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For the text of the articles and introductionsNihil Obstat: Rev. William M. Becker, STD Imprimatur: † Most Rev. John M. QuinnCensor LibrorumBishop of WinonaJune 14, 2011 June 14, 2011For the text of the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)RESCRIPTIn accord with canon 825 §1 of the Code of Canon Law, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops herebyapproves for publication The New American Bible, Revised Old Testament, a translation of the Sacred Scripturesauthorized by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc.The translation was approved by the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishopsin November 2008 and September 2010. It is permitted by the undersigned for private use and study.Given in the city of Washington, the District of Columbia, on the Feast of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of theChurch, the 30th day of September, in the year of our Lord 2010.† Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I.Archbishop of ChicagoPresident, USCCBThe Revised New TestamentNihil Obstat: Stephen J. Hartdegen, O.F.M., S.S.L. Imprimatur: † James A. Hickey, S.T.D., J.C.D.Censor DeputatusArchbishop of WashingtonAugust 27, 1986The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book is free of doctrinal and moral error. No implicationis contained therein that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur agree with the content, opinions, orstatements expressed. Nor do they assume any legal responsibility associated with publication.Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the NewAmerican Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, D.C.All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronicor mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, withoutpermission in writing from the copyright owner.Third edition reviewers and article writers: Catherine Cory,Marissa Esparza-Garcia, Dennis Kurtz, Paula Norbert, MargaretNutting Ralph, Larry Schatz, FSC, James Spillman,Alan Talley, Michael TheisenInterior Design: Laurie Nelson; Illustrations: Vicki Shuck;Typesetting: Blue Heron Bookcraft; Proofreading: PeachtreeEditorial and Proofreading ServicesThe acknowledgments continue on page 1831.The publishing team included Virginia Halbur, developmenteditor; prepress and manufacturing coordinated bythe production departments of Saint Mary’s Press.Catholic Youth Bible®, Third EditionCopyright © 2012 by Saint Mary’s Press, Christian BrothersPublications, 702 Terrace Heights, Winona, MN 55987-1320, www.smp.org. All rights reserved. No part of thisbook may be reproduced by any means without the writtenpermission of the publisher.Printed in the United States of America4133 (PO3366)ISBN 978-1-59982-141-2, paperISBN 978-1-59982-142-9, hardcoverISBN 978-1-59982-143-6, leatheretteLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataBible. English. New American. 2012.The Catholic youth Bible : New American Bible, revisededition : translated from the original languages withcritical use of all the ancient sources. — 3rd ed.p. cm.Includes index.ISBN 978-1-59982-141-2 (pbk.) — ISBN 978-1-59982-142-9 (hardbound) — ISBN 978-1-59982-143-6 (leatherette)I. Title.BS192.3.A12012 W56 2012220.5’2054—dc232011038270

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE, Revised EditionTranslated From the Original LanguagesWith Critical Use of All the Ancient SourcesAuthorized by the Board of Trustees of theConfraternity of Christian DoctrineAnd Approved by the Administrative Committeeof the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

ContentsWelcome!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Special Features.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8The Bible Is Multicultural.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Navigating The Catholic Youth Bible.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Preface to the New American Bible: The Old Testament.. . . . 12Preface to the New American Bible: Revised Old Testament .. 14The Old TestamentIntroduction to the Pentateuch.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Genesis 20 Leviticus 147 Deuteronomy 231Exodus 92 Numbers 186Introduction to the Historical Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276Joshua 278 2 Samuel 374 2 Chronicles 499Judges 305 1 Kings 403 Ezra 533Ruth 332 2 Kings 437 Nehemiah 5461 Samuel 339 1 Chronicles 468Introduction to the Biblical Novellas.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562Tobit 564 Esther 599 2 Maccabees 644Judith 581 1 Maccabees 612Introduction to the Wisdom and Poetry Books .. . . . . . . . . 670Job 672Psalms 706Proverbs 813Ecclesiastes 853Song of Songs 865The Book of Wisdom 875Ben Sira 902Introduction to the Prophets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 958Isaiah 960 Hosea 1203 Nahum 1251Jeremiah 1040 Joel 1217 Habakkuk 1256Lamentations 1106 Amos 1223 Zephaniah 1261Baruch 1116 Obadiah 1234 Haggai 1266Ezekiel 1126 Jonah 1238 Zechariah 1270Daniel 1180 Micah 1242 Malachi 12844

Matthew 1300Mark 1374The New TestamentPreface to the New American Bible: First Edition of the New Testament. . 1292Preface to the Revised Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1294Introduction to the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles.. . . . 1298Acts of the Apostles 1525Luke 1412John 1475Introduction to the Letters and Revelation .. . . . . . . . . . . 1576Romans 1578 2 Thessalonians 1700 2 Peter 17651 Corinthians 1605 1 Timothy 1706 1 John 17712 Corinthians 1635 2 Timothy 1716 2 John 1779Galatians 1655 Titus 1722 3 John 1781Ephesians 1666 Philemon 1725 Jude 1783Philippians 1677 Hebrews 1728 Revelation 1786Colossians 1685 James 17471 Thessalonians 1693 1 Peter 1756Color InsertsReading and Studying the BiblePraying with the BibleLiving Biblical PrinciplesCharts and PhotosCatholic Practices and PrayersC1–C8C9–C16C17–C24C25–C32C33–C40Where Do I Find It?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1815Events, People, and Teachings 1816Catholic Connections 1819Sacrament Connections 1820Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching 1820Life and Faith Issues 1821Article Subject Index 1822Acknowledgments 1831Study Aids.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1835The Church Year and Sunday Readings 1836Glossary 1843MapsOld and New Testament Figures and Events, andEncounters with JesusBiblical History TimelineAlphabetical List of Bible Books and AbbreviationsC41–C48C49–C51C52–C55C56

Welcome!This Unique Bible Is for YOU!The Catholic Youth Bible ® (CYB) is filled with things that willmake it easier for you to understand the Bible’s message. The authors,editors, designers, and artists involved in creating its special featureswere focused on you — a young person seeking answers to life’simportant questions. The CYB can be a true companion, helping youfind the answers you seek and perhaps raising new questions alongthe way. It will help you see yourself in God’s image and likeness…a vital part of God’s saving work in the world.6

