate is that Joseph paid for this food out of his own
substance. Verses 23b-24 record the steward’s preparations,
beginning in verse 23b with the return of Simeon: And he brought
Simeon out unto them, followed in verse 24 with the welfare for the
brothers: And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. Up until
now, they have been at the door of the house, facing the courtyard
v. 19). He gave them water, and they washed their feet. And he gave
their asses provender; their animals were fed. Then in verse 25 came
the preparations of the brothers: And they made ready the present
against Joseph’s coming at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread
there.
Then 43:26-34 details the account of the brothers and Joseph
beginning with Joseph’s arrival in verse 26: And when Joseph came
home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the
house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth. In verse 27,
Joseph asked some questions: And he asked them of their welfare, and
said, Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?
Verse 28 gives the response of the brothers: Your servant our father is
well, he is yet alive. Then they do homage: And they bowed the head,
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and made obeisance; here again was the fulfillment of Joseph’s dream.
In verses 29-30 is the account of Joseph and Benjamin, beginning in
verse 29 with the identification of Benjamin: And he lifted up his eyes,
and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son; emphasizing again that
this was Joseph’s full brother. Joseph asks for further confirmation: Is
this your youngest brother, of whom ye spoke unto me? When he got an
affirmative answer, he said: God be gracious unto you, my son; this is
the first real direct address to his full brother since Joseph had been
sold. Verse 30 describes Joseph’s reaction: And Joseph made haste; to
get out of the room. The reason was: for his heart yearned over his
brother, and the goal was: and he sought where to weep. The solution
was: and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. Verses 31-34
describe the feast, with verse 31 dealing with Joseph’s preparations,
beginning with his composure: And he washed his face, and came out;
and refrained himself, meaning he kept from giving himself away at
this stage: and said, Set on bread, meaning let the feast begin. Then
verse 32 records three separations. The first separation was that of
Joseph: And they set on for him by himself; Joseph was separated by
himself because as far as his brothers were concerned, he was
Egyptian; and as far as the Egyptians were concerned, he was a
Hebrew. The second separation was of the brothers: and for them by
themselves, because they were Hebrews. Then third, the Egyptians
separated themselves from Joseph and his visitors: and for the
Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves, from the brothers
because they were Hebrews and from Joseph because he was a
Hebrew, something the brothers did not know. The reason for these
separations was: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the
Hebrews. These are native Egyptians, not Hyksos, for that is an
abomination unto the Egyptians to eat with Semites; and that was
true with all Semites. The Hebrews were Semites. All this
guaranteed the deception a bit longer so that the brothers could be
tested further. Verse 33 describes the seating arrangement, which
was in accordance with age: And they sat before him, the first-born
according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. The
brothers noticed that they were seated in order of birth, and the men
marveled one with another. Then in verse 34 came the serving of the
food, which also provided a test: And he took and sent messes unto them
from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of
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theirs. Everyone got a portion of food, but he arranged for Benjamin
to get five times as much food, and there was a reason for this little
setup. Once they were jealous of Joseph due to special treatment, and
the question now was: Will they be jealous of Benjamin because of
special treatment? The concluding phrase shows that they passed
their test: And they drank, and were merry with him, meaning they
were merry with Benjamin, not jealous of or angry with him. So, no,
they were not jealous.
c. Arrest of Benjamin - 44:1-17
1And he commanded the steward of his house,
saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they
can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s
mouth. 2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s
mouth of the youngest, and his grain money. And he did
according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3As soon as
the morning was light, the men were sent away, they
and their asses. 4And when they were gone out of the
city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his
steward, Up, follow after the men; and when you do
overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye
rewarded evil for good? 5Is not this that in which my
lord drinks, and whereby he indeed divines? ye have
done evil in so doing. 6And he overtook them, and he
spoke unto them these words. 7And they said unto him,
Wherefore speaks my lord such words as these? Far be it
from your servants that they should do such a thing.
8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’
mouths, we brought again unto you out of the land of
Canaan: how then should we steal out of your lord’s
house silver or gold? 9With whomsoever of your servants
it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s
bondmen. 10And he said, Now also let it be according
unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my
bondman; and ye shall be blameless. 11Then they hasted,
and took down every man his sack to the ground, and
opened every man his sack. 12And he searched, and began
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at the eldest, and left off at the youngest: and the cup was
found in Benjamin’s sack. 13Then they rent their clothes,
and loaded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house;
and he was yet there: and they fell before him on the
ground. 15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this
that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I can
indeed divine? 16And Judah said, What shall we say
unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we
clear ourselves? God had found out the iniquity of your
servants: behold, we are my lord’s bondmen, both we,
and he also in whose hand the cup is found. 17And he
said, Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in
whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my bondman;
but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.
Verses 1-2a give Joseph’s further instructions: And he commanded
the steward of his house, saying, and he was to do four things. First
relates to the food. He was to: Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as
they can carry. That meant he was to give them much more than the
money was worth. Second, concerning the money: Put every man’s
money in his sack’s mouth, just as he did the first time around. Third,
concerning the cup he directed them to use a special object: And put
my cup, the silver cup. At this point, it is described as only a silver cup,
but later on it will be passed off as a divining cup to make the crime
seem worse. However, this was part of the ploy; it was not really a
divining cup since Joseph did not practice divination or sorcery.
Fourth, he was to put the cup: in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and
his grain money. This was the test: Will the brothers abandon
Benjamin as they did Joseph? When they find the cup in Benjamin’s
sack, the question then is: Will they allow Benjamin to merely be
taken and left behind while they go on their merry way? Will they
abandon Benjamin as they once abandoned Joseph?
In 44:2b, the steward obeys: And he did according to the word that
Joseph had spoken.
Genesis 44:3 deals with the departure: As soon as the morning was
light, meaning the wee hours of the morning: the men were sent away,
they and their asses.
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Then in 44:4-5, Joseph gives further instructions. The timing
was: And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off.
Then came the instructions: Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow
after the men; and when you do overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore
have ye rewarded evil for good? Then the steward was to focus on the
cup: Is not this that in which my lord drinks, and whereby he indeed
divines? The Hebrew has a play on words, literally meaning
“Divining he divines.” The root of the word “to divine” is the same
root as the word for “serpent” because occultism is connected with
Satan. Earlier, this object was simply referred to as “the silver cup,”
and that was really all that it was and not truly a divining cup.
Egyptian magicians did use divining cups, and the procedure for
divining went something like this. Clean water was poured into such
a cup or a bowl, particles of gold or silver or precious stones were
dropped into the clean water, and then some oil was added. Then,
depending on exactly how light broke out between the oil and the
particles, a prediction would be made. This practice is known by a
variety of names: oleomancy, meaning pouring oil into water;
hydromancy, or pouring water into oil; or lecanumancy, observing
the actions of liquids inside a cup. Nevertheless, Joseph did not
practice such divines nor was it the source of his ability to interpret
dreams. The cup, which was merely a silver cup, was only passed off
as a divining cup so that he could say to them: Ye have done evil in so
doing.
Then in 44:6, the steward obeyed again: And he overtook them,
and spoke unto them these words, the words of Joseph.
Genesis 44:7-9 records the response of the brothers, beginning
in 44:7 with their denial of guilt with a rhetorical question: Wherefore
speaks my lord such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they
should do such a thing. Then in verse 8, they presented the evidence
that they would not do such a thing, and that was their past action:
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought
again unto you out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of
your lord’s house silver or gold? If they were proven honest by returning
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the money, how can they be dishonest by stealing a cup?75 In verse 9,
they were so sure that no one among them would be guilty of the
theft; they made this offer: With whomsoever of your servants it be
found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen. All this shows
their confidence in their own innocence. Egyptian law allowed the
accused to choose their own punishment for their crime in the form
of an oath, as found in this verse.
In 44:10 the steward responds: Now also let it be according unto
your words. He then mentioned two things: enslavement and
freedom. As for enslavement: He with whom it is found shall be my
bondman, meaning the guilty party will not be executed but will
simply be enslaved. As for the others, there will be freedom: and ye
shall be blameless. For the brothers this will be another test. Now their
choice will be between self-preservation and Benjamin’s welfare. Will
family unity and family loyalty prevail? Joseph keeps testing the
brothers to see if they have changed since the time they sold him.
Genesis 44:11-13 describes the steward’s search and discovery of
the cup, with verse 11 emphasizing the opening of the sacks and the
speed with which it was done: Then they hasted, and took down every
man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. In verse 12a,
came the search: And he searched, and began with the eldest, and left off
at the youngest, and by so doing that would intensify the drama. All
this was designed to heighten the tension. The sack that had the cup
was actually searched last. Then in verse 12b came the discovery: and
the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. That led to the results in
verse 13: Then they rent their clothes, renting as in tearing in
mourning, and loaded every man his ass; they reloaded the sacks upon
the asses, and returned to the city.
Genesis 44:14 deals with the brothers’ arrival back at Joseph’s
house: And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house. Judah, alone,
75 This is known as a kal ve-chomer argument, from the less to the greater.
The Midrash Rabbah Bereishit 92:2 quotes Rabbi Ishmael (second century
A.D.) as saying that this is the first of ten times this argument is used in
the Old Testament (Exodus 6:12; Numbers 12:14; Deuteronomy 31:27;
I Samuel 23:3; Esther 9:12; Proverbs 11:31; Jeremiah 12:5 [twice]; and
Ezekiel 15:5).
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is named and that for two reasons. First, he will be the one to
intercede on Benjamin’s behalf; and second, it indicates that he was
already rising to prominence in the clan. It was Judah who had
initiated the sale of Joseph. Joseph had not left the house: He was yet
there, and so when they arrived: they fell before him on the ground, once
again, the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams.
In 44:15 came Joseph’s accusation to his brothers: And Joseph said
unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? That was the
accusation, which was followed by the question: Know ye not that such
a man as I can indeed divine? Therefore, if he had the ability to
divine, they should have known that Joseph could surely find them
out. However, in actual fact, of course, Joseph did not practice
divination any more than Benjamin had stolen the cup.
Genesis 44:16 records Judah’s response to Joseph’s accusation of
theft, including three things. First, Judah recognized they had no
defense: What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how
shall we clear ourselves? Judah knew they were innocent, but his
resignation was based on having no real defense in light of the
evidence. Second, Judah admits guilt: God has found out the iniquity of
your servants; for when Judah mentioned the iniquity of your servants,
he was not talking about stealing the cup, but the selling of Joseph of
which Judah was the instigator (37:26-27). Third, Judah offers
surrender: Behold we are my lord’s bondmen, both we, and he also in
whose hand the cup is found.
But in 44:17 came Joseph’s answer, and it was an answer of
rejection of Judah’s offer: Far be it from me that I should do so,
meaning Joseph would not practice collective punishment. Benjamin
alone was to suffer punishment: The man in whose hand the cup is
found, he shall be my bondman. As for the other brothers: but as for
you, get you up in peace unto your father. This was the final test of the
brothers, in particular Judah. Judah instigated the selling of Joseph,
so will Judah now rally the brothers to abandon Benjamin and go
back alone?
d. Judah’s Intercession - 44:18-34
18Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh, my
lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my
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lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your
servant; for you are even as Pharaoh. 19My lord asked his
servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? 20And
we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man,
and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is
dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father
loves him. 21And you said unto your servants, Bring him
down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. 22And
we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father:
for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
23And you said unto your servants, Except your youngest
brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no
more. 24And it came to pass when we came up unto your
servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.
26And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest
brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may
not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be
with us. 27And your servant my father said unto us, Ye
know that my wife bore me two sons: 28and the one went
out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I
have not seen him since: 29and if ye take this one also
from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my
gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. 30Now therefore when I
come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with
us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life; 31it
will come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with
us, that he will die: and your servants will bring down
the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to
Sheol. 32For your servant became surety for the lad unto
my father, saying, If I bring him not unto you, then shall
I bear the blame to my father for ever. 33Now therefore,
let your servant, I pray you, abide instead of the lad a
bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his
brethren. 34For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad
be not with me? lest I see the evil that shall come on my
father.
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Judah’s intercession on Benjamin’s behalf shows he passed
Joseph’s test. It begins in verse 18, with Judah’s request to speak:
Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh, my lord, let your servant,
I pray you, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn
against your servant. Judah separated from the clan and stood alone in
closer proximity to Joseph and asked to speak directly to him,
without Joseph getting angry. The reason was: for you are even as
Pharaoh; a statement of recognition of Joseph’s authority.
Then in 44:19-29, Judah retold the whole story, beginning in
verse 19, with Joseph’s question: My lord asked his servants, saying,
Have ye a father, or a brother? In verse 20, came the answer: And we
said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old
age, a little one; and his brother is dead; that is, his full brother, and he
alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him. In verse 21 came
their reiteration of Joseph’s earlier demand: And you said unto your
servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. In
verse 22 was the recall of the brothers’ protest: And we said unto my
lord, The lad cannot leave his father; the reason being: for if he should
leave his father, his father would die. Nevertheless, in verse 23, Judah
recalls Joseph’s insistence: And you said unto your servants, Except your
youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. In
verse 24, came the recounting of the brothers’ report to their father:
And it came to pass when we came up unto your servant my father, we
told him the words of my lord. In verse 25 Judah recounts Jacob’s
request: Go again, buy us a little food. But, in verse 26, came their
protest: And we said, We cannot go down: because of the condition: If
our youngest brother be with us, then we will go down; otherwise, no: for
we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.
Jacob’s response is in verses 27-29. In verse 27: And your servant my
father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bore me two sons. In verse 28,
the first son was named as Joseph: and the one went out from me.
Joseph had left home, and Jacob’s conclusion was: Surely he is torn in
pieces; and I have not seen him since. Then in verse 29, regarding his
second son, Benjamin, Jacob had said: and if ye take this one also from
me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow
to Sheol.
Genesis 44:30-34 recounts the offer that Judah had made to
Jacob. In verses 30-31 was the danger: Now therefore, moving to the
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conclusion: when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not
with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life, he begins. The
Hebrew here literally reads “his soul is knit with the lad’s soul,” and
is also used of the relationship of David and Jonathan (I Sam. 18:1).
So, in verse 31, Judah continues: It will come to pass, when he sees that
the lad is not with us, that he will die; his father’s sorrow will be so
overwhelming, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your
servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. In other words, they will be
responsible for causing the death of their father. Verse 32 deals with
Judah’s commitment: For your servant became surety for the lad unto my
father, saying, If I bring him not unto you, then shall I bear the blame to
my father for ever. In verse 33, came Judah’s offer to Joseph: Now
therefore, let your servant, I pray you, abide instead of the lad, a bondman
to my lord. It was at Judah’s suggestion that Joseph was sold as a
slave, and now he was willing to become a slave as a substitute for
Benjamin, showing how much Judah had changed since selling
Joseph. It shows that he was not jealous over Benjamin’s special
relationship to Jacob as he was over Joseph’s special relationship to
Jacob. In addition, Judah gives his reason in verse 34: For how shall I
go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I see the evil that shall
come on my father. In other words, returning without Benjamin would
kill the father.
Three observations can be made concerning the brothers. First,
they have clearly repented of the sin of selling Joseph. Second, they
show a clear concern for the emotional and physical health of their
father Jacob, something they were not concerned with at the time of
the selling of Joseph. Third, they also showed a special concern for
their brother, in this case half-brother Benjamin.
e. Joseph’s Revelation - 45:1-15
1Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all
them that stood before him; and he cried, Cause every
man to go out from me. And there stood no man with
him, while Joseph made himself known unto his
brethren. 2And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians heard,
and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3And Joseph said unto
his brethren, I am Joseph; does my father yet live? And
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his brethren could not answer him; for they were
troubled at his presence. 4And Joseph said unto his
brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came
near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye
sold into Egypt. 5And now be not grieved, nor angry
with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send
me before you to preserve life. 6For these two years has
the famine been in the land: and there are yet five years,
in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest.
7And God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant
in the earth, and to save you alive by a great
deliverance. 8So now it was not you that sent me hither,
but God: and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and
lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him,
Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all
Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not; 10and you shall
dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near unto
me, you, and your children, and your children’s children,
and your flocks, and your herds, and all that you have:
11and there will I nourish you; for there are yet five years
of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your
household, and all that you have. 12And, behold, your
eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is
my mouth that speaks unto you. 13And ye shall tell my
father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have
seen: and ye shall haste and bring down my father
hither. 14And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck,
and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15And he
kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after
that his brethren talked with him.
Joseph’s self-revelation begins in verses 1-2, describing the
circumstance with verse 1 giving the occasion: Then Joseph could not
refrain himself before all them that stood before him. Joseph was no
longer able to refrain and continue the play acting after Judah’s
intercession: and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me; all his
Egyptian servants were now to vacate the premises. The result was:
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And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto
his brethren. Therefore, it is now only Joseph and the eleven brothers.
Verse 2 describes the weeping: And he wept aloud. The Hebrew
literally reads, “He gave forth his voice in weeping.” This expression
emphasizes a great amount of energy expended in weeping, and the
result was: and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard,
showing the close proximity of Joseph’s residence to Pharaoh’s
palace.
Genesis 45:3-4 details Joseph’s self-identification. The first
identification is in verse 3a: I am Joseph, using the first person
personal pronoun to emphasize the person; the pronoun was used to
stress his identity. He raised the question: Does my father yet live? It
was not really a question of doubt, but rather a question of
affirmation. Verse 3b records the response of the brothers. First, they
were overwhelmed: And his brethren could not answer him. Second, the
reason for their silence was: for they were troubled at his presence.
Obviously being told that this was Joseph their brother put them in a
state of shock. Then came Joseph’s second identification in verse 4,
beginning with the invitation: And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come
near unto me, I pray you, followed by their obedience: And they came
near. Then came the identification: I am Joseph your brother; in
Hebrew, he again used the pronoun to emphasize his identity: whom
ye sold into Egypt.
Genesis 45:5-8 deals with Joseph’s comforting of his brothers,
with verse 5 focusing on the plan of God, showing the interplay
between human agency and divine agency. The human agency was:
And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither;
and the human agency was the brothers selling him to Egypt. Then
came the divine agency: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
The divine purpose was accomplished through human agency. Then
in verse 6, Joseph spelled out the necessity of the plan, with both the
past and the future. He refers to the past: For these two years has the
famine been in the land; the famine has run two years and that was
now history. Joseph then refers to the future: and there are yet five
years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest. The famine
had five more years to run. In verse 7, Joseph again explained the
plan of God: And God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in
the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. Then in verse 8 is
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the providence of God and once again a balance between the two
agencies of human and divine action. First, Joseph cites and limits
the human agency: So now it was not you that sent me hither;
ultimately, it was not the brothers. But, second, the divine agency
did it: It was God. The result was: and he has made me three things.
First, God made Joseph: a father to Pharaoh. In the Hebrew text, the
word is av, a Hebrew word meaning “father.” In this case, it may not
be a Hebrew word, but a Hebrew transliteration of the Egyptian
word for vizier, which has the same sound av. Therefore, it might
mean a father to Pharaoh, but it may also mean, “He made me a
vizier to Pharaoh.” Second, God made Joseph lord of all his house.
Third, he made Joseph ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Genesis 45:9-13 details Joseph’s instructions to his brothers. In
verses 9-11, he informed them what they must tell Jacob. Verse 9a
focuses on the need for speed: Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say
unto him. Verses 9b-11 contain the content of the message that they
were to give him: Thus says your son Joseph. In verse 9b, their father
was to come to Egypt: God has made me lord of all Egypt: come down
unto me, tarry not. Verses 10-11a reveal their intended place of
residence in Egypt: and you shall dwell in the land of Goshen. That
means in verse 10 that Joseph is intending a family reunion: and you
shall be near unto me, you, and your children, and your children’s children,
and your flocks, and your herds, and all that you have. In verse 11a, he
promised: and there will I nourish you; there will the family be
sustained. The reason for the necessity to come to Egypt is found in
verse 11b: for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty.
They were still a rich family; but if they stayed in Canaan, at the end
of five years of famine, they would have been reduced to poverty
including: you, and your household, and all that you have. In verse 12,
Joseph presented the witnesses to Jacob: And, behold, your eyes see,
meaning the eyes of the brothers, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin.
The point was that Jacob might not believe the other brothers, but
he would certainly believe his favorite son, Benjamin. The brothers,
in general, and Benjamin in particular, are witnesses: that it is my
mouth that speaks unto you. In verse 13, the brothers were to do two
things. First, Ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all
that ye have seen; and what they have seen was that there was food in
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Egypt in abundance. Second, Ye shall haste and bring down my father
hither.
Genesis 45:14-15 describes Joseph kissing his brothers. First, in
verse 14, he kissed Benjamin individually, and for Benjamin it was a
kiss of reunification: And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and
wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Then in verse 15, Joseph
kisses his other brothers, which was for reconciliation: And he kissed
all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked
with him. Reconciliation is seen now in that they were discussing on
a brotherly level rather than on a lordship/servantship level.
Some observations can be made about Joseph’s conclusion about
his elevation. What did Joseph conclude about his position in Egypt?
First, God’s providence required that Israel be preserved in Egypt; he
recognized that it was in the plan of God for the preservation of
Israel to be accomplished in Egypt. Second, the brothers were to
bring all the others of the household to Egypt immediately. Third,
their place of residence was to be the land of Goshen. Goshen was
located in the Eastern Nile Delta region, and that was the land
bridge that connected Egypt of Africa with the Land of Canaan.
This was near the city of Tanis, which was also the seat of the capital
of Hyksos’s rule. Moreover, this will put them near Joseph and in a
territory very suitable for grazing.
f. Pharaoh’s Invitation - 45:16-20
16And the report thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s
house, saying, Joseph’s brethren are come: and it pleased
Pharaoh well, and his servants. 17And Pharaoh said
unto Joseph, Say unto your brethren, This do ye: load
your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
18and take your father and your households, and come
unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of
Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. 19Now you are
commanded, this do ye: take you wagons out of the land
of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and
bring your father, and come. 20Also regard not your stuff;
for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
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The invitation of Pharaoh begins with verse 16 recording the
report to Pharaoh: And the report thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house,
saying, Joseph’s brethren are come. The result was: It pleased Pharaoh
well, and his servants.
Then in 45:17-20 came the royal invitation: And Pharaoh said
unto Joseph. In verse 17, he told him to instruct his brothers: Load
your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan. In verse 18, they
were to bring the whole household to Egypt. The instruction: and
take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give
you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. In
verse 19, is Pharaoh’s provision for transport, preceded with the
command: Now you are commanded, this do ye; Pharaoh was not giving
them any options here. The provision was: Take you wagons out of the
land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your
father, and come. Finally, in verse 20, Pharaoh instructed them not to
be concerned about their personal possessions: Also regard not your
stuff; they were not to be concerned about bringing all their
possessions down to Egypt. The reason was: for the good of all the land
of Egypt is yours.
Now this is all coming out of the initiation of Pharaoh, and all
Pharaoh knew at this point was that this was Joseph’s family. He
knew nothing about them per se. This shows the high regard and
respect Pharaoh had for Joseph, that he was willing to issue this
invitation. Such an invitation coming from an Egyptian Pharaoh for
Semites was only possible during the Hyksos’s rule. Later Egyptian
Pharaohs would never have allowed this to take place. However, the
Hyksos being the Semitic conquerors of Egypt and ruling at this
point in time made it possible for another Semitic family to be
invited down.
g. Return of the Brothers to Jacob - 45:21-28
21And the sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them
wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and
gave them provision for the way. 22To all of them he
gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he
gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of
raiment. 23And to his father he sent after this manner:
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ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten
she-asses laden with grain and bread and provision for
his father by the way. 24So he sent his brethren away,
and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye
fall not out by the way. 25And they went up out of Egypt,
and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their
father. 26And they told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive,
and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt. And his heart
fainted, for he believed them not. 27And they told him all
the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and
when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry
him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: 28and Israel
said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go
and see him before I die.
The return of the brothers begins in verses 21-23, with Joseph’s
provisions, starting in verse 21a with his brothers’ obedience: And the
sons of Israel did so; they did obey the edict of Pharaoh.
Verses 21b-22a list the provisions for all. First, the wagons: and
Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh;
wagons were provided to bring the whole household down. Second,
Pharaoh provided food: and gave them provision for the way; this was
food for the road. Third, he gave the brothers clothing: To all of them
gave he each man changes of raiment. These three things were given to
all of them. However, in verse 22b, he gave provisions especially for
Benjamin: but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and
five changes of raiment, again showing deference to the relationship of
the two full brothers. Finally, in verse 23 were the provisions for
Jacob: And to his father he sent after this manner: ten asses laden with the
good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with grain and bread and
provisions for his father by the way. These were provisions for his father
and for the household to come on down.
Genesis 45:24 records their departure: So he sent his brethren
away, and they departed; but that departure came with an admonition
from Joseph: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
The point was that they were not to quarrel; this was not a time for
accusations and recriminations. They had business to attend to, and
it had to be completed.
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Genesis 45:25 summarizes the brothers’ journey home. First, the
exit: And they went up out of Egypt. The arrival, and came into the land
of Canaan unto Jacob their father.
This section ends in 45:26-28, with the report to Jacob
beginning in verse 26a with the news about Joseph: And they told him,
saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Verse 26b describes Jacob’s reaction: And his heart fainted, for he
believed them not. In verse 27a came the report: And they told him all
the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them. Verse 27b reveals
what finally caused Jacob to be convinced: and when he saw the
wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him; he saw all the wagons,
which were empty, and he realized that this had to be the truth.
Wagons did not come cheap in those days. The result was: The spirit
of Jacob their father revived. So in verse 28, is Jacob’s declaration: and
Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him
before I die.
G. The Sojourn to Egypt - 46:1 - 47:12
1. Divine Sanction - 46:1-7
1And Israel took his journey with all that he had,
and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the
God of his father Isaac. 2And God spoke unto Israel in
the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he
said, Here am I. 3And he said, I am God, the God of your
father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there
make of you a great nation: 4I will go down with you
into Egypt; and I will also surely bring you up again:
and Joseph shall put his hand upon your eyes. 5And Jacob
rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried
Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives,
in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they
had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt,
Jacob, and all his seed with him: 7his sons, and his sons’
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sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters,
and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.
The sojourn to Egypt begins with the divine sanction for that
sojourn, in verses 1-7. In verse 1, the starting point was one of the
patriarchal residences in the City of Beersheba, and three points are
made. First comes the family’s departure from Canaan: And Israel
took his journey with all that he had. Second, their arrival in Egypt: and
came to Beer-sheba, which was on the southern border of the Land.
Once Jacob went south of Beer-sheba, he would, for the second time
in his life, be leaving the Promised Land. Third, and [Jacob] offered
sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. Isaac died ten years earlier. As
he journeyed to just north of Beer-sheba, he knew he would enter into
the wilderness and cross the border out of the Land. He stopped to
sacrifice here, perhaps seeking a divine confirmation that it was all
right for him to leave the Land at this point in time.
In 46:2-4 God revealed Himself to Jacob, with verse 2 giving the
means and the call. First, the means: And God spoke unto Israel; here
the narrator used his new name; and it happened: in the visions of the
night, and this was the sixth appearance of God to Jacob. Then came
God’s call, which was doubled: Jacob, Jacob. Here He addressed him
by his old name, showing that both names were used
interchangeably. The doubling of Jacob’s name emphasizes God’s
call. Jacob’s response was: And he said, Here am I. Verses 3-4 record
the third reconfirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant to Jacob
beginning with the identification of the Covenant Maker: I am God,
the God of your father. Then came God’s confirmation: Fear not to go
down into Egypt; going into Egypt had divine sanction. While God
told Isaac not to go down to Egypt; He told Jacob to go down into
Egypt, and this is the only time the family leaves the Land by divine
decree. When Abraham left the Land in Genesis 12, it was not by
divine decree; and when Jacob left the Land earlier in his life to
Haran, that was not by divine decree. Now for the first time, leaving
the Land is by divine decree. God also promised Jacob: I will there;
that is, God will be with him in Egypt. He will also: make of you a
great nation; in Egypt the Jews will multiply without intermarriage,
and the fulfillment of this promise is found in Exodus 1:7. While in
Egypt, the family will develop into a distinct nation, never becoming
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part of Egypt. Then God made a promise regarding the Exodus in
two statements. First, I will go down with you into Egypt; God’s
presence will be with them in Egypt as it was in the Land and as it
was earlier in Haran. Second, and I will also surely bring you up again.
The word you is singular, and this raises a question: Is He using the
word you in the singular as an absolute singular or as a collective
singular. If it is an absolute singular, it meant Jacob would be buried
in the Land, and Jacob’s body would be brought back to the Land
and buried in the Land. But if you is being used as a collective
singular, God is a promising to bring Israel back to the Land,
pointing to the Exodus. Ultimately, both statements were true
anyway. At any rate, they were going down to Egypt by divine
sanction in fulfillment of one of the provisions of the Abrahamic
Covenant (15:13-16). Finally, the word of comfort: and Joseph shall
put his hand upon your eyes; meaning closing his eyes in death. This is
in sharp contrast to his fear of dying in mourning expressed in
Genesis 37:35.
Genesis 46:5-7 records the arrival of the family in Egypt,
beginning in verse 5 with the departure: And Jacob rose up from
Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little
ones, and their wives, and the means was: in the wagons which Pharaoh
had sent to carry him. Verses 6-7 deal with their arrival in the land of
Egypt: And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten
in the land of Canaan; all the wealth that they had acquired within
Canaan, and with their goods, they: came into Egypt. Then Moses
lists the inclusions: Jacob, and all his seed with him. The seed is his
physical posterity, and that includes: his sons, and his sons’ sons with
him, meaning the grandsons; then his daughters. The use of the plural
shows that Dinah was not his only daughter, but she was the only
one named because of her role in the events of chapter 34. Then
Moses added: and his sons’ daughters, meaning Jacob’s granddaughters.
Finally, the summary statement: and all his seed brought he with him into
Egypt; his entire family was brought into Egypt: sons, daughters,
grandsons, and granddaughters. This text simply does not allow for
some remaining in the Land, contrary to some of the more liberal
views. The whole people of Israel went down into Egypt, and Jacob
spent the last seventeen years of his life in the land of Egypt.
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2. The House of Jacob - 46:8-27
8And these are the names of the children of Israel,
who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s
first-born. 9And the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, and Pallu,
and Hezron, and Carmi. 10And the sons of Simeon:
Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar,
and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman. 11And the
sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12And the
sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez,
and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of
Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and
Hamul. 13And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puvah,
and Iob, and Shimron. 14And the sons of Zebulun: Sered,
and Elon, and Jahleel. 15These are the sons of Leah,
whom she bore unto Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his
daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his
daughters were thirty and three. 16And the sons of Gad:
Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and
Arodi, and Areli. 17And the sons of Asher: Imnah, and
Ishvah, and Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister;
and the sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel. 18These are
the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his
daughter; and these she bore unto Jacob, even sixteen
souls. 19The sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife: Joseph and
Benjamin. 20And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were
born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the
daughter of Poti-phera priest of On, bore unto him.
21And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and
Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim,
and Huppim, and Ard. 22These are the sons of Rachel,
who were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
23And the sons of Dan: Hushim. 24And the sons of
Naphtali: Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.
25These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave unto
Rachel his daughter, and these she bore unto Jacob: all
the souls were seven. 26All the souls that came with Jacob
into Egypt, that came out of his loins, besides Jacob’s sons’
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607
wives, all the souls were threescore and six; 27and the
sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two
souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, that came into
Egypt, were threescore and ten.
The listing of the whole House of Jacob begins in verse 8a with
the introduction: And these are the names of the children of Israel, who
came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons.
Genesis 46:8b-15 lists the sons of Leah, beginning with Reuben
in verses 8b-9: Reuben (1) is declared to be Jacob’s first-born in
verse 8b. In verse 9, the sons of Reuben were four in number: Hanoch
(2), Pallu (3), Hezron (4), and Carmi (5). In verse 10, Moses deals
with Simeon (6), and the sons of Simeon were six in number: Jemuel
(7), spelled as Nemuel in Numbers 26:12 and I Chronicles 4:24;
Jamin (8), Ohad (9), Jachin (10), spelled as Jarib in I Chronicles 4:24;
Zohar (11), spelled as Zerah in Numbers 26:13 and
I Chronicles 4:24; and Shaul (12). The writer points out that Shaul
was the son of a Canaanitish woman, which means that he had a
different mother than the other sons of Simeon. So Shaul’s mother
was either a concubine or she was a second wife since only he is listed
as her son. What this also implies is that most of the sons were not
married to Canaanites. Judah, of course, was; and Simeon was, but it
implies that most of the other sons were not married to Canaanites.
