God is present from the Bible’s first words. The first thing we see Him do is make “the heavens and the earth.” In other words, God first appears as Creator. The theme of creation runs from the front of the Bible to its final pages, from the original creation of the heavens and the earth to the creation of a new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1). God in Christ is Creator and Lord (Gen. 1:31; Col. 1:16, 17).
The Bible says God’s initial work was “good” (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25) and “very good” (1:31). Yet God’s work did not end with the creation of Adam and Eve. He continues to labor by providing for His creatures (Ps. 104:27; 136:25; 145:15, 16; see also “God Is a Support” at Ps. 12:5), sustaining creation (Neh. 9:6; Ps. 36:6; Heb. 1:3; see also “Sustaining the World” at Col. 1:17), and bringing salvation to people (Eph. 1:7; see also “God: The Original Worker” at John 5:17).
God does not work alone. Because He has created and called people to oversee the earth as His managers (see “Made in His Image” at Gen. 1:27–30 and “People at Work” at Ps. 8:6), we have a mandate to care for the earth—to preserve, protect, and use it wisely. As His coworkers, we are called to accomplish meaningful tasks, for which He will hold us accountable (Gen. 2:8, 15; Eccl. 9:10; 12:13, 14). How we serve here and now in this present physical world matters deeply to God.
As we imitate God’s work, we can identify with the jobs He undertakes. Consider the various jobs God did in forming the world. He was artist, designer, strategic planner, organizer, project manager, assessor, zoologist, biologist, chemist, linguist, programmer, materials specialist, and engineer—to name but a few of His tasks. This picture of God as a worker impacts how we spend our hours today. It shows us that …
• Work is inherently good (see “The Toil of Work” at Gen. 3:17–19).
• Working with and reshaping what God has already created is important. It pleases God and matters to Him (see “People at Work” at Ps. 8:6).
• Whether we think of our work as “sacred” or “secular,” all legitimate work reflects the activity of God (see “The Gift of Loving Well” at 1 Cor. 12:28–31 and “The Worth of Work” at Col. 3:1–4).
God gains honor through His own work, and we are to honor Him by doing the work He has given us in a way that pleases Him (see “Your Workstyle” at Titus 2:9–11).
More: Some worldviews regard the earth as sacred and the universe itself as divine. Scripture opposes this view. See “The Weight of the World” at Heb. 11:3. When Genesis says that God “ended His work” (Gen. 2:2), it uses the same word for work that appears in the Ten Commandments: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work” (Ex. 20:9, emphasis added). This informs us that work is inherently good since God Himself labors. For more on the value of work, see “God: The Original Worker” at John 5:17; “Workplace Myths” at 1 Cor. 3:9; “The Worth of Work” at Col. 3:1–4; and “Work in the Bible” at Rev. 22:1–11.
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When God says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (emphasis added), He speaks not as a solitary figure but as a plurality, a Being comprised of more than one Person. Christians trace the doctrine of the Trinity starting at this passage.
The picture that emerges throughout the Bible is that God exists in three Persons; not three Gods, but one God in three Persons. Here the text uses the Hebrew word Elohim, the plural form of Eloah (“God”), to name this communal, supreme Creator-God. Later we discover the three Persons included in “Us”: the Father (James 1:17, 18), the Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:3; Col. 1:16), and the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Ps. 104:30).
Astonishingly, God is a community at the core of His Being. He exists in relationship within Himself. This important fact implies that God had no need to create anyone else. He was not lonely, nor was He somehow deficient and in need of help. He was and is completely self-sufficient, having no need of any creature to be complete. But He chose to give birth to the world and its people as a gift of His abundant love. In Genesis 1:26, God in effect is saying, “Let Us create Adam and Eve and their descendants as creatures who can share the love and community We already enjoy among Ourselves.”
Thinking of God in the plural—as a community, in relationship—may stretch our understanding, but it also gives us a basis for understanding marriage and family as well as friendship and fellowship. Relationships matter more than we might think. As people created in God’s image, we need each other.
More: Elohim is only one of many names by which God is known in Scripture. See “The Names of God” at Is. 41:14.
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Human beings are a distinctive creation, crafted in God’s image (Gen. 1:26; 5:1; 9:6; compare Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). Scripture never describes any other creatures or beings as bearers of God’s image.
Some thinkers limit the concept of being made in God’s image to our reason, will, or personality. Others link it to our ability to act, because immediately after God created people in His image, He granted them authority over the earth (Gen. 1:28). The image of God is likely all those things and more, but it certainly includes our unique capacity to relate to God. The fact that we are uniquely like God teaches us that …
• As humans we can know God—a knowledge that transcends mere information about God and is actually relating to Him as a Person (John 17:3).
• We can understand our meaning and purpose in life in light of His nature (Ps. 89:15; Eccl. 12:13, 14; Col. 3:10).
• We are moral beings with the capacity to do right or wrong as defined by God’s own nature and expressed will (Rom. 1:17, 18; Eph. 4:24).
• We are capable of being holy—that is, of refraining from evil and seeking good—if we truly know God and obey Him (Eph. 4:24; 2 Pet. 1:3, 4).
Scripture also tells us that Jesus stands alone as the ultimate bearer of God’s image. He is “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15) and “the express image of His [God’s] person” (Heb. 1:3).
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The Bible’s description of humanity’s creation (Gen. 1:26–30) is often called “the creation mandate” because it reveals God’s intentions for humanity. Three of these fundamental purposes are …
• Family. God created people male and female (1:27) and called us to form families (1:28).
• Work. God gave people responsibility (or “dominion”) over the earth to subdue it by cultivating, developing, and managing it in a way that meets human needs, cares for the earth as a resource, and brings God glory (see “People at Work” at Ps. 8:6).
• Worship. God’s creation of the world culminated in a day of rest and worship, a pattern God laid out for us to follow (see “A Day of Rest” at Gen. 2:1–3 and “Keeping the Sabbath” at Ex. 20:8–11).
God established these three purposes before sin entered the world and He reinstituted them after the Fall (Gen. 9:1–7; Ps. 8:6–8), so they remain in force today.
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When God “rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done,” He modeled for humanity His intention for a weekly day of rest. Clearly He did this for our sake, because unlike people, God does not tire or need to rest. The Lord rested in a way unique to Him, and He pointed the way for humans to find their own rest.
The term Sabbath has the root meaning of “cessation.” On the seventh day God ceased His work of creating the world (Ex. 20:8–11). However, He did not stop His work of sustaining and maintaining the world (Ps. 145:15, 16; see also “Sustaining the World” at Col. 1:17). This distinction helps to clarify the significance of the Sabbath, a day which God set aside (or “sanctified”) and blessed. His intention was that people would emulate Him by pausing from their labors—the exercise of their dominion over creation (Gen. 1:28–30)—for one day out of seven.
This day of rest was not merely a day off. One of the most important purposes of the Sabbath was to fix a day for individuals and communities of believers to worship and focus on God (Is. 58:13, 14). We are not free to ignore God on the other six days, because every day belongs to Him (see “The Lord’s Day” at Rom. 14:5–13). But designating one day as a regular opportunity to come before the Lord demonstrates our dependence on Him as Creator and our obedience to Him as Lord.
This means that the Sabbath—or, in the New Testament era, the Lord’s Day—was not intended as a pause to catch up on chores or relax. Nothing is wrong with those pursuits, but God appointed this day for us to “stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another” (Heb. 10:24, 25).
Christians often struggle to know how to keep the Lord’s Day as a day of rest. Significantly, Jesus pointed out that God established this day of rest for the sake of people, not people for the sake of the day (Mark 2:27). Sabbath observance is not a legalistic obligation. Conditions occasionally require work on the Sabbath, like rescuing an ox stuck in a ditch (Luke 14:5). Basic human needs do not cease on Sundays (see “Doing Good on the Sabbath” at John 5:1–17). Yet the spirit of Sabbath observance implies we should take action to prevent getting stuck in the ditch with the ox on the Sabbath, or needing the Sabbath to complete routine tasks.
When God set aside the seventh day, He did not intend to turn Sabbath-keeping into a life-stealing rule. He meant for the Sabbath to provide true liberty from work as tyranny, giving freedom to enjoy fellowship with God, neighbors, and loved ones.
More: Discover what makes every seventh day special. See “Keeping the Sabbath” at Ex. 20:8–11; “Doing Good on the Sabbath” at John 5:1–17; “Connecting Sunday to Monday” at Acts 2:46, 47; and “The Lord’s Day” at Rom. 14:5–13. The Sabbath also helps us understand what it means to trust in Christ’s work on the cross rather than working to merit salvation. See “The Sabbath” at Heb. 4:1–13. The famous sprinter Eric Liddell refrained from running preliminary heats in the Olympics because they were held on a Sunday. See here for an article on the life of Eric Liddell.
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The exact location of “a garden eastward in Eden” (Gen. 2:8) remains unknown. However, several pieces of geographical information in Scripture point to a site in the Middle East. Many scholars place Eden in either southern or northern Mesopotamia (the Tigris and Euphrates River valleys).
1. Cush (Gen. 2:13) is generally identified as Ethiopia. However, an area east of the Tigris River was also called Cush during the second millennium B.C.
2. & 3. Pishon and Gihon (Gen. 2:11, 12) have not been identified, but some believe they refer to the Blue Nile and the White Nile respectively. Others hold that they were canals or tributaries of the Tigris and Euphrates.
4. & 5. The Hiddekel (or Tigris) and the Euphrates (Gen. 2:14) were the main rivers flowing through what later became Assyria and Babylonia.
6. Havilah (Gen. 2:11) may refer to a region at the southern end of the Red Sea, either in Africa or Arabia, associated with Cush (compare Gen. 10:7).
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Name means: “Red” or possibly “Ground,” perhaps suggesting blood or the earthy origin of the human race.
Home: Originally the Garden of Eden, from which he and Eve were expelled after disobeying God’s command.
Family: Husband of Eve; father of three known sons, Cain, Abel, and Seth, as well as many unnamed sons and daughters. See “The Family of Adam and Eve” at Gen. 5:3.
Occupation: Likely a gardener or farmer, placed in the Garden of Eden “to tend and keep it” (Gen. 2:15); also an early zoologist, the namer of the animals (2:19, 20).
Best known as: The first man, created in God’s image, but also the first man to sin, bringing God’s judgment and the penalty of death on humanity (3:17–19; Rom. 5:12).
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Inseparable Institutions: Family, State, and Church
As the book of beginnings, Genesis presents the start of three fundamental social institutions: the family, the state, and the community of faith.
The family is the primary institution established by God. Family existed before there were nations, cities, or other human communities. Chronologically and logically, family comes first.
When sin caused the world’s first family to break down, God established the state. After Cain killed Abel (Gen. 4:8), there was no court of law or other government authority to deal with the case. The Lord Himself decreed judgment and punishment, and when God placed a mark on Cain as a protection, He established a law to prevent other people from killing Cain (4:9–15). This law was the start of the state. As with the family, however, it was not long before sinful people corrupted the state (for example, Gen. 4:23, 24).
The world’s early days led to a third institution, the gathering of God’s people, the church. After Adam and Eve buried their righteous son Abel, they gave birth to another son, Seth. This man and his son Enosh were linked with an increasing tendency to “call on the name of the LORD” (4:26). This commitment to righteousness was preserved in Noah (6:8) and continued with Abraham, through whom God promised to bless “all the families of the earth” (12:1–3). This promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who brought not only the blessing of salvation from sin but also of a community based on a common faith (Eph. 2:14–22).
God designed these three institutions—the family, based on biological association; the state, based on geographical association; and the church, based on spiritual association—to reinforce each other and coexist in mutual dependence. Each needs the others to function well, and without cooperation, all three suffer. When one institution struggles or breaks down, the other two should offer support and assistance without attempting to become a replacement.
More: The interplay of our world’s systems opens up ample opportunities for God’s people to influence others with their faith. See “Faith for Modern Life” in the front matter.
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Adam and Eve were created without sin, yet their God-given freedom to choose for or against Him opened the possibility for sin to enter the world. Sin entered Eve’s life through her choice to believe a lie (Gen. 3:13; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14), and Adam surrendered to evil when he chose to ignore God’s authoritative command (Gen. 3:17). These two choices—self-deception and self-will—still complicate our lives, letting sin control and destroy us until Christ breaks the bonds of sin, empowering us to resist.
Temptation prods us to practice false rationalization, to justify doing what we want even when we know our choice is wrong. Temptation also calls us to satisfy our needs and desires in self-serving or corrupt ways. Scripture frequently illustrates these twin afflictions of sin as self-deception and a willful choice of rebellion. Yet when Christ enters our lives, He redeems us, delivering us from sin and death through His sacrifice on the cross. By regenerating our hearts, He sets us free to choose what is true and righteous (1 Cor. 6:9–11; James 1:26, 27; 1 John 3:7–9).
Genesis is where this grand biblical theme of redemption begins. As we trace this theme through Scripture we learn that …
• God has committed Himself to reclaiming this fallen world and rescuing sinful people through His Son Jesus Christ (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 8:19–22).
• God desires that no one be lost, but that every person come to repentance and faith in Jesus (2 Pet. 3:9).
• As believers we have a mandate to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8).
• Salvation affects everything about us—our relationships, our character, and our conduct (Col. 3:17).
• What happens here and now affects us spiritually and has eternal consequences (Matt. 25:31–46).
More: Adam and Eve succumbed to the serpent’s tempting offer (Gen. 3:1–7); later, Jesus urged us to pray that we would avoid the same outcome and resist the Evil One (Matt. 6:13). For more on temptation, see “Real Temptation” at Matt. 4:3 and “Escaping Temptation” at 1 Cor. 10:12, 13.