What Makes this Youth Bible CATHOLIC?For starters, its introductions and articles reflect Catholic interpretationof the Bible and make connections to Catholic beliefs andtraditions. In addition, this Bible contains all seventy-three booksand letters that form a complete Catholic Bible, seven more thanmost other Bibles (see “The Case of the Missing Books,” nearTb 1:16). Does this mean that other Christians cannot use TheCatholic Youth Bible? Not at all. When it comes to the Scriptures,Christians from all cultures and denominations have more incommon than they have differences.As You Use this Bible, keep in mind two important points.The first is that the Bible is for everyone. Wherever you are in yourrelationship with God, the Bible can speak to you. The articles inthe CYB invite you to consider what the church teaches about God’smessage in the Bible, whether you are a committed Christian or asearcher with lots of questions.The second point is that all the special features in The CatholicYouth Bible are designed to encourage you to read the Bibleitself. It is the Bible’s stories, poems, prophecies, and letters thatcarry this central message: God desires a loving relationship withus. The special features of this Bible can help you understand God’smessage. But it is God’s word in the Bible thatcan CHANGE YOUR LIFE!7

Special FeaturesThe Catholic Youth Bible is loaded with special features to help make it easierfor you to read and understand the Bible. Here is a list ofsome of those features and where to find them.SECTION INTRODUCTIONSEach major section of the Bible (the Pentateuch, the historicalbooks, the biblical novellas, the wisdom books,the prophetic books, the Gospels and the Acts of theApostles, and the Letters and Revelation) begins withbackground on the books in that section.BOOK INTRODUCTIONSIntroductions at the beginning of most books (sometimestwo or three books share a single introduction) give insightinto each book’s central message and an overview of itscontents.The name Pentateuch litera ly means “five-part writing.”Thus, the Pentateuch is the first five booksof the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books are specialto Jewish and Christian believers because theyare God’s word, reveal who God is, and te l of theorigins of God’s People and their unique relationshipwith God—sometimes called salvation history. Theyare the blueprint needed for properly understandingthe rest of the Bible. The Pentateuch introducesthe idea of a single God who is responsible for a lcreation. It also te ls that this God is active in theworld and in the lives of its people, and that the Israeliteshave been called into a special relationshipwith this God.One of the central elements of the special relationshipbetween God and the Israelites describedin the Pentateuch is the Sinai Covenant. A covenantestablishes a new relationship between twoparties and is marked by a solemn promise, whereboth parties agree to fulfi l certain obligations. TheSinai Covenant is the most famous one betweenGod and Israel, with Moses as the mediator, whichyou wi l read about in Exodus. In Genesis, you willread about the covenant God makes with Noah,COLOR INSERTSThe five sections of color inserts cover how to read and studythe Bible; how to pray with the Scriptures; how to apply biblicalprinciples to daily life and six saints who illustrate theprinciples, including a list of the seven principles of Catholicsocial teaching; photos and charts highlighting biblical people,places, and events; and an overview of Catholic practices andprayers.ive It!The “Live It!” articles apply the Bible’s messages to situations youmay be facing now or will face in the future.HIntroduction tothe Pentateuchave you ever been late to a movie? You probably spent a few minutestrying to figure out what you missed and hoped it wasn’t too important tothe plot. Like the first crucial minutes of a movie, the five books of the Pentateuchset the stage for much of what happens in the rest of the Bible. If youdon’t know the people involved and their wonderful stories, when you read laterbooks, you might find yourself asking: What’s going on? Why is he doing this?What does she mean by that?2Abraham, and Jacob, which lead to the Sinai Covenant.Reading the Pentateuch is like appreciating afine tapestry. When you view a tapestry from thefront, all the threads combine to make a beautiful,coherent image. In the same way, an overall look atthe covenant, stories, and laws in the Pentateuchcombines them to form a picture of the love relationshipbetween God and the people of Israel. Aclose look at the back of a tapestry shows a morechaotic mix of colors and yarn. So too a closer lookat the writings in the Pentateuch reveals not onestory but many.Biblical scholars speak of four primary sourcesfor the stories and traditions in the Pentateuch.The sources reflect four di ferent schools ofthought about Israel’s relationship with God. For•1:1—11:32. the creationconvenience, each source is referred to as an individualauthor.of the world and humanbeings by GodThe Yahwist used Yahweh as God’s name. Thiswriter focused on the southern •12:1—50:26. kingdom of Judah, stories ofused lots of stories, emphasized God’sthe ancestorscloseness(matriarchsand patriarchs) of Israelto humanity, and portrayed God acting as a humanperson.01-Ge-CYB-NRSV.indd 2 9/23/09 3:37:12 PMBGenesisThe Book ofDGenesis gathers together inspired stories and traditions that reveal Israel’s understandingof God’s nature and purpose, and the beginning of the Israelites’ specialrelationship with God. Genesis has two main sections. The first section (1:1—11:32) contains some of the Bible’s most memorable stories about Creation andthe effect of sin. Chapters 1–2 te l two accounts of Creation that portray thebeauty and wonder of the natural world and emphasize the goodness and harmonythat God intended in Creation. Creation culminates in human beings, made in God’sown image. Those human beings, symbolic of us a l, live in a wonderful garden inharmony with God, Creation, and each other. Butin chapter 3, sin enters the world, and as a result,Adam and Eve wi l experience separation, suffering,and ultimately death.And first sin spreads, firs to the family (Cain andAbel in chapter 4), then to a l society (Noah and theFlood in chapters 6–9). Even after the Flood andGod’s covenant with Noah, the story of the towerof Babel demonstrates that sin pits nation againstnation. As you read these chapters, remembertha they were written not as historical accounts orscientific explanations but as inspired stories thatshare a faith perspective and teach important religioustruths.The second section of Genesis (12:1—50:26)te ls the story of the origins of the Israelite people.The story begins with Abraham and Sarah (originallyca led Abram and Sarai) and continues with Ishmaeland Isaac and with Isaac and Rebekah’s children,Esau and Jacob. Genesis ends with Joseph,one of Jacob’s twelve sons, cleverly saving Egyptand Israel from famine. This section introduces thecovenant God makes with Abraham and the Israelitepeople and reminds the reader that God’s planswi l overcome human sin and weakness.C At a GlanceE Quick FactsPeriod Covered: The storiesin the first eleven chaptersare primeval history. Genesis12:1—50:26 covers the periodof the ancestors, or patriarchsand matriarchs (from 2000 to1500 BC).Inspired Author: Stories weregathered from the oral traditionof tribal peoples in the periodaround 1225 to 1000 BC(see Introduction to the Pentateuch).Themes: the goodness of Creation,human responsibility, theeffects of sin, covenant, God’sbringing good out of evilisplays of awesome cosmic power, tender love stories, tearful family reunions,and tales of deceit, rape, murder, and worldwide destruction. Doesthis sound like the script for next summer’s blockbuster movie? No, it’s the Bookof Genesis! It is the story of how a world created for love and harmony goes astraybecause of human sin. Through it a l, God is at work, forming a people to restorewhat was lost.01-Ge-CYB-NRSV.indd 4 9/23/09 3:37:17 PM4ray It!The “Pray It!” articles can help you use the Bible for personalprayer. They show the biblical basis for the prayer and sacramentallife of the Catholic Church.Did You Know?The “Did You Know?” articles provide backgroundfrom biblical scholars to help you understand the cultureand traditions of biblical times, or the Church’sinterpretation of certain passages.8

