[BACK TO 19:3] bread without yeast. A flat bread that could be baked quickly (see 18:6 ; Ex 12:8 , 39 ).

[BACK TO 19:4–9] See Jdg 19:22–25 .

[BACK TO 19:5] have sex with them. Homosexual practice was open and common among the men of Sodom (see Jude 7 ). The English word “sodomy” alludes to the perversions of the ancient city.

[BACK TO 19:8] under the protection of my roof. Ancient hospitality obliged a host to protect his guests in every situation and in every possible way.

[BACK TO 19:9] This fellow came here as a foreigner , and now he wants to play the judge. Centuries later, Moses was also considered an outsider and was accused of setting himself up as a judge (see Ex 2:14 ; Ac 7:27 ).

[BACK TO 19:13] we are going to destroy this place. Sodom’s wickedness had made it ripe for destruction (see Isa 3:9 ; Jer 23:14 ; La 4:6 ; Zep 2:8–9 ; 2Pe 2:6 ; Jude 7 ).

[BACK TO 19:14] his sons-in-law thought he was joking. Lot apparently had lost his power of moral persuasion even among his family members.

[BACK TO 19:16] hesitated. Perhaps because of reluctance to leave his material possessions. his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters. The ten righteous people required to save Sodom (see 18:32 ) had now been reduced to four. the LORD was merciful to them. Deliverance is due to divine mercy, not to human righteousness (cf. Titus 3:5 and note).

[BACK TO 19:24] rained down burning sulfur. Perhaps from a violent earthquake spewing up asphalt, such as is still found in this region (cf. Isa 34:9 and note).

[BACK TO 19:26] Lot’s wife looked back , and she became a pillar of salt. Her disobedient hesitation (see v. 17 ) became proverbial in later generations (see Lk 17:32 ). Even today, grotesque salt formations near the southern end of the Dead Sea are reminders of her folly.

[BACK TO 19:29] God … remembered Abraham. See note on 8:1 . he brought Lot out of the catastrophe. Lot’s deliverance was the main concern of Abraham’s prayer ( 18:23–32 ), which God now answered.

[BACK TO 19:33] they got their father to drink wine , and the older daughter went in and slept with him. Though Lot’s role was mainly passive, he bore the basic responsibility for what happened here and reaped the harvest of his move toward Sodom (see 13:10–12 and notes).

[BACK TO 19:36–38] The sons born to Lot’s daughters were the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites (see Dt 2:9 , 19 ), two nations that were to become bitter enemies of Abraham’s descendants (see, e.g., 1Sa 14:47 ; 2Ch 20:1 ).

[BACK TO 20:1–18] See 12:10–20 and notes.

[BACK TO 20:1] Negev. See note on 12:9 . between Kadesh and Shur. See notes on 14:7 ; 16:7 . Gerar. Located at the edge of Philistine territory, about halfway between Gaza near the Mediterranean coast and Beersheba in the northern Negev.

[BACK TO 20:2] Abimelek. Probably the father or grandfather of the later king who bore the same name (see 26:1 ).

[BACK TO 20:3] dream. Once again God intervened to spare the mother of the promised offspring. Dreams were a frequent mode of revelation in the OT (see 28:12 ; 31:10–11 ; 37:5–9 ; 40:5 ; 41:1 ; Nu 12:6 ; Jdg 7:13 ; 1Ki 3:5 ; Da 2:3 ; 4:5 ; 7:1 ).

[BACK TO 20:7] prophet. See notes on 18:17 ; Zec 1:1 . Abraham was the first man to bear this title (see Ps 105:15 ).

[BACK TO 20:9] brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom. Or “caused me and my kingdom to commit such a great sin.” The “great sin” is adultery (see vv. 2–3 , 6 ; the same meaning for this expression is attested also in Egyptian and Canaanite texts). Everywhere else the Hebrew expression occurs in the OT it refers to idolatry ( Ex 32:21 , 30–31 ; 2Ki 17:21 ), which is spiritual adultery (see Hos 1:2 and note). Adultery and idolatry are supreme forms of covenant infidelity (see note on Ex 34:15 ).

[BACK TO 20:11] fear of God. A conventional phrase equivalent to “true religion.” “Fear” in this phrase has the sense of reverential trust in God and commitment to his revealed will (word); see Ps 34:8–14 and note.

[BACK TO 20:12] she really is my sister , the daughter of my father though not of my mother. Abraham’s half-truth was a sinful deception, not a legitimate explanation.

[BACK TO 20:14–16] Abimelek’s generosity was a strong contrast to Abraham’s fearfulness and deception.

[BACK TO 20:16] shekels. Though not in the Hebrew, the word is correctly supplied here as the most common unit of weight in ancient times. Originally the shekel was only a weight, not a coin, since coinage was not invented till the seventh century BC.

[BACK TO 21:1] See 17:16 . did for Sarah what he had promised. See Gal 4:22–23 , 28 . The promised son through whom God will continue the covenant line ( 17:21 ) is born at last.

[BACK TO 21:3] Isaac. See note on 17:17 .

[BACK TO 21:4] See notes on 17:10 , 12 .

[BACK TO 21:5] In fulfillment of the promise made to him (see 17:16 ), Abraham miraculously became a father at the age of 100 years (see 17:17 and chart ).

[BACK TO 21:6] laughter … laugh. See note on 17:17 ; contrast 18:12 (see note there).

[BACK TO 21:8] weaned. At age two or three, as was customary in the ancient Near East.

[BACK TO 21:9] the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne. Ishmael, who was in his late teens at this time (see 16:15–16 ). mocking. Or “at play.” In either case, Sarah saw Ishmael as a potential threat to Isaac’s inheritance (v. 10 ).

[BACK TO 21:10] Get rid of that slave woman and her son. See Gal 4:21–31 . Driving them out would have had the effect of disinheriting Ishmael.

[BACK TO 21:11] The matter distressed Abraham. Both love and legal custom played a part in Abraham’s anguish. He knew that the customs of his day, illustrated later in the Nuzi tablets (see chart ), prohibited the arbitrary expulsion of a female servant’s son (whose legal status was relatively weak in any case).

[BACK TO 21:12] Listen to whatever Sarah tells you. God overruled in this matter (as he had done earlier; see 15:4 ), promising Abraham that both Isaac and Ishmael would have numerous descendants. it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. See 17:19 ; 22:18 ; see also Ro 9:6–8 and Heb 11:17–19 for broader spiritual applications of this statement.

[BACK TO 21:14] Early the next morning. Though Abraham would now be separated from Ishmael for the first time, he responded to God’s command with prompt obedience (see note on 12:4 ). Beersheba. See note on v. 31 .

[BACK TO 21:15] one of the bushes. See note on v. 33 .

[BACK TO 21:17] God heard … God has heard. A pun on the name “Ishmael” (see NIV text note on 16:11 ; see also 17:20 ).

[BACK TO 21:21] Desert of Paran. Located in north central Sinai. his mother got a wife for him from Egypt. Parents often arranged their children’s marriages (see ch. 24 ).

[BACK TO 21:22] Abimelek. See 20:2 and note. Phicol. Either a family name or an official title, since it reappears over 60 years later ( 25:26 ) in a similar context ( 26:26 ).

[BACK TO 21:23] swear to me … before God … Show to me … kindness. Phrases commonly used when making covenants or treaties (see vv. 27 , 32 ). “Kindness” as used here refers to acts of friendship (cf. v. 27 ; 20:14 ; Ps 6:4 and note). Such covenants always involved oaths.

[BACK TO 21:27] sheep and cattle. Probably to be used in the treaty ceremony (see 15:10 ).

[BACK TO 21:30] as a witness. “Witnesses” to covenant/treaty-making (or other events of continuing significance) served as disinterested (third-party) testimonies to the event they “witnessed” (see 31:44 , 48 , 52 ; Dt 4:26 ; 30:19 ; 31:19 , 26 ; 32:1 ; Jos 22:27–28 ; 24:27 ; 1Sa 6:18 ) and could be appealed to (see Ps 50:1 and note; Isa 1:2 ; Mic 6:1–2 ).

[BACK TO 21:31] Beersheba , because the two men swore an oath there. See NIV text note. For a similar pun on the name, see 26:33 . Beersheba, an important town in the northern Negev, marked the southernmost boundary of the Israelite monarchy in later times (see, e.g., 2Sa 17:11 ). An ancient well there is still pointed out as “Abraham’s well” (see v. 25 ), but its authenticity is not certain. because. Or “when.”

[BACK TO 21:32] Philistines. See note on 10:14 .

[BACK TO 21:33] tamarisk. A shrub or small tree that thrives in arid regions. Its leafy branches provide welcome shade, and it is probably the unidentified bush under which Hagar put Ishmael in v. 15 . Eternal God. Hebrew El Olam , a phrase unique to this passage. It is one of a series of names that include El , “God,” as an element (see 14:19 ; 17:1 and notes; 33:20 ; 35:7 ).

[BACK TO 22:1–19] The climax to the account of God’s dealings with Abraham. Here we are told of God’s supreme test of Abraham’s faith and of his final confirmation of his covenanted promises—once again confirmed by an oath (vv. 15–18 ). After this, there follows only the account of how Abraham put his affairs in order with a view to the future: providing a place of burial for Sarah and himself in the promised land (ch. 23 ), obtaining a suitable wife for Isaac (ch. 24 ), and seeing to the distribution of his inheritance among his offspring ( 25:1–6 ).

This climax in many ways echoes the beginning ( 12:1–7 ) and with it frames the main body of the Abraham story. Cf., e.g., 12:1 : “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you”; 22:2 : “Go to the region of Moriah … [to] a mountain I will show you.”

[BACK TO 22:1] Some time later. Isaac had grown into adolescence or young manhood, as implied also by 21:34 (“a long time”). tested. Not “tempted,” for God does not tempt ( Jas 1:13 ). Satan tempts us (see 1Co 7:5 ) in order to make us fall; God tests us in order to confirm our faith ( Ex 20:20 ) or prove our commitment ( Dt 8:2 ). See note on Mt 4:1 . Here I am. Abraham answered with the response of a servant, as did Moses and Samuel when God called them by name (see Ex 3:4 ; 1Sa 3:4 , 6 , 8 ).

[BACK TO 22:2] your son , your only son , whom you love—Isaac. “Isaac” follows the clause “whom you love” in order to heighten the effect. Isaac was the “only son” of the promise ( 21:12 ; cf. Gal 4:23 ), and Ishmael had been sent away ( 21:8–21 ). region of Moriah. The author of Chronicles identifies the area as the temple mount in Jerusalem ( 2Ch 3:1 ). Today “Mount Moriah” is occupied by the Dome of the Rock, an impressive Muslim structure erected in AD 691. A large outcropping of rock inside the building is still pointed to as the traditional site of the intended sacrifice of Isaac. Sacrifice him. Abraham had committed himself by covenant to be obedient to the Lord and had consecrated his son Isaac to the Lord by circumcision. The Lord put his servant’s faith and loyalty to the supreme test, thereby instructing Abraham, Isaac and their descendants as to the kind of total consecration the Lord’s covenant requires. The test also foreshadowed the perfect consecration in sacrifice that another offspring of Abraham would undergo (see note on v. 16 ) in order to wholly consecrate Abraham and his spiritual descendants to God and to fulfill the covenant promises.