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A snake made to crawl on its belly. A woman whose birth pangs are multiplied. A man whose work turns into toil. These curses sound harsh and vindictive. But when God pronounced these penalties, He revealed His character as a God of justice who takes seriously matters of right and wrong.
As sinful humans we often look the other way at moral failings. But God is holy and righteous. He does not wink at sin. In what has come to be called the Curse, He demonstrated that sin has consequences—consequences that are a sad outcome for what was declared no less than seven times to be a good creation (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31).
This Curse was not the product of unrestrained wrath. For example, after Cain killed Abel, God marked him, to set a deterrent against anyone killing him (4:10–15). Later, Christ established final and absolute limits on sin’s consequences by taking the Curse and its penalties onto Himself (Gal. 3:13). One day the Curse will be removed from the earth and lifted from God’s people forever (Rom. 8:18–25; Rev. 22:3).
From the outset, God knew that the brunt of the Curse would ultimately fall on His own Son (Eph. 1:4–10). Yet the core of His character demanded that justice be satisfied. The Curse was a grave outcome of Adam and Eve’s disobedience. But we can be thankful that their sentence—and ours—was decided by a God of justice and love.
More: Even as the Bible warns us about the impact of sin, it also provides a message of hope—that forgiveness and healing are available to all who acknowledge their wrongdoings to a God who loves to forgive. See “Confessions That Bring Healing” at 1 Sam. 15:24.
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A stubborn untruth in Western culture casts work as part of the Curse imposed by God to punish Adam and Eve’s sin, which would make work inherently evil. That idea is not found in Scripture. Rather, these are the biblical facts about work:
• God works. The fact that God Himself labors shows that work is good, since God cannot do evil. God is always working. See “God: The Original Worker” at John 5:17.
• God created people in His image to be His coworkers. He gives us the authority and ability to manage His creation.
• God established work before the Fall. Genesis 1–2 records how God created the world, noting that He placed the first humans in a garden “to tend and keep it” (Gen. 2:15). Their assignment came before sin entered the world and before the Curse in chapter 3.
• God applauds work even after the Fall. If work were inherently evil, God would never encourage people to labor. But He repeated for Noah and his family the same command He gave Adam and Eve: to exercise dominion over the earth (9:1–7). God also commands New Testament Christians to work (Col. 3:23; 1 Thess. 4:11).
• Work itself was not cursed in the Fall. Genesis 3:17–19 shows that as a result of Adam’s sin, God cursed not work but the ground: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it” (emphasis added).
This does not mean work remains unaffected by the Curse. Sin has three results: 1) Work that had been a joy became “toil.” People would come to dread the burden of work. 2) “Thorns and thistles” would hamper human efforts to exercise dominion. In other words, the earth would not be as cooperative as it had been. 3) People would have to “sweat” to accomplish their tasks. Work would require greater effort.
Wherever and however we spend our days, work can be burdensome. There is no end to evils connected with work—pressure and stress, physical hazards, office politics, boredom, unchanging routine, disappointments, setbacks, catastrophes, frustration, competition, fraud, deception, injustice. But work itself is not a curse. Work and its fruit are a gift from God (Eccl. 3:13; 5:18, 19).
More: Your job is an extension of Christ’s rule over the world. See “People at Work” at Ps. 8:6.
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Name means: “Life” or “Living.”
Also known as: Woman (Gen. 2:23).
Home: Originally the Garden of Eden, from which she and Adam were expelled after disobeying God’s command.
Family: Wife of Adam; mother of three known sons, Cain, Abel, and Seth, as well as many unnamed sons and daughters. See “The Family of Adam and Eve” at Gen. 5:3.
Occupation: Originally tended the Garden of Eden with Adam.
Best known as: The first woman and the first person to taste the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (3:1–6).
More: Adam honored the wife God gave him by calling her Eve, “because she was the mother of all living” (Gen. 3:20). Nevertheless, her name also recalls the tragic consequences of sin and disobedience. See “The Legacy of Eve” at 1 Tim. 2:13, 14.
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By breaking God’s rules, the first couple gained a heartbreaking new knowledge. After eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve, who had known only good, came to know evil. One of the first results of their newfound knowledge was that they no longer lived unashamed of themselves as creatures made in God’s image. They sensed their nakedness and immediately covered their bodies (Gen. 3:7; compare 2:25).
Self-hatred was a sad gain, and it was only the beginning of humanity’s trouble for acting on the serpent’s deception. Soon the loss of respect for God’s ways and for human dignity led to evil running rampant in God’s good creation (6:5, 6).
God refused to let evil go unchecked. His response to the intrusion of sin into His world and into the lives of human beings was to limit evil. God imposed several restraints:
• He provided clothing, perhaps to limit lust and sexual abuses (3:21).
• He drove Adam and Eve from the garden, cutting them off from the Tree of Life and thus preventing them from living forever in a fallen condition (3:22–24).
• He prevented the first murderer, Cain, from continuing to farm and reap the benefits of the earth, perhaps to keep him from exploiting its resources to cause further destruction (4:11, 12).
• He sent a flood to halt the wickedness of Noah’s generation, preserving Noah and his family to repopulate the earth from an obedient people (6:1–22).
• After the Flood, He limited what Noah and his descendants could eat and established a penalty for murder and perhaps for other interpersonal abuses (9:1–7).
• When evil again gained momentum and the people of Babel banded together to establish their supremacy over the rest of the world, God frustrated their plans by confusing their language and halting their plan to build a tower (11:1–9).
Each instance of God limiting evil reveals the Creator as a kind and benevolent Sovereign who intervenes to protect His creation and prevent people from succumbing to wickedness and destroying themselves. From our perspective, God’s ways may seem severe. But He knows better than we do (Is. 55:8, 9). He will not allow evil to completely undo what He loves and wishes to redeem.
God’s actions give us reason for hope in a world crying with pain, violence, and immorality. Evil and wickedness may seem out of control. But the Bible continually reminds us of God’s intervening love, urging us to persevere (Heb. 10:35–39; James 1:2–4), give thanks in the midst of every circumstance (Col. 3:17; 1 Tim. 4:4, 5), and act as salt to preserve good and as light to show others the glory of God (Matt. 5:13–16).
More: One of the immediate effects of sin was to produce destructive family patterns. For an overview of family dysfunction in Genesis, see “Family Expectations” at Gen. 42:36. The Book of Job presents a revealing example of God placing restraints on evil. See especially Job 1:12; 2:6.
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Loss and Gain
John Milton (1608–1674) experienced the jubilation and despair of human existence both public and private. The son of a successful London scrivener, Milton was educated by private tutors who prepared him for studies at Cambridge University, where he gained a reputation as a poet. After completing undergraduate and graduate degrees, he embarked on a six-year program of private study that culminated in a grand tour of France, Italy, and Switzerland, where he befriended some of the most famous intellectuals, artists, and theologians of his day.
Political strife compelled the young Milton to wield his pen in an attack against England’s monarchy in favor of a republican form of government and freedom from the state church. In 1649, King Charles I was deposed and executed, an event Milton likely witnessed firsthand. His alliance with the victors of England’s civil war launched him into public office. But a decade later, his political opponents were set to regain power, and his stance against the monarchy sent him into hiding. Though his friends secured his pardon and release from a brief imprisonment after the monarchy was restored, Milton spent the remainder of his life in reduced circumstances.
The tumult of Milton’s public life was more than matched by his troubles at home. In 1642 he had married seventeen-year-old Mary Powell, who returned to her royalist family only a few months later. Milton’s writings in favor of divorce provoked a national uproar. The couple reunited in 1645, but Mary died in childbirth in 1652, leaving behind four children. Within a few months, their son John passed away. During the same year, Milton went blind. The poet remarried in 1657, but his wife and their infant daughter were dead two years later.
In these painful circumstances Milton wrote his most celebrated work, Paradise Lost, an epic poem of more than ten thousand lines which earned him instant acclaim and secured his legacy as one of the most influential English-language writers of all time. The blind poet wrote entirely by dictation, composing line after line of intricate verse in his mind, which his friends and assistants committed to paper.
Paradise Lost begins with Satan and the other fallen angels having been defeated and cast into hell. Satan then makes his way to the Garden of Eden, where he successfully tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and Adam willingly follows. For a moment they relish their newfound insight, but they fall asleep to terrible nightmares and awaken overwhelmed by guilt and shame. Adam and Eve are banished from Eden in light of their willful disobedience, but not without the promise of redemption through Jesus Christ.
Milton’s subsequent work, Paradise Regained, also points to the reversal of humanity’s loss of perfection. After Adam and Eve fell into bondage to sin, Satan and his underlings had remained on earth. One day Satan recognizes the unknown son of a carpenter as the One who will save the human race. His fears are confirmed when heaven opens and the Father proclaims, “This is my beloved Son.” Satan then finds Jesus in the wilderness, and after he struggles unsuccessfully to tempt the young Savior to sin, he flees and Jesus returns home, poised to begin His work of rescuing mankind.
As Milton explains in the prologue to Paradise Lost, he wrote “to justify the ways of God to men.” In doing so, the poet explored deep-seated questions about the nature of God, sin, rebellion, and redemption, as well as questions that arose from the emotional upheaval Milton experienced in his own life. By bringing his fears, doubts, sorrows, hopes, and joys before the Lord, he has inspired countless others to take on life’s ups and downs with honesty and faith in God’s redemptive love. At times it may seem as though life’s losses outweigh its rewards … but the story isn’t finished yet.
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Name means: “Acquire.”
Home: After wandering and finding nowhere to settle (Gen. 4:12, 14), he built Enoch, the first city mentioned in the Bible (4:17), named for his firstborn son.
Family: Son of Adam and Eve; father of Enoch. See “The Family of Adam and Eve” at Gen. 5:3.
Occupation: Farmer.
Best known as: The world’s first murderer (4:2–8).
More: God’s discussion of Cain’s anger (Gen. 4:6, 7) raises questions about the appropriateness of this fierce emotion. Paul (Eph. 4:26) suggests that some anger is legitimate when he cites Ps. 4:4, “Be angry, and do not sin.” For more on anger, see “The Power of Anger” at Gen. 49:6, 7.
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Name means: Uncertain, perhaps “Breath” or “Nothing.”
Family: Son of Adam and Eve. See “The Family of Adam and Eve” at Gen. 5:3.
Occupation: Probably best described as a shepherd or rancher of animals.
Best known for: Offering a “more excellent” sacrifice to God than his brother—and murderer—Cain (Heb. 11:4).
More: The murder of Abel shows that a family is a coalition of sinners perpetually susceptible to doing wrong. For more on sin’s impact on the Bible’s early families, see “Family Expectations” at Gen. 42:36. Many Christians have high expectations for their families, and the Bible offers help toward building healthy relationships; see “Help for Families” at Heb. 12:3–13.
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• First city mentioned in the Bible.
• Location unknown but founded by Cain, a fugitive in the land of Nod (“Wandering”).
• Named after Cain’s son Enoch (see his profile at Gen. 5:21).
• Probably not large, perhaps a settlement of several families, but nonetheless called a “city” (Hebrew: ir), implying an enclosed space with permanent dwellings, in contrast to the tents of nomadic shepherds.
• Possibly the birthplace of civilization, specialized occupations, and the arts (4:20–22).
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Cain went down in history as the world’s first murderer. But few remember Cain as the first builder of a city. Ironically, from this exile’s lineage came the first signs of urban civilization.
Cain’s motivation to found a settled town may have sprung from the punishment he received for killing his brother Abel. God cursed Cain and forced him to wander the earth (Gen. 4:10–12). But Cain feared for his life, so God put a mark on him to protect him from harm (4:13–15). He nevertheless fled east of Eden (“Delight”) to the land of Nod (“Wandering”)—a stark contrast!
Perhaps to end his fugitive status, offset the effects of God’s judgment, and even recapture something of the original Eden, Cain founded Enoch, naming the settlement after his firstborn son.
Some regard the birth of the city as bad, pointing out that the city came from a man who “went out from the presence of the LORD” (4:16). They wonder how a man alienated from God could create anything positive. Yet Cain’s descendants brought good into the world, although without totally escaping the effects of either Adam’s fall or the curse placed on Cain. Cain’s progeny included Irad (meaning uncertain), Mehujael (“Smitten of God”), Methushael (“Man of God”), and Lamech (meaning unknown) (4:18).
The sons born to Lamech included another nomad or wanderer, Jabal (“Moving”), but also a musician, Jubal (“Playing”), and a skilled craftsman, especially in metalwork, Tubal-Cain (“Smith”) (4:20–22). Thus from Cain came both pastoral and urban descendants, with the artist perhaps moving between both worlds. Their sister was named Naamah (“Pleasant”).
Before long, another tragedy struck the Cain family when Lamech admitted to murder. Pleading self-defense as his reason for killing a man (4:23, 24), Lamech insisted he be avenged ten times as much as his ancestor Cain, who committed premeditated murder. In reality, Lamech took the law into his own hands, perpetuating the violence and the curse of Cain.
In the end, Cain left a legacy of both good and evil, a dual heritage that lives on in cities today. For instance, European cities gave rise both to the Reformation and the Holocaust; they produced both Bonhoeffer and Hitler. This history reminds us of God’s sobering words to Cain, “If you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you” (4:7).
More: A herdsman, an artist, and an industrial craftsman were all born in the same family—a reminder that every person is uniquely created by God. See “You Are Unique” at Ps. 33:15.
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Names imply: Activity, since each comes from a Hebrew word of uncertain meaning but that possibly suggests movement. See “The Birth of the City” at Gen. 4:18.
Family: Descendants of Cain. See “The Family of Adam and Eve” at Gen. 5:3.
Special interests: Nomadic shepherding or ranching (Jabal; 4:20); music (Jubal; 4:21); and metalwork (Tubal-Cain; 4:22).