Because there is some intermarriage with the Canaanites shows the
need to get out of the Land of Canaan and into the land of Egypt.
Verse 11 lists the sons of Levi (13), and he had three sons: Gershon
(14), spelled as Gershom in I Chronicles 6:16; Kohath (15), the
ancestor of Moses; and Merari (16). Verse 12 deals with Judah (17),
and his five sons are listed; but two of these sons died in the Land of
Canaan: Er and Onan, who will not be numbered, since they were
not in the group going down to Egypt. Then Shelah (18), who was
Judah’s son by the same woman, his wife, who gave birth to the first
two sons who died. Then through Tamar, Judah had the next two:
Perez (19) and he was also the seed-son. Finally, Zerah (20). He then
states that Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. Then he lists the
sons of Perez, which makes them the grandsons of Judah. Two are
mentioned: Hezron (21), he was also the seed-son, and then Hamul
(22). The Hebrew text at this point uses a Hebrew verbal form,
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veyihyu, and this is the only use of the verbal form in this text. The
normal form appears in such a way that it means that these were the
sons of a certain man, and that is the form used throughout the
passage. But here, it is worded slightly differently: and the sons of
Perez were, which is the only case of this form in the Hebrew text,
and so it makes it stand out, indicating that there was something
different about this situation than for all the other situations. The
emphasis is that the sons of Perez were not among those who came
down into Egypt. The sons of Perez, like the sons of Joseph, were
born in Egypt, and that was why their mention was distinguished;
but they are part of the enumeration. Verse 13 deals with Issachar
(23), and his four sons: Tola (24), Puvah (25), spelled as Purah in
Numbers 26:23-24 and Puah in I Chronicles 7:1; Iob (26), spelled as
Jashub in Numbers 26:23-24 and I Chronicles 7:1; and Shimron (27).
Verse 14 deals with Zebulun (28), and three sons are listed: Sered
(29); Elon (30), and Jahleel (31). Verse 15 makes a summary
statement: These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore unto Jacob in
Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah (32). The total of all these
sons and the daughter was thirty-three (33). The figure of thirty-
three does not include Er and Onan who died in the Land of
Canaan, but it does include one son of an unnamed wife and the two
grandsons of Judah who were actually born in Egypt. All these
names add up to thirty-two, but the figure thirty-three also counts
Jacob. So the figure thirty-three includes: Jacob, six of his sons, 24
grandsons (not including the two who died), and two great
grandsons.76
Genesis 46:16-18 lists the sons of Zilpah, the handmaid of Leah.
Verse 16 deals with Gad (34) and his seven sons: Ziphion (35), in
Numbers 26:15 his name is spelled Zephon; Haggi (36), Shuni (37);
Ezbon (38), whose name is spelled as Ozni in Numbers 26:16; Eri
(39); Arodi (40), whose name is spelled as Arod in Numbers 26:17;
and Areli (41). Verse 17 deals with Asher (42) and his five children:
Imnah (43), Ishvah (44), Ishvi (45), Beriah (46), and Serah their sister
(47), the only granddaughter of Jacob actually named, and so
76 Some omit Jacob and add one daughter to the count. Others omit Jacob.
and Ohad and add one daughter and Er and Onan to the counts.
TOLDOT of Jacob
609
apparently, there was something significant that she did that made
her stand out. Then, he listed the sons of Beriah who would be the
grandsons of Asher and the great grandsons of Jacob: Heber (48) and
Malchiel (49). Verse 18 presents the summary: These are the sons of
Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; these she bore unto Jacob,
even sixteen souls. The figure sixteen counts two sons, their eleven
grandsons, one granddaughter, and two great grandsons.
Genesis 46:19-22 lists the sons of Rachel, beginning with the
summary statement in verse 19: The sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife. She is
the only one so designated as his wife because of her being the
favorite. Then the two sons are named: Joseph (50) and Benjamin
(51). Then in verse 20, the focus is on Joseph and his two sons:
Manasseh (52) and Ephraim (53). Moses points out that the place
they were born was, in the land of Egypt, and the mother was,
Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On, bore unto him. In
verse 21, Benjamin, the younger brother of Joseph, ends up being far
more productive, with ten sons: Bela (54); Becher (55), Ashbel (56);
Gera (57); Naaman (58); Ehi (59), whose name is spelled as Ahiram
in Numbers 26:38; Rosh (60); Muppim (61), for whom there are two
variations of the spelling of his name (Num. 26:39 spells it as
Shephupham, and I Chron. 7:12 spells it as Shuppim); Huppim (62),
which Numbers 26:39 spells as Hupham; and Ard (63). A total of ten
sons are listed here, but according to the biblical record, Benjamin
was only twenty-five (25) years old at this time. So at the age of
twenty-five, how was it that he had ten children? There are two ways
of explaining it. First, this may have been reckoned seminally, in that
these were in his loins and some of these were actually born down in
Egypt. Second, Benjamin had multiple wives, and multiple wives
would have enabled him to produce that many children within that
young span of his life. Verse 22 makes the summary statement: These
are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
The fourteen includes two sons and twelve grandsons. The Rachel
genealogy has several distinctives. First, it is the only one that has
both an introductory formula as well as an ending one. Second,
Rachel is the mother of the most fruitful son (Benjamin). Third,
while the other reads Sons of ______ only of Joseph is it said: Joseph
became the father of ______. Fourth, only Joseph’s wife is named.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
610
Fifth, of the fifty-three (53) grandsons mentioned in this genealogy,
only those of Judah and Joseph were previously named.
Genesis 46:23-25 lists the sons of Bilhah the handmaid of
Rachel, beginning with Dan (64) in verse 23, who had one son
whose name was Hushim (65), spelled in Numbers 26:42 as Shuham.
Verse 24 goes on to Naphtali (66), and he has four sons: Jahzeel (67),
spelled as Jahziel in I Chronicles 7:13; Guni (68); Jezer (69); and
Shillem (70), spelled as Shallum in I Chronicles 7:13. Then in
verse 25 is the summary statement: These are the sons of Bilhah, whom
Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and these she bore unto Jacob: all
the souls were seven, counting two sons and five grandsons.
Genesis 46:26-27 gives the grand total of Jacob’s family.
Verse 26 gives the figure sixty-six (66): All the souls that came with
Jacob into Egypt, that came out of his loins, meaning counting only
those who were direct descendants of Jacob, with the exception
besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, in other words, not counting the wives of
his sons: all the souls were three score and six [66]. This figure counts
only the children outside Egypt and excludes Jacob, Joseph, and the
two sons of Joseph. Verse 27 gives the total of seventy (70), and this
counts Joseph, and the sons of Joseph, who were born unto him in Egypt
[who] were two souls; and the grand total was: All the souls of the house
of Jacob, that came into Egypt, were threescore and ten, a total of seventy
(70). This latter figure includes Jacob and all the sons and grandsons:
The House of Leah (32); the House of Zilpah (16); the House of
Rachel (14); the House of Bilhah (7); and Jacob (1). (See table 15 for
a summary of the numeration of the House of Jacob.) This figure
also excludes all the wives and husbands of daughters or
granddaughters, and so the number was actually far greater than just
seventy. Therefore, the figure seventy includes only Jacob and his
immediate descendants: Jacob, twelve sons, fifty-one grandsons, two
great grandsons, one daughter, one granddaughter, one unnamed
daughter of Leah, and one unnamed granddaughter. If one begins to
add the servants and wives plus the women and children absorbed
from Shechem (34:29), probably the entire figure would be about
three hundred or more. In Acts 7:14, Stephen gave a total figure of
seventy-five (75), a figure taken from the Septuagint section of
Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5, a figure also supported by the Dead
Sea Scrolls. These add to the figure of seventy the five grandsons of
TOLDOT of Jacob
611
Joseph: the son and grandson of Manasseh and the two sons of
Ephraim (Num. 26:28-37, I Chron. 7:14-27).
3. Arrival of Jacob in Egypt - 46:28-34
28And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to show
the way before him unto Goshen; and they came into the
land of Goshen. 29And Joseph made ready his chariot,
and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he
presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck, and
wept on his neck a good while. 30And Israel said unto
Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that
you are yet alive. 31And Joseph said unto his brethren,
and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and tell
Pharaoh, and will say unto him, My brethren, and my
father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, are come
unto me; 32and the men are shepherds, for they have been
keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and
their herds, and all that they have. 33And it shall come to
pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is
your occupation? 34that ye shall say, Your servants have
been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now,
both we, and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land
of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the
Egyptians.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
612
Table 15. The House of Jacob
* Not counted in the total.
** The Genesis 46:26 tally of sixty-six excludes Jacob, Joseph, and
Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Leah
–
Jacob’s
W
ife
Sons: Grandsons/Great-Grandsons:
T
otal
Reuben Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, Carmi 5
Simeon
Wife 1:
Wife 2:
Jemuel, Jamin, Chad, Jachin
Shaul (Canaanitish Mother)
7
Levi Gershon, Konath, Merari 4
J
udah
Wife:
Tamar:
Er and Chan, who died in Canaan*; Shelah
Zerah, Perez, and two great-grandsons by
Perez, Hezron and Hamal
6
Issacha
r
T
ola, Puvah, Iob, Shimion 5
Zebulun Sered, Elon,
J
ahleel 4
Daughte
r
:
Dinah
1
32
Zilpah, Leah’s Handmaid
Sons: Grandsons/Great-G
r
andsons:
Gad Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi,
A
reli
8
Ashe
r
Sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah
Daughter: Serah
Grandsons b
y
Beriah: Heber and Malchiel
8
16
Rachel
–
Jacob’s
W
ife
Sons: Grandsons:
J
ose
p
h Manasseh and E
p
hraim (Asenath, mother) 3
Benjamin Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Nadman, Ehl,
Rosh, Mu
pp
im, Hu
pp
im, Ard 11
14
Bilbah
–
Rachel’s Handmaid
Sons: Grandsons:
Dan Hushim 2
Na
p
htali
J
ahzeel, Guni,
J
ezer, Shillem 5
7
TOTAL = 70
TOLDOT of Jacob
613
The arrival of Jacob begins in 46:28, with Judah’s mission: And
he sent Judah before him unto Joseph; Judah again, plays a preeminent
role, although he was not the first, second, or third born son. The
purpose was: to show the way before him unto Goshen; to point the way.
Then came the arrival: and they came into the land of Goshen. The
rabbinic commentary Midrash Rabbah77 on this passage states:
“Joseph will receive the kingdom before Judah.” Moreover, the
footnote78 interprets this as follows: “This refers to the Messiah, the
son of Joseph, who will precede the Messiah Who is the son of
David descended from Judah.” This conveys the rabbinic view that
there will be two messiahs; one who is the Son of Joseph who will be
the suffering Messiah, and then the other Messiah, the Son of David
who will be the ruling Messiah.
Genesis 46:29 describes the touching meeting between Joseph and
Jacob: And Joseph made ready his chariot, and he went up to meet Israel his
father, to Goshen; and he presented himself unto him. At this point these
two men, father and son, had been separated for twenty-two years: and
fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
Genesis 46:30 records Jacob’s response: And Israel said unto
Joseph, Now let me die; in other words, now he was ready to die: since I
have seen your face, that you are yet alive. Actually, Jacob lived
seventeen more years, for according to 47:28, Jacob was one hundred
thirty years old when he arrived in Egypt, and Jacob lived until the
age of one hundred forty-seven.
Then in 46:31-34 Joseph instructed his brothers, with verse 31a
identifying the addressees: And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto
his father’s house. In verses 31b-32, Joseph’s message to Pharaoh will
be: I will go up, and tell Pharaoh, and will say unto him, My brethren,
and my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;
and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they
have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. In
verses 33-34, Joseph instructed them what they must answer before
Pharaoh. In verse 33: When Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What
is your occupation? Joseph’s suspicions were proven true; Pharaoh did
77 Page 95.
78 Page 97.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
614
ask this question (47:3). Their answer in verse 34a must be: Your
servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both
we, and our fathers. This was all true, of course; they were not lying,
but they were to stress it at this point. Verse 34b gives the reason:
that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen. Joseph wanted to make sure
that Pharaoh, because of their occupation, sets them aside in the land
of Goshen; and this would separate them from the Egyptian
population. According to historical records, under the Hyksos,
Asiatics were regularly settled in the Nile Delta region. This would
give them the prime part of the land but would also separate them
from the Egyptians, a necessity because: for every shepherd is an
abomination unto the Egyptians. Therefore, this separation in Goshen
would keep Israel distinct and in this way, their particular
nationhood was preserved.
4. Jacob’s Family Before Pharaoh - 47:1-10
1Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said,
My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their
herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of
Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
2And from among his brethren he took five men, and
presented them unto Pharaoh. 3And Pharaoh said unto
his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said
unto Pharaoh, Your servants are shepherds, both we, and
our fathers. 4And they said unto Pharaoh, To sojourn in
the land are we come; for there is no pasture for your
servants’ flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of
Canaan: now therefore, we pray you, let your servants
dwell in the land of Goshen. 5And Pharaoh spoke unto
Joseph, saying, Your father and your brethren are come
unto you: 6the land of Egypt is before you; in the best of
the land make your father and your brethren to dwell; in
the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if you know any
able men among them, then make them rulers over my
cattle. 7And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set
him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8And
Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How many are the days of the
TOLDOT of Jacob
615
years of your life? 9And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The
days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and
thirty years: few and evil have been the days of the years
of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of
the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their
pilgrimage. 10And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out
from the presence of Pharaoh.
Verse 1 records Joseph’s report to Pharaoh: Then Joseph went in
and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks,
and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of
Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
Genesis 47:2-6 describes the brothers before Pharaoh, beginning
in verse 2 with the selection: And from among his brethren he took five
men. Joseph selected five of the eleven brothers. Then he presented
them unto Pharaoh, and so these five represented the family as a
whole. In verse 3 came Pharaoh’s inquiry and the brothers’ response.
Pharaoh’s inquiry: And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your
occupation?—Just as Joseph suspected that he would. The brothers
responded: Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers. In
verse 4, they issued their request: And they said unto Pharaoh, To
sojourn in the land are we come; the very term sojourn shows that they
did not intend to remain there indefinitely; it was a clear implication
of a temporary abode. The reason was: for there is no pasture for your
servants’ flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan. Their
request was: Now therefore, we pray you, let your servants dwell in the
land of Goshen. In verses 5-6 came Pharaoh’s response. In verse 5, he
noted their arrival and said to Joseph: Your father and your brethren are
come unto you. In verse 6, he made the offer: The land of Egypt is before
you; in the best of the land make your father and your brethren to dwell; in
the land of Goshen let them dwell. Then came the request, which was
also an offer of employment: and if you know any able men among
them, then make them rulers over my cattle. This again shows that
Pharaoh was a Semitic Hyksos ruler and not an Egyptian, because
this would not have been the case if he were a native Egyptian.
Genesis 47:7-10 describes Jacob before Pharaoh, with verse 7
describing the presentation of Jacob: And Joseph brought Jacob his
father, and set him before Pharaoh. Then, Jacob blessed Pharaoh; the
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
616
Patriarch blessed the king. From the Egyptian perspective, the king
was higher; from the Jewish perspective, the Patriarch was higher.
Then in verse 8 came Pharaoh’s inquiry: And Pharaoh said unto Jacob,
How many are the days of the years of your life? In verse 9, Jacob gave
his answer: The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and
thirty years. He then added: Few and evil have been the days of the years
of my life. The word evil here does not mean sins, but calamities; the
calamities of his life were many. The word few means that they
appear to have moved quickly; they have come and gone. He also
made a comparison: and they have not attained unto the days and years
of the life of my fathers; and so they have not. Abraham lived to the
age of one hundred seventy-five (175) years, while Isaac lived up to
the age of one hundred eighty (180) years, and so their pilgrimage
was a longer pilgrimage. Verse 10 records Jacob’s exit: Jacob blessed
Pharaoh, the Patriarch over the king; and Jacob then took his leave
from the king: and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. There was
finality to this statement indicating that the two never faced each
other again.
5. Settlement in Goshen - 47:11-12
11And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave
them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the
land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had
commanded. 12And Joseph nourished his father, and his
brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread,
according to their families.
Finally, Joseph settled his family in the land of Goshen, with
verse 11 dealing with Joseph’s settlement: And Joseph placed, meaning
Joseph settled, his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in
the land of Egypt. Furthermore, it was: in the best of the land, the land
of Goshen. Here it is called: in the land of Rameses, which was a
section of the land of Goshen. It was, in fact, the better part of
Goshen, which today is known as Wadi Tumilat, a valley that is
thirty miles long, extending from the Eastern Nile to Lake Timsah.
The Rameses of the Nineteenth Dynasty, who came after this time,
may very well have been named after this particular land. The City of
TOLDOT of Jacob
617
Rameses was earlier known as Tanis, and before that, it was known
as Avaris. In the course of time, these names changed. According to
Numbers 11:5, Goshen was a place where the fish were in
abundance. Psalm 78:12 states that this was called the field of Zoan
and it was one of the outlet channels of the Nile leading to the sea. It
was a very fertile area and a very good area. Indeed, Goshen was the
prime land of Egypt, and the area of Rameses was Wadi Tumilat,
which was the prime area of Goshen. The basis for the settlement
was: as Pharaoh had commanded. This was not taking advantage of
Pharaoh’s generosity; this was what Pharaoh wanted.
Finally in 47:12 came Joseph’s nourishment: And Joseph nourished
his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread,
according to their families.
H. Course of the Famine - 47:13-26
1. First Stage - 47:13-14
13And there was no bread in all the land; for the
famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and the
land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. 14And
Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the
land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain
which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into
Pharaoh’s house.
The first stage of the seven-year famine was the depletion of
cash holdings. Verse 13 gives the description of the famine: And there
was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore. The famine
affected two areas: The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by
reason of the famine, showing that there was good reason for the
family to have been removed from the Land of Canaan.
Genesis 47:14 then describes the depletion of money: And Joseph
gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the
land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; so the actual cash
holdings were depleted because of the purchase price for the grain.
The result was: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
618
Joseph did not keep any of it for himself, which would have been
unethical; but he brought it into the royal treasury. The necessity of
purchasing grain from the royal storehouses depleted the cash from
both Egypt and from Canaan into the royal treasury.
2. Second Stage - 47:15-17
15And when the money was all spent in the land of
Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians
came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why
should we die in your presence? for our money fails.
16And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you
for your cattle, if money fail. 17And they brought their
cattle unto Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread in
exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the
herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread in
exchange for all their cattle for that year.
Whereas the first stage of the famine dealt with the cash flow,
the second stage now deals with the livestock, with verse 15
introducing the second stage: And when the money was all spent in the
land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto
Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in your presence?
They would die of hunger now that their money was gone: for our
money fails; in other words, it was all spent, and nothing was left.
So in 47:16 came Joseph’s offer. The payment can now be paid
with livestock: Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if
money fail.
Genesis 47:17 states: And they brought their cattle unto Joseph; this
summarizes the exchange: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for
horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the asses. The result
was: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle for that
year. All this was during the first year of the famine; by the end of
that year, the cash and livestock belonged to Pharaoh and the royal
treasury. Following the Law of Recurrence, this section now returns
to an earlier part of Genesis: to the first year of the famine.
TOLDOT of Jacob
619
3. Third Stage - 47:18-22
18And when that year was ended, they came unto him
the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide
from my lord, how that our money is all spent; and the
herds of cattle are my lord’s; there is nought left in the
sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
19wherefore 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 servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed,
that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not
desolate.
20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh;
for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the
famine was sore upon them: and the land became
Pharaoh’s. 21And as for the people, he removed them to
the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the
other end thereof. 22Only the land of the priests bought he
not: for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did
eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore
they sold not their land.
The third stage of the famine affected the land property. It
begins in verses 18-19 with the need for bread as it was before.
Verse 18a gives the timing: And when that year was ended, they came
unto him the second year; this was now the second year of famine.
Verses 18b-19 record the people’s request with verse 18b describing
their desperate situation. First, they mentioned two things, that were
now already gone with the second year of famine: they said unto him,
We will not hide from my lord, how that our money is all spent, which
resulted from the first stage; and the herds of cattle are my lord’s, which
resulted from the second stage. Second, what they still have is: there
is nought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands.
Everything was now gone except their bodies and their real estate. So
in verse 19, they came up with an offer to avoid the present danger:
Wherefore should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? After
raising that problem, they made the offer and the solution: Buy us
and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
620
Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the
land be not desolate. They offered to become slaves to the Pharaoh,
and as part of the agreement, they requested seed that they still might
try planting in spite of the famine.
Genesis 47:20-22 describes the attaining of the land beginning
in verse 20 with Joseph’s purchase of the land for Pharaoh: So Joseph
bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every
man his field, because the famine was sore upon them. The result was:
and the land became Pharaoh’s. In verse 21, there was a transfer of the
population: And as for the people, he removed them to the cities; a large
part of the population was moved from the country into the cites.
The extent was: from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end
thereof. There was good reason for this, because these actions would
solidify the fact of the loss of ownership. The people were moved
into cities since the land was not producing anyway by virtue of the
famine. So slowly, the land became no longer the private property of
the individuals but the property of Pharaoh. However, in verse 22,
there was one exception, and that was the land owned by the
priesthood: Only the land of the priests bought he not: for the priests had
a portion from Pharaoh; meaning the priests had received a royal
grant: and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; that was the
means of their sustenance. The result was: Wherefore they sold not their
land. Moreover, the priesthood was a very powerful class in Egypt
and therefore was exempt from these new developments in the
country.
4. Fourth Stage - 47:23-26
23Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have
bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here
is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. 24And it shall
come to pass at the ingatherings, that ye shall give a fifth
unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed
of the field, and for your food, and for them of your
households, and for food for your little ones. 25And they
said, You have saved our lives: let us find favor in the
sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.
26And Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of
TOLDOT of Jacob
621
Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth;
only the land of the priests alone became not Pharaoh’s.
The fourth stage of the famine is the leasing of the land,
initiated in verses 23-24 with Joseph’s offer: Then Joseph said to the
people. In verse 23, he spelled out the fact of ownership: Behold, I
have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh. This was now a
fact. Now came a new offer: Lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the
land. Having removed them from the land, and now that their actual
legal homes were in the cities, Joseph now provided seed for them
and allowed them to return to the land, not as owners, but for the
purpose of working the land. In verse 24, Joseph declared the lease
agreement; the land was now leased to them. Having removed it
from them, there was now a clear loss of ownership. However, they
were now allowed to return to the land because they were leasing it
for the purpose of working it: And it shall come to pass at the
ingatherings, meaning at the time of the harvest, that ye shall give a
fifth unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field,
for the next planting, and for your food, for them of your households, and
for food for your little ones. What was now instituted was a feudal
system, and the Egyptians became the serfs of Pharaoh. They were
allowed to plant the land owned by Pharaoh; and from what they
produced, they got to keep eighty percent for themselves, but twenty
percent was to be given to Pharaoh.
Genesis 47:25 presents the people’s agreement. The basis was:
You have saved our lives. They recognized that Joseph’s actions
actually saved them, and they did not become bitter over his actions;
they knew they owed Joseph. Then came the agreement: Let us find
favor in the sight of my lord. Out of gratitude, the people saw the offer
as a favor to them, and they agreed: We will be Pharaoh’s servants.
Genesis 47:26 records the new law: And Joseph made a statute
concerning the land of Egypt unto this day, meaning unto the day that
Moses wrote up the account of Genesis. This means that the law
that Joseph put into effect a long time earlier was still in effect in the
days of Moses. It also means that the Pharaoh of the Oppression, the
Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus, was still benefiting from the policy
of Joseph, although he knew not Joseph, meaning he did not recognize
or appreciate what Joseph had done. Then came the content of
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
622
Joseph’s law: that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Again, there was an
exception clause: Only the land of the priests alone became not Pharaoh’s;
the priests not only got to keep the land, they were also exempt from
the twenty percent tax. Since Joseph was married to a priest’s
daughter, among the ones exempt from all this would have been
Joseph’s father-in-law.
I. Jacob in Egypt - 47:27-31
27And Israel dwelled in the land of Egypt, in the
land of Goshen; and they got them possessions therein,
and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly. 28And
Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the
days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty
and seven years. 29And the time drew near that Israel
must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto
him, If now I have found favor in your sight, put, I pray
you, your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and
truly with me: bury me not, I pray you, in Egypt; 30but
when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of
Egypt, and bury me in their burying-place. And he said,
I will do as you have said. 31And he said, Swear unto
me: and he swore unto him. And Israel bowed himself
upon the bed’s head.
Verse 27 summarizes the settlement of Joseph’s family in
Goshen: And Israel dwelled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen.
There Jacob received the blessing of God in two ways. First, material
prosperity: and they got them possessions therein; what they brought
increased. Second, numerical prosperity: and were fruitful, and
multiplied exceedingly. This statement begins to set the stage for the
next book, the Book of Exodus; and it correlates with Exodus 1:7.
Genesis 47:28 gives Jacob’s age: And Jacob lived in the land of
Egypt seventeen years: so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a
hundred forty and seven years.
Genesis 47:29-31 records Jacob’s charge to Joseph, with
verse 29a giving the occasion: And the time drew near that Israel must
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die. Then came the call: and he called his son Joseph. Verses 29b-30a
detail the charge. The basis of the charge was: If now I have found
favor in your sight; meaning on the basis of Joseph’s loyalty to his
father, followed by the solemn oath: Put, I pray you, your hand under
my thigh. As in a previous passage (24:2), that idiom indicated the
holding of the genitals, the source of vital power, which emphasized
the solemnity of the oath. The content of the oath is then stated: and
deal kindly, or graciously, and truly with me; and the means of dealing
graciously with Jacob was: Bury me not, I pray you, in Egypt. The
timing would be: but when I sleep with my fathers, meaning when
Jacob dies, then the act should be: You shall carry me out of Egypt, and
bury me in their burying-place; the pronoun their refers to the fathers
Abraham and Isaac. Specifically, he asked to be buried not in Egypt,
but in the Cave of Machpelah. The sequence would be as follows.
First, the timing is: when I sleep with my fathers; Jacob expects to join
them in the afterlife upon death. Second he specifies: You shall carry
me. The sequence here is: Jacob will go to be with his fathers, and
after he has gone to be with his fathers, then Joseph is to carry his
body to that cave. The order shows a clear belief in the afterlife; he
asked Joseph to carry his body to Machpelah; however, prior to that
he will be gathered to his fathers. This shows that being gathered to
his fathers is not the same as being buried in the cave. Verse 30b
records Joseph’s agreement: I will do as you have said. In verse 31a,
came the oath: And he said, Swear unto me; and Joseph did: He swore
unto him. Then in verse 31b, Jacob was now able to rest easy: And
Israel bowed himself, meaning he turned over in bed to assume a
bowed position. It was an act of worship; it was a position from
which to worship God in adoration. It then states: upon the bed’s
head. The Masoretic Text, which is the Hebrew Text upon which all
translations are based, uses the word mittah, which means bed.
However, the Septuagint used a Greek word meaning “staff”; and so
it is obvious that the translators of the Septuagint, the Greek Old
Testament, took the word mittah to be mattah, which means “staff.”
The three letters for both the word bed and the word “staff” are
exactly the same; the only difference is in the vowel pointings, but
these vowel pointings in the Hebrew Text were put in about
A.D. 900-1000. So one is a mistranslation of the other. The question
is: Which was the original reading? Hebrews 11:21 clearly sides with
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the Septuagint version, because Hebrews 11:21 describes Jacob as
having worshipped, leaning up on the top of his staff. Therefore, in this
section Jacob was leaning upon his staff, which he kept near to assist
him in movement because apparently his old age had weakened him
greatly.
J. The Blessing on Ephraim and Manasseh
- 48:1-22
1. The Occasion - 48:1-7
1And it came to pass after these things, that one said
to Joseph, Behold, your father is sick: and he took with
him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2And one
told Jacob, and said, Behold, your son Joseph comes unto
you: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the
bed. 3And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty
appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and
blessed me, 4and said unto me, Behold, I will make you
fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a
company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed
after you for an everlasting possession. 5And now your
two sons, who were born unto you in the land of Egypt
before I came unto you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim
and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be
mine. 6And your issue, that you beget after them, shall be
yours; they shall be called after the name of their brethren
in their inheritance. 7And as for me, when I came from
Paddan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the
way, when there was still some distance to come unto
Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath
(the same is Beth-lehem).
Verse 1 gives the timing of the Patriarchal Blessing: And it came
to pass after these things; meaning somewhere between the next fifteen
and seventeen years later, there came the report: that one said to
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Joseph, Behold, your father is sick, a recognition that this was a sickness
that would lead to Jacob’s death. Therefore, Joseph responded: and he
took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Perhaps he took
them to see the grandfather for the last time and to receive the
Patriarchal Blessing. These sons are now somewhere between the
ages of eighteen and twenty because according to 41:50, they were
born before the famine began, and according to 47:28, Jacob lived in
Egypt seventeen years.
Genesis 48:2 records the report to Jacob: And one told Jacob, and
said, Behold, your son Joseph comes unto you. Jacob’s response to the
news of Joseph’s impending arrival was: and Israel strengthened
himself, and sat upon the bed. Here, again, the Masoretic Text has bed
but the Septuagint has “staff” and Hebrews 11:21 seems to support
that latter reading.
Genesis 48:3-7 relates Jacob’s testimony, beginning, in
verses 3-4, with God’s first appearance to Jacob, with verse 3
revealing the appearance itself: God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz
in the land of Canaan, and blessed me. Then in verse 4 came the
reconfirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant in four statements. First,
God had promised: I will make you fruitful; a personal blessing to
Jacob; and he had a large household by this time. Second, God had
promised: I will multiply you, a national blessing in that the nation of
Israel would come from Jacob. Third, God had promised: I will make
of you a company of peoples. The plural peoples is a reference to multiple
tribes, and Jacob became the father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Fourth, God had promised: I will give this land to your seed after you
for an everlasting possession, the promise of the Land to Jacob’s seed.
Thus, the key features of the Abrahamic Covenant were reconfirmed
to Jacob: the Land, the seed, and the blessings. Then in verses 5-6,
Jacob officially adopted the two sons of Joseph, with verse 5 dealing
with the adoption itself: And now your two sons, who were born unto
you in the land of Egypt before I came unto you into Egypt, are mine. He
then drew a comparison: Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and
Simeon, shall be mine; for they are now officially adopted by the
Patriarch and are equal to Reuben and Simeon. These were the first
and second sons of Jacob, and the point is that Joseph will have the
birthright in place of Reuben and Simeon; and his two sons will take
over the place of Reuben and Simeon. Jacob replaced Reuben and
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Simeon with Manasseh and Ephraim in the line of the birthright.
First Chronicles 5:1-2 points out that while Judah had the
preeminence, Joseph had the birthright; and with this adoption, the
two sons of Joseph became the legal sons of Jacob. In verse 6, Jacob
expanded on the status of Joseph. Concerning any future sons: And
your issue, meaning those that you beget after them, shall be yours. In
other words, Manasseh and Ephraim have now become the legal
sons of Jacob, and only if Joseph has any further sons will they be
legally his. However, Joseph had no more sons. Concerning
Manasseh and Ephraim: They shall be called after the name of their
brethren in their inheritance. What that means is that they will
develop into separate tribes and be counted as the one Tribe of
Joseph (Num. 26:28-37, I Chron. 7:14-29). Jacob concluded, in
verse 7, with the account of the death of Rachel: And as for me, when
I came from Paddan, Rachel died by me. As to the country where she
died: in the land of Canaan, and as to the location: in the way, when
there was still some distance to come unto Ephrath; when they were still
some distance from the Bethlehem area; again as in 35:19, the text
indicates why the present site of the Tomb of Rachel simply is not
the correct site. Then he recalled the burial: and I buried her there in
the way to Ephrath (the same is Beth-lehem). Again, he did not say it
was in, but in the way to Bethlehem; on the Bethlehem Road. She
was actually buried by the town of Ramah. The point Jacob was
making is simply that Rachel died too soon, and there would
therefore be no more sons by her. However, three tribes will end up
descending from her two sons: the Tribe of Ephraim, the Tribe of
Manasseh, and the Tribe Benjamin.
