Ancillary Materials

Genesis

1. PRIMITIVE HISTORY (1:1–11:32)

A. The creation of the world (1:1–2:3). 1:1–2. The Bible does not begin by attempting to prove the existence of God. It simply assumes this fact. But it does begin by describing God’s creation of “the heavens and the earth” (1:1). This phrase may be an illustration of what is known as merism, the expression of totality through the use of opposites. Thus verse 1 is simply saying that God created everything. This he did “in the beginning,” which is the Hebrew way of saying, “a long time ago,” without stipulating how long ago it was. John begins his Gospel with the same prepositional phrase (Jn 1:1) but surely means something different by it. The whole verse may be interpreted as a statement of the fact of an action that is described in detail in 1:2–2:3.

The earth is described as “formless and empty” (1:2). This pair of words occurs again only in Jr 4:23 and Is 34:11, both in the context of divine judgment. One may not conclude, however, that Gn 1:2 refers to something that is the result of God’s fury. The two words designate a state of material devoid of order, a peopleless wilderness, prior to God’s meticulous work on it.

Over the “watery depths” hovers the Spirit of God. The verb “hover” is employed elsewhere of birds (e.g., Dt 32:11). It is the Spirit who holds things together.

1:3–5. Light is the only item created by fiat alone. Everything else in Gn 1 is created by fiat plus some divinely instigated type of activity. Note that the darkness is not called “good” and that there are sources of light in the universe (day one) besides sunlight (day four). It is appropriate that the one who is light (1 Jn 1:5) should as his first creative act call forth the light to penetrate and push back the darkness.

1:6–8. One Hebrew word designates heaven both as the place where God dwells and the place where birds fly. The second sense is used here. The Hebrew word may be translated “expanse, firmament, vault” and is that element that divides heavenly waters from terrestrial waters.

1:9–13. In a second work of separation, land is separated from seas, just as in verse 6 waters were separated from waters. Vegetation is created immediately. The productive power of the earth is a God-given gift.

In Gn 1 God speaks and the world obeys, taking on form and function. The word of God will continue to be a major theme throughout the Bible.

1:14–19. For a specific reason the moon is called (only here) “the lesser light,” and the sun is called (also only here) “the greater light” (1:16). Among Israel’s neighbors “Sun” and “Moon” were designations for deities. Not so in God’s world! In fact, they are not light proper but carriers of the light. They are lamps, and their duties are spelled out to show their status as servants. They are not arbiters of humanity’s destiny.

1:20–23. Day five parallels day two (see the article “Parallel Days of Creation in Genesis 1”). On the second day the habitats were created (sky separating waters), and on the parallel day the creatures that live in those habitats (birds and fish) are created. The land can “produce” vegetation (1:11) and animals (1:24), but the sea does not “produce” fish and the sky does not “produce” birds. Only the “earth/land” (a feminine word in Hebrew) is life producing. Here, however, for the first time we see the Hebrew verb for “create” applied to a specific creature (1:21). The choice of this verb is to emphasize a uniquely divine act; it never has a human subject. By contrast, Gn 1 also uses “make/made” with God (1:7, 16, 25–26, 31), a verb that frequently has a human subject. One verb (“create”) underscores the uniqueness of God as Creator. The other verb (“make”) draws attention to the parallel between divine and human productivity.

1:24–31. Day three brings about the environment (land and vegetation); day six brings about those beings (animals/humankind) that inhabit that environment. Unlike the previous days, in Hebrew the sixth day is designated by the article: “the sixth day” (1:31b). And when it is completed God evaluates only this day’s work as “very good” (1:31a). These two facts indicate the climactic nature of the sixth day.

The creation of humanity is preceded by the phrase “let us make man” (1:26). While we should hesitate to read this as a clear-cut statement about the Trinity, a matter about which the OT is essentially silent, neither should we interpret it mythologically (“God said to the other gods”) or angelically (“God said to the angels”). It does suggest that there is a distinction of personalities in the divine being. God, so to speak, can step outside of himself and speak to himself. May it be that God is addressing his Spirit (1:2)? Quite possibly the divine plurality of 1:26a anticipates the human plurality of man and woman of 1:26b.

God creates humankind in his image, his likeness. Humans are animals, but they are more than animals. Humans are godlike, but they are less than God. “Image” emphasizes humanity’s close similarity to God, while “likeness” stresses that this similarity is not exact. God and humanity are not indistinguishable. Genesis 1:27 clearly states that the distinction of the sexes (“male and female”) is also of divine origin. One’s sexuality is far from a biological accident.

As the divine image bearer, humanity is to subdue and rule over the remainder of God’s created order. This is not a license to rape and destroy everything in the environment. Even here the one who would be lord of all must be servant of all. This is indicated, among other ways, by the fact that God created his image bearers as vegetarians (1:29–30).

The biblical story begins in a garden (Gn 1–3) and ends in a garden (Rv 22).

2:1–3. Everything God created thus far is called “good” or “very good.” The seventh day alone is called “holy” (2:3). It is significant that the word “holy” is applied in Scripture first to the concept of time, not to space. Pagan mentality would place a premium on space and holy places; time and history are viewed as cyclical.

The absence of the phrase “evening came and then morning: the _____ day” after the seventh day indicates that God is not resting because he is exhausted but is desisting from his work of creation. It is not so much a date as it is an atmosphere. The seventh day, like man and woman (1:28), is blessed. If “blessed” in 1:28 is meant to confer the power to beget new life, might “blessed” in 2:3 mean the same? [Parallel Days of Creation in Genesis 1]

B. Adam and Eve (2:4–25). Genesis 1 says little about how God created humankind. It simply notes that God created male and female, adding a few remarks about their relationship to the rest of creation. Genesis 1 emphasizes humankind as created with authority; chapter 2 emphasizes humankind as under authority.

2:4–7. This section is introduced as “the records of the heavens and the earth” (2:4); this is the first of ten units in Genesis introduced with “records of.” In a sense humankind is viewed as the offspring of the heavens and the earth. But it is an earth without vegetation and water (2:5), except for subterranean streams (2:6).

God is pictured as a potter. He forms the man from the dust (2:7). Perhaps we should translate “dust” as “mud” or “clay,” for potters do not work with dust. The idea of God creating humankind from the earth is mentioned elsewhere in the OT (Jb 4:19; 10:8; Pss 90:3; 103:14; 104:29; 146:4). Not only is God potter, he is animator as well. God breathes the breath of life into the man.

2:8–14. The garden of Eden is located in the east (2:8), but an explicit location is not given. Three times (2:8, 10; 4:16) the word “Eden” refers to the geographical location of the garden. That the garden is planted after the man’s creation indicates that the Lord God did not live there.

The trees in this garden produce edible fruit. But two trees are given special significance: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (2:9). There are only a few references to the tree of life in the OT (Pr 3:18; 11:30; 13:12; 15:4) and a few in the NT (Rv 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19). Humans are not dependent on this tree for life, for they already have life (the man was “a living being” [2:7] before the tree of life [2:9]). What they are dependent on is a proper relationship with God. Accordingly there seems to be no need for this living, primal human pair to eat of the tree of life immediately, although later that might change.

2:15–17. Work is not a result of the fall; manual labor is prefall. Adam is put into the garden to work it and to take care of it (2:15). God has been doing the work thus far, and now he shares that responsibility with his image bearer. Even before Gn 3, then, a biblical work ethic is present.

With this assignment comes an additional word from God. In Gn 2 God creates two institutions. The first is law, the purpose of which is to teach people to live under authority. The second is marriage, the purpose of which is to teach people to live for someone other than themselves.

God reminds Adam of his ample provision for humankind (2:16). The Lord is not stingy. Then he follows that with a single prohibition (2:17). There is much debate about the meaning of the phrase “knowledge of good and evil.” One popular suggestion is that this knowledge is sexual knowledge, for when the couple eats from this tree they immediately realize they are naked (3:7). But why would God want to withhold sexual knowledge from those he just created male and female? A second popular interpretation of the phrase is that “good and evil” means everything (a merism), and what was forbidden was the acquisition of omniscience. But then 3:22 would teach that Adam and Eve, when they disobeyed, actually became omniscient. The serpent would be proved correct that disobedience to God brings only gains and advantages.

A third possibility, and the one accepted here, is that the “knowledge of good and evil” means the ability and power to determine what is good and what is evil. Of course, this is God’s prerogative alone. He has never delegated moral autonomy to any of his creatures. This suggestion is lent credibility by the fact that the phrase “good and evil” is most often used in the OT where some kind of a decision or discernment is demanded (Dt 1:39; 1 Kg 3:9).

2:18–20. Interestingly it is God who determines that “it is not good for the man to be alone” (2:18a). There is no indication that Adam himself is dissatisfied with his circumstances. After making his evaluation, God proposes a solution: God will provide a helper for Adam (2:18b). God already is Adam’s helper (but a superior helper). The animals are also Adam’s helpers (but inferior helpers). This helper, then, must be one who will be equal to him. Furthermore she is to be “corresponding to him.” The Hebrew word for “corresponding” suggests something that completes a polarity, as the North Pole “corresponds” to the South Pole. One without the other is incomplete.

To that end God parades the animals before Adam (2:19–20). The force of this stresses that Adam himself chooses whom his partner will be. Rather than force a decision on Adam, God allows the man to make a free decision. Man is not free to choose what is right and wrong, but he is free to choose his life partner.

2:21–23. After the scene with the animals is over, God administers anesthesia to Adam; while the man is in a deep sleep, God makes woman from one of his “ribs” (a Hebrew word, incidentally, that often is translated “side” elsewhere in the OT; 2:21). Actually the Hebrew text says that the Lord “built” the woman (2:22).

When Adam says that the woman is “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” (2:23) he is giving the ancient equivalent of our “in weakness and in strength.” One of the meanings of the verb behind the Hebrew noun “bone” is “to be strong.” Flesh, on the other hand, represents weakness in a person.

2:24–25. The man is to leave his father and mother (neither of which Adam has!) and cleave to, or bond with, his wife. Elsewhere in the OT these are covenant terms. When Israel forsakes God’s covenant she “leaves” him. And when Israel is obedient to God’s covenant she “cleaves” to him. Already 2:24 is saying that marriage is a covenant simply through the use of covenant terminology.

The climax of creation is this: the man and his wife are both naked (2:25). How appropriate! Physical nudity? Yes. But there are other kinds of nakedness. The verse is claiming a total transparency between this primal couple.

Possible Locations of the Garden of Eden

C. The fall (3:1–24). 3:1–7. There are only four chapters in the Bible where Satan is not implicitly present in the world, the first two and the last two. The Bible begins and ends with him out of existence. But between Gn 3 and Rv 20 he is a factor to be reckoned with. The Hebrew word for “serpent” (3:1) may be connected either with an adjective/noun meaning “bronze” (suggesting something that is shiny) or with a verb meaning “to practice divination.” Two things are said about the serpent. First, a word about his character—he is “cunning.” This term translates a neutral word that in the OT may describe either a commendable (a “sensible” or “shrewd” person in Pr 12:16, 23) or a reprehensible (the “crafty” in Jb 5:12 and Jb 15:5) trait. Second, there is a word about the serpent’s origin—he was made by God. This point is stressed to make it plain that the serpent is not a divine being, not a coequal with God.

The serpent’s first tack is to suggest to Eve that God is sinister, that in fact God is abusing her. This is the force of his question in verse 1. “Would God let you see and touch these trees (i.e., raise the desire), but not let you eat any of them? A God who would do something like that certainly does not love you.” Eve responds with a little hyperbole of her own (“you must not eat it or touch it,” 3:3) in her defense of God.

The serpent’s second tack is to deny the truthfulness of God’s word (3:4) and to suggest that disobedience, far from bringing any disadvantages, will in fact bring an advantage—“you will be like God” (3:5). That God has already made the couple in his likeness (1:26) is moot. The serpent is suggesting another kind of likeness, a self-aggrandizing kind of likeness.

No further conversation ensues between the two. Genesis 3:6 tells us that the temptation appeals, in the following order, to (1) Eve’s physical appetites, (2) what she could see, and (3) her imagination. Note the thrust in this temptation. The serpent does not ask homage from Eve. Rather he indirectly suggests that she shift her commitment from doing God’s will to doing her own will. [The Fall]

3:8–13. God does not track down this wayward couple. He simply walks in the garden in the cool of the day. Hearing his sound, they hide from him (3:8). This is as foolish as Jonah, who thinks he can actually run from the presence of the Lord (Jnh 1:3). Neither trees nor distance can put one out of the reach of the “Hound of Heaven.” You can run, but you cannot hide.

The Lord begins with a question just as the serpent has—“Where are you?” (3:9). This question does not mean that God is ignorant of Adam’s whereabouts. Rather it is God’s way of drawing Adam out of hiding, to give Adam and Eve the opportunity to face God themselves. God does not just direct monologues toward us. He asks questions, and he listens carefully to the answers given. Maybe God at times appears to limit his knowledge in order to really listen. Individuals who know everything are seldom good listeners. They would rather talk than listen.

Adam does two wrong things. First, he hides rather than face the truth (3:10). His fear drives him from God rather than to God. Second, he blames his spouse and God (3:12). Adam refuses to admit that even complicity is a way of being involved in wrongdoing. Eve is not any better than her husband. She too looks for a scapegoat (the serpent, 3:13). What Adam and Eve have in common is their refusal to accept personal responsibility for their actions.

3:14–15. The consequences of sin are detailed in 3:14–19. Only the serpent is cursed (3:14). God does not curse those he created in his image. Phrases like “move on your belly” and “eat dust” may be understood as metaphorical expressions denoting the serpent’s submission. (Compare the statement made of Israel’s messianic king in Ps 72:9, “His enemies lick the dust.”) He is now himself a servant. True, snakes do “move on their belly” as a means of locomotion (possibly one reason why later biblical law prohibits the consumption of marine life that crawls on the ocean’s bottom; Lv 11:10; Dt 14:10), but they do not eat dust. Wherever God curses, it is in response to somebody’s behavior. Wherever God blesses, it is normally an act flowing out of his gracious will. For every time the Bible speaks of God cursing, it speaks multiple times of God blessing.

God also tells the serpent that he is to be on the losing side of a battle between the offspring of the woman and himself (3:15). In this eventual showdown, his head will be crushed by the offspring of the woman. Not without good reason many have referred to Gn 3:15 as the protoevangelium, “the first good news.” The as-yet-unidentified offspring of the woman will engage the serpent in combat and emerge victorious. It is likely that Eve does not comprehend this word. But the snake is not left in the dark—he is to be cursed, a crawler, and crushed. The closest that the language from Gn 3:15 comes to surfacing in the NT is in Paul’s word about Christ’s reigning “until he puts all his enemies under his feet” (1 Co 15:25), or even better, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rm 16:20).

3:16–19. God speaks to Eve about her role as mother and as wife (3:16). Here are the two points where, in biblical thought, a woman experiences her highest fulfillment. And at these two points there will be pain and servitude. It may well be that we should read these words in verses 16–19 not as prescriptions but as descriptions by God himself of what it means to be separated from him. Note that in chapter 1 God created male and female to rule jointly (1:28). Now in chapter 3 male “rules” female (same Hebrew verb; 3:16). The word for “desire” in verse 16 is used again in 4:7 (sin’s desire to have Cain). Is Eve’s desire for Adam normal desire, or is it a desire for domination as in 4:7? Given the fact that later this woman’s first son murders her second son, maybe the pain is not the physical pain of birthing but the pain she will experience in seeing the violence in her family.

God speaks to Adam about his role as a worker (3:17–19). Here is where the male experiences his highest fulfillment. And for him too there will be pain. If we read these words as divine mandates, then we should not see these speeches of God as his way of “getting even” or “teaching a lesson” to Adam and Eve. They may in fact be love gifts from God, his way of wooing the couple back to himself. Why should a person who once walked in perfect fellowship with God and is now separated from the garden want to get back to God if he sees no need for that, and his life is essentially problem free? For Adam that involves trying to till a cursed ground. It is not labor but the difficulty of that labor. Sin always puts a wedge between things or people. In Gn 3 it puts a wedge between God and humans, between man and woman, between man and himself, and now between man and the soil.

3:20–21. It is interesting that on the heels of this divine word Adam names his wife “Eve,” which is connected with the word for “life, living” (3:20). It is a name of dignity and reflects the eventual joy of motherhood she will experience. Here is hope in the midst of judgment.