[BACK TO 22:3] Early the next morning. Prompt obedience, even under such trying circumstances, characterized Abraham’s response to God (see note on 12:4 ).

[BACK TO 22:4] third day. Parts of three days were likely required for the journey from Beersheba (see v. 19 ) to “the region of Moriah” (Jerusalem; see v. 2 and note), a distance of about 48 miles. On the other hand, a “journey of three days” may have been a conventional expression for a short trip rather than a journey of exactly three days (see 30:36 ; Ex 3:18 ; 5:3 ; 8:27 ; 15:22 ; Nu 10:33 ; 33:8 ; Jos 9:16 ; Jnh 1:17 ; 3:3 ).

[BACK TO 22:5] boy. See v. 12 ; see also note on v. 1 . The Hebrew for this word has a wide range of meaning, from an infant (see Ex 2:6 ) to a young man of military age (see 1Ch 12:28 ). we will come back to you. Abraham, the man of faith and “the father of all who believe” ( Ro 4:11 ), “reasoned that God could even raise the dead” ( Heb 11:19 ) if that were necessary to fulfill his promise.

[BACK TO 22:8] God himself will provide the lamb. The immediate fulfillment of Abraham’s trusting response was the ram of v. 13 , but its ultimate fulfillment is the Lamb of God ( Jn 1:29 , 36 ).

[BACK TO 22:9] laid him on the altar , on top of the wood. Isaac is here a type (prefiguration) of Christ (see note on v. 16 ).

[BACK TO 22:11] angel of the LORD . See note on 16:7 . The “angel of the LORD ” who had seen to the safety of Abraham’s son Ishmael and had spoken of Ishmael’s future ( 16:7–12 ; 21:17–18 ) now intervenes to save Abraham’s son Isaac and afterward speaks of Isaac’s future (vv. 17–18 ). Abraham! Abraham! The repetition of the name indicates urgency (see 46:2 ; Ex 3:4 ; 1Sa 3:10 ; Ac 9:4 ). Here I am. See note on v. 1 .

[BACK TO 22:12] fear God. See note on 20:11 . you have not withheld from me your son , your only son. See v. 16 and note. Abraham’s “faith was made complete by what he did” ( Jas 2:22 ).

[BACK TO 22:13] instead of. Substitutionary sacrifice of one life for another is here mentioned for the first time. As the ram died in Isaac’s place, so also Jesus gave his life as a ransom “for” (lit. “instead of”) many ( Mk 10:45 ).

[BACK TO 22:14] The LORD Will Provide. Thus Abraham memorializes the remarkable way in which God fulfilled his expectation (v. 8 ). The Hebrew for “will provide” is lit. “will see (to it)”; God’s “seeing to it” spared Isaac, just as God’s “seeing” had spared Ishmael (in Hagar’s womb; see 16:13–14 and notes; cf. 21:15–21 ). mountain of the LORD . During the Israelite monarchy the phrase referred to the temple mount in Jerusalem (see Ps 24:3 ; Isa 2:3 ; 30:29 ; Zec 8:3 ).

[BACK TO 22:16] I swear by myself. There is no greater name in which the Lord can take an oath (see Heb 6:13 ). you … have not withheld your son , your only son. Abraham’s devotion is paralleled by God’s love to us in Christ as reflected in Jn 3:16 and Ro 8:32 , which may allude to this verse.

[BACK TO 22:17] descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. See 13:16 ; 15:5 and notes. sand on the seashore. Fulfilled, at least in part, during Solomon’s reign (see 1Ki 4:20 ). cities. Lit. “gates.” Taking possession of the gate of a city was tantamount to occupying the city itself (see 24:60 ).

[BACK TO 22:18] all nations on earth will be blessed. See note on 12:2–3 . because you have obeyed me. See note on 17:9 .

[BACK TO 22:23–24] Abraham’s brother Nahor became the father of eight sons by his wife and four by his concubine (see note on 25:6 ). They would later become the ancestors of 12 Aramean (see v. 21 ) tribes, just as Abraham’s son Ishmael would become the ancestor of 12 tribes ( 25:16 ) and Abraham’s grandson Jacob would become the ancestor of the 12 tribes of Israel ( 49:28 ).

[BACK TO 23:1–20] How Abraham provided a burial place for Sarah and himself in Canaan, thus in faith laying claim to Canaan as his homeland in accordance with God’s promise.

[BACK TO 23:2] Kiriath Arba. Means “the town of Arba” (Arba was the most prominent member of a tribe living in the Hebron area [see Jos 14:15 ]). It can also mean “the town of four,” referring to the place where Anak (see Jos 15:13–14 ; 21:11 ) and his three sons lived (see Jdg 1:10 , 20 ). went. Either from Beersheba to Hebron or into the place where Sarah’s body was lying.

[BACK TO 23:3] Hittites. See note on 10:15 . They were apparently in control of the Hebron area at this time.

[BACK TO 23:4] a foreigner and stranger. The phrase was used often by the patriarchs and their descendants in reference to themselves (see 1Ch 29:15 ; Ps 39:12 ; see also Heb 11:13 ). On this earth Abraham “lived in tents” ( Heb 11:9 ), the most temporary of dwellings. But he looked forward to the more permanent home promised him, which the author of Hebrews calls “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” ( Heb 11:10 ).

[BACK TO 23:6] You are a mighty prince. Probably intended as flattery.

[BACK TO 23:9] cave of Machpelah. The tombs of several patriarchs and their wives—Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah (see v. 19 ; 25:8–10 ; 49:30–31 ; 50:12–13 )—are, according to tradition, located in a large cave deep beneath the Mosque of Abraham, a Muslim shrine in Hebron. end of his field. Apparently Abraham wanted to buy only a small part of the field (namely, the part where the cave was located), but Ephron insisted that he purchase the entire field (see note on v. 15 ).

[BACK TO 23:10] in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate. The main gateway of a city was usually the place where legal matters were transacted and attested (see v. 18 ; see also note on 19:1 ).

[BACK TO 23:11] my lord. Perhaps intended to flatter Abraham (see v. 15 ). give. See NIV text note.

[BACK TO 23:15] four hundred shekels of silver , but what is that between you and me? See note on 20:16 . Despite Ephron’s pretense of generosity, 400 shekels of silver was an exorbitant price for a field (see, e.g., Jer 32:9 ). Ephron was taking advantage of Abraham during a time of grief and bereavement. He knew that Abraham had to deal quickly in order to have a place to bury Sarah, so he insisted that Abraham buy the entire lot.

[BACK TO 23:16] weight current among the merchants. Subject to more variation and therefore greater dishonesty than the later royal standard (see 2Sa 14:26 ), which was carefully regulated and more precise.

[BACK TO 23:17] the field and the cave in it , and all the trees. Ephron had held out for the sale of the entire field and its contents (see notes on vv. 9 , 15 ).

[BACK TO 23:19] buried his wife … in the land of Canaan. In that culture, people had a strong desire to be buried with their ancestors (see note on 25:8 ) in their native land. By purchasing a burial place in Canaan, Abraham indicated his unswerving commitment to the Lord’s promise. Canaan was his new homeland.

[BACK TO 24:1–67] Abraham obtains a suitable wife for Isaac, relying on God who has made a covenant with him to provide an appropriate mother for his descendants who would inherit the land (see vv. 6–7 ).

[BACK TO 24:2] senior servant in his household. Probably Eliezer of Damascus (see note on 15:2 ). Put your hand under my thigh. Near the organ of procreation, probably because this oath was related to Abraham’s last will and testament and called for faithful implementation on the part of his son. Isaac must accept Abraham’s and God’s choice (see also 47:29 and note).

[BACK TO 24:3] the LORD , the God of heaven and the God of earth. See v. 7 ; see also note on 1:1 . For a similar majestic title used by Abraham in an oath, see 14:22 .

[BACK TO 24:4] my country. Mesopotamia (see note on v. 10 ). get a wife for my son. See note on 21:21 .

[BACK TO 24:7] To your offspring I will give this land. Repeats the promise of 12:7 . his angel. See note on 16:7 .

[BACK TO 24:10] camels. See note on 12:16 . Aram Naharaim. See NIV text note; the name means “Aram of the two rivers”—the Euphrates and the Tigris. Aram (see note on 10:22 ) Naharaim was the northern part of the area called later by the Greeks “Mesopotamia,” meaning “between the rivers” (see map ). town of Nahor. Nahor is the same name as that of Abraham’s brother (see v. 15 ; 11:26 ). The town is mentioned in clay tablets excavated beginning in 1933 at the ancient city of Mari on the Euphrates (see chart ; see also map ). Nahor was located in the Harran (see note on 11:31 ) district and was ruled by an Amorite prince in the eighteenth century BC.

[BACK TO 24:11] toward evening , the time the women go out to draw water. After the midday heat had cooled.

[BACK TO 24:14] By this I will know. Like his master Abraham, the servant asked God for a sign to validate his errand (see note on 15:8 ). kindness. See v. 27 ; probably a reference to God’s covenant with Abraham, which had promised numerous descendants through Isaac (see 17:19 ; 21:12 ).

[BACK TO 24:15] Before he had finished praying. God had already begun to answer. Rebekah … was the daughter of Bethuel son of … the wife of Abraham’s brother. Isaac would thus be marrying his father’s grandniece (see v. 48 ).

[BACK TO 24:22] beka. Half a shekel (see Ex 38:26 ); see note on 20:16 .

[BACK TO 24:32–33] See note on 18:2 .

[BACK TO 24:34–49] The servant explained his mission to Rebekah’s family. His speech, which summarizes the narrative of the earlier part of the chapter, is an excellent example of the ancient storyteller’s art, which was designed to fix the details of a story in the hearer’s memory.

[BACK TO 24:40] before whom I have walked faithfully. See notes on 5:22 ; 6:8–9 ; 17:1 .

[BACK TO 24:53] The rich gifts bestowed on Rebekah and her family indicated the wealth of the household into which she was being asked to marry—far from her loved ones and homeland.

[BACK TO 24:60] See 22:17 and note.

[BACK TO 24:62] Beer Lahai Roi. See note on 16:14 . Negev. See note on 12:9 .

[BACK TO 24:65] she took her veil and covered herself. Apparently a sign that she was unmarried (cf. 38:14 , 19 ).

[BACK TO 24:67] tent. Often used as a bridal chamber (see Ps 19:4–5 ).

[BACK TO 25:1–6] Abraham’s final disposition of his estate.

[BACK TO 25:1] had taken. Abraham would have been 140 years old at this time if the order were chronological; hence, “had taken” instead of “took.” wife. Elsewhere called Abraham’s “concubine” ( 1Ch 1:32 ).

[BACK TO 25:2] She bore him. The listing of Keturah’s offspring shows that Abraham indeed became “the father of many nations” ( 17:4 ; see note on 17:6 ).