2. Jacob’s Blessing of Joseph’s Two Sons - 48:8-20
8And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are
these? 9And Joseph said unto his father, They are my
sons, whom God has given me here. And he said, Bring
them, I pray you, unto me, and I will bless them. 10Now
the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not
see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed
them, and embraced them. 11And Israel said unto Joseph,
I had not thought to see your face: and, lo, God has let me
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627
see your seed also. 12And Joseph brought them out from
between his knees; and he bowed himself with his face to
the earth. 13And Joseph 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 near unto him. 14And Israel stretched out his right
hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the
younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head,
guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-
born. 15And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before
whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God
who has fed me all my life long unto this day, 16the angel
who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let
my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers
Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude
in the midst of the earth. 17And when Joseph saw that his
father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it
displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to
remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.
18And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for
this is the first-born; put your right hand upon his head.
19And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I
know it. He also shall become a people, and he also shall
be great: howbeit his younger brother shall be greater
than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
20And he blessed them that day, saying, In you will Israel
bless, saying, God make you as Ephraim and as
Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
The blessing of Joseph’s two sons begins in verse 8, with Jacob’s
inquiry: And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these? His
sight was good enough to distinguish individual persons, but it was
not good enough to identify who they were.
Joseph’s answer comes in 48:9a: They are my sons, whom God has
given me here, meaning in Egypt.
In 48:9b is Jacob’s command: Bring them, I pray you, unto me, the
reason being: and I will bless them.
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Genesis 48:10a reveals the state of Jacob’s eyesight: Now the eyes
of Israel were dim for age. The result was: so that he could not see; he
was not totally blind, but he was extremely near sighted.
Genesis 48:10b records Joseph’s obedience: And he brought them
near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. Although Jacob
has one intention in drawing his grandsons close, Joseph at first
thinks his purpose is only because of his poor eyesight.
Genesis 48:11 gives Jacob’s response to Joseph: I had not thought
to see your face, and, lo, God has let me see your seed also. He never
anticipated seeing Joseph again, and yet not only was he seeing
Joseph again but Joseph’s sons who legally now were Jacob’s sons.
Genesis 48:12-13 records Joseph’s presentation of his two sons,
beginning in verse 12 with Joseph’s obedience: And Joseph brought
them out from between his knees; and he bowed himself with his face to the
earth, a sign of submission to the father. Then in verse 13 is Joseph’s
presentation and positioning of the two sons: And Joseph took them
both, and placed them as he felt they should be placed. Concerning
Ephraim: Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand; in this
way, Jacob’s left hand would be on the younger son. As for
Manasseh: and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand;
this would put Jacob’s right hand on the firstborn, which would be
the norm, since the right hand was viewed as the greater and the
more important. Therefore, this positioning would bless the
firstborn: and [Joseph] brought them near unto him.
In 48:14, the opposite of Joseph’s expectation took place: And
Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who
was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head. Furthermore,
it states: guiding his hands wittingly. In other words, because the sons
were now close to Jacob’s face, he could tell which was which, and he
crossed his hands knowingly and deliberately: for Manasseh was the
first-born; so he deliberately crisscrossed his hands so the right hand
was not on the one with the firstborn rights but rather on the
younger son. This was the first blessing in Scripture with the laying
on of hands.
Genesis 48:15-16 gives the content of the blessing: And he blessed
Joseph, showing that the blessings of the two sons were reckoned as
the blessing of Joseph; the blessing of the sons is the blessing of the
father. The content focused on the covenant of God: and [Jacob]
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629
said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the
God who has fed me all my life long unto this day. Literally the Hebrew
reads “shepherded me,” the God who has shepherded me all my life
long unto his day. Jacob recognized that in spite of all his adversities,
his whole life was under God’s control. He then focused on one
person of the Godhead, the Angel of Jehovah: the angel who has
redeemed me from all evil. The Hebrew word for redeemed is the word
goel, the Hebrew word for “redeemer,” and this is the first use of this
word in the Hebrew Bible. The Angel of Jehovah is the Messianic
Angel, the Second Person of the Triunity. Then Jacob made the
blessing: Bless the lads, the two sons. By saying, and let my name be
named on them, he means they are now part of the House of Israel;
and the name of my fathers, means they are now part of the Jewish line
from Abraham through Isaac. Finally, Jacob says: and Let them grow
into a multitude in the midst of the earth. According to the Nuzi
Tablets, adoption in this manner was common, and such blessings
were considered binding under Nuzi law.
Genesis 48:17-18 records Joseph’s reaction to the crisscrossing of
Jacob’s hands, with verse 17 describing Joseph’s attempted
correction. The timing was: And when Joseph saw that his father laid
his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, the result was: It displeased
him, since that was not the way it normally was. Therefore, Joseph
attempted to change it: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it
from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. Joseph’s protest is spelled
out in verse 18: Not so, my father; for this is the first-born; put your right
hand upon his head. Again, Joseph assumed that Jacob’s poor eyesight
caused the error.
But Jacob’s response in 48:19 shows that no error was
committed: And his father refused to change hands, and his answer to
Joseph pointed out what his knowledge was: and said, I know it, my
son, I know it, repeating it for emphasis; he knew which son was
which and made no mistake. Indeed, Manasseh was the firstborn: He
also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. However, as for
Ephraim the younger: Howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than
he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations, or the “fullness” of
the nations. The promise of verse 4 is now focused on the Tribe of
Ephraim, which will become the most dominate tribe and name.
The name Ephraim will be applied to all the northern tribes of Israel.
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The fulfillment is found in subsequent Scripture. Initially, there was
numerical growth as recorded in the Book of Numbers. The first
census (Num. 1:32-35), gives Manasseh’s number as 32,200 and
Ephraim’s number as 40,500; and so in the first census, Ephraim was
clearly larger than Manasseh was. Nevertheless, in the second census
(Num. 26:28-37), Manasseh had 52,700, an increase of 20,500
people, while Ephraim had a total of 32,500, a decrease by 8,000. So
initially, Ephraim was a larger tribe, but after the forty years of
wandering, his was the smaller tribe. In fact, Ephraim had less than
what he had forty years earlier. While this might seem to contradict
the blessing of Jacob and Jacob’s prophecy, this is not really the case.
The blessings of Jacob are not necessarily in numbers but in status:
preeminence. Ephraim precedes Manasseh in the genealogy of
Numbers 1:10; Ephraim preceded Manasseh in the census results
(Num. 1:32-33, 1:34-35); Ephraim preceded Manasseh in the list of
tribal chiefs (Num. 7:48-53, 7:54-59); and Ephraim was placed in
the middle position on the west side of the Tabernacle between
Manasseh and Benjamin. Ephraim took leadership of the northern
tribes as early as the period of the Judges. Ephraim became a key
tribe, and eventually the name Ephraim also became a synonym for
all Israel. Sometimes in place of saying “Israel,” the people would say
Ephraim, not referring to only the Tribe of Ephraim but referring to
the entire nation of Israel, especially the Northern Kingdom
(Isa. 7:2, 7:5, 7:9, 7:17; Hos. 9:3-16).
Finally, in 48:20 came the blessing: And he blessed them that day.
The content was: In you will Israel bless, saying, God make you as
Ephraim and as Manasseh. Hebrews 11:21 states that the blessing of
Jacob was an act of faith on Jacob’s part. In his blessing: He set
Ephraim before Manasseh.
3. The Prophecy of the Family’s Return to the Land -
48:21-22
21And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God will
be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your
fathers. 22Moreover I have given to you one portion
above your brethren, which I took out of the hand of the
Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
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The encounter between Jacob and Joseph ends with a prophecy
of the future Exodus—the future return to the Land—with the
prophecy itself found in 48:21. As far as his own future: Behold, I die;
Jacob knew he would die while in the land of Egypt, and he knew
that the Exodus would take place beyond his lifetime and perhaps
beyond the lifetime of his sons. While that was Jacob’s immediate
future, he then dealt with the nation’s future: but God will be with
you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
In 48:22, Jacob gave a special inheritance to Joseph: Moreover I
have given to you one portion above your brethren. This may refer to the
double portion given to the firstborn; and therefore, instead of being
the father of one tribe, he became the father of two tribes. The
Hebrew text reads shechem, translated as portion, but it is also the
name of the City of Shechem. Therefore, this word might very well
be a reference to the City of Shechem where Jacob bought a parcel of
ground (Gen. 33:19). Thus Jacob gave that parcel of ground that he
bought by the City of Shechem to the ownership of Joseph. That
was the very place where the bones of Joseph were later reburied
(Josh. 24:32), and it fell into Manasseh’s territory. There is a
reference to this in John 4:5-6, which mentions Sychar (a suburb of
Shechem), the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to Joseph. The irony
is that Jacob’s gift of the coat to Joseph at the beginning of the toldot
created a major problem between Joseph and his brothers; now at the
end of his life, Jacob gave another gift to Joseph. Then Jacob said of
this parcel that it was land: which I took out of the hand of the Amorite
with my sword and with my bow, a reference back to Genesis 34. The
sword and the bow are Simeon and Levi, and vicariously through
them, Jacob took the city. According to Rashi, Esau had behaved
like an Amorite; and the one Jacob slew was Esau according to
rabbinic tradition, although there is no scriptural basis for this
assertion.
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K. Jacob’s Prophecy Regarding His Sons -
49:1-28
1. Jacob’s Call to His Sons - 49:1
And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: gather
yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall
befall you in the latter days.
This verse introduces a very significant chapter. The prophecy
regarding Jacob’s sons begins with a call: And Jacob called unto his sons,
and said: gather yourselves together. The reason for this gathering was:
that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the latter days. This will
be much more than the standard Patriarchal Blessing. This will be a
prophecy that will develop in the course of the history of the Twelve
Tribes, making it a very long-term prophecy. In fact, it is similar to
the prophetic history given by Moses concerning the Twelve Tribes
in Deuteronomy 33. The term latter days is found thirteen times in
the Old Testament (Gen. 49:1; Num. 24:14; Deut. 4:30, 31:29;
Isa. 2:2; Jer. 23:20, 30:24, 48:47, 49:39; Ezek. 38:16; Hos. 3:5;
Mic. 4:1; Dan. 10:14). It is consistently used of the distant prophetic
future.
According to rabbinic tradition, Jacob wanted to tell them when
the Messiah would come; but suddenly the Shechinah left him so that
he had to speak of other things. The rabbis viewed this chapter as
being very messianic as the following examples show. The Targum
Pseudo-Jonathan:
Then Jacob called his sons and said to them; “Purify
yourselves of uncleanness, and I will tell you the
hidden secrets, the concealed date of the end, the
reward of the righteous and the punishment of the
wicked, and what the pleasure of Paradise will be.”
The twelve sons of Israel gathered together around
the golden bed on which he lay. As soon as the date
of the end when the King-Messiah would arrive was
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633
revealed to him, it was immediately concealed from
him; and, therefore, instead (of revealing the date)
he said, “Come and I will relate to you what will
happen to you at the end of days.”
The Fragmentary Targum:
And Jacob called his sons and said unto them,
“Gather together and I shall tell you what will be
befall you; the giving of reward to the righteous and
the punishment that is destined to come upon the
wicked, when they are all gathered together in the
end of days.” They thought that he would reveal to
them everything that is destined to come about in
the final messianic period. However, after it was
revealed unto him, it was concealed from him; and
Jacob arose and blessed them, and each according to
his measure of [deserving] blessing did he bless
them.
The Targum Neofiti:
And Jacob called his sons and said to them, “Gather
together and I will tell you the concealed secrets, the
hidden ends, the giving of rewards of the just and
the punishment of the wicked and what the
happiness of Eden is.” The twelve tribes gathered
together and surrounded the bed of gold on which
our father Jacob was lying after the end was revealed
to him that the determined end of the blessing and
the calculation be communicated to them. When the
end was revealed to him, the mystery was hidden
from him. They hoped that he would relate to them
the determined end of the redemption and the
consolation. [But] when the mystery was revealed to
him, it was hidden from him and when the door was
opened to him, it was closed from him. Our father
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Jacob answered and blessed them: each according to
the good works he blessed them.
In all three of these quotes, in the rabbinic understanding,
originally the purpose of the gathering was to reveal the date of
Messiah’s coming. However, as soon as Jacob knew of it, it was also
erased from his memory; and, therefore, he chose instead to give the
prophecy contained in this chapter. While this understanding is not
supported by Scripture, these Jewish writings reflect the Messianic
expectations of various Jewish teachers and writers.
2. Introduction - 49:2
Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob;
And hearken unto Israel your father.
Verse 2 is the introduction to Jacob’s prophecy, and he issued a
command put in Hebrew parallelism. The second line: And hearken
unto Israel your father, repeats the meaning of the first line for
emphasis. In the first line they are to: Assemble yourselves, and hear (or
hearken in line 2). In the first line they are called sons of Jacob, and in
the second line they are reminded that Israel (Jacob) is their father.
Before detailing Jacob’s prophecy, the following five observations
can be noted. First, the order of the sons as Jacob deals with them is
not the same as found in Genesis 30-31, except for the first four.
Second, the actual order runs as follows. He begins with the sons of
Leah: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi; and Judah, Zebulun, and Issachar.
Then he deals with the sons of the handmaids beginning with
Bilhah’s son Dan. He then deals with Zilpah’s two sons, Gad and
Asher; then back to Bilhah’s other son Naphtali. At the end of the
list, he then deals with the sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin.
Third, except for Zebulun, no specific locations are given; and even
for Zebulun, the emphasis is on what he will become, not where he
will be. He will become a people of commerce. Fourth, Jacob
prophesied the future and not the sites of the Tribes, in keeping with
the emphasis of 49:1: which shall befall you in the latter days. Fifth, the
future history of the tribes is viewed as an outgrowth of the present
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635
character of each son. The character of each son, to some degree,
becomes the character of his tribe.
3. Jacob’s Blessing of His Twelve Sons - 49:3-27
a. Reuben - 49:3-4
3Reuben, you are my first-born, my might, and the
beginning of my strength;
The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of
power.
4Boiling over as water, you shall not have the pre-
eminence;
Because you went up to your father’s bed;
Then defiled you it: he went up to my couch.
He begins in verse 3 describing Reuben’s position, which was
threefold: first, my first-born; second, my might; and third, the
beginning of my strength, meaning Reuben was the first one that
issued from Jacob’s loins. This was all first-born terminology
(Deut. 21:17; Ps. 78:51, 105:36). After describing Reuben’s position,
Jacob then deals with Reuben’s preeminence: The pre-eminence of
dignity, and the pre-eminence of power, that which could have been his
as the first-born.
However, in 49:4, Jacob focused on Reuben’s loss, a loss caused
by the problem: Boiling over as water, meaning he was unstable as
water. The concept of boiling over pictures him as passionate, full of
passion. Also he had a weakness of will and a lack of self-control,
which added up to a lack of firmness of purpose. He was a man of
unstable emotion. Therefore, that led to the result: In place of the
blessing, there was a curse: You shall not have the pre-eminence.
Reuben’s firstborn rights were divided between Joseph and Judah.
According to I Chronicles 5:1-2 Joseph received the firstborn rights
of a double portion, hence two tribes. However, Judah received the
preeminence. So although Reuben was endued with strength and
firstborn rights, he proved unstable, not excelling, and hence losing
his birthright. The reason for the loss is finally given, Reuben’s sin:
Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then defiled you it: he went up
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to my couch; a reference to his sin in 35:22, where Reuben had sexual
relations with one of the handmaids. Jacob’s prophecy of Reuben can
be summarized as follows: Excellency and the dignity was his
birthright as the firstborn; but this was forfeited by sin because he
proved to be unstable as water.
The style of Jacob’s blessing of Reuben is one majestic phrase
followed by another majestic phrase, building up to an ominous
collapse. The blessing builds up to a height and then suddenly
collapses, emphasizing a contrast between a man and his calling. The
Tribe of Reuben never produced anyone of significance; it never
produced a judge, a prophet, or a leader. His failure in leadership
during the period of the Judges is brought out in Judges 5:15. He
was overshadowed by Gad and overrun by Moab (II Kings 10:32-33;
I Chron. 26:31-32). In the first census (Num. 1:20-21), he
numbered 46,500; in the second census (Num. 26:5-7), he numbered
43,730, a decrease. The prayer of Moses in Deuteronomy 33:6 was:
Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few. Moses had to
intercede to make sure Reuben did not disappear. Reuben played a
minor role in Israel’s subsequent history.
b. Simeon and Levi - 49:5-7
5Simeon and Levi are brethren;
Weapons of violence are their swords.
6O my soul, come not you into their council;
Unto their assembly, my glory, be not you united;
For in their anger they slew a man,
And in their self-will they hocked an ox.
7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce;
And their wrath, for it was cruel:
I will divide them in Jacob,
And scatter them in Israel.
Jacob chose to deal with Simeon and Levi together. In verse 5,
he described their nature, starting with their relationship: Simeon and
Levi are brethren. These were two full brothers who were both sons
of Leah. Nevertheless, not only were they full brothers in blood, they
were also full brothers in violence: Weapons of violence are their swords;
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the Hebrew word for swords here is a hapax-legomenon, appearing
here and nowhere else in the Hebrew text. But the point is that the
brothers were characterized by violence. This was Jacob’s moral
judgment for their actions in Genesis 34 in response to the rape of
Dinah because this was not a holy war that they practiced, as would
be the case of Joshua; rather, it was vengeance.
In 49:6 is Jacob’s disassociation from the deeds of Simeon and
Levi: O my soul, come not you into their council; Unto their assembly, my
glory, be not you united.
In 49:6b, he spelled out Simeon and Levi’s sins. Their first sin
was: For in their anger they slew a man. The word man is singular, but
it is used as a collective singular; they slaughtered the whole
population of Shechem (34:25-26). Their second sin was: And in
their self-will they hocked an ox. Here again is the use of a collective
singular referring to the animals of 34:27-28. To hock an animal
means to cut the tendons of the oxen so that they could no longer
continue working. They did not take the oxen as spoil; instead, they
hocked them, for the purpose of laming them, rendering them both
useless and helpless.
Then in 49:7, came Jacob’s judgment. First, he speaks curses on
their deeds: Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; And their wrath, for
it was cruel. Second, his judgment falls on their seed: I will divide
them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.
In keeping with the judgment, neither tribe received its own
territory in the Land; their territories were within the territory of
other tribes; they did not receive their own tribal holdings. Simeon
turned out to be the weakest tribe in number. In the first census
(Num. 1:23), his tribe numbered 59,300. In the second census
(Num. 26:14), it went all the way down to 22,200. A member of
Simeon’s tribe was involved in the sin of worshipping Baal-Peor
(Num. 25:14) through immorality. Simeon is omitted from the tribal
blessings of Moses in Deuteronomy 33. When the Jews did get the
Land of Israel, Simeon settled, not in his own territory, but in the
southern part of Judah’s territory (Josh. 19:1-9, Judg. 1:3). In
subsequent history, Simeon smote the inhabitants of Mount Seir
(I Chron. 4:42-43). The Tribe of Levi did side with Moses in the sin
of the golden calf (Exod. 32:26-29); but in keeping with Jacob’s
curse, Levi did not receive his own territory. Rather, the Tribe of
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Levi was scattered in forty-eight different Levitical Cities
throughout the other Tribes of Israel (Num. 18:20-24, 35:1-8;
Deut. 10:8-9; Josh. 14:4, 21:1-42).
c. Judah - 49:8-12
8Judah, you shall your brethren praise:
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s sons shall bow down before you.
9Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you are gone up:
He stooped down, he couched as a lion,
And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
10The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh come:
And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.
11Binding his foal unto the vine,
And his ass’s colt unto the choice vine;
He has washed his garments in wine,
And his vesture in the blood of grapes:
12His eyes shall be red with wine,
And his teeth white with milk.
Jacob’s blessings of the first three sons ended up being curses, but
here in verse 8 the tone changes. With Judah comes the first real,
true blessing. It begins in verse 8 with Judah’s preeminence: Judah,
you shall your brethren praise. In the Hebrew text, there is a play upon
words, since the name Judah means “praise.” A paraphrase of the play
upon words would read: “Praise, your brothers will praise you.” Then
he said: Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; meaning Judah
shall succeed in war (II Sam. 22:41, Ps. 18:40). In 37:26-27, Judah
refused to put his hand upon Joseph; now Judah is praised for
putting his hand on his enemies. Then he added: Your father’s sons
shall bow down before you, again showing the preeminence of Judah.
Indeed, he did gain the preeminence over the other tribes. In
Numbers 2:9, in the wilderness wanderings, Judah set forth first; in
Numbers 10:14, he headed the march through the wilderness. In
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I Chronicles 5:2, Judah prevailed above his brethren. In Judges 1:1-2,
Judah is chosen by God to go up first against the Canaanites. Indeed,
Judah received the preeminence.
Genesis 49:9 deals with Judah’s power in four poetic phrases.
First, Judah is a lion’s whelp, emphasizing vigor and nobility. Second,
From the prey, my son, you are gone up; meaning he has succeeded in
killing and consuming his prey. Third, He stooped down, he couched as
a lion. Fourth, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Thus, Judah is
pictured as a lion. Judah is pictured as the lion of the Tribe of Judah.
Balaam (Num. 24:9) uses a similar figure for Israel.
Genesis 49:10 deals with the Messianic Line, the Lion of the
Tribe of Judah. This verse also contains four poetic statements. First,
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah. The scepter is the symbol of
kingship, and so having the scepter emphasizes Judah’s right to rule.
This means his preeminence is not going to disappear. The second
phrase: Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, means the lawgiver
will not cease; Messiah will have theocratic administration. This
means Judah’s right to rule will not disappear. The third phrase is:
Until Shiloh come. There is more than one way to understand this
phrase. One option is to take this to be a messianic name, Shiloh,
although in Hebrew this word is spelled differently than the City of
Shiloh mentioned in the Books of Judges, Joshua, and Samuel.
However, one problem with taking it as a proper name is that Shiloh
is feminine, but the verb is masculine. Furthermore, elsewhere, Shiloh
is the name of a place and not the name of a person; and the city was
located within Ephraim and not within Judah. Another option is to
take Shiloh as a possessive pronoun to be translated “whose it is,” or
“whose right it is.” This would be the better option, and the phrase
would be translated: “Until He come Whose right it is.” The
Septuagint translates it this way and so does the Syriac Version. So do
the Dead Sea Scrolls, which read as follows:
A ruler shall not depart from the Tribe of Judah
while Israel has dominion. There will not be cut off
a king in it belonging to the line of David. For the
staff is the covenant of the kingship; the thousands
of Israel are the feet, until the coming of the
Messiah of Righteousness, the Branch of David, for
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him and to his seed has been given the covenant of
the kingship over his people for everlasting
generations.79
Furthermore, there is a very close parallel to this passage found
in Ezekiel 21:27, which reads: until he come whose right it is; and I will
give it to him. In the preceding verse in Ezekiel, he mentioned the
crown, also a symbol of kingship; and the scepter and the ruling staff
of 49:9 are also kingly symbols. So the close parallel with
Ezekiel 21:26-27 favors the second option. Thus Ezekiel 21:27
reads: I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: this also shall be no more,
until he come whose right it is; and I will give it to him, meaning God
will give him the crown. The point is that the ruling staff and the
scepter will not depart from Judah until he come whose right it is and
then He will receive it forever. There will be no need for any
succession. Therefore, Shiloh should be taken in the Hebrew text as a
short form of the relative she, meaning “who,” plus the propositional
lamed, meaning “to,” with the vowel character hey. “He, to whom, it
is,” or “until he come whose right it is,” and, of course, this is the
Messiah. So it will be until the Messiah comes. The word until
however, does not necessarily imply termination as in the case of
Genesis 28:15; it does not mean Judah will lose its right to rule once
the Messiah comes. What it means is that Judah will exercise royal
power finally, to the end when the Messiah comes to rule the world.
Royal power will be passed from generation to generation in Judah in
succession until He come whose right it is. Once it is given to the
Messiah, royal power remains forever with Him; this is ultimately a
reference to the Second Coming when Messiah comes to rule the
earth. Fourth: And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be. The
word peoples is plural and therefore a reference to the non-Jewish
Nations or Gentiles. The Gentiles will obey Him during His
messianic rule in the millennium. All rabbinic views on this verse
always viewed it as clearly messianic. For example, the Targum
Onkelos translates it as follows. “The transmission of dominion shall
not cease from the house of Judah, nor the scribe from the children’s
79 4QPBless, Dead Sea Scrolls.
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children, forever, until the Messiah comes, to whom the kingdom
belongs, and whom nations shall obey.” The rabbis took this to be
the source of one of the rabbinic names of the Messiah, which was
Shiloh: “The Messiah is called Shiloh to indicate He will be born of a
woman [and would, therefore, not be a divine being]. The amniotic
sac in which the fetus is formed in the womb is called a shilyah. (The
Messiah’s name “Shiloh” indicates he will be born from a shilyah.)
Rashi said, “Until King Messiah will come whose will be the
kingdom, unto him (Messiah) shall the nations seek.” The Midrash
on this passage reads as follows:
Furthermore, the role Messiah will be descended
from the Tribe of Judah as it says [quoting
Isa. 11:10]. Thus from the Tribe of Judah were
descended Solomon, who built the First Temple,
and Zerubbabel, who built the Second Temple, and
[from him will be descended] the royal Messiah,
who will rebuild the Temple. Of the Messiah is
written (quoting Ps. 89:37)… Judah is the lion’s
whelp. Rabbi Hamblen and Rabbi Hanina said: This
alludes to the Messiah the son of David who was
descended from two tribes, his father from Judah
and his mother from Dan, in connection with both
of which “lion” is written [quoting
Deut. 33:22]…The scepter alludes…to the Messiah,
the Son of David, who will chastise the nations with
a staff, as it is written [quoting Ps. 2:9]…until Shiloh
comes. Thus, indicate that all nations will bring a
gift to Messiah, the Son of David, as it says [quoting
Isa. 18:7].80
Another Midrash reads as follows: “This eludes to the royal
Messiah…Obedience of the people He [the Messiah] will come and
set on edge the teeth of the nations of the world.” 81 Yet another
80 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 97.
81 Ibid., 98.
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Midrash interprets 49:10 as: “to whom kingship belongs (Shelo)…”82
So the rabbinic view was clearly that this was a reference to the
Messiah.
Genesis 49:11 goes on to discuss Judah’s prosperity also in four
phases. First comes: Binding his foal unto the vine. Normally, this was
not a good thing to do; because if one binds a foal to a vine and if the
foal moves his head, he will pull out the vine. But the point here is
that these vines are so strong that one can harness the foal to it; and
he is harnessing his foal for the produce of one vine, emphasizing
strength. Second, Jacob continued: And his ass’s colt unto the choice
vine. Here, the emphasis is on abundance. According to the rabbis,
who also take this verse to be messianic, the Messiah will be
recognized as riding on an ass. Third, Jacob continued: He has
washed his garments in wine. The emphasis here is on a very high
yield and plenty of wine. Fourth, the figure continues: And his vesture
in the blood of grapes: This depicts the Messiah as coming in
judgment similar to Isaiah 63:1-6 and Revelation 14:17-20. The
basic point of 49:11 is that Judah will prosper in his assigned
territory; and indeed to this day the land of Judah is a vine-growing
country, rich with vines. The rabbis saw this verse as being
messianic. The Targum Onkelos on this verse states:
Messiah will build a Temple. He shall enclose Israel
in His city, the people shall build his Temple, the
righteous shall surround him, and those who serve
the Torah by teaching shall be with Him. His
raiment shall be of goodly purple, His garment of
the finest brightly dyed wool.
Genesis 49:12 gives the final result, focusing on Messiah’s eyes
and his teeth. As for his eyes: His eyes shall be red with wine; literally,
redder than wine. It emphasizes exuberant intoxication from
overdrinking in abundance, not from immoral drunkenness, but from
simple abundance. As for his teeth: And his teeth white with milk;
literally, whiter than milk. Here again, the emphasis is on
82 Ibid., 99.
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643
abundance, not only the abundance of grapes but also the abundance
of milk, dairy products.
A summary of Jacob’s blessing upon Judah covers six points.
First, Judah is to be praised, to rule, and through him Messiah will
come. Second, he will have the preeminence among his brothers.
Third, the brothers will acknowledge his superiority. Fourth, he will
have victory over his enemies. Fifth, he will have royal authority.
Sixth, the line of Judah will administer a kingdom. It should be
noted from this that God already had a plan for Israel to have a king,
but now it is revealed that the king was to come from the Tribe of
Judah. Therefore, it was not totally wrong for Israel later on to ask
for a king. The sin was in the wrong motivation, and they had the
timing wrong as well; the result was that the first king was of a tribe
other than Judah, and they suffered for it.
d. Zebulun - 49:13
Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea;
And he shall be for a haven of ships;
And his border shall be upon Sidon.
Three things are declared of Zebulun. First, Zebulun shall dwell
at the haven of the sea; meaning near the sea. He shall live toward the
seashore. Second, He shall be for a haven of ships; meaning he will be
near that part of the sea that will provide protective shelter for ships.
Third, His border shall be upon Sidon.
From the tribal territory that was assigned to Zebulun in the
Book of Joshua, Zebulun was actually a landlocked tribe; his border
did not extend to the seashore. However, Zebulun was near enough
to the coast and near enough to the Phoenician City of Sidon to be
enriched because of sea-borne trade. A major highway of the ancient
Near East, the Via Maris, passed through the Tribe of Zebulun. This
prophecy may well also have meant that his trade, the rich crop that
he grew in his territory, would be exported and go through the port
of Sidon. Again, according to Joshua 19:10-16, Zebulun’s territory
did not border the sea, and the Tribe of Asher separated him from
the Mediterranean Sea. The Tribe of Naphtali also separated
Zebulun’s territory from the Sea of Galilee. Therefore, he was
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between Asher and Naphtali, and thus landlocked. Another meaning
could be that Jacob’s blessing referred not to the time of the Joshua
settlement but of the millennial settlement. In the Millennial
Kingdom, the borders of the tribes will be different; and indeed
Zebulun will border the sea in the Messianic Kingdom
(Ezek. 48:26).
In subsequent history of Zebulun’s tribe, in Deuteronomy 33:18,
Moses said that Zebulun would rejoice in his going out. In Judges 5:18,
the tribe is mentioned in the Song of Deborah, the tribe whose men
risked their lives for Israel’s independence. In Judges 12:11-12, Elon
the Judge, came from the Tribe of Zebulun. In I Chronicles 12:33 and
12:40, among David’s supporters were men from the Tribe of
Zebulun. The territory of Zebulun was to be a major area of Messiah’s
ministry (Isa. 9:1), fulfilled by the fact that the City of Nazareth was in
the tribal territory of Zebulun (Matt. 4:15-16). Jonah the Prophet was
from the Tribe of Zebulun.
e. Issachar - 49:14-15
14Issachar is a strong ass,
Couching down between the sheepfolds:
15And he saw a resting-place that it was good,
And the land that it was pleasant;
And he bowed his shoulder to bear,
And became a servant under taskwork.
Verse 14 deals with Issachar’s nature, and states two things. First,
Issachar is a strong ass, connecting Issachar with a beast of burden. And
this tribe indeed was devoted more to agriculture than to political
power. Issachar had a strong side to him. In Numbers 26:25, his tribe
numbered 64,300; but in I Chronicles 7:1-5, they numbered 87,000.
Second, Jacob continued his prophecy by picturing Issachar Couching
down between the sheepfolds, meaning Issachar preferred a life of ease
rather than a life of service, and that was his weak side; he was not
particularly ambitious.