Adam gives a name (as he did to the animals in 2:20), but the Lord clothes Adam and Eve with garments of skin (3:21). The important thing here is garments rather than skins. God provides a covering for this naked couple, but it is a divine covering, not a human covering (3:7). Throughout the OT one of the meanings of “to atone” is “to cover.” It is no wonder that God’s righteousness is compared to clothing, as is unrighteousness (“filthy clothes,” Zch 3:3, 4). Think of the father in Lk 15:22, who clothes his bedraggled, wayward son with the “best robe” upon the son’s return to the father’s house. It is important to note that God covers the couple before he expels them. Here is grace before law.

The Hebrew word adam, the proper name of the first created man, is the word used for “people” and humanity in general. This Hebrew word is also closely related to the word for “dust” or “dirt.” Adam was taken from the dirt, he worked the dirt, and then was buried in the dirt.

3:22–24. The Lord banishes Adam and Eve from Eden (not because of what they have done, but because of what they might do if allowed to remain in the garden) and restricts reentry to Eden via cherubim and a flaming sword (3:23–24). Adam has indeed become “like one of us” (3:22), but not in the sense the serpent said he would. Anytime people believe they can decide for themselves what is right and wrong, they have usurped the divine prerogative.

D. Cain and Abel (4:1–26). 4:1–7. Cain and Abel, Adam’s sons, are born after the fall (4:1–16). Eve connects Cain’s birth with the verb “to bring forth” (4:1). In Hebrew this verb (qanah) sounds like “Cain” (qayin). Eve has been allowed to share in the creative work of God. Unlike Cain’s name, Eve does not explain Abel’s (4:2). “Abel” is the word “vanity” appearing in Ec 1:2—“Abel of Abels, all is Abel.” Traditionally understood, his name reflects the transitory nature of his existence.

Abel is a shepherd, and Cain is a farmer. Both brothers bring offerings voluntarily to the Lord suitable to their vocations (4:3–4a). There is no indication in the text that one offering is inferior to the other.

The Lord looks favorably on the presentation of Abel’s fatty portions (4:4b). We should not spend a lot of time trying to answer why God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s (4:5a). Genesis 4 does not supply an answer but rather shifts its concerns to another matter: how does one respond when God says no? Those who try to discern a reason for the acceptance/nonacceptance of the offering usually focus on the quality of the gifts or the motives of the givers. Perhaps a better clue is to be found in the fact that Cain offers a gift to God that comes from the soil, or ground, which God has cursed in 3:17–19.

Cain is furious, and he looks despondent (4:5b–6). Cain is the first angry and depressed man in the Bible. (For others in the Bible whose anger is directed at God and his actions, see 1 Sm 15:11; 2 Sm 6:8; Jnh 4:1; Lk 15:28.) He should be able, however, to overcome these feelings before they overcome him (“if you do what is right,” 4:7). Cain still retains the power of decision. Sin is now crouching, demonlike, at Cain’s door. (A serpent in a garden and now sin at the door.) What is Cain to do? The last portion of verse 7 may be read as a command (“you must rule over it”), an invitation (“you may rule over it”), or a promise (“you will rule over it”).

4:8–16. Cain kills Abel in the field (Cain’s?; 4:8). Tragically civilization’s first recorded crime of murder arises over a conflict involving the practice of one’s religion by two individuals who worship the same God. First, humankind fell out of relationship with God. Now a man falls out of relationship with his brother. How can Cain love God, whom he cannot see, when he cannot love Abel, whom he can see (cf. 1 Jn 4:20)? God’s question to Cain is followed by the famous question: “Am I my brother’s guardian?” (4:9). The answer to that question, incidentally, is no. “To guard or keep” means to be responsible for, to control, to exercise authority over, as God does for Israel. We are not called to “guard” our brothers and sisters but to love our brothers and sisters. Abel’s blood “cries out” because the earth will not receive and cover over innocent blood (4:10; cf. Heb 12:24). As a consequence, Cain is to be driven from the land and become a wanderer (4:11–12). The ultimate penalty for a Hebrew is not death but exile, a loss of roots.

Unlike his father and mother, Cain complains about the harshness of his sentence (4:13). He will be forced to become a nomad; God will hide his face; Cain will become the object of blood revenge (4:14). This last phrase assumes a populated earth, indicating the existence of others besides Adam, Eve, and Cain. To that end God places a mark on Cain before he expels him (4:15). This will protect Cain from recrimination (and for other protecting marks, see Ex 12:13; Ezk 9:4–6; Rv 7:3). Here again is mercy before judgment. What clothing is to Adam and Eve, the mark is to Cain. Note that in neither Gn 3 nor 4 do the disobedient repent of their sin. Cain dwells in Nod, which sounds like the verb “to wander” (4:16).

4:17–24. In light of the reference to Adam and Eve’s “other sons and daughters” (5:4), does Cain marry an unnamed sister (4:17a)? Or are there women represented among “whoever finds me” (4:15)?

Now Cain the wanderer has become Cain the city builder (4:17b). Does this indicate that the divine penalty has been mitigated? Or is this further proof of Cain’s self-determination? The city Cain builds might even be an early version of the later “cities of refuge” to which a manslayer might flee, and hence be the protecting mark for Cain.

Although out of fellowship with God, Cain is still able to multiply and fill the earth. Several of his descendants are worthy of note. Lamech (4:19) is both polygamous and given to titanic revenge (4:23–24). Lamech fathers four children: Jabal (“Leads Flocks”), Jubal (“Trumpet”), Tubalcain (“Cain” = “Forger”), and Naamah (close to Hebrew “pleasant,” as in “Naomi”) (4:20–22). The skills of shepherding, music, and metallurgy are attributed to the fallen line of the Cainites. Many of history’s most significant cultural advances have come from people who stand outside the orbit of the God of Scripture.

4:25–26. Genesis 4:25–26 should not be understood as a sequel to verses 17–24. Cain’s genealogy does not extend six generations before Adam fathers a child again. Adam and Eve’s third child is called Seth, here connected with a verb meaning “he has granted” (4:25). Eve has lost Abel to death and Cain to exile. Seth is a replacement for Abel, not for Cain.

In a chapter given over so much to names, how appropriate it is to read that at this time people begin to “call on the name of the LORD” (Yahweh; 4:26). Long before God reveals himself fully as Yahweh to one people called Israel (Ex 3:6), or even to the patriarchs, there is at least a small group of people who grasp the identity of the true God. Not until 12:8 will another individual (Abraham) “call on the name of the LORD.” [The Beginning and the End]

E. From Adam to Noah (5:1–32). A genealogy stretching over ten generations traces the lineage from Adam to Noah. Only in the last section does this vertical genealogy become a horizontal one (5:32).

In the description of each generation, the same literary structure is followed: (1) the age of the father at the birth of the firstborn, (2) the name of the firstborn, (3) how many years the father lived after the birth of this son, (4) a reference to the fathering of other children, and (5) the father’s total life span.

The names of Adam’s progeny are Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. The genealogical data about Noah are only partially given in 5:32, and are not completed until 9:28–29.

Two things need to be said about these individuals. First, there is close or exact similarity between some of the names in the Sethite list (5:1–32) and some of the names in the Cainite list (4:17–24). There is, for example, a Cainite Lamech (4:18–24) and a Sethite Lamech (5:25–28), a Cainite Enoch (4:17) and a Sethite Enoch (5:21). Also, names like Irad (4:18) and Jared (5:15), Methushael (4:18) and Methuselah (5:21) are very close to each other. These similarities do not force us, however, to assume that the respective genealogies are imaginary, or that both chapters 4 and 5 are dependent on a stock genealogy. Two separate lines, with two names common to each, are traced.

The second item of interest in chapter 5 is the unusually long life spans. Methuselah’s is longest (969 years; 5:27). Some would dismiss these figures as totally impossible. While they are indeed high, the numbers are quite ordinary when laid alongside another document from the ancient world, the Sumerian King List (ca. 2000 BC). The long life spans may also be a reflection of God’s blessing on the Sethites. Longevity in OT thought is a sign of divine blessing on the godly (see Dt 4:25; 5:33; 30:20).

One of the names in this passage is well known—Enoch (5:21–24). It is not without significance that he is the seventh (the perfect position) in this genealogy. Unlike everyone else in the chapter, whose death is recorded, Enoch is “taken away.” (For other divine “takings” see 2 Kg 2:1 [Elijah]; Pss 49:15; 73:24.) Perhaps long life is not the greatest blessing one can experience. To be elevated into God’s presence is better. It is ironic that the one man in Genesis who does not experience death (Enoch) fathers history’s oldest individual (Methuselah). That Enoch walked with God is a virtue and a privilege he shares with Noah (6:9) and is one we are all urged to emulate (Mc 6:8).

F. The flood (6:1–8:22). 6:1–4. Few episodes in Scripture defy dogmatic interpretation as does 6:1–4. The sons of God marry the daughters of humans (6:1–2); and Nephilim are said to be on the earth (6:4). Until this point Genesis has dealt only with the sins of individuals—Cain, Lamech, Eve, Adam. Now the emphasis is on the sin of a group, the sons of God.

Who are these sons of God (6:2)? The term “sons of God” elsewhere in the OT designates angels (see Jb 1:6; 38:7; Pss 29:1; 89:7). The NT, however, teaches that angels do not marry (Mt 22:29–30; Mk 12:24–25; Lk 20:34–35). Furthermore, if the angels are the villains, then why is God’s anger directed against humans? Recall, however, that in the following flood story all of God’s creation suffers for the sin of humanity.

The sons of God, if not angels, may be the Sethites (the godly line), while the daughters of humankind are the Cainites (the ungodly line). The trespass would be the unequal yoking together of believer and unbeliever. This interpretation is not without its problems, but it is quite entrenched in Christian tradition.

Whatever the correct interpretation, the union is illicit, for God is provoked. It is interesting that the reference to God’s displeasure (6:3) comes before the reference to the Nephilim (6:4). This shows that God’s annoyance is with the nuptial arrangement itself. More than likely, the 120 years does not refer to a shortened life span (for only Joseph lives less than 120 years in Genesis) but refers to a period of grace before the flood commences. As such it may be compared with Jnh 3:4.

The text does not say that the Nephilim (6:4) are the offspring of this alliance. Rather they are contemporaries of the other two parties. According to Nm 13:33, they form part of the pre-Israelite population of Palestine.

6:5–22. There is a clear-cut reason for the flood. The sons of God see how beautiful the daughters of humankind are (6:1). The Lord sees how terrible the earth has become (wickedness; 6:5). The problem is not only what humankind does; even their thoughts are evil. Sin is both extensive and intensive. Genesis 6:6 says God “was deeply grieved.” It is important to observe that God is not on this occasion angry or vengeful, but grieved, hurt. That is, 6:6 emphasizes God’s “tender” emotions rather than his “raw” emotions.

Noah stands out among his peers. He is righteous and blameless and walks with God. Thus 6:9 supplies the answer to why Noah finds favor in the Lord’s eyes (6:8). Divine favor is not something Noah wins; it is something he finds. The essence of favor or grace is that it cannot be defined by the recipient’s worthiness. It always comes from another source. To say that Noah (or any of us) found grace is to say grace found Noah (or us).

God spoke to himself his first intention to destroy the earth (6:7). Now he shares that information with Noah (6:13), just as he later tells Abraham that he intends to destroy Sodom (18:17–21). [Other Flood Accounts in the Ancient Near East]

Noah is told to build an ark about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high (6:15). It is really a ship, but Genesis calls it an “ark” (6:14). The only other place this Hebrew word is used is in Ex 2, to refer to “the ark” (basket) into which baby Moses is placed. In both instances an individual destined to be used by God is saved from drowning by being placed in an ark. Again, note the announcement of a covenant (6:18) before the flood starts. Here again is grace before judgment.

7:1–10. God now repeats his earlier word to Noah (6:18–20) to enter the ark. What the narrator earlier observed about Noah’s character (6:9), God confirms (7:1). This time Noah is told to take aboard, in addition to his family, seven of every kind of clean animal and two of every kind of unclean animal (7:2–3). In 6:19–20 and 7:15–16 we read that Noah is to take two of all living creatures. Is this a discrepancy, and thus evidence for the blending in Gn 6–9 of two flood stories? One pair or seven pairs? Not necessarily. Genesis 6:19–20 and 7:15–16 provide general information. Noah is to bring aboard pairs of animals. In 7:2, specific information is given about how many pairs—seven. It is not surprising that God desires salvation of the clean animals. But why spare the unclean animals? Does God’s compassion extend to them too?

Noah is given a week’s warning before the flood begins (7:4). The Hebrew word for “rain” in verse 4 is different than the word for “rain” in verse 12. That used in verse 12 designates a heavy downpour. Thus the rain of verse 4 is no shower—it is to last forty days and forty nights. Noah does what God says (7:7–9), and God fulfills his word (7:10).

Noah’s ark was a multideck vessel that was simply crafted and designed for survival rather than navigation. It was about 450ʹ long, 75ʹ wide, and 45ʹ tall. An 18ʺ opening above the main roof provided access to light and fresh air.

7:11–16. As the flood starts, again we find the deliberate use of repetition and summarization. This is a characteristic of epic composition. Note: the flood (7:6), entry into the ark (7:7–9), the flood (7:10–12), entry into the ark (7:13–16). Actually there are two references to the flood’s beginning: verse 10 and verse 11. The additional data given in 7:11 are about the two sources of the rain: the springs of the great deep and the floodgates of heaven. But 7:12 refers only to the second of these.

Although Noah’s wife, sons, and daughters-in-law are also saved, there is no reference to their character. Their salvation is due to their husband/father/father-in-law. Interestingly it is “God” who commands the group to enter the ark (7:16a), but “the LORD” who shuts them in (7:16b). Perhaps this shift to God’s more personal name suggests that God is the protector of the ark.

7:17–24. As the waters rise, verses 13–16 focus on the action inside the ark, while verses 17–24 focus outside the ark. To be outside the ark is akin to being outside the garden. Salvation inside the ark is total; destruction outside the ark is total.

The reference to 150 days (7:24) includes the 40 days of rainfall, plus the length of time before the floodwaters begin to diminish (40 + 110 = 150; not 40 + 150 = 190). This is confirmed by 8:4, which states that the ark rested on a mountain peak five months later (second month to seventh month). This period of time represents five months of 30 days.

8:1–4. Suddenly the story shifts; God remembers Noah (8:1–2). Not Noah’s righteousness or blamelessness or his walk with God. Just Noah. There are seventy-three instances in the OT where God is said to “remember.” This remembrance moves God to send a wind over the earth. One Hebrew word (ruah) translates “wind” and “Spirit” (see the CSB footnote on 8:1). In 1:2 it is the Spirit who hovers over the waters. Twice the divine ruah encounters the waters, first restraining them, now evaporating them. The sun plays no role in the drying up of the waters. In pagan myths this is exactly what happens. The ark finally comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat (8:4).

8:5–14. Noah must now determine whether the waters have receded sufficiently for dry land to reappear. To find out, Noah sends out first a raven, then a dove (twice). God does not tell Noah when the ground has dried out even though he did tell him about when the flood would start and exactly how to build the ark. Here Noah moves from being the passive recipient of revelation to being the active investigator of what and when the next move is.

The raven does not return because, as a carrion eater, it is able to feed on the animal corpses on the mountaintops (8:7). The dove, by contrast, is a valley bird that feeds off food in the lower areas, the last to dry out. This is why it returns to the ark (8:9, 11).

In 8:13–14 we have two Hebrew words for “dry,” just as we had two words for “rain” in chapter 7. The first (8:13) means to be free of moisture. The second (8:14) refers to the complete absence of waters. Thus the choice of verb and the progression from verse 13 to verse 14 is logical.

A mountain in the Ararat region, the area where Noah’s ark comes to rest (Gn 8:4)

© Bouarf / Wikimedia Commons, CC-by-sa-3.0.

8:15–22. Twice God speaks in 8:15–22, once to Noah (8:15–17), and once to himself (8:21–22). Between these two speeches is the departure of Noah from the ark (8:18–19) and his act of worship (8:20). Even though the dove does not return, Noah does not leave the ark until God tells him. God, and only God, can give the green light.

The divine soliloquy is composed of a negative statement (8:21) and a positive one (8:22). In spite of humankind’s congenital proclivity to sin, the God of mercy will not exterminate them (8:21). There will be predictability in the natural world (8:22). And all this will be a gracious gift from God. No rites associated with fertility religions will bring about this condition. Only grace will.