ntroducing...The “Introducing . . .” articles give a quick introductionto the lives of important biblical people.CatholicConnectionCulturalConnectionThe “Catholic Connection” articles are full-page articlesthat show the biblical basis for many Catholic Christian beliefsand practices.The “Cultural Connection” articles explain how people indifferent cultures have understood and lived out God’s revelationin the Bible. The articles represent many of the diversecultures that have found their home in the United States.CatholicSocial TeachingThese articles focus on the seven principles of Catholicsocial teaching and help the reader to understand theirbiblical basis.WHERE DO I FIND IT?Several indexes are located at the back of the Bible. The first index helps you locateBible passages on events, people, and teachings of Jesus. The second index helpsyou find Bible passages related to Catholic teaching. The third index helps you findBible passages related to each sacrament. The fourth index helps you find articleson the seven themes of Catholic social teaching. The fifth index helps you find Biblepassages related to life and faith issues. The sixth index leads you to articles onspecific topics.STUDY AIDSA calendar of the Church year and Sunday readings, a glossary of Scripture-relatedterms, color maps, pictures, and a timeline are found at the back of the Bible.The timeline and maps will help you locate where and when different biblical eventsoccurred.9

The Bible IsMulticulturalThe Bible developed in the midst of great cultural diversity. In fact, the Biblewas originally written in at least two languages, Hebrew and Greek. The people ofthe Old Testament were influenced by Arabic, Egyptian, and other Middle Easterncultures that surrounded them. Later, they and the early Christian church wereinfluenced by the Greek and Roman cultures. In the Bible, God is revealed as theGod of all nations and all cultures.As the word of God, the Bible’s core message of God’s love for human beingsspeaks to people of any culture. That is one reason the Bible has been translatedinto more languages than any other book in the world. Christians also believe thatGod is at work in the lives of people of every culture, whether or not they have beenformally introduced to the Christian message. Listening to other cultures’ experienceof God can deepen Christian people’s appreciation of God’s message presentin the Bible.We also live in a multicultural world. The Catholic Youth Bible respondsto this reality in two main ways. First, all the articles attempt to speak in a waythat people of all cultures can appreciate and understand. Second, some articleshave been specially written to represent distinct cultural perspectives. Most ofthese articles represent African American, Asian American, Hispanic and Latino,and Native American perspectives. The revised edition of The Catholic YouthBible, Third Edition also includes additional articles representing cultural perspectivesfrom around the world.All the articles share cultural experiences and traditions, religious symbols,prayers, and poetry, and they connect all these elements to the Bible. If you wouldlike to read articles from one of the four major cultural perspectives mentionedabove, the subject index contains entries for those.The cultural perspectives represented in The Catholic Youth Bible are asmall sampling of the many unique cultures in the world. Because of space restrictions,articles on many cultures could not be included. Despite these limitations,the multicultural articles can deepen your appreciation of the Bible’s message andof the rich ways different cultures live that message.10

NavigatingThe Catholic Youth BibleThe Catholic Youth Bible has several aids to help you locate references toBible books and the Bible’s special features. The contents on pages iv–v will be yourmain guide in locating the different books and features. However, the last page inthe color section (facing the back cover) lists all the Bible books alphabetically andgives their abbreviations and beginning page numbers. You will find this a usefuland easy-to-locate guide. Also, the section “Where Do I Find It?” offers severaltypes of indexes to help you locate specific passages and articles.Throughout The Catholic Youth Bible, there are many references tospecific Bible passages. These references are given in shorthand form, such asJn 3:16–17. The initial letters are the abbreviation for (or, in a few cases, the fullname of) the Bible book. The number before the colon stands for the chapter, andthe number(s) after the colon stands for the verse(s). So Jn 3:16–17 refers to theGospel According to John, chapter 3, verses 16 to 17.Name of BookVerse(s)Jn 3:16–17ChapterMost of the articles end with a citation identifying the Bible passage the article isbased on. It is important to read the passage before reading the article.In addition to the Bible text, you will find footnotes and Scripture cross-referencesprinted along the bottom of each page. Every time you see an obelisk (†)in the Bible text, you will find a corresponding footnote labeled with the samechapter and verse numbers at the bottom of the page. The footnotes provide youwith added information about words and phrases mentioned in the Bible. Everytime you see an asterisk (*) in the Bible text, you will find a corresponding crossreferencelabeled with the same chapter and verse numbers at the bottom of thepage. The cross-references direct you to similar Scripture passages.11

Preface to the New American Bible: The Old Testamentfrom the Septuagint in both its oldest form and itsLucianic recension. Fragments of the lost Book ofTobit in Aramaic and in Hebrew, recovered fromCave 4 of Qumran, are in substantial agreementwith the Sinaiticus Greek recension used for thetranslation of this book. The lost original Hebrewtext of 1 Maccabees is replaced by its oldest extantform in Greek. Judith, 2 Maccabees, and parts ofEsther are also translated from the Greek.The basic text for the Psalms is not the Massoreticbut one which the editors considered closer tothe original inspired form, namely the Hebrew textunderlying the new Latin Psalter of the Church, theLiber Psalmorum (1944 1 , 1945 2 ). Neverthelessthey retained full liberty to establish the reading ofthe original text on sound critical principles.The translation of Sirach, based on the originalHebrew as far as it is preserved and correctedfrom the ancient versions, is often interpretedin the light of the traditional Greek text. In theBook of Baruch the basic text is the Greek of theSeptuagint, with some readings derived from anunderlying Hebrew form no longer extant. In thedeuterocanonical sections of Daniel (3:24–91,chapter 13 and chapter 14 [these are Azariah,Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon respectively inWORDsearch]), the basic text is the Greek text ofTheodotion, occasionally revised according to theGreek text of the Septuagint.In some instances in the Book of Job, in Proverbs,Sirach, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea,Amos, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zechariahthere is good reason to believe that the originalorder of lines was accidentally disturbed in thetransmission of the text. The verse numbers givenin such cases are always those of the currentHebrew text, though the arrangement differs. Inthese instances the textual notes advise the readerof the difficulty. Cases of exceptional dislocationare called to the reader’s attention by footnotes.The Books of Genesis to Ruth were first publishedin 1952; the Wisdom Books, Job to Sirach,in 1955; the Prophetic Books, Isaiah to Malachi,in 1961; and the Historical Books, Samuelto Maccabees, in 1969. In the present edition ofGenesis to Ruth there are certain new features: ageneral introduction to the Pentateuch, a retranslationof the text of Genesis with an introduction,cross-references, and revised textual notes, besidesnew and expanded exegetical notes whichtake into consideration the various sources or literarytraditions.The revision of Job to Sirach includes changes instrophe division in Job and Proverbs and in titles ofprincipal parts and sections of Wisdom and Ecclesiastes.Corrections in the text of Sirach are madein Sir 39:27—44:17 on the basis of the Masadatext, and in 51:13–30 on the basis of the occurrenceof this canticle in the Psalms scroll fromQumran Cave 11. In this typical edition, new correctionsare reflected in the textual notes of Job,Proverbs, Wisdom, and Sirach. In the Psalms, theenumeration found in the Hebrew text is followedinstead of the double enumeration, according toboth the Hebrew and the Latin Vulgate texts, containedin the previous edition of this book.In the Prophetic Books Isaiah to Malachi, onlyminor revisions have been made in the structureand wording of the texts, and in the textual notes.The spelling of proper names in The New AmericanBible follows the customary forms found inmost English Bibles since the Authorized Version.The work of translating the Bible has beencharacterized as “the sacred and apostolicwork of interpreting the word of God andof presenting it to the laity in translationsas clear as the difficulty of the matter andthe limitations of human knowledge permit” (A.G. Cicognani, Apostolic Delegate, in The CatholicBiblical Quarterly, 6, [1944], 389–90). In the appraisalof the present work, it is hoped that thewords of the encyclical Divino afflante Spiritu willserve as a guide: “Let all the sons of the churchbear in mind that the efforts of these resolute laborersin the vineyard of the Lord should be judgednot only with equity and justice but also with thegreatest charity; all moreover should abhor thatintemperate zeal which imagines that whatever isnew should for that very reason be opposed orsuspected.”Conscious of their personal limitations for thetask thus defined, those who have prepared thistext cannot expect that it will be considered perfect;but they can hope that it may deepen in itsreaders “the right understanding of the divinely givenScriptures,” and awaken in them “that piety bywhich it behooves us to be grateful to the God ofall providence, who from the throne of his majestyhas sent these books as so many personal lettersto his own children” (Divino afflante Spiritu).13