Best known as: The fathers of the arts and crafts (Jubal and Tubal-Cain).
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Name means: “Appointed.”
Family: Son of Adam and Eve; “appointed” as a replacement for their murdered son Abel. See “The Family of Adam and Eve” at Gen. 5:3.
Best known as: A symbol of a return to righteousness: replacing “righteous Abel” (Matt. 23:35); he fathered a son, Enosh, and “men began to call on the name of the LORD” (Gen. 4:26); ancestor of Noah (5:6–32; 6:9) and of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:38).
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It is tempting to skip over genealogies when reading the Scriptures, but these family trees serve several essential purposes. Some trace the ancestry of key people in a narrative. Others show connections between the people and nations of the world (Gen. 10:1). Still others reveal God’s sovereign plan progressing through the generations (Ruth 4:18–22).
Generally speaking, there are two kinds of genealogies, linear and segmented. A linear genealogy traces the history of a people to a particular goal, person, or office. For example, the extended genealogy of 1 Chronicles 1–9 highlights the royal line of David. By contrast, a segmented genealogy shows how various social groups are related. For example, Genesis 25:1–4 gives the names of Abraham’s sons through his wife Keturah, believed to be ancestors of some Arabian tribes.
The Bible’s genealogies demonstrate that faith in God is not just a subjective experience but an objective, historical reality. We can root our beliefs in history, which God is moving toward a goal. Genealogies also remind us that authentic faith often involves human beings linked together by blood. Faith is a living story handed down from parents to children, generation after generation, until it reaches its dramatic conclusion in God’s good time.
Major Genealogies of the Bible
Genealogy | Purpose |
The descendants of Adam (Gen. 5:1–32) | Shows the line from Adam to Noah, through whom God “started over again” to remake the world. |
The descendants of Noah (Gen. 10:1–32) | Shows the origin of tribes and nations that play a major role in the biblical narrative (see “The Birth of the Nations” at Gen. 10:1). |
The descendants of Shem (Gen. 11:10–32) | Traces the line from Noah’s son Shem to Abraham. |
The descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:1–43) | Outlines the principal families of the Edomites, cousins of the Israelites, with whom they repeatedly feuded (see “The Edomites: Perpetual Enemies of Israel” at Gen. 36:9 and “A Tale of Two Brothers” at Obad. 10). |
The descendants of Jacob (Gen. 46:8–27) | Lists the principal families of the Israelites. |
Moses’ first census of Israel (Num. 1:1–46) | Gives the heads of the families that left Egypt in the Exodus. |
Moses’ second census of Israel (Num. 26:1–65) | Gives the heads of the families of the generation that entered the Promised Land; used to divide the land among the tribes. |
The genealogy of Israel (1 Chr. 1–9) | Reviews the principal families of the Israelites after the Babylonian exile to recall the nation’s history and set the stage for the account of David’s kingdom. |
The lists of people returning from the Babylonian exile (Ezra 2:1–63; 8:1–14; Neh. 7:6–72) | Lists the principal families that returned to rebuild Judah; probably used to establish ownership of lands in order to return them to their rightful owners. |
Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:1–17) | Establishes Jesus as the Son of David. |
Luke’s genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:23–38) | Establishes Jesus as fully human yet also the Son of God. |
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Name means: “Dedicated” or “Initiated.”
Not to be confused with: The son of Cain, for whom a city was named (Gen. 4:17).
Family: Son of Jared, a descendant of Seth; father of Methuselah; ancestor of Noah (5:21–32; 6:9) and of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:37).
Of special note: After the Babylonian exile, legends began to circulate claiming that Enoch was the father of writing and that he had received divine revelations.
Best known for: Walking with God (Gen. 5:22) until “God took him” (5:24), meaning that he was translated into God’s presence without dying, as was the prophet Elijah (2 Kin. 2:11). The New Testament honors Enoch as an example of outstanding faith (Heb. 11:5, 6).
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Name means: “Man of the Javelin.”
Family: Son of Enoch; ancestor of Noah (Gen. 5:25–29) and of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:37).
Special interests: Perhaps hunting, given his name.
Best known as: The oldest man mentioned in the Bible—he lived 969 years (Gen. 5:27). Nevertheless, the phrase “and he died” is repeated eight times in Gen. 5, a reminder of the consequences of Adam’s sin (2:17; 3:19).
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Name means: “Rest.”
Home: After the Flood, Noah’s ark came to rest on Mount Ararat in the mountainous kingdom of Assyrian Urartu, north of Mesopotamia (eastern region of modern-day Turkey).
Family: See “The Family of Adam and Eve” at Gen. 5:3 and “The Family of Noah” at Gen. 5:32; ancestor of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:36).
Occupation: Known as a farmer after the Flood (Gen. 9:20); he also took care of the animals aboard the ark and planted a vineyard.
Special interests: Described by Peter as “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:5); he also became a boatbuilder.
Best known for: Building an ark large enough to float with animals of every kind and his family of eight for 150 days (Gen. 7:24); Scripture highlights his bold stand for righteousness.
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When God instructed Noah to bring into the ark his immediate family along with two of every creature that possessed the “breath of life,” He acted to preserve His creatures from destruction—not only the destruction caused by the Flood but also the destruction caused by mankind’s way of life.
Scripture portrays humanity with realism: on the whole, we are plagued by sin, evil, and death. While at points biblical accounts of violence may offend us, the scenes are no more violent than what can be seen in most cultures throughout history or around the world today. Bloodshed and wickedness are the norm of human existence. Protracted periods of peace are the exception. If we happen to experience relative peace and prosperity, we should not allow that to color our perception of the biblical record.
The Bible consistently reveals the high value our Creator places on life. By the days of Noah, human sin was rampant. God looked at man and saw that his wickedness was “great,” and that “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). He was “grieved in His heart” to see people dedicate themselves to wrongdoing (6:6). Yet rather than abandon His creation, He decided to start over, offering mankind a fresh beginning. After the Flood, God established a code to enforce protection over people’s lives (9:5, 6). In the same spirit, Christ later appealed to His followers to engage in peacemaking (Matt. 5:9). The biblical record clearly shows that God cherishes life. And as one of God’s greatest gifts, life deserves our respect and honor.
More: The evil in the world happens only by God’s permission, and God imposes precise limits on what occurs. See “God Restrains Evil” at Rev. 13:1–18.
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The eruption of a volcano or the passing of a hurricane is nothing compared to the overwhelming destruction that must have occurred as a result of the Flood. Yet once the waters subsided, Noah led his family in worship and thanksgiving. He reaffirmed for future generations the value of life and the necessity of following God’s ways.
The story of Noah reminds us that all forms of life share a common fate in this world. Moreover, they all experience God’s concern and care. After the Flood, the Lord resolved never again to curse the ground or destroy every living thing. He promised to renew the cycle of the seasons. He sent forth both people and animals to repopulate the earth (Gen. 9:7). He vowed never again to completely destroy the human race by a flood (9:11). Then God created a sign of His promise, a beautiful rainbow, as a permanent reminder of His covenant with every living creature (9:12–17).
The Curse of Genesis 3:14–19 has not been lifted, and people continue to rebel against God. The Lord nevertheless calls us to value creation and join Him in managing it wisely (Lev. 25:2; Ps. 24:1, 2).
More: In the Bible’s description of the end times there is widespread environmental destruction. But not all is consumed. Even as His judgment falls, God shows concern for earth’s resources. See “Faith and the Environment” at Rev. 9:4.
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Shem
Name means: “Renown” or “Name”
Home: After the Flood, perhaps near Mount Ararat, at least for a time.
Family: See “The Family of Noah” at Gen. 5:32.
Father of five sons—Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram (Gen. 10:22); ancestor of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:36).
Best known as: Survivor of the Flood.
Father of five Semitic peoples—Persia, Assyria, Chaldea, Lydia, and Syria—making Shem the father of the ancient Middle Eastern nations generally and the Hebrews in particular (through Arphaxad’s descendant Eber).
Ham
Name means: “Hot”
Home: After the Flood, perhaps near Mount Ararat, at least for a time.
Family: See “The Family of Noah” at Gen. 5:32.
Father of four sons (Gen. 10:6)—Cush and Put (believed to have settled in parts of Africa), Mizraim (believed to be the father of the Egyptians), and Canaan (believed to have settled Phoenicia and Palestine).
Best known as: Survivor of the Flood.
Father of the Canaanites. Canaan was cursed by Noah when his father Ham “saw the nakedness” of Noah (Gen. 9:20–27). The Canaanites were eventually dispossessed of their land by the Israelites.
Japheth
Name means: “Opened” or “Wide-Spreading”
Home: After the Flood, perhaps near Mount Ararat, at least for a time.
Family: See “The Family of Noah” at Gen. 5:32.
Father of seven sons—Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras (Gen. 10:2).
Best known as: Survivor of the Flood.
Father of fourteen Indo-European nations mentioned in Gen. 10. Some of these may be identified as: the ancient Cimmerians (from Gomer), the Scythians (from Magog), the Medes (from Madai), the Ionians or Greeks (from Javan), the peoples of eastern Turkey (from Tubal and Meshech), and certain Aegean islanders, perhaps the Etruscans (from Tiras).
More: Noah’s curse is popularly known as a curse on Ham, but the curse actually fell on Ham’s son Canaan (Gen. 9:25). The impact of Noah’s words was felt generations later when God commanded the Israelites to drive the Canaanites from Canaan. By that time, the Canaanites had a highly advanced culture with fairly large commercial cities. For more on the descendants of Canaan, see “The Canaanites” at Josh. 3:10.
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The Flood reduced the world’s population to one family—Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives (Gen. 7:13, 20–23; 8:18). God had decided to start over, repopulating the world from the family of one righteous man. Genesis summarizes the nations born from that family.
Genesis 10 might look like a list of obscure names and long-forgotten places, but the details matter for the rest of the biblical account, with this list functioning like the cast of characters in the preface of a play. It lists players, their relationships to each other, and which have main roles. Genesis 10 foreshadows God working out a plan that includes all peoples of the world. He first scatters them abroad by confusing their languages at Babel (11:1–9). He then chooses one family, the descendants of Abraham, through which He will bless every family on earth (12:1–3). Ultimately that blessing flows out to all people through Jesus Christ.
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Like a storm cloud on the horizon, the name Nimrod signals coming trouble. Subsequent history shows that peoples and empires that descended from Nimrod—particularly the Assyrians and Babylonians—became ruthless conquerors who harassed and overthrew their ancient neighbors, including the Israelites.
Nimrod was the grandson of Ham, whose first three sons Cush, Mizraim, and Put (Gen. 10:6) are believed to have settled in the Nile River area of Africa. Ham’s fourth son and Nimrod’s uncle, Canaan, settled in the land that came to bear his name, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The descendants of Nimrod, who settled in southern Mesopotamia, thus had connections to groups in Africa such as the Egyptians and the Ethiopians, to groups in southwestern Arabia such as the Sabeans, and to the Caphtorim (or Philistines) and the Canaanites (10:7, 13–20).
Nimrod established two kingdoms, one in the land of Shinar, the other in Assyria (10:10–12). These areas correspond to the Tigris and Euphrates valleys, and the beginnings of the Sumerian, Babylonian, Akkadian, and Assyrian empires are traceable to Nimrod. In fact, Assyria came to be called “the land of Nimrod” (Mic. 5:6).
Some believe the name Nimrod means “We Will Rebel,” implying that this “mighty one on the earth” and “mighty hunter before the LORD” (Gen. 10:8, 9) was actually a fierce agitator. Without a doubt, his descendants turned away from God (Is. 47:1, 10–15; Nah. 3:1–7).
Despite Nimrod’s prominent role in history, his identity remains uncertain. Some suggest he was, or was similar to, King Sargon the Great, whose kingdom of Akkad flourished around 2300 B.C. Sargon proclaimed himself “King of Universal Dominion” while building an empire that stretched from the Mediterranean coast and Asia Minor to Persia.
After the Akkadians, other empires rose and fell in Lower Mesopotamia over the next two thousand years, yet all of them can be traced to Nimrod. It was not until the arrival of Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. that the political and economic might of the Sumerian-Akkadian peoples was broken.
Despite its eclipse, the culture that Nimrod fathered left a rich legacy in the history of civilization.
• The spread of languages began at Babel, on the plain of Shinar (Gen. 11:1–9).
• The Akkadians and their descendants created military empires that brought political, economic, and social organization from the Mediterranean Sea and Asia Minor to the Persian Gulf. These superpowers reflected a major transition from the small city-states common in the ancient world.
• Sumerian-Akkadian culture and technology spread throughout the ancient Middle East.
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1. Babel
• Known elsewhere in the Old Testament as Babylon.
• Site of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9), where God confused the languages of the nations, causing the people to scatter throughout the earth.
• See Babel’s profile at Gen. 11:9.
2. Erech
• A major city of Sumer, an ancient city-state that dominated southern Mesopotamia before 1750 B.C.
• Possibly the site of the first ziggurat.
• May have been where the cylinder seal, a means of indicating ownership, originated.
• Developed a system of writing using pictographs that may have preceded cuneiform.
• A sister city to Ur, Abraham’s hometown.
3. Resen
• Located between Nineveh and Calah, though the exact site is uncertain.
• Part of a four-city quadrangle 60 miles across.
• Name means “Fortress.” A number of places in Assyria were called by this name.
4. Rehoboth Ir
• Name means “Broad Places of the City.”
• Exact location unknown; some believe it may have been the same as Nineveh or one of its suburbs.
• Part of a large, four-city quadrangle described as the “principal city” of Assyria (Gen. 10:12).
5. Accad
• Also known as Agade, capital of the ancient Akkadian empire, which dominated the Middle East around 2300–2000 B.C.