G. Noah after the flood (9:1–29). 9:1–7. Genesis 9:1–17 spells out in more explicit detail what God revealed to Noah in 8:20–22 about the postflood stage. That God talks to Noah as he does in 9:1 indicates that Noah is a second Adam. These are the same imperatives addressed to Adam in chapter 1. But the world of Gn 9 is not exactly the same as the world of Gn 1. For one thing, humans are now allowed to kill animals for food and add meat to their diet (9:2–3). Just as Gn 2 stated a permission followed by a prohibition, Gn 9 provides the same sequence: permission (9:2–3)–prohibition (9:4). Interestingly even animals are now held accountable for crimes (9:5–6).

9:8–11. God now proceeds to establish his covenant with Noah and with the animals. The covenant is unilateral. That is, it is one that lays all obligations on God and no obligations on humans. It is a covenant in which the Almighty binds himself to a certain course of action—never again to destroy the earth by a deluge.

9:12–17. To cement that covenant God establishes a sign both with Noah and with unborn generations. He will put his rainbow in the clouds (9:13). The Hebrew language does not distinguish between a rainbow and a bow (weapon). One word covers both. In what is a radical reinterpretation of divine power, the bow ceases to function as a sign of God’s militancy and begins to function as a sign of God’s grace. A rainbow is a bow without an arrow.

© lucas nishimoto.

We are perhaps surprised to read that the bow is in the sky for God’s benefit. Perhaps there is a play here on the verbs “see” and “remember.” The flood story began with God “seeing” (6:5, 12) the unrestrained evil in the world. It ends with God “looking at” the rainbow (9:16). The flood story reaches a turning point when God “remembers” Noah (8:1). It reaches a climactic point when he “remembers” his covenant (9:15–16).

9:18–23. The story of Noah in 9:18–27 focuses on Noah’s nakedness and not on his drunkenness. Why Noah is nude we do not know (9:21). Is he in a drunken stupor, or is he preparing to have intercourse with his wife? One of his sons—Ham—sees his father’s nakedness (9:22). To be sure, this phrase (see Lv 18) may mean to have sexual relations with a relative (incest). More than likely, here it simply means that Ham sees Noah’s genitalia. Shem and Japheth, on the other hand, cover their father’s nakedness (9:23), much as God did with Adam and Eve’s in 3:21. (Note again the emphasis here on “seeing” and “not seeing.”)

9:24–29. As a result of Ham’s involvement, Noah curses not Ham but Canaan, Noah’s grandson (9:25). This may illustrate the “eye for an eye” principle of justice. The youngest son of Noah sins, and as a result, a curse is placed on Ham’s youngest son. Other interpretations are possible. This is the only instance of a humanly imposed curse in the five books of Moses; furthermore, they are the first recorded words in Scripture from Noah’s mouth. Throughout the flood he was active, but the Bible does not record him speaking, not even once.

Noah also blesses the Lord of Shem, and Canaan is to be slave to both Shem (9:26) and Japheth (9:27). God has talked about the future (9:8–17). Now Noah talks about the future (9:25–27).

H. The table of nations (10:1–32). Geographically Gn 10 ranges as far east as Persia (Elam, 10:22), as far south as Ethiopia (Cush, 10:6–8), as far north as the Aegean Sea (Caphtor, 10:14), and as far west as Egypt (Mizraim, 10:6, 13) and Libya. Theologically the list affirms God’s blessing on Noah’s progeny. Israel, or Eber-ites (10:21, 24–25), have no monopoly on attributing their existence to God.

10:1–5. The account of Noah’s descendants begins with a list of Noah’s sons in this order (10:1): Shem, Ham, Japheth; but in the verses that follow that order is reversed: Japheth, Ham, Shem. The Japhethites (10:1–5) are peoples (seven are identified) most remote from Palestine, and most of the nations/places mentioned here are in the Mediterranean islands and Asia Minor. We recognize names like Magog and Meshech (10:2) from the book of Ezekiel. Madai represents the Medes. Javan represents early Greeks (Ionians) in the Aegean area (10:4). The Kittim are to be associated with Cyprus, and the Dodanim are from the island of Rhodes, by the southwest coast of Turkey.

When Jesus sends out seventy (or seventy-two) disciples in Lk 10:1, he is reflecting the Gn 10 list of the seventy nations in the then-known world, sending his disciples into every part of that world.

10:6–20. Ham has four sons, the most surprising of them being Canaan (10:6). The fourth generation is traced only through Cush (10:7). Most of the peoples in this section are Gentiles with whom Israel has had unpleasant relationships. For example, Cush represents Ethiopia; Mizraim, Egypt; and Put, modern Libya or Somalia.

Most interesting here is Nimrod (10:8–12). So well known is he that he has established a reputation as a mighty hunter, and 10:9 provides the only time the Lord appears in this genealogy. Nimrod is not only the Bible’s first hunter (to be coupled with Esau [Gn 25:27; 27:30]); he is the Bible’s first king (10:10). This refers probably to his martial prowess. The four cities he founds—Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh—are all to the east of Canaan, not to the south-southwest, as is Egypt. Does this indicate that Egyptian power extended at one point as far east as the Euphrates?

10:21–32. Shem fathers five sons (10:22). This section is last in this list because it is the most crucial of the three. In this section we discover the name Eber (10:24), which is connected with “Hebrew.” “The earth was divided” in Peleg’s time (10:25). This may mean that the Semitic groups were divided into two branches. Or, because the name Peleg is related to a word meaning “canal,” it may mean that Peleg was involved in the construction of irrigation canals. Or it may contain a hint of the tower of Babylon story in which people were divided from each other.

I. The tower of Babylon (11:1–9). 11:1. The whole world with which 11:1 begins has just been described at length in chapter 10. Further, we read, this world has one language and a common speech. This is puzzling, for already in Gn 10 we have read, three times, about the descendants of Noah, who were divided on the basis of their respective languages (10:5, 20, 31). There are four possible ways of handling this. One is to maintain that the two chapters contradict each other. A second way is to suggest that chapter 10 refers to local languages and dialects, while chapter 11 refers to an international language, a lingua franca. A third approach is to suggest that chapter 10, although actually falling after 11:1–9, is placed ahead of chapter 11, lest chapter 10 be read as a manifestation of God’s judgment on the Noahites. Finally, this could be an instance of a general description of an event (chap. 10) followed by one that provides more details about the event (11:1–9). We have already seen this pattern with Gn 1 as a general overview and Gn 2 as a sequel that adds greater detail.

11:2–4. Shinar is the land of Babylonia (11:2). The tower the people want to build is probably a ziggurat, a seven-staged tower. In addition they want to build a city, and thus join Cain (4:17) in such an enterprise. In itself this is not sinful. Nor is it sinful to wish to build a tower that reaches to the heavens. The sin comes in the purpose: “Let us make a name for ourselves” (11:4). “Name” means reputation. They want to erect an edifice that will memorialize them.

In Gn 10–11 people are scattered across the world into nations and languages. In Ac 2 the Spirit unites God’s people together again, removing the language barrier. Thus the event at Pentecost in Ac 2 reverses the situation created in Gn 10–11.

11:5. It is difficult to miss the irony or humor in 11:5. The people want to build a skyscraper, but the Lord still comes down to see the city and the tower. Once again there is an emphasis on somebody seeing something. This is the first of several times in the Bible that God “comes down” (e.g., Gn 18:21; Ex 3:8). He did not need, by contrast, to come down to speak with Adam or with Noah.

11:6–9. Note that God does not halt the project while it is under construction. Nor does he destroy it once it is completed. What God does is judge the language, not the tower or the city (11:6). The people’s tongues, and not their hands, feel the wrath of God. This gives rise to the name Babylon (Hb “Babel,” which means “to confound, confuse”; see the CSB footnote; 11:9). The Babylonians themselves call their city bab-ili or bab-ilani, “gate of the god(s),” which is reflected in the Greek Babylōn.

Partially reconstructed ziggurat at Ur

© Michael Lubinski / Wikimedia Commons, CC-by-sa-2.0.

J. The Shemites (11:10–32). Here is another ten-generation genealogy, stretching from Shem to Terah/Abraham. A possible connection between 11:1–9 and 11:10–32 is that in the former section some people wanted to make a name (Hb shem) for themselves, and 11:10–32 is the family tree of Shem. The list is much like that in 10:21, 24–25. Four of the names are repeated—Arphachshad (11:11), Shelah (11:12), Eber (11:14), and Peleg (11:16). Additionally some of the names are to be identified with place names in northwest Mesopotamia (e.g., Serug/Sarugi [11:20]; Nahor/Nakhur [11:22]). This lends historical credibility to the genealogy.

Abraham, however, comes from Ur of the Chaldeans (11:28), which is in southern Mesopotamia. There is a great deal of evidence to support a movement of Terahites from Ur north to Haran, which provides support for linking Abraham with lower Mesopotamia and the patriarchs with northern Mesopotamia. There is no indication that Abraham ever regretted leaving Ur or Haran. This is different from his offspring, who frequently regretted leaving Egypt and wanted to return there (Ex 16:3; 17:3; Nm 14:3).

Babylon and the Land of Shinar

2. ABRAHAM (12:1–25:18)

A. The call of Abram (12:1–9). 12:1–3. God’s first word to Abram is an imperative: leave! The three things he is to leave behind are arranged in ascending order: country, people, father’s household (12:1). The imperative is followed by a series of promises relating to progeny, reputation, and blessing (12:2). There is quite a contrast between 11:4 and 12:2. The climax of the divine “I wills” is that all peoples on earth (Gn 10) will be blessed through Abram. Abram is to be not only a recipient of the blessing but also a channel through which this blessing may flow to others (12:3).

12:4–9. This all happens when Abram is seventy-five years old (12:4). God gets involved for the first time in the life of this septuagenarian. Abram’s response is prompt: “So Abram went.”

First the Lord speaks to Abram (12:1); then God appears to him (12:7). Now that Abram has moved into Canaan (Shechem, Bethel), God makes a further promise to him: “To your offspring I will give this land.” Abram does not yet have even one child, and here is God talking about offspring. First God speaks (12:1–3), then Abram journeys (12:4–6). Next God appears, then Abram worships (12:7). The section begins with the promise to make for Abram a great “name” (12:2; cf. 17:5) and concludes with Abram calling on the Lord’s “name” (12:8).

B. Abram in Egypt (12:10–20). 12:10–16. A famine sends Abram to Egypt (12:10). He is certain that, once there, the Egyptians will abduct Sarai and murder him (12:12). Why he thinks this or how he knows this is not clear. Since God is certain about Abram’s future (12:1–9), why cannot Abram himself be as certain?

Abram asks Sarai to identify herself to Pharaoh as Abram’s sister (which is partially the truth; 12:13). The logic of Abram’s move is clear enough. As brother to the woman involved he can be ignored; as husband to the woman he would have to be eliminated. Think of David, who orchestrated Uriah’s death to get Bathsheba.

There are two flaws in Abram’s ruse. First, it is laced with deception (not the first time we have met this in Genesis; it is as old as chap. 3). Second, it is a plan in which Sarai has to make herself vulnerable. Indeed, Gn 12:10–20 describes actual adultery rather than potential adultery, for Sarai is taken into Pharaoh’s palace (12:15). Conspicuous throughout this event is Sarai’s silence. Does she approve? Does she oppose? Does she submit silently? Will she sacrifice her life for Abram’s?

12:17–20. As a result Pharaoh falls under God’s wrath (12:17), even though he has sinned in ignorance. This is an immediate fulfillment of 12:3, “I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt.” Perhaps Abram did this for a good purpose, so he thought. If he is slain, what will happen to God’s promises? They will be aborted. Abram must do anything to prevent this. One of the great foibles of this man of God is in believing that now and then the Almighty is in need of a helping hand. If this is his thinking, then it suggests that Abram believes he is indispensable to God’s plan and promises but Sarai is not. God can always give him, he may think, another Sarai, a more fertile Sarai.

C. Abram and Lot separate (13:1–18). 13:1–4. The Negev is the desert region south of Palestine. It is through this region that Abram, his wife, and Lot (he also goes to Egypt) travel on their way back to Canaan (13:1). Abram is a wealthy man (13:2), but his wealth is not necessarily an evidence of divine blessing for obedience. Back in his own backyard, Abram’s first priority is to renew his life of worship (13:4).

13:5–7. There is a problem, however. Not a problem with outsiders, but inside the family. Abram and Lot each have so much that the land cannot support them both (13:6). This leads to quarreling among their respective employees (13:7). This incident demonstrates that the blessings of God can create either possibilities or problems. How we handle these blessings determines whether they remain blessings or become sources of friction.

The Travels of Abraham

13:8–13. Abram moves quickly to settle the strife. He foments strife in 12:10–20. Here he settles it. As the elder person, Abram would have been fully within his rights to decide who gets what portion of land. As the younger, Lot would have to accept passively what was left over or assigned to him.

It is not always propitious to exercise one’s prerogatives. Abram believes that. Voluntarily he gives priority of choice to his nephew (13:9). Note the change between the Abram of 12:10–20 and the Abram of 13:1–12. In the first instance he is obsessed with himself, his safety, his future. He must become deceitful. In the second instance Abram assigns himself position number two. He empties himself of patriarchal authority.

All of this action takes place north of Jerusalem in the area of Benjamin. From here the lush Jordan Valley can be seen (13:10). Lot chooses the plain of the Jordan, which is comparable to Eden and Egypt (13:11). A person is known by their choices. Lot’s choice puts him in contact with Sodomites, people whose lives are contrary to God’s way (13:13).

13:14–18. Only after the difference is settled does God get involved. He has been watching two of his children hammer out their differences, allowing each to live with the consequences of his choice. God speaks to Abram now that Lot has departed. For a second time God gives Abram a series of promises. The first is land (13:15) and the second is innumerable offspring (13:16). Abram is to lift up his eyes (13:14) and lift up his feet (13:17). Twice in this chapter Abram builds an altar. He settles in Mamre, which is approximately twenty miles south of Jerusalem. Hebron is two miles south of Mamre (13:18).

Early in the OT era, Abraham and his descendants lived in mobile shelters. These tents were made from animal skins or loosely woven panels of goat’s hair, which swelled when wet to make the tent water resistant and relaxed when dry to allow air to circulate. Even after Israel has moved into permanent homes, the tent, its ropes, and stakes are mentioned in the OT as metaphors (Is 33:20; 54:2).

D. Abram rescues Lot (14:1–24). 14:1–7. Four powerful kings from the east lead an assault against five minor Palestinian kings (14:1–2). It is impossible to identify the four kings with certainty. Amraphel means “the mouth of god has spoken,” and he is the king of Shinar (i.e., Babylonia). Arioch matches the name Arriyuk and is a good Hurrian name. Chedorlaomer means “servant of Lagamar” (an Elamite god). Tidal is the Hebrew equivalent of the Hittite regnal name Tudhalia, borne by several Hittite kings.

These four kings engage the five petty kings in battle near the Siddim Valley, where the Dead Sea now is (14:3). Genesis 14:4 suggests that the battle is instigated by an attempt of the minor kings to establish independence. To quell the revolt, these kings march, according to place names in 14:5–7, from Syria to the Gulf of Aqaba, then north again to Kadesh.

14:8–13. In the midst of these hostilities Lot is captured (14:12). He is now suffering one of the consequences of his choice. Abram is informed of this, and it is here that we find the interesting phrase “Abram the Hebrew” (14:13). In the one chapter where Abram engages in military activity he is spoken of as a “Hebrew.” Some have suggested a possible relationship between “Hebrew” and “Habiru,” the latter being those who in times of war hired themselves out as mercenaries. In light of Lot’s selfish behavior in chapter 13, one might excuse Abram for being indifferent when news of Lot’s abduction reaches him. But no, his heart is bigger than that. Furthermore, it is not only his nephew that Abram rescues but the prisoners of war taken from cities like Sodom and Gomorrah. So before Abram prays for these cities (Gn 18), he puts his life on the line for them.

Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (also called Zoar) ally together in Gn 14. Later, except for Zoar, all these cities are destroyed as God rains down burning sulfur on the entire plain in judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah (Gn 19:24–25; cf. Dt 29:23).

14:14–16. Abram does not have to rescue Lot single-handedly. He has 318 trained men (14:14). This indicates that Abram is anything but a nomadic shepherd who passes time counting sheep and stars. He is a powerful individual with a substantial number of troops on call.

How does one man with an army of 318 men go against four major kings and their armies? Certainly not head-to-head. It is a nocturnal battle (14:15). Perhaps this story about the retrieval of Lot and the success of Abram anticipates the degree of success God pictures for his people Israel, even though they too will be a minority.