[BACK TO 25:5] left everything he owned to Isaac. Isaac was the “only son” ( 22:2 ; see note there) of Abraham’s wife Sarah, so he was the legal heir to Abraham’s estate (cf. 21:10 and note).

[BACK TO 25:6] concubines. Secondary wives, a common cultural phenomenon in the ancient Near East. Polygamy was practiced even by godly men in ancient times, though it was not the original divine intention (see notes on 2:24 ; 4:19 ).

[BACK TO 25:7] a hundred and seventy-five years. Abraham thus lived for a full 100 years in the promised land (see 12:4 and note).

[BACK TO 25:8] died at a good old age. As God had promised (see 15:15 ). old man and full of years. A phrase used also of the patriarch Job (see Job 42:17 ). was gathered to his people. Joined his ancestors and/or deceased relatives in death (see 2Ki 22:20 ; 2Ch 34:28 ).

[BACK TO 25:9] Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac, as the heir of the covenant and estate (see note on v. 5 ), is listed first.

[BACK TO 25:11] Beer Lahai Roi. See note on 16:14 .

[BACK TO 25:12–18] A brief account of Ishmael’s family line, showing the fulfillment of the promises made to Hagar ( 16:10 ) and Abraham ( 17:20 ) concerning their son but also noting the fulfillment of his predicted alienation from the descendants of Abraham and Sarah ( 16:12 ).

[BACK TO 25:12] account. See note on 2:4 .

[BACK TO 25:13] names of the sons of Ishmael. Many are Arab names, giving credence to the Arab tradition that Ishmael is their ancestor.

[BACK TO 25:16] twelve tribal rulers. Twelve major tribes descended from Abraham’s son Ishmael (as predicted in 17:20 )—as was also true of Abraham’s brother Nahor (see note on 22:23–24 ).

[BACK TO 25:18] in hostility toward. See note on 16:12 ; or possibly “to the east of” (see NIV text notes here and on 16:12 ; see also 25:6 ).

[BACK TO 25:19–35:29] The author now takes up the story of Jacob, which he continues until the death of Isaac. Isaac is the link between Abraham and Jacob, and his story is interwoven with theirs.

[BACK TO 25:19] account. See note on 2:4 . Abraham became the father of Isaac. In c. 2066 BC.

[BACK TO 25:20] Paddan Aram. See NIV text note; means “plain of Aram,” another name for Aram Naharaim (see note on 24:10 ).

[BACK TO 25:21] because she was childless. As Sarah had been (see 11:30 and note). Rebekah was barren for 20 years (vv. 20 , 26 ). Isaac’s offspring, like Abraham’s, were a special gift in fulfillment of God’s covenant promises.

[BACK TO 25:22] jostled each other. The struggle between Jacob and Esau began in the womb (see also v. 26 ). went. Perhaps to a nearby place of worship.

[BACK TO 25:23] the older will serve the younger. The ancient law of primogeniture (cf. Dt 21:15–17 and notes) provided that, under ordinary circumstances, the younger of two sons would be subservient to the older. God’s election of the younger son highlights the fact that God’s people are the product not of natural or worldly development but of his sovereign intervention in human affairs (see note on 11:30 ). Part of this verse is quoted in Ro 9:10–12 as an example of God’s sovereign right to do “whatever pleases him” ( Ps 115:3 )—not in an arbitrary way (see Ro 9:14 ), but according to his own perfect will.

[BACK TO 25:24–26] For another unusual birth of twin boys, see 38:27–30 .

[BACK TO 25:25] red. A pun on Edom, one of Esau’s other names (see v. 30 and NIV text note).

[BACK TO 25:26] his brother came out … Jacob. In c. 2006 BC. his hand grasping Esau’s heel. Hostility between the Israelites (Jacob’s descendants) and Edomites (Esau’s descendants) became the rule rather than the exception (see, e.g., Nu 20:14–21 ; Ob 9–10 ). Jacob. See NIV text note. The name became proverbial for the unsavory quality of deceptiveness (see NIV text note on Jer 9:4 ).

[BACK TO 25:31] sell me your birthright. In ancient times the birthright included the inheritance rights of the firstborn (see Heb 12:16 ). Jacob was ever the schemer, seeking by any means to gain advantage over others. But it was by God’s appointment and care, not Jacob’s wits, that he came into the blessing.

[BACK TO 25:33] Swear to me first. A verbal oath was all that was required to make the transaction legal and forever binding.

[BACK TO 25:34] lentil. A small, pea-like annual plant, the pods of which turn reddish-brown when boiled. It grows well even in bad soil and has provided an important source of nourishment in the Near East since ancient times (see 2Sa 17:28 ; 23:11 ; Eze 4:9 ). Esau despised his birthright. In so doing, he proved himself to be “godless” ( Heb 12:16 ), since at the heart of the birthright were the covenant promises that Isaac had inherited from Abraham.

[BACK TO 26:1–33] The events of some of these verses (e.g., vv. 1–11 ) occurred before the birth of Esau and Jacob. Verses 1–11 are placed here to highlight the fact that the birthright and blessing Jacob struggled to obtain from his father (see 25:22 , 31–33 ; 27:5–29 ) involved the covenant inheritance of Abraham that Isaac had received.

[BACK TO 26:1] previous famine in Abraham’s time. See 12:10 . Abimelek. Probably the son or grandson of the earlier king who bore the same name (see 20:2 ). Philistines. See note on 10:14 . Gerar. See note on 20:1 .

[BACK TO 26:2] appeared. See note on 12:7 .

[BACK TO 26:3] I will be with you. God’s promise to be a sustainer and protector of his people is repeated often (see, e.g., v. 24 ; 28:15 and note; 31:3 ; Jos 1:5 ; Isa 41:10 ; Jer 1:8 , 19 ; Mt 28:20 ; Ac 18:10 ; see also Ge 17:7 and note). the oath I swore to your father Abraham. See 22:16–18 .

[BACK TO 26:4] descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. See 13:16 ; 15:5 and notes. through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed. See note on 12:2–3 .

[BACK TO 26:5] because Abraham obeyed me. See note on 17:9 . everything I required … commands … decrees … instructions. Legal language describing various aspects of the divine regulations that God’s people were expected to keep (see Lev 26:14–16 , 46 ; Dt 11:1 ). Addressing Israel after the covenant at Sinai, the author of Genesis used language that strictly applied only to that covenant. But he emphasized to the Israelites that their father Abraham had been obedient to God’s will in his time and that they must follow his example if they were to receive the covenant promises.

[BACK TO 26:7] because she is beautiful. See 12:11 , 14 .

[BACK TO 26:8] caressing. The word in Hebrew (a form of the verb translated “laugh” in 17:17 ; 18:12–13 , 15 ; 21:6 and “mock” in 21:9 ) is yet another pun on Isaac’s name.

[BACK TO 26:12] reaped a hundredfold. Indicative of the fertility of the promised land.

[BACK TO 26:16] you have become too powerful for us. An indication that the covenant promises were being fulfilled. Already in the days of the patriarchs, the presence of God’s people in the land was seen as a threat by the peoples of the world. As the world’s people pursued their own godless living, God’s people aroused their hostility. A similar complaint was voiced by an Egyptian pharaoh hundreds of years later ( Ex 1:9 ).

[BACK TO 26:20] The water is ours! In those arid regions, disputes over water rights and pasturelands were common (see 13:6 and note; 21:25 ; 36:7 ).

[BACK TO 26:25] built an altar. See note on 12:7 . called on the name of the LORD . See 4:26 and note.

[BACK TO 26:26] Phicol. See note on 21:22 .

[BACK TO 26:30] made a feast. Covenants were often concluded with a shared meal, signifying the bond of friendship (see 31:54 ; Ex 24:11 and notes).

[BACK TO 26:33] name of the town has been Beersheba. See note on 21:31 .

[BACK TO 26:34] When Esau was forty years old , he married. As had his father Isaac (see 25:20 ). Forty years was roughly equivalent to a generation in later times (see Nu 32:13 ). Judith … Basemath. In addition to these two wives, Esau also married Mahalath, “sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael” ( 28:9 ). The Esau genealogy of ch. 36 also mentions three wives, but they are identified as “Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite,” “Oholibamah daughter of Anah … the Hivite” and “Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth” ( 36:2–3 ). Possibly the lists have suffered in transmission, or perhaps alternative names or nicknames are used. It is also possible that Esau married more than three wives.

[BACK TO 26:35] They were a source of grief. Isaac and Rebekah were determined not to allow Jacob to make the same mistake of marrying Hittite or Canaanite women (see 27:46–28:2 ).

[BACK TO 27:1–40] How Rebekah and Jacob manipulated Isaac’s last will and testament.

[BACK TO 27:1] eyes were so weak that he could no longer see. In ancient times, blindness and near blindness were common among elderly people (see 48:10 ; 1Sa 4:15 ). Here I am. See note on 22:1 .

[BACK TO 27:4] the kind of tasty food I like. Rebekah and Jacob took advantage of Isaac’s love for a certain kind of food (see vv. 9 , 14 ). give you my blessing before I die. Oral statements, including deathbed bequests (see 49:28–33 ), had legal force in ancient Near Eastern law. blessing. See note on v. 36 .

[BACK TO 27:5] listening. Eavesdropping.

[BACK TO 27:6] Rebekah. Throughout the Jacob story the author develops a wordplay on “birthright” (bekorah ) and “blessing” (berakah ), both of which Jacob seeks to obtain, and Rebekah (ribqah ) does her best to further the cause of her favorite son. said to her son Jacob. The parental favoritism mentioned in 25:28 is about to bear its poisonous fruit.

[BACK TO 27:8] my son , … do what I tell you. Rebekah proves to be just as deceitful as Jacob, whose very name signifies deceit (see NIV text notes on v. 36 ; 25:26 ).

[BACK TO 27:20] your God. Consistent with Jacob’s language elsewhere ( 31:5 , 42 ; 32:9 ). Not until his safe return from Harran did he speak of the Lord as his own God (cf. 28:20–21 ; 33:18–20 and notes).

[BACK TO 27:24] Are you really my son Esau? To the very end of the charade, Isaac remained suspicious.

[BACK TO 27:29] Be lord over your brothers. Isaac was unwittingly blessing Jacob and thus fulfilling God’s promise to Rebekah in 25:23 (see note there). curse … be cursed … bless … be blessed. Cf. 12:2–3 .

[BACK TO 27:33] indeed he will be blessed. The ancient world believed that blessings and curses had a kind of magical power to accomplish what they pronounced (see note on 12:3 ). But Isaac, as heir and steward of God’s covenant blessing, acknowledged that he had solemnly transmitted that heritage to Jacob by way of a legally binding bequest (see note on v. 4 ).

[BACK TO 27:34] loud and bitter cry. Esau’s tears “could not change what he had done” ( Heb 12:17 ).

[BACK TO 27:36] Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? See NIV text notes here and on 25:26 . He took my birthright , and now he’s taken my blessing! The Hebrew for “birthright” is bekorah , and for “blessing” it is berakah (see note on v. 6 ). Though Esau tried to separate birthright from blessing, the former led inevitably to the latter, since both involved the inheritance of the firstborn (see Heb 12:16–17 ).