• Believed to have been located in northern Babylonia between the Tigris and Euphrates 15 miles south of modern-day Baghdad, though the exact site has never been positively identified.
• Originated the Akkadian language, from which the Babylonian and Assyrian languages derive, and which resembles Hebrew.
6. Calneh
• Possibly the same as Calno, a city conquered by the Assyrians (Is. 10:9) and mentioned by Tiglath-Pileser III as a tribute city.
• Exact location unknown; some believe it was in southern Mesopotamia; others believe the name Calneh is actually the Hebrew term kullana, meaning “all of them,” and thus a general reference to all of the rest of Nimrod’s cities in the land of Shinar (Gen. 10:10).
7. Nineveh
• A major Assyrian city on the Tigris River about 280 miles north of Babylon.
• Thought to be impregnable because of its massive outer and inner walls.
• See Nineveh’s profile at Jon. 1:2.
8. Calah
• Located at the intersection of the Tigris and Zab Rivers 18 miles south of Nineveh.
• Rebuilt from ruins by slave labor and made the capital of Assyria under Ashurnasirpal II (884–859 B.C.).
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The list of peoples and nations in Genesis 10 reminds us that just as God’s judgment came upon the earth through a flood, so God’s blessings on Noah have spread through his descendants to the ends of the earth. God made “from one blood every nation” of the world (Acts 17:26), the outcome of His charge to Noah to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Gen. 9:1).
Genesis 10 shows that all nations exist under God. No nation has always served God or submitted itself completely to His sovereignty. Some have even violently opposed God’s ways. Nevertheless, this passage implies that God is concerned about the whole world and loves all its peoples (compare John 3:16, 17). As we survey the many nations of our world, we can know we are ultimately all part of the same family, all descendants of one righteous man, Noah (Gen. 10:32).
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Bricks made of clay or a mixture of mud and straw were a primary construction material of the ancient world. There were at least two methods for making bricks. The easiest was to pack clay into a mold and let the block dry in the sun. The Hebrews likely used this method in Egypt (Ex. 5:7) and later in the Promised Land (2 Sam. 12:31; Jer. 43:9). The Babylonians, whose ancestors probably constructed the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:4), used more advanced technology, firing their bricks in kilns to make them harder and more durable. They also made their bricks larger—up to a foot square—and flatter in order to support more weight than sun-dried bricks.
More: Learn more about the workers who used bricks in the numerous construction projects of the ancient world at the entry for “Bricklayer” in the Jobs and Occupations index.
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From Babel to Pentecost: Scattering and Gathering
The confusion of languages at Babel was an explosive moment in history, introducing linguistic and societal barriers that survive to this day. However, in breaking up the unified community at Babel, God was working out His beneficent purposes. He knew that people had united around a sinful desire to thwart His will (Gen. 11:6). He miraculously disrupted their communication as an act of grace, preventing humanity from totally committing itself to rebellion and eventual self-destruction.
Many centuries later, the same God who scattered the people at Babel began to gather them together again. At Pentecost, His Spirit birthed a new community unified around Jesus Christ (see “Pluralism at Pentecost” at Acts 2:5). The Lord even breached linguistic barriers on that day, working a miracle to match the miracle of creating language barriers at Babel.
Since the beginning of history, God has endeavored to save people from sin. He still uses the principles of scattering and gathering, except after Pentecost the people whom He scatters take the message of His grace in the power of His Spirit. He helps them overcome every barrier standing in the way of gathering people back to Himself (see “Connecting Sunday to Monday” at Acts 2:46, 47).
More: To learn more about God’s plan to offer salvation to all people and the responsibility of God’s people to help deliver that message, see the articles under “Jesus” and “Witness and Missions” in the Themes to Study index.
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• Name means “Confusion.” Elsewhere in the Old Testament the name is rendered as Babylon.
• Founded by Nimrod (Gen. 10:10).
• Site of the Tower of Babel (11:1–9), which may have been similar to the ziggurats common to the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians—lofty structures resembling pyramids, built in successive stages with outside staircases and a religious shrine at the top.
• Became a world-renowned city under Hammurabi (c. 1728–1686 B.C.), who made the city the home of Marduk, chief god in a pantheon of 1,300 deities.
• Assumed empire status under the Chaldean kings (625–539 B.C.), especially Nebuchadnezzar (605–563 B.C.).
• Famed for its wealth, commercial trade, and royal splendor. The city’s walls were so thick that chariots atop the walls could pass each other while traveling in opposite directions. Private homes were large, some with several courtyards and as many as two dozen rooms.
• Noted for its development of mythology, philology, medicine, mathematics, and astronomy.
More: Elsewhere in the Bible, Babylon often stands for more than just a city, but an entire world system in rebellion against God. See “Babylon: A Symbol of Evil” at Rev. 14:8.
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A major turning point takes place in Genesis 11. For the second time, God offers a new beginning in the aftermath of judgment on a sinful humanity. Genesis outlines two cycles:
First cycle
• God created the world and its people (Gen. 1:1—2:25).
• Sin entered the world, and people became increasingly wicked; finally God destroyed them through the Flood (3:1—7:24).
Second cycle
• God started over again with Noah and his family (9:1–19); Noah’s descendants multiplied (10:1–32).
• Eventually these descendants resisted God’s mandate to “fill the earth” (1:28; 9:7); God scattered them abroad by confusing their language at Babel (11:1–9).
After God scattered Babel’s inhabitants throughout the earth, He again singled out a man and his family through whom He would accomplish His purposes. He chose the family of Abram (later renamed Abraham), a descendant of Shem (11:10–26).
God told Abram to leave his country, his father’s house, and his extended family, instructing him to travel to an unknown land (12:1). There God would grant Abram land, fame, and a family too large to number. This call of Abram narrows the focus of the Old Testament to one family, but through this clan, all the families of the earth would be blessed (12:3). When Abram responded in faith and began his walk toward God’s promise, the Lord’s long-term strategy to bless the entire world moved forward.
God’s intention had always been to bring people into right relationship with Him, and ultimately that plan of redemption would be fulfilled in Abram’s descendant Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3, 4, 7–12; Col. 1:26, 27). Through Him, anyone can start over again in knowing God and living as He originally intended (2 Cor. 5:17). The Lord’s plan will be complete in heaven, where He will be worshiped by a throng gathered from “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).
More: The promise of a blessing on “all the families of the earth” (Gen. 12:3) is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world (Luke 2:29–32). Yet centuries before Jesus came, the psalmist wrote of God’s salvation among all nations. See Ps. 67 for a song of international worship and worldwide blessing beginning with Israel.
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Name means: Uncertain, possibly “Duration” or “Wandering.”
Home: Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen. 11:28, 31), often identified with Al-Muqayyar in eastern Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) on the Euphrates River near the Persian Gulf. He lived there before migrating with his family to Haran (near the modern-day border between Turkey and Syria, 275 miles northeast of Damascus).
Family: Father of Abram (Abraham). See “The Family of Noah” at Gen. 5:32 and “The Family of Abraham” at Gen. 15:4–6. He was also an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:1; Luke 3:34).
Religious background: Probably worship of the Sumerian moon-god (the principal pagan deity of Ur and Haran), and the other idols of Mesopotamia.
Best known as: The father of Abram (Abraham).
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• A major city of southern Mesopotamia strategically located on the Euphrates River between Babylon and the Lower Sea (or Persian Gulf).
• Inhabited continuously until 300 B.C.
• Believed to have had a population of 250,000 around 2000 B.C.
• Capital of the Sumerian empire for two centuries until the Elamites captured the city in 1900 B.C.
• Hometown of Abram’s family.
• Center of an advanced urban civilization, as evidenced by artifacts of clay documents, jewelry, crafts, china, and crystal. The city was noted for its architecture, art, culture, and literature.
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Abram’s family left Ur, to the southeast of ancient Babylon, to embark on a journey of several hundred miles along the Fertile Crescent, a well-watered region amid the dry lands of the ancient Middle East. They settled in Haran, a flourishing trade center. God then sent Abram toward a new land that would be divulged only when he had arrived there. Abram eventually pitched his tent in Bethel (Gen 12:8).
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• A city in northern Mesopotamia on the Balikh tributary of the Euphrates River, 280 miles northeast of Damascus.
• Name may mean “Main Road” or “Crossroads”; Haran was situated on an important east-west trade route connecting Nineveh with the Mediterranean and linking the cities of Mesopotamia with points to the north and west.
• Home of Abram’s family after they left Ur in southern Mesopotamia.
• Destroyed by the Assyrians in 763 B.C. (2 Kin. 19:12). Rebuilt by Sargon II and made the capital of Assyria after the fall of Nineveh (c. 612 B.C.). Captured by the Babylonians in 609 B.C.
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Name means: “Father of a Multitude” (Gen. 17:5).
Also known as: Abram (“Exalted Father”).
Home: Ur of the Chaldeans; Haran (11:31); the land of Canaan (12:5); Egypt (12:10); Beersheba in the land of the Philistines (21:34).
Family: See “The Family of Abraham” at Gen. 15:4–6.
Best known as: The patriarch of ancient Israel and the one to whom and through whom God promised a blessing to all nations (12:1–3; 13:14–16; 17:1–8; 18:17–19; 22:17, 18).
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The Families of the Old Testament
God promised to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham, and Scripture shows that God often used families to accomplish His purposes. The Old Testament relates the story of many families and how God worked them into His master plan. You can meet some of these Old Testament families through the family trees located at the following texts:
“The Family of Adam and Eve” | |
“The Family of Noah” | |
“The Family of Abraham” | |
“The Family of Jacob” | |
“The Family of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” | |
“The Family of Ruth and Boaz” | |
“The Family of David” | |
“The Family of Solomon” |
These family trees are not exhaustive. For example, Adam and Eve had other children besides the three sons shown in the family tree at Genesis 5:3 (Gen. 5:4). However, the Bible does not provide their names, and they do not enter into the narrative in an active way. For the sake of clarity and brevity, the family trees show only the principal members of each family. The generations of families and their connections show what God was accomplishing in the ancient world.
More: God promised to bless all the families of the earth. But see the reality of families in “Family Expectations” at Gen. 42:36. The families of Genesis grew into peoples, tribes, and nations. Discover more about these groups in “The Peoples of the Old Testament” at Josh. 24:11. To learn about some families of the New Testament, see “Families of the Gospels” at Luke 20:34 and “Families of the Early Church” at Acts 16:31–34.
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Beginning with chapter 12, Genesis narrows its focus to the life of Abraham. However, many things were happening in the world beyond Canaan. About the time Abraham was leaving Haran …
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The place Abraham pitched his tent and built an altar was near Bethel. Bethel is one of the most significant sites in Scripture, mentioned more often than any other except Jerusalem. This important city still holds essential lessons for believers. The small city of Ai to the east would play a major role in Israel’s early attempts to conquer the land of Canaan. See Bethel’s profile at Genesis 28:19 and Ai’s profile at Joshua 7:2.
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Name means: “Covering.”
Home: Originally Ur of the Chaldeans; traveled with Abram to Haran, Canaan, Egypt, and back to Bethel; settled among the cities of the well-watered plain of Jordan (Gen. 11–13); moved to Sodom; eventually fled to the mountains by way of Zoar.
Family: Nephew of Abraham. See “The Family of Abraham” at Gen. 15:4–6.
Occupation: Herdsman who owned many flocks and cattle.
Best known as: Abraham’s nephew who enjoyed the comforts and customs of wicked Sodom. Lot paid dearly for his poor judgment, losing his home and possessions, his sons-in-law, and his wife (19:1–26). The New Testament nevertheless presents him as a righteous man whose soul was tormented day after day as he witnessed his neighbors’ lawless deeds (2 Pet. 2:6–9).
More: The “plain of Jordan” which Lot chose for himself (Gen. 13:10–12) is described by the Hebrew word kikkar (meaning “circle” or “circuit”). This means that Lot chose a large area of the Jordan River plain from Succoth in the north to Sodom in the south. There are seven Hebrew words to translate the English word plain. See the map “The Plains of Israel” here.
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Lot’s decision to live among the cities of the plain and to pitch his tent near Sodom meant he was headed for trouble because he apparently ignored Sodom’s well-known reputation for evil. The eventual destruction of Sodom became legendary throughout the ancient world as the fitting consequence of wickedness. Two other cities, Admah and Zeboiim, were destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah (Deut. 29:23). Only one of the five cities of the plain, Zoar, escaped judgment.
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Canaan was the land the Lord showed Abraham and promised to his descendants forever. In Abraham’s day, the area was inhabited by various tribes known collectively as the Canaanites (see “The Canaanites” at Josh. 3:10). It would be several hundred years before Abraham’s descendants took possession of most of the land, when “the iniquity of the Amorites” was complete (Gen. 15:16). Moses later carefully defined the borders of the land (Num. 34:1–12). For details, see the map at “The Promised Land” at Joshua 1:11.
No one knows whether Abraham and the other patriarchs had maps to consult about the territory God promised them (Gen. 13:14, 15), and to date no maps have been unearthed from that era. Nevertheless, the Hebrew words indicating direction offer an idea of what such a map would have looked like:
• “forward” means east;
• “behind” means west;
• “right” means south; and
• “left” means north.
In other words, the Old Testament fathers looked to the east as their point of reference—not to the north, as is the usual practice today.
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En Mishpat, belonging to the Amalekites, and Hazezon Tamar, belonging to the Amorites, were strategic targets for the armies of Chedorlaomer. The areas surrounding these ancient sites were rugged and parched. But En Mishpat, also known as Kadesh, offered a well or spring, and Hazezon Tamar, better known as En Gedi, located on the barren west shore of the Dead Sea, was an oasis fed by hot springs that created a semitropical retreat. These freshwater outlets would provide Chedorlaomer with ideal sites for setting up headquarters.