14:17–24. On his way home Abram meets the king of Sodom in the Shaveh Valley (14:17). Melchizedek is identified as king of Salem. This is most certainly an abbreviation for Jerusalem. Melchizedek means “My King Is Righteous/Justice.” Further, he is described as priest to God Most High (14:18). It was common in pagan cultures for the king to be head of both state and church. Not so in Israel, except for one who properly bears the function of prophet, priest, and king.

He blesses Abram (14:19) and God (14:20a), and Abram responds with a tithe from the war booty (14:20b). It is to Melchizedek’s credit that he knows the real reason why Abram was victorious. It is God, and not Abram and his military sagacity, who has won the battle. It is no wonder that Heb 7 relates Melchizedek and Christ typologically. The story concludes with Abram conversing with the king of Sodom (14:21–24). He insists that the king take the war spoils. One king already enriched Abram (12:10–20). He does not want that to happen again.

E. God’s covenant with Abram (15:1–21). 15:1–3. “After these events” (15:1) must refer to the harrowing experiences Abram encountered in chapter 14. He has reason to be afraid of the possible repercussions of his rescue mission. God’s word to him, then, is most appropriate: “Do not be afraid, Abram.” God is Abram’s shield, not his 318 servants. And God himself is Abram’s reward.

Abram has a major concern. He is still childless, and apparently resigned to that fact. For he is prepared to designate his servant Eliezer as the heir to his estate (15:2).

15:4–8. God’s first word (15:1) to Abram is about himself. His second word (15:4–6) is about Abram. First, there is the promise of a natural heir (15:4), and then there is the promise of legions of descendants (15:5). This is the third time Abram receives promises (12:1–7; 13:14–17), and it is sufficient evidence for Abram. He believes the Lord. He is willing now to stake his life on the reliability of the promises of his Lord. The Hebrew verb “to believe” is the source of “amen.” Whenever one believes, one is saying, “amen.” God’s response to Abram’s amen is to credit it to him as righteousness (15:6). This is, of course, the great text on which Paul builds the truth about justification by faith (Rm 4:1–3; Gl 3:7–9). Yet, even though Abram has just “believed the LORD,” that does not end his questions directed at God (15:8). And God does not seem annoyed by his questions.

15:9–12. God’s covenant with Abram is confirmed by a ritual. Abram is to bring a heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove, and a young pigeon (15:9). The cow, the goat, and the ram he is to cut in two and arrange in parallel rows (15:10). The most frequent way in Hebrew to say “make a covenant” is “cut a covenant.” The only other reference in the OT to this kind of covenant ritual is Jr 34:18. Abram cuts the animals, and God cuts the covenant, all of which leads to the cutting of circumcision in chapter 17. The penalty for failing to be circumcised, in turn, is to be “cut off” (17:14). [The Covenants of the Bible]

15:13–21. In a deep sleep Abram observes a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass between the portions of animal flesh (15:17). These fiery elements can only be symbols of God himself, for in the Bible fire represents the presence of God. The ritual here is dramatic. It is as if God is placing himself under a potential curse: “Abram, if I do not prove faithful to my word, let the same thing happen to me as to this cow and ram.” Abram thus believes the Lord.

Abram will not himself possess this land (15:13–16). Only when the sin of the Amorites (i.e., Canaanites) has reached its final stage of decay will the land pass to Israel. Although this is generations away, God already knows exactly the boundaries of the promised land (15:18–21).

In the NT, Paul stresses the implications that the Abrahamic covenant/promise has for Christians, especially regarding grace, faith, and justification (Rm 4:1–25; Gl 3:6–14). Paul quotes Gn 15:6 directly twice (Rm 4:3; Gl 3:6).

F. Hagar and Ishmael (16:1–16). How does one handle the problem of childlessness, especially in a society that places a premium on having children? To the contemporary reader Abram and Sarai’s method appears quite strange and highly suspect. Sarai offers her maidservant Hagar to Abram. He cohabits with her, and he fathers a child—Ishmael. This child then becomes Sarai’s child. Such a procedure, however illicit it may sound to us, is well documented in ancient literary sources.

16:1–6. One wonders to what degree Abram’s belief in the Lord (15:6) informs his action in 16:1–4a. If there is a vivid contrast between the Abram of the first half of chapter 12 and the second half of chapter 12, then we observe an equally vivid contrast between the Abram of chapter 15 and that of chapter 16.

Hagar does not help the situation. She despises her mistress (“became contemptible” is the same Hebrew word rendered “treats . . . with contempt” in 12:3), for Hagar can bear a child, while Sarai cannot (16:4b). Sarai is understandably incensed (16:5). Abram is of little help. He refuses active involvement with his lame “do whatever you want with her” (16:6). As a result Hagar is banished from the premises.

16:7–10. God finds Hagar at a spring on the road to Shur, which runs from Egypt to Beer-sheba (16:7). He engages her in conversation by asking her questions (16:8), to which he knows the answers.

It is the angel of the Lord who meets Hagar in the wilderness; this is the first time he appears in the Bible. But in 16:13 the text says that it is “the LORD” who speaks with her. The angel of the Lord and the Lord—distinct, yet the same. All sorts of explanations have been offered to explain this “incongruity.” Might we see here, as we saw in the “us” of 1:26 and 11:7, a hint of God’s trinitarian nature?

16:11–12. The child born of this union between Hebrew patriarch and Egyptian servant girl is Ishmael (16:11). The name means “El [God] Has Heard,” but the explanation given for the name is that “the LORD” (Yahweh) has heard. This shows there is no real difference between El(ohim) and Yahweh as names of deity (see the article “The Two Primary Names for God in the Old Testament” early in the book of Exodus).

Ishmael is to be “like a wild donkey” (16:12). He will live the life of a bedouin, a nomad, and at the same time he will be warlike. For all this emphasis on Ishmael’s involvement with hostility, his descendants, the Ishmaelites, never are in conflict with Israel, nor are they the objects of God’s judgment. David has an Ishmaelite brother-in-law (1 Ch 2:17), and an Ishmaelite is one of the key overseers in his administration (1 Ch 27:30).

16:13–16. Now it is Hagar’s turn to name somebody. And she names God (16:13)—she is the only one to do this in all the Bible. She calls him El-roi, meaning “The God Who Sees Me” or “God Sees Me” (and, again, note the emphasis on seeing, as in previous chapters). She names the well where this all takes place Beer-lahai-roi, “Well of the Living One Who Sees Me” (16:14). Hagar ran away from Sarai and ran into God. These names stress not the gift she has received (a child) but the Giver of that gift. A distraught, frightened, pregnant, non-Israelite slave girl encounters God in a desert and is never the same again.

G. The covenant of circumcision (17:1–27). 17:1–4. Nothing of real significance happens in Abram’s life between the ages of eighty-six (16:16) and ninety-nine (17:1), indicating that Abram at times lived for over a decade with no recorded revelation from God. God now appears to him as “God Almighty,” or El-shaddai. God’s self-identification is followed by a moral imperative: “live in my presence and be blameless” (17:1). We observed in chapter 15 that all of the obligations of the covenant fell on God. Chapter 17 lends a bit of balance to that. Abram does not have license to live as he pleases. His behavior is to reflect the character of the one who called him.

17:5–8. In the course of conversation God tells Abram that his name will be changed from “Abram” (“Father Is Exalted”) to “Abraham” (17:5). The only difference between the two is the -ha- in the new name. The explanation “father of many nations” is arrived at on the basis of “Abraham” being assonant with Hebrew ab-hamon, “father of a multitude.” Every one of the major characters in Gn 11–50 undergoes a name change, except Isaac. A new name indicates a new destiny.

The name change is followed by another series of promises about progeny (17:6–7) and land (17:8), and here the point is made that Abraham is to keep the covenant. He is not to play fast and loose with the word of the Lord.

17:9–14. There are four great imperatives addressed to Abraham: “live,” “be blameless” (17:1), “keep” (17:9), and “circumcise” (17:11). Verses 9–14 focus on the last of these. This is not something presented to Abraham as an option. It is mandatory. It is to be administered to every male eight days after birth. It extends even to servants (17:12) and thus is not an elitist ritual. Circumcision functions as a sign of the covenant. Earlier the rainbow was a sign of God’s covenant with Noah. The sign here must be for the benefit of the recipient. By an ineradicable mark cut into his flesh, a male is constantly reminded that he is God’s special child. The sign speaks of God’s mercies and his expectations. Obviously the sign of the covenant, circumcision, applies only to Abraham’s male descendants, that is, half of his family. The sign relates to male sexual activity and procreation, which is a key to the fulfillment of God’s covenant; accordingly male sexual activity needs to be disciplined and dedicated to God.

17:15–18. Sarai is to become Sarah (17:15), not a significant name change; thus her new name is not explained as is Abraham’s, but she is the only woman in the Bible to have her name changed. Something more important than her name is to change. The condition of her womb is to change (17:16). She is to give birth not only to children but to kings.

Abraham laughs (17:17). Here we have the first of three instances linking laughter with the name Isaac (see also 18:12; 21:6). It is unclear whether it is the laughter of joy or of unbelief. Along with Abraham’s realism, Abraham’s concern for Ishmael (17:18) favors the latter interpretation. Both he and his wife are beyond child-producing and childbearing years. Often God seems to insist on the impossible to increase dependence on him.

17:19–27. True, God will bless Ishmael (17:20), but his covenant is with Isaac (17:21). Ishmael is not lost, damned, or condemned, but he is clearly placed outside the covenant family, although a recipient of divine promises.

Abraham’s implementation of the divine directive (17:11–14) is not carried out until 17:23–27. Sandwiched between is the promised birth of Isaac. One wonders if Abraham ever questioned circumcising Ishmael since he was not to be a link in the covenant chain.

H. The Lord of birth and death (18:1–33). 18:1–15. This chapter highlights the forthcoming birth of Isaac and the forthcoming death of Sodom. In this contrast between the beginning of life and the end of life, Abraham has opportunity first to be host, then to be intercessor. As host he entertains three men by his home at Mamre. One of these is obviously the Lord (18:1). The other two must be angelic companions, both of whom essentially drop out of the story after verse 9. The number three (18:2) should not be pressed for any trinitarian significance.

Abraham serves the three visitors a meal and watches while they eat (18:6–8). The supernatural character of these visitors is evidenced by the fact that they know Abraham is married, and they also know his wife’s name (18:9). This probably shocks Abraham. He does not recognize his visitors, but his visitors know all about him. There stands with Abraham one whom he does not know.

Sarah overhears the announcement about her forthcoming pregnancy (18:10). It is an incredible promise. Under her breath Sarah laughs—another play on the name Isaac—for she and Abraham are too old (18:12), a feature later shared by Zechariah and Elizabeth (Lk 1:7). Sarah, however, needs to see beyond her lord (Abraham) and see her Lord. Not only is she unbelieving, but she denies that she is (18:15). Let us, however, cut Sarah some slack. God speaks of their forthcoming child only to Abraham, never to her, and apparently Abraham never shares that information with her. Otherwise why would she be so startled when she overhears the conversation?

18:16–33. Even God has intimates to whom he bares his soul, and Abraham is one of these. God knows Abraham and therefore is not hesitant to inform Abraham about his intentions for Sodom (18:17–19).

Key Theophanies in Genesis

What God hears is the “outcry” against Sodom and Gomorrah (18:20). This word is used in the OT normally to describe the cry of the oppressed who are brutalized by their taskmasters. Ezekiel 16:49–50 makes it clear that Sodom’s sin was social as well as sexual immorality.

God himself conducts a personal inspection of the city (18:21)—or at least he intends to. Abraham now stands before the Lord (18:22). Abraham is convinced that the judge of all the earth will do right. He has no doubts about the integrity and consistency of God. Therefore he speaks plainly with God. This is no place for clichés and shibboleths. He asks if God would refrain from judging Sodom if there were fifty righteous people in the city (18:24–26). Eventually he jumps not by fives but by tens, and finally he asks if God would spare Sodom for the sake of ten righteous people (18:27–32). Abraham believes that the presence of a few who are godly has a saving influence on the many who are ungodly.

It is interesting to reflect what this story has to say about petitionary prayer, prayer as dialogue, and an omniscient, sovereign God who is moved to action or inaction by the intercessions of the faithful. Unlike Noah, who never intercedes for his sinful generation, Abraham will speak boldly to God on behalf of sinful Sodom.

I. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (19:1–38). 19:1–11. Like his uncle Abraham, Lot has the opportunity to play host to two angels (19:1–3). Even before they can retire for the night, Lot’s house is surrounded by the townspeople, who demand that Lot hand over his guests so that the townspeople might “have sex with them” (19:4–5). This clearly points to the fact that part of the sin of the Sodomites is sexual depravity. [The Detestable Acts of Sodom and Gomorrah]

Lot offers to turn over his two daughters as surrogates for the two angels (19:6–8). Perhaps he considers this the lesser of two evils. As host he must allow no harm to come upon his guests while they are under his roof. That was an ancient Near Eastern law of hospitality. This does not mean that Lot was justified in his action. Here the daughters are used, but in 19:30–38 the tables are turned and they are the ones in charge.

19:12–16. Lot and his family are warned about God’s judgment on Sodom and are given a chance to escape (19:12–13). Nothing has been said about Lot’s righteousness, as was the case with Noah. But in many ways the Noah story and the Lot story are parallel. A chosen family is spared the judgment of God.

Lot’s sons-in-law ignore his warning, thinking he is joking (19:14). Lot’s family does not take him seriously. Even Lot himself hesitates (19:16) when given the ultimatum. Lot is exempted from death because the Lord is merciful.

19:17–29. Lot turns down the suggestion that he flee to the mountains and asks instead for refuge in the village of Zoar. Zoar means “Small” (see the CSB footnote for 19:22) and is connected with Lot’s reference in 19:20 to the place as a very small one. Lot will be saved.

Only 19:24–25 describes the actual catastrophe. The disaster is a combination of volcanic activity and earthquake. Lot’s wife still longs for Sodom; she looks back, and that is the end of her (19:26). Genesis 19:29 provides a second reason why God spares Lot: he remembers Abraham. This is the second time Lot owes his life to his uncle. He has been delivered from capture and now from death. Lot’s connections with Abraham save him from Sodom’s doom. Lot’s wife’s connections with Lot do not save her.

In both the OT and the NT, Sodom and Gomorrah’s names become a symbol of warning against violent wickedness and of God’s wrathful response of fiery destruction (Dt 29:23; Is 1:9; Rm 9:29; Jd 7).

19:30–38. Lot ends up in the mountains, even after earlier stating that he would not go there. Lot gets drunk after the disaster, as did Noah. And while drunk, he is taken advantage of by a family member, as was Noah. His two daughters get him drunk and then sleep with him (19:31–35). As a result two sons are born: Moab (“By the Father”) and Ben-ammi (“Son of my Parent”), from whom come the Moabites and Ammonites (19:36–38). The story says more about Lot than anything. He is shortsighted, insensitive, and unattractive. His relationship with God does not measure up to that of his uncle.

J. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1–18). 20:1–2. For a second time Abraham finds himself an alien in a foreign land, with Sarah by his side (see Gn 12). And for a second time he resorts to deceit. He again asks Sarah to identify herself as his sister. This time he is in Gerar, a city of the Philistines, and the king is Abimelech. On this occasion Abraham does not draw attention to Sarah’s striking beauty as he did in 12:11, but this is almost twenty-five years later.

20:3–7. Unlike chapter 12, which presents a case of actual adultery, this chapter deals with potential adultery. Sarah is taken, but before Abimelech can cohabit with her, God speaks to him in a dream (20:3). Three times in the Bible God appears to non-Israelites in order to warn them against carrying out their intentions: here, Gn 31:24 (Laban), and Nm 22:12 (Balaam). This part of the story is also unlike chapter 12. There Pharaoh discovered Sarah’s true identity only when plagues were unleashed on his kingdom. Here knowledge is communicated not through an act of God but through a word of God.

Interestingly God identifies Abimelech’s near adultery as “sinning against me” (20:6). It is not a sin against people as much as it is a sin against God. For he is the one who created the marriage relationship, and his guideline was one man for one woman, one woman for one man. Think of David, who said, “Against you—you alone—I have sinned” (Ps 51:4), after committing adultery and having the husband eliminated.

Not only is Abraham a liar; he is a prophet (20:7). One of the functions of a prophet is to represent someone before God. The prophet is an intercessor par excellence. Abraham is to pray for Abimelech, although he will never pray for barren Sarah as Isaac will for barren Rebekah (Gn 25:21).