Genesis 49:15 describes Issachar’s actions and activities in four
phrases. First, And he saw a resting-place that it was good. The
emphasis is on choosing to rest rather than to work. The good place
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was in the Valley of Jezreel, a rather rich valley. Second, his
observation was: And the land that it was pleasant. Joshua 19:17-23
points out that he was given the fertile land of the Jezreel Valley.
However, while he was given the good land assigned to him, he
would not fight for it; and so he became a burden bearer. This does
not mean he was cowardly; he was just lazy. In Judges 6:35, Gideon
does not mention Issachar’s Tribe as being part of his Galilean
Army. Third, And he bowed his shoulder to bear. He preferred to be
merely a laborer; and since he was quite strong physically, he lowered
his shoulder in order to be able to accept the burden. Fourth, And
[he] became a servant under taskwork. The Hebrew here is mas oveid;
meaning a corree83 worker; he became a servant under tribute. He
chose to submit to leaders and become their slave because he felt it
was better to enjoy the fruits of a good land even though to do so
required submission to the corrupt Canaanites. He was willing to
trade his liberty for the material things in life.
In subsequent history, Issachar is mentioned in
Deuteronomy 33:18-19, where Moses declares that this tribe shall
suck the abundance of the seas, and the hidden treasures, which are
carried from the sandy coast into the interior. Therefore, Moses also
connected their wealth with the sea as in the case of Zebulun. In
Judges 5:15, only with the extra forces of Barak did they join the war.
In Judges 10:1-2, one of the Judges of Israel, Tola, came from this
tribe. In I Chronicles 12:32, members of this tribe were among
David’s supporters.
According to the rabbis, Issachar studied the Torah, while
Zebulun supported him.
f. Dan - 49:16-18
16Dan shall judge his people,
As one of the tribes of Israel.
17Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
An adder in the path,
That bites the horse’s heels,
83 A worker of a subjugated people.
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So that his rider falls backward.
18I have waited for your salvation, O Jehovah.
In verse 16, Jacob viewed Dan as the judge, in keeping with the
meaning of his name: Dan shall judge his people. This was fulfilled in
the person of Samson who was of this tribe (Judg. 13-16). In
addition, Dan judged: As one of the tribes of Israel, he was reckoned
among the Tribes of Israel although frequently listed last.
Numbers 10:25 states he brought up the rear, and the same point is
made in Joshua 19:40-48. In the future when God will select twelve
thousand from twelve different tribes, twelve thousand will not be
selected from the Tribe of Dan; and so Dan is not listed among the
144 thousand Jews of Revelation 7. However, the tribe never
disappears. This tribe is included in the Messianic Kingdom, and
there will be a Tribe of Dan in the Messianic Kingdom
(Ezek. 48:1-2, 48:32).
Genesis 49:17 describes Dan as a warrior, picturing him as
fighting a guerrilla war. First, Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a
serpent that is ready to strike, that brings harm to those deserving of
it. Second, he is An adder in the path; although very small, he will
succeed. Third, he is one That bites the horse’s heels, So that the rider
falls backward. Since the biting of the heel of the horse causes the
horse to rear up, that causes the rider upon the horse to fall
backward. This fits well in describing the exploits of Samson and of
the Danite attack on the northern city of Laish, which later became
the capital of Dan (Judg. 18:1-31).
In 49:18, Jacob also prophesied Dan’s salvation: I have waited for
your salvation, O Jehovah. This is the first use of the word salvation of
seventy-eight times in the Old Testament. This is a prophecy of
Dan’s ultimate salvation in the end, although throughout Israel’s
history the Tribe of Dan was prone to idolatry (Judg. 18:1-31,
I Kings 12:28-30, II Kings 10:29). The salvation will come about
because the Tribe of Dan will be part of Israel’s national salvation
and restoration (Ezek. 48:1).
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A rabbinic view on this verse reads: “Our ancestor Jacob saw
him” [meaning Samson],84 and thought that he would be the
Messiah. But when he saw him dead, he exclaimed, “He, too, is
dead. I waited for your salvation.” The rabbis saw messianic
implications in that initially Jacob thought that Samson might be the
Messiah; and then when he saw in a vision Samson would die, he
then realized God would be the salvation. Other rabbis have
interpreted this verse to mean, “For your help I wait O God that you
will speedily send the Messiah.”
g. Gad - 49:19
Gad, a troop shall press upon him;
But he shall press upon their heel.
In the Hebrew Text, the verse contains six words, with four of
those six based on a word play with Gad’s name. The New King James
Version has tried to bring out the word play as follows: A troop shall
troop upon him. But he shall troop on their heels. The point is that Gad
will be raided by raiders, but he will eventually raid them. First, Gad,
a troop shall press upon him. The Hebrew word for troop literally
means “a marauding band.” A marauding band will press on him,
and he will be overcome by a troop. Gad will be consistently attacked
and harassed by hostile troops and by hostile enemies. His territory
was in the Trans-Jordan, on the east side of the Jordan River, where
he suffered from constant attacks from the desert tribes (Jer. 49:1).
Second, But he shall press upon their heel; he, in turn, will press upon
them, and he will raid them in retaliation; raid upon their heel and
overcome them in the end. His fighting ability will eventually
overcome them. His fighting ability is also mentioned in the blessing
of Moses for this tribe (Deut. 33:20). Dan’s fighting ability is also
attested in I Chronicles 5:18-22. In I Chronicles 12, verses 8-15 and
37, members of this tribe were also supporters of David. A rabbinic
84 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 98.
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commentary interprets this verse to speak of Elijah who will be
Messiah’s forerunner.85
h. Asher - 49:20
Out of Asher his bread shall be fat,
And he shall yield royal dainties.
Jacob made two statements about Asher. First, Out of Asher his
bread shall be fat, emphasizing prosperity; he will desire rich food.
The Hebrew word for fat or rich food literally means “fat” or “oily
stuff.” The same word is also used of Asher in Deuteronomy 33:24,
where it is translated as Asher dipping his foot in oil. This particular
word is found 190 times in the Hebrew Bible. It is always, without
exception, used of only one type of oil, and that is olive oil, but never
of motor oil as some as have tried to interpret this in recent times.
Rather, it points out that he will have rich territory. In fact, he was
assigned land along the Mediterranean Coast, which is very suitable
for growing many things; and to this day, it is rich in olive trees
producing olive oil. Second, And he shall yield royal dainties; meaning
he will produce delicacies and will produce the choice food of kings.
He will be prosperous in the produce of the fields.
i. Naphtali - 49:21
Naphtali is a hind let loose:
He gives goodly words.
Concerning Naphtali, Jacob also made two simple statements.
First, Naphtali is a hind let loose; this pictures him in an unstrained
ability of movement. The hind is the female deer or doe. Therefore,
as a deer with all the restraints removed and set free, he runs around.
The territory of Naphtali is a mountainous land, and the picture of
his people is as being a free, mountain people with great ability in
warfare, an ability portrayed in Judges 4:1-24. Second, He gives
goodly words, emphasizing his sophistication in speech. He has the
85 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 99:11.
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gift of refined and agreeable speech and the capable use of words, as
portrayed in Judges 5:1-31.
The Midrash interprets 49:21 as follows: “Rabbi Yochanah said:
Tiberias will confer [greatness] upon the Messiah.”86 Here again the
rabbi saw messianic implication. Tiberias, which did not exist at this
point, was in Naphtali’s territory; Tiberias would eventually confer
greatness upon the Messiah.
j. Joseph - 49:22-26
22Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a fountain;
His branches run over the wall.
23The archers have sorely grieved him, And shot at him,
and persecute him:
24But his bow abode in strength,
And the arms of his hands were made strong,
By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
(From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),
25Even by the God of your father, who shall help you,
And by the Almighty, who shall bless you,
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that couches beneath, Blessings of
the breasts, and of the womb.
26The blessings of your father
Have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors
Unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills:
They shall be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him that was separate
from his brethren.
The prophecy concerning Joseph begins in verse 22, dealing with
Joseph’s progeny in three descriptive phrases. First, Joseph is a fruitful
bough. The Hebrew literally reads “the son of a fruitful tree.” The
86 Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 97.
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term fruitful here has the same root as the name Ephraim, which
means “double fruit.” In fact, that is a theme for Joseph found also in
41:52. Second, Joseph is A fruitful bough by a fountain. The Hebrew
again literally reads “the son of a fruitful tree,” but this time it
mentions that it is by a fountain; meaning it has its own water supply
and so it is not dependent upon the rain. Third, His branches run over
the wall, emphasizing the spread of fruitfulness. This pictures a
branch so spread out with fruit that it actually goes beyond the wall
of the orchard itself. The fulfillment of this is seen in the numbering
of the tribes. In the census of Numbers chapter 1, the count is less
than for Judah; but in Numbers 26, the figure is more than for
Judah.
Genesis 49:23 describes the persecution of Joseph in three
phrases. First, The archers have sorely grieved him; second, And shot at
him; and third, and persecuted him. All three refer to the mistreatment
he suffered at the hands of his brothers and at the hands of Potiphar
and Potiphar’s wife.
In 49:24, Jacob poetically describes Joseph’s survival in four
phrases. First, But his bow abode in strength, commenting on Joseph’s
spiritual and moral strength, that his bow stayed taut. The Hebrew
literally means “to retain a fixed shape.” In spite of all opposition to
Joseph, God caused the attacks against Joseph to fail, so the enemies’
bows did not release their deadly shafts or arrows. Second, And the
arms of his hands were made strong, Joseph’s faith was tested, and it
became stronger so that he was elevated in Egypt. Third, Joseph
prevailed: By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob. This was the means
of Joseph’s survival; it was the God of Jacob Who sustained him.
Referring to God as the Mighty One of Jacob emphasizes God’s
omnipotence to provide such strength. Fourth, this same God will
produce the Messiah. From thence, meaning from the same God of
Jacob, is the shepherd, referring to the Messiah as the Good Shepherd
(developed in Zech. 11 and John 10); and He is the stone of Israel.
The stone is a common symbol of the Messiah Who is presented as
the Messianic Stone in many passages of Scripture.
Then in 49:25, Jacob moved from the past to Joseph’s future
blessing. In verse 25a, the source of this blessing will be God, stated
in two phrases. First, this is: Even by the God of your father, who shall
help you; second, And by the Almighty, who shall bless you. In verse 25b,
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the blessings are stated as being in both prosperity and posterity, and
three blessings are listed. The first source is: With blessings of heaven
above; referring to the blessing of dew, so crucial for the growing of
summer crops in Israel since there is no rain during the summer
months (Gen. 27:39, Deut. 33:13). The second source is: Blessings of
the deep that couches beneath, referring to the springs and fountains, a
major source of water in a dry climate (Deut. 33:13). The third
blessings are: Blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. Thus the Tribe
of Joseph will become the largest tribe because it developed into two
tribes, and united they were the largest: Ephraim and Manasseh.
Finally, in 49:26, Jacob declares that Joseph was to receive the
blessing of Jacob: The blessings of your father (meaning Jacob) Have
prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors. In other words, the
blessings that Jacob received from God were greater than those
received by Abraham and Isaac. Abraham and Isaac could give the
Patriarchal Blessing only to one son each, but Jacob was able to bless
twelve sons; and earlier, he had blessed the two sons of Joseph. Jacob
then stated the extent: Unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
The reading of the Septuagint is: “the blessing of the eternal
mountains,” and the same phraseology is found in
Deuteronomy 33:15. The meaning is that of excess, overabundant
blessings. In verses 25-26, the term “blessing” has been used five
times. Now all this is to be transferred to Joseph: They shall be on the
head of Joseph. Jacob’s superior blessings above Abraham and Isaac
will now extend to Joseph. So to Joseph went the birthright, and
Jacob’s possessions were willed to Joseph. This is re-emphasized by
Jacob’s next statement: And on the crown of the head of him that was
separate from his brethren. The Hebrew word for separate can also
mean “prince,” meaning “a prince among his brethren.” The
prophecy about Joseph was one of fruitfulness and richness, but not
without opposition.
In the blessing of Joseph, five different titles of God were used:
Mighty One of Jacob, Shepherd, Stone of Israel; Your Father’s God;
and the Almighty.
k. Benjamin - 49:27
Benjamin is a wolf that ravens:
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In the morning he shall devour the prey,
And at even he shall divide the spoil.
The emphasis on Benjamin is on his war-like character,
described in three phrases. First: Benjamin is a wolf that ravens; he is
like a vicious wolf that tears in pieces. Second: In the morning he shall
devour the prey; he is aggressive, and usually to be found on the side
of victory. Third: And at even he shall divide the spoil; he will be so
successful that he will be able to share the spoil of his substance with
others.
Indeed, the Tribe of Benjamin did produce some rather famous
fighters. It produced one of the Judges, Ehud (Judg. 3:15-30). It
produced Saul (I Sam. 9:1 - 11:15) and Jonathan (I Sam. 14:1-52).
Among other famous Benjaminites in the Old Testament were
Mordecai and Esther; in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul
(Rom. 11:1-2). Other references to this tribe include: Judges 5:14
and 19-21; I Chronicles 8:1-40 and 12:1-7; and II Chronicles 14:8
and 17:17.
4. Concluding Summary - 49:28
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it
that their father spoke unto them and blessed them; every
one according to his blessing he blessed them.
The Patriarchal Blessing ends with this concluding summary: All
these are the twelve tribes of Israel, showing that these prophecies go
beyond the sons, themselves, to the tribes. This section concludes:
This is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them; every one
according to this blessing he blessed them.
L. Death and Burial of Jacob - 49:29 - 50:14
1. Death of Jacob - 49:29 - 50:3
29And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be
gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the
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cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30in the
cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before
Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought
with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of
a burying-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 is
therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.
33And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he
gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the
ghost, and was gathered unto his people.
1And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept
upon him, and kissed him. 2And Joseph commanded his
servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the
physicians embalmed Israel. 3And forty days were
fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of
embalming: and the Egyptians wept for him three-score
and ten days.
The account of Jacob’s death begins in verses 29-32 containing
the final charge: And he charged them, and said unto them. In verse 29a,
Jacob announced his coming death: I am to be gathered unto my people,
again, an expression of a faith in the afterlife. Then came the request:
Bury me with my fathers; again, the chronology is that he was first to
be gathered unto his own people, but then his body was to be taken to
be with the fathers. The distinction shows that being gathered to his
people is distinct from being buried with the fathers. In
verses 29b-30, he specified the place: in the cave that is in the field of
Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is
before Mamre, in the land of Canaan. Although it has been a long,
long time now, he still remembered how this burial place came to be
and the origin: which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the
Hittite for a possession of a burying-place. In verse 31, he listed those
who were buried there: There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife;
there they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife; and there I buried Leah.
This is the only mention of Leah’s death, which was not recorded as
an event in the Book of Genesis as Rachel’s death had been reported.
Yet it was Leah and not Rachel who was buried in the Cave of
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Machpelah. Leah finally achieved in death what she was unable to
achieve in life: to be the close one to Jacob. In verse 32, the burial
place is repeated: the field and the cave that is therein, which was
purchased from the children of Heth.
With that specification, location, and details, the passage
comprised of 49:33 - 50:3 records Jacob’s death, with his death
stated in verse 33: And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons,
meaning everything he wanted to say had been said, he gathered up his
feet into the bed. It was as though he chose the moment of his own
death: and [he] yielded up the ghost, literally in Hebrew, “He expired.”
Finally, came the afterlife: and [Jacob] was gathered unto his people,
who were, as stated earlier in the book, in Sheol. Then Genesis 50:1
describes Joseph’s mourning: And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and
wept upon him, and he kissed him. It was good that the two were able
to spend the last seventeen years together. Verses 2-3 describe the
embalming of Jacob, which was initiated by the command of Joseph
in verse 2: And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm
his father. Joseph used physicians and not professional embalmers.
The purpose of embalming the father was to preserve the body so
that it could be buried in the Land of Canaan. However, Joseph
deliberately chose physicians to do the embalming processing and not
professional embalmers, probably to avoid the magic and the
mysticism practiced by the Egyptian embalmers; and the physicians
embalmed Israel. A Greek historian, Herodotus, who visited Egypt,
described the process that the Egyptians used to embalm a body.
The procedure was as follows. First, a period of seventy days was
allowed for embalming and mourning. Second, the body was taken
to the embalmers and laid on a wooden table. Third, they removed
the brain through the nose using a hooked instrument, which
fragmented the brain and made it difficult to preserve it. Fourth,
they removed the entrails by making an incision on the left side with
a stone knife, and then all the organs were removed except for the
heart, and sometimes the kidneys were left inside. Fifth, the entrails
were placed in a jar and preserved in a substance called natron, which
was a mixture of four elements: sodium carbonate, sodium
bicarbonate, sodium chlorite, and sodium sulfate. Sixth, later, the
four entrails of the liver, the lungs, the stomach, and the intestines
were put in four jars and each was dedicated to the four genies of the
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underworld. It was because of this particular magical, mystical art
that was practiced that Joseph probably chose to use physicians
rather than professional embalmers. Seventh, the cavity of the body
was then filled with spices. Eighth, the body was placed in natron
and then treated with salt for seven days, causing a rapid dehydration
of the body while preventing decomposition. Ninth, the natron was
removed, and the body was then washed with water, perfumes, and
palm wine. Tenth, the body was doused with pitch or gums, and the
skin was anointed with resin. Eleventh, the body was then swathed
in many folds of white linen cloth soaked in resin. Twelfth, the body
was laid in a mummy case. Thirteenth, the embalmers then cleaned
the shop, and all the embalming tools that touched the body were
put in jars and would be stored in the tomb. This was the general
procedure, and no doubt this was basically followed for Jacob except
for the magical side of it. Verse 3 deals with the days of embalming
and mourning. First, the embalming took place: And forty days were
fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of embalming. This was the
standard Egyptian practice. Second, the Egyptians mourned him:
and the Egyptians wept for him three-score and ten days, meaning
seventy days. The Jewish practice is a forty-day mourning period, but
the Egyptian practice was a seventy-day mourning period. This was
one reason for embalming the body, since there would be at least that
many days before they could even begin moving toward Canaan, and
the body needed to be preserved.
2. Burial of Jacob - 50:4-14
4And when the days of weeping for him were past,
Joseph spoke unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I
have found favor in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the
ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5My father made me swear,
saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for
me in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me. Now
therefore let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father,
and I will come again. 6And Pharaoh said, Go up, and
bury your father, according as he made you swear. 7And
Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up
all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and
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all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8and all the house of
Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only
their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left
in the land of Goshen. 9And there went up with him
both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great
company. 10And they came to the threshing-floor of Atad,
which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented
with a very great and sore lamentation: and he made a
mourning for his father seven days. 11And when the
inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the
mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a
grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name
of it was called Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the
Jordan. 12And his sons did unto him according as he
commanded them: 13for his sons carried him into the land
of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of
Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, for a
possession of a burying-place, of Ephron the Hittite,
before Mamre. 14And Joseph returned into Egypt, he,
and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury
his father, after he had buried his father.
The account of the burial of Jacob begins in verses 4-5 with
Joseph’s request of Pharaoh. The timing was: And when the days of
weeping for him were passed, meaning after the seventy days had
transpired, then came Joseph’s approach: Joseph spoke unto the house of
Pharaoh saying. He did not speak to Pharaoh directly, but to the house
of Pharaoh, meaning he used intermediaries. The request he made
was on the basis: If now I have found favor in your eyes. Then came
the request: Speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, My father
made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me
in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me. The word digged actually
means “bought,” and the burial place was actually bought by
Abraham but now reckoned to Jacob. Now therefore let me go up, I
pray you, and bury my father. This was the oath that was made to all
the sons; and so all the sons were under the oath to have their father
buried, but the oath was particularly applied to Joseph since he took
a solemn oath. Thus not just his brothers, but Joseph himself had to
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go. However, Joseph promised: and I will come again; he promised to
return to Egypt to continue his administrative role.
In 50:6, Joseph’s request was granted: And Pharaoh said, Go up,
and bury your father. The basis was: according as he made you swear.
Genesis 50:7-9 describes Jacob’s funeral procession. Verse 7a
focuses on Joseph: And Joseph went up to bury his father; but he did
not go alone. In verse 7b, a second group was there of the House of
Egypt: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, which
included: the elders of his house; meaning Pharaoh’s house; and it
included: all the elders of the land of Egypt; meaning the members of
the nobility. What this shows is that not only Joseph, but indeed,
Jacob also had gained a high level of respect among the Egyptians
during the seventeen years in which he lived in the land of Egypt. In
verse 8, the House of Israel also went with them, including: and all
the house of Joseph, meaning Joseph’s family; and his brethren, his
eleven brothers; and his father’s house, meaning the whole extended
family. Therefore, a sizable party went to bury Jacob. Those who
stayed behind in the land of Goshen included: only their little ones,
who would be too young to travel, and the livestock: and their flocks,
and their herds, which did not need to go. They had no fear of any
endangerment coming upon the flocks, or the herds, or to the
children. Furthermore, in verse 9, Pharaoh also provided a royal
bodyguard: And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and
it was a very great company.
Genesis 50:10-11 records the funeral procession’s arrival in the
Land of Canaan, with verse 10 identifying the place: And they came to
the threshing-floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan. In this case, it
was the Cis-Jordan, meaning the west side of the Jordan, since the
Canaanites were present. Normally, this term applied to the
Trans-Jordan, but contextually, beyond the Jordan here would mean
the Cis-Jordan, the west bank of the Jordan. Here they lamented
another period of mourning: and there they lamented with a very great
and sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
The switch from the plural to the singular pronoun means Joseph
lamented in particular. Verse 11 records a change of name for Atad,
beginning with those who changed the name: And when the
inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites. This reference indicates the
place must be the Cis-Jordan, not the Trans-Jordan. Then comes the
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cause of the renaming: saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said,
This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it
was called Abel-mizraim, which means “the mourning of Egypt.”
They gave it this special name from what they observed, because it
would be highly unusual for Egyptian dignitaries to be brought to
Canaan for a burial. For the Canaanites this was a very unusual scene,
and so they gave the place a special name. Once again, the location is
stated as being beyond the Jordan, meaning in the Cis-Jordanian area.
Genesis 50:12-13 deals with the actual burial of Jacob, with
verse 12 recalling the obedience of the sons of Jacob: And his sons did
unto him according as he commanded them; and in verse 13 is the
content of the obedience: for his sons carried him into the land of
Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which
Abraham bought with the field, for a possession of a burying-place, of
Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
Finally, in 50:14 came the return to Egypt: And Joseph returned
into Egypt. The group included Joseph and the rest, he and his
brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father. The timing
was: after he had buried his father.
M. The Brothers’ Fear and Joseph’s
Reassurance - 50:15-21
15And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father
was dead, they said, It may be that Joseph will hate us,
and will fully requite us all the evil which we did unto
him. 16And they sent a message unto Joseph, saying, Your
father did command before he died, saying, 17So shall ye
say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray you now, the
transgression of your brethren, and their sin, for that
they did unto you evil. And now, we pray you, forgive
the transgression of the servants of the God of your
father. And Joseph wept when they spoke unto him.
18And his brethren also went and fell down before his
face; and they said, Behold, we are your servants. 19And
Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of
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God? 20And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but
God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day,
to save much people alive. 21Now therefore fear ye not: I
will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted
them, and spoke kindly unto them.
This section begins in verse 15 with the brothers’ fears. The
timing was: And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead,
and their fear was: It might be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully
requite us of all the evil which we did unto him. As long as Jacob was
alive, they viewed him as their protector against Joseph’s vengeance;
but now that Jacob was dead, they feared he would take vengeance
on them for their past mistreatment.
So in 50:16-17a, Joseph’s brothers send a specific message to
Joseph: And they sent a message unto Joseph, and they invented a
command that supposedly came originally from Jacob: Your father did
command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I
pray you now, the transgressions of your brethren and their sin, for that
they did unto you evil. Of course, Jacob never left such a message;
otherwise, he would have told this to Joseph directly. Nevertheless,
the brothers are fearful, so they made all this up. This was followed
up by the brothers’ own request for forgiveness: And now, we pray
you, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father. By
saying, the God of your father, it was based upon Joseph’s relationship
to the God of Jacob; therefore, Joseph should forgive them.
Joseph’s response is in 50:17b: And Joseph wept when they spoke
unto him; that they would even think that he would want take any
vengeance upon them, causes him to weep over such a misjudgment.
Genesis 50:18 records the submission of his brothers: And his
brethren also went and fell down before his face. Once again, Joseph’s
dreams are fulfilled. Then came their declaration: and they said,
Behold, we are your servants; they wanted to become enslaved to
Joseph, hoping that it was better to be enslaved than to be executed.
In 50:19-21, Joseph’s response was one of comfort, with verse 19
stating the basis: Fear not: for am I in the place of God? In other words,
God is the One Who will be the judge. In verse 20, Joseph related his
faith in the providence of God over the events that had taken place,
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and he distinguished between the plan of men and the plan of God.
Concerning the plan of men, he said: And as for you, meaning the
brothers: You meant evil against me; that was their motivation.
Concerning the plan of God, he said: but God meant it for good. God’s
purpose was: to bring to pass, as it is this day, to bring about the
situation exactly the way it was right then; and to save much people
alive, which included Egyptians, Jews, and no doubt it also included
many Canaanites who also sojourned in Egypt during the famine or
traveled to Egypt to buy bread. Then in verse 21, Joseph repeated his
comfort: Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little
ones; he promised to sustain them and protect them. Indeed, Joseph
fulfilled his promise: And he comforted them, and there was
reconciliation: and spoke kindly to them. In Hebrew, it is a bit more
intimate, which literally reads, “He spoke to their heart.”
N. Joseph’s Death - 50:22-26
22And Joseph dwelled in Egypt, he, and his father’s
house: and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. 23And
Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation:
the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were
born upon Joseph’s knees. 24And Joseph said unto his
brethren, I die; but God will surely visit you, and bring
you up out of this land unto the land which he swore to
Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 25And Joseph took an
oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely
visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. 26So
Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old: and they
embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
The account of Joseph’s death begins in verse 22 with the life
span of Joseph. First, the place is given: And Joseph dwelled in Egypt,
he, and his father’s house. Second, the number of years is given: and
Joseph lived a hundred and ten [110] years, and so this was fifty-four
years after Jacob’s death. Moreover, living up to 110 was considered a
very ideal age for an Egyptian, in fact, so ideal that in Ancient
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Egyptian Texts there are twenty-seven references to this age. For
example, in the Inscriptions of Vizier Ptah Hotep, who held the same
position that Joseph did, states: “What I have done on earth is not
inconsiderable. I attained 110 years of life which the king gave me,
with favor foremost among the ancestors through doing right for the
King up to the point of veneration.”
Genesis 50:23 describes Joseph’s seed: And Joseph saw Ephraim’s
children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of
Manasseh were born upon Joseph’s knees. Machir is also mentioned in:
Numbers 26:28-34 and 32:39; Joshua 17:1; Judges 5:14; and
I Chronicles 7:14-18. This was in fulfillment of Genesis 49:25. (See
figure 10 for the genealogy of Joseph.)
Genesis 50:24-25 records Joseph’s charge, beginning with a
statement in verse 24 about his faith in the future return: And Joseph
said unto his brethren, I die. He knows, like Jacob did, that he was
going to die in the land of Egypt. And like Jacob, he made a
statement of faith: but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out
of this land unto the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob. Joseph himself never had a direct revelation from God; there
is no record of God speaking directly to Joseph as He did to
Figure 10 . The Genealogy of Joseph
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662
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet Joseph had faith, because he
believed in the Word of God that had been passed down from
Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. He had faith in the promise of the
Abrahamic Covenant; the content of his faith was what was
revealed up to that point, and in particular this entailed the
Abrahamic Covenant. Verse 25 records his oath: And Joseph took an
oath of the children of Israel, and the content of the oath was: God
will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.
Hebrews 11:22 states that the request to bring his bones out of
Egypt was itself an act of faith. The fulfillment of this is found in
Exodus 13:19, which speaks of the removal of his bones from
Egypt, and then in Joshua 24:32, which records the burial of his
bones in the Land of Israel.
Finally, in 50:26 is the record of Joseph’s death: So Joseph died.
His age was: being a hundred and ten [110] years old. Then came his
burial: They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. This
was a wooden mummy case; this way, Joseph’s bones would remain
intact and could later be carried to Canaan.
New Testament usages of the Joseph narrative include the
following: Stephen’s speech in Acts 7:9-16; Hebrews 11:21-22
showing two acts of faith; and Matthew 1-2, the comparison of the
two Josephs (Jacob’s son Joseph by Rachel and Joseph the husband
of Mary) in that both received revelations through dreams, both
went down to Egypt and caused their families to go down to Egypt,
both were concerned about a king (Pharaoh and Herod), and both
were followed by saviors (mercy and Jesus).
For some concluding observations about the Book of Genesis,
four things can be noted. First, the book opens up with life, as God
creates life during the six days of creation, but it ends with death.
Jacob is dead, and Joseph is dead. Second, it opens with God, in
the beginning God; but it closes with a coffin in the land of Egypt.
Third, the reason is because of the entrance of sin, resulting in
death. Fourth, Genesis sets the stage for the Book of Exodus,
which will be the book of redemption.
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Table 16. Chronology of the Patriarchs
Date Milestone Yrs. Elapsed
2166 B.C.
A
braham Born
2066 B.C. Isaac Born (21:5) 100
2006 B.C.
J
acob Born (25:26) 60
1991 B.C.
A
braham Dies (25:7) 15
1915 B.C.
J
oseph Born 76
1898 B.C.
J
oseph Sold (37:2, 28) 17
1886 B.C. Isaac Dies (35:26) 12
1876 B.C. Jacob moves to Egypt
(47:9)
10
1859 B.C.
J
acob Dies (47:28) 17
1805 B.C.
J
oseph Dies (50:26) 54
Tota
l
361
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Table 17. Chronology of Genesis
A.H. stands for Anno Homini, the year of man.
Name
Year of
Birth
Age at Birth
of Seed-Son
Age at
Death
A.H. Year
of Death
Adam 0 130 930 930
Seth 130 105 912 1042
Enosh 235 90 905 1140
Cainan 325 70 910 1235
Mahalalel 395 65 895 1290
Jared 460 162 962 1422
Enoch 622 65 365 987
Methuselah 687 187 969 1656
Lamech 874 182 777 1651
Noah 1056 502 950 2006
Shem 1558 100 600 2158
A
rpaxad 1658 35 438 2096
Shelah 1693 30 433 2126
Ebe
r
1723 34 464 2187
Pele
g
1757 30 239 1996
Reu 1787 32 239 2026
Seru
g
1819 30 230 2049
Naho
r
1849 29 148 1997
T
erah 1878 70 205 2083
A
braham 1948 100 175 2123
Isaac 2048 60 180 2228
Jacob 2108 Not known 147 2255
Joseph 2218 Not known 110 2365
Appendix:
Additional Genealogy Charts
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
666
667
Figure A - 1. The Line of Terah
668
669
Figure A - 2. The Genealogy of Terah (detailed)
670
Bibliography
4QPBless, Dead Sea Scrolls.
Adar, Zvi. The Book of Genesis: Introduction to the Biblical World.
Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, 1990.
Baba Batra, third of three Talmudic tractates, dealing with property
ownership.
Boice, James Montgomery. Genesis: An Expository Commentary.
3 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982,
1985, 1987.
Cassuto, U. A Commentary on the Book of Genesis. 2 vols. Jerusalem:
The Magnes Press, 1961, 1964.
Cohen, A. ed. The Soncino Chumash: The Five Books of Moses with
Haphtaroth. London: The Soncino Press, 1968.
Cohn, Joseph Hoffman. I have Loved Jacob. Orangeburg, New York:
American Board of Missions to the Jews, 1948.
Coli, Rabbi Yaakov. The Torah Anthology: Genesis. 4 vols. New York:
Maznaim Publishing Corporation, 1977.
Davis, John J. Paradise to Prison: Studies in Genesis. Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1975.
Delitzsch, Franz. A New Commentary on Genesis. 2 vols. London: T
and T Clark, 1888. Reprint Minneapolis: Clock and Cluck
Christian Publishers, 1978.
Doran, Pinchas. The Mystery of Creation According to Rashi. New
York: Maznaim Publishing Corporation, 1982.