More: To learn more about Kadesh and its significance in the history of the Israelites, see the site’s profile at Num. 13:26. To find out more about En Gedi, especially its importance to David during his flight from Saul, see its profile at 1 Sam. 23:29.
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Christians sometimes struggle to relate to people who might be called “committed unbelievers”—people who have made up their minds to have nothing to do with God—often treating them with anger and animosity. Abraham offered a better model in Genesis 14 when he placed his life and property at risk to show kindness to his unbelieving neighbors.
Pushing Borders
The battles of Genesis 14 resulted from the expansionist visions of the Elamites. Elam was a notable world power in Abraham’s day. For centuries the Elamites struggled with the Babylonians, Assyrians, Medes, and Persians for sovereignty over the territory around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (occupied today by Iran, Iraq, and Syria). Between about 2000 and 1800 B.C., the Elamites significantly expanded their kingdom, destroying Ur, Abraham’s birthplace, in about 1950 B.C. It was likely shortly thereafter that King Chedorlaomer initiated a major military campaign to the west and south against the strongholds of the Canaanites (Gen. 14:1–3).
Chedorlaomer’s design might have been to gain a foothold in Canaan in preparation for later advances against Egypt. Whatever his strategy, his coalition of forces was successful. For the next twelve years, the five cities of the plain headed by Sodom and Gomorrah became his vassal states (14:4).
Rebellion Crushed
When the Canaanites finally rebelled, Chedorlaomer responded by invading with full force. It appears the Elamite king planned not only to crush Sodom and its allies but also to lay claim to all of Canaan. His army swept down from the north until it came to the desert at El Paran. Then it turned back to the north and overran the Amalekites and Amorites (14:5–7). The Elamites controlled the entire land of Canaan from north to south. No one could stop them.
With the cities of the plain isolated from their allies, Chedorlaomer focused his attention on settling the score with his rebellious tributaries. After a fierce battle in which the Canaanite forces were thoroughly routed, the survivors ran for the mountains. Many did not make it (14:8–10). The Elamites plundered the cities before starting the thousand-mile trip back to Elam. Included among the captives was Lot, Abraham’s nephew (14:11, 12).
Surprise Attack
With Lot held captive, Abraham acted. He mustered his servants along with a group of Amorite neighbors who had survived the Elamite invasion. The combined forces probably numbered no more than one or two thousand men. God enabled the small militia to launch a surprise attack against Chedorlaomer’s army and send his troops running for their lives out of Canaan (14:14, 15).
Abraham’s victory rescued Lot and his family from almost certain slavery and also delivered the Canaanites from Elamite control. This is significant in light of the fact that the Canaanites—those in the cities of the plain as well as those living elsewhere in Canaan, such as the Amorites—were idolaters whose wickedness would eventually result in their destruction (18:20, 21; 19:13, 24, 25; see also “The Abominations of the Canaanites” at Lev. 18:24–30).
A Model of God’s Grace
God could have used Chedorlaomer to destroy Sodom and the rest of the Canaanites. Instead, He blessed these godless people by prompting Abraham to chase away their enemies. Perhaps the Lord was giving the Canaanites an opportunity to repent. Certainly Abraham’s behavior modeled grace for them, and this immigrant from Ur became their highly respected friend. In fact, his rout of Chedorlaomer may be why Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived in relative peace with their neighbors for the next two hundred years.
Abraham models how to show grace to unbelieving neighbors and associates. Even if they are unyielding in their resolve to reject God, the Lord nevertheless wants to bless them through us. Even if they never respond to God, we can bring them His care.
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More: God promised to bless all families of the earth through Abraham (Gen. 12:3). Families have also been used by God to be a blessing. See “The Families of the Old Testament” at Gen. 12:3.
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When God made promises to Abraham and foretold his descendants’ destiny, He didn’t forget the Amorites.
The Amorites were a nomadic, barbarous people living in Canaan (Gen. 10:15, 16; Deut. 1:27), or what is now Palestine, western Saudi Arabia, and southern Syria. Shortly before 2000 B.C., their ancestors migrated from the west and overran the kingdoms and cities of the Fertile Crescent as far as Mesopotamia. They dominated the region until about 1850 B.C., when they were brought under Babylonian control.
Throughout Old Testament times, Amorites remained in Syria, Phoenicia, and the desert regions to the south (Josh. 13:4). A significant number, however, settled in Palestine (Judg. 11:19–22). They spoke a language closely related to Canaanite and Hebrew. The Old Testament frequently uses “Amorites” as a synonym for Canaanites in general, as is the case in Genesis 15. Canaan, the grandson of Noah, was the father of the Amorites (Gen. 10:15, 16).
God allowed the Amorites, or Canaanites, to live in the Promised Land for many years despite their idolatry and immorality. But His patience was not limitless. He would soon cast them out, as His promise to Abraham foreshadowed. Many Amorite cities would be conquered under Joshua. In fact, the first Israelite victories were won against the Amorite kings Sihon and Og, who ruled much of the Promised Land east of the Jordan River (Josh. 12:1–6). The survivors became servants to the Israelites (1 Kin. 9:20, 21). Thus Noah’s curse of Canaan was fulfilled (Gen. 9:25–27), as well as God’s promise to Abraham (15:16).
The Lord’s message here indicates He was guiding Israel and the Amorites toward a goal. God was fitting the nations of the ancient Middle East into His master plan.
More: The Bible often refers to either Amorites or Canaanites to indicate all the peoples living in Canaan between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. See “Amorites and Canaanites” at Josh. 5:1. Discover other ancient tribes and nations in “The Peoples of the Old Testament” at Josh. 24:11.
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Name means: “Flight.” The name, which is Semitic, may have been given to this Egyptian slave by her Hebrew owner Sarah.
Home: Originally Egypt; eventually Canaan.
Family: Concubine to Abraham, who fathered her son Ishmael.
Occupation: Slave.
Best known as: The woman through whom childless Sarah attempted to fulfill the Lord’s promise of a son.
More: To understand Hagar’s role and duties as Sarah’s maidservant, see the entries for “Maid” and “Slave” in the Jobs and Occupations index. See also “Barrenness” at Gen. 18:11, 12 and “Concubines” at Gen. 30:3–13. In the New Testament, Hagar is used as a warning against turning to the law for salvation rather than trusting in Christ alone. See “The Two Covenants of Sarah and Hagar” at Gal. 4:24, 25.
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Not to be confused with: Five other men in the Old Testament with the same name (1 Chr. 8:38; 2 Chr. 19:11; 23:1; Ezra 10:22; Jer. 41:1–15).
Home: Grew up in the Wilderness of Paran, south of Canaan.
Family: Son of Abraham by his wife Sarah’s Egyptian handmaid Hagar; husband of an unnamed Egyptian woman (Gen. 21:21); father of twelve sons and one daughter, Mahalath, who married Esau, son of Isaac (28:9). See “The Family of Abraham” at Gen. 15:4–6.
Special interests: Archery (21:20).
Best known as: A perceived competitor to Isaac, the “son of promise” (21:9, 10; Gal. 4:29), which brought about the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael from Abraham’s family. God heard their prayers and eventually fulfilled His promise to make a great nation of Ishmael outside the covenant. Modern Arabs claim descent from the Ishmaelites, and ultimately from Abraham.
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The rite of circumcision formed a powerful, enduring symbol of God’s covenant relationship with Abraham and his offspring.
The procedure of surgically removing the male foreskin was widely practiced in the ancient world, including in the Egyptian and Canaanite cultures. But they performed the rite at the start of puberty as an initiation into manhood. By contrast, Hebrews circumcised infant boys as a sign of their calling to serve God as His special, holy people in the midst of a pagan world.
God instructed Abraham to circumcise every male in his household, including servants. This was a physical sign of the covenant between the Lord and His people, and any male not circumcised was to be “cut off from his people” and regarded as a covenant breaker. The custom was performed on the eighth day after birth, when a son was named (Luke 1:59; 2:21). Early in Hebrew history, the rite was performed by the father, but the job eventually fell to specialists.
The Hebrew people took pride in circumcision as a badge of their spiritual and national superiority. This attitude fostered a spirit of exclusivism rather than a compassion to reach out to other nations as God intended. Gentiles came to be regarded as the “Uncircumcision” (Eph. 2:11), a term of disrespect implying non-Jewish peoples stood outside the circle of God’s love. Eventually the terms circumcised and uncircumcised became charged with emotion, a fact obvious from the discord around the issue centuries later in the early church (see “The Circumcision” at Gal. 2:12).
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Name means: “Princess.”
Also known as: Sarai (“My Princess”).
Home: Originally Ur in Mesopotamia; later Haran; eventually Canaan.
Family: Half sister to her husband Abraham—they had the same father but different mothers (Gen. 20:12); mother of Isaac. See “The Family of Abraham” at Gen. 15:4–6.
Best known for: Bearing a promised son, Isaac, after she was well past childbearing years.
More: Just as Jewish men valued their connection with Abraham, so Jewish women tended to regard themselves as daughters of Sarah. In the New Testament, Peter used this to advantage in exhorting Christian wives about their relationship to their husbands. See “Sarah and Her Daughters” at 1 Pet. 3:6.
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Sarah laughed at the thought of bearing children at an advanced age. She may have laughed more out of pain than surprise because in her day, barrenness was considered a curse (Gen. 16:2; 20:17, 18; Luke 1:25) and grounds for divorce. Several women in Scripture illustrate the predicament of the childless woman, yet they each eventually gave birth to a child.
Women Who Experienced Childlessness
Name | Description |
Used her maid Hagar as a surrogate mother, then rejected both Hagar and the child, Ishmael; eventually gave birth to Isaac, changing her laughter of pain to laughter of joy. | |
Rebekah (Gen. 25:21) | Became pregnant after her husband Isaac prayed to the Lord on her behalf; gave birth to twins, Esau and Jacob. |
Rachel (Gen. 29:31—30:24) | Driven by despair to use her maid Bilhah to compete with her older sister Leah, who was the other wife of her husband Jacob; eventually gave birth to Joseph and later to Benjamin; died in childbirth. |
Manoah’s wife (Judg. 13) | Alerted by God that she would conceive a son to be raised as a Nazirite; gave birth to Samson, a judge of Israel. |
Hannah (1 Sam. 1) | Desperately prayed for a son she vowed to dedicate to the Lord; gave birth to Samuel, a judge of Israel. |
Elizabeth (Luke 1:5–25, 57–66) | Became pregnant after her husband Zacharias was promised a son who would be the forerunner to the Messiah; gave birth to John the Baptist. |
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• Two of the five “cities of the plain” (Gen. 13:12) near the southern end of the Dead Sea in a fertile area said to be like Eden (13:10).
• Sodom means “Burning”; Gomorrah means “Submersion.”
• Notorious in the Bible and elsewhere for wickedness and rebellion against God (for example, 2 Pet. 2:6).
• Chosen by Lot, Abraham’s nephew, as the area to graze his flocks and pitch his tent (Gen. 13:11).
• Judged by God for a variety of sins, including failure to care for the poor despite much wealth (Ezek. 16:49) and for sexual immorality (Jude 7).
• Destroyed by brimstone and fire that rained from the sky (Gen. 19:24, 25). The region is still barren even though it was once “well watered everywhere” (13:10).
• Site of frequent earthquakes and other geological events.
• Abundant nearby repositories of salt, asphalt, and sulfur.
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• One of the five “cities of the plain” (Gen. 13:12) of Jordan, a fertile area said to be like Eden (13:10).
• Also called Bela (“Swallowing” or “Devouring”; 14:2, 8), later Zoar (“Little” or “Insignificant”; 19:20).
• Located at a distance from its four neighbors, it alone was spared from the destructive rain of brimstone and fire in response to Lot’s plea (19:19–23).
• Provided temporary refuge for Lot though he was afraid to live there for long (19:30).
• Known to have survived into the seventh century B.C. (Is. 15:5; Jer. 48:34).
• May be identified with the site of es-Safi at the foot of the mountains of Moab, on the river Zered about 4.5 miles from where it empties into the Dead Sea.
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The Legacy of Sodom and Gomorrah
Throughout Scripture and many extrabiblical works, Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities of the plain (Gen. 13:12) stand as a symbol of divine judgment for collective wickedness. What was once a well-watered, fertile region is today desolate, full of tar pits, mounds of asphalt, and marshes. These ill-fated cities remind us that wickedness will not go unpunished. They also show that God not only judges sinful individuals like Lot’s wife (19:26) but also entire cities and their surroundings.
However, the story is not all bad news. After the tragic end of Sodom and Gomorrah, “God remembered Abraham” (19:29). When we recall the patriarch’s righteous example, several lessons of the story become clear.
• Prayer matters. Abraham shows us that it is legitimate to pray for cities (18:22–33) even if we can never go there. Abraham prayed persistently for the city of Sodom, believing nothing was too hard for the Lord (18:14). His example challenges us to pray for cities and to ask God to accomplish specific things.
• People count. Ten believing persons living in Sodom could have saved it (18:32). In other words, righteous persons acting as salt and light (Matt. 5:13–16) can preserve places where evil runs rampant. God spared Zoar for the sake of one righteous man, Lot (Gen. 19:16–22; 2 Pet. 2:6, 7). God’s people should live boldly, humbly, and righteously in the places He calls us to.
• God is sovereign. God’s decision to destroy four cities of the plain but to preserve the fifth, Zoar, shows He is ultimately in control. God does not want to destroy cities or their people and systems (2 Pet. 3:9), but He can and will, deciding when, where, and how judgment will fall. God can also rescue people from evil places. Those facts invite us to trust and respect God’s sovereignty, living with the knowledge that He is in control and we are accountable to Him.