Preface to theNew Introduction American to BibleRevised xxx Old XxxxxTestamentThe first step in the genesis of The New AmericanBible was taken in 1936 when His Excellency, theMost Reverend Edwin V. O’Hara, D.D., chairmanof the Episcopal Committee of the Confraternity ofChristian Doctrine, invited a group of Catholic Scripturescholars to plan for a revised edition of theChalloner-Rheims New Testament, primarily on thebasis of the Vulgate; the plans soon expanded to includethe revision of the Old Testament. ArchbishopO’Hara’s initiative resulted in the formation of theCatholic Biblical Association, whose principal activityin its early years was this work of revision andtranslation. (For information on the work done onthe New Testament, see the “Preface to The NewAmerican Bible: First Edition of the New Testament”and “Preface to the Revised Edition.”) In 1943 HisHoliness Pope Pius XII issued the encyclical Divinoafflante spiritu, which encouraged Scripture scholarsto translate the Scriptures from the original languages.He wrote: “We ought to explain the originaltext which was written by the inspired authorhimself and has more authority and greater weightthan any, even the very best, translation whetherancient or modern. This can be done all the moreeasily and fruitfully if to the knowledge of languagesbe joined a real skill in literary criticism of the sametext.” Although at this point work on almost twentyof the Old Testament books was completed or nearcompletion, that work was abandoned and the newproject of translating from the Hebrew, Greek, andAramaic was undertaken.The completed books of the Old Testamentwere initially published, as they became available,in four volumes: Genesis–Ruth (1952), Job–Sirach(1955), Isaiah–Malachi (1961), and Samuel–Maccabees(1969). Some fifty scholars collaboratedon this project; these were mainly Catholics, but,in accord with the suggestion of Vatican II that“with the approval of the church authority, thesetranslations be produced in cooperation with separatedbrothers” so that “all Christians may be ableto use them” (Dei Verbum, No. 22), non-Catholicsalso participated in the work. To this point thetranslation had been known under the name of the“Confraternity of Christian Doctrine” or CCD forshort, but when these parts of the Old Testamentwere combined with the New Testament in a singlevolume, it was given the name “New American Bible,”in part to reflect its ecumenical character. Inproducing the new volume certain changes weremade from the original four volumes: a retranslationof the Book of Genesis, cross-references, newand expanded exegetical notes.New translations and revision of existing translationsare required from time to time for variousreasons. For example, it is important to keep pacewith the discovery and publication of new and betterancient manuscripts (e.g., the Dead Sea scrolls)so that the best possible textual tradition will be followed,as required by Divino afflante spiritu. Thereare advances in linguistics of the biblical languageswhich make possible a better understanding andmore accurate translation of the original languages.And there are changes and developments invocabulary and the cultural background of thereceptor language. An obvious example of this isthe abandonment in English of the second personsingular (use of “thee,” “thou,” “sayest,” “hearest”),which had a major impact on Bible translations.Other changes are less obvious but are neverthelesspresent. There have been changes in vocabulary;for example, the term “holocaust” is nownormally reserved for the sacrilegious attempt todestroy the Jewish people by the Third Reich. Concernssuch as these are reflected in what PopeJohn Paul II spoke of as the “three pillars” of goodbiblical translation: “A good translation is based onthree pillars that must contemporaneously supportthe entire work. First, there must be a deepknowledge of the language and the cultural world14

Preface to the New American Bible: Revised Old Testamentat the point of origin. Next, there must be a goodfamiliarity with the language and cultural contextat the point where the work will arrive. Lastly, tocrown the work with success, there must be anadequate mastery of the contents and meaning ofwhat one is translating”—and he praised the translationthat “utilizes the vocabulary and idioms ofeveryday speech” (“le parole e le forme della linguadi tutti i giorni”). (From an address to the UnitedBible Societies, November 26, 2001.)This new edition is a thorough revision of the alreadyexcellent New American Bible Old Testamentof 1970. Work on most books of the Old Testament,begun in 1994 and completed in 2001,was done by forty revisers and a board of eight editors.The 1991 revision of the Psalter, the work ofthirty revisers and six editors, was further revisedby seven revisers and two editors between 2009and 2010. As suggested in the comments above,the revision aimed at making use of the best manuscripttraditions available (see below), translatingas accurately as possible, and rendering the resultin good contemporary English. In many ways it is amore literal translation than the original NAB andhas attempted to be more consistent in renderingHebrew (or Greek) words and idioms, especially intechnical contexts, such as regulations for sacrifices.In translating the Psalter special effort wasmade to provide a smooth, rhythmic translationfor easy singing or recitation, and to retain theconcrete imagery of the Hebrew.Where the Old Testament translation supposesthe received text—Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek,as the case may be—ordinarily contained in thebest-known editions, as the original or the oldestextant form, no additional remarks are necessary.Where the translators have departed from thosereceived texts, e.g., by following the Septuagintrather than the Masoretic text, accepting a readingof what is judged to be a better textual tradition,as from a Qumran manuscript, or by emendinga reading apparently corrupted in transmission,such changes are recorded in the revised editionof the Textual Notes on The New American Bible.Additional information on the textual tradition forsome books may be found in the introduction tothe book in the same Textual Notes.In particular, important manuscripts from Cave4 of Qumran, as well as the most useful recensionsof the Septuagint, have been consulted inthe preparation of 1 and 2 Samuel. Fragmentsof the lost Book of Tobit in Aramaic and in Hebrew,recovered from Cave 4 of Qumran, are insubstantial agreement with the Sinaiticus Greekrecension used for the translation of this book.The lost original Hebrew text of 1 Maccabees isreplaced by its oldest extant form in Greek. Judith,2 Maccabees, and parts of Esther are alsotranslated from the Greek. The translation of TheWisdom of Ben Sira is based on the original Hebrewas far as it is preserved, with correctionsfrom the ancient versions; otherwise, the Greekof the Septuagint is followed. In the Book of Baruchthe basic text is the Greek of the Septuagint,with some readings derived from an underlyingHebrew form no longer extant. In the deuterocanonicalsections of Daniel (3:24–90; 13:1–14:42), the basic text is the Greek text of so-calledTheodotion, occasionally revised according to theGreek text of the Septuagint.15