20:8–18. Unlike in chapter 12, Abraham offers a lame excuse, which he believes justifies his ruse: “There is absolutely no fear of God in this place” (20:11). There is no Hebrew word for “religion.” The expression “fear of God” is as close as it comes. Here specifically, “fear of God” means consideration for the rights and safety of outsiders.

Abimelech is more gracious than Pharaoh. The latter expelled Abraham as a persona non grata. Abimelech, on the other hand, opens his territory to Abraham (20:15); additionally he earmarks an appreciable sum of money for Sarah to cover any ignominy she has had to endure (20:16). Although not worshipers of the Lord, Abimelech and Pharaoh in chapter 12 have enough moral sense to know you do not take somebody else’s wife.

The irony in all this is that Abraham can pray for the salvation of the depraved Sodomites, and God responds. Abraham can pray for barren Philistine women (20:17–18), and God responds. Yet Sarah is still barren.

K. Friction inside and outside the family (21:1–34). 21:1–7. One of the characteristics of Abraham’s faith is his ability to wait and to be patient—at least most of the time. Twenty-five years earlier God promised Abraham a son (Gn 12). Now that promise becomes reality after some false hopes and false moves. Appropriately, and following an earlier directive, Abraham names the child Isaac, meaning “He Laughs” (21:3). Who laughs? God? Isaac? Abraham? Then Abraham circumcises Isaac (21:4).

For a third time somebody laughs, and here it is Sarah (21:6–7). This is a joyful laughter, and her joy will be contagious.

21:8–21. How quickly festivities can turn into friction! After Isaac has been weaned (about three years), Sarah sees Ishmael mocking Isaac (21:8–9). Actually, the Hebrew word for “mocking” is “to laugh.” Ishmael was “Isaac-ing” Isaac. Paul’s choice of “persecuted” in Gl 4:29 indicates that Isaac and Ishmael were not engaged in harmless play.

Sarah is enraged. Laughter turns to shouting (21:10). She is too angry to call either of them by name. Abraham is more impressive here than he was in the earlier situation involving Hagar and Sarah. He protests (21:11) and makes sure that Hagar and Ishmael leave with provisions (21:14), but how long will a bottle of water and a couple of sandwiches last for a mother and her son in the desert?

This story has often been read as standing in bold contrast to that in chapter 16. For instance, it is maintained that the Ishmael of chapter 16 is a lad of sixteen years or so, while the Ishmael of chapter 21 is but an infant whom Hagar carries on her shoulders and “throws” under the tree to watch him die. A closer reading of chapter 21, however, shows that Ishmael is anything but an infant (as Ishmael’s mocking of Sarah and Isaac suggests, 21:9). Chapter 21 is not a second account of the same incident in chapter 16 but a sequel to it.

Sarah does not feel much compassion for this banished mother and son. But God does. Note again, as in an earlier chapter, the intermingling in 21:17 of God and the angel of God. God opens his heart, and he opens Hagar’s eyes to a well of water (21:19).

21:22–34. The problem in 21:22–34 is not over two boys but over a well belonging to Abraham that has been seized by Abimelech. To begin with, Abimelech requests honest, open dealings with Abraham, to which Abraham commits himself (21:22–24). Abraham lived in the Negev area. It is a hot, dry place, averaging less than seven or eight inches of rain per year. Understandably, in such an arid region, access to wells would be vitally important.

To attest that the well is indeed his, Abraham makes a treaty with Abimelech and presents animals to him, including seven live lambs (21:27–30). They are a witness to Abraham’s honesty. As a result the place is called Beer-sheba, which can be translated either as “Seven Wells” or “Well of the Oath” (21:31). In Hebrew “to swear an oath” is “to seven.” It is to Abraham’s credit that he is able to prevent what could have been a major altercation. Apparently he is better at keeping peace internationally than he is at home.

L. Abraham’s test (22:1–24). 22:1–2. Sometime later God tests Abraham. It is not clear how much later, but Isaac is old enough to carry wood for a fire and carry on an intelligent conversation with his father. For the first time the verb (but not the idea) “test” occurs in the Bible (22:1). As early as chapter 12 God tested Abraham when he told him to leave Ur with his family, and Abraham went out not knowing “where he was going” (Heb 11:8). As a matter of fact, Abraham’s life begins and ends, as far as divine speech goes, with two imperatives: “leave” and “take.” And just as he is told to leave three things in chapter 12, here in chapter 22 he is told to take (1) his son, (2) his only son, (3) Isaac whom he loves (22:2). Each expression becomes more intense.

This ancient well stands next to the archaeological site of Beer-sheba, which was named for the oath Abraham made there (Gn 21:31).

22:3–12. Abraham and Isaac leave Beer-sheba and travel three days to Mount Moriah. There is only one other reference to this site in the OT, 2 Ch 3:1, and this passage tells us that Moriah is Jerusalem. Not one word is said about that emotion-filled three-day journey. What were Abraham’s thoughts? Did he pray: “If it is possible, let this cup pass from me”? He certainly was quite vocal with God back in chapter 18. Why not here? Has he learned from what happened in chapter 18? Or is it a case of Abraham praying for the deliverance of sinners but refusing to pray for the deliverance of his own family?

Abraham does not expect this to be the last he will see his son (“We’ll come back to you,” 22:5). Yet this story is as much an illustration of Isaac’s faith as it is of Abraham’s. He willingly submits to his father (22:9), when in point of fact he could have tied up his father, had he so decided.

The binding of Isaac (Gn 22:1–19), traditionally known as the Akedah, has theological significance for both Christians and Jews. It is interpreted as a form of resurrection, a coming back from the dead for Isaac after the Lord has instructed his father, Abraham, to sacrifice him (Heb 11:17–19).

Only when the knife is raised (22:10) is Abraham stopped by the Lord’s angel. This test has proved that Abraham “fears God” (22:12). That was the expression used by Abraham back in 20:11. To fear God in chapter 22 means to believe his word fully and absolutely and to be loyal to his directives.

22:13–19. In a nearby bush a ram is caught by its horns (22:13). Actually the Hebrew says “another ram.” Isaac was the first ram. Here is the second one.

Abraham calls the name of this place “The LORD Will Provide” (22:14). The name he chooses draws attention not to himself but to his Lord. He does not name the place “Abraham Believed.” He focuses on God’s mercy and faithfulness, not on his own obedience.

This naming of the place is followed by one of the few instances where God’s promises flow out of Abraham’s performance: “Because you have done this thing . . . I will . . . ” (22:16–17). These verses actually bring the story to its climax. The story would be without a proper conclusion had it stopped at verse 14. It is not difficult to see why the NT interprets the binding of Isaac as a forerunner of the binding of one greater than Isaac. Notice, however, that at the most fundamental point the parallel between Isaac and Jesus breaks down. Jesus died. Isaac did not. To that degree the ram (and not the “lamb” father and son were looking for) is as much a Christ figure as Isaac.

22:20–24. Verses 20–24 report the birth of children to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. In the midst of this story is the name Rebekah (22:23), thus preparing us for the next generation of patriarchs. Most of the names in this genealogy are the ancestors of cities and tribes around Israel. They are precisely the peoples who are to be blessed through Abraham’s offspring (22:18).

M. The death of Sarah (23:1–20). 23:1–2. Sarah dies at the age of 127 (23:1), thirty-seven years after the birth of Isaac. She is conspicuously absent from the events of chapter 22. The last city she lives in is Kiriath-arba, “City of the Four,” which is another name for Hebron. Abraham is not a man without emotion. He mourns and weeps for her (23:2).

23:3–13. For at least a third time in Genesis, Abraham is an alien and a stranger. His hosts this time are the “Hethites” (23:3). Every time a key figure in Gn 12–50 interacts with non-Israelites (Egyptians, Philistines, Hethites), those “outsiders” come across as decent, courteous, law-abiding, moral people. This is the opposite of the people Israel encounters in Exodus and beyond. “Hethites” may be a name for a people group living in Canaan, or it may be a synonym for “Canaanites” (see the article “The Hethites and the Hittites”). [The Hethites and the Hittites]

Abraham and His Family in the Promised Land

Abraham wants to buy only the cave of Machpelah on the property of Ephron the Hethite (23:8–10). Instead Ephron insists that Abraham purchase the entire field, cave and all (23:11). According to some ancient law codes, one who bought a field from another had to assume feudal obligations for the field. By requesting only a part, Abraham is trying to avoid these obligations.

23:14–20. Abraham pays four hundred shekels of silver for the field (23:14–16). This seems a high price, given the fact that many generations later Jeremiah will pay seventeen shekels of silver for a field at Anathoth (Jr 32:9). On more than one occasion, God has promised Abraham that he will “give” him this land. Here, however, Abraham buys land, and only a parcel of it at that. The transaction is carried out the usual way, at the gate of the city (23:18). Nowhere in this event is God involved. He never addresses Abraham after chapter 22.

N. Isaac and Rebekah (24:1–67). 24:1–9. Abraham loses one family member (a wife), then gains another (a daughter-in-law). He is now old (somewhere between 137 and 175; 24:1). Isaac is near forty (25:20) and still single. To remedy this situation Abraham sends a servant (Eliezer of Gn 15) to Aram-naharaim (“Syria of the Two Rivers,” 24:10) to obtain a bride for Isaac (24:2–4).

Abraham makes two specific requests. First, the girl must not be a Canaanite. Isaac must not be unequally yoked. But are Mesopotamian girls any less “pagan” than Canaanite girls? Second, Isaac and his bride must return to Canaan. Isaac is not to make Aram-naharaim a home away from home, for God has said to Abraham, “I will give this land to your offspring” (24:7). All this is sealed by an oath (24:9).

24:10–27. The servant proposes a test to determine who will be Isaac’s bride by suggesting to God that the girl who offers to water his camels be the one for Isaac (24:14). This is the servant’s way of placing the success of his mission in the Lord’s hands. He will not try to manipulate or orchestrate the events.

Rebekah is now introduced. She is a hard worker (24:15), beautiful (24:16a), chaste (24:16b), courteous (24:18), and thoughtful (24:19). The gifts the servant gives Rebekah are not bridal gifts. These will come later (24:53). They are, instead, an expression of appreciation for her kindness.

The girl is more than ready to give the servant a night’s lodging in her family home (24:25). All of this produces an outburst of praise to God by the servant (24:26–27). [Hospitality]

24:28–33. Rebekah tells her mother’s household (24:28) about the stranger. It is noteworthy that Laban should greet the servant as “blessed by the LORD” (24:31). Where would he have picked up either the name or the theology? If the God of Israel could reveal himself to Abimelech in a dream, could he not also have made himself known in some way to Laban?

24:34–49. Once settled in, the servant relates to Laban the purpose of his mission (24:34–41). It is most interesting that the servant relates the part about not staying in Aram-naharaim, even if he has to return empty-handed, and that while he is in Laban’s family room in Aram-naharaim. Then he relates to Laban his first encounter with Rebekah (24:42–49).

24:50–61. Laban responds quickly and positively. In 24:57 Rebekah is consulted for her thoughts on the matter. She is not asked, however, if she wants to marry Isaac. Laban has already settled that. She is asked whether or not she desires to accompany the servant to his master’s land. Some ancient law codes protected a woman’s right to stay in her own homeland.

24:62–67. Here Isaac and Rebekah meet for the first time. He is out in the field going for a walk or meditating (24:63; see the CSB footnote). As Isaac draws nearer, she veils herself (24:65). They are married, and only now does Isaac’s grief at the death of his mother subside. Isaac is one of two husbands in Genesis specifically said to love his wife (24:67). The other is his son Jacob, who loved Rachel (29:18, 30).

O. Abraham and Ishmael (25:1–18). 25:1–6. Abraham remarries after Sarah’s death, and his second wife’s name is Keturah (25:1). Even though he himself felt he was past the age of fathering children before Isaac, he now produces six more children (25:2). The places represented by these names are all Arabian. The best known of them (from the books of Numbers and Judges) is Midian. These six children of Abraham do not supplant Isaac as the son of promise (25:5).

25:7–11. Abraham lives until he is 175 years old (25:7). This means, according to 12:4, that he lived exactly one hundred years in the land of promise. That the text says Abraham is “gathered to his people” (25:8) indicates that death was not conceived of as extinction.

Of interest is the fact that Ishmael and Isaac are both involved in the burial of their father (25:9). Ishmael, though exiled, returns for his father’s funeral. Two other brothers (Esau and Jacob), long separated from each other, also meet for their father’s funeral (35:29).

25:12–18. Ishmael fathers twelve children, more than his father did. Ishmaelites are located in the northwestern part of the Arabian peninsula. It is surely not accidental that two genealogies of nonchosen peoples, Ishmael’s in 25:12–18 and Esau’s in 36:1–40, bracket the Jacob narrative. God’s call to the chosen family is to be a means of blessing to all the other families.

3. JACOB (25:19–36:43)

A. Esau and Jacob (25:19–34). 25:19–26. Like Sarah, Rebekah is unable to bear children. Isaac’s prayers reverse this situation, however (25:21). Rebekah conceives and gives birth to twins, Esau and Jacob. Unlike Sarah, Rebekah is addressed directly by God (25:23).

It is Rebekah who is given the startling prophecy that of the two children she is carrying, the older (Esau) will serve the younger (Jacob). This is a departure from the normal procedure, where priority went to the firstborn. That the prophecy is made before the birth of the children stresses that Jacob’s elevation is due to God’s grace and decree and is not based on any merit in Jacob. For reasons that are not evident Rebekah never shares this oracle with her husband. (Would he have even believed her? Plus, it becomes apparent later that Isaac was overly fond of Esau.) If she had, she would not have had to urge Jacob to pretend to be Esau to get his father’s blessing in chapter 27.

25:27–34. As they grow older, Esau becomes an excellent hunter, while Jacob remains a quiet man (25:27). Esau’s strength is his weakness. Famished from a hunt, he is willing to abandon his birthright in return for some red stew (25:29–34; on which see Heb 12:16). His stomach overrules his conscience. Jacob wants more than a gentleman’s agreement. He insists on an oath from Esau, just in case Esau has second thoughts. Although Esau will later swear at Jacob, he is content here to swear to Jacob. No commentary is made about Jacob’s exploitation of his brother, or of his modus operandi in getting the birthright. God has not said “the younger shall exploit the older.”

B. Isaac and Abimelech (26:1–35). 26:1–11. This is the one chapter in Genesis devoted exclusively to Isaac. And it does not show him at his best. He imitates his father in the wife-as-sister deception (26:7). The one difference is how Abimelech is informed about the woman’s identity: Abimelech sees Isaac caressing Rebekah (26:8). This can only be sexual fondling, and Abimelech is able to draw the right conclusion (26:9). Abimelech shares some of the moral values of the patriarchs. He too believes adultery is wrong and that it brings guilt on people.

26:12–25. Isaac fares well (26:12–14), but there is a problem. The Philistines have filled in the wells Isaac’s father has dug (26:15); Isaac proceeds to open them up again (26:18). He then digs his own wells, only to have the Gerarites claim ownership of them (26:19–20). The quarreling here is reminiscent of that between Abraham’s servants and Lot’s. Isaac gives the wells names that reflect this dispute: Esek (“Contention,” 26:20), Sitnah (“Enmity,” 26:21); but then he does better with Rehoboth (“Wide Places,” 26:22) and Sheba (“Seven,” 26:33).

26:26–35. All of this concludes with a covenant between Isaac and Abimelech, solemnized by a covenant meal. The Philistines recognize a spiritual dimension in Isaac’s life (26:28–29). Perhaps this is because of the mature way in which he handles the dispute. He does not lower himself to the level of the disputants. But Isaac, now at peace with neighbors, still has domestic problems: Esau marries outside the faith (26:34–35).

C. Jacob’s deceit (27:1–40). 27:1–4. Isaac, now advanced in age and gradually losing his eyesight, requests Esau to go out into the fields and hunt some wild game. It is paradoxical that Esau lost his birthright after he returned from a hunt, and he is about to lose the blessing after he leaves for a hunt.

27:5–29. Rebekah suggests that Jacob pretend to be Esau and thus obtain the blessing through deceit. This includes presenting Isaac with some choice delicacies that she will prepare, plus covering Jacob with Esau’s clothes and the exposed parts of his body with goatskins (27:5–10). At no point does Jacob question the propriety of this course of action. He does know that if his disguise fails, it will bring a curse on him (27:12). Rebekah, however, accepts full responsibility if anything goes wrong (27:13). Rebekah is very similar to Sarah. Sarah advances Isaac’s position by banishing Ishmael. Rebekah advances Jacob’s position by cutting Esau out of the picture. We cannot be sure if both mothers were acting from self-interest or whether they believed they were through their actions furthering the divine agenda. Interestingly both mothers are not recorded as seeing or talking to their sons again after these respective episodes.