• Pride goes before a fall. Sodom was destroyed not only because of sexual sin (Gen. 19:1–17; Jude 7) but also due to its pride and its hoarding of wealth while failing to care for the poor and needy (Ezek. 16:48–50). The city’s example challenges us to use the resources God puts under our control with wisdom and generosity.
• Running away does not curtail sin—it only spreads it around. The behavior of Lot and his daughters after fleeing from Sodom shows sin is not confined by geographical barriers. They brought Sodom-like immorality wherever they went (Gen. 19:19–22, 30–36). Running from a place to escape its problems and evils may be a way of avoiding God’s call to stay and live as His representatives.
More: The two beings described as angels (Gen. 19:1) were messengers from God sent to warn Lot of Sodom’s impending destruction. Angels play important roles throughout the Bible, even when they remain in the background. See “Angels and the Exile” at Zech. 3:1; “Angels and Demons” at Matt. 8:29; and “Angels” at Rev. 7:1 for more on the nature and purpose of angels.
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Abraham’s request that God heal Abimelech and his wives and concubines was a call for mercy. In Hebrew culture, barrenness was considered a curse. Indeed, in Abimelech’s case, Genesis interprets the barrenness of Abimelech’s wives as a judgment from God. But the Lord heard Abraham’s intercession and removed the curse, enabling the women to bear children. To learn more about the dreaded condition of infertility, see “Barrenness” at Genesis 18:11, 12.
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• Chief city of the Negev Desert at the southernmost extremity of the Promised Land, giving rise to the expression, “from Dan (in the north) to Beersheba” (for example, Judg. 20:1; 1 Chr. 21:2).
• Name means “Well of the Oath” or “Well of the Seven,” referring to a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech concerning a well Abimelech had seized; the agreement was sealed with a gift of seven ewe lambs (Gen. 21:28–31). In swearing to assist a pagan king, Abraham demonstrated respect for other peoples in Canaan even though they did not worship the Lord.
• Site of a number of weighty encounters with God, including Hagar’s (21:17), Isaac’s (26:23–33), and Jacob’s (46:1–5).
• Identified by archaeologists as modern-day Tell es-Saba, two miles east of modern-day Beersheba.
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We don’t know what Abraham thought when he first heard God’s command to offer his only son Isaac as a sacrifice. But at some point Abraham chose to trust God, setting out on a three-day journey toward the mountain God named. Though the sacrifice of his beloved son seemed to negate God’s promise of an heir, Abraham believed God would keep His Word—even if it required raising Isaac from the dead (Rom. 4:17).
God’s demand for Isaac’s sacrifice is a challenging reminder that life is always in God’s hands. It comes from and belongs to the Lord (Gen. 2:7; Job 27:3; 33:4). It is merely loaned to both parents and children, and God can ask for its return at any time. In that respect, the command to slay Isaac recalled the arduous period Abraham and Sarah endured while waiting for the birth of this very son (Gen. 18:1–15; 21:1–7).
Numerous Old Testament passages teach that God abhors human sacrifice (for example, Lev. 18:21; 20:2; Deut. 12:31; Ps. 106:35–38; Ezek. 20:30, 31). When Abraham was about to slay his son, God stopped the raised knife and provided a non-human alternative in Isaac’s place.
This scene gives us a glimpse of God’s own anguish when He would one day offer up His own beloved Son on the cross. It proves that Abraham’s faith in the God of mercy was well-placed. It also demonstrates the wisdom of God. He may make what seem like outrageous requests. But if, like Abraham, we believe and obey, He will reward our faith with His goodness and righteousness.
More: The sacrifice of Isaac mirrored the terrible suffering and death Christ had to experience to break the bondage holding all of God’s creation in its vicious grip. See “The Painful Path to Peace” at 1 Pet. 4:12–19.
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Name means: “Laughter.”
Home: Possibly born at Gerar (Gen. 20:1; 21:1, 2); lived at Beer Lahai Roi (“The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me”; 25:11) after his father Abraham’s death; famine prompted him to move his family back to Gerar, where he reopened the wells Abraham had dug (26:17, 18); eventually settled in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
Family: Son of Abraham and Sarah; husband of Rebekah; father of Jacob and Esau. See “The Family of Abraham” at Gen. 15:4–6.
Special interests: He enjoyed the wild game that his favorite son Esau brought him (25:28).
Best known as: The “child of promise” (18:14; Gal. 4:28) and the object of supreme testing for Abraham’s faith (Gen. 22:1–18).
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God’s promise to bless “all the nations of the earth” through Abraham is still being fulfilled today. Throughout the world, people are finding the blessing of salvation from sin and new life in Christ, the descendant (or “seed”) of Abraham through whom God’s blessing has come. This good news is worth celebrating, and Scripture urges the nations to “be glad and sing for joy” (Ps. 67:4). Each day brings us the opportunity to sing and celebrate the joy of God’s blessing.
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Abraham’s purchase of the field of Ephron was a public transaction, evident from the phrase “before all who went in at the gate of his city.” In the ancient Middle East, civic business was often conducted at the city gates. Those who “went in at the gate” were primarily adult male property owners. A similar reference occurs in Genesis 34:24 to indicate the adult males of Shechem.
More: Gates became a metaphor signifying the economic and political life of walled cities. To learn more about the significance of this term, see “The Gates of Hell” at Matt. 16:18.
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• One of the oldest cities in Palestine, occupied since at least 3000 B.C. and located at the southern end of the Judean hill country, 23 miles south of Jerusalem.
• Originally known as Kirjath Arba (“Town,” “City of Arba,” or “City of the Four”; Gen. 23:2; Josh. 20:7); the later name of Hebron (“Alliance”) implied military importance and historic connections.
• Settled by the Hittites (“sons of Heth”; Gen. 23:7, 8) and the Amorites (descendants of Canaan, 10:15, 16).
• Situated in the Valley of Eshcol (“Cluster”), which boasted vineyards, orchards, olive groves, and several wells and pools of water.
• Site of numerous biblical events (for example, Gen. 13:18; 2 Sam. 2:1; see also “Caleb’s Mountain” at Josh. 14:12) and highly symbolic for the Israelites.
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Abraham was so concerned about the racial heritage of his son’s prospective wife that he sent his servant to Haran and made him swear to find a bride among “my country and … my family.”
Marriage between related persons was common in the ancient world. Even though marriage between relatively close relations was practiced, incest of the sort that occurred between Lot and his daughters (Gen. 19:30–35) was strongly condemned. When the Law was given to Israel, it extended the prohibition against sexual relations within the family to a man’s mother, sister, aunt, granddaughter, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepmother, stepsister, stepdaughter, or stepgranddaughter (Lev. 18:6–18).
Relatives Who Married Each Other
Husband: Cain (Gen. 4:17)
Wife: Unknown
Relationship: Brother/sister (assumed)
Husband: Nahor (Gen. 11:29)
Wife: Milcah
Relationship: Uncle/niece
Husband: Abraham (Gen. 20:12)
Wife: Sarah
Relationship: Half brother/half sister
Husband: Isaac (Gen. 24:15)
Wife: Rebekah
Relationship: First cousins once removed; also first cousins twice removed
Husband: Jacob (Gen. 29:9–12)
Wife: Leah/Rachel
Relationship: First cousins; also second cousins once removed; also second cousins twice removed
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Innumerable people have prayed words like those spoken by Abraham’s servant, asking God for success in finding the right spouse. Others have requested help with grades, sports, business, or other competitive aspects of life, asking God to bless their efforts with success.
Surrounded by others pushing to succeed, people of faith often struggle with the place and pursuit of success. Some believe material success always represents a compromise of spiritual convictions. Others feel success signals God is pleased with them. Still others say they are not interested in success, yet their claim seems to be an excuse for poor performance in key areas of life.
The issue of success is complex and charged with emotion. But these observations may prove helpful:
1. Success always implies striving to meet a set of standards established by a person or group.
2. The pursuit of success is always a personal choice. No one can make someone else pursue success.
3. Obtaining success always exacts a cost. It requires time, ability, and resources.
As we pursue success—or refrain from pursuing it—we can ask three questions: Who determines what success means for me? What am I choosing by my pursuit of success? What price am I paying to achieve success?
More: Scripture has ample words about success. To find out more, see the articles under “Success and Significance” in the “Work” section of the Themes to Study index.
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Name means: Uncertain, possibly “Ensnaring Beauty.”
Home: Originally Haran (also called “the city of Nahor,” Gen. 24:10); then Beer Lahai Roi (24:61, 62), Gerar (26:17, 18), and other locations in Canaan after marrying Isaac.
Family: Daughter of Bethuel, Abraham’s nephew; wife of Isaac; mother of Esau and Jacob. See “The Family of Abraham” at Gen. 15:4–6.
Occupation: Homemaker.
Best known for: Masterminding the deception by which Jacob obtained Isaac’s blessing instead of Esau (27:5–29).
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Abraham’s second wife Keturah is called a “concubine” in 1 Chronicles 1:32. This suggests that she had been a female slave before Sarah’s death and was elevated to the status of full wife after Sarah’s death, a practice common in the ancient world. See “Concubines” at Genesis 30:3–13.
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Abraham and Keturah’s son Midian became the father of the Midianites, a nomadic tribe that settled in the desert area southeast of Canaan. Although the connection to Abraham made the Midianites distant relatives of the Israelites, the two nations shared a long history of hostilities. See “The Midianites” at Numbers 25:17.
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Isaac’s earnest prayer for the Lord to help his wife conceive was motivated by many factors. He himself was the result of a promise (Gen. 18:10–14) and he knew that God had promised to bless Abraham with descendants as numerous as the sands of the seashore (15:5) and the stars in the sky (22:17). Furthermore, Isaac deeply loved his wife Rebekah (24:67) and he was grieved that she was childless. Barrenness, a condition experienced by many women in the Bible, was considered a curse. See “Barrenness” at Genesis 18:11, 12.
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Name means: “Hairy.”
Also known as: Edom (“Red”), the name he was given after he traded his birthright to his brother Jacob.
Home: Settled near Mount Seir (see the map at Edom’s profile at Gen. 36:8) when his family and possessions grew too numerous to live comfortably near his brother Jacob (36:6–8).
Family: Son of Isaac and Rebekah; married Canaanite wives, a source of grief to his parents (26:34, 35); ancestor of the Edomites. See “The Family of Abraham” at Gen. 15:4–6.
Special interests: Hunting and the outdoors (25:27, 28).
Best known for: Giving up his birthright in exchange for a meal (25:29–34) and being cheated out of his father’s blessing (27:36). The latter was such a bitter loss he vowed to kill his brother. The birthright and blessing would have secured for Esau most of his father’s property and the role as the family patriarch and priest.
More: Esau showed remarkable magnanimity in reconciling with Jacob. Even though Esau forgave his brother, the author of Hebrews used him as an illustration of the dire consequences of harboring bitterness. See “A Spiritual Checkup” at Heb. 12:14–29.
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When Jacob asked Esau to sell him his birthright, he sought to obtain a position with both legal and spiritual benefits. A firstborn son in Bible times enjoyed a favored position by right of birth. He was privileged to inherit a double portion of his father’s assets (Deut. 21:17) and could expect to receive a special blessing before the father died. After his father’s death, a firstborn son became the head of the family, carrying on the family name and acting as the family priest.
These inheritance rights of the firstborn were protected by law; a father could not give his benefits to a younger son (21:15–17). However, the firstborn himself could lose, forfeit, or sell his birthright. Jacob’s son Reuben lost his favored position because he committed incest with his father’s concubine (Gen. 35:22; 1 Chr. 5:1, 2). Esau sold his birthright for a stew of lentils (Gen. 25:29–34), later described as “one morsel of food” (Heb. 12:16).
In doing so, Esau committed a grave sin. It was bad enough to squander his inheritance for a single meal. Far worse, he lost the blessing of God and His promise to make a great nation of Abraham (Gen. 22:15–18). Esau’s story serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us to cling to what God has promised.
More: The oldest son’s birthright should not be confused with the father’s blessing, though the two are related. See “The Blessing” at Gen. 49:28.
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As a patriarch neared death, a mother and a son schemed to get the old man’s blessing and inheritance for themselves. As is often the case today, this early family was ripped apart over an inheritance. For more on how patterns of greed, sexual abuse, and other disorders affected the Bible’s first families, see “Family Expectations” at Genesis 42:36.
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Name means: “Supplanter” or “Deceitful”; literally “One Who Takes the Heel.”
Also known as: Israel (“Prince with God”), the name given him after struggling with God at Peniel near the river Jabbok (Gen. 32:28; 35:10).
Home: Originally Beersheba, later Bethel (28:10–22; 35:6, 7), Haran in Padan Aram (29:1—31:21), Shechem (33:18–20), and Hebron (35:27) before immigrating to Egypt, where he spent his final years (46:1—49:33).
Family: Son of Isaac and Rebekah; husband of Rachel and Leah; father of many children, including Joseph. See “The Family of Abraham” at Gen. 15:4–6 and “The Family of Jacob” at Gen. 35:22–26.
Occupation: Breeder and herdsman of livestock (30:29–43), which yielded him considerable wealth.
Known to be: A mild man and a homebody as a boy, favored by his mother over his brother Esau (25:27, 28).
Best known for: His scheming ways that affected nearly everyone in his life—Esau, Isaac, Laban, even God’s angel; also for his dramatic dream of a ladder reaching to heaven and for being the father of twelve sons whose descendants became the twelve tribes of Israel.
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The cheating schemes of Esau’s mother and brother left Esau deprived of an enormous blessing (Gen. 27:1–39). When he realized what his family had done to him, he was outraged (27:34–36; Heb. 12:16, 17). Though his anger later cooled, he initially dealt with his justifiable anger and hurt by letting it build into a deadly grudge. He was determined to retaliate by killing his brother once their father was dead (Gen. 27:41).