Edersheim, Alfred. Bible History: Old Testament. Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1890, 1995.
Ellison, H. L. Fathers of the Covenant. Australia: The Paternoster
Press, 1978.
Getz, Gene. Abraham: Trials and Triumphs. Glendale, CA: G/L
Publications, 1976.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
672
Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1982.
Hamilton, Victor P. The Book of Genesis. 2 vols. The New
International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995.
Hertz, J. H., ed. The Pentateuch and Haftorahs. London: Soncino
Press, 1978.
Hocking, David. The Rise and Fall of Civilization through the Flood.
Portland: Multnomah, 1982.
Holdcroft, L. Thomas. The Pentateuch Abbotsford, B. C.: CeeTec
Publishing, 1996.
Jastrow, Robert. God and the Astronomers, Second Edition.
New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000.
Keil, C. F. and F. Delitzsh. Biblical Commentary on the Old
Testament. 3 vols. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, n.d.
Kidner, Derek. Genesis: An Introduction Commentary. Chicago:
InterVarsity Press, 1967.
Leibowitz, Menahama. Studies in Bereshit (Genesis) in the Context of
Modern Jewish Bible Commentary. Jerusalem: Hemed Press, n.d.
Leupold, H. C. Exposition of Genesis. 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker
Book House, 1942.
Lichtenstein, Aaron. The Seven Laws of Noah. Brooklyn, New York:
Z. Berman Books, 1981.
Louth, Andrew, ed. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture:
Genesis. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.
Mackintosh, C. H. Notes on the Book of Genesis. New York: Loizeaux
Brothers, 1879.
Mesorah Publications. Tz’enah Ur’enah: The Classic Anthology of
Torah Law and Midrahic Comment. Translated by Miriam Stark
Zakon. New York: Mesorah Publications, 1983.
Midrash Rabbah.
Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit.
Mishnah Berachot.
Morris Henry M. The Genesis Record: A Scientific and Devotional
Commentary on the Book of Beginnings. Grand Rapids: Baker
Book House, 1976.
Morris, Henry M. and John C. Whitcomb, Jr. The Genesis Flood: The
Bibliography
673
Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications. Philipsburg, NJ:
Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1967.
Nelson, Byron C. The Deluge Story in Stone: A History of the Flood
Theory of Geology. Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1931.
Reprint Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1931, 1968.
Pemper, G. H. Earth’s Earliest Ages: A Study of Vital Questions. Old
Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, n.d.
Pfeiffer, Charles F. The Patriarchal Age. Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House, 1964.
Phillips, John. Exploring Genesis. Neptune, NJ: Loixeaux Brothers,
1980, 1992.
Pink, Arthur W. Readings in Genesis. Chicago: Moody Press, 1922.
Rosenbaum, M. and A. M. Silverman, eds. The Pentateuch: Genesis.
Vol. 1. The Pentateuch with Targum Ondelos, Haphtaroth, and
Rashi’s Commentary. Jerusalem: D. Silverman and Family,
1929.
Ross, Allen P. Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and
Exposition of Genesis. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988.
Sailhammer, John H. The Pentateuch as Narrative. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1992.
Sailhammer, John. Genesis Unbound: A Provocative New Look at the
New Creation Account. Sisters, OR: Multnomah Books, 1996.
Sarna, Nehum M. The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis. Philadelphia:
The Jewish Publication Society, 1989.
Schultz, Samuel J. The Gospel of Moses. New York: Harper and Rowe
Publishers, 1974.
Schultz, Samuel J. The Old Testament Speaks. New York: Harper and
Rowe Publishers, 1960.
Smith, A. E. Wilder. He Who Thinks has to Believe: A Thought
Provoking Allegory on the Origin of Life. San Diego: Master
Books, 1981.
Smith, A. E. Wilder. The Creation of Life: A Cybernetic Approach to
Evolution. San Diego: Master Books, 1970.
Stedman, Ray C. The Beginnings. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1978.
Stedman, Ray C. Understanding Man. Waco, TX: Word Books,
1975.
Stigers, Harold G. A Commentary of Genesis. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan Publishing House, 1976.
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
674
Thomas, W. H. Griffith. Genesis: A Devotional Commentary. Grand
Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1946.
Thomas, W. H. Griffith. Through the Pentateuch Chapter by Chapter.
Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
1957.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament. 2 vols.
Chicago: Moody Press, 1981.
Varner, William C. Jacob’s dozen: A Prophetic Look at the Tribes of
Israel. Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry,
Inc., 1987.
Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis: A Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
2001.
Weismann, Moshe. The Midrash Says: The Book of Bereishis. New
York: Benei Yakov Publications, 1989.
Whitcomb, John C., Jr. The Early Earth. Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House, 1972.
Whitcomb, John C., Jr. The Origin of the Solar System. Philipsburg,
NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1974.
Whitcomb, John C., Jr. The World that Perished. Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1973.
Wolf, Herbert. An Introduction to the Old Testament Pentateuch.
Chicago: Moody Press, 1991.
Wood, Leon J. Genesis: A Study Guide Commentary. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.
Zlotowitz, Meir, ed. Bereishis: A New Translation with a Commentary
Anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and Rabbinic Sources.
5 vols. New York: Mesorah Publications, 1977-1981.
Scripture Index
Genesis
1 .................... 27, 43, 44, 72, 79, 83
1 - 5 ............................................ 129
1 - 11 ...................................... 10, 14
1:1 ............ 18, 19, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,
30, 31, 33, 36, 37, 40
1:1 - 02:3................. 6, 30, 31, 64, 70
1:1 – 02:3 ...................................... 16
1:1 – 02:3 ...................................... 25
1:1 - 02:25 ....................................... 4
1:1 - 11:9......................................... 4
1:1-02 ......................... 26, 27, 39, 44
1:1-3 ................................. 25, 26, 36
1:1-5 ............................................. 64
1:2 16, 21, 25, 28, 29, 36, 37, 38, 39,
40, 149, 170, 175
1:3 ........................................... 27, 36
1:3-5 ............................................. 44
1:4 ................................................. 45
1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25 ................... 83
1:5a ............................................... 45
1:5b ............................................... 46
1:6 ................................................. 47
1:6, 7, 14, 18 ................................. 45
1:6, 9, 14, 20, 24 ........................... 44
1:6-7 ........................................... 170
1:6-8 ............................................. 46
1:7 ................................................. 47
1:8a ............................................... 48
1:8b ............................................... 48
1:9 ................................................. 49
1:9-10 ........................................... 49
1:9-13 ..................................... 49, 71
1:10 ............................................... 48
1:10a ............................................. 50
1:10b ............................................. 50
1:11 ............................................... 50
1:11-12.......................................... 50
1:12 ............................................... 51
1:13 ............................................... 51
1:14-15 ......................................... 51
1:14-19 ......................................... 51
1:16 ......................................... 16, 52
1:16-18 ......................................... 52
1:17-18a ....................................... 52
1:18b ............................................. 52
1:19 ............................................... 52
1:20 ............................................... 53
1:20-23 ......................................... 53
1:21 ................................... 31, 32, 53
1:22 ........................................... 6, 54
1:23 ............................................... 54
1:24 ............................................... 55
1:24, 30 ......................................... 75
1:24-25 ......................................... 55
1:24-31 ......................................... 54
1:25 ............................................... 55
1:26 ................................... 19, 20, 56
1:26-27 ....................... 21, 56, 59, 72
1:27 ................................... 31, 32, 59
1:27-28 ........................................... 6
1:28 ...................................... 60, 185
1:28-30 ......................................... 60
1:28a ............................................. 60
1:28b ............................................. 60
1:29 ............................................... 60
1:29-30 ......................................... 60
1:30 ............................................... 60
1:31a ............................................. 61
1:31b ............................................. 61
1 - 2 ............................................ 175
2 - 3 .............................................. 69
2 - 4 ............................................ 129
2:1 ................................................. 63
2:1-3 ............................................. 63
2:2 ................................................. 63
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
676
2:2-3 ........................................... 176
2:2-3a ............................................ 64
2:2a, 2b, 3a .................................... 64
2:3 ............................................. 6, 64
2:4 ....................................... 6, 18, 69
2:4 - 4:26 .......................... 6, 69, 131
2:5 ........................................... 72, 76
2:5-6 ............................................. 71
2:5-7 ............................................. 71
2:5-25 ........................................... 70
2:5-7 ............................................. 71
2:6 ................................................. 72
2:7 ..................... 21, 72, 74, 112, 153
2:7a ............................................... 72
2:7b ............................................... 74
2:8 ................................................. 75
2:8, 10 ........................................... 76
2:8-9 ............................................. 16
2:8-14 ........................................... 75
2:9 ........................................... 16, 76
2:10 ......................................... 16, 77
2:10-14 ......................................... 77
2:11 ............................................. 211
2:11-12 ......................................... 77
2:12 ............................................... 16
2:13 ............................................... 78
2:14 ............................................... 78
2:15 ................................. 76, 79, 117
2:15-17 ......................................... 78
2:1 6 ......................................... 60, 79
2:17 ................................... 22, 76, 81
2:17a ............................................. 80
2:17b ............................................. 81
2:18 ............................................... 82
2:18-23 ......................................... 90
2:18-25 ......................................... 82
2:19 ............................. 55, 73, 75, 85
2:19-20 ......................................... 83
2:19-20a ........................................ 84
2:20 ............................................... 83
2:20b ............................................. 85
2:21 ............................................. 280
2:21-22 ......................................... 85
2:22-23 ......................................... 88
2:23 ........................... 84, 86, 87, 109
2:24 ......................................... 87, 90
2:25 ............................. 89, 92, 93, 97
3 .................................. 21, 104, 112
3:1............................................89, 93
3:1 - 5:32 ........................................ 4
3:1-5 ............................................. 91
3:1-8 ........................................16, 22
3:1-24 ........................................... 91
3:1a ............................................... 91
3:1b............................................... 93
3:2................................................. 93
3:2-3 ............................................. 93
3:4............................................81, 94
3:4-5 ............................................. 94
3:5................................................. 94
3:6.................................... 77, 95, 149
3:7................................................. 97
3:7, 10, 11 ..................................... 89
3:7-8 ............................................. 97
3:8............................................16, 98
3:8, 10 ........................................... 99
3:8-10 ........................................... 16
3:9................................................. 99
3:9-13 ........................................... 98
3:10 ............................................... 99
3:11a ........................................... 100
3:11b ........................................... 100
3:12 ............................................. 100
3:13 ............................................... 16
3:13a ........................................... 100
3:13b ........................................... 100
3:14 ........................................ 74, 101
3:14-19 ....................................... 101
3:15 ................... 16, 20, 21, 103, 104,
110, 115, 116, 148
3:16 .............. 104, 106, 114, 119, 144
3:16-19 ......................................... 16
3:17 ........................................ 16, 287
3:17-19 ....................................... 107
3:17a ........................................... 107
3:17b-18a ................................... 107
3:18 ............................................... 16
3:18b ........................................... 108
3:19 .................................... 17, 22, 74
3:19a ........................................... 108
3:19b ........................................... 108
3:20 .................................. 37, 84, 109
3:20-24 ....................................... 109
3:21 ........................................ 17, 110
3:22 .................................. 20, 37, 111
3:22-24 .................................. 76, 111
Scripture Index
677
3:23 ....................................... 17, 111
3:23-24.......................................... 76
3:23-24a ...................................... 111
3:24 ......................... 17, 79, 117, 345
3:24a ........................................... 111
3:24b ........................................... 111
3 - 4 ............................................ 106
4:1 ................................. 84, 114, 116
4:1-8 ........................................... 120
4:1-15 ......................................... 113
4:1-26 ......................................... 113
4:2a ............................................. 116
4:2b ............................................. 117
4:3-4a .......................................... 117
4:4 ................................................. 22
4:4b ............................................. 118
4:4b-5a ........................................ 118
4:5a ............................................. 118
4:5b ............................................. 118
4:6 ............................................... 119
4:6-7 ........................................... 119
4:7 ............................... 105, 106, 120
4:8 ....................................... 120, 127
4:9 ......................................... 99, 120
4:9-12 ......................................... 127
4:9-15 ......................................... 120
4:10 ............................................. 121
4:11 ............................................. 121
4:11-12........................................ 121
4:12 ............................................. 121
4:13 ..................................... 121, 127
4:13-14........................................ 121
4:13-15........................................ 121
4:14 ....................................... 99, 121
4:14-16........................................ 127
4:15 ............................................. 122
4:16 ....................................... 76, 123
4:16-24........................................ 122
4:17 ..................... 123, 127, 222, 223
4:18a ........................................... 124
4:18b ........................................... 124
4:18c ........................................... 124
4:18d ........................................... 124
4:18d-24 ..................................... 124
4:19 ..................................... 124, 148
4:20-21........................................ 124
4:21 ............................................. 125
4:22 ............................................. 125
4:23-24 ....................................... 126
4:24 ............................................. 122
4:25 ....................................... 84, 128
4:25-26 ....................................... 128
4:26 ............................................. 128
5 ................................ 144, 227, 228
5:1 ............................................... 143
5:1 - 6:8 .................................. 7, 131
5:1-2 ................................. 7, 32, 131
5:1a ............................................. 131
5:1b-2 ......................................... 131
5:3 ......................................... 59, 132
5:3-5 ........................................... 132
5:3-32 ......................................... 132
5:4 ........................ 122, 123, 128, 132
5:5 ............................................... 132
5:6 ............................................... 133
5:6-8 ........................................... 133
5:7 ............................................... 133
5:8 ............................................... 133
5:9 ............................................... 133
5:9-11 ......................................... 133
5:10 ............................................. 133
5:11 ............................................. 133
5:12 ............................................. 134
5:12-14 ....................................... 134
5:13 ............................................. 134
5:14 ............................................. 134
5:15 ............................................. 134
5:15-17 ....................................... 134
5:16 ............................................. 134
5:17 ............................................. 134
5:18 ............................................. 135
5:18-20 ....................................... 134
5:19 ............................................. 135
5:20 ............................................. 135
5:21 ............................................. 135
5:21-24 ............................... 135, 143
5:22 ............................................. 136
5:22, 24 ....................................... 296
5:22-24 ....................................... 160
5:23 ............................................. 136
5:24 ....................................... 24, 136
5:25 ............................................. 137
5:25-27 ....................................... 137
5:26 ............................................. 138
5:27 ............................................. 138
5:28 ............................................. 138
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
678
5:28-31 ....................................... 138
5:29 ..................................... 138, 154
5:30 ............................................. 139
5:31 ............................................. 139
5:32 ..................................... 139, 195
6 .................. 21, 145, 151, 152, 175
6 - 9 ............................................ 165
6:1 - 9:29 ........................................ 4
6:1-2 ................................... 148, 151
6:1-4 ........................... 103, 143, 186
6:1-8 ....................................... 7, 143
6:2 ....................... 145, 147, 149, 150
6:3 ......................................... 21, 149
6:4 ....................................... 149, 151
6:5 ......................... 17, 152, 153, 255
6:5-7 ........................................... 153
6:5-8 ........................................... 152
6:6 ............................... 152, 153, 154
6:7 ................................. 32, 152, 155
6:8 ......................................... 22, 155
6:9 ....................................... 296, 402
6:9 - 9:29 ................................ 7, 157
6:9-10 ......................................... 159
6:9-12 ................................. 157, 159
6:9a ............................................. 159
6:9b ............................................. 159
6:10 ..................................... 160, 195
6:11 ............................................. 160
6:11 - 8:22 .................................. 160
6:11-12 ....................................... 160
6:11-13 ....................................... 161
6:12 ..................................... 157, 160
6:12-13 ....................................... 255
6:13 ............................. 149, 158, 162
6:13-22 ............................... 157, 161
6:14 ............................................. 162
6:14-16 ....................................... 162
6:14-22 ....................................... 161
6:15 ............................................. 163
6:16 ............................................. 164
6:17 ............................................. 164
6:18 ............................................. 188
6:18a ........................................... 165
6:18b ........................................... 165
6:18b-21 ..................................... 165
6:19 ............................................. 165
6:19-20 ....................................... 165
6:20 ............................................. 165
6:21 ............................................. 166
6:22 ...................................... 158, 166
6:5-7, 11-13 ............................... 173
7 ............................................... 174
7:1........................................ 158, 167
7:1-5 .................................... 157, 167
7:1-16 ......................................... 161
7:2-3 .................................... 158, 167
7:3a ............................................. 167
7:3b............................................. 167
7:4........................................ 167, 175
7:4, 10 ......................................... 158
7:4, 10, 12, 17, 24 ....................... 158
7:4, 23 ......................................... 155
7:5............................................... 168
7:5, 9, 16 .............................. 158, 166
7:6............................................... 168
7:6, 11 ......................................... 158
7:6-9 .................................... 157, 168
7:7............................................... 168
7:8............................................... 168
7:8-9 ........................................... 168
7:9............................................... 168
7:10 ............................................. 169
7:10-16 ........................ 157, 161, 168
7:11 ...................................... 158, 173
7:11a ........................................... 169
7:11b ........................................... 169
7:12 ............................................. 170
7:13 ...................................... 170, 195
7:14 ............................................. 170
7:14-16a ..................................... 170
7:15 ............................................. 170
7:15-16a ..................................... 170
7:16a ........................................... 170
7:16b ........................................... 170
7:17-19 ....................................... 174
7:17-20, 24 ................................. 174
7:17-24 ................ 157, 161, 171, 174
7:17a ........................................... 171
7:17b ........................................... 171
7:17b-18 ..................................... 171
7:18 ............................................. 171
7:19, 22 ....................................... 173
7:19-20 ................................ 158, 172
7:21 ............................................. 149
7:21-23a ..................................... 172
7:22 ..........................................74, 75
Scripture Index
679
7:23b ........................................... 172
7:24 ..................................... 172, 173
8:1-5 ........................................... 174
8:1-14 ................................. 157, 174
8:1a ..................................... 161, 175
8:1b ............................................. 175
8:1b-2 ......................................... 175
8:1b-5 ......................................... 161
8:2 ............................................... 158
8:3 ............................................... 175
8:3, 6, 10, 12 ............................... 158
8:4 ............................................... 176
8:4-5 ........................................... 158
8:5 ............................................... 176
8:6 ............................................... 177
8:6-14 ................................. 161, 176
8:7 ............................................... 177
8:8 ............................................... 177
8:8-9 ........................................... 177
8:9 ............................................... 178
8:10 ............................................. 178
8:10, 12 ....................................... 158
8:10-11........................................ 178
8:11 ............................................. 178
8:12 ............................................. 178
8:13 ..................................... 158, 179
8:13-14................................ 173, 178
8:14 ............................................. 179
8:14, 17, 22 ................................. 158
8:15 ..................................... 158, 180
8:15-17................................ 157, 180
8:15-19................................ 161, 180
8:16 ............................................. 180
8:17 ............................................. 180
8:18 ............................................. 180
8:18-19........................................ 180
8:18-22........................................ 157
8:19 ............................................. 181
8:20 ..................................... 161, 181
8:20-22........................................ 181
8:21 ............................................. 255
8:21-22........................ 161, 173, 181
8:21a ........................................... 181
8:21b ........................................... 182
8:21b-22 ...................................... 182
8:22 ............................................. 182
8:3-5 ........................................... 173
9:1, 7 ........................................... 223
9:1, 8, 12, 17 ............................... 158
9:1-7 ................................... 157, 184
9:1-17 ......................................... 184
9:1a ............................................. 184
9:1b ............................................. 184
9:2 ............................................... 185
9:3 ............................................... 185
9:4 ............................................... 186
9:5 ....................................... 101, 186
9:5-6 ........................................... 186
9:6 .......................... 59, 121, 186, 432
9:7 ............................................... 187
9:7, 11, 17 ................................... 158
9:8 ............................................... 188
9:8-9 ........................................... 188
9:8-10 ......................................... 188
9:8-11 ......................................... 157
9:8-17 ......................................... 187
9:9, 11, 17 ................................... 190
9:10 ............................................. 188
9:10, 15, 16 ................................. 190
9:11 ............................................. 188
9:11-15 ....................................... 173
9:12 ............................................. 188
9:12-17 ............................... 157, 188
9:13 ............................................. 189
9:13, 14, 16 ................................. 190
9:14 ............................................. 189
9:14, 16, 17 ................................. 190
9:14-16 ....................................... 189
9:15 ............................................. 189
9:16 ............................................. 189
9:17 ..................................... 157, 189
9:18 ............................................. 195
9:18-19 ............................... 173, 195
9:19 ............................................. 196
9:20 ............................................. 196
9:20-21 ....................................... 196
9:20-27 ....................................... 196
9:21 ............................................. 197
9:22 ............................................. 197
9:23 ....................................... 98, 198
9:24 ..................................... 198, 331
9:25 ............................................. 198
9:25-27 ............................... 162, 198
9:26 ............................................. 199
9:27 ..................................... 199, 210
9:28 ............................................. 200
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
680
9:28-29 ....................................... 200
9:29a ........................................... 200
9:29b ........................................... 200
10 ................. 22, 151, 196, 204, 205,
210, 220, 221, 241
10:1 ............................. 195, 203, 206
10:1 - 11:9 .......................... 4, 7, 203
10:1-32 ....................................... 203
10:2 ............................................. 207
10:2-5 ......................................... 206
10:3 ............................................. 208
10:4 ..................................... 207, 209
10:5 ............................................. 209
10:5, 20, 31 ................................. 204
10:5, 20, 31, 32 ........................... 225
10:5, 20, 31-32............................ 229
10:5, 25, 32 ................................. 220
10:6 ............................................. 211
10:6-20 ....................................... 210
10:7 ............................................. 390
10:7a ................................... 211, 212
10:7b ........................................... 212
10:8-9 ......................................... 213
10:8-12 ....................... 211, 212, 402
10:8a ........................................... 212
10:8b-9 ....................................... 213
10:9 ............................................. 213
10:10 ........................... 213, 222, 323
10:10-12 ..................................... 213
10:11 ........................................... 218
10:11-12 ..................................... 214
10:13-14 ..................................... 214
10:15-18a .................................... 215
10:18b ......................................... 216
10:19 ........................................... 216
10:20 ........................................... 216
10:21 ........................................... 217
10:21-31 ..................................... 217
10:22 ................................... 217, 363
10:22, 24 ..................................... 229
10:23 ................................... 218, 363
10:24 ........................................... 218
10:24-30 ..................................... 218
10:25 ........................................... 219
10:26-29 ..................................... 219
10:26-30 ..................................... 219
10:29 ........................................... 219
10:30 ........................................... 220
10:31 ........................................... 220
10:32 .................................... 173, 220
11 ........ 141, 210, 220, 221, 228, 275
11:1 ...................................... 221, 226
11:1-4 ......................................... 221
11:1-9 ............................ 22, 214, 221
11:2 ...................................... 221, 226
11:2, 3, 7, 9 ................................. 226
11:3 ...................................... 222, 226
11:3, 4, 5, 77, 9 ........................... 226
11:3, 4, 6, 8, 9 ............................. 226
11:3-4 ......................................... 222
11:3a ........................................... 226
11:3b ........................................... 226
11:4 .............................. 222, 225, 242
11:4, 8, 9 .............................. 220, 226
11:4a ........................................... 226
11:4b ........................................... 226
11:5 ............................................. 223
11:5, 7 ......................................... 315
11:5-9 ......................................... 223
11:5a ........................................... 226
11:5b ........................................... 226
11:5c ........................................... 226
11:6 ............................................. 224
11:7 ........................................ 20, 224
11:7a ........................................... 226
11:7b ........................................... 226
11:8 ............................................. 226
11:8-9 ......................................... 225
11:8a ........................................... 225
11:8b ........................................... 225
11:9 ............................................. 226
11:9a ........................................... 225
11:9b ........................................... 225
11:10 - 25:8 .................................... 4
11:10 - 50:26 .................................. 4
11:10-26 ..................................7, 227
11:10-32 ..................................... 229
11:10a ......................................... 227
11:10b-11 ................................... 229
11:10b-26 ................................... 229
11:12-13 ..................................... 229
11:14-15 ..................................... 230
11:16-17 ..................................... 230
11:18-19 ..................................... 230
11:20-21 ..................................... 230
11:22-23 ..................................... 231
Scripture Index
681
11:24-25 ...................................... 231
11:26 ........................................... 231
11:27 - 25:11 ........................... 7, 235
11:27-28b .................................... 236
11:27-32 ...................................... 235
11:27a ......................................... 235
11:29 ................................... 148, 236
11:29-30 ...................................... 236
11:30 ................................... 236, 286
11:31 ........................... 236, 240, 244
11:32 ................................... 237, 240
11-12 .......................................... 275
12 ................. 84, 196, 252, 295, 333,
406, 410, 421, 605
12 - 36 .......................................... 10
12, 16 .......................................... 288
12, 20 .................................. 410, 411
12, 20, 26 ............................ 410, 411
12, 22 .......................................... 408
12:1 ..................... 243, 275, 353, 407
12:1, 7 ......................................... 359
12:1-3 ........................ 229, 239, 240,
244, 295, 297
12:1a ........................................... 240
12:1b ........................................... 240
12:1b-2a ...................................... 241
12:2 ..................................... 359, 360
12:2b ........................................... 242
12:3 ...................... 23, 242, 243, 289,
360, 426, 455
12:4 ............................................. 246
12:4-5 ......................................... 244
12:4-9 ......................................... 243
12:4a ........................................... 244
12:4b-5a ...................................... 244
12:6-7 ......................................... 244
12:6-9 ......................................... 244
12:7 ............................................. 240
12:7, 8 ......................................... 500
12:7a ........................................... 245
12:7b ........................................... 245
12:8 ............. 245, 246, 253, 436, 438
12:9 ..................................... 246, 252
12:10 ................................... 247, 406
12:10-20 ...................................... 246
12:11 ........................................... 377
12:11-13 ...................................... 248
12:11a ......................................... 248
12:11b ......................................... 248
12:12 ........................................... 248
12:13 ................................... 248, 249
12:14 ........................................... 248
12:14-16 ..................................... 248
12:15 ........................................... 249
12:16 ................................... 249, 286
12:17 ........................................... 250
12:18-20 ..................................... 250
12:18a ......................................... 250
12:18b-19 ................................... 251
12:19 ........................................... 148
12:20 ........................................... 251
12-13 .................................. 277, 284
12-25 .......................................... 270
13 ............................................... 259
13:1 ..................................... 251, 252
13:1-2 ......................................... 252
13:1-4 ......................................... 252
13:1-13 ....................................... 251
13:1-18 ....................................... 251
13:3-4 ......................................... 253
13:5 ............................................. 253
13:5-7 ......................................... 253
13:6 ..................................... 253, 512
13:7 ............................................. 254
13:8 ............................................. 254
13:8-9 ......................................... 254
13:10 ..................................... 76, 256
13:10-11a ................................... 255
13:10-12 ..................................... 255
13:11 ........................................... 256
13:11b ......................................... 255
13:11b-12 ................................... 255
13:12 ............................ 255, 256, 320
13:13 ........................................... 255
13:14, 15, 17 ............................... 359
13:14-17 ............................. 240, 256
13:14a ......................................... 256
13:14b-15 ................................... 256
13:16 ............................ 257, 274, 359
13:17 ................................... 258, 297
13:18 ............................ 245, 258, 500
14 .................. 84, 255, 259, 272, 277
14:1 ............................................. 260
14:1-2 ......................................... 260
14:1-12 ....................................... 259
14:1-24 ....................................... 259
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
682
14:2 ............................................. 261
14:2, 8 ................................. 326, 327
14:3 ............................................. 262
14:4 ..................................... 199, 262
14:5-7 ......................................... 262
14:5a ........................................... 262
14:6 ............................................. 520
14:7 ..................................... 263, 516
14:8 ............................................. 263
14:8-10 ....................................... 263
14:9 ............................................. 263
14:10 ................................... 263, 267
14:11 ........................................... 264
14:11-12 ..................................... 256
14:12 ................................... 264, 320
14:13 ........................... 215, 259, 264
14:13-16 ..................................... 264
14:14 ........................................... 265
14:15 ........................................... 265
14:16 ........................................... 266
14:17 ........................................... 267
14:17-24 ..................................... 266
14:18 ........................................... 267
14:18-20 ..................................... 267
14:18-22 ....................................... 18
14:19 ........................................... 268
14:19, 22 ....................................... 19
14:19-20a .................................... 268
14:20a ......................................... 268
14:20b ......................................... 268
14:21 ........................................... 269
14:21-24 ..................................... 269
14:22 ........................................... 269
14:22-24 ..................................... 269
14:23 ........................................... 269
14:24 ........................................... 269
15 ........................................ 286, 295
15:1 ............................................. 272
15:1-4 ......................................... 360
15:1-5 ......................................... 275
15:1-6 ................................. 271, 276
15:1-21 ............................... 240, 271
15:2 ..................................... 273, 372
15:2-3 ......................................... 273
15:4 ............................................. 273
15:4-5 ......................................... 273
15:5 ..................... 257, 274, 280, 359
15:6 ....................... 22, 275, 276, 308,
355, 360, 408
15:7 ............................................. 277
15:7-12, 17-21............................ 359
15:7-21 ....................................... 276
15:8 ............................................. 278
15:9 ............................................. 278
15:9-11 ....................................... 278
15:10 ........................................... 279
15:11 ........................................... 279
15:12 .................................... 280, 283
15:12-21 ..................................... 280
15:13 ................................... 281, 491
15:13-15 ..................................... 360
15 :13- 16 .............................. 281, 605
15:14 ........................................... 282
15:15 .............................. 23, 282, 392
15:16 .................................... 198, 282
15:17 ........................................... 283
15:18-21 ..................................... 284
15:18a ......................................... 284
15:18b ......................................... 284
15:19-21 ..................................... 285
16 ................................ 250, 295, 421
16:1 ............................................. 286
16:1-6 ......................................... 285
16:1-16 ....................................... 285
16:2 ............................................. 286
16:3 ............................................. 288
16:4 ............................................. 289
16:5-6a ....................................... 289
16:6b ........................................... 290
16:7 ............................................. 291
16:7, 13 ......................................... 20
16:7-14 ....................................... 290
16:8 ........................................ 99, 291
16:9 ............................................. 291
16:10 ........................................... 291
16:10-12 ..................................... 291
16:11 .................................... 292, 346
16:11-12 ..................................... 292
16:12 .................................... 292, 397
16:13 ...................................... 18, 293
16:14 .................................... 293, 387
16:15 ........................................... 293
16:15-16 ..................................... 293
16:16 ........................................... 294
Scripture Index
683
17 ................................................ 341
17 - 18 ........................................ 340
17, 18 .......................................... 312
17:1 ............... 18, 245, 295, 304, 503
17:1-2, 7...................................... 359
17:1-3a ........................................ 295
17:1-8 ................................. 294, 299
17:1-21........................................ 240
17:1-27........................................ 294
17:1a ........................................... 295
17:1b-2........................................ 295
17:3-4, 6...................................... 360
17:3a ........................................... 296
17:3b-4a ...................................... 296
17:3b-8a ...................................... 296
17:4 ............................................. 390
17:4b ........................................... 296
17:5 ..................... 242, 296, 360, 503
17:6 ............................. 297, 304, 504
17:7 ............................................. 297
17:8 ..................................... 296, 359
17:8a ........................................... 297
17:8b ........................................... 298
17:9-14................................ 298, 360
17:9a ........................................... 298
17:9b ........................................... 299
17:10-11 ...................................... 299
17:11 ........................................... 189
17:12a ......................................... 300
17:12b-13a .................................. 301
17:13, 19 ..................................... 297
17:13b ......................................... 301
17:14 ........................................... 301
17:15 ................................... 304, 360
17:15-16 ...................................... 304
17:15-21 ...................................... 303
17:16 ................................... 304, 504
17:16-21 ...................................... 360
17:17 ........................................... 304
17:17-18 ...................................... 304
17:18 ........................................... 305
17:19 ........................... 292, 305, 306
17:19-21 ...................................... 305
17:20 ................................... 305, 396
17:21 ........................... 305, 312, 393
17:22 ........................................... 306
17:22-27 ...................................... 306
17:23 ........................................... 307
17:24 ........................................... 307
17:24-26 ..................................... 307
17:25 ........................................... 307
17:26 ........................................... 307
17:27 ........................................... 307
18:1 .............................. 245, 259, 327
18:1 - 19:22 ................................ 148
18:1 - 19:38 ................................ 308
18:1-2a ....................................... 309
18:1-8 ......................................... 308
18:1-15 ....................................... 308
18:1-33 ....................................... 240
18:2 ............................................. 320
18:2b ........................................... 310
18:2b-5a ..................................... 310
18:3-5a ....................................... 310
18:5b ........................................... 310
18:6 ............................................. 311
18:6-8 ......................................... 311
18:7 ............................................. 311
18:8 ............................................. 311
18:9 ............................................. 312
18:9-15 ....................................... 312
18:10a ......................................... 312
18:10b ......................................... 312
18:10b-12 ................................... 312
18:11 ........................................... 312
18:12 ........................................... 313
18:13 ........................................... 313
18:13-14 ..................................... 313
18:14 ........................................... 340
18:14a ......................................... 313
18:14b ......................................... 313
18:15a ......................................... 313
18:15b ......................................... 313
18:16 ........................................... 314
18:16-21 ..................................... 314
18:16-33 ..................................... 314
18:17 ........................................... 314
18:17-19 ..................................... 314
18:18 ........................................... 314
18:18-19 ..................................... 314
18:19 ........................................... 315
18:20 ........................................... 315
18:20-21 ............................. 198, 315
18:21 ........................................... 315
18:22 ........................................... 316
18:22-33 ..................................... 316
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
684
18:23 ................................... 317, 325
18:23-32 ..................................... 317
18:24 ........................................... 317
18:24, 26 ..................................... 119
18:24-26 ..................................... 317
18:25 ..................................... 19, 317
18:26 ........................................... 317
18:27 ..................................... 73, 317
18:27-28 ..................................... 317
18:28a ......................................... 317
18:28b ......................................... 317
18:29 ........................................... 317
18:30 ........................................... 317
18:31 ........................................... 317
18:32 ........................................... 318
18:33 ........................................... 318
18-19 ............................ 21, 255, 306
19 ................................................ 266
19:1 ............................................. 256
19:1-11 ....................................... 319
19:1-29 ....................................... 319
19:1a ........................................... 320
19:1b ........................................... 320
19:1b-3 ....................................... 320
19:2a ........................................... 320
19:2b ........................................... 320
19:3 ............................................. 320
19:4-5 ......................................... 320
19:4-10 ....................................... 198
19:4-11 ....................................... 320
19:6 ............................................. 321
19:6-8 ......................................... 321
19:7 ..................................... 321, 332
19:7-8 ......................................... 332
19:8 ............................. 318, 321, 332
19:9 ..................................... 322, 333