[BACK TO 27:39] away from the earth’s richness , away from the dew of heaven. Cf. v. 28 . Isaac’s secondary blessing of Esau could be only a parody of his primary blessing of Jacob.

[BACK TO 27:40] See 25:23 and notes on 25:22 , 26 .

[BACK TO 27:41–45] Esau’s fierce hostility toward Jacob and its consequences. This account of Esau’s “grudge” and the later account of the brothers’ reconciliation ( 33:1–17 ) frame the story of Jacob’s flight from Canaan to Paddan Aram, where he finds his wives, fathers many children and obtains great wealth before returning to the promised land. This chain of events parallels Joseph’s experiences as seen in his words to his brothers in 50:20 (see note there).

[BACK TO 27:43] do what I say. Bad advice earlier (see vv. 8 , 13 ), but sensible counsel this time.

[BACK TO 27:44] for a while. Twenty years, as it turned out (see 31:38 , 41 ).

[BACK TO 27:45] both of you. Jacob and Esau. Esau would have to pay for his deed with his life (see 9:6 and note; see also Ex 21:12 ; Lev 24:17 ; Nu 35:19 , 21 , 27 , 33 and note on 35:33 ; 2Sa 14:6–7 ).

[BACK TO 27:46] See note on 26:35 .

[BACK TO 28:2] Paddan Aram. See note on 25:20 . Take a wife for yourself there. See 24:3–4 .

[BACK TO 28:3] God Almighty. See note on 17:1 .

[BACK TO 28:4] the blessing given to Abraham. For Paul’s application of this phrase to Christian believers, see Gal 3:14 .

[BACK TO 28:5] See map and accompanying text .

[BACK TO 28:9] in addition to the wives he already had. See 26:34 and note.

[BACK TO 28:10–22] God’s reassuring appearance to Jacob as he is about to leave the promised land. This event and God’s appearance to him at the Jabbok River upon his return ( 32:22–32 ) form a frame around Jacob’s stay in Paddan Aram, to which he went empty but from which he returned full.

[BACK TO 28:11] one of the stones … under his head. In ancient times headrests (e.g., in Egypt) were often quite hard, sometimes being made of metal. People were used to sleeping on the ground.

[BACK TO 28:12] stairway. Not a ladder with rungs, it was more likely a stairway such as mounted the sloping side of a ziggurat (see note on 11:4 ). angels of God were ascending and descending on it. A sign that the Lord offered to be Jacob’s God. Jesus told a disciple that he would “see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man” ( Jn 1:51 ). Jesus himself is the bridge between heaven and earth (see Jn 14:6 ), the only “mediator between God and mankind” ( 1Ti 2:5 ).

[BACK TO 28:13] above it stood the LORD . Mesopotamian ziggurats were topped with a small shrine where worshipers prayed to their gods.

[BACK TO 28:14] like the dust of the earth. See note on 13:16 . All peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Repeats the blessing of 12:3 .

[BACK TO 28:15] I am with you. See note on 26:3 . I will not leave you. Unlike the gods of pagan religions, in which the gods were merely local deities who gave protection only within their own territories, the one true God assured Jacob that he would always be with him wherever he went (see Dt 31:6 and note).

[BACK TO 28:17] house of God … gate of heaven. Phrases that related Jacob’s stairway to the Mesopotamian ziggurats (see notes on 11:4 , 9 ).

[BACK TO 28:18] pillar. A memorial of worship or of communion between people and God, common in ancient times. poured oil on top of it. To consecrate it (see Ex 30:25–29 ).

[BACK TO 28:21] return safely. Partially fulfilled in 33:18 . the LORD will be my God. For the first time Jacob considered (conditionally: “If …,” v. 20 ) acknowledging the God of Abraham and Isaac (see v. 13 ; 27:20 ) as his own. His full acknowledgment came only after his safe return from Harran (see 33:20 and note).

[BACK TO 28:22] this stone … will be God’s house. In the sense that it would memorialize Jacob’s meeting with God at Bethel (see NIV text note on v. 19 ). of all that you give me I will give you a tenth. A way of acknowledging the Lord as his God and King (see note on 14:20 ).

[BACK TO 29:5] Laban , Nahor’s grandson. See 24:15 , 29 . The Hebrew word here for “grandson” is lit. “son,” which can refer to any male descendant (see NIV text note on 10:2 ).

[BACK TO 29:9] shepherd. The task of caring for sheep and goats in the Middle East was shared by men and women (cf. Ex 2:16–17 ; SS 1:8 and note).

[BACK TO 29:10] rolled the stone away. A feat of unusual strength for one man, because the stone was large (see v. 2 ).

[BACK TO 29:11] weep aloud. For joy.

[BACK TO 29:13] kissed him. A common sign of affection among relatives, also between men (see 33:4 ; Ex 4:27 ; see also notes on Ro 16:16 ; 1Co 16:20 ).

[BACK TO 29:14] flesh and blood. The English equivalent of a Hebrew phrase that means lit. “bone and flesh” and that stresses blood kinship (see, e.g., 2:23 ).

[BACK TO 29:15] Laban’s question and the author’s observation in 30:43 frame the account of Jacob’s receiving the fulfillment of Isaac’s blessing. See also God’s blessing on Jacob ( 28:14 ).

[BACK TO 29:16] Leah … Rachel. The names mean “cow” and “ewe,” respectively, appropriate in a herdsman’s family.

[BACK TO 29:21] my wife. If Jacob had said “Rachel,” Laban would have had no excuse for giving him Leah.

[BACK TO 29:22] feast. A wedding feast was usually seven days long (see vv. 27–28 ; Jdg 14:10 , 12 ).

[BACK TO 29:23] when evening came … Jacob made love to her. The darkness, or perhaps a veil (see 24:65 ), may have concealed Leah’s identity.

[BACK TO 29:24] See v. 29 ; a wedding custom documented in Old Babylonian marriage contracts.

[BACK TO 29:25] you deceived me. Jacob, the deceiver in name (see NIV text notes on 25:26 ; 27:36 ) as well as in behavior (see 27:36 ), had himself been deceived. The one who had tried everything to obtain the benefits of the firstborn had now, against his will, received the firstborn (vv. 16 , 26 ).

[BACK TO 29:28] then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel. Before Jacob worked another seven years (see v. 30 ).

[BACK TO 29:31–35] Leah, though unloved, nevertheless became the mother of Jacob’s first four sons, including Levi (ancestor of the Aaronic priestly line) and Judah (ancestor of David and his royal line, and ultimately of Jesus).

[BACK TO 29:32] named him Reuben … because the LORD has seen my misery. See NIV text note. Ishmael had received his name in similar circumstances (see 16:11 ).

[BACK TO 30:1] she became jealous of her sister. As Jacob was of his older brother. Give me children , or I’ll die! Tragically prophetic words (see 35:16–19 ).

[BACK TO 30:2] Am I in the place of God … ? Jacob was forever trying to secure the blessing by his own efforts. Here he has to acknowledge that the blessing of offspring could come only from God (see 31:7–13 for the blessing of flocks). Joseph later echoed these words (see 50:19 ).

[BACK TO 30:3] Sleep with her. See v. 9 ; see also 16:2 and note. for me. Lit. “on my knees,” apparently an expression symbolic of adoption (see 48:10–16 ) and meaning “as though my own” (see 50:23 and NIV text note).

[BACK TO 30:4] as a wife. As a concubine (see 35:22 ).

[BACK TO 30:5–12] Jacob’s fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth sons were born to him through his concubines.

[BACK TO 30:14] give me some of your son’s mandrakes. The mandrake has fleshy, forked roots that resemble the lower part of a human body and were therefore superstitiously thought to induce pregnancy when eaten (see SS 7:13 ). Rachel, like Jacob (vv. 37–43 ), tried to obtain what she wanted by magical means.

[BACK TO 30:16] hired. The Hebrew for this word is a pun on the name Issachar (see NIV text note on v. 18 ).

[BACK TO 30:17–20] Jacob’s ninth and tenth sons were born through Leah, who was thus the mother of half of Jacob’s 12 sons (see note on 29:31–35 ).

[BACK TO 30:20] presented … gift. The Hebrew terms for these words are puns on the name Zebulun (see NIV text note).

[BACK TO 30:21] Dinah. See ch. 34 .

[BACK TO 30:22] God remembered Rachel. See note on 8:1 .

[BACK TO 30:23] disgrace. Barrenness was considered to be shameful, a mark of divine disfavor (see 16:2 ; 30:2 ).

[BACK TO 30:24] May the LORD add to me another son. The fulfillment of Rachel’s wish would bring about her death (see 35:16–19 ).

[BACK TO 30:26] I will be on my way. Jacob had fulfilled his commitments. With his accounts squared with Laban, he asked permission to leave, taking only his family with him. Later, he will take with him also much of Laban’s wealth (see 30:43–31:1 ).

[BACK TO 30:27] divination. The attempt to discover hidden knowledge through mechanical means (see 44:5 ), the interpretation of omens (see Eze 21:21 ) or the aid of supernatural powers (see Ac 16:16 and note). It was strictly forbidden to Israel ( Lev 19:26 ; Dt 18:10 , 14 ) because it reflected a pagan concept of the world controlled by evil forces, and therefore obviously not under the sovereign rule of the Lord. the LORD has blessed me because of you. As God had promised Jacob at Bethel ( 28:14 ) and in accordance with the promise made to Abraham (see 12:2–3 and note; 22:18 ; see also 39:5 , 23 ; 41:41–57 ).

[BACK TO 30:32] Most commonly the sheep were all white and the goats all black. So Jacob chose to identify as his wages the sheep with dark markings and the goats with white markings—on the face of it a very modest request.

[BACK TO 30:35] he removed. Secretly and without telling Jacob.

[BACK TO 30:36] the rest of Laban’s flocks. Now made up of only pure-white sheep and all-black goats.

[BACK TO 30:37] poplar … white. The Hebrew terms for these words are puns on the name Laban. As Jacob had gotten the best of Esau (whose other name, Edom, means “red”; see note on 25:25 ) by means of red stew ( 25:30 ), so he now tries to get the best of Laban (whose name means “white”) by means of white branches. In effect, Jacob was using Laban’s own tactic (deception) against him.

[BACK TO 30:39] The scheme worked—but only because of God’s intervention (see Jacob’s own admission in 31:9 ), not because of Jacob’s superstition.

[BACK TO 30:43] the man grew exceedingly prosperous. Over a period of six years (see 31:41 ). While in Harran, Jacob obtained both family and wealth. His wealth came at the expense of people in Northwest Mesopotamia, just as Abram’s ( 12:16 ) and later Israel’s ( Ex 12:36 ) were obtained at the expense of the Egyptians (see also Isa 60:5–17 and note on 60:5 ; 61:6 ).

[BACK TO 31:1] has taken everything. Since Laban’s sons had been caring for flocks containing the spotted and speckled animals that Laban had sorted out, Jacob could potentially lay claim to a large proportion of the flocks under their care.