TheOld TestamentIn theBeginning

Introduction tothe PentateuchHave you ever been late to a movie? You probably spent a few minutestrying to figure out what you missed and hoped it wasn’t too important tothe plot. Like the first crucial minutes of a movie, the five books of the Pentateuchset the stage for much of what happens in the rest of the Bible. If youdon’t know the people involved and their wonderful stories, when you read laterbooks, you might find yourself asking: What’s going on? Why is he doing this?What does she mean by that?The name Pentateuch literally means “five-partwriting.” Thus, the Pentateuch is the first fivebooks of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These booksare special to Jewish and Christian believers becausethey are God’s word, reveal who God is, andtell of the origins of God’s People and their uniquerelationship with God—sometimes called salvationhistory. They are the blueprint needed for properlyunderstanding the rest of the Bible. The Pentateuchintroduces the idea of a single God who isresponsible for all creation. It also tells that thisGod is active in the world and in the lives of its people,and that the Israelites have been called into aspecial relationship with this God.One of the central elements of the special relationshipbetween God and the Israelites describedin the Pentateuch is the Sinai Covenant. A covenantestablishes a new relationship between twoparties and is marked by a solemn promise, whereboth parties agree to fulfill certain obligations. TheSinai Covenant is the most famous one betweenGod and Israel, with Moses as the mediator, whichyou will read about in Exodus. In Genesis, you willread about the covenant God makes with Noah,Abraham, and Jacob, which lead to the Sinai Covenant.Reading the Pentateuch is like appreciating afine tapestry. When you view a tapestry from thefront, all the threads combine to make a beautiful,coherent image. In the same way, an overall look atthe covenant, stories, and laws in the Pentateuchcombines them to form a picture of the love relationshipbetween God and the people of Israel. Aclose look at the back of a tapestry shows a morechaotic mix of colors and yarn. So too a closer lookat the writings in the Pentateuch reveals not onestory but many.Biblical scholars speak of four primary sourcesfor the stories and traditions in the Pentateuch.The sources reflect four different schools ofthought about Israel’s relationship with God. Forconvenience, each source is referred to as an individualauthor.BBThe Yahwist used Yahweh as God’s name. Thissource is also referred to as J, taken from theGerman spelling of the divine name. This writer focusedon the southern kingdom of Judah, used lotsof stories, emphasized God’s closeness to humanity,and portrayed God acting as a human person.18

BBThe Elohist (E) referred to God as Elohim orLord. The Elohist wrote about the northern kingdomof Israel and was concerned about idolatryand morality. The writings of the Elohist presentGod’s presence as mediated, such as through aburning bush.BBAfter the fall of the Northern Kingdom, Eand J combined to form the Priestly writing (P).The Priestly writer emphasized religious ritualsand the role of the priesthood. This writer portrayedGod as more distant and used a moreformal style. This source was written after theBabylonian Exile.BBFinally, the Deuteronomist (D) emphasizedthe Law as the foundation of the kingdom of Judah.Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Pentateuchand the first book in the Deuteronomistichistory.Knowing that these four sources contributed tothe final form of the Pentateuch can help us understandthat the Pentateuch books are not simplyrecords of events as they occurred but ratherfaith accounts about the Israelites’ growing relationshipwith God, inspired by God and told fromdifferent perspectives.In the Pentateuch, God reveals how much Godloves the human race collectively and how muchGod loves us personally. God wishes to be in arelationship with us today just as much as Goddid back then. The Pentateuch reminds us thatwe are all children of God and are waiting forthe full realization of God’s reign.AAAAAAAAOther Background FSome of the most familiar stories and peopleof the Old Testament are found in Genesisand Exodus. Genesis includes the storiesof Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah and theFlood, Abraham and Sarah, and Joseph andhis brothers. Exodus contains the stories ofMoses and the burning bush, Pharaoh andthe ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea,the Exodus out of Egypt, and the Ten Commandments.The Jewish people also refer to the five booksof the Pentateuch as the Torah, meaning“teaching” or “instruction.”An ancient tradition named Moses as theoriginal writer of the Pentateuch. This wasno doubt due to Moses’ importance in thePentateuch itself. But evidence suggests thatmost of the Pentateuch was written hundredsof years after Moses’ death.There are different types of writing in thePentateuch. Genesis is all inspired narrative,Leviticus and Deuteronomy are mostly laws,and Exodus and Numbers are approximatelyhalf narratives and half laws. Deuteronomy isunique in that it uses preaching rather thannarrative.19