19:10-11 ..................................... 323
19:11 ........................................... 323
19:12 ................................... 318, 324
19:12-13 ..................................... 324
19:12-22 ..................................... 323
19:13 ................................... 255, 324
19:14 ........................... 318, 324, 343
19:15 ........................................... 324
19:16 ........................................... 325
19:17 ................................... 325, 328
19:18 ........................................... 325
19:18-20 ..................................... 325
19:19 ........................................... 325
19:20 ........................................... 326
19:21-22a ................................... 326
19:22a ......................................... 326
19:22b ......................................... 326
19:23 ........................................... 327
19:23-29 ..................................... 326
19:24 ...................................... 20, 327
19:24-25 ..................................... 327
19:25 ........................................... 327
19:26 .................................... 197, 328
19:27 ........................................... 328
19:27-28 ..................................... 328
19:28 ........................................... 328
19:29 ............................ 175, 318, 328
19:30 .................................... 326, 329
19:30-38 ..................................... 329
19:31-32 ..................................... 330
19:31a ......................................... 330
19:31b ......................................... 330
19:32 ........................................... 330
19:33 ........................................... 331
19:33-38 ..................................... 331
19:34 ........................................... 331
19:35 ........................................... 331
19:36 ........................................... 331
19:37 ........................................... 331
19:37-38 ..................................... 331
19:38 ........................................... 332
20 ................ 306, 348, 406, 410, 436
20:1 .............................. 291, 333, 406
20:1-2 ......................................... 333
20:1-18 ................................ 333, 410
20:2 ............................................. 333
20:2-3 ......................................... 148
20:3 .............................. 251, 334, 468
20:3-8 ......................................... 334
20:4-5 ......................................... 335
20:6 ............................................. 335
20:6-7 ......................................... 335
20:7 ........................................ 81, 335
20:8 ............................................. 336
20:9 ............................................. 336
20:9-10 ....................................... 336
20:9-15 ....................................... 336
20:10 ........................................... 337
20:11 ........................................... 337
20:11-13 ..................................... 337
Scripture Index
685
20:12 ........................................... 337
20:13 ..................................... 19, 337
20:14 ................................... 338, 339
20:14-15 ...................................... 338
20:15 ........................................... 338
20:16 ........................................... 338
20:17-18 ...................................... 339
20:17a ......................................... 339
20:17b ......................................... 339
20:18 ........................................... 339
21 ........................ 250, 352, 358, 416
21:1 ............................................. 312
21:1-2 ......................................... 340
21:1-7 ......................................... 340
21:1-10........................................ 351
21:2 ............................................. 340
21:3 ..................................... 340, 358
21:3-5 ......................................... 341
21:4 ............................................. 341
21:5 ............................................. 341
21:6 ............................................. 341
21:6-7 ......................................... 341
21:7 ............................................. 341
21:8 ............................................. 343
21:8-9 ......................................... 343
21:8-21........................................ 342
21:9 ..................................... 343, 409
21:10 ........................... 344, 345, 359
21:11 ................................... 344, 359
21:12 ................................... 344, 353
21:12-13 ...................................... 344
21:13 ........................... 345, 358, 359
21:1-3 ......................................... 389
21:14 ........................... 353, 358, 359
21:14-16 ...................................... 345
21:14a ......................................... 345
21:14b ......................................... 345
21:15 ..................................... 71, 345
21:15-16 ...................................... 359
21:16 ................................... 241, 345
21:17 ........................................... 358
21:17-19 ...................................... 346
21:17a ......................................... 346
21:17b-18 .................................... 346
21:19 ................................... 346, 358
21:20 ............................................. 37
21:20-21 ...................................... 346
21:21 ........................... 148, 263, 358
21:22-23 ..................................... 348
21:22-34 ...................... 347, 406, 416
21:22a ......................................... 348
21:22b ......................................... 348
21:23 ........................................... 348
21:23, 24, 31 ............................... 350
21:24 ........................................... 348
21:24-25 ..................................... 348
21:25 ........................................... 348
21:26 ........................................... 349
21:27 ........................................... 349
21:27-32 ..................................... 349
21:28 ........................................... 349
21:28-30 ..................................... 350
21:28-31 ..................................... 349
21:29 ........................................... 349
21:30 ........................................... 349
21:31 ........................................... 349
21:31-33 ..................................... 350
21:32 ........................................... 349
21:33 ..................................... 18, 350
21:33-34 ............................. 350, 365
21:34 ........................................... 350
22 ............................................... 358
22:1-2 ......................................... 351
22:1-2, 11-18 .............................. 240
22:1-19 ............................... 351, 362
22:1a ........................................... 351
22:1b ........................................... 352
22:2 ...................... 241, 257, 352, 359
22:2-4 ......................................... 359
22:3 ............................................. 353
22:3-10 ....................................... 359
22:4 ............................................. 353
22:5 ............................................. 353
22:6 ............................................. 354
22:6, 10 ....................................... 355
22:7-8 ......................................... 354
22:9 .............................. 245, 354, 500
22:9-10 ....................................... 354
22:10 ................................... 355, 359
22:11 ........................................... 355
22:11-12 ........................20, 355, 358
22:11-14 ..................................... 355
22:12 ........................................... 355
22:13 ................................... 355, 358
22:14 ..................................... 18, 356
22:15 ........................................... 357
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
686
22:15-17 ..................................... 360
22:15-18 ..................................... 357
22:16 ........................................... 357
22:16-18 ............................. 358, 407
22:17 ................................... 274, 359
22:17-18a .................................... 357
22:18 ................................... 243, 360
22:18b ......................................... 357
22:19 ................................... 358, 365
22:20 ........................................... 363
22:20-22 ..................................... 377
22:20-24 ..................... 363, 371, 373
22:21 ........................................... 218
22:21-23 ..................................... 363
22:24 ........................................... 364
23:1 ..................................... 364, 389
23:1-2 ......................................... 364
23:1-20 ....................................... 364
23:2 ............................................. 364
23:3 ............................................. 366
23:3-4 ......................................... 366
23:3-18 ....................................... 365
23:4 ............................................. 366
23:5-6 ......................................... 366
23:7 ............................................. 367
23:8-9 ......................................... 367
23:10 ........................................... 367
23:10-11 ..................................... 367
23:11 ........................................... 368
23:12 ........................................... 368
23:12-13 ..................................... 368
23:13 ........................................... 368
23:14-15 ..................................... 368
23:16 ........................................... 368
23:17 ........................................... 369
23:17-18 ..................................... 369
23:17-19 ..................................... 259
23:18 ........................................... 369
23:19 ........................................... 370
23:19-20 ..................................... 370
23:20 ........................................... 370
24 ........................ 315, 363, 441, 444
24:1 ............................................. 372
24:1-9 ......................................... 371
24:1-67 ....................................... 371
24:2 ............................................. 623
24:2-4 ......................................... 372
24:2a ........................................... 372
24:2b ........................................... 372
24:3a ........................................... 372
24:3b ........................................... 373
24:3b-4 ....................................... 373
24:4, 40, 48 ................................. 148
24:5 ............................................. 373
24:6 ............................................. 373
24:6-8 ......................................... 373
24:7 ............................................. 373
24:8 ............................................. 374
24:9 ............................................. 374
24:10 .................................... 359, 375
24:10-14 ..................................... 374
24:11 ........................................... 375
24:12 ........................................... 375
24:12-14 ..................................... 375
24:13 ........................................... 375
24:13-14 ..................................... 375
24:14 ........................................... 375
24:15 ........................................... 377
24:15, 55-59 ............................... 494
24:15-16 ..................................... 377
24:15-27 ..................................... 376
24:16 ........................................... 383
24:16-20 ..................................... 378
24:16a ......................................... 377
24:16b ......................................... 377
24:17 ........................................... 377
24:18 ........................................... 377
24:18-20 ..................................... 377
24:19 ........................................... 377
24:19-20 ..................................... 377
24:20 ........................................... 378
24:21 ........................................... 378
24:22 ........................................... 378
24:23 ........................................... 378
24:24 ........................................... 378
24:24-25 ..................................... 378
24:25 ........................................... 378
24:26 ........................................... 378
24:26-27 ..................................... 378
24:27 ........................................... 378
24:28 ........................................... 379
24:28-33 ..................................... 379
24:28-49 ..................................... 379
24:29 ........................................... 379
24:29-30 ..................................... 379
24:30 ........................................... 380
Scripture Index
687
24:31 ........................................... 380
24:32 ........................................... 380
24:32-33 ...................................... 380
24:33 ........................................... 380
24:34 ........................................... 382
24:34-49 ...................................... 380
24:35 ........................................... 382
24:36 ........................................... 382
24:37 ........................................... 382
24:37-41 ...................................... 382
24:38 ........................................... 382
24:39 ........................................... 382
24:40 ................................... 296, 382
24:40-41 ...................................... 382
24:41 ........................................... 382
24:42 ........................................... 383
24:42-44 ...................................... 383
24:43-44 ...................................... 383
24:45-48 ...................................... 383
24:45a ......................................... 383
24:45b ......................................... 383
24:46 ........................................... 383
24:47 ........................................... 383
24:48 ........................................... 383
24:49 ........................................... 384
24:50 ..................................... 77, 385
24:50-51 ...................................... 385
24:50-60 ...................................... 384
24:51 ........................................... 385
24:52 ........................................... 385
24:53 ........................................... 385
24:54a ......................................... 385
24:54b ......................................... 385
24:55 ........................................... 385
24:56 ........................................... 385
24:57 ........................................... 385
24:57-58 ...................................... 385
24:58 ........................................... 385
24:59 ................................... 386, 502
24:59-60 ...................................... 386
24:60 ........................................... 386
24:61 ........................................... 386
24:61-67 ...................................... 386
24:62 ................................... 293, 387
24:62-63 ...................................... 387
24:63 ........................................... 387
24:64 ........................................... 387
24:64-65 ...................................... 387
24:65 ........................................... 387
24:66 ........................................... 388
24:67 ........................................... 388
25 ............................................... 405
25:1 .............................. 148, 289, 389
25:1-6 ......................................... 389
25:2 ............................................. 389
25:2-4 ......................................... 389
25:3a ........................................... 390
25:3b ........................................... 390
25:4a ........................................... 390
25:4b ........................................... 390
25:5 ............................................. 391
25:6 ..................................... 289, 391
25:7 ..................................... 389, 392
25:7-11 ....................................... 391
25:8 ....................................... 23, 392
25:9 - 26:35 .................................... 4
25:9-10 ....................................... 393
25:11 ................................... 293, 393
25:12-16 ..................................... 395
25:12-18 ......................... 7, 305, 395
25:12a ......................................... 395
25:12b ......................................... 395
25:13-15 ..................................... 395
25:13a ......................................... 395
25:13b-15 ................................... 395
25:15 ........................................... 396
25:16 ........................................... 396
25:17 ..............................23, 392, 397
25:18 ...................... 78, 211, 291, 397
25:19 ........................................... 399
25:19 - 35:29 .......................... 7, 399
25:19-26 ..................................... 399
25:20 ........................................... 400
25:21 ........................................... 400
25:21-23 ..................................... 400
25:22 ........................................... 400
25:23 .................... 400, 419, 426, 430
25:24 ........................................... 400
25:24-26 ..................................... 400
25:25 ........................................... 401
25:26 ........................................... 418
25:26a ......................................... 401
25:26b ......................................... 401
25:27 ................................... 296, 402
25:27-34 ..................................... 401
25:27b ......................................... 403
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
688
25:28 ........................................... 403
25:29 ........................................... 403
25:29-34 ..................................... 403
25:30 ........................................... 403
25:31 ........................................... 404
25:32 ........................................... 404
25:33 ........................................... 404
25:34 ........................................... 404
26 ........................ 405, 410, 411, 416
26:1 ............................................. 406
26:1-5 ......................................... 405
26:2, 24 ....................................... 245
26:2-5 ......................................... 406
26:2a ........................................... 406
26:2b ........................................... 407
26:2b-5 ....................................... 407
26:3, 4 ......................................... 414
26:3, 4, 28 ................................... 549
26:3, 5, 24 ................................... 414
26:3, 24 ....................................... 414
26:3-4 ......................................... 407
26:4 ............................. 243, 274, 414
26:4, 24 ....................................... 414
26:5 ............................................. 408
26:6 ............................................. 409
26:6-7 ......................................... 409
26:6-11 ....................................... 408
26:7 ............................................. 409
26:8 ............................. 343, 409, 552
26:9 ............................................. 409
26:9-10 ....................................... 409
26:9b ........................................... 409
26:10 ........................................... 409
26:11 ........................................... 410
26:12 ........................................... 412
26:12-14a .................................... 412
26:12-17 ..................................... 412
26:12-32 ..................................... 411
26:13 ........................................... 412
26:14a ......................................... 412
26:14b ......................................... 412
26:14b-15 ................................... 412
26:15 ........................................... 412
26:16 ........................................... 412
26:17 ........................................... 412
26:18 ........................................... 412
26:18-22 ..................................... 412
26:19 ........................................... 413
26:19-20 ..................................... 413
26:20 ........................................... 413
26:21 ........................................... 413
26:22 ........................................... 413
26:23 ........................................... 413
26:23-25 ..................................... 413
26:24 .............................. 18, 272, 413
26:25 ............................ 245, 414, 500
26:26 ........................................... 415
26:26-33 ..................................... 414
26:27 ........................................... 415
26:28-29 ..................................... 415
26:28-31 ..................................... 311
26:30 ........................................... 415
26:30-31a ................................... 415
26:31a .................................. 415, 416
26:31b ......................................... 415
26:32 ........................................... 415
26:32-33 ..................................... 415
26:33 ........................................... 415
26:34 ............................ 417, 418, 512
26:34-35 ..................................... 417
26:35 ........................................... 417
27 ............................................... 406
27:1 - 36:43 .................................... 4
27:1-4 ......................................... 418
27:1-40 ....................................... 418
27:1a ........................................... 418
27:1b ........................................... 418
27:2 ............................................. 418
27:2-4 ......................................... 418
27:3 ............................................. 419
27:3-4a ....................................... 419
27:4a ........................................... 419
27:4b ........................................... 419
27:5 ............................................. 421
27:5-17 ....................................... 420
27:6-10 ....................................... 421
27:6a ........................................... 421
27:6b-7 ....................................... 421
27:8 ............................................. 421
27:8-10 ....................................... 421
27:9-10a ..................................... 421
27:10b ......................................... 421
27:11 ........................................... 421
27:11-12 ..................................... 421
27:12 ........................................... 422
27:13 ........................................... 422
Scripture Index
689
27:14 ........................................... 422
27:14-17 ...................................... 422
27:15 ................................... 422, 537
27:15-16 ...................................... 422
27:16 ........................... 110, 422, 537
27:17 ........................................... 422
27:18 ........................................... 424
27:18-27a .................................... 424
27:18-29 ...................................... 423
27:19 ................................... 419, 424
27:20 ........................................... 424
27:21 ........................................... 424
27:21-23 ...................................... 424
27:22 ........................................... 424
27:23 ........................................... 425
27:24 ........................................... 425
27:25 ................................... 419, 425
27:26 ........................................... 425
27:26-27a .................................... 425
27:27 ........................................... 425
27:27a ......................................... 425
27:27b ......................................... 425
27:27b-29 .................................... 425
27:28 ........................................... 425
27:29 ........................................... 425
27:29, 37 ..................................... 477
27:30 ........................................... 427
27:30-40 ...................................... 426
27:31 ................................... 419, 427
27:32 ................................... 424, 427
27:32-33 ...................................... 427
27:33 ........................................... 427
27:34 ........................................... 428
27:35 ........................................... 428
27:36 ................................... 401, 428
27:37 ........................................... 429
27:38 ........................................... 429
27:39 ................................... 429, 651
27:39-40 .............................. 429, 512
27:40 ........................................... 430
27:41 ........................................... 432
27:41 - 28:22 ............................... 431
27:41-45 ...................................... 431
27:42-45 ...................................... 432
27:42a ......................................... 432
27:42b ......................................... 432
27:42b-45 .................................... 432
27:43-44a .................................... 432
27:44b-45 ................................... 432
27:46 ........................................... 433
27:46 - 28:5 ................................ 433
28 ............................................... 441
28:1-4 ......................................... 433
28:1a ........................................... 433
28:1b ........................................... 433
28:1b-2 ....................................... 433
28:1b-4 ....................................... 433
28:2 ............................................. 433
28:3 ............................................. 295
28:3-4 ......................................... 434
28:5 ............................................. 434
28:6 ............................................. 434
28:6-7 ......................................... 434
28:6-8 ......................................... 434
28:6-9 ......................................... 434
28:7 ............................................. 434
28:8 ............................................. 435
28:9 ..................................... 435, 512
28:10 ........................................... 436
28:10-11 ..................................... 436
28:10-12 ..................................... 436
28:10-22 ..................................... 435
28:11 ........................................... 436
28:12 ...................... 21, 436, 437, 475
28:12, 13 ....................................... 24
28:12-13a ................................... 436
28:13 ............................................. 18
28:13, 15 ..................................... 439
28:13-15 ............................. 437, 479
28:13a ......................................... 437
28:13b ......................................... 437
28:13b-15 ................................... 437
28:14 ................................... 243, 274
28:14a ................................. 437, 439
28:14b ................................. 437, 439
28:15 ............ 437, 489, 500, 549, 640
28:16 ........................................... 438
28:16-17 ..................................... 438
28:17 ........................................... 438
28:18 ................................... 438, 464
28:18-22 ............................. 438, 504
28:19 ................................... 438, 504
28:20-22 ............................. 438, 464
28:20a ......................................... 438
28:20b-21a ................................. 438
28:20b-22 ................................... 438
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
690
28:21a ......................................... 439
28:21b ................................. 438, 439
28:21b-22 ................................... 439
28:22 ........................................... 504
28:22a ......................................... 439
28:22b ......................................... 439
29:1 ............................................. 441
29:1 - 30:43 ................................ 440
29:1-14 ................................ 375, 440
29:2 ............................................. 441
29:2-3 ......................................... 441
29:3 ............................................. 441
29:4 ............................................. 441
29:4-8 ......................................... 441
29:5-6 ......................................... 441
29:7 ............................................. 442
29:7-8 ......................................... 441
29:8 ............................................. 442
29:9 ............................................. 442
29:9-12 ....................................... 442
29:10a ......................................... 442
29:10b ......................................... 442
29:10b-12a .................................. 442
29:11 ........................................... 442
29:12a ......................................... 442
29:12b ......................................... 442
29:13 ................................... 442, 474
29:13-14 ..................................... 442
29:14 ........................................... 442
29:15 ........................................... 443
29:15-19 ..................................... 443
29:15-30 ..................................... 443
29:16 ........................................... 444
29:16-17 ..................................... 444
29:17 ........................................... 444
29:18 ........................................... 444
29:19 ........................................... 444
29:20 ........................................... 444
29:20-30 ..................................... 444
29:21 ........................................... 444
29:21-25a .................................... 444
29:22 ........................................... 444
29:23 ........................................... 444
29:24 ........................................... 445
29:25a ......................................... 445
29:25b ......................................... 445
29:25b-30 ................................... 445
29:26 ................................... 445, 470
29:26-27 ..................................... 445
29:27 ........................................... 445
29:28 ........................................... 446
29:29 ........................................... 446
29:30a ......................................... 446
29:30b ......................................... 446
29:31 ........................................... 446
29:31 - 30:24 .............................. 446
29:31-35 ..................................... 446
29:32 ........................................... 447
29:33 ........................................... 447
29:34 ........................................... 447
29:35 ........................................... 447
30:1 ...................................... 448, 507
30:1-2 ......................................... 448
30:1-8 ......................................... 448
30:2 ............................................. 449
30:3 ............................................. 449
30:3-4 ......................................... 449
30:4 ...................................... 289, 449
30:5 ............................................. 449
30:5-6 ......................................... 449
30:6 ............................................. 449
30:7 ............................................. 449
30:7-8 ......................................... 449
30:8 ............................................. 449
30:9 ............................................. 450
30:9-13 ....................................... 450
30:10 ........................................... 450
30:10-11 ..................................... 450
30:11 ........................................... 450
30:12 ........................................... 450
30:12-13 ..................................... 450
30:13 ........................................... 450
30:14-16 ..................................... 451
30:14-21 ..................................... 450
30:14a ......................................... 451
30:14b ......................................... 451
30:15a ......................................... 451
30:15b ......................................... 451
30:16 ........................................... 451
30:17 ........................................... 452
30:17-18 ..................................... 452
30:18 ........................................... 452
30:19 ........................................... 452
30:19-20 ..................................... 452
30:20 ........................................... 452
30:21 ........................................... 452
Scripture Index
691
30:22 ........................................... 453
30:22-24 ...................................... 453
30:23a ......................................... 453
30:23b-24 .................................... 453
30:24 ........................................... 506
30:25 ........................................... 418
30:25-26 ...................................... 454
30:25-36 ...................................... 453
30:27 ..................................... 92, 455
30:27-28 ...................................... 455
30:29-30 ...................................... 455
30:31 ........................................... 456
30:31a ......................................... 456
30:31b-33 .................................... 456
30:32 ........................................... 456
30:33 ........................................... 456
30:34 ........................................... 456
30:35 ........................................... 457
30:35-36a .................................... 457
30:36 ........................................... 467
30:36a ......................................... 457
30:36b ......................................... 457
30:37 ........................................... 458
30:37-40 ...................................... 459
30:37-43 ...................................... 457
30:38a ......................................... 458
30:38b ......................................... 458
30:38b-39 .................................... 458
30:39 ........................................... 458
30:40 ................................... 458, 459
30:41 ........................................... 459
30:41-42 ...................................... 459
30:42 ........................................... 459
30:43 ........................................... 459
30-31 .......................................... 634
31:1 ............................................. 461
31:1-2 ......................................... 461
31:1-3 ......................................... 461
31:1-21........................................ 460
31:1-55........................................ 460
31:2 ............................................. 461
31:3 ............................. 462, 489, 549
31:4 ............................................. 462
31:4-16........................................ 462
31:5 ............................................. 462
31:5-9 ......................................... 462
31:5-13........................................ 462
31:6 ............................................. 462
31:7 ............................................. 462
31:7-8 ......................................... 462
31:8 ............................................. 463
31:9 ............................................. 463
31:10-13 ............................. 460, 463
31:10a ......................................... 463
31:10b ......................................... 463
31:11 ................................... 463, 464
31:11-12 ..................................... 463
31:11-13 ....................................... 20
31:12 ........................................... 463
31:13 ........................................... 464
31:14 ........................................... 464
31:14-16 ..................................... 464
31:15 ........................................... 464
31:16a ......................................... 464
31:16b ......................................... 465
31:17 ........................................... 465
31:17-18 ..................................... 465
31:17-21 ..................................... 465
31:18a ......................................... 465
31:18b ......................................... 465
31:19a ......................................... 465
31:19b ......................................... 465
31:20 ........................................... 466
31:21 ........................................... 466
31:22 ........................................... 467
31:22-23 ..................................... 467
31:22-42 ..................................... 466
31:23 ........................................... 467
31:24 ..............................77, 335, 468
31:25 ........................................... 468
31:26 ........................................... 468
31:26-28a ................................... 468
31:26-30 ..................................... 468
31:27 ................................... 468, 471
31:28a ......................................... 468
31:28b ......................................... 468
31:29 ........................................... 468
31:30 ........................................... 469
31:31 ........................................... 469
31:31-32 ..................................... 469
31:32a ......................................... 469
31:32b ......................................... 469
31:33-35 ..................................... 469
31:33a ......................................... 469
31:33b ......................................... 469
31:34a ......................................... 469
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
692
31:34b ......................................... 470
31:35a ......................................... 470
31:35b ......................................... 470
31:36-42 ..................................... 470
31:36a ......................................... 470
31:36b-37 ................................... 470
31:38 ........................................... 418
31:38-40 ..................................... 470
31:38-41 ..................................... 470
31:41 ........................................... 471
31:42 ........................................... 471
31:42, 53 ....................................... 18
31:43 ........................................... 472
31:43-44 ..................................... 472
31:43-55 ..................................... 472
31:44 ........................................... 473
31:45 ........................................... 473
31:45-50 ..................................... 473
31:46 ........................................... 473
31:47-49 ..................................... 473
31:47a ......................................... 473
31:47b ......................................... 473
31:48 ........................................... 473
31:49 ........................................... 473
31:50 ........................................... 473
31:51 ........................................... 474
31:51-53a .................................... 474
31:52 ........................................... 474
31:53 ........................................... 471
31:53a ......................................... 474
31:53b ......................................... 474
31:54 ........................................... 474
31:55 ........................................... 474
32:1 ............................... 21, 437, 475
32:1 - 33:17 ................................ 475
32:1-2 ......................................... 475
32:2 ............................................. 475
32:3 ............................................. 477
32:3-6 ......................................... 477
32:3-21 ....................................... 476
32:4-5 ......................................... 477
32:4a ........................................... 477
32:5a ........................................... 477
32:5b ........................................... 478
32:6 ............................................. 478
32:7-8 ......................................... 478
32:7-12 ....................................... 478
32:7a ........................................... 478
32:7b ........................................... 478
32:8 ............................................. 479
32:9 ............................................. 479
32:9-12 ................................ 479, 481
32:10 ........................................... 479
32:11 ........................................... 479
32:12 .................................... 274, 479
32:13 .................................... 479, 481
32:13-15 ..................................... 479
32:13-21 ..................................... 479
32:14-15 ..................................... 479
32:15 ........................................... 375
32:16 ........................................... 480
32:17 ........................................... 480
32:17-18 ..................................... 480
32:17-20a ................................... 480
32:18 .................................... 426, 480
32:19 ........................................... 480
32:19-20a ................................... 480
32:20a ......................................... 480
32:20b ......................................... 480
32:21 ........................................... 481
32:22 ........................................... 482
32:22-23 ..................................... 482
32:22-32 ..................................... 481
32:23 ........................................... 482
32:24-29 ..................................... 482
32:24a ......................................... 482
32:24b ......................................... 482
32:25 .................................... 482, 483
32:26 ........................................... 483
32:26-29 ..................................... 483
32:27 ........................................... 483
32:27-28 ..................................... 483
32:28 ........................................... 483
32:29a ......................................... 483
32:29b ......................................... 484
32:30 ........................................... 484
32:30-32 ..................................... 484
32:31 ........................................... 484
32:32 ........................................... 484
33:1-16 ....................................... 432
33:1-17 ....................................... 485
33:1a ........................................... 486
33:1b-2 ....................................... 486
33:2 ............................................. 486
33:3 ............................................. 486
33:3, 8, 13-15 ............................. 426
Scripture Index
693
33:4 ............................................. 487
33:5-7 ......................................... 487
33:5a ........................................... 487
33:5b ........................................... 487
33:6-7 ......................................... 487
33:8-11........................................ 487
33:8a ........................................... 487
33:8b ........................................... 487
33:9 ..................................... 487, 488
33:10 ........................................... 487
33:10-11a .................................... 487
33:11a ......................................... 488
33:11b ......................................... 488
33:12 ........................................... 488
33:12-15 ...................................... 488
33:13 ........................................... 488
33:13-14 ...................................... 488
33:14 ........................................... 488
33:15a ......................................... 488
33:15b ......................................... 488
33:16 ........................................... 489
33:16-17 ...................................... 489
33:17 ........................................... 489
33:18 ........................................... 489
33:18 - 34:31 ............................... 489
33:18-20 ...................................... 489
33:19 ................................... 490, 631
33:20 ..................... 18, 245, 490, 500
34 ................ 452, 498, 605, 631, 637
34:1 ............................................. 491
34:1-7 ......................................... 490
34:1-31........................................ 490
34:2 ............................. 148, 215, 491
34:3 ............................................. 491
34:4 ............................................. 491
34:5 ............................................. 492
34:5-7 ......................................... 385
34:6 ............................................. 492
34:7 ............................................. 492
34:8 ............................................. 493
34:8-10........................................ 493
34:8-17........................................ 493
34:9 ............................................. 493
34:10 ........................................... 493
34:11-12 ...................................... 494
34:11-12a .................................... 494
34:12b ......................................... 494
34:13 ........................................... 494
34:13-17 ..................................... 494
34:14 ........................................... 494
34:14-17 ..................................... 494
34:15 ........................................... 494
34:16 ........................................... 494
34:17 ........................................... 495
34:18 ........................................... 495
34:18-19 ..................................... 495
34:18-24 ..................................... 495
34:19 ........................................... 495
34:20 ........................................... 495
34:20-23 ..................................... 495
34:21 ........................................... 496
34:21-23 ..................................... 496
34:22 ........................................... 496
34:23 ................................... 494, 496
34:24 ........................................... 496
34:25 ........................................... 497
34:25-26 ..................................... 637
34:25-29 ..................................... 496
34:26 ........................................... 497
34:27 ........................................... 497
34:27-28 ..................................... 637
34:27-29 ..................................... 497
34:28-29 ..................................... 497
34:29 ........................................... 611
34:30 ........................................... 498
34:30-31 ..................................... 497
34:31 ........................................... 498
34-35 .......................................... 498
35 ............................................... 499
35:1 ............................................. 499
35:1-8 ......................................... 499
35:1-15 ....................................... 499
35:2-3 ......................................... 500
35:2a ........................................... 500
35:2b ........................................... 500
35:3 ............................................. 500
35:3, 7 ......................................... 504
35:4 ..................................... 245, 500
35:5 ............................................. 501
35:6 ..................................... 438, 501
35:7 .................. 18, 19, 245, 338, 501
35:8 ..................................... 386, 502
35:9 ..................................... 245, 503
35:9-15 ....................................... 502
35:10 ........................................... 503
35:11 ........................................... 295
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
694
35:11-12 ..................................... 503
35:13 ................................... 307, 504
35:14 ........................................... 504
35:14-15 ..................................... 504
35:15 ........................................... 504
35:16-20 ..................................... 504
35:16a ......................................... 505
35:16b ......................................... 506
35:16b-18 ................................... 506
35:17 ........................................... 506
35:18 ........................................... 506
35:19 ................................... 506, 507
35:19-20 ..................................... 507
35:20 ........................................... 507
35:21 ........................................... 507
35:21-22a .................................... 507
35:22 ........................... 289, 529, 636
35:22a ......................................... 508
35:22b ......................................... 508
35:22b-26 ................................... 508
35:23 ........................................... 508
35:24 ........................................... 508
35:25 ........................................... 508
35:26a ......................................... 508
35:26b ......................................... 509
35:27 ........................................... 509
35:27-29 ..................................... 509
35:28 ................................... 418, 509
35:29 ............................. 23, 392, 509
36:1 ............................................. 511
36:1-8 ..................................... 8, 511
36:2 ............................................. 511
36:2, 6 ......................................... 148
36:2-3 ......................................... 511
36:3 ............................................. 435
36:4-5 ......................................... 512
36:4-5a ........................................ 512
36:5b ........................................... 512
36:6 ..................................... 244, 512
36:6-8 ......................................... 512
36:8 ............................................. 513
36:9 ............................................. 515
36:9 - 37:1 ...................................... 8
36:9 – 37:1 .................................. 515
36:9-14 ....................... 515, 518, 519
36:10 ........................................... 515
36:11 ........................................... 515
36:11-12 ..................................... 515
36:12 ........................................... 520
36:12a ......................................... 516
36:12b ......................................... 516
36:13 ........................................... 516
36:14 ........................................... 516
36:15-19 ...................... 517, 518, 519
36:15a ......................................... 518
36:15b-16a ................................. 518
36:16b ......................................... 518
36:17 ........................................... 518
36:18 ........................................... 518
36:19 ........................................... 518
36:20-21 ..................................... 519
36:20-30 ..................................... 519