[BACK TO 31:3] Go back to the land of your fathers. Every sign Jacob was getting—from his wives (see vv. 14–16 ), from Laban (see v. 2 ), from Laban’s sons (see v. 1 ) and now from God himself—told him that it was time to return to Canaan. I will be with you. See note on 26:3 .

[BACK TO 31:4] Rachel and Leah. At long last (see v. 14 ) Rachel, the younger, has been given precedence over Leah—but she will soon become a deceiver like her husband Jacob (see vv. 31 , 35 ).

[BACK TO 31:7] ten times. See v. 41 . “Ten” here probably signifies completeness. In effect, Jacob accused Laban of cheating him at every turn.

[BACK TO 31:9] See note on 30:39 .

[BACK TO 31:11] angel of God. See note on 16:7 . Here I am. See note on 22:1 .

[BACK TO 31:13] Bethel , where you anointed a pillar. See note on 28:18 .

[BACK TO 31:15] what was paid for us. Jacob had come empty-handed to Paddan Aram and had offered his labors instead of wealth for his wives (cf. 24:10 ). So what had been “paid” for them was the fruit of Jacob’s labors for their father ( 30:27 , 30 ).

[BACK TO 31:18] Paddan Aram. See note on 25:20 ; see also map .

[BACK TO 31:19] household gods. Small portable idols, which Rachel probably stole because she thought they would bring her protection and blessing. Or perhaps she wanted to have something tangible to worship on the long journey ahead, a practice referred to much later in the writings of Josephus, a first-century AD Jewish historian. In any case, Rachel was not yet free of her pagan background (see 35:2 ; Jos 24:2 ).

[BACK TO 31:21] So he fled. As he had fled earlier from Esau ( 27:42–43 ). Jacob’s devious dealings produced only hostility from which he had to flee. Gilead. An area of exceptionally good grazing land southeast of the Sea of Galilee (see Nu 32:1 and note).

[BACK TO 31:24] not to say anything … good or bad. Do not enter into a dispute with him; or do not press any claim against him (see also v. 29 ; cf. 24:50 ).

[BACK TO 31:26] deceived. Jacob’s character, reflected in his name (see NIV text notes on 25:26 ; 27:36 ), is emphasized in the narrative again and again.

[BACK TO 31:27] harps. Much smaller, and with fewer strings (usually 6 to 12), than their modern counterparts.

[BACK TO 31:32] if you find anyone who has your gods , that person shall not live. Cf. 44:7–12 . Though he made the offer in all innocence, Jacob almost lost his beloved Rachel. He had now been deceived even by his wife.

[BACK TO 31:34] inside her camel’s saddle … sitting on them. Indicating the small size and powerlessness of the household gods.

[BACK TO 31:35] I’m having my period. In later times, anything a menstruating woman sat on was considered ritually unclean ( Lev 15:20 ).

[BACK TO 31:39] I bore the loss. Ancient laws (as in Ex 22:13 ) held that a shepherd did not have to compensate for losses to wild animals.

[BACK TO 31:42] Fear. Here a surrogate for God. Or perhaps the Hebrew for this word means “Kinsman,” stressing the intimacy of God’s relationship to the patriarch.

[BACK TO 31:44] See vv. 48 , 52 ; see also 21:30 and note.

[BACK TO 31:46] ate. See note on 26:30 .

[BACK TO 31:48] For the naming of an altar under similar circumstances, see Jos 22:10–12 , 34 .

[BACK TO 31:49] May … other. The so-called Mizpah benediction, which in context is in fact a denunciation or curse.

[BACK TO 31:51] heap … pillar … between you and me. Boundary markers between Laban’s territory and Jacob’s territory. Galeed, Jacob’s name for the heap, is a pun on Gilead (see v. 47 and NIV text note).

[BACK TO 31:53] God of their father. Or possibly “gods of their father [i.e., Terah],” reflecting Laban’s polytheistic background (see Jos 24:2 ). Fear of his father Isaac. See note on v. 42 . Jacob had met the “God of Isaac” ( 28:13 ) at Bethel 20 years earlier.

[BACK TO 31:54] sacrifice … meal. Two important aspects of the covenant-making (see v. 44 ) process (see Ex 24:5–8 , 11 ). relatives. Those with whom he had now entered into a covenant. The common meal indicated mutual acceptance (see note on 26:30 ).

[BACK TO 31:55] blessed. Or “said farewell to” (see NIV text note on 47:10 ; see also 31:28 ).

[BACK TO 32:1–32] Jacob’s peaceful meeting with once hostile Esau and his safe arrival in the promised land.

[BACK TO 32:1] angels of God met him. Jacob had just left the region of the hostile Laban and was about to enter the region of the hostile Esau. He was met by the angels of God, whom he had seen at Bethel when he was fleeing from Esau to go to Laban ( 28:12 ). Thus God was with Jacob, as he had promised (see 28:15 ; 31:3 ; see also note on 26:3 ).

[BACK TO 32:2] Mahanaim. Located in Gilead (see note on 31:21 ) east of the Jordan and north of the Jabbok (see note on v. 22 ). Two camps (see NIV text note) had just met in hostility and separated in peace. Two camps were again about to meet (in hostility, Jacob thought) and separate in peace. But Jacob called this crucial place “two camps” after seeing the angelic encampment, suggesting that he saw God’s encampment as a divine assurance. God’s host had come to escort him safely to Canaan (see 33:12 , 15 ). Yet he also feared meeting with Esau, so he divided his household into two camps (see vv. 7 , 10 and NIV text note on v. 7 ), still trying to protect himself by his own devices.

[BACK TO 32:3] Seir … Edom. Far to the south of Jacob’s ultimate destination, but he assumed that Esau would come seeking revenge as soon as he heard that Jacob was on his way back.

[BACK TO 32:4] Your servant. A phrase suggesting both courtesy and humility.

[BACK TO 32:6] four hundred. A round number for a sizable unit of fighting men (see 1Sa 22:2 ; 25:13 ; 30:10 ). While Jacob lived the peaceful life of a shepherd, Esau lived “by the sword,” as Isaac had foretold ( 27:40 ).

[BACK TO 32:9] Jacob prayed. His first recorded prayer since leaving Bethel.

[BACK TO 32:11] mothers with their children. Jacob knew that if Esau still had revenge in his heart, Jacob’s wives and children would suffer with him.

[BACK TO 32:12] your descendants like the sand of the sea. A reference to God’s promise in 28:14 (see 22:17 and note).

[BACK TO 32:13] gift. Probably a wordplay: Out of his “two camps” (Hebrew mahanayim , v. 2 ; see vv. 7–8 , 10 ) Jacob selects a “gift” (minhah ) for his brother.

[BACK TO 32:22] Jabbok. Today called the Wadi Zerqa, flowing westward into the Jordan about 20 miles north of the Dead Sea.

[BACK TO 32:24] left alone. As he had been at Bethel ( 28:10–22 ). a man. God himself (as Jacob eventually realized; see v. 30 ) in the form of an angel (see Hos 12:3–4 and note on Ge 16:7 ). wrestled. God wrestled (ye’abeq ) with Jacob (ya’aqob ) by the Jabbok (yabboq )—the author delighted in wordplay. Jacob had struggled all his life to prevail, first with Esau, then with Laban. Now, as he was about to reenter Canaan, he was shown that it was with God that he must “wrestle”—not with Esau or any other human being.

[BACK TO 32:25] could not overpower him … touched the socket. God came to him in such a form that Jacob could wrestle with him successfully, yet he showed Jacob that he could disable him at will.

[BACK TO 32:26] I will not let you go. Jacob’s persistence was soon rewarded (v. 29 ). unless you bless me. Jacob finally acknowledged that the blessing must come from God.

[BACK TO 32:28] Your name will no longer be Jacob. Now that Jacob had acknowledged God as the source of blessing and was about to reenter the promised land, the Lord acknowledged Jacob as his servant by changing his name (see 17:5 and note). Israel. See NIV text note. Here in Jacob/Israel, the nation of Israel got its name and characterization: the people who struggle with God (memorialized in the name Israel) and with human beings (memorialized in the name Jacob) and overcome. God later confirmed Jacob’s new name ( 35:10 ).

[BACK TO 32:29] Why do you ask my name? Such a request of God is both unworthy and impossible to fulfill (see Jdg 13:17–18 ).

[BACK TO 32:30] I saw God face to face. See note on 16:13 ; see also Jdg 6:22–23 ; 13:22 . Only God’s “back” ( Ex 33:23 ) or “feet” ( Ex 24:10 ; see note there) or “form” ( Nu 12:8 ), in a symbolic sense, may be seen with impunity. yet my life was spared. If Jacob’s life was spared in his encounter with God, his prayer for his life to be spared in his encounter with Esau (v. 11 ) will surely be granted.

[BACK TO 32:31] The sun rose above him. A new day dawns in Jacob’s life (see Ps 5:3 and note).

[BACK TO 32:32] do not eat the tendon. Probably the sciatic muscle. Mentioned nowhere else in the Bible, this dietary prohibition is found in the later writings of Judaism. Jacob retained in his body, and Israel retained in her dietary practice, a perpetual reminder of this fateful encounter with God.

[BACK TO 33:2] Rachel and Joseph in the rear. Jacob wanted to keep his favorite wife and child farthest away from potential harm.

[BACK TO 33:3] bowed down to the ground seven times. A sign of total submission, documented also in texts found at Tell el-Amarna in Egypt and dating to the fourteenth century BC (see chart ).

[BACK TO 33:4] All Jacob’s fears proved unfounded. God had been at work and had so blessed Esau (v. 9 ) that he no longer held a grudge against Jacob.

[BACK TO 33:9] I already have plenty. Esau had obtained his “plenty” while residing in “the land of Seir” ( 32:3 ; cf. 33:16 ) south of the promised land, just as Jacob had obtained his bounties in Paddan Aram north of the promised land. my brother. Esau’s response was in contrast to Jacob’s cautious and fearful “my lord” (v. 8 ).

[BACK TO 33:11] present. The Hebrew for “present” is the same as that used for “blessing” in 27:35 . The author of Genesis was conscious of the irony that Jacob now acknowledged that the blessing he had struggled for was from God. In his last attempt to express reconciliation with Esau, Jacob in a sense gave back the “blessing” he had stolen from his brother, doing so from the blessings the Lord had given him.

[BACK TO 33:12] I’ll accompany you. Resulting in another “two camps” (see 32:2 and note). Esau’s proposal suggests that he had come with his 400 men to escort Jacob’s vulnerable company safely home (see v. 15 ). Jacob declines the offer because he trusts the protection of God more than he trusts Esau and his men.

[BACK TO 33:14] until I come to my lord in Seir. But Jacob, still the deceiver, had no intention of following Esau all the way to Seir.

[BACK TO 33:18] Paddan Aram. See note on 25:20 . arrived safely. The answer to Jacob’s prayer 20 years earlier (see 28:21 ). Shechem. See note on 12:6 . Jacob followed in the footsteps of Abraham (see 12:6 ). Jacob dug a well there (see Jn 4:5–6 and note on 4:11 ) that can still be seen today.