When Rebekah learned of Esau’s plan, she helped Jacob escape. Rather than confront the deception she and Jacob had committed—and make things right with Esau—she merely suggested that time would heal all wounds (27:42–45). Poor comfort coming from a guilty party.
This evil web of trickery and manipulation continued into the next generation. Jacob’s sons committed evils that included vengefully destroying an entire city (34:1–31) and selling a brother into slavery, then staging his death to escape their father’s anger (37:23–28, 31–35). Apparently Jacob’s sons learned from their father and grandmother that the best way to deal with sin is to cover it up.
This is the nature of sin and evil. It binds people like a spider wraps a fly, tighter and tighter in more and more threads until escape is impossible—impossible, that is, without divine intervention. God’s response to sin was to offer Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for us. He took on Himself the penalty for sin that we deserve. He is therefore able to break the bonds of sin that ensnare us (Rom. 5:6–9).
God wants to deliver us from sin. He longs to set us free from ongoing patterns of evil and destruction. He stands ready to grant forgiveness. Apart from Him we can be sure—things do not get better with time.
More: Esau and Jacob eventually repaired the conflict between them (Gen. 33:4, 10, 11). Nevertheless, the brothers set a precedent for their descendants that grew into a centuries-long feud between the Edomites and the Israelites. See “Pain That Leads to Prejudice” at Num. 20:14–21 and “A Tale of Two Brothers” at Obad. 10.
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Even relatively short trips posed significant difficulties to ancient travelers. A trip like Jacob’s journey from Beersheba in the south of Canaan to Padan Aram in northern Chaldea (about 450 miles) involved extensive preparations and many days of travel. Nevertheless, ancient peoples traveled far more frequently and widely than might be expected, including forced migrations and military campaigns.
Travelers | Trip |
Terah and his family | Migrated from Ur to Haran (Gen. 11:31, 32). |
Abraham and his family | Moved from Haran to the land of Canaan in response to God’s call (Gen. 12:1–5). |
Abraham and his family | Relocated to Egypt to escape a severe famine in Canaan (Gen. 12:10); eventually returned to Canaan and lived as a nomad in the region around Hebron and the central hill country of Shechem. |
Jacob | Traveled from Beersheba to ancestral Haran to find a wife; lived in Haran for some 20 years before returning to Shechem (Gen. 28–33). |
Joseph | Wandered north from Hebron to look for his brothers; after finding them near Dothan, was sold to slave traders who took him to Egypt, far to the south (Gen. 37), where he spent the rest of his life. |
Jacob and his family | Migrated to Egypt to escape a famine in Canaan (Gen. 42–46). |
Moses | Fled from Egypt to Midian after killing an Egyptian (Ex. 2:14, 15); lived there 40 years before returning to lead Israel out of slavery (4:19, 20). |
Joseph and his brothers | Traveled to Canaan and back to bury their father at Machpelah with the other patriarchs and their wives (Gen. 50:1–14). |
Israelites | Migrated from Egypt to Canaan after 430 years of slavery, a trip that took more than 40 years (Ex., Lev., Num., Deut.). |
Naomi and Ruth | Relocated from Moab to Naomi’s ancestral home, Bethlehem (Ruth 1). |
Saul | Journeyed from Gibeah to Ramoth to be anointed Israel’s first king (1 Sam. 9:1—10:1). |
Samuel | Traveled from Ramah to Bethlehem to anoint David as king (1 Sam. 16:1–4). |
David | Moved from Philistia to Hebron to become king; led a force from Hebron to Jerusalem to capture it and make it his capital (2 Sam. 2:1–4; 5:7–12). |
Solomon | Traveled from Jerusalem to Gibeon to offer sacrifices and ask for wisdom (1 Kin. 3:4–9). |
Queen of Sheba | Traveled north from Africa to Jerusalem to pay a royal visit to Solomon (1 Kin. 10). |
Elijah | Ran from Jezreel into the wilderness to escape Queen Jezebel’s wrath (1 Kin. 18:46—19:4). |
Jonah | Fled by ship to avoid God’s command to prophesy against Nineveh but later traveled there (Jon. 1–4). |
Captives from Judah | Taken from Jerusalem to Babylon; later allowed to return to Judah (2 Chr. 36:20; Ezra 1). |
Ezra | Traveled from Babylon to Jerusalem to revive the Law in Israel (Ezra 7:1–10). |
Nehemiah | Traveled from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the city wall (Neh. 1–2). |
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• A city in Palestine 12 miles north of Jerusalem.
• Originally called Luz (“Deceit” or “Perversion”); renamed Bethel (“House of God”) by Jacob; later derided by the prophets (for example, Jer. 48:13), especially Hosea, who called it Beth Aven (“House of Idols” or “House of Iniquity”; Hos. 4:15; 5:8; 10:5).
• Near the site of the altar Abraham built to remember God’s covenant (Gen. 12:8; 13:3).
• Place where Jacob erected a pillar to mark the spot where he dreamed of angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven (28:10–22).
• Home of the ark of the covenant in the period of the judges (Judg. 20:26, 27).
• Place where King Jeroboam of Judah set up a golden calf to establish an idolatrous sanctuary rivaling the temple at Jerusalem, (1 Kin. 12:28–33; 13:1–32; 2 Kin. 10:29).
• Purged by King Josiah, the reformer who destroyed pagan shrines and idols (2 Kin. 23:15).
• Resettled after the Babylonian exile (Ezra 2:28; Neh. 7:32).
• Mentioned more in the Old Testament than any other city except Jerusalem, yet unmentioned in the New Testament.
• Site of the modern-day village of Beitin.
• Not to be confused with Bethel in the territory of Simeon (1 Sam. 30:27), which may be the same as Bethul (Josh. 19:4) or Bethuel (1 Chr. 4:30).
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Waking from a dream in which he saw and heard the Lord, Jacob cried, “Surely the LORD is in this place” (Gen. 28:16). He immediately built an altar and changed the name of the spot from Luz (“Deceit” or “Perversion”) to Bethel (“House of God”). Because God had appeared there, the place became holy ground. Likewise, Abraham built an altar near Bethel to remember where God met him (12:8; 13:3, 4). Wherever God touches the world, that place becomes sacred space.
This Old Testament concept of sacred space assumes even greater meaning in the New Testament, where God Himself “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, emphasis added). Jesus literally “tabernacled” or “pitched His tent” in our midst. He not only touched the earth but took up residence in the body of a man.
Jesus alluded to this Bethel-like visitation in a conversation with Nathanael, a man He recruited as one of His followers. Just as Jacob saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder between heaven and earth, so Nathanael would see “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (1:51). Bethel, the house of God, had been superseded by Jesus, the Son of God.
Jesus was even more than sacred space. He was the sacred Person. Wherever He went, God went. Whatever place He visited became sacred. But this holy ground expanded beyond Christ’s bodily presence on earth. Jesus promised to send His Spirit to live in His followers no matter where or when they live (14:16, 17). In other words, we become “the house of God,” the place where God lives (compare 1 Cor. 6:19, 20). Wherever we go, God goes.
As Christ lives in us and we live in the world, everywhere we move is a place God can do His work. Every street we walk is a Bethel. Every neighborhood, blighted or blooming, becomes sacred space. Because of God’s presence in His people, there are no throwaway communities. There is no corner on earth—or in our hearts—we cannot reclaim for God.
More: After it was designated a Levitical city by Joshua, Bethel became a major center for Israel’s civic and religious life. To find out why, see “The Levitical Cities” at Josh. 21:1–3.
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Name means: “White.”
Also known as: “The Syrian” (Gen. 25:20; 31:20).
Home: City of Nahor in Padan Aram in northern Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq).
Family: Father of Rachel and Leah. See “The Family of Jacob” at Gen. 35:22–26.
Occupation: Breeder and herder of livestock.
Religious background: Apparently worshiped the Lord (24:31) but kept household idols (31:19).
Known to be: Shrewd in his dealings, from arrangements for marriage and dowries to labor and management.
Best known as: The father-in-law of Jacob who “outschemed the schemer.” He forced Jacob to work seven years in hopes of marrying Rachel, only to give him Leah; he then forced Jacob to work seven more years for Rachel, then contracted for Jacob’s services indefinitely, changing the price ten times (31:41).
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Name means: “Wild Cow.”
Home: Originally Haran (or Padan Aram, “The Plain of Aram,” near Haran; Gen. 28:6); then Shechem, Hebron, and other locations in Canaan after marrying Jacob.
Family: Older daughter of Laban, a relative of Abraham; niece of Rebekah; first wife of Jacob; mother of six sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah. See “The Family of Jacob” at Gen. 35:22–26.
Occupation: Homemaker.
Best known as: The woman whom Jacob was deceived into marrying by Laban, in keeping with local custom (29:21–27), and who competed with her sister Rachel for the honor of bearing children to Jacob (30:1–24).
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Name means: “Ewe.”
Home: Originally Haran (or Padan Aram, “The Plain of Aram,” near Haran; Gen. 28:6); then Shechem, Hebron, and other locations in Canaan after marrying Jacob.
Family: Younger daughter of Laban, a relative of Abraham; niece of Rebekah; second wife of Jacob; mother of two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. See “The Family of Jacob” at Gen. 35:22–26.
Occupation: Homemaker.
Of special note: Rachel was a woman of uncommon beauty (29:17).
Best known as: Jacob’s favorite wife (29:18), who competed with her sister Leah to bear children (30:1–24), and who died after giving birth to Benjamin (35:16–20).
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Among writings that survive from ancient times, the record of Leah and Rachel stands out. Many ancient cultures regarded women as little more than property, and the men who wrote the literature of those times often overlooked women’s presence and significance. By contrast, the Bible recounts their leadership, contributions, and innermost thoughts, detailing both failures and successes. Scripture provides an honest portrait of both men and women living in a fallen world.
Key Women in the Book of Genesis
Name | Description |
The first woman; chose to eat what God had forbidden, resulting in expulsion from the Garden of Eden and separation from God. | |
A woman whose child late in life was the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise. | |
Hagar (Gen. 16:1–16; 21:9–21) | A slave abused by her mistress, but God remembered and rescued her. The first woman in the Bible to call out a name for God (“You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees,” Gen. 16:13). |
Lot’s Daughters (Gen. 19:30–38) | Two women widowed by the destruction of Sodom and who chose incest rather than barrenness. |
Rebekah (Gen. 24:1–67; 25:20–26; 27:5–46) | A cunning woman who perceived a way to obtain her husband’s blessing for her favorite son. |
Rival daughters of a manipulative father and rival wives of the same husband. | |
Dinah (Gen. 34:1–31) | A victim of rape avenged by her brothers, who considered the assault on her as an assault on their entire family. |
Tamar (Gen. 38:1–20) | A widow who resorted to prostitution to obtain justice and support from her father-in-law. |
Potiphar’s Wife (Gen. 39:7–20) | The vindictive wife of Potiphar who used sexual harassment to slander an innocent man. |
More: Women feature prominently in the New Testament as well as the Old. See “The Women Who Followed Jesus” at Luke 8:1–3; “The Women Around Jesus” at John 19:25; and “Women in the Early Church” at Rom. 16:12. For more on women in the Bible, see the articles under “Women” in the Themes to Study index. For more on other women of faith through the centuries, explore the Life Studies index.
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Leah and Rachel, competing for the favor of their husband Jacob, offered their maids to bear his children. Their maids Zilpah and Bilhah became Jacob’s secondary wives, or concubines.
The practice of concubinage, a form of polygamy, was common throughout the ancient Middle East. A concubine was usually a female slave with whom the leading male of the family was free to have sexual relations. She was not considered equal to his full wife (or wives), but she could not be sold if the man lost interest in her. However, a concubine’s rights varied from culture to culture.
One of the main justifications for taking a concubine was to give birth to children, particularly a son. The wives of the patriarchs used concubines to attain heirs, as the following table shows.
Examples of Concubines in the Bible
Concubine: Hagar (Gen. 16)
Owners: Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah)
Story: Functioned as a concubine through Sarah’s insistence; gave birth to Ishmael.
Concubine: Bilhah (Gen. 30:1–8)
Owners: Jacob and Rachel
Story: Bore two sons to Jacob; later became sexually involved with Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son (Gen. 35:22).
Concubine: Zilpah (Gen. 30:9–13)
Owners: Jacob and Leah
Story: Gave birth to two of Jacob’s twelve sons.
Concubine: Unnamed (Judg. 19)
Owner: Unidentified Levite of Ephraim
Story: Unfaithful to her husband; reconciled with her husband but was gang-raped by men from Gibeah, which caused her death (Judg. 20–21).
Concubine: Rizpah (2 Sam. 3:7)
Owner: Saul
Story: Bore two sons, Armoni and Mephibosheth; said by Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, to have been sexually abused by Abner, Saul’s commander-in-chief—an act that would have amounted to claiming the throne; kept vigil over the bodies of her sons for several months after their death (2 Sam. 21:10).
Concubines: Ten unnamed women (2 Sam. 5:13; 15:16)
Owner: David
Story: Bore David numerous children; violated by David’s son Absalom (2 Sam. 16:21, 22); lived out their days in virtual widowhood (20:1–3).
Concubines: Three hundred unnamed women (1 Kin. 11:3)
Owner: Solomon
Story: Helped to turn Solomon’s heart away from the Lord.
Concubine: Esther (Esth. 2:13–16)
Owner: King Ahasuerus of Persia
Story: Selected from the king’s harem to become queen; used her position to help save her people, the Jews, from genocide.
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Laban at best must have been a difficult father-in-law. He constantly found new ways to cheat his son-in-law Jacob, whether through a bait-and-switch bride (Gen. 29:14–30) or manipulation in the family business (30:25–36). As his encounters with Laban show, Jacob often resorted to scheming to get out of trouble. At times Jacob acted with principle, but at other times he responded with his own brand of deception.