36:20a ......................................... 519
36:20b-21a ................................. 520
36:21b ......................................... 520
36:22 ........................................... 520
36:22-28 ..................................... 520
36:23 ........................................... 520
36:24 ........................................... 520
36:25 ........................................... 520
36:26 ........................................... 520
36:27 ........................................... 520
36:28 .................................... 363, 520
36:29-30 ..................................... 521
36:31 ........................................... 522
36:31-39 ..................................... 521
36:32 ........................................... 523
36:33 ........................................... 523
36:34 ........................................... 523
36:35 ........................................... 523
36:35-36 ..................................... 396
36:36 ........................................... 523
36:37 ........................................... 523
36:38 ........................................... 523
36:39 ........................................... 523
36:40-43b ................................... 523
36:40a ......................................... 524
36:40b-43a ................................. 524
36:43b ......................................... 524
36:43c ......................................... 524
36:43c - 37:1 .............................. 524
37 ............................................... 577
37 - 50 .......................................... 10
37:1 ............................................. 524
37:1 - 50:26 .................................... 4
37:2 ............................................. 289
Scripture Index
695
37:2 - 50:26 ............................. 8, 527
37:2-4 ......................................... 527
37:2-36........................................ 527
37:2a ........................................... 527
37:2b ........................................... 528
37:3 ............................................. 529
37:3, 23, 32 ................................. 529
37:4 ............................................. 529
37:5 ............................................. 530
37:5-11........................................ 529
37:6 ............................................. 530
37:6-7 ......................................... 530
37:6-8 ......................................... 530
37:7 ............................................. 530
37:8 ............................................. 530
37:9 ............................................. 530
37:9-10........................................ 531
37:9-11........................................ 530
37:10 ........................................... 531
37:11 ........................................... 531
37:12 ........................................... 532
37:12-17 ...................................... 532
37:12-24 ...................................... 532
37:13-14 ...................................... 533
37:13a ......................................... 533
37:13b ......................................... 533
37:14a ......................................... 533
37:14b ......................................... 533
37:15-17a .................................... 533
37:15a ......................................... 533
37:15b ......................................... 533
37:15b-17a .................................. 533
37:16 ........................................... 533
37:17a ......................................... 533
37:17b ......................................... 533
37:18 ........................................... 533
37:18-20 ...................................... 533
37:18-24 ...................................... 533
37:19 ........................................... 533
37:19-20 ...................................... 533
37:20 ..................................... 38, 534
37:21 ........................................... 534
37:21-22 ...................................... 534
37:22 ........................................... 534
37:23 ........................................... 534
37:23-24 ...................................... 534
37:24 ........................................... 534
37:25 ........................................... 535
37:25-28 ..................................... 535
37:25-36 ..................................... 534
37:26 ........................................... 536
37:26-27 ...................... 584, 593, 638
37:26-27a ................................... 536
37:27a ......................................... 536
37:27b ......................................... 536
37:28 ................................... 390, 536
37:29 ........................................... 536
37:29-30 ..................................... 536
37:30 ........................................... 536
37:31 ........................................... 537
37:31-32 ..................................... 537
37:32 ........................................... 537
37:33 ........................................... 537
37:33-35 ..................................... 537
37:34 ........................................... 537
37:35 ...................... 24, 452, 537, 605
37:36 .................... 537, 546, 549, 556
38 ....................................... 546, 547
38:1 ............................................. 538
38:1-11 ....................................... 538
38:1-30 ....................................... 538
38:2 ............................................. 539
38:3-5 ......................................... 539
38:4 ............................................. 539
38:5 ............................................. 539
38:6-7 ......................................... 539
38:6-10 ....................................... 539
38:7 ............................................. 539
38:8 ............................................. 540
38:8-10 ....................................... 540
38:9 ............................................. 540
38:10 ........................................... 540
38:11 ........................................... 540
38:12 ........................................... 542
38:12-14 ..................................... 542
38:12-26 ..................................... 541
38:13 ........................................... 542
38:14 ........................................... 542
38:15 ........................................... 543
38:15-18 ..................................... 543
38:16-18a ................................... 543
38:16a ......................................... 543
38:16b ......................................... 543
38:17a ......................................... 543
38:17b ......................................... 543
38:18a ......................................... 543
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
696
38:18b ......................................... 543
38:18c ......................................... 543
38:19 ........................................... 544
38:20 ........................................... 544
38:20-23 ..................................... 544
38:21 ........................................... 544
38:22 ........................................... 544
38:23 ........................................... 544
38:24-26 ..................................... 544
38:24a ......................................... 544
38:24b ......................................... 544
38:25 ........................................... 544
38:26 ........................................... 544
38:27 ........................................... 545
38:27-30 ..................................... 545
38:28 ........................................... 545
38:29 ........................................... 545
38:30 ........................................... 546
39, 40 .......................................... 554
39:1 ............................. 546, 549, 556
39:1-6 ......................................... 547
39:1-18 ....................................... 547
39:2 ............................................. 549
39:2, 3, 21, 23 ............................. 549
39:3 ............................................. 549
39:3-4 ......................................... 549
39:4 ..................................... 549, 554
39:5 ..................................... 549, 550
39:6 ..................................... 550, 555
39:7 ..................................... 491, 551
39:7-18 ....................................... 550
39:8-9 ......................................... 551
39:10 ........................................... 552
39:11 ........................................... 552
39:11-12 ..................................... 552
39:12 ........................................... 552
39:13 ........................................... 552
39:13-18 ..................................... 552
39:14, 17 ..................................... 343
39:14-15 ..................................... 552
39:16 ........................................... 553
39:16-18 ..................................... 553
39:17 ........................................... 344
39:17-18 ..................................... 553
39:19 ........................................... 554
39:19 - 40:23 .............................. 553
39:19-20 ..................................... 554
39:19-23 ..................................... 553
39:20 ........................................... 554
39:21 ........................................... 554
39:21, 23 ..................................... 549
39:21-23 ..................................... 554
39:22 ........................................... 554
39:22-23 ..................................... 554
39:23 ........................................... 555
40, 41 .......................................... 561
40:1 ............................................. 555
40:1-8 ......................................... 555
40:1-23 ....................................... 555
40:2 ............................................. 556
40:3 ............................................. 556
40:3-4 ......................................... 556
40:4 ............................................. 556
40:5 ...................................... 335, 556
40:5-8 ......................................... 556
40:6 ............................................. 556
40:7 ............................................. 556
40:8a ........................................... 556
40:8b ........................................... 556
40:9 ............................................. 557
40:9-11 ....................................... 557
40:9-15 ....................................... 557
40:10 ........................................... 557
40:10-11 ..................................... 558
40:11 ........................................... 557
40:12-13 ..................................... 558
40:14 ........................................... 558
40:14-15 ..................................... 558
40:15 ........................................... 558
40:16-17 ..................................... 559
40:16-19 ..................................... 558
40:16a ......................................... 559
40:16b ......................................... 559
40:16b-17 ................................... 559
40:17 ........................................... 559
40:18-19 ..................................... 559
40:20 ........................................... 560
40:20-23 ..................................... 559
40:21 ........................................... 560
40:22a ......................................... 560
40:22b ......................................... 560
40:23 ........................................... 560
41:1 ............................................. 335
41:1-8 ......................................... 560
41:1-57 ....................................... 560
41:1a ........................................... 561
Scripture Index
697
41:1b ........................................... 561
41:1b-4........................................ 561
41:2 ............................................. 561
41:3 ............................................. 561
41:4a ........................................... 561
41:4b ........................................... 561
41:5 ............................................. 561
41:5-7 ......................................... 561
41:6 ............................................. 561
41:6-53........................................ 418
41:7a ........................................... 561
41:7b ........................................... 561
41:8 ............................................. 561
41:9 ............................................. 562
41:9-13........................................ 562
41:10 ........................................... 562
41:10-13 ...................................... 562
41:11 ........................................... 562
41:12 ........................................... 562
41:13 ........................................... 563
41:14 ........................................... 563
41:14-16 ...................................... 563
41:14-24 ...................................... 563
41:15 ........................................... 564
41:16 ........................................... 564
41:17 ........................................... 564
41:17-21 ...................................... 564
41:17-24 ...................................... 564
41:18 ........................................... 564
41:19 ........................................... 564
41:20 ........................................... 564
41:21a ......................................... 564
41:21b ......................................... 564
41:22 ........................................... 564
41:22-24a .................................... 564
41:23 ........................................... 564
41:24a ......................................... 564
41:24b ......................................... 565
41:25 ................................... 565, 566
41:25-36 ...................................... 565
41:26 ........................................... 566
41:26-27 ...................................... 566
41:26-32 ...................................... 566
41:27 ........................................... 566
41:28 ........................................... 566
41:28-31 ...................................... 566
41:29 ........................................... 566
41:30-31 ...................................... 566
41:32 ........................................... 566
41:33 ........................................... 567
41:33-36 ..................................... 567
41:34 ........................................... 567
41:35 ........................................... 567
41:36 ........................................... 567
41:37 ........................................... 568
41:37-38 ..................................... 568
41:37-46a ................................... 568
41:38 ........................................... 568
41:39 ........................................... 569
41:39-40 ..................................... 568
41:39-44 ..................................... 568
41:40 ........................................... 569
41:41 ........................................... 569
41:42 ........................................... 569
41:43 ........................................... 569
41:43a ......................................... 569
41:43b ......................................... 569
41:44 ........................................... 569
41:45-46a ................................... 570
41:45a ......................................... 570
41:45b ......................................... 570
41:45c ......................................... 570
41:46a ......................................... 570
41:46b ......................................... 571
41:46b-57 ................................... 571
41:47 ........................................... 571
41:47-49 ..................................... 571
41:48 ........................................... 571
41:49 ........................................... 572
41:50 ................................... 572, 625
41:50-52 ..................................... 572
41:51 ........................................... 572
41:52 ................................... 572, 650
41:53 ........................................... 572
41:53-57 ..................................... 572
41:54 ........................................... 572
41:55 ........................................... 573
41:55-56 ..................................... 573
41:56 ........................................... 573
41:57 ........................................... 573
42:1 ............................................. 574
42:1 - 45:28 ................................ 573
42:1-2 ......................................... 574
42:1-5 ......................................... 573
42:1-38 ....................................... 573
42:2 ............................................. 574
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
698
42:3 ............................................. 574
42:4 ............................................. 574
42:5 ............................................. 574
42:6 ..................................... 569, 576
42:6-17 ....................................... 576
42:6-25 ....................................... 574
42:7 ............................................. 576
42:7-9a ........................................ 576
42:8 ............................................. 576
42:9, 12, 14, 16 ........................... 576
42:9a ........................................... 576
42:9b ........................................... 576
42:9b-17 ..................................... 576
42:10 ........................................... 576
42:10-11 ..................................... 576
42:11 ........................................... 576
42:12 ........................................... 576
42:13 ........................................... 576
42:14 ........................................... 577
42:14-16 ..................................... 577
42:15 ........................................... 577
42:16 ........................................... 577
42:17 ........................................... 577
42:18 ........................................... 577
42:18-20a .................................... 577
42:18-25 ..................................... 577
42:19-20a .................................... 577
42:20 ........................................... 275
42:20b ......................................... 577
42:21 ........................... 534, 535, 577
42:21-22 ..................................... 577
42:22 ........................................... 578
42:23 ........................................... 578
42:23-25 ..................................... 578
42:24a ......................................... 578
42:24b ......................................... 578
42:25 ........................................... 578
42:26 ........................................... 580
42:26-38 ..................................... 579
42:27 ........................................... 580
42:27-28 ..................................... 580
42:28a ......................................... 580
42:28b ......................................... 580
42:29 ........................................... 580
42:29-34 ..................................... 580
42:30 ........................................... 580
42:31-32 ..................................... 580
42:33-34 ..................................... 580
42:35 ........................................... 580
42:36 ........................................... 580
42:37 ........................................... 581
42:38 ...................................... 24, 581
43:1 ............................................. 582
43:1 - 45:28 ................................ 581
43:1-2 ......................................... 582
43:1-14 ....................................... 581
43:2 ............................................. 582
43:3 ............................................. 582
43:3-5 ......................................... 582
43:4 ............................................. 583
43:4-5 ......................................... 583
43:5 ............................................. 583
43:6 ............................................. 583
43:7 ............................................. 583
43:8 ............................................. 583
43:8-10 ....................................... 583
43:9 ............................................. 583
43:10 ........................................... 584
43:11 ........................................... 584
43:11-14 ..................................... 584
43:12 ........................................... 584
43:13 ........................................... 584
43:14 .................................... 295, 584
43:15 ........................................... 586
43:15-34 ..................................... 585
43:16 ........................................... 586
43:16-25 ..................................... 586
43:17 ........................................... 586
43:18 ........................................... 586
43:18-22 ..................................... 586
43:19 ........................................... 587
43:19-22 ..................................... 587
43:20 ........................................... 587
43:20-22 ..................................... 587
43:21a ......................................... 587
43:21b ......................................... 587
43:21b-22a ................................. 587
43:22a ......................................... 587
43:22b ......................................... 587
43:23a ......................................... 587
43:23b ......................................... 587
43:23b-24 ................................... 587
43:24 ........................................... 587
43:25 ........................................... 587
43:26 ........................................... 588
43:26-34 ..................................... 588
Scripture Index
699
43:27 ........................................... 588
43:28 ........................................... 588
43:29 ........................................... 588
43:29-30 ...................................... 588
43:30 ................................... 578, 588
43:31 ........................................... 588
43:31-34 ...................................... 588
43:32 ................................... 550, 588
43:33 ........................................... 589
43:34 ........................................... 589
44:1-2a ........................................ 590
44:1-17........................................ 589
44:2b ........................................... 591
44:3 ............................................. 591
44:4-5 ......................................... 591
44:5, 15 ......................................... 92
44:6 ............................................. 591
44:7 ............................................. 592
44:7-9 ......................................... 592
44:8 ............................................. 592
44:9 ............................................. 592
44:10 ........................................... 592
44:11 ........................................... 592
44:11-13 ...................................... 592
44:12a ......................................... 592
44:12b ......................................... 593
44:13 ........................................... 593
44:14 ........................................... 593
44:15 ........................................... 593
44:16 ........................................... 593
44:17 ........................................... 593
44:18 ........................................... 595
44:18-34 ...................................... 594
44:19 ........................................... 595
44:19-29 ...................................... 595
44:20 ........................................... 595
44:21 ........................................... 595
44:22 ........................................... 595
44:23 ........................................... 595
44:24 ........................................... 595
44:25 ........................................... 595
44:26 ........................................... 595
44:27 ........................................... 595
44:27-29 ...................................... 595
44:28 ........................................... 595
44:29 ........................................... 596
44:29, 31 ....................................... 24
44:30-31 ...................................... 596
44:30-34 ..................................... 596
44:31 ........................................... 596
44:32 ........................................... 596
44:33 ........................................... 596
44:34 ........................................... 596
45:1 ............................................. 598
45:1-2 ......................................... 598
45:1-15 ....................................... 597
45:2 ............................................. 598
45:2, 14-15 ................................. 578
45:3-4 ......................................... 598
45:3a ........................................... 598
45:3b ........................................... 598
45:4 ............................................. 598
45:5 ............................................. 598
45:5-8 ......................................... 598
45:6 ............................................. 599
45:7 ............................................. 599
45:8 ..................................... 569, 599
45:9-11 ....................................... 599
45:9-13 ....................................... 599
45:9a ........................................... 599
45:9b ........................................... 599
45:9b-11 ..................................... 599
45:10 ........................................... 599
45:10-11a ................................... 599
45:11 ........................................... 418
45:11a ......................................... 599
45:11b ......................................... 599
45:12 ........................................... 599
45:13 ........................................... 600
45:14 ........................................... 600
45:14-15 ..................................... 600
45:15 ........................................... 600
45:16 ........................................... 601
45:16-20 ..................................... 600
45:17 ........................................... 601
45:17-20 ..................................... 601
45:18 ........................................... 601
45:19 ........................................... 601
45:20 ........................................... 601
45:21-23 ..................................... 602
45:21-28 ..................................... 602
45:21a ......................................... 602
45:21b-22a ................................. 602
45:22b ......................................... 602
45:23 ................................... 375, 602
45:24 ........................................... 603
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
700
45:25 ........................................... 603
45:26 ........................................... 275
45:26-28 ..................................... 603
45:26a ......................................... 603
45:26b ......................................... 603
45:27a ......................................... 603
45:27b ......................................... 603
45:28 ........................................... 603
46:1 ............................................. 604
46:1 - 47:12 ................................ 603
46:1-7 ................................. 603, 604
46:2 ............................................. 604
46:2-4 ......................................... 604
46:3 ............................................. 272
46:3-4 ......................................... 604
46:5 ............................................. 605
46:5-6 ......................................... 244
46:5-7 ......................................... 605
46:6-7 ......................................... 605
46:7, 15 ............................... 452, 537
46:8-27 ....................................... 606
46:8a ........................................... 607
46:8b ........................................... 607
46:8b-9 ....................................... 607
46:8b-15 ..................................... 607
46:9 ............................................. 607
46:10 ........................................... 607
46:11 ........................................... 607
46:12 ........................................... 607
46:13 ........................................... 608
46:14 ........................................... 608
46:15 ........................................... 608
46:16 ........................................... 609
46:16-18 ..................................... 609
46:17 ........................................... 609
46:18 ........................................... 609
46:19 ........................................... 609
46:19-22 ..................................... 609
46:20 ................................... 570, 609
46:21 ........................................... 609
46:22 ........................................... 609
46:23 ........................................... 610
46:23-25 ..................................... 610
46:24 ........................................... 610
46:25 ........................................... 610
46:26 ................................... 372, 610
46:26-27 ..................................... 610
46:27 ................................... 610, 611
46:28 ........................................... 613
46:28-34 ..................................... 611
46:29 ........................................... 613
46:30 ........................................... 613
46:31-34 ..................................... 613
46:31a ......................................... 613
46:31b-32 ................................... 613
46:33 ........................................... 613
46:33-34 ..................................... 613
46:34a ......................................... 614
46:34b ......................................... 614
47:1 ............................................. 615
47:1-10 ....................................... 614
47:2 ............................................. 615
47:2-6 ......................................... 615
47:3 ...................................... 614, 615
47:4 ............................................. 615
47:5 ............................................. 615
47:5-6 ......................................... 615
47:6 ............................................. 615
47:7 ............................................. 615
47:7-10 ....................................... 615
47:8 ............................................. 616
47:9 .............................. 418, 509, 616
47:10 ........................................... 616
47:11 ........................................... 616
47:11-12 ..................................... 616
47:12 ........................................... 617
47:13 ........................................... 617
47:13-14 ..................................... 617
47:13-26 ..................................... 617
47:14 ........................................... 617
47:15 ........................................... 618
47:15-17 ..................................... 618
47:16 ........................................... 618
47:17 ........................................... 618
47:18-19 ..................................... 619
47:18-22 ..................................... 619
47:18a ......................................... 619
47:18b ......................................... 619
47:18b-19 ................................... 619
47:19 ........................................... 619
47:20 ........................................... 620
47:20-22 ..................................... 620
47:21 ........................................... 620
47:22 ........................................... 620
47:23 ........................................... 621
47:23-24 ..................................... 621
Scripture Index
701
47:23-26 ...................................... 620
47:24 ........................................... 621
47:25 ........................................... 621
47:26 ........................................... 621
47:27 ........................................... 622
47:27-31 ...................................... 622
47:28 ........................... 613, 622, 625
47:29-31 ...................................... 622
47:29a ......................................... 622
47:29b-30a .................................. 623
47:30 ..................................... 23, 392
47:30b ......................................... 623
47:31a ......................................... 623
47:31b ......................................... 623
48:1 ............................................. 624
48:1-7 ......................................... 624
48:1-22........................................ 624
48:2 ............................................. 625
48:3 ..................................... 295, 438
48:3-4 ......................................... 625
48:3-7 ......................................... 625
48:5 ............................................. 625
48:5-6 ......................................... 625
48:6 ............................................. 626
48:7 ..................................... 507, 626
48:8 ............................................. 627
48:8-20........................................ 626
48:9a ........................................... 627
48:9b ........................................... 627
48:10a ......................................... 628
48:10b ......................................... 628
48:11 ........................................... 628
48:12 ........................................... 628
48:12-13 ...................................... 628
48:13 ........................................... 628
48:14 ........................................... 628
48:15 ........................................... 296
48:15-16 ...................................... 628
48:17 ........................................... 629
48:17-18 ...................................... 629
48:18 ........................................... 629
48:19 ................................... 504, 629
48:20 ........................................... 630
48:21 ........................................... 631
48:21-22 ...................................... 630
48:22 ................................... 215, 631
49 ........................................ 491, 498
49:1 ............................................. 632
49:1-28 ....................................... 632
49:2 ............................................. 634
49:3-4 ................................. 508, 635
49:3-27 ....................................... 635
49:5 ............................................. 636
49:5-7 ................................. 498, 636
49:6a ........................................... 637
49:6b ........................................... 637
49:7 ............................................. 637
49:8 ..................................... 448, 638
49:8-12 ....................................... 638
49:9 ..................................... 119, 639
49:10 ..............................20, 639, 642
49:11 ........................................... 642
49:12 ........................................... 642
49:13 ........................................... 643
49:14 ........................................... 644
49:14-15 ..................................... 644
49:15 ........................................... 644
49:16 ........................................... 646
49:16-18 ..................................... 645
49:17 ........................................... 646
49:18 ................................... 549, 646
49:19 ........................................... 647
49:20 ........................................... 648
49:21 ........................................... 648
49:22 ........................................... 649
49:22-26 ..................................... 649
49:23 ........................................... 650
49:24 ..................................... 18, 650
49:25 ............................ 295, 650, 661
49:25-26 ..................................... 651
49:25a ......................................... 650
49:25b ......................................... 650
49:26 ........................................... 651
49:27 ........................................... 651
49:28 ........................................... 652
49:29 ................................... 372, 392
49:29 - 50:3 ................................ 652
49:29 - 50:14 .............................. 652
49:29, 33 ....................................... 23
49:29-32 ..................................... 653
49:29a ......................................... 653
49:29b-30 ................................... 653
49:31 ................................... 509, 653
49:32 ........................................... 654
49:33 ................................... 392, 654
49:33 - 50:3 ................................ 654
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
702
50:1 ............................................. 654
50:2 ............................................. 654
50:2-3 ......................................... 654
50:3 ............................................. 655
50:4-5 ......................................... 656
50:4-14 ....................................... 655
50:6 ............................................. 657
50:7-9 ......................................... 657
50:7a ........................................... 657
50:7b ........................................... 657
50:8 ............................................. 657
50:9 ............................................. 657
50:10 ........................................... 657
50:10-11 ..................................... 657
50:11 ........................................... 657
50:12 ........................................... 658
50:12-13 ..................................... 658
50:13 ........................................... 658
50:14 ........................................... 658
50:15 ........................................... 659
50:15-21 ..................................... 658
50:16-17a .................................... 659
50:17 ........................................... 578
50:17b ......................................... 659
50:18 ........................................... 659
50:19 ........................................... 659
50:19-21 ..................................... 659
50:20 ........................................... 659
50:21 ........................................... 660
50:22 ........................................... 660
50:22-26 ..................................... 660
50:23 ........................................... 661
50:24 ........................................... 661
50:24-25 ..................................... 661
50:25 ........................................... 662
50:26 ........................................... 662
Exodus
1:5 ............................................... 611
1:7 ....................................... 605, 622
1:11-12 ............................... 281, 290
2:3-5 ........................................... 163
2:15 - 3:1 ..................................... 390
2:15-21 ........................................ 375
2:22-25 ....................................... 361
2:24 ............................................. 175
3:8, 17 ......................................... 285
3:21-22 ....................................... 282
4:24-26 ............................... 302, 361
6:2-8 ........................................... 362
6:16-21 ....................................... 282
7:9................................................. 53
7:10 ............................................... 53
7:12 ............................................... 53
7-9 .............................................. 562
9:30 ............................................... 69
10:15 ............................................. 39
10:21-23 ....................................... 39
11:2 ............................................. 257
12:5 ............................................. 296
12:13, 23 ..................................... 122
12:35-36 ..................................... 282
12:40-41 ...................................... 281
13:19 .......................................... 662
14:16, 21 ..................................... 169
15:15 ........................................... 523
15:22 ........................................... 291
17:7 ............................................. 254
17:8-16 ....................................... 516
17:14 ............................................... 2
18:1 ............................................. 390
18:4 ............................................... 83
18:27 ........................................... 241
19:2-4 ......................................... 244
20:2 ............................................. 278
20:5 ............................................. 198
20:26 ............................................. 98
21:28 ........................................... 101
23:5 ............................................. 119
23:23 ........................................... 285
24:1-11 ....................................... 311
24:10 ............................................. 48
25:12, 14 ....................................... 85
26:20 ............................................. 85
31:16-17 ..................................... 189
31:17 ............................................. 64
32:6 ...................................... 343, 344
32:11-14 ..................................... 362
32:26-29 ..................................... 637
32:32-33 ..................................... 155
33:20 ........................................... 197
33:23 ........................................... 293
34:6-7 ......................................... 198
36:25 ............................................. 85
37:3, 5 ........................................... 85
39:3 ............................................... 47
Scripture Index
703
Leviticus
1:1-2 ............................................... 2
1:3, 10 ......................................... 159
2:13 ............................................. 280
3:1, 6 ................................... 159, 296
3:16 ............................................. 118
3:17 ............................................. 186
4:3, 23 ......................................... 296
4:13-14........................................ 278
4:28 ............................................. 279
4:32 ............................................. 279
5:17-18........................................ 279
6:6 ............................................... 279
7:10-14, 26-27 ............................ 186
11:15 ........................................... 177
16:15 ........................................... 278
18:1-3 ......................................... 198
18:9, 11 ....................................... 337
18:18 ........................................... 446
18:21 ........................................... 353
18:24-30 ...................................... 283
19:26 ............................................. 92
20:1-5 ......................................... 353
20:17 ........................................... 337
20:22-27 ...................................... 283
26:40-42 ...................................... 362
Numbers
1:10 ............................................. 630
1:20-21........................................ 636
1:23 ............................................. 637
1:32-33, 34-35 ............................ 630
1:32-35........................................ 630
2:9 ............................................... 638
7:48-53, 54-59 ............................ 630
10:12 ........................................... 263
10:14 ........................................... 638
10:25 ........................................... 646
11:5 ............................................. 617
13:29 ................................... 215, 516
13:33 ........................................... 150
14:43, 45 ..................................... 516
16:30 ....................................... 31, 32
16:30-35 ...................................... 121
18:2, 4 ......................................... 447
18:19 ........................................... 280
18:20-24 ...................................... 638
20:13, 24 ..................................... 254
20:14 ........................................... 523
20:14-21 ............................. 430, 523
20:24 ........................................... 392
20:26 ........................................... 392
21:9 ............................................... 92
21:13 ........................................... 215
21:33-35 ..................................... 262
22:27 ........................................... 119
23:23 ............................................. 92
24:1 ............................................... 92
24:4, 16 ....................................... 272
24:9 ..................................... 242, 639
24:14 ........................................... 632
24:24 ........................................... 209
25:14 ........................................... 637
25:16-18 ..................................... 390
26 ............................................... 650
26:5-7 ......................................... 636
26:12 ........................................... 607
26:13 ........................................... 607
26:14 ........................................... 637
26:15 ........................................... 609
26:16 ........................................... 609
26:17 ........................................... 609
26:19 ........................................... 540
26:20 ............................ 539, 545, 546
26:23-24 ..................................... 608
26:25 ........................................... 644
26:28-34 ...................................... 661
26:28-37 ...................... 611, 626, 630
26:38 ........................................... 609
26:39 ........................................... 609
26:42 ........................................... 610
27:13 ........................................... 392
27:14 ........................................... 254
28:15, 22, 30 ............................... 279
29:8 ............................................. 278
31:2 ............................................. 392
32:37-38 ....................................... 84
32:39 ........................................... 661
33:2 ................................................. 2
33:52 ............................................. 56
35:1-8 ......................................... 638
Deuteronomy
1:1 ................................................... 2
1:4, 7 ........................................... 215
1:39 ............................................... 77
1:44 ............................................. 215
2:9, 19 ......................................... 332
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
704
2:10-11 ....................................... 262
2:12 ............................................. 262
2:12, 22 ....................................... 520
2:20 ............................................. 262
3:11 ............................................. 262
3:14 ............................................. 364
3:24 ............................................. 273
4:4 ................................................. 88
4:30 ............................................. 632
4:32 ......................................... 32, 58
6:4 ........................................... 46, 88
7:1 ............................................... 285
9:26 ............................................. 273
10:8 ............................................. 296
10:8-9 ......................................... 638
10:20 ............................................. 88
11:6 ..................................... 121, 168
11:22 ............................................. 88
11:30 ........................................... 245
12:15, 16, 20-24 .......................... 186
12:29-31 ..................................... 198
13:4 ............................................... 88
14:14 ........................................... 177
17:14-20 ..................................... 522
18:9-14 ....................................... 283
18:10 ..................................... 92, 353
18:17 ........................................... 296
20:17 ........................................... 285
21:4 ............................................. 278
21:16 ........................................... 397
21:17 ................................... 404, 635
22:21 ........................................... 492
22:25-27 ..................................... 120
23:17 ........................................... 544
25:5-10 ....................................... 540
27:22 ........................................... 337
28:36 ........................................... 522
29:23 ........................................... 327
30:20 ............................................. 88
31:29 ........................................... 632
32:8 ............................................. 145
32:8-9 ......................................... 204
32:10 ............................................. 38
32:11 ............................................. 41
32:33 ............................................. 53
32:50 ........................................... 392
33 ........................................ 632, 637
33:6 ............................................. 636
33:7, 26, 29 ................................... 83
33:13 ........................................... 651
33:15 ........................................... 651
33:18 ........................................... 644
33:18-19 ..................................... 645
33:20 ........................................... 647
33:22 ........................................... 641
33:24 ........................................... 648
34:4 ............................................. 362
Joshua
1:7................................................... 2
2:10 ............................................. 215
2:18 ............................................. 122
3:10 ............................................. 285
7:1............................................... 546
7:6 ................................................. 73
8:30-35 ....................................... 498
9:3-7, 17 ..................................... 215
9:10 ............................................. 215
10:1 ............................................. 271
11:3 ............................................. 215
11:19 ........................................... 215
12:5 ............................................. 364
13:21 ........................................... 390
13:26, 30 ..................................... 475
14:4 ............................................. 638
14:15 ........................................... 365
15:8 ............................................. 215
15:13 ........................................... 365
15:34 ........................................... 543
15:52 ........................................... 396
16:2 ............................................. 438
17:1 ............................................. 661
18:28 ........................................... 215
19:1-9 ......................................... 637
19:10-16 ..................................... 643