[BACK TO 33:19] pieces of silver. See NIV text note. The Hebrew word translated by this phrase is found only three times and always in patriarchal contexts (see Jos 24:32 ; Job 42:11 ).

[BACK TO 33:20] set up an altar. See note on 12:7 . called it El Elohe Israel. See NIV text note. Jacob formally acknowledged the God of his ancestors as his God also (see 28:21 ). But he lingered at Shechem and did not return to Bethel (see 35:1 ), and that meant trouble (see ch. 34 ).

[BACK TO 34:1–31] Jacob is now confronted in the promised land with the danger of being absorbed by the native Canaanites (vv. 9 , 16 ) and then with the threat of their hostility after his sons’ vengeful acts (v. 30 ). These were dangers the Israelites constantly faced from the peoples around them—either absorption or hostility, both of which are perpetual threats to God’s people. The name of God ends ch. 33 and begins ch. 35 but is completely absent from this sordid chapter (see note on 7:16 ).

[BACK TO 34:2] Shechem. See 33:19 . He was probably named after the city.

[BACK TO 34:4] Get me this girl as my wife. See note on 21:21 .

[BACK TO 34:7] Israel. The clan of Israel. a thing that should not be done. Cf. Tamar’s plea to Amnon in a similar situation ( 2Sa 13:12 ).

[BACK TO 34:9] Intermarry with us. The Canaanites wanted to benefit from the blessings Jacob had received from the Lord (both his offspring and his possessions—vv. 21–23 ).

[BACK TO 34:12] price for the bride. For a specific example of this marriage custom, see 24:53 and note.

[BACK TO 34:13] Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully. Like father, like son (see 27:24 ; see also note on 25:26 ).

[BACK TO 34:15] Using a sacred ceremony for a sinful purpose (see vv. 24–25 ).

[BACK TO 34:20] gate of their city. See notes on 19:1 ; 23:10 .

[BACK TO 34:23] The greed of the men of Shechem led to their destruction.

[BACK TO 34:24] The Canaanites were even willing to submit to Israel’s covenant rite in order to attain their purposes.

[BACK TO 34:25] Simeon and Levi. Because they slaughtered the men of Shechem, their own descendants would be scattered far and wide (see note on 49:7 ). Dinah’s brothers. All three were children of Leah ( 29:33–34 ; 30:21 ). killing every male. Shechem’s crime, serious as it was, hardly warranted such brutal and extensive retaliation (see vv. 27–29 ). Jacob’s sons ran ahead of God’s judgment on the Canaanites (see 15:16 and note).

[BACK TO 34:30] Perizzites. See note on 13:7 .

[BACK TO 35:1–15] Whereas Abram’s arrival at Shechem marked the end of his journey to Canaan—it was there that God promised to give the land to his offspring ( 12:6–7 )—the final stage of Jacob’s journey back was from Shechem to Bethel, where Jacob’s pilgrimage with God had begun ( 28:10–22 ).

[BACK TO 35:1] God … appeared to you when you were fleeing. See v. 7 ; 28:13 .

[BACK TO 35:2] foreign gods you have with you. See note on 31:19 (see also Jos 24:23 ).

[BACK TO 35:3] God … who has been with me. See 28:15 ; see also note on 26:3 .

[BACK TO 35:4] rings. Worn as amulets or charms; a pagan religious custom (cf. Hos 2:13 ). oak at Shechem. Obviously a well-known tree, perhaps the “great tree” mentioned in 12:6 (see Jos 24:26 ).

[BACK TO 35:5] terror of God. God protected his servant.

[BACK TO 35:7] built an altar. See note on 12:7 .

[BACK TO 35:8] Deborah , Rebekah’s nurse , died. After long years of faithful service (see 24:59 ). the oak. Again probably a well-known tree (see note on v. 4 ), perhaps the “great tree” mentioned in 1Sa 10:3 .

[BACK TO 35:9] Jacob returned. See map . Paddan Aram. See note on 25:20 .

[BACK TO 35:10] Jacob … Israel. The previous assignment of an additional name (see 32:28 ) is here confirmed. For similar examples compare 21:31 with 26:33 and 28:19 with 35:15 .

[BACK TO 35:11–12] This event climaxes the Isaac-Jacob cycle (see Introduction: Literary Features ). Now that Jacob was at last back at Bethel, where God had begun his direct relationship with him, God confirmed to this chosen son of Isaac the covenant promises made to Abraham ( 17:1–8 ; see 28:3 ). His words echo his original benediction pronounced on humankind in the beginning ( 1:28 ) and renewed after the flood ( 9:1 , 7 ). God’s blessing on the human race would be fulfilled in and through Jacob and his offspring. See also 47:27 ; Ex 1:7 .

[BACK TO 35:11] God identifies himself to Jacob here as “God Almighty” (El-Shaddai). At Bethel he had identified himself as “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac” ( 28:13 ), but that was also as El-Shaddai (see 17:1 and note; see also 28:3 ; 48:3 ; Ex 6:3 ).

[BACK TO 35:13] See note on 17:22 .

[BACK TO 35:14] See 28:18 and note. drink offering. A liquid poured out as a sacrifice to a deity.

[BACK TO 35:15] See 28:19 ; see also note on v. 10 .

[BACK TO 35:16–29] The conclusion to the main story of Jacob’s life.

[BACK TO 35:16] Ephrath. The older name for Bethlehem (see v. 19 ) in Judah; it apparently refers to the area in which Bethlehem was located (see Ru 1:2 ; Mic 5:2 and notes).

[BACK TO 35:17] another son. An echo of Rachel’s own plea at the time of Joseph’s birth (see 30:24 ).

[BACK TO 35:18] Benjamin. See NIV text note. The name can also mean “son of the south”—in distinction from the other sons, who were born in the north. One set of Hebrew terms for indicating direction was based on facing east, so south was on the right.

[BACK TO 35:19] Rachel died. In childbirth (see note on 30:1 ). Ephrath … Bethlehem. See note on v. 16 .

[BACK TO 35:20] Rachel’s tomb. See 1Sa 10:2 . The traditional, though not authentic, site is near Bethlehem.

[BACK TO 35:21] Migdal Eder. Means “tower of the flock,” perhaps referring to a watchtower built to discourage thieves from stealing sheep and other animals (see, e.g., 2Ch 26:10 ). The same Hebrew phrase is used figuratively in Mic 4:8 , where “flock” refers to the people of Judah (see Mic 4:6–7 ).

[BACK TO 35:22] Reuben’s act was an arrogant and premature claim to the rights of the firstborn (see 2Sa 3:7 ; 12:8 ; 16:21 ; 1Ki 2:22 and notes). For this he would lose his legal status as firstborn (see 49:3–4 ; 1Ch 5:1 ; see also note on Ge 37:21 ).

[BACK TO 35:26] sons of Jacob … born to him in Paddan Aram. Obviously a summary statement since Benjamin was born in Canaan (see vv. 16–18 ).

[BACK TO 35:27] Mamre , near Kiriath Arba (that is , Hebron). See notes on 13:18 ; 23:2 .

[BACK TO 35:29] See note on 25:8 . buried him. In the family tomb, the cave of Machpelah ( 49:30–31 ).

[BACK TO 36:1–43] A concise account of Esau’s descendants, who also belonged to the “many nations” promised to Abraham and Sarah ( 17:5–6 , 16 ), before the more full-blown account of Jacob’s descendants (see notes on 37:2–50:26 and 37:2 ). Cf. the account of Ishmael’s offspring in 25:12–18 .

[BACK TO 36:1] account. See note on 2:4 . Though repeated in v. 9 , the word does not mark the start of a new main section there since the information in vv. 9–43 is merely an expansion of that in vv. 1–8 . Esau (that is , Edom). See 25:30 and NIV text note there. Reddish rock formations, primarily sandstone, are conspicuous in the territory of the Edomites, located south and southeast of the Dead Sea.

[BACK TO 36:2–3] See note on 26:34 .

[BACK TO 36:7] See 13:6 ; 26:20 and notes.

[BACK TO 36:8] Seir. Another name for Edom. The word itself is related to the Hebrew word meaning “hair,” a possible meaning also for the name “Esau” (see NIV text note on 25:25 ). Esau’s clan must have driven away the original Horite (see v. 20 ) inhabitants of Seir (see 14:6 and note). The descendants of Seir are listed in vv. 20–28 .

[BACK TO 36:10–14] The same list of Esau’s descendants (see 1Ch 1:35–37 ) is repeated in vv. 15–19 as a list of tribal chieftains.

[BACK TO 36:11] Eliphaz : Teman. One of Job’s friends was named Eliphaz the Temanite ( Job 2:11 ), and Job himself was from the land of Uz ( Job 1:1 ). Thus Job probably lived in Edom (see vv. 28 , 34 ).

[BACK TO 36:12] Amalek. See note on 14:7 .

[BACK TO 36:20–28] See note on v. 8 . The same list of Seir’s descendants (see 1Ch 1:38–42 ) is repeated in abbreviated form in vv. 29–30 as a list of tribal chieftains.

[BACK TO 36:30] divisions. Tribal divisions (cf. Jos 11:23 ).

[BACK TO 36:31] before any Israelite king reigned. Appears to presuppose the Israelite monarchy and thus to be a later editorial updating (see note on 14:14 ).

[BACK TO 36:43] This … Edomites. A summary statement for the whole chapter (just as v. 1 is a title for the whole chapter).

[BACK TO 37:1] Canaan. Jacob made the promised land his homeland and was later buried there ( 49:29–30 ; 50:13 ). His son Joseph also insisted on being buried in Canaan, which he recognized as the land the Lord had promised to Israel ( 50:24–25 ).

[BACK TO 37:2–50:26] The Jacob-Joseph cycle (see Introduction: Literary Features ). It focuses mainly on Jacob’s sons and how they embodied for both good and ill the family line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, which God had chosen to be the channel of his saving acts in history.

[BACK TO 37:2] account. See note on 2:4 . The word here introduces the tenth and final main section of Genesis. Joseph. The author immediately introduces Joseph, on whom the last cycle of the patriarchal narrative centers. In his generation he, more than any other, represented Israel—as a people who struggled with both God and human beings and overcame (see 32:28 and note) and as a source of blessing to the nations (see 12:2–3 ). It is, moreover, through the life of Joseph that the covenant family in Canaan becomes an emerging nation in Egypt, thus setting the stage for the exodus. The story of God’s dealings with the patriarchs foreshadows the subsequent Biblical account of God’s purpose with Israel. It begins with the election and calling out of Abram from the post-Babel nations and ends with Israel in Egypt (in the person of Joseph) preserving the life of the nations (see 41:57 ; 50:20 ). So God would deliver the Israelites out of the nations (the exodus), eventually to send them on a mission of life to the nations (cf. Mt 28:18–20 ; Ac 1:8 ). bad report about them. Doubtless about all his brothers (as the later context indicates), not just the sons of his father’s concubines.

[BACK TO 37:3] ornate robe. A mark of Jacob’s favoritism, “the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore” ( 2Sa 13:18 ).