Eventually God sent Jacob back to his homeland with the guarantee of His presence (31:3). But instead of trusting God and making a clean break with Laban, Jacob complained to his wives (31:4–16). The family stole away, taking some of Laban’s property with them (31:17–21). Pursued and caught by Laban, Jacob grew angry and attempted to justify his dishonest behavior (31:36–42).
Jacob should have trusted and acted upon God’s promise to go with him. Rather than running from conflict, Jacob could have dealt with Laban out in the open. Instead, he further complicated his troubled family by encouraging Laban’s daughters to turn on their father in deceit and treachery. Jacob illustrates the bad results of trying to further God’s plans through human plots rather than following His clear commands.
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When Jacob learned Esau was approaching, he was terrified of what his estranged twin brother might do. The brother he and his mother had cheated out of his rightful portion of the family inheritance (Gen. 27:1–29) was coming toward him with four hundred men. Jacob assumed the worst. He cried to God for mercy and deliverance (32:9–12). To Jacob’s surprise, Esau ran to him, embraced him, kissed him, and wept (33:4). This unexpected grace disarmed Jacob, and he could only respond by pressing gifts on Esau as a small remuneration for the lost inheritance (33:8–11).
Like He did for Jacob, God extends grace and forgiveness to us even when we least expect or deserve it (Rom. 5:8). In providing salvation through Jesus Christ, God offers unmerited favor to people who deserve judgment (3:23–25; 5:15–17; James 4:1–6). While we can never pay back God for all He has done for us, we can respond to His gift of love by extending that same love to others (1 John 3:11–17).
More: Jesus would later tell another story about unexpected forgiveness in the Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11–32). See “Confused Value” at Luke 15:1–31.
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The name Peniel (or Penuel) means “Face of God.” Aside from Jacob’s all-night wrestling match there with the Angel of the Lord, the site played a minor role in biblical history. See Penuel’s profile at Judges 8:8.
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• A city on the eastern side of the Jordan River Valley, about 22 miles east of Shechem.
• Home to Jacob after he separated from Esau, and the site where he built “booths,” or sheds, for his livestock.
• Allotted to the tribe of Gad (Josh. 13:27).
• Closely associated with Penuel (or Peniel) a few miles to the east. Gideon severely punished the two cities for refusing to help him as he chased the defeated Midianites (Judg. 8:5–16).
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• A fortified city in central Palestine at the juncture of several main highways and trade routes.
• Name means “Shoulder,” probably because the city was built on the slope or shoulder of Mount Ebal.
In the Patriarch Era
• Important commercial center, first for Canaan, later for Israel.
• The first Canaanite city Abraham visited (Gen. 12:6, 7) and the place where he built an altar.
• Site of an altar built by Jacob (33:18–20) and of a well visited by Jesus centuries later (John 4:12).
After the Exodus
• Site of an altar built by Joshua, where he twice renewed the covenant of Moses—once after capturing the city from the Canaanites (Josh. 8:30–35) and again after concluding his territorial campaign (24:15–25).
• Site of many battles, including Abimelech’s destruction of the city (Judg. 9:20, 37–49).
• Made a city of refuge (see “Cities of Refuge” at Num. 35:11) by Moses and assigned to the Kohathite Levites (Josh. 21:21; 1 Chr. 6:67).
• Important political and religious center for the Israelites, who made it their first capital of the northern kingdom (1 Kin. 12:1, 25).
• Fell with other Samaritan cities to the Assyrians (2 Kin. 15:29; 17:24) around 733–722 B.C. but survived the Exile.
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Name means: “Judgment.”
Home: Shechem in Canaan (Gen. 33:18—34:1).
Family: Daughter of Jacob and Leah. See “The Family of Jacob” at Gen. 35:22–26.
Best known as: A woman whose rape by a nobleman’s son was avenged by her brothers.
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Pleasure makes a good slave but a poor master. When self-gratification is our primary focus, the results can be destructive not only for us but for everyone around us (Titus 3:3; James 4:1–4). Scripture makes clear that living for our own pleasures is both unacceptable and unhealthy.
The outcome of Shechem illustrates this point. When young Shechem saw the beautiful Dinah, he let lust rule his behavior. He raped her, putting sexual gratification before Dinah’s dignity and right to say no. In the end he brought death upon himself and everyone around him (Gen. 34:25, 26).
By contrast, Scripture challenges God’s people to exercise control over their sexuality (1 Thess. 4:3, 4). This often means delaying gratification, using patience to put things in perspective. When we let important biological needs such as food, sex, and sleep direct our lives, they can become addictions that destroy us and others.
In Scripture two great poems address the theme of love, the Song of Solomon and 1 Corinthians 13. In the Song of Solomon, the writer repeats three times the wise words, “Do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases” (Song 2:7; 3:5; 8:4). The message seems to be “Wait!” (see “True Love Waits” at Song 3:5).
Sexual passion can be powerful and beautiful. But it causes destruction if not guarded by commitment, discipline, and service toward one’s spouse. Our sexuality is not our own. It is a gift from God to be treasured and used for His glory (1 Cor. 6:18–20).
More: To gain a biblical perspective on the nature of love, see “Love Is as Strong as Death” at Song 8:6 and “A Lifestyle of Love” at 1 Cor. 13:1–13.
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Jacob’s sons were the ancestors of the children of Israel, the people through whom God sent His Son Jesus. Of the tribes of Israel prominent through much of the Old Testament, eleven derived their names from Jacob’s sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin). Joseph’s birthright was carried on through two sons who became heads of tribes (Ephraim and Manasseh).
The settlement of the Promised Land would be mapped by the tribes that bear the names of these sons (Josh. 13:8—19:48), and Israel’s history would be traced through their descendants. In time the tribes in the north and the tribes in the south would split (1 Kin. 12). Judah and Benjamin in the south would become the kingdom of Judah, and the northern tribes would become the kingdom of Israel. The tribes in the north would be carried off to exile in Assyria, never to return (2 Kin. 17:5–23).
More: God used many families to accomplish His purposes. See “The Families of the Old Testament” at Gen. 12:3. To learn how the tribes fared in the future, see “The Fate of Jacob’s Sons” at Gen. 49:3–27.
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Name means: “Son of the Right Hand” or “Son of the South.”
Also known as: Ben-Oni (“Son of My Sorrow”; Gen. 35:18).
Home: Born in southern Canaan, unlike Jacob’s other sons, who were born in the north.
Family: Son of Jacob and Rachel, who died giving birth to him (35:16–19); father of ten sons (46:21); descendants include Saul, Israel’s first king (1 Sam. 9:1, 2) and Saul of Tarsus, also known as Paul (Phil. 3:5). See “The Family of Jacob” at Gen. 35:22–26.
Best known as: Jacob’s most beloved son after Joseph (Gen. 30:24; 37:3; 42:38). Joseph was able to use the family’s affection for Benjamin to keep his brothers coming back to Egypt and ultimately to bring their father, who remained there the rest of his life (45:4–28).
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• The land inhabited by the descendants of Esau, also known as Edom (“Red”).
• Located along the valley known as the Arabah, extending south of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba; at times included the mountain ranges and fertile plateaus on the east and west of the Arabah.
• Bounded on the north by the Zered Brook.
• Inhabitants made strategic use of its rocky hillsides, including Mount Seir, a ridge of mountains east of the Arabah.
• Controlled the southern portion of the King’s Highway, a major trade route connecting Damascus in the north to Elath in the south (see “The King’s Highway” at Num. 20:17).
• Established Sela at the southern end of a secluded valley as its capital during the days of the Israelite monarchy. Later, the site became the city of Petra (see the city’s profile at Obad. 3).
• Possibly the region in which Job lived, since Teman was the home of Job’s friend Eliphaz (Job 2:11; see also “The Land of Uz” at Job 1:1).
• Denounced by the prophets for celebrating Jerusalem’s fall (Jer. 49:17, 18; Lam. 4:21; Obad.) and eventually overrun by the Nabateans, a tribe from northern Arabia.
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The Edomites: Perpetual Enemies of Israel
Isaac’s sons Esau and Jacob each fathered a nation—Esau the Edomites and Jacob the Israelites. Despite this kinship, their descendants feuded throughout biblical history, as the following table shows.
Israelites | Edomites |
Denied the Israelites access to the King’s Highway during their journey to Canaan (Num. 20:14–21). | |
Harassed the Edomites during the time of Saul (1 Sam. 14:47). | |
Doeg the Edomite, an official in Saul’s administration, massacred 85 priests and their families at Nob (1 Sam. 22:9–19). | |
Conquered Edom under David and stationed troops there (2 Sam. 8:13, 14), fulfilling the prophecy of Balaam (Num. 24:18). David’s general Joab then carried out a campaign of genocide (1 Kin. 11:15, 16). | |
Opposed Saul under Hadad, a member of the royal family who escaped Joab’s massacre (1 Kin. 11:14–22). | |
Conspired with the Ammonites and Moabites to raid Judah during Jehoshaphat’s reign but were turned back (2 Chr. 20:1, 10). | |
Rebelled against Judah’s control during the reign of Joram (2 Kin. 8:20–22). | |
Reclaimed Edom when Amaziah captured Sela, the capital city (2 Kin. 14:7), and executed 10,000 prisoners by throwing them off a cliff (2 Chr. 25:11, 12). | |
Invaded Judah and seized captives while Judah was under attack by Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Syria (2 Kin. 16:5, 6; 2 Chr. 28:16, 17). | |
Rejoiced over Jerusalem’s fall to the Babylonians (Ps. 137:7). | |
Took over portions of Judah’s southern territory and established settlements as far north as Hebron. | |
In an attempt to kill the baby Jesus, Herod the Great, a descendant of the Edomites, ordered the massacre of baby boys in and around Bethlehem (Matt. 2:16–18). |
More: The tribe of Edomites, descended from Amalek (Gen. 36:12), lived on the Sinai Peninsula and in the Negev. They roamed widely throughout the territory eventually settled by the Israelites, with whom they were bitter foes throughout the Old Testament. See “The Amalekites” at 1 Sam. 15:2, 3.
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Name means: “He Will Add.”
Also known as: Zaphnath-Paaneah (“God Speaks and He Lives” or possibly “Revealer of Secrets”), a name given to him by Pharaoh (Gen. 41:45).
Home: Born in Canaan; sold to slave traders who resold him to an officer of Pharaoh in Egypt.
Family: Eleventh and favorite son of Jacob (30:24; 37:3), first son of Rachel; husband of Asenath, the daughter of an Egyptian priest (41:45); father of Manasseh and Ephraim (41:50–52; 46:20). See “The Family of Jacob” at Gen. 35:22–26.
Occupation: Shepherd in Canaan; household manager in Egypt; warden’s assistant; later made second-in-command under Pharaoh, responsible for economic development and famine relief. Skilled at interpreting dreams (37:5–8; 39:22, 23; 40:8–23; 41:1–36).
Best known for: His coat of many colors, which distinguished him as the favored son (37:3); also for rising to power in Egypt, where he eventually forgave his brothers for selling him into slavery (45:7, 8; 50:20).
More: Joseph’s father and brothers derided him for the audacity of his dreams (Gen. 37:10, 11). But something more than wishful thinking was going on, as Jacob well knew. After all, Jacob had had some significant dreams himself (for example, Gen. 28:12–15). No wonder he “kept the matter in mind” (37:11). To find out what was going on, see “A Dream Fulfilled” at Gen. 50:18.
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Sin Passed Through Generations
Sin has a way of affecting everyone around us, especially family. That truth played out in three generations of Isaac’s clan.
Isaac’s wife Rebekah resolved to gain Isaac’s blessing for her favorite son Jacob even though it meant deceiving her husband (Gen. 25:28; 27:5–29). She thus helped her son Jacob become a habitual deceiver (27:35, 36).
Years later, Jacob’s second wife Rachel grew frustrated as her sister and rival Leah bore four sons to Jacob. Rachel’s anguish deteriorated into such bitter envy that it made her husband tense and angry despite his deep love for her (29:34—30:2).
A bitter harvest of deception and envy was reaped in the third generation when Joseph’s brothers became deeply envious of him (37:11). They sold him into slavery, then lied to their father, claiming Joseph had died (37:23–35).
Sin passes from generation to generation through both words and actions. We must lay open our lives to find ways we may be harming future generations by harboring envy, greed, lust, pride, or other sins. We can ask God if we need to repent and change attitudes and behavior. We must change our broken ways for the sake of those around us, including our family.
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As humans given free will by God, we can resist His ways and rebel against His commands. But we can never thwart His plans or purposes. In the end, His will is always done.
Joseph’s brothers bitterly resented the implications of his dreams—the idea that they would ever bow to him (Gen. 37:5–11). So when the brothers spied Joseph approaching alone and unarmed, they plotted to get rid of him (37:18–20). Although they did not realize it, they were attempting to thwart God’s plan.
God could have appointed other means to preserve the family and keep His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But God had an unstoppable plan for Joseph, a destiny revealed ahead of time in Joseph’s dreams. The Lord shrouded these plans in mystery, but they had to be fulfilled. God’s will must be done.
When Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt searching for food, Joseph could have had them executed for the evil they did to him. Yet Joseph had been humbled by the fact that God had brought him to this place for the good of many (45:7, 8). He understood that everything he had endured up to that moment had been part of God’s plan. As he told his brothers, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (50:20).
God’s plan for Joseph took him from Canaan to Egypt, from boyhood to manhood, from arrogant brother to astute political leader. Many people created hardship in his life, but they could not halt God’s purposes. In Joseph’s life and in ours, those plans cannot be thwarted. We might make it harder on ourselves by resisting, but God’s will is powerful and can be trusted.
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