This is no innocuous prank. It is deadly serious. Either way it will bring Jacob problems. If the plan is thwarted, his brother will curse him. Deception is bad enough. To deceive one’s own father is even worse. To deceive a father who is senile and physically handicapped is reprehensible.

Of course, Isaac was not above using deceit himself if circumstances warranted (Gn 26). Here Isaac has become Abimelech, and Jacob has become Isaac. Like father, like son! What makes Jacob’s deception utterly dastardly is his reference to God’s help in the allegedly quick capturing of the game (27:20), when in fact his mother prepared it.

27:30–40. The truth comes out—plainly and painfully. It is Jacob, not Esau, whom Isaac has blessed (27:30–35). For a second time there is a play on Jacob’s name, this time by Esau (27:36). He is correctly called Jacob, says Esau, for twice now Jacob has supplanted him. The Hebrew words for “Jacob,” “heel,” and “supplant, cheat” are alike. Isaac blesses Esau (27:39–40), but it is hardly a positive word from the father.

As with Isaac’s blessing over Jacob, a word once spoken cannot be rescinded. This is the reason for the many injunctions in the OT against speaking too much, making rash vows, and injudicious talk. Words have an irrevocable quality. One cannot “unsay” them.

D. Jacob flees to Haran (27:41–29:12). 27:41–46. Rebekah now has a second problem on her hands. The first was to get the blessing away from Esau. The second is to get Jacob away from Esau. She accomplishes this by urging Jacob to go to Mesopotamia until Esau calms down. She also reminds her husband about Esau’s two Hethite wives (27:46). In effect she says to Isaac: “You do not want another Hethite daughter-in-law, do you?”

28:1–9. For a second time, and with full awareness of whom he is blessing, Isaac gives Jacob a warning, some advice about marriage, and a blessing. Isaac nowhere rebukes his son for his earlier antics, any more than God rebuked Abraham or Isaac for similar ruses. Silence, however, should not be taken as approval. The purpose of the stories in Gn 11–50 is to illustrate the election of one family through whom nations will be blessed, the promises made to that family, and God’s commitment to those promises. Esau, still holding on, tries to buy a little favor with his parents by marrying a non-Canaanite girl (28:6–9). Jacob imitated him. Now he will imitate Jacob.

28:10–12. Somewhere between Beer-sheba and Haran, at a site referred to nebulously as “a certain place” (28:11), Jacob makes preparations to go to sleep. Here we have the third instance of God communicating via a dream (28:10–22; cf. 15:12; 20:3). Presumably all three of these revelations took place at night. In his dream Jacob sees a ladder or stairway stretching from heaven to earth, with angels ascending and descending on it (28:12).

28:13–17. This is the first time God speaks to Jacob. And he does not rebuke Jacob for any previous indiscretions. On the contrary, he gives Jacob promises that include descendants, land, spiritual influence, and God’s own presence (28:13–15)—promises made to a heel-grabbing Jacob who has bilked Esau and pulled the wool over Isaac’s eyes and who is fleeing, not entering, the land of promise.

Jacob’s response to this is strange: he is afraid (28:17). Whenever God showed himself to Abraham, Abraham never trembled. Maybe the best parallel here is Adam, who was afraid in the garden when the Lord’s presence became apparent. In Jacob’s case, is this fear born of awe of God’s presence, of his own spiritual insensitivity, or of a guilty conscience?

28:18–22. To memorialize this encounter with God, Jacob takes the stone he laid his head on and erects it as a pillar (a phenomenon that later becomes illicit in certain contexts, but is permissible in patriarchal times; 28:18). Jacob calls this place “Bethel,” which means “House of God” (28:19a; cf. 28:22). No longer is it just a place, a site, but it is now God’s dwelling place. Only after this are we informed that previously the shrine was called Luz (28:19b).

Jacob sets up a stone as a marker at Bethel (Gn 28:18), similar to this sacred standing stone at the temple in Shechem.

Jacob’s vow is of interest in that it picks up on the promise of verse 15 but excludes verse 14. It is God’s presence and a safe return to the land from which he has fled that concerns Jacob (28:20–21). The climax of the vow is that Jacob will commit himself to tithing (28:22). This moves the Bethel encounter out of the realm of emotion exclusively and into the realm of self-denial and stewardship.

29:1–12. Jacob meets a number of shepherds milling around a well, which is covered by a large stone (29:1–3). Happily these shepherds know who Laban is and the state of his health. And even better, Laban’s daughter Rachel comes to the well while Jacob is there (29:4–6). All of this is not merely fortuitous but an indication of God’s guidance.

Jacob urges the shepherds to water their flocks and return them to pasture. When they protest that this would be a breach of formalities, Jacob himself rolls away the stone (29:7–10). All this may be deliberately designed by Jacob to buy some time alone with Rachel. Jacob’s kissing of Rachel should be seen as the custom of the day and not as an act of indiscretion or a good way to end a courtship before it begins (29:11).

E. Jacob, Leah, and Rachel (29:13–30:24). 29:13–30. Laban has two daughters, Leah (“Cow”) and Rachel (“Ewe Lamb”) (29:16). Rachel is the younger and the one Jacob finds more attractive. Jacob’s suggestion that he work seven years in return for her hand in marriage is a magnanimous offer (29:18). He goes to this extreme in hopes of guaranteeing his marriage with Rachel. Laban agrees to the proposal (29:19).

On the night of the wedding feast, Laban manages to substitute Leah for Rachel (29:23). It is unlikely that a heavily veiled Leah could dupe Jacob. Probably Laban is able to succeed only because Jacob is drunk. We are not told about Leah. Is she drunk too? Does she have any say in the matter? Does she believe she is entitled to marry Jacob? Or does she passively submit to her father’s orders? There can be no doubt that this scenario contrasts with the event of chapter 27. The perpetrator of deceit is now the victim of deceit. Jacob surely would wonder why Laban has not offered earlier the explanation found in 29:26. But no trickster can let the cat out of the bag prematurely.

29:31–35. Leah gives birth to four sons—Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Jacob never names the children. Leah does, and the significance of each name is explained by a Hebrew phrase that contains a word or words that sound like the proper name.

Most intriguing here are the births of Levi and Judah (29:34–35). From these sons come two of the most crucial institutions of the OT—priesthood and kingship. Both institutions have their origin in an unwanted marriage laced with deception and bitterness. Paul is correct; God does work in all things for good (Rm 8:28).

30:1–24. The competition between Leah and Rachel means more children for Jacob. Reflecting an allowable custom of her day, Rachel gives her maidservant Bilhah to Jacob as a surrogate wife (30:3–4), much as Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham. Bilhah gives birth to Dan and to Naphtali (30:5–8). As with the names in 29:31–35, the meaning of each name is explained by a Hebrew phrase reflecting the circumstances of the child’s birth. In chapter 30 it is Rachel who wrestles with God (30:8). In chapter 32, Jacob wrestles with God. Throughout these brief birth scenes Leah and Rachel speak often, and when they do they frequently speak about God (e.g., 29:32; 30:6). By contrast Jacob speaks only once in the birth accounts of his eleven children, and that one time he does speak (30:2) is to berate Rachel.

Zilpah, Leah’s maid, also bears two children, Gad and Asher (30:9–13). This is more than Rachel can take. She believes, mistakenly, that if she can just get some mandrakes, now in Reuben’s possession, she will be able to conceive (30:14–15). Mandrakes are herbs that give off a distinct odor and produce a fruit like a small orange. They were thought to aid in conception, an idea helped along no doubt by the fact that the Hebrew words for “mandrake” and “love” are from the same root word. Genesis 30:22–24, however, makes it clear that it is not mandrakes that bring fertility to Rachel. She gives birth to Joseph not because of magic but because God remembers her and opens her womb.

F. Jacob and Laban (30:25–31:55). 30:25–43. Earlier Rachel said to Jacob, “give me sons” (30:1). Now Jacob says to Laban, “give me my wives and my children” (30:26). It is time for him to head back to Canaan. To that end, he asks that Laban give him the speckled and spotted sheep and goats as his wages (30:32–33). Laban believes that Jacob is giving himself the short end of the deal (very few irregular animals will be bred from this), and so he quickly agrees to Jacob’s proposal.

Jacob, however, knows more about crossbreeding and the laws of heredity than Laban knows—and more than Laban gives him credit for knowing. Through exposure to a visual stimulus (branches of certain trees, which Jacob marks with white stripes) the monochromes give birth to multicolored young. In the process, not only does Jacob get more flocks than Laban bargained for, but he gets healthier flocks as well (30:37–42). Now it is Laban’s turn to be outwitted.

Jacob’s branches may be compared with Rachel’s mandrakes. It is God, not the mandrakes, who bestows fertility on Rachel. Similarly, it is a dream revelation from God (31:10–12), not the branches per se, that makes it possible for Jacob to obtain a decent wage from his uncle. In both instances, success is due to the providence of God rather than to magic.

31:1–21. All factors indicate that it is high time for Jacob to bid adieu to Laban. The attitude of Laban and his sons (31:1–2) and a direct revelation from God (31:3) confirm this. Jacob is careful, however, to share this with his wives, not with his father-in-law (31:4–13). They concur immediately with Jacob, for Laban now considers them, in their judgment, only as foreigners (31:14–16). Jacob is careful to make his move while Laban is out shearing his sheep (31:17–19a).

Rachel takes only what she can carry—the clothes on her back and her father’s household gods (31:19b). It is unlikely she takes these gods as decorations for her new living quarters, or even for divine protection on their trip to Canaan. Some have suggested that she takes the gods in an attempt to establish Jacob as the legitimate heir of Laban’s possessions. But there are problems with this explanation as well.

31:22–42. That Laban catches up with Jacob in seven days (31:22–23) means that either Laban moved incredibly fast or else his home was not as far from Canaan as Mesopotamia. He is enraged, and an enraged man is an irrational man. God comes to him in a dream at night (as with Abimelech in Gn 20), warning Laban to do no physical harm to Jacob (31:24). If Jacob is to get any hard knocks, it will be from God, not Laban.

Laban seems to be most upset by the fact that he believes Jacob has stolen his gods (31:30). This is ironic. Can gods be stolen? Can deity be kidnapped? In nonbiblical thought, yes. If you make your gods or buy your gods, then they become vulnerable.

Rachel is as deceptive as her father and her husband. She is the one who has stolen the household idols, without telling Jacob. Jacob did not tell Laban he was leaving, and Rachel did not tell Jacob she had taken Laban’s gods (31:31–32). She pretends that she is having her menstrual period and is thus unable to move as Laban conducts his search (31:34–35).

Jacob has his chance to rebuke Laban (31:36–42). Note his interesting reference to the Lord as the “Fear of Isaac” (31:42), a name for God that appears in the OT only here and in verse 53.

31:43–55. Rather than part in bitterness, Jacob and Laban choose to part amiably, and this is to their credit. Accordingly they make a covenant (31:44). To memorialize this moment they raise a mound of stones (31:45–46), which Laban names “Jegar-sahadutha” (Aramaic), and which Jacob names “Galeed” (Hebrew) (both terms mean “The Heap of Witness”; 31:47). The site is also called “Mizpah,” meaning “Watchpost” (31:49). Both pledge not to intrude on the peace of the other or to become belligerent toward the other. Laban seals this covenant, interestingly, with a reference to the God of Abraham (31:53).

G. Jacob and Esau (32:1–33:20). 32:1–23. It has been at least twenty years since Jacob last saw Esau. Time heals all wounds, so the saying goes. Sometimes time intensifies wounds. Jacob is far from believing that with Esau all is forgotten and forgiven. To that end he makes preparations to meet Esau, with fear and trepidation. The skeletons in Jacob’s closet are now coming out. Jacob moves from crisis to crisis, from hot water to hot water. Laban confronted him in chapter 31, and now he is about to meet Esau.

Jacob is as diplomatic as possible. He identifies himself, through his messengers, as “your servant” (32:4, not “your brother”), and he refers to Esau as “my lord” (32:5).

Terrified to learn that Esau has four hundred men with him, Jacob divides his entourage into two, breathes a quick prayer, and prepares a lavish gift for Esau (32:6–20a). Jacob reveals his purpose for these presents: “I want to appease Esau” (32:20b). Appeasement, then, is a must for Jacob. Note Jacob’s position: his gifts go on ahead of him.

32:24–25. Jacob, in chapter 28, was interested only in getting away from Esau. But God met Jacob unexpectedly. Here Jacob is thinking only of how to prepare for Esau. Again, unexpectedly, God meets Jacob.

The action begins at night when “a man” wrestles with Jacob (32:24). The verb for “wrestle” and the place where this match occurs, Jabbok (32:23), are from the same Hebrew root, one of the many wordplays in this story. This wrestling continues until daybreak. Given the fact that this “man” is indeed the all-powerful God, could he not have bowled Jacob over in a split second with a little fling of his finger? No! For here is a God assuming human form, taking on flesh so to speak, and putting aside his awesome power.

The Jabbok River. Jacob wrestles with God near this river in Gn 32:22–37.

32:26–29. Jacob displays a few admirable characteristics. One of these is a confession of unworthiness: “What is your name?” (32:27). “Jacob,” he answers. “Jacob” is not only who he is but what he is. Here is an explicit case where a name is descriptive of one’s nature. Who am I? Trickster. Cheater. Supplanter. Heel-grabber.

A second commendable virtue is Jacob’s consuming hunger for God. “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (32:26). One result of this meeting with God is that Jacob’s name is changed to Israel, which in the explanation given is connected with a Hebrew verb meaning “to contend with, strive” (32:28). As with Abraham in chapter 17, a new name indicates a new destiny. The first evidence of real spiritual transformation in Jacob’s life is that he receives a new name.

32:30–32. God first gives a name, and then Jacob gives a name. He calls the site “Peniel,” (“Penuel” [32:31] is a variant; see the CSB footnote), meaning “The Face of God” (32:30). Jacob is doubly surprised. He has a new name, and he has seen God and lived to tell about it. But his hip is not healed. Jacob leaves—no, limps away from—Peniel (32:31). That limp will be a constant reminder to him of this experience with God. Finally, Jacob’s run-in with God carries influence well beyond his own lifetime (32:32, though this particular dietary prohibition is not spoken of in later legislation).

Humans cannot see the face of God and live, so those who encounter the angel of the Lord face to face fear for their lives (Gn 32:30; Jdg 6:22; 13:22). The one person in the OT who can speak with God face to face is Moses (Ex 33:11; Dt 34:10). Even though “no one has ever seen God,” God has now been revealed to us in the flesh through his Son, Jesus Christ (Jn 1:18; cf. 1 Jn 4:9–21).

33:1–11. Jacob is about to see Esau again. He lines up his family in order of least loved to most loved (33:2). There is one difference. Before Jacob met God at Peniel he would stay “behind” (32:16, 18, 20). Now he goes “on ahead” of his entourage (33:3a). Not only did Jacob receive a new name at Peniel, but he received new courage as well.

The narrator refers to Esau as Jacob’s “brother” (33:3b), just as Esau will call Jacob his brother (33:9). Jacob, however, addresses Esau as “my lord” (33:8, 14–15) and refers to himself as “your servant” (33:5).

Jacob insists that Esau accept the gifts he has brought, and Esau takes them only reluctantly (33:9–11). He who earlier took twice from Esau now demands that Esau take something from him. One cannot help but be impressed with the “outsider” Esau on this occasion. He is not angry or vengeful. In running to Jacob and then embracing him and kissing him (33:4), he acts much like the father upon the return of the prodigal son (Lk 15).

33:12–20. When Esau suggests that Jacob follow him back home to Seir, Jacob offers an excuse why he cannot and promises to come to Seir later, a promise that Jacob likely has no intention of keeping (33:12–15). Apparently there is still a bit of “Jacob” in him. Jacob goes to Shechem and there purchases a piece of land for a quarter of the amount his grandfather paid for his land (33:18–19).

Even before going to Shechem, he goes to Succoth (“Shelters,” 33:16–17). The altar he builds he calls El Elohe Israel (“God, the God of Israel [Jacob],” 33:20). Does not that bring to completion the word of the Lord to Jacob in 28:13, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac”? Now he is the God of the third generation too. Jacob is reconciled with God in chapter 32. He is reconciled with his brother in chapter 33. Anyone who does not love his brother cannot love God (1 Jn 4:20).