[BACK TO 37:5] dream. See note on 20:3 .

[BACK TO 37:7] bowed down. Joseph’s dream would later come true ( 42:6 ; 43:26 ; 44:14 ).

[BACK TO 37:8] Will you actually rule us? Joseph would later become the “prince among his brothers” ( Dt 33:16 ) and receive “the rights of the firstborn” ( 1Ch 5:2 ), at least the double portion of the inheritance (see note on 25:5 ), since his father adopted his two sons ( 48:5 ).

[BACK TO 37:10] your mother. Jacob possibly refers to Leah, since Rachel has already died (see 35:19 ). bow down … before you. An echo of Isaac’s blessing of Jacob ( 27:29 ).

[BACK TO 37:11] kept the matter in mind. A hint that Jacob later recalled Joseph’s dreams when events brought about their fulfillment. Cf. Mary’s equally sensitive response to events during Jesus’ boyhood days ( Lk 2:19 , 51 ).

[BACK TO 37:12] Shechem. See 12:6 ; 33:18 and notes.

[BACK TO 37:17] Dothan. Located about 13 miles north of Shechem, Dothan was already an ancient city by this time.

[BACK TO 37:19] dreamer. The Hebrew for this word means “master of dreams” or “dream expert” and is here used with obvious sarcasm.

[BACK TO 37:21] Reuben … tried to rescue him. As Jacob’s firstborn, he felt responsible for Joseph. He would later remind his brothers of this day ( 42:22 ). Initially Reuben’s attempts to influence events seemed successful ( 30:14–17 ). But after his arrogant incest with Bilhah (see 35:22 and note) his efforts were always ineffective (see 42:37–38 )—demonstrating his loss of the status of firstborn (see 49:3–4 ). Effective leadership passed to Judah (see vv. 26–27 ; 43:3–5 , 8–10 ; 44:14–34 ; 46:28 ; 49:8–12 ).

[BACK TO 37:24] Cf. Jer 38:6 .

[BACK TO 37:25] Ishmaelites. Also called Midianites (v. 28 ; see Jdg 8:22 , 24 , 26 ) and Medanites (see NIV text note on v. 36 ). These various tribal groups were interrelated, since Midian and Medan, like Ishmael, were also sons of Abraham ( 25:2 ). Gilead. See note on 31:21 . balm. A soothing oil with healing properties (see Jer 51:8 ), exuded by the fruit or stems of one or more kinds of small trees. The balm of Gilead was especially effective (see Jer 8:22 ; 46:11 ). myrrh. Probably to be identified with labdanum, an aromatic gum (see Ps 45:8 ; Pr 7:17 ; SS 3:6 ; 5:13 ) extracted from the leaves of the cistus rose. Its oil was used in beauty treatments (see Est 2:12 ), and it was sometimes mixed with wine and drunk to relieve pain (see Mk 15:23 ). As a gift fit for a king, myrrh was brought to Jesus after his birth ( Mt 2:11 ) and applied to his body after his death ( Jn 19:39–40 ).

[BACK TO 37:28] twenty shekels of silver. In later times this amount was the value of a male of Joseph’s age who had been dedicated to the Lord (see Lev 27:5 ).

[BACK TO 37:31–33] Again a slaughtered goat figures prominently in an act of deception (see 27:5–13 ).

[BACK TO 37:34] tore his clothes , put on sackcloth. Tearing one’s clothes (see v. 29 ) and wearing coarse and uncomfortable sackcloth instead of ordinary clothes were both signs of mourning (see note on Rev 11:3 ).

[BACK TO 37:35] daughters. The term can include daughters-in-law (e.g., a daughter-in-law of Jacob is mentioned in 38:2 ). grave. The Hebrew for “grave” (Sheol) can also refer in a more general way to the realm of the dead, the netherworld, where, it was thought, departed spirits live (see notes on Dt 32:22 ; Job 17:16 ).

[BACK TO 37:36] sold. “As a slave” ( Ps 105:17 ). The peoples of the Arabian Desert were long involved in international slave trade (cf. Am 1:6 , 9 ). guard. The Hebrew for this word can mean “executioners” (the captain of whom was in charge of the royal prisoners; see 40:4 ), or it can mean “butchers” (the captain of whom was the chief cook in the royal court; cf. 1Sa 9:23–24 ).

[BACK TO 38:1–30] The unsavory events of this chapter illustrate the danger that Israel as God’s separated people faced if they remained among the Canaanites (see 15:16 and note). In Egypt the Israelites were kept separate because the Egyptians despised them ( 43:32 ; 46:34 ). While there, God’s people were able to develop into a nation without losing their identity. Judah’s actions contrasted with those of Joseph (ch. 39 )—demonstrating the moral superiority of Joseph, to whom leadership in Israel fell in his generation (see 37:5–9 ).

[BACK TO 38:1] left his brothers. Joseph was separated from his brothers by force, but Judah voluntarily separated himself to seek his fortune among the Canaanites. Adullam. A town southwest of Jerusalem (see 2Ch 11:5 , 7 ).

[BACK TO 38:3–4] Er … Onan. The names also appear as designations of tribes in Mesopotamian documents of this time.

[BACK TO 38:5] Kezib. Probably the same as Akzib ( Jos 15:44 ), three miles west of Adullam. The “men of Kozeba” (another form of the same word) were descendants of Shelah, son of Judah (see 1Ch 4:21–22 ). The Hebrew root of the name means “deception” (see Mic 1:14 and NIV text note), a theme running throughout the story of Jacob and his sons.

[BACK TO 38:6] Judah got a wife for Er. See note on 21:21 .

[BACK TO 38:8] A concise description of the custom known as “levirate marriage” (Latin levir means “brother-in-law”). Details of the practice are given in Dt 25:5–6 (see note there), where it is laid down as a legal obligation within Israel (cf. Mt 22:24 and note). The custom is illustrated in Ru 4:5 (see note there), though there it is extended to the nearest living relative (“guardian-redeemer,” Ru 3:12 ; see note there and on 2:20 ), since neither Boaz nor the nearer relative was a brother-in-law.

[BACK TO 38:9] knew that the child would not be his. Similarly, Ruth’s nearest relative was fearful that if he married Ruth he would endanger his own estate ( Ru 4:5–6 ; see note on 4:6 ). spilled his semen on the ground. A means of birth control sometimes called “onanism” (after Onan).

[BACK TO 38:10] What he did. His refusal to perform his levirate duty.

[BACK TO 38:11] he thought , “He may die too , just like his brothers.” Thus Judah had no intention of giving Shelah to Tamar (see v. 14 ).

[BACK TO 38:12] Timnah. Exact location unknown, but somewhere in the hill country of Judah (see map ).

[BACK TO 38:14] sat down … the road. Prostitutes (see v. 15 ) customarily stationed themselves by the roadside ( Jer 3:2 ; see note there). Enaim. Means “two springs”; probably the same as Enam in the western foothills of Judah (see Jos 15:33–34 ).

[BACK TO 38:18] seal and its cord. Probably a small cylinder seal of the type used to sign clay documents by rolling them over the clay. The owner wore it around his neck on a cord threaded through a hole drilled lengthwise through it.

[BACK TO 38:21] shrine prostitute. The Hebrew here differs from that used for “prostitute” in v. 15 . Judah’s friend perhaps deliberately used the more acceptable term, since ritual prostitutes enjoyed a higher social status in Canaan than did ordinary prostitutes (see note on 20:9 ).

[BACK TO 38:24] have her burned to death. In later times, burning was the legal penalty for prostitution (see Lev 21:9 ).

[BACK TO 38:27–30] For a similarly unusual birth of twin boys, see 25:24–26 .

[BACK TO 38:29] Perez. Became the head of the leading clan in Judah and the ancestor of David (see Ru 4:18–22 and note) and ultimately of Christ (see Mt 1:1–16 ).

[BACK TO 39:1–23] A continuation of the Joseph story (see 37:36 )—the first stage in the movement of Israel from Canaan to Egypt.

[BACK TO 39:1] Ishmaelites. See note on 37:25 .

[BACK TO 39:2–6] See vv. 20–23 . Though Joseph’s situation changed drastically, God’s relationship to him remained the same.

[BACK TO 39:2] The LORD was with Joseph. See note on 26:3 . This fact, mentioned several times here (vv. 3 , 21 , 23 ), is stressed also by Stephen ( Ac 7:9–10 ).

[BACK TO 39:5] the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. As God had blessed Laban because of Jacob ( 30:27 ). The offspring of Abraham continue to be a blessing to the nations (see 12:2–3 and note).

[BACK TO 39:6] left everything he had in Joseph’s care. As Laban had entrusted his flocks to Jacob’s care ( 30:31–34 ). Joseph had full responsibility for the welfare of Potiphar’s house, as later he would have full responsibility in prison (vv. 22–23 ) and later still in all Egypt ( 41:41 ). Always this Israelite came to hold the welfare of his “world” in his hands—but always by the blessing and overruling of God, never by his own wits, as his father Jacob had so long attempted. In the role that he played in Israel’s history and in the manner in which he lived it, Joseph was a true representative of Israel.

[BACK TO 39:7] took notice of. Looked with desire at. The phrase is used in the same sense in Akkadian in Section 25 of the Code of Hammurapi (see chart ).

[BACK TO 39:9] sin against God. All sin is against God, first and foremost (see Ps 51:4 and note).

[BACK TO 39:10] though she spoke to Joseph day after day , he refused. Samson twice succumbed under similar pressure ( Jdg 14:17 ; 16:16–17 ).

[BACK TO 39:14] this Hebrew. See v. 17 ; see also note on 14:13 .

[BACK TO 39:20–23] See note on vv. 2–6 .

[BACK TO 39:20] place where the king’s prisoners were confined. Though understandably angry (see v. 19 ), Potiphar put Joseph in the “house of the captain of the guard” ( 40:3 )—certainly not the worst prison available.

[BACK TO 40:1–23] God gives Joseph the interpretation of two dreams, which prepares the way for Joseph to be used by God to interpret the pharaoh’s two dreams (ch. 41 ), leading to the subsequent fulfillment (chs. 42–46 ) of Joseph’s two dreams ( 37:5–11 ).

[BACK TO 40:2] Pharaoh. See note on Ex 1:11 . chief cupbearer. Would be the divinely appointed agent for introducing Joseph to the pharaoh (see 41:9–14 ).

[BACK TO 40:5] each dream had a meaning. Throughout the ancient Near East it was believed that dreams sometimes contained disclosures about the future that a proper interpretation would bring to light (see note on 20:3 ). God was beginning to prepare the way for Joseph’s rise in Egypt.

[BACK TO 40:8] interpretations belong to God. Only God, who knows the future, can properly interpret dreams (see 41:16 , 25 , 28 ; Da 2:28 ). Tell me. Joseph presents himself as God’s agent through whom God will make known the revelation contained in their dreams—Israel is God’s prophetic people through whom God’s revelation comes to the nations (see 18:17 and note; 41:16 , 28 , 32 ).