Displays of awesome cosmic power, tender love stories, tearful family reunions,and tales of deceit, rape, murder, and worldwide destruction. Doesthis sound like the script for next summer’s blockbuster movie? No, it’s the Bookof Genesis! It is the story of how a world created for love and harmony goes astraybecause of human sin. Through it all, God is at work, forming a people to restorewhat was lost.The Book ofGenesisGenesis gathers together inspired stories and traditions that reveal Israel’s understandingof God’s nature and purpose, and the beginning of the Israelites’ specialrelationship with God. Genesis has two mainCCAt a Glance. . Preamble. The Creationof the World (1:1—2:3).I. The Story of the Nations(2:4—11:26).A. The Creation of theMan and the Woman,Their Offspring, and theSpread of Civilization(2:4—4:26).B. The Pre-flood Generations(5:1—6:8).C. The Flood and the RenewedBlessing (6:9—9:29).D. The Populating of theWorld and the PridefulCity (10:1—11:9).E. The Genealogy fromShem to Terah (11:10—26).II. The Story of the Ancestorsof Israel (11:27—50:26).A. The Story of Abrahamand Sarah (11:27—25:18).B. The Story of Isaac andJacob (25:19—36:43).C. The Story of Joseph(37:1—50:26).EEQuick FactsPeriod Covered: The stories inthe first eleven chapters are primevalhistory. Genesis 11:27—50:26 covers the period of theancestors or patriarchs.Themes: the goodness of Creation,human responsibility, theeffects of sin, covenant, God’sbringing good out of evilsections. The first section (1:1—11:26) containssome of the Bible’s most memorable stories aboutCreation and the effect of sin. Chapters 1–2 telltwo accounts of Creation that portray the beautyand wonder of the natural world and emphasize thegoodness and harmony that God intended in Creation.Creation culminates in human beings, madein God’s own image. Those human beings, symbolicof us all, live in a wonderful garden in harmony withGod, Creation, and each other. But in chapter 3,sin enters the world, and as a result, Adam andEve will experience separation, suffering, and ultimatelydeath.And the first sin spreads, first to the family (Cainand Abel in chapter 4), then to all society (Noahand the Flood in chapters 6–9). Even after theFlood and God’s covenant with Noah, the story ofthe tower of Babel demonstrates that sin pits nationagainst nation. As you read these chapters,remember that they were written not as historicalaccounts or scientific explanations but as inspiredstories that share a faith perspective and teach importantreligious truths.The second section of Genesis (11:27—50:26)tells the story of the origins of the Israelite people.The story begins with Abraham and Sarah (originallycalled Abram and Sarai) and continues with Ishmaeland Isaac and with Isaac and Rebekah’s children,Esau and Jacob. Genesis ends with Joseph,one of Jacob’s twelve sons, cleverly saving Egyptand Israel from famine. These sections introducethe covenant God makes with Abraham and theIsraelite people and remind the reader that God’splans will overcome human sin and weakness.20

GenesisPreamble. The Creation .of the WorldThe Story of Creation†1 In the beginning, when God created the1 heavens and the earth*— 2 † and the earthwas without form or shape, with darkness overthe abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over thewaters—*3 Then God said: Let there be light, and therewas light.* 4 God saw that the light was good. Godthen separated the light from the darkness. 5 Godcalled the light “day,” and the darkness he called†1:1–2:3 This section, from the Priestly source, functions as an introduction,as ancient stories of the origin of the world (cosmogonies)often did. It introduces the primordial story (2:4–11:26), the stories ofthe ancestors (11:27–50:26), and indeed the whole Pentateuch. Thechapter highlights the goodness of creation and the divine desire thathuman beings share in that goodness. God brings an orderly universeout of primordial chaos merely by uttering a word. In the literary structureof six days, the creation events in the first three days are relatedto those in the second three.1. light (day)/darkness (night) = 4. sun/moon2. arrangement of water = 5. fish + birds from waters3. a) dry land = 6. a) animalsb) vegetation b) human beings: male/femaleThe seventh day, on which God rests, the climax of the account, fallsoutside the six-day structure.Until modern times the first line was always translated, “In the beginningGod created the heavens and the earth.” Several comparableancient cosmogonies, discovered in recent times, have a “when . . .then” construction, confirming the translation “when . . . then” here aswell. “When” introduces the pre-creation state and “then” introducesthe creative act affecting that state. The traditional translation, “In thebeginning,” does not reflect the Hebrew syntax of the clause.1:2 This verse is parenthetical, describing in three phases the precreationstate symbolized by the chaos out of which God brings order:“earth,” hidden beneath the encompassing cosmic waters, could not*1:1 Gn 2:1, 4; 2 Mc 7:28; Ps8:4; 33:6; 89:12; 90:2;Wis 11:17; Sir 16:24;Jer 10:12; Acts 14:15;Col 1:16–17; Heb 1:2–3;1:1—2:4“night.” Evening came, and morning followed—the first day.†6 Then God said: Let there be a dome in themiddle of the waters, to separate one body ofwater from the other. 7 God made the dome,†and it separated the water below the dome fromthe water above the dome. And so it happened.*8 God called the dome “sky.” Evening came, andmorning followed—the second day.9 Then God said: Let the water under the skybe gathered into a single basin, so that the dryland may appear. And so it happened: the waterunder the sky was gathered into its basin, and thedry land appeared.* 10 God called the dry landbe seen, and thus had no “form”; there was only darkness; turbulentwind swept over the waters. Commencing with the last-named elements(darkness and water), vv. 3–10 describe the rearrangement ofthis chaos: light is made (first day) and the water is divided into waterabove and water below the earth so that the earth appears and is nolonger “without outline.” The abyss: the primordial ocean accordingto the ancient Semitic cosmogony. After God’s creative activity, partof this vast body forms the salt-water seas (vv. 9–10); part of it is thefresh water under the earth (Ps 33:7; Ez 31:4), which wells forth onthe earth as springs and fountains (Gn 7:11; 8:2; Prv 3:20). Part of it,“the upper water” (Ps 148:4; Dn 3:60), is held up by the dome of thesky (vv. 6–7), from which rain descends on the earth (Gn 7:11; 2 Kgs7:2, 19; Ps 104:13). A mighty wind: literally, “spirit or breath [ruah]of God”; cf. Gn 8:1.1:5 In ancient Israel a day was considered to begin at sunset.1:7 The dome: the Hebrew word suggests a gigantic metal dome.It was inserted into the middle of the single body of water to formdry space within which the earth could emerge. The Latin Vulgatetranslation firmamentum, “means of support (for the upper waters);firmament,” provided the traditional English rendering.3:4; 11:3; Rev 4:11.1:2 Jer 4:23.1:3 2 Cor 4:6.1:7 Prv 8:27–28; 2 Pt 3:5.1:9 Jb 38:8; Ps 33:7; Jer 5:22.21