H. The rape of Dinah (34:1–31). Life has not treated Jacob well. As a young man he was forced to flee from home. In the wilderness he met God and was afraid. Then he was tricked and embarrassed by Laban. He fled Laban. At Peniel he wrestled with God and limped away. Before and after that he agonized over meeting Esau. And now his one beloved daughter, Dinah, is violated. The tragic event is comparable to one in David’s life. He too has many sons, but only one daughter, Tamar, who is also sexually violated (2 Sm 13).

34:1–23. The criminal is Shechem, son of Hamor (34:2). Jacob’s sons (but not Jacob himself) are understandably incensed (34:7). Hamor attempts to appease them with the offer of peaceful coexistence (34:8–10). One more time we encounter an instance of deception in Genesis. Jacob imitates his father, who imitated his father. And now Jacob’s sons imitate their father. Simeon and Levi are the ringleaders. They let on that it is proper for Dinah to marry a Hamorite only if all the males are circumcised (34:13–17).

34:24–31. Three days later, when the pain from the operation would be greatest, Dinah’s brothers strike with a vengeance. Holy war is declared against the Hamorites (34:25–29). Jacob protests the excesses of their retaliation, but his sons defend their action as noble (34:30–31). A vigilante mentality always insists that the answer to violence is more violence. Jacob himself has been set free from such a mind-set. The last verse of chapter 34 and the last verse of Jonah (Jnh 4:11) provide the only two instances in the OT of a scene that concludes with an unanswered question.

I. Jacob returns to Bethel (35:1–29). 35:1–15. Jacob continues to evidence spiritual maturity. He is, for instance, sensitive to anything that is at cross-purposes with the presence of God in his life. That is why he orders the removal of foreign gods (probably those Rachel brought from Laban’s house) and the change of clothes (symbolizing spiritual renewal) (35:2). Even the rings in their ears are removed (35:4). Wherever Jacob goes the power of God is manifest (35:5).

Jacob now renames Bethel “El-bethel” (“God of the House of God,” 35:7). More important than Bethel as a site of cherished memory is the remembrance of the God who met him there. Last, God repeats Jacob’s new name, Israel (35:10). This is not another tradition parallel to 32:28. Why then repeat it? May the repetition indicate that it is only when Jacob is reconciled to Esau that Jacob indeed becomes Israel? This reminder is then followed by a reiteration of the divine promises (35:11–13).

35:16–29. Still, there are a few more unpleasant, grief-producing incidents for Jacob. Rebekah’s nurse dies (35:8). His beloved Rachel dies in giving birth to Benjamin (“Son of the Right [Hand],” 35:18–19). Reuben, his firstborn, commits incest (35:22). Finally, his father Isaac dies (35:27–29). None of the other patriarchal figures ever have to endure the tragedies that Jacob does. From chapter 28 on, hardly a chapter passes without some unsettling or disturbing incident taking place.

J. Esau’s descendants (36:1–43). Chapter 36 is not among the more exciting chapters of Genesis. It is given entirely to a listing of Esau’s descendants. The structure is much like that of chapter 25, where the record of Abraham’s death (25:7–11) is followed by Ishmael’s genealogy (25:12–18). Here the account of Isaac’s death is followed by Esau’s genealogy.

The names include Esau’s immediate family (36:1–19), the sons of Seir (36:20–30), and a list of Edomite kings (36:31–39) who “reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites” (36:31). This would suggest that they are all pre-Saul. Repeatedly these individuals are referred to as “chiefs” (36:15, 18–19, 29–30, 40). This term is used in the OT for Edomite leaders.

It is interesting that the second-longest chapter in Genesis is devoted to a genealogy of a marginal person—Esau—and that the story of Jacob should conclude by talking extensively (there are over two hundred names!) about the future of Esau. For that fact, the rest of Genesis (chaps. 37–50) is mostly a narrative about Joseph, also a nonpatriarchal individual, and not the son of promise through whom the covenant is perpetuated. Esau is not Jacob, but he is not a nobody either. God has been gracious to him, as is implied by Esau’s testimony to the plenty he now enjoys (“I have enough,” 33:9).

4. JOSEPH (37:1–50:26)

A. Joseph and his brothers (37:1–36). 37:1–11. Joseph gives his brothers three reasons to dislike him. First, he snitches on them (37:2). Second, their father openly loves Joseph more than any of his other children (37:3–4). Third, he has two dreams that his brothers interpret as arrogant and egotistical (37:5–11). The younger brother will have authority over the older brother, just as Jacob did over Esau. Even Jacob is jolted by Joseph’s second dream. Will he too bow the knee to his son? Jacob’s “Am I and your mother . . .” (37:10) must be understood as a posthumous reference to Rachel, for she has already died.

Joseph Taken to Egypt

The Bible makes no comment, other than the brothers’ response, about the motivation for Joseph to tell these dreams. Can he not anticipate that sharing them will inevitably produce antagonism? Probably Joseph, at the young age of seventeen, does not think it through that far. What he is doing is sharing the sense of destiny that God is opening up before him with anybody who will listen. God has a plan for Joseph’s life, and that plan involves leadership and authority. For sharing this sense of excitement about God’s will for his future, he is sold by his own flesh as a slave. That was not part of the dream! Where does this nightmare fit into God’s glorious future for Joseph?

37:12–30. Joseph travels from Hebron to Shechem to Dothan in search of his brothers (37:12–17). This is no small trip by any means. Joseph would have traveled approximately one hundred miles. The brothers realize that this is their moment for getting even with their brother and his grandiose dreams. They will kill him by throwing him into a cistern, where he will surely die of starvation and exposure (37:18–20).

Reuben, wanting to avoid bloodguilt, suggests an alternative (37:21–22), as does Judah (37:26–27). In the end Joseph is sold as chattel to Midianites (i.e., Ishmaelites; 37:28).

37:31–36. The brothers put Joseph’s coat into goat’s blood to convince their father that Joseph has been attacked and killed by a wild animal (37:31). Once again we encounter deception. Jacob, the master deceiver, is deceived by his own sons. He buys their ruse—hook, line, and sinker (37:32–34). Jacob’s affirmation that he will “go down to Sheol to my son” (37:35) shows again belief in an afterlife.

Joseph, meanwhile, is sold to an Egyptian officer, Potiphar (37:36). It is most likely that Joseph is not yet able to make the connection between his dreams of destiny and this devastating experience. Little does he know that this is but the first event God will use to implement his plan for Joseph’s life, although God never speaks, nor is he spoken to or about, throughout the entire chapter.

B. Judah and Tamar (38:1–30). 38:1–7. Momentarily Joseph drops out of the narrative to be replaced by his brother Judah. Judah marries a Canaanite girl by whom he has three children: Er, Onan, and Shelah (38:1–5). Er marries Tamar, but he is put to death by God for an unspecified sin (38:6–7). As a result Tamar is left a childless widow.

38:8–11. It is then the responsibility of the next eldest son, Onan, to father a child by his sister-in-law to bear the name of the deceased (38:8). This custom is known as levirate marriage (from Latin levir, “a husband’s brother”) and is spelled out in detail in Dt 25:5–10. The institution is reflected in the NT story about the woman who was married to seven husbands (Mt 22:23–28). Jesus is asked whose wife she will be in the resurrection.

Onan refuses to exercise his responsibility, most likely in order to guarantee he will get his hands on his older brother’s inheritance, and as a result he dies (38:9–10). He who would in one sense keep his brother alive dies himself.

The third son, Shelah, is too young. Tamar is to return for a while to her father’s home. When Shelah grows a bit older, Judah will send for her (38:11).

38:12–30. Like many promises, this is never carried out. Judah forgets his word to Tamar, intentionally or inadvertently. She takes matters into her own hands. Disguising herself as a prostitute, she seduces her father-in-law (38:14–19). He impregnates her, and she bears twins by him, Perez (“Breaking Out”) and Zerah (“Scarlet”) (38:29–30). Judah is quick to condemn Tamar for her blatant immorality (38:24) but draws back and blushes when his own sin is exposed (38:26). As with Jacob and Leah, a key child is born of Judah and Tamar, Perez, who will continue the messianic line (Mt 1:3).

One more time we have a story built around deception. It is Judah this time who is deceived. There are a number of parallels between this story and the ones in chapters 37 and 39. Joseph’s morality in the face of temptation may be contrasted with Judah’s immorality. In chapter 37 Jacob is deceived; in chapter 38 Judah is deceived. In both instances the truthfulness of the situation is confirmed by the presentation of evidence. Jacob “knows” Joseph is dead because of the bloodied coat. Judah knows he is the father of Tamar’s children when she produces his signet ring, cord, and staff (38:25).

C. Joseph and Potiphar’s wife (39:1–23). 39:1–6. Joseph finds himself in the employ of Potiphar, a high-ranking official of Pharaoh (39:1). What goes through the mind of the bewildered teenager, who has been uprooted violently from his home, sold as a servant, made to live with strangers, and purchased off the trading block and is now dwelling in a foreign country?

Joseph has two things going for him. First, the Lord is with him (39:2). Joseph may not know this—at least not yet, for although the Lord is with Joseph, the Lord does not keep Joseph out of trouble and danger. This is the only chapter in the Joseph story (excluding chaps. 38 and 49, where Joseph is either absent or minimally present) where “LORD” appears, and it appears seven times, all by the narrator. In addition to the divine presence, Joseph is a diligent worker, one who impresses his master with his conscientious industriousness (39:3–4). Joseph is to Potiphar what Jacob was to Laban. Both of these non-Israelites experience blessings because a child of Abraham is in their midst. Joseph oversees everything except Potiphar’s food (39:5–6).

39:7–18. Potiphar’s wife finds herself romantically drawn to this young, handsome, unattached Hebrew. At a propitious moment she propositions him (39:7). Joseph adamantly refuses to become her lover for two reasons. First, it would be a disservice to his master, who has trusted him (39:8–9a). Second, it would be a sin against God (39:9b). Joseph’s words help us understand the difference between guilt over sin and godly sorrow over sin. Guilt means we are sorry for our sins because we know they are ruining our lives and may keep us out of heaven. Godly sorrow means we are sorry for our sins because we know they grieve the heart of God. It is Joseph’s commitment to high moral principles that keeps him free from an illicit affair. How different he is from David!

In Gn 39:9, Joseph recognizes that to commit adultery with Potiphar’s wife would be a sin not merely against Potiphar but against God himself. David likewise confesses to God that in his sin of adultery and murder, “Against you—you alone—I have sinned” (Ps 51:4). Any sin, even committed against human beings, is an affront to God.

In a last-ditch attempt to get rid of Joseph for rejecting her, the wife grasps a section of his cloak and then spreads the vicious lie that Joseph tried to rape her (39:12–15). That cloak is her incriminating evidence. She passes the same lie on to her husband (39:16–18). She cannot call Joseph by his name but refers to him as “the Hebrew slave” (39:17).

39:19–23. We do not know why Potiphar puts Joseph into prison rather than killing him (39:20). Does Potiphar have reason to be suspicious of his wife’s story? Has she done something like this before? Maybe Potiphar trusts Joseph more than he trusts his wife. If that is the case, Potiphar is appropriately cautious. You can release an innocent man from incarceration, but you cannot resurrect him.

Even in prison Joseph is productive and is quickly given authority (39:21–23). The Lord is with him. Joseph shares a sense of destiny, and it gets him a pit and a ride to Egypt. He is committed to being morally pure, and it lands him in jail. What is to be made of these paradoxes?

D. Joseph’s interpretation of dreams (40:1–41:57). 40:1–8. Joseph finds himself in custody with two of Pharaoh’s officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker (40:1–4). Potiphar’s house would have to be in the capital city of the empire. That is the only way Joseph would end up in the same prison as Pharaoh’s officers. Both officers have dreams relating to their position (40:5).

Joseph is not a skilled dream interpreter by nature. He makes that plain when he says, “Don’t interpretations belong to God?” (40:8). He knows who is to get the credit. It is not without significance that in an ancient world filled with guilds of dream interpreters (oneiromantics), with whom every king surrounded himself, the OT seldom mentions this. To be sure, dreams are common, but there are only two places in the OT where A interprets B’s dreams. Those two incidents involve Joseph and Daniel, one at the beginning and one at the end of the OT. And both times they interpret the dreams of a non-Israelite.

40:9–19. The cupbearer dreams of three blossoming branches on a grapevine. He squeezes the grapes into Pharaoh’s cup and puts the cup in his hand (40:9–11). This dream anticipates a happy future. Joseph tells the cupbearer that within three days Pharaoh will take up his case. The verdict will be a good one. The cupbearer will be restored to his position (40:12–13).

Joseph has one little favor to ask. He requests that when the cupbearer is restored to his position, he use his influence to get Joseph released from jail, for Joseph is there because of a false charge (40:14–15). The cupbearer, however, forgets him (40:23).

The baker dreams of three baskets of bread on his head, and of birds, which eat the bread out of the basket (40:16–17). This dream does not bode well for his future. Birds in the flood story were a good omen, but here they are a threat. Within three days Pharaoh will literally lift up the baker’s head—he will die (40:18–19).

The Nile River, whose annual flooding resulted in agricultural bounty for Egypt

40:20–23. Here are the thorns in Joseph’s flesh: his brothers, Potiphar’s wife, and now the cupbearer (40:23). The first abused him. The second lied about him. The third forgets him. Joseph has more than sexual temptations to confront. There is the temptation to be resentful, to be angry, to be depressed, and even to be cynical. How will he rise above these?

41:1–8. For two years Joseph has been imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. For two years the cupbearer forgets about him completely. That is all about to change, for Pharaoh has two dreams, the interpretation of which eludes the wise men of Egypt and its magicians (41:1–57).

In the first dream seven fat cows are eaten by seven lean cows (41:1–4). In the second dream seven healthy heads of grain are swallowed by seven thin heads of grain (41:5–7). One would think that the dreams should have been essentially self-explanatory. They both have to do with the number seven, and with something good and healthy being overcome by something unhealthy. At least the magicians might have guessed at it (41:8). Does God not only make the difficult discernible but also the easy indiscernible?

41:9–36. It is ignorance that opens the door for Joseph. Suddenly the cupbearer recalls Joseph (41:9–13). Little notes, such as the fact that Joseph shaves (41:14), serve to authenticate the Egyptian milieu of the story. The Egyptians, unlike the Hebrews, were always clean shaven. Only the pharaoh wore a beard, and even that was an artificial one.

Joseph is able both to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams (41:25–31) and to explain why Pharaoh had dual dreams (41:32). In addition to making known the future to Pharaoh (seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine), Joseph suggests a future course of action in order to prepare for the lean years (41:33–36).

41:37–45. Such foresight commends Joseph to Pharaoh, who immediately gives Joseph a position of leadership and invests him with the symbols of authority that go with that office (41:37–44). Also, Joseph obtains a wife (Asenath, daughter of Potiphera) and a new Egyptian name—Zaphenath-Paneah (41:45).

41:46–57. Joseph fathers two children, Manasseh and Ephraim (41:50–52). The name Manasseh is connected with the verb “to forget” (i.e., “He Made Me Forget”), and the name Ephraim is connected with the verb “to be fruitful” (i.e., “He Made Me Fruitful”). These two names point to a God who can both heal one of painful memories and make one useful and productive even in the most debilitating circumstances. The text mentions no problem with Joseph marrying an Egyptian, as there was with Esau marrying a Hethite.

For the first time something happens to Joseph in which he is not a victim. Only now do the silent workings of God begin to dawn on him. Joseph is beginning to discover that God is truly with him.

E. Joseph’s brothers in Egypt (42:1–38). 42:1–5. There must be at least seven years between the end of chapter 41 and the beginning of chapter 42, for there is now the reality of famine, which Joseph has predicted.

42:6–26. It is interesting to observe Joseph’s strategy in dealing with his brothers. First, he pretends to be a stranger. Second, he speaks harshly to them (42:7). Third, he accuses them of being spies (42:9). Fourth, he repeats that accusation (42:14). Fifth, he tests their integrity by insisting that one brother stay behind while the others return to Canaan and bring back their youngest brother (42:18–20). Finally, he slips the money they give him for the grain back into their sacks, creating the impression that they are thieves (42:25).

To say the least, Joseph has made it as difficult for the brothers as possible. Some would say that this is vindictiveness on the part of Joseph. Here is his chance to reciprocate, and he relishes the moment. A more likely suggestion is that Joseph is testing (see 42:15) his brothers. Are they any different from when he last saw them? Will the brothers really recognize the terrible nightmare through which they put Joseph if they have to endure some suffering of their own? The frequent references to Joseph’s weeping (42:24; 43:30; 45:1–2, 14–15; 46:29; 50:1, 17) show that such harshness is but a facade.