[BACK TO 40:13] lift up your head and restore you to your position. See Ps 3:3 ; 27:6 . For this meaning of the idiom “lift up one’s head,” see 2Ki 25:27 and Jer 52:31 , where the Hebrew for “released” in the context of freeing a prisoner means lit. “lifted up the head of.”

[BACK TO 40:14] when all goes well with you , remember me. Unfortunately, the cupbearer “forgot him” (v. 23 ) until two full years later (see 41:1 , 9–13 ).

[BACK TO 40:15] dungeon. Probably hyperbole to reflect Joseph’s despair (see note on 39:20 ). Since the same Hebrew word refers to a cistern in 37:24 , the author of Genesis has established a link with Joseph’s earlier experience at the hands of his brothers.

[BACK TO 40:19] lift off your head. A grisly pun based on the same idiom used in v. 13 (see note there).

[BACK TO 41:2] out of the river there came up seven cows. Cattle often submerged themselves up to their necks in the Nile to escape sun and insects.

[BACK TO 41:6] scorched by the east wind. The Palestinian sirocco (in Egypt the khamsin), which blows in from the desert (see Hos 13:15 ) in late spring and early fall, often withers vegetation (see Isa 40:7 ; Eze 17:10 and note).

[BACK TO 41:8] his mind was troubled. See 40:6–7 . magicians. Probably priests who claimed to possess occult knowledge. no one could interpret them. See Da 2:10–11 .

[BACK TO 41:13] things turned out exactly as he interpreted them. Because his words were from the Lord (see Ps 105:19 ).

[BACK TO 41:14] Pharaoh sent for Joseph. Effecting his permanent release from prison (see Ps 105:20 ). shaved. Egyptians were normally smooth-shaven, while Palestinians wore beards (see 2Sa 10:4 ; Jer 41:5 and notes).

[BACK TO 41:16] I cannot do it … but God will give Pharaoh the answer. See 40:8 and note; Da 2:27–28 , 30 ; cf. 2Co 3:5 .

[BACK TO 41:27] seven years of famine. See Ac 7:11 . Long famines were rare in Egypt because of the regularity of the annual overflow of the Nile, but not uncommon elsewhere (see 2Ki 8:1 and note; see also chart [“Seven Lean Years Tradition”]).

[BACK TO 41:32] Repetition of a divine revelation was often used for emphasis (see 37:5–9 ; Am 7:1–6 , 7–9 ; 8:1–3 ).

[BACK TO 41:38] spirit of God. See NIV text note. The word “spirit” should probably not be capitalized in such passages, since reference to the Holy Spirit would be out of character in statements by pagan rulers.

[BACK TO 41:40] You shall be in charge. The pharaoh took Joseph’s advice (see v. 33 ) and decided that Joseph himself should be “ruler over Egypt” ( Ac 7:10 ; see also Ps 105:21 ). all my people are to submit to your orders. More lit. “at your command all my people are to kiss (you)”—i.e., kiss your hands or feet in an act of homage and submission (see Ps 2:12 and note).

[BACK TO 41:42] Three symbols of transfer and/or sharing of royal authority, referred to also in Est 3:10 (signet ring); Est 6:11 (robe); and Da 5:7 , 16 , 29 (gold chain).

[BACK TO 41:43] second-in-command. The position was probably that of vizier, the highest executive office below that of the king himself.

[BACK TO 41:45] gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. As a part of assigning Joseph an official position within his royal administration (see note on 1:5 ). The pharaoh presumed to use this marvelously endowed servant of the Lord for his own royal purposes—as a later pharaoh would attempt to use divinely blessed Israel for the enrichment of Egypt ( Ex 1 ). He did not recognize that Joseph served a Higher Power, whose kingdom and redemptive purposes are being advanced. (The meaning of Joseph’s Egyptian name is uncertain.) Asenath. The name is Egyptian and probably means “She belongs to (the goddess) Neith.” Potiphera. Not the same person as “Potiphar” ( 37:36 ; 39:1 ); the name (also Egyptian) means “he whom (the sun-god) Ra has given.” On. Located ten miles northeast of modern Cairo, it was called Heliopolis (“city of the sun”) by the Greeks and was an important center for the worship of Ra, who had a temple there. Potiphera therefore bore an appropriate name.

[BACK TO 41:46] thirty years old. In just 13 years (see 37:2 ), Joseph had become second-in-command (v. 43 ) in Egypt.

[BACK TO 41:49] like the sand of the sea. A simile also for the large number of offspring promised to Abraham and Jacob (see 22:17 ; 32:12 ).

[BACK TO 41:52] Ephraim. The wordplay on the name (see NIV text note) reflects the fact that God gave Joseph “two” (see v. 50 ) sons.

[BACK TO 41:57] all the world. The known world from the writer’s perspective (the Middle East). This description of the famine in the time of Joseph echoes the author’s description of the flood in the time of Noah (see 7:24 ).

[BACK TO 42:1–45:28] The reunion and reconciliation of Jacob’s sons—but now in Egypt.

[BACK TO 42:2–3] Stephen refers to this incident ( Ac 7:12 ).

[BACK TO 42:4] did not send Benjamin , Joseph’s brother. Their mother Rachel had died ( 35:19 ), and Jacob thought Joseph also was dead ( 37:33 ). Jacob did not want to lose Benjamin, the remaining son of his beloved Rachel.

[BACK TO 42:5] famine in the land of Canaan also. As in the time of Abram (see 12:10 and note).

[BACK TO 42:6] they bowed down to him. In fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams (see 37:7 , 9 ; see also note on 40:1–23 ).

[BACK TO 42:8] Joseph recognized his brothers. Although 21 years had passed since he had last seen them (see 37:2 ; 41:46 , 53–54 ), they had been adults at the time and their appearance had not changed much. they did not recognize him. Joseph, 17 years old at the time of his enslavement ( 37:2 ), was now an adult in an unexpected position of authority, wearing Egyptian clothes and speaking to his brothers through an interpreter (see v. 23 ). He was, moreover, shaven in the Egyptian manner (see note on 41:14 ).

[BACK TO 42:9] , 14 , 16 You are spies! See note on Jos 2:1–24 .

[BACK TO 42:10] my lord … Your servants. Unwittingly, Joseph’s brothers again fulfilled his dreams and their own scornful fears (see 37:8 ).

[BACK TO 42:15] As surely as Pharaoh lives. The most solemn oaths were pronounced in the name of the reigning monarch (as here) or of the speaker’s deities ( Ps 16:4 ; Am 8:14 ) or of the Lord himself ( Jdg 8:19 ; 1Sa 14:39 , 45 ; 19:6 ).

[BACK TO 42:21] how distressed he was … distress has come on us. The brothers realized they were beginning to reap what they had sown (see Gal 6:7 ).

[BACK TO 42:22] See 37:21–22 and note on 37:21 .

[BACK TO 42:24] He had Simeon taken. Jacob’s second son (see 29:32–33 ) is imprisoned instead of the firstborn Reuben, perhaps because the latter had saved Joseph’s life years earlier ( 37:21–22 ).

[BACK TO 42:37] both of my sons. Reuben’s generous offer as security for Benjamin’s safety (see note on 37:21 ).

[BACK TO 42:38] grave. See note on 37:35 .

[BACK TO 43:3] Judah said. From this point on, Judah became the spokesman for his brothers (see vv. 8–10 ; 44:14–34 ; 46:28 ). His tribe would become preeminent among the 12 (see 49:8–10 ), and he would be an ancestor of Jesus (see Mt 1:2–3 , 16–17 ; Lk 3:23 , 33 ).

[BACK TO 43:9] Judah offered himself as security for Benjamin’s safety—an even more generous gesture than that of Reuben (see 42:37 and note).

[BACK TO 43:11] take them … as a gift. A customary practice when approaching one’s superior, whether political (see 1Sa 16:20 ), military (see 1Sa 17:18 ) or religious (see 2Ki 5:15 ). balm … myrrh. See 37:25 and note. honey. Either that produced by bees, or an inferior substitute made by boiling grape or date juice down to a thick syrup. pistachio nuts. Mentioned only here in the Bible, they are the fruit of a small, broad-crowned tree that is native to Asia Minor, Syria (Aram) and Canaan but not to Egypt.

[BACK TO 43:14] God Almighty. See notes on 17:1 ; 35:1 . if I am bereaved , I am bereaved. Cf. Esther’s similar phrase of resignation in Est 4:16 .

[BACK TO 43:21] The brothers’ statement to Joseph’s steward compressed the details (see 42:27 , 35 ).

[BACK TO 43:23] Your God … has given you treasure. The steward spoke better than he knew.

[BACK TO 43:24] See note on 18:2 .

[BACK TO 43:26] bowed down. Additional fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams ( 37:7 , 9 ; see also 42:6 ; 43:28 ).

[BACK TO 43:29] Benjamin , his own mother’s son. Joseph’s special relationship to Benjamin is clear. God be gracious to you. Later blessings and benedictions would echo these words (see Nu 6:25 ; Ps 67:1 ).

[BACK TO 43:30] Joseph … wept. Both emotional and sensitive, he wept often (see 42:24 ; 45:2 , 14–15 ; 46:29 ; 50:17 ).

[BACK TO 43:32] Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews. The taboo was probably based on ritual or religious reasons (see Ex 8:26 ), unlike the Egyptian refusal to associate with shepherds (see 46:34 ), which was probably based on social custom.

[BACK TO 43:34] Benjamin’s portion was five times as much. Again reflecting his special status with Joseph (see note on v. 29 ; see also 45:22 ).

[BACK TO 44:4] city. Identity unknown, though Memphis (about 13 miles south of modern Cairo) and Zoan (in the eastern delta region) have been suggested.

[BACK TO 44:5] divination. See v. 15 ; see also note on 30:27 .

[BACK TO 44:9] If any of your servants is found to have it , he will die. Years earlier, Jacob had given Laban a similar rash response (see 31:32 and note).

[BACK TO 44:10] The steward softened the penalty contained in the brothers’ proposal.

[BACK TO 44:12] beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. For a similar building up of suspense, see 31:33 .

[BACK TO 44:13] tore their clothes. A sign of distress and grief (see 37:29 and note on 37:34 ).

[BACK TO 44:14] threw themselves to the ground before him. Further fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams in 37:7 , 9 (see 42:6 ; 43:26 , 28 ).

[BACK TO 44:16] God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. Like Joseph’s steward (see note on 43:23 ), Judah spoke better than he knew. Or perhaps he refers both to the present event and to the guilt of their sin against Joseph (see 42:21 and note).

[BACK TO 44:18] Judah … said. See note on 43:3 . lord … servant. See note on 42:10 . you are equal to Pharaoh. Words more flattering than true (see 41:40 , 43 ).

[BACK TO 44:29] , 31 grave. See note on 37:35 .

[BACK TO 44:30] whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life. The Hebrew underlying this clause is later used of Jonathan’s becoming “one in spirit with David” ( 1Sa 18:1 ).

[BACK TO 44:33] in place of the boy. Judah’s willingness to be a substitute for Benjamin helped make amends for his role in selling Joseph (see 37:26–27 ).