GNGenesis 1:11 22“earth,” and the basin of water he called “sea.”God saw that it was good. 11 * Then God said:Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind ofplant that bears seed and every kind of fruit treeon earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. Andso it happened: 12 the earth brought forth vegetation:every kind of plant that bears seed and everykind of fruit tree that bears fruit with its seedin it. God saw that it was good. 13 Evening came,and morning followed—the third day.14 Then God said: Let there be lights in thedome of the sky, to separate day from night.Let them mark the seasons, the days and theyears,* 15 and serve as lights in the dome of thesky, to illuminate the earth. And so it happened:16 God made the two great lights, the greater oneIn The Beginningn the beginning, when God created the“I heavens and the earth . . .” (Gn 1:1).This simple verse is one of the foundational beliefsof Christianity. We are not a random collectionof atoms. The world is not a lucky combinationof cosmic circumstances. The universe didnot just accidentally happen.The beginning of wisdom is acknowledgingthat a higher power is at work in our lives,that the universe has purpose, and that everythingwas created by God. The ancient writersand editors of Genesis expressed these ideasin the Creation stories. The Church affirmsthese beliefs. They are expressed in a prayercalled the Apostles’ Creed, which begins, “I believein God, the Father almighty, Creator ofheaven and earth.”Genesis expresses another foundational belief:God created everything good! Read thestory in chapter 1, and see how this belief isconstantly repeated: And humankind is “verygood,” created in God’s own image. This isGod’s message to you in the first chapter ofthe Bible: You carry God’s image within you.You are very good!Don’t let anyone tryto convince youother wise.AAGn 1:1—2:4to govern the day, and the lesser one to governthe night, and the stars.* 17 God set them in thedome of the sky, to illuminate the earth, 18 togovern the day and the night, and to separatethe light from the darkness. God saw that it wasgood. 19 Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.20 * Then God said: Let the water teem with anabundance of living creatures, and on the earthlet birds fly beneath the dome of the sky. 21 Godcreated the great sea monsters and all kinds ofcrawling living creatures with which the waterteems, and all kinds of winged birds. God sawthat it was good, 22 and God blessed them, saying:Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of theseas; and let the birds multiply on the earth.**1:11 Ps 104:14.1:14 Jb 26:10; Ps 19:2–3; Bar3:33.Literary Genres1:16 Dt 4:19; Ps 136:7–9;Wis 13:2–4; Jer 31:35.1:20 Jb 12:7–10.1:22 Gn 8:17.Did You Know?Some Christians believe that God actuallycreated the world in seven twenty-four-hourdays. Such a belief comes from a literal readingof the first chapter of Genesis, as thoughit were a scientific textbook. However, Genesiswas written not as a science article but as a seriesof symbolic stories, sometimes called mythicstories, that convey great moral and spiritualtruths. We should not try to come to any scientificconclusions about the creation of the worldfrom reading these stories.Mythic stories are one literary type, or genre.You just have to look in a newspaper to see examplesof different literary genres: news stories,advice columns, editorials, and comics.Each genre has different rules for interpretingits meaning. The Bible also contains many typesof literary genres, including hero stories, poetry,laws, legends, fictional satire, debates, and letters.To properly understand the Bible, pay attentionto the literary genre—otherwise, youmight believe the Bible is saying something Goddoesn’t intend.AAGn 1:1—2:4

23Genesis 1:28CatholicSocial TeachingIn the opening chapters of theBook of Genesis, we read thewonderful story of God’s creationof the universe. With each newday, God creates the light anddarkness, the earth and sea, theplants and animals, and ultimatelyhumankind. On the seventh day,God observes the amazing creationand we read, “God looked ateverything he had made, and hefound it very good” (Gn 1:31).After God creates the man andwoman, he commands them to“fill the earth and subdue it” (Gn1:28). In other words, human beingsare to cooperate with God inthe completion and care of creation.With God’s grace, we participatein laying the foundation forGod’s reign on earth.Catholic social teaching tellsCoworkers with Godus that as coworkers with Godin caring for and sustaining theworld, we have a responsibility toprotect both the dignity of the humanperson as well as the planet.Amazing breakthroughs are happeningin our world all the time,and yet, as Christians, we areasked to consider whether suchdevelopments are in keeping withthe teachings of our Church. Forexample, we now have the abilityto clone animals and geneticallyalter agricultural products, butwill these practices sustain ourworld or ultimately destroy it? Dothese practices really revere andvalue human life and the createdorder?God has given us the amazinggift of intellectual inquiry, whichcan lead to wonderful advancementsfor our world, but we mustalways ask ourselves how wemight help promote ethical approachesto research so that futuregenerations may continue toenjoy the beauty of creation andthrive in the universe.• As a coworker with God, howdo I sustain and care for God’screation?• How might I use my gifts ofknowledge and education toreally improve the world andhelp bring about God’s reign onearth?AAGenesis, chapters 1–2Caring for God’s CreationGN23 Evening came, and morning followed—thefifth day.24 * Then God said: Let the earth bring forth everykind of living creature: tame animals, crawlingthings, and every kind of wild animal. And so ithappened: 25 God made every kind of wild animal,every kind of tame animal, and every kind of thingthat crawls on the ground. God saw that it wasgood. 26 * Then God said: Let us make† humanbeings in our image, after our likeness. Let themhave dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds†1:26 Let us make: in the ancient Near East, and sometimes in theBible, God was imagined as presiding over an assembly of heavenlybeings who deliberated and decided about matters on earth (1 Kgs22:19–22; Is 6:8; Ps 29:1–2; 82; 89:6–7; Jb 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This sceneaccounts for the plural form here and in Gn 11:7 (“Let us then godown . . .”). Israel’s God was always considered “Most High” over theheavenly beings. Human beings: Hebrew ’ādām is here the genericterm for humankind; in the first five chapters of Genesis it is the propername Adam only at 4:25 and 5:1–5. In our image, after our likeness:“image” and “likeness” (virtually synonyms) express the worth of humanbeings who have value in themselves (human blood may not beshed in 9:6 because of this image of God) and in their task, dominion(1:28), which promotes the rule of God over the universe.1:27 Male and female: as God provided the plants with seeds(vv. 11, 12) and commanded the animals to be fertile and multiply(v. 22), so God gives sexuality to human beings as their means tocontinue in existence.1:28 Fill the earth and subdue it: the object of the verb “subdue”may be not the earth as such but earth as the territory each nationof the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals,and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.27 God created mankind in his image;in the image of God he created them;male and female† he created them.28 God blessed them and God said to them: Befertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.†Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birdsof the air, and all the living things that crawl onmust take for itself (chaps. 10–11), just as Israel will later do (see Nm32:22, 29; Jos 18:1). The two divine commands define the basic tasksof the human race—to continue in existence through generation andto take possession of one’s God-given territory. The dual commandwould have had special meaning when Israel was in exile and deeplyanxious about whether they would continue as a nation and returnto their ancient territory. Have dominion: the whole human race ismade in the “image” and “likeness” of God and has “dominion.”Comparable literature of the time used these words of kings ratherthan of human beings in general; human beings were invariablythought of as slaves of the gods created to provide menial service forthe divine world. The royal language here does not, however, givehuman beings unlimited power, for kings in the Bible had limiteddominion and were subject to prophetic critique.*1:24 Sir 16:27–28.1:26–27 Gn 5:1, 3; 9:6; Ps8:5–6; Wis 2:23; 10:2;Sir 17:1, 3–4; Mt 19:4;Mk 10:6; Jas 3:7; Eph4:24; Col 3:10.1:28 Gn 8:17; 9:1; Ps 8:6–9;115:16; Wis 9:2.