It is not difficult to see why the brothers would not recognize Joseph. It has been at least twenty years since they last saw him. Also, he is clean shaven and uses an interpreter. Even his selection of Simeon (42:24) as the one to stay behind may be an attempt not to give his hand away too soon. Had he chosen Reuben, as one would expect, then maybe the brothers would have started putting two and two together. For it was Reuben who spoke up in Joseph’s defense (42:22; cf. 37:21–22).

42:27–38. All of this produces more turmoil for Jacob. His own unhappy experiences are not yet ended. They are still dogging him and will continue to do so to the grave (42:38).

F. The second journey to Egypt (43:1–34). 43:1–10. Because of the continuing famine, Joseph’s brothers must return to Egypt to procure additional grain (43:1–2). This time it is Judah who comes to the fore. It is he who reminds Jacob of the terms Joseph set for any future purchase of food. Before he will release any supplies, they must bring Benjamin with them (43:3–5).

Judah says nothing about the charge that they were spies. Nor does anybody seem to have much to say about Simeon. He is miles away, incarcerated somewhere in Egypt. Judah, however, is willing to go as surety for Benjamin (43:8–9), and this convinces Jacob to send Benjamin. Either Judah is using a bit of delightful hyperbole (43:10), or else there was a protracted, heated debate on what was best for the family to do.

43:11–34. Jacob reluctantly agrees. The brothers will return to Egypt, with Benjamin, and take some gifts to appease Joseph (43:11), much as Jacob brought a gift to Esau to appease him. Jacob also doubles the amount of silver that Joseph put back into their sacks (43:12). Jacob may be without food, but he is not without money.

For the first time in many years Joseph sees his younger brother Benjamin, and his emotions get the better of him (43:15–30). After getting control of himself, he serves a sumptuous dinner, with extra portions for Benjamin (43:31–34).

The great love and emotion that Joseph shows for Benjamin, “his mother’s son” (Gn 43:29–34), echoes the favor that Jacob showed to their mother, Rachel, the woman he loved (29:18, 30).

G. Judah’s plea (44:1–34). 44:1–5. Joseph’s final plan to “incriminate” his brothers is to send them back to Canaan again. But before they leave he slips his silver cup into Benjamin’s grain sack (44:2). This is Pharaoh’s cup, the one with which he practices divination (44:5). Water divination was a common practice in Egypt, a method of determining the future. One might read the pattern of drops that fell from a cup, or one might throw something into the water in the cup, which would form patterns that were omens.

44:6–17. The brothers maintain their innocence. Why do such a stupid thing? they ask (44:7–8). This incident reminds us of Rachel’s theft of her father’s gods (31:19, 31–37). Laban hunted Jacob down and accused him of being a thief. Jacob protested, claiming innocence, and even pronounced a curse on any person who did take them.

Imagine the brothers’ horror when the silver cup is found in Benjamin’s sack (44:12). Until this point, the brothers do not have a clue that all this has been staged by Joseph. They believe that all this is happening because of divine retribution (44:16).

44:18–34. One of the most moving speeches in all of Scripture is Judah’s plea for Benjamin. This is quite a different Judah from the one we read about in chapter 38. He is the intercessor par excellence and even offers himself as a substitute for Benjamin—“let your servant remain here . . . in place of the boy” (44:33). And Judah’s concern is as much for his father as it is for his young brother (44:30–31, 34).

Joseph’s strategy, however wrenching, is producing positive changes in his formerly calloused brothers.

H. Joseph makes himself known (45:1–28). 45:1–3. It is now two years into the famine. That means it has been twenty-two years since Joseph has seen his father. Unable to hide his identity any longer, Joseph weeps aloud and identifies himself to his brothers: “I am Joseph!” So astonished are they that they cannot respond (45:3). Doubtless they now expect the worst. However, Joseph is above vindictiveness and retaliation. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is not his procedure. Instead he shares with his brothers a beautiful interpretation of what has happened to him.

45:4–8. Joseph affirms that it was to save lives that God sent him ahead. And quite possibly “to preserve life” (45:5) may refer to both Hebrew lives and Egyptian lives. Not only are Jacob’s relatives spared because of Joseph, but so are the Egyptians. It was not the brothers who sold him, but God who “sent” him. It is unlikely that Joseph saw it in exactly that light twenty-two years earlier. Now the truth of Rm 8:28, long before it was written, shapes Joseph’s attitudes.

Joseph is a bit more specific when he says, “God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant” (45:7). It now becomes clear that Joseph is the divine means for the salvation of his family. Even though he is not the son through whom the covenant promise is passed, he is the son whom God uses to keep the flame alive.

45:9–15. Joseph promises his family land if they move to Egypt. They will live in Goshen, a fertile area in the northeast delta region (45:10). Unlike many immigrants who are consigned to desolate places, Jacob and his sons will move into lush land where harvests will be bountiful. Goshen is the perfect place for Jacob to settle his family. Here they can live without close contact with the native Egyptian people.

45:16–24. As the brothers head back to Canaan they do so with Egyptian carts, new clothes, food, and provisions, with something extra for Benjamin (45:21–23). Joseph’s injunction that they not quarrel on the way (45:24) shows that he has not forgotten what his brothers are capable of doing.

45:25–28. Jacob is stunned to learn that Joseph is still alive (45:26). And well he should be. Actually, he needs little convincing—only the Egyptian carts (45:27). In spite of advancing age, he is now most eager to see his son. It is now clear why the father called Jacob in 45:25–27 is called Israel in 45:28. Jacob, a name overladen with pejorative overtones, would be inappropriate at a moment of ecstasy and euphoria. Israel, the new name, the name of new direction, is the better one to use at this happy time.

I. Jacob in Egypt (46:1–50:14). 46:1–7. Jacob prepares to head down to Egypt to see Joseph (46:1–34). On the way he stops at Beer-sheba and offers sacrifices to the Lord (46:1). Isaac, his father, has built an altar there (26:25). It is significant that the Lord speaks to Jacob after Jacob has worshiped.

God previously confronted Jacob at night (32:22–32). The first time God spoke to Jacob was through a dream (28:10–12). The last time God speaks to Jacob is through a vision at night (46:2). God’s first word to Jacob was nothing but promises for his future (28:13–15). His last word to Jacob is similarly promissory (46:3–4). It is exactly the same with Abraham. God’s first word (12:1–3) and his last word (22:15–18) are promises. The lives of these two patriarchs are bracketed by the “I will” of God. This structure underscores the cruciality of promise as the major theme of Genesis.

46:8–27. The number of those who go to Egypt, excluding Jacob’s daughters-in-law, is sixty-six (46:26). This number is obtained by the deletion of Er and Onan (46:12), who are already dead; by the deletion of Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh, who are already in Egypt (46:20); plus the inclusion of Jacob’s daughter, Dinah (46:15) (70 − 5 + 1 = 66).

46:28–34. Judah, always the go-between, is sent ahead to prepare for the meeting of father and son (46:28). Few events in Scripture can match the emotion-filled intensity of this reunion (46:29). Tears are many. Words are few. Jacob’s only reason for not wanting to die has been erased. He knows Joseph is alive, and he has seen him again (46:30).

Joseph urges his family to identify themselves as shepherds to Pharaoh (46:31–34). The reason for this is clear enough. Goshen, with its scrub-covered plains, is an excellent area for livestock. This fact will encourage Pharaoh to allow the Jacobites to settle in Goshen.

47:1–12. Joseph carefully orchestrates the meeting between Jacob and his sons and Pharaoh (47:1–2). Everything goes smoothly. Pharaoh knows this territory well and requests that the royal livestock be put under the supervision of one of Joseph’s brothers (47:6). Goshen is identified in 47:11 as the district of Rameses. This must be an editorial note, for the area did not acquire this name until the thirteenth century BC.

Jacob’s autobiography is far from positive. He tells Pharaoh: “My years have been few and hard” (47:9). True, Jacob (147 years; 47:28) does not live as long as his father (180 years) or his grandfather (175 years), but more than life span is in mind here. Looking back over his past, Jacob sees a few bright moments, but they have been eclipsed by a constant series of setbacks, family problems, tragedies, and nightmares.

47:13–26. Joseph must continue to oversee the country. He collects the money the people use to purchase the grain (47:14). When the money is all gone, he accepts livestock as payment (47:15–17). When the livestock is all sold, he accepts land as payment (47:18–21). Only the priests are exempt from this administrative policy (47:22).

Life is not prosperous for the Egyptians, but at least they are alive, and for this they are grateful to Joseph. Their words, “you have saved our lives” (47:25), confirm that the “preserve life” of 45:5 includes Egyptians. Already God is fulfilling his promise to Abraham that nations will be blessed through him. The Egyptians are blessed by Joseph’s presence. They do not die. They survive a catastrophe, thanks to Joseph.

47:27–31. Just before he dies, Jacob summons Joseph to him. The phrase “put your hand under my thigh” (47:29) lends solemnity to the occasion of the oath. (The same procedure is mentioned in 24:2.) Joseph binds himself by oath not to inter Jacob in Egypt. Jacob’s “swear to me” directed to Joseph (47:31) may be compared with his “swear to me” directed long ago to Esau (25:33). But there is a world of difference between the conniving Jacob of chapter 25 and the dying Jacob of chapter 47. Jacob wants no burial plot in Egypt. This is not, he knows, God’s destiny for his people. He wants to leave when they leave.

48:1–12. Before Jacob blesses his own sons, he blesses the two sons of Joseph (48:1–22). Advanced age plus debilitating illness indicate that Jacob is near death (48:1–2). In a bedside conversation he reminds Joseph of God’s earlier workings in his own life (48:3–4; cf. 35:11–12).

Jacob refers to Ephraim, then Manasseh (48:5), reversing the order of verse 1. This anticipates the reversal of order that will be spelled out later in the chapter. Jacob will adopt these two sons, which explains why Manasseh and Ephraim are reckoned as sons of Jacob.

48:13–20. Jacob’s eyes may be failing, but his spiritual insight is not. Joseph lines up Manasseh, the firstborn, opposite Jacob’s right hand, and Ephraim, the younger son, opposite Jacob’s left hand (48:13). In this way the right hand of blessing will be placed on the head of Manasseh. Joseph believes he has arranged everything correctly.

There are limits, however, to Joseph’s knowledge. He may interpret dreams and predict famines, but he does not know the future of his own two sons. Jacob surprises Joseph by crossing his hands and placing his right hand on Ephraim, the younger (48:14). This is ironic. Jacob, the younger, usurped Esau, and now this same Jacob blesses the younger (grand)son. The way of God repeats itself two generations later. Joseph is still ignorant. He thinks his father’s eyesight or else his mind is the problem (48:17; see the CSB footnote). But Jacob knows exactly what he is doing. Ephraim will become a more prominent tribe than Manasseh (48:19). But both are to become a source of blessing for all Israel (48:20). This quiets Joseph, and now he sees the rightness of his father’s action.

48:21–22. Jacob is about to leave Joseph, but God will not (48:21). The word for “mountain slope” in 48:22 is the word for Shechem (see the CSB footnote), which after Joshua’s day will become part of the territory of Ephraim (see Jos 20:7). But where did Jacob engage in militarism?

To think, if Jacob had stayed in Canaan and chosen not to visit Egypt, he never would have seen Joseph or Joseph’s sons or had this happy opportunity to be a prophet of God.

49:1–2. Most of chapter 49 is poetry. Note the frequent use of animal imagery in this chapter: oxen—49:6; young lion, lion, lioness—49:9; donkey—49:11, 14; viper, horse—49:17; doe, fawns—49:21; wolf—49:27.

The content is mostly concerned with Jacob’s blessing of his twelve sons (49:28). We use the word “blessing” in a general sense, for there is little actual blessing in the chapter. Only Joseph is literally blessed (49:25–26). Some of the sections read more like a curse than a blessing.

Genesis 49:1 would suggest that the words that follow are Jacob’s addressed to individuals—his twelve sons. Verse 28, however, extends the perspective: “These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all.”

49:3–7. Reuben, the firstborn, is disqualified from the rights of primogeniture (that is, the inheritance belonging to the eldest son) because of his earlier incestuous behavior (49:3–4; cf. 35:22). Eventually the Reubenites will settle in the Transjordan as one of the minor tribes. Simeon and Levi lose out because of their violence against the Shechemites (49:5–7; cf. chap. 34). Indeed, Simeon will be absorbed into Judah, and Levi is dispersed among the other tribes. These are the only three sons whose fate in Gn 49 is explicitly connected with earlier material in the Genesis narrative. They provide a further illustration of more pain in Jacob’s life. Even on his deathbed, he is reminded of outrageous acts committed by members of his family.

The lion and the scepter of Judah (Gn 49:9–10) are understood to be messianic images. In the NT, Jesus, who is descended from Judah (Mt 1), is called “the Lion from the tribe of Judah” (Rv 5:5), and Mary is told by Gabriel that her son “will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end” (Lk 1:33).

49:8–12. Judah is not disqualified because of his immorality (Gn 38). Clearly Judah is cut out for a place of preeminence and royal leadership. Genesis 49:11–12 confirms the messianic thrust of this section. Judah will usher in an age of abundance and prosperity.

Staffs were used as walking sticks and as symbols of authority (Gn 49:10).

© Baker Publishing Group and Dr. James C. Martin. Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and the Cairo Museum.

49:13–21. Zebulun will live by the seashore (49:13). There is a maritime dimension to the Israelite way of life that is not always appreciated. Issachar will occupy fertile farmland but will be too capitulatory (49:14–15). Dan will emerge as a power in the period of the judges—like a serpent, small but victorious (49:16–18). Gad will also settle in the Transjordan and will be attacked by nomadic groups (49:19). Asher inhabits fertile land in western Galilee (49:20). Naphtali is also a northern tribe, but the thrust of 49:21 is by no means clear.

49:22–33. Joseph is to be a prosperous tribe and is to be victorious over his enemies (49:22–26). But all this prosperity and victory is due to the presence of God. Six times in 49:25–26 some form of “bless” appears. Benjamin is to have warlike qualities and is compared to a wolf (49:27).

Abraham’s Descendants

After a final command, to bury him in the cave in the field of Machpelah with his parents and grandparents, Jacob now dies (49:29–33). The chapter returns to “sons” (and not tribes; 49:33)—a parallel to its beginning (49:1).

50:1–14. Both Jacob (50:2) and Joseph (50:26) are embalmed (i.e., mummified), a standard Egyptian practice. The seventy days of mourning for Jacob were also traditional in Egypt (50:3). Joseph has a little easier time leaving Egypt with Pharaoh’s permission than will Moses (50:4–6).

This is quite a different trip to Egypt for Joseph than the one recorded in chapter 37, when he went to Egypt because of his brothers. Now he goes to Egypt with his brothers. Joseph is held in such high esteem that a large Egyptian entourage participates in Jacob’s burial (50:7). Even the Canaanites are impressed (50:11).

Joseph is a man of his word. He does return to Egypt after he and his brothers have buried their father (50:14).

J. Joseph’s reassurance (50:15–21). 50:15–18. Now, however, the brothers feel that Joseph will retaliate since their father is out of the way (50:15). Nowhere is it recorded that Jacob gave to his other sons the directives that 50:16–17 claims he did. Either the brothers are fabricating this, or they are recalling a legitimate word that did not make it into the biblical record. To that degree the brothers’ quotation of their father’s words is unverifiable.

50:19–21. The brothers’ apprehension is all for naught. They fail to see that Joseph is different, that he is compassionate and forgiving, that he is unlike his brothers. “Am I in the place of God?” he asks (50:19). Then Joseph follows with the classic line: “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good” (50:20). The best evidence of spiritual maturity in Joseph’s life is his ability to relate all the experiences of his life, good and bad, to the sovereign will of God. The Hebrew behind “planned” is the same as “plans” in the famous passage from Jr 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you . . . plans for your well-being, . . . to give you a future and a hope.”

K. Joseph’s death (50:22–26). Joseph dies at the age of 110 years (50:22), which in Egyptian literature is the ideal length of human life. Moreover, Joseph lives long enough to see his great-grandchildren (50:23), a privilege shared by no other patriarchal figure. There is no question that one day Joseph’s family will leave Egypt (50:24). “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here,” he says (50:25). Joseph, of course, is not aware of the titanic struggle that awaits God’s people as they seek release from bondage. But having seen the reality and power of God in his own life, he has every reason to believe that God is quite capable of finishing what he started.