19:17-23 ..................................... 645
19:40-48 ..................................... 646
21:1-42 ....................................... 638
21:11 ........................................... 365
22:4 ............................................. 241
24:2 ...................................... 235, 236
24:8 ............................................. 215
24:26 ........................................... 245
24:32 ............................ 490, 631, 662
Judges
1:1-2 ........................................... 639
1:3............................................... 637
Scripture Index
705
1:10 ............................................. 365
1:21 ............................................. 215
3:13 ............................................. 516
3:15-30........................................ 652
4:1-24 ......................................... 648
5:1-31 ......................................... 649
5:14 ............................................. 661
5:14, 19-20 .................................. 652
5:15 ..................................... 636, 645
5:18 ............................................. 644
6:1 - 7:25 ..................................... 390
6:3 ............................................... 516
6:35 ............................................. 645
7:12 ............................................. 516
8:8, 17 ......................................... 484
8:22-26........................................ 536
8:31 ............................................. 287
9:6 ............................................... 245
9:13 ............................................. 197
9:37 ............................................. 245
10:1-2 ......................................... 645
10:5 ............................................. 215
10:8 ............................................. 215
11:22 ........................................... 215
12:11-12 ...................................... 644
13:17-18 ...................................... 484
13:18 ........................................... 313
13:22 ........................................... 197
13-16 .......................................... 646
14:12 ........................................... 445
15:18 ........................................... 299
15:19 ........................................... 169
16:25 ........................................... 343
18:1-31........................................ 646
19:10 ........................................... 215
19:23, 24 ..................................... 492
19:29 ........................................... 355
19-20 .......................................... 287
20:6, 10 ....................................... 492
20:28 ........................................... 296
21:22 ........................................... 385
Ruth
4:5-6 ........................................... 540
4:7-12 ......................................... 280
4:12, 18-21 .................................. 546
4:18 ................................................. 6
I Samuel
2:8 ................................................. 73
6:19 ............................................. 197
7:12 ............................................... 83
7:17 ............................................. 505
9:1 - 11:15 .................................. 652
10:2 ..................................... 505, 506
14:1-52 ....................................... 652
14:44 ............................................. 81
14:47 ........................................... 430
14:48 ........................................... 516
15:1-9 ......................................... 516
15:7 ..................................... 211, 291
15:11 ........................................... 153
15:29 ........................................... 153
16:12 ........................................... 401
17:17 ........................................... 375
17:26, 36 ..................................... 299
17:42 ........................................... 401
18:1 ............................................. 596
21:10-15 ..................................... 406
22:16 ............................................. 81
26:7 ............................................. 436
26:11-12 ..................................... 241
26:12 ........................................... 280
27:8 ..................................... 291, 516
30:1 ............................................. 516
II Samuel
2:8 ............................................... 475
2:14 ............................................. 344
3:7 ....................................... 287, 508
5:1 ................................................. 87
5:6-9 ........................................... 215
5:13 ............................................. 287
7:23 ............................................. 338
8:8 ............................................... 364
8:14 ............................................. 430
10:6, 8 ......................................... 364
12:8 ............................................. 508
13:12 ........................................... 492
13:14-15 ..................................... 491
13:18-19 ..................................... 529
14:17 ............................................. 77
15:16 ........................................... 287
16:13 ............................................. 85
16:20-22 ..................................... 508
16:21-22 ..................................... 287
17:24, 27 ..................................... 475
18:11 ............................................. 97
18:18 ........................................... 267
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
706
19:5 ............................................. 287
20:3 ............................................. 287
21:11 ........................................... 287
22:41 ........................................... 638
I Kings
1:2 ............................................... 296
2:3 ................................................... 2
2:5 ................................................. 97
2:37, 42 ......................................... 81
3:9 ................................................. 77
4:14 ............................................. 475
8:46 ............................................. 197
9:20-21 ....................................... 199
10:8 ............................................. 296
10:22 ........................................... 209
11:3 ............................................. 287
11:14-22 ...................................... 430
11:14-25 ...................................... 396
12:25 ........................................... 484
12:28-30 ..................................... 646
14:3 ............................................. 375
16:2 ............................................... 73
17:6 ............................................. 177
22:49 ........................................... 209
II Kings
1:4, 6, 16 ....................................... 81
3:21 ............................................... 97
3:27 ............................................. 359
5:5 ............................................... 375
6:18 ............................................. 323
10:29 ........................................... 646
10:32-33 ..................................... 636
13:7 ............................................... 73
13:22-23 ..................................... 362
14: 7 ............................................ 430
14:6 ................................................. 2
16:6 ............................................. 430
17:6 ............................................. 207
18:4 ............................................... 92
18:11 ........................................... 207
21:13 ........................................... 155
23:34 ............................................. 84
24:17 ............................................. 84
I Chronicles
1:1-4 ........................................... 142
1:4 ....................................... 155, 195
1:4-23 ......................................... 204
1:6............................................... 208
1:7............................................... 209
1:10 ............................................. 213
1:24-27 ....................................... 229
1:28-31 ....................................... 395
1:32 .............................. 289, 389, 391
1:32-33 ....................................... 390
1:36 ...................................... 516, 518
1:39 ............................................. 520
1:40 ............................................. 520
1:41 ............................................. 520
1:42 ............................................. 520
1:50 ............................................. 523
1:50-51 ....................................... 396
1:51 ............................................. 524
2:46 ............................................. 390
2:46, 48 ....................................... 287
3:9............................................... 287
4:24 ............................................. 607
4:25 ............................................. 396
4:42-43 ................................ 516, 637
5:1-2 ........................................... 404
5:1-2 .................................... 626, 635
5:2............................................... 639
5:18-22 ....................................... 647
5:19 ............................................. 396
6:16 ............................................. 607
7:1............................................... 608
7:1-5 ........................................... 644
7:12 ............................................. 609
7:13 ............................................. 610
7:14-18 ........................................ 661
7:14-27 ....................................... 611
7:14-29 ....................................... 626
8:1-40 ......................................... 652
12:1-7 ......................................... 652
12:8-15, 37 ................................. 647
12:32 ........................................... 645
12:33, 40 ..................................... 644
16:15-19 ..................................... 362
18:8 ............................................. 364
19:6 ............................................. 364
26:31-32 ..................................... 636
29:4 ............................................. 219
II Chronicles
3:1............................................... 353
8:18 ............................................. 219
9:21 ............................................. 209
Scripture Index
707
11:21 ........................................... 287
13:5 ............................................. 280
14:8 ............................................. 652
17:17 ........................................... 652
20:2 ............................................. 263
20:7 ..................................... 240, 259
20:7-8 ......................................... 362
21:8-10 ....................................... 430
25:11-19 ...................................... 430
28:16-17 ...................................... 430
Ezra
6:18 ................................................. 2
10:19 ........................................... 280
Nehemiah
9:7-8 ........................................... 362
9:9-11 ......................................... 362
9:11 ............................................. 169
9:12-22........................................ 362
9:23-25........................................ 362
13:1 ................................................. 2
Job
1:1 ............................... 218, 363, 403
1:6 ............................................... 145
1:8 ....................................... 402, 403
1:11 ............................................. 397
1:15 ............................................. 390
1:17 ............................................. 363
1:21 ............................................... 89
2:1 ............................................... 145
2:3 ............................................... 403
2:11 ..................................... 390, 516
2:12 ............................................... 73
3:4, 5 ............................................. 39
3:8 ................................................. 40
4:13 ............................................. 280
4:19 ....................................... 73, 108
5:12 ............................................... 93
6:18 ............................................... 38
6:19 ..................................... 390, 396
6:28 ............................................. 397
7:12 ......................................... 49, 53
7:16 ............................................. 116
7:21 ............................................... 74
9:13 ............................................... 49
9:17 ............................................. 104
9:20-22........................................ 403
10:8-9 ........................................... 73
10:9 ............................................. 108
12:4 ............................................. 160
12:24 ............................................. 38
15:5 ............................................... 93
16:15 ....................................... 74, 97
17:16 ............................................. 74
20:11 ............................................. 74
21:26 ............................................. 74
21:31 ........................................... 397
22:3 ............................................. 402
22:15-16 ..................................... 174
22:24 ........................................... 219
24:7, 10 ......................................... 89
26:7 ............................................... 38
26:10 ............................................. 49
26:12 ............................................. 49
26:12. 13........................................ 40
26:13 ............................................. 42
28:10 ........................................... 169
28:16 ........................................... 219
30:4, 7 ........................................... 71
31:19 ............................................. 89
32:2, 5 ......................................... 363
32:8 ............................................... 74
33:6 ............................................... 73
33:15 ........................................... 280
34:14-15 ....................................... 74
34:15 ........................................... 108
36:27 ............................................. 72
37:18 ............................................. 48
38:4-11 .......................................... 29
38:7 ............................................. 145
38:8 ............................................... 49
38:10 ............................................. 49
38:11 ............................................. 49
38:31-33 ....................................... 52
38:41 ........................................... 177
39:5-8 ......................................... 292
41:1-34 .......................................... 40
42:2 ............................................. 224
42:6 ............................................... 74
Psalms
2:9 ............................................... 641
8:1-9 ....................................... 19, 33
8:3-5 ............................................. 57
8:6-8 ............................................. 59
14:1 ............................................... 32
18:25 ........................................... 403
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
708
18:40 ........................................... 638
18:42 ............................................. 74
19:1 ............................................... 52
20:2 ............................................... 83
22:15 ............................................. 74
22:29 ............................................. 74
29 ................................................ 162
29:1 ............................................. 145
29:3, 4a, 4b, 5, 7, 8, 9 ................. 162
29:10 ........................................... 165
33:6 ......................................... 28, 44
33:6-9 ........................................... 43
33:6-9, 104 .................................... 29
33:9 ............................................... 28
33:15 ............................................. 73
33:20 ............................................. 83
34 ................................................ 406
35:6 ............................................... 39
36:6 ............................................. 169
36:9 ............................................... 76
38:9 ............................................... 99
39:6 ............................................... 56
45:9 ............................................. 219
46:1 ............................................... 83
51:1 ............................................. 155
51:5 ............................................... 98
51:10 ............................................. 32
55:6 ............................................. 177
58:11 ........................................... 338
70:5 ............................................... 83
72:9 ....................................... 74, 102
73:20 ............................................. 56
74:13 ............................................. 49
74:13-14 ....................................... 53
74:13-17 ........................................ 40
74:15 ........................................... 169
76:2 ............................................. 267
78:12 ........................................... 617
78:13, 15 ..................................... 169
78:15 ........................................... 169
78:35 ........................................... 267
78:51 ........................................... 635
81:7 ............................................. 254
82:6 ............................................. 145
83:8 ............................................. 332
89:6 ............................................. 145
89:10 ............................................. 40
89:12 ............................................. 31
89:37 ........................................... 641
89:47 ............................................. 32
90:4 ............................................... 81
91:13 ............................................. 53
94:9 ............................................... 73
95:8 ............................................. 254
95:11 ............................................. 79
103:14 ........................................... 74
103:15 ......................................... 128
104:2 ............................................. 48
104:5-9 ....................................... 174
104:6 ........................................39, 49
104:6-9 ....................................... 175
104:9 ............................................. 50
104:15 ......................................... 197
104:25, 26...................................... 40
104:29 .................................... 74, 108
104:30 ........................................... 42
105:7-12 ..................................... 362
105:18-19 ................................... 554
105:28 ........................................... 39
105:36 ......................................... 635
106:17 ......................................... 121
107:40 ........................................... 38
110:4 .................................... 268, 270
113:7 ............................................. 74
115:9 ............................................. 83
115:10 ........................................... 83
115:11 ........................................... 83
115:16 ........................................... 33
119:25 ........................................... 74
119:73 ........................................... 73
120:5 ........................................... 395
124:8 ............................................. 83
136:6 ............................................. 48
139:6 ........................................... 313
139:11 ......................................... 104
139:13 ......................................... 115
144:4 ........................................... 116
146:5 ............................................. 83
147:9 ........................................... 177
148:4 ............................................. 48
148:7 ............................................. 53
Proverbs
1:4................................................. 93
3:18 ............................................... 76
3:20 ............................................. 169
8:22 ............................................. 115
Scripture Index
709
8:22-31 .......................................... 29
8:24 ............................................... 39
8:27b-28a ...................................... 48
8:29 ............................................... 50
11:5 ............................................. 160
11:30 ............................................. 76
12:16, 23 ....................................... 93
13:12 ............................................. 76
13:16 ............................................. 93
14:8 ............................................... 93
14:15 ............................................. 93
14:18 ............................................. 93
15:4 ............................................... 76
22:3 ............................................... 93
27:12 ............................................. 93
30:1 ............................................. 396
30:14 ........................................... 355
30:17 ........................................... 177
30:21-23 ...................................... 290
31:1 ............................................. 396
Ecclesiastes
3:7 ................................................. 97
3:20 ............................................. 108
5:15 ............................................... 89
7:20 ............................................. 197
12:1 ............................................... 32
12:7 ............................................. 108
Song of Solomon
1:15 ............................................. 177
2:10, 13 ....................................... 241
2:11 ............................................. 241
2:14 ............................................. 177
4:1 ............................................... 177
4:6 ............................................... 241
5:2 ............................................... 177
5:6 ............................................... 241
5:12 ............................................. 177
6:9 ............................................... 177
7:10 ............................................. 106
7:13 ............................................. 451
Isaiah
2:2 ............................................... 632
2:22 ............................................... 74
3:24 ............................................... 97
5:14 ............................................. 121
6:7 ............................................... 483
7:2, 5, 9, 17 ................................. 630
7:14 ..................................... 103, 377
8:22 ............................................... 39
9:1 ............................................... 644
9:6 ............................................... 313
11:10 ........................................... 641
13:10 ............................................. 39
13:17 ........................................... 207
14:12-14 ....................................... 95
18:7 ............................................. 641
21:2 ............................................. 207
21:11 ........................................... 396
21:13 ................................... 212, 390
21:14 ........................................... 396
21:16-17 ..................................... 395
23:1 ............................................. 209
24:5-6 ................................. 182, 189
24:10 ............................................. 38
24:5-6 ......................................... 188
26:19 ............................................. 74
27:1 ......................................... 40, 53
28:29 ........................................... 313
29:16 ............................................. 73
29:21 ............................................. 38
30:7 ............................................... 40
32:14 ........................................... 292
34:11 ............................................. 38
34:12 ........................................... 522
35:6 ............................................. 169
40:12 ............................................. 19
40:13-14 ....................................... 19
40:17 ............................................. 38
40:19 ............................................. 47
40:22 ............................................. 48
40:23 ............................................. 38
40:26 ............................................. 31
40:28 ............................................. 31
41:8 ..................................... 240, 259
41:18-20 ....................................... 32
41:29 ............................................. 38
42:1, 6 ......................................... 243
42:5 ......................................... 31, 47
42:11 ........................................... 395
43:1 ............................................... 32
43:7 ............................................... 32
43:15 ............................................. 32
44:9 ......................................... 38, 73
44:24 ............................................. 47
45:6 ............................................. 283
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
710
45:7 ................................... 29, 32, 39
45:8 ............................................... 32
45:9 ............................................... 73
45:12 ............................................. 32
45:18 ....................................... 36, 38
45:19 ............................................. 38
45:23 ........................................... 357
48:21 ........................................... 169
49:4 ............................................... 38
49:5 ............................................... 73
49:5-6 ......................................... 243
49:23 ........................................... 102
51:1-2 ......................................... 364
51:3 ............................................... 76
51:9, 10 .......................................... 40
51:9-10 ......................................... 40
51:10 ..................................... 39, 169
53:7-10 ....................................... 354
54:9 ..................................... 155, 174
57:19 ............................................. 32
59:4 ............................................... 38
60:1 ............................................... 45
60:7 ............................................. 395
60:8 ............................................. 177
63:1-6 ......................................... 642
63:12 ........................................... 169
65:16 ............................................. 99
65:17 ............................................. 32
65:18 ............................................. 32
65:25 ..................................... 74, 102
66:19 ........................................... 207
Jeremiah
1:16 ............................................... 88
2:2 ............................................... 175
2:10 ............................................. 396
2:13, 17, 19 ................................... 88
2:24 ............................................. 292
4:23 ............................................... 38
5:5 ............................................... 241
5:7 ................................................. 88
5:22 ............................................... 50
9:4 ....................................... 401, 428
9:25-26 ....................................... 299
10:9 ............................................. 209
14:6 ............................................. 292
16:11 ............................................. 88
16:17 ............................................. 99
17:13 ............................................. 88
18:1-17 ......................................... 73
19:4 ............................................... 88
22:5 ............................................. 357
22:9 ............................................... 88
23:9 ............................................... 41
23:20 ........................................... 632
25:20 .................................... 218, 363
25:23 .................... 212, 363, 390, 396
25:25 ........................................... 207
26:8 ............................................... 81
29:23 ........................................... 492
30:24 ........................................... 632
31:15 .................................... 505, 507
31:20 ........................................... 175
31:22 ............................................. 32
31:35-36 ....................................... 52
31:35-37 ..................................... 182
33:17-26 ..................................... 182
34:8-11, 17-20............................ 279
46:9 ...................................... 211, 214
48:47 ........................................... 632
49:1 ............................................. 647
49:8 ...................................... 212, 390
49:13 ........................................... 357
49:28-33 ..................................... 396
49:39 ........................................... 632
51:11, 28 ..................................... 207
51:14 ........................................... 357
51:27 ........................................... 208
52:12 ........................................... 296
Lamentations
2:10 ............................................... 74
3:29 ............................................... 74
4:21 ............................................. 197
Ezekiel
1:5................................................. 57
1:13 ............................................... 57
1:16 ............................................... 57
1:22 ............................................... 57
1:26 ............................................... 57
1:28 ........................................ 57, 189
1-10 .............................................. 57
3:18 ............................................... 81
7:20 ............................................... 56
8:2................................................. 57
10:21 ............................................. 57
10:22 ............................................. 57
11:24 ........................................... 307
Scripture Index
711
13:7 ............................................. 272
13:18 ............................................. 97
14:14, 20 ...................................... 155
16:17 ............................................. 56
16:22, 37, 39 ................................. 89
16:44-57 ...................................... 332
17:10 ........................................... 561
17:18 ........................................... 280
18:16 ............................................. 89
21:26-27 ...................................... 640
21:27 ........................................... 640
22:11 ........................................... 337
23:14 ............................................. 56
25:13 ................................... 212, 390
27:6 ............................................. 209
27:8, 11 ....................................... 216
27:12 ........................................... 209
27:13 ................................... 207, 208
27:14 ........................................... 209
27:21 ........................................... 396
27:30 ............................................. 74
28:11-16 ........................................ 40
28:11-19 .................................. 37, 60
28:13 ........................... 40, 41, 76, 78
28:14 ............................................. 40
29:3 ............................................... 53
30:5 ..................................... 211, 214
31:9 ............................................... 76
32:2 ............................................... 53
32:26 ........................................... 208
33:8, 14 ......................................... 81
38:2 ............................................. 207
38:2-3 ......................................... 208
38:5 ............................................. 211
38:6 ..................................... 207, 209
38:16 ........................................... 632
39:1 ............................................. 208
41:5-8 ........................................... 85
44:15 ........................................... 296
48:1 ............................................. 646
48:1-2, 32 .................................... 646
48:26 ........................................... 644
Daniel
1:20 ............................................. 562
2:2 ............................................... 562
4:8-9, 18...................................... 568
5:14 ............................................. 568
8:18 ............................................. 280
9:11-13 ........................................... 2
9:26-27 ....................................... 104
10:9 ............................................. 280
10:14 ........................................... 632
12:2 ............................................... 74
Hosea
2:3 ................................................. 89
2:13 ............................................. 501
3:5 ............................................... 632
4:14 ............................................. 544
6:7 ................................................. 96
6:7 ................................................ 60
8:9 ............................................... 292
9:3-16 ......................................... 630
11:11 ........................................... 177
12:3 ..................................... 401, 483
12:4 ..................................... 438, 484
13:14 ............................................. 99
13:15-16 ..................................... 561
Joel
2:2 ................................................. 39
3:6 ............................................... 207
Amos
2:16 ............................................... 89
4:13 ............................................... 32
5:26 ............................................... 56
6:6 ............................................... 535
6:8 ............................................... 357
7:4 ............................................... 169
9:7 ............................................... 215
9:11 ............................................. 243
Obadiah
21 ............................................... 488
Jonah
1:3 ............................................... 209
Micah
1:8 ................................................. 89
1:10 ............................................... 74
4:1 ............................................... 632
4:8 ............................................... 507
5:2 ....................................... 505, 506
5:6 ....................................... 213, 214
6:6-7 ........................................... 359
7:17 ............................................. 102
Nahum
3:17 ............................................. 283
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
712
Habakkuk
2:15 ............................................. 197
2:18 ............................................... 73
3:9 ............................................... 169
Zephaniah
3:9 ............................................... 225
Zechariah
9:9 ............................................... 478
11 ................................................ 650
Malachi
1:2-3 ................................... 402, 403
2:10 ............................................... 32
4:2 ............................................... 283
4:4 ................................................... 2
Matthew
1:1 ............................................... 131
1:1-17 ......................................... 142
1:3 ....................................... 546, 547
1:21 ............................................. 292
1-2 .............................................. 662
4:15-16 ........................................ 644
5:1 ............................................... 143
8:4 ................................................... 2
8:11-12 ....................................... 362
11:23-24 ..................................... 332
18:22 ........................................... 127
19:26 ........................................... 313
22:23-33 ..................................... 362
22:24 ........................................... 540
22:30 ........................................... 147
23:35 ................................... 120, 129
24:37-39 .............................. 155, 200
24:39 ................................... 165, 174
Mark
12:18-27 ..................................... 362
12:26 ............................................... 2
16:5-7 ......................................... 148
Luke
1:13 ............................................. 292
1:31 ............................................. 292
1:54-55 ............................... 175, 362
1:59-60 ....................................... 307
1:68-73 ....................................... 362
2:21 ............................................. 307
3:1 ............................................... 396
3:33 ............................................. 546
3:35-36 ....................................... 218
3:36 ............................................. 155
3:36-38 ....................................... 142
3:38 ...................................... 143, 145
4:6............................................... 187
8:26, 37 ....................................... 215
11:51 .................................... 120, 129
12:24 ........................................... 177
13:29-30 ..................................... 362
16:29 ............................................... 2
17:26 ........................................... 155
17:26-27 ............................... 166, 200
17:27 .................................... 165, 174
17:32-33 ..................................... 328
20:27-40 ..................................... 362
24:4-7 ......................................... 148
John
1:1............................................30, 31
1:1-3 ........................................41, 44
1:1-5 ............................................. 29
1:3................................................. 31
1:12 ............................................. 146
4:5............................................... 527
4:5-6 ........................................... 631
4:6, 11, 12 ................................... 490
7:19 ................................................. 2
8:44 ..........................................93, 94
10 ............................................... 650
12:31 ........................................... 187
16:21 ........................................... 105
Acts
3:25 ............................................. 243
7:3 ........................................ 243, 246
7:6 ............................................... 281
7:9-14 ......................................... 528
7:9 -16 ......................................... 662
7:14 ............................................. 611
15 ............................................... 308
15, 16 .......................................... 308
15:29 ........................................... 186
16 ............................................... 308
16:1-3 ......................................... 307
26:6-8 ......................................... 362
26:22 ............................................... 2
Romans
2:28-29 ....................................... 308
3:2............................................... 531
3:7-9 ........................................... 276
Scripture Index
713
4:3, 9, 22 ..................................... 276
4:9-12 ......................................... 308
4:17 ............................................... 32
4:17-22........................................ 341
5:12 ....................................... 93, 112
5:12-21.......................... 96, 108, 112
5:12a, 14 ..................................... 142
5:14 ............................................. 112
5:15, 16, 17, 18, 20 ...................... 112
7:19 ............................................... 95
8:20 ............................................. 108
8:20-23 ........................................ 108
8:21 ............................................. 108
8:22 ............................................. 108
9:6-13 ........................................... 22
9:7-8 ........................................... 347
9:10-12........................................ 405
10:19 ............................................... 2
11:1-2 ......................................... 652
16:20 ..................................... 93, 104
I Corinthians
1:35-54........................................ 517
6:16 ............................................... 90
7:19 ............................................. 307
9:9 ................................................... 2
11:2-16.......................................... 90
11:8 ............................................... 86
14:34-35 ...................................... 113
15:20-22 ...................................... 108
15:20-23 ........................................ 96
15:21 ............................................. 93
15:21-22 ...................................... 112
15:21-22, 45-49 .......................... 112
15:45 ..................................... 75, 112
15:45-49 ...................................... 112
15:46 ........................................... 113
15:46-48 ...................................... 113
15:47 ........................................... 113
15:48 ........................................... 113
15:49 ........................................... 113
II Corinthians
3:15 ................................................. 2
4:4 ............................................... 187
11:3 ......................................... 91, 96
11:3-4 ........................................... 93
11:14 ............................................. 92
Galatians
3:6 ............................................... 276
3:8 ............................................... 243
3:15-18 ....................................... 362
3:17 ............................................. 281
3:19 – 4:7 .................................... 301
4:21-31 ............................... 294, 347
4:29 ............................................. 344
5:6 ............................................... 307
6:12-15 ....................................... 308
Ephesians
5:21-24 ....................................... 113
5:31 ............................................... 90
5:32 ............................................... 90
6:12 ............................................... 39
Philippians
3:5 ............................................... 307
Colossians
1:16, 17 ......................................... 29
2:11-13 ....................................... 308
3:18 ............................................. 113
I Timothy
2:8-15 ........................................... 90
2:12 ............................................... 90
2:13 ......................................... 86, 90
2:13-14 ......................................... 96
2:14 ......................................... 90, 93
2:15 ............................................. 105
II Timothy
2:22 ............................................. 552
Titus
2:5 ............................................... 113
Hebrews
1:10-12 ....................................... 108
2:5-8 ............................................. 29
2:5-9 ............................................. 59
2:14-18 ....................................... 104
4:13 ............................................... 89
5:1 ............................................... 270
5:6-10 ......................................... 270
6:13-14 ............................... 357, 362
6:13-20 ....................................... 362
6:20 - 7:17 .................................. 270
11:3 ......................................... 28, 32
11:4 ..................................... 118, 129
11:5 ............................................. 136
Ariel’s Bible Commentary
714
11:5-6 ......................................... 143
11:7 ..................... 155, 160, 174, 200
11:8 ............................. 241, 244, 246
11:9 ............................................. 246
11:11-12 ..................................... 341
11:17-19 ............................. 353, 362
11:20 ........................................... 431
11:21 ................... 623, 624, 625, 630
11:21-22 ............................. 528, 662
11:22 ........................................... 662
12:16-17 ..................... 402, 405, 431
12:24 ................................... 118, 129
13:2 ............................................. 311
James
2:21-24 ....................................... 362
2:22-24 ....................................... 355
2:23 ............................. 240, 259, 276
I Peter
1:21 ............................................. 108
3:5-6 ........................................... 364
3:6 ............................................... 313
3:19-21 ........................................ 201
3:20 ..................... 149, 155, 166, 174
II Peter
2:4-5 ........................................... 151
2:4-9 ........................................... 328
2:5 ............... 155, 165, 166, 174, 201
2:6 ............................................... 332
2:6-8 ........................................... 322
2:6-9 ........................................... 332
2:7-8 ........................................... 256
3:5-6 ........................................... 174
3:6 ....................................... 162, 165
3:8-9 ........................................... 138
3:10 ............................................. 188
I John
2:16 ............................................... 96
3:11-12 ....................................... 129
3:12 ............................................. 120
Jude
6-7 .............................................. 152
7 ................................................ 333
11 ................................ 118, 127, 129
14-15 ................................... 136, 137
Revelation
2:7................................................. 76
3:18 ............................................... 98
3:20 ............................................. 311
4:3............................................... 189
5:9................................................. 16
5:10 ............................................... 16
7 ............................................... 646
7:8............................................... 528
10 ............................................... 162
10:1 ............................................. 190
12 ............................................... 531
12:1-2 ......................................... 531
12:1-17 ......................................... 40
12:9 ............................................... 91
14:17-20 ..................................... 642
17:5 ............................................. 222
18:19 ............................................. 74
19:6-9 ........................................... 17
19:14 ............................................. 17
20:2 ............................................... 91
20:10 ...................................... 16, 104
21:1 ............................................... 16
21:1 – 22:5 .................................... 16
21:1 - 22:5 .................................... 41
21:2 ............................................... 16
21:3 ............................................... 16
21:4 ..........................................16, 17
21:8 ............................................... 16
21:19 ............................................. 16
21:21 ............................................. 16
21:23 ............................................. 16
21:25 ........................................16, 17
21:27 ............................................. 17
21-22 ............................................ 14
22:2 ............................................... 16
22:2, 14, 19 ................................... 76
22:3 ............................................... 16
22:14 ............................................. 17
22:27 ............................................. 16
716
717
718
719
“ABC Order” Key to Scripture Index
Books of
t
he Bible
Index
Pa
g
e
#
Books of the Bible
Index
Pa
g
e
#
A
cts ..................................... 712
J
ud
g
es................................
.
704
A
mos .................................... 711 Kin
g
s, I .............................
.
706
Chronicles, I ......................... 706 Kin
g
s, II............................
.
706
Chronicles, II ........................ 706 Lamentations....................
.
710
Corinthians, I ....................... 713 Leviticus ...........................
.
703
Corinthians, II ...................... 713 Luke .................................
.
712
Colossians ............................. 713 Malachi.............................
.
712
Daniel ................................... 711 Mar
k
.................................
.
712
Deuteronom
y
........................ 703 Matthew ...........................
.
712
Ecclesiastes ........................... 709 Micah................................
.
711
E
p
hesians.............................. 713 Nahum..............................
.
711
Esther ................................... NA Nehemiah .........................
.
707
Exodus .................................. 702 Numbers ...........................
.
703
Ezekiel .................................. 710 Obadiah ............................
.
711
Ezra ..................................... 707 Peter, I ..............................
.
714
Galatians ............................... 713 Peter, II.............................
.
714
Genesis ................................. 675 Philemon ..........................
.
NA
Habakku
k
............................. 712 Phili
pp
ians........................
.
713
Ha
gg
ai .................................. NA Proverbs............................
.
708
Hebrews ................................ 713 Psalms...............................
.
707
Hosea .................................... 711 Revelation .........................
.
714
Isaiah .................................... 709 Romans.............................
.
712
J
ames .................................... 714 Ruth .................................
.
705
J
eremiah ................................ 710 Samuel, I...........................
.
705
J
ob ..................................... 707 Samuel, II .........................
.
705
J
oel ..................................... 711 Son
g
of Solomon ..............
.
709
J
ohn ..................................... 712 Thessalonians, I ................
.
NA
J
ohn, I ................................... 714 Thessalonians, II...............
.
NA
J
ohn, II ................................. NA Timoth
y
, I ........................
.
713
J
ohn, III ................................ NA Timoth
y
, II.......................
.
713
J
onah ..................................... 711 Titus .................................
.
713
J
oshua ................................... 704 Zechariah..........................
.
712
Jude ..................................... 714 Zephaniah .........................
.
712