Genesis 1:2924GNCulturalConnectionAccording to Genesis, chapters1–2, God createdthe universe and is the sourceof order in all creation. Creationis good, and its goodness is reflectedin the harmony, peace,and love between the Creator andhis creatures, and among thecreatures themselves. In Hispanictheological traditions, this idealrelationship—symbolized by theway God and Adam and Eve relatein the Garden of Eden—is consideredthe foundation in which salvationhistory is rooted.• How are your relationships withGod, your friends, your family,and nature characterized byharmony, peace, and love?• Reflect on how you can improvesome of your strainedrelationships, and ask God’shelp to do it.Human beings are createdin God’s image and likeness andshare God’s attributes: freedom,love, knowledge, and the ability tocreate. With these gifts comesthe responsibility of caring for allcreation.•• Give thanks and praise to Godfor creation, especially for yourown life and the lives of the peoplearound you.• Think of how you, your family,and your community can takebetter care of all creation.Pray that you fully develop yourcapacity to love, to know thetruth, and to use your freedomwisely.God Is Our CreatorGod established a covenantwith us at the moment of ourcreation, and we keep this covenantby freely placing ourselves inGod’s hands and being responsiveto God’s invitation to live in communionwith God and people.• How do you use your freedomto respond to God’s invitation?Think about the aspects of yourlife for which you most needGod’s wisdom to live in harmonyand love. Put yourself in God’shands, and let God help and directyou.AAGenesis, chapters 1–2the earth.* 29 †* God also said: See, I give you everyseed-bearing plant on all the earth and everytree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be yourfood; 30 and to all the wild animals, all the birdsof the air, and all the living creatures that crawlon the earth, I give all the green plants for food.And so it happened. 31 God looked at everythinghe had made, and found it very good. Eveningcame, and morning followed—the sixth day.*1 Thus the heavens and the earth and all their2 array were completed.* 2 † On the seventh†1:29 According to the Priestly tradition, the human race wasoriginally intended to live on plants and fruits as were the animals(see v. 30), an arrangement that God will later change (9:3) in viewof the human inclination to violence.2:2 The mention of the seventh day, repeated in v. 3, is outsidethe series of six days and is thus the climax of the account. The focusof the account is God. The text does not actually institute the practiceof keeping the Sabbath, for it would have been anachronistic to establishat this point a custom that was distinctively Israelite (Ex 31:13,16, 17), but it lays the foundation for the later practice. Similarly,ancient creation accounts often ended with the construction of atemple where the newly created human race provided service to thegods who created them, but no temple is mentioned in this account.As was the case with the Sabbath, it would have been anachronisticto institute the temple at this point, for Israel did not yet exist. In Ex25–31 and 35–40, Israel builds the tabernacle, which is the precursorof the Temple of Sol o mon.2:4 This is the story: the distinctive Priestly formula introducesday God completed the work he had been doing;he rested on the seventh day from all the work hehad undertaken.* 3 God blessed the seventh dayand made it holy, because on it he rested from allthe work he had done in creation.*older traditions, belonging to the tradition called Yahwist, and givesthem a new setting. In the first part of Genesis, the formula “this isthe story” (or a similar phrase) occurs five times (2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1;11:10), which corresponds to the five occurrences of the formula inthe second part of the book (11:27; 25:12, 19; 36:1[9]; 37:2). Someinterpret the formula here as retrospective (“Such is the story”), referringback to chap. 1, but all its other occurrences introduce ratherthan summarize. It is introductory here; the Priestly source wouldhardly use the formula to introduce its own material in chap. 1.The cosmogony that begins in v. 4 is concerned with the nature ofhuman beings, narrating the story of the essential institutions and limitsof the human race through their first ancestors. This cosmogony,like 1:1–3 (see note there), uses the “when . . . then” construction*I. The Story of the NationsThe Garden of Eden4 This is the story† of the heavens and theearth at their creation. When the Lord God madethe earth and the heavens— 5 there was no field1:29–30 Gn 9:3; Ps 104:14–15.1:31 1 Tm 4:4.2:1 Is 45:12; Jn 1:3.2:2 Ex 20:9–11; 31:17; Heb4:4, 10.2:3 Ex 20:11; Dt 5:14; Neh9:14.

25Genesis 2:9shrub on earth and no grass of the field hadsprouted, for the Lord God had sent no rainupon the earth and there was no man† to tillthe ground, 6 but a stream† was welling up outof the earth and watering all the surface of theground— 7 then the Lord God formed the man††common in ancient cosmogonies. The account is generally attributedto the Yahwist, who prefers the divine name “Yhwh” (here renderedLord) for God. God in this story is called “the Lord God” (except in3:1–5); “Lord” is to be expected in a Yahwist account but the additionalword “God” is puzzling.2:5 Man: the Hebrew word ’adam is a generic term meaning“human being.” In chaps. 2–3, however, the archetypal human beingis understood to be male (Adam), so the word ’adam is translated“man” here.2:6 Stream: the water wells up from the vast flood below theearth. The account seems to presuppose that only the garden of Godwas irrigated at this point. From this one source of all the fertilizingwater on the earth, water will be channeled through the garden ofGod over the entire earth. It is the source of the four rivers mentionedin vv. 10–14. Later, with rain and cultivation, the fertility of the gardenof God will appear in all parts of the world.2:7 God is portrayed as a potter molding the human body out ofearth. There is a play on words in Hebrew between ’adam (“humanbeing,” “man”) and ’adama (“ground”). It is not enough to make thebody from earth; God must also breathe into the man’s nostrils. Asimilar picture of divine breath imparted to human beings in orderfor them to live is found in Ez 37:5, 9–10; Jn 20:22. The Israelites didnot think in the (Greek) categories of body and soul.2:8 Eden, in the east: the place names in vv. 8–14 are mostlyderived from Mesopotamian geography (see note on vv. 10–14).Eden may be the name of a region in southern Mesopotamia (modernIraq), the term derived from the Sumerian word eden, “fertile plain.”A similar-sounding Hebrew word means “delight,” which may liebehind the Greek translation, “The Lord God planted a paradise[= plea sure park] in Eden.” It should be noted, however, that theive It!In God’s ImageGod does not make mistakes; people do.Some people might be tempted to denytheir racial heritage, even to change their physicalappearance in order to conform to the latestfad or fit the dominant cultural image of beauty.We must remember that physical features arenot accidents. God planned for them—we are allmade in God’s image, inside and out.If we are to authentically love ourselves, wemust love our whole selves. This includes a lovefor dark skin or light skin, straight hair or curlyhair, wide nose or pug nose, and all the variationsin between. Whatever our appearance, weare all blessed by God.AAGn 1:26–27out of the dust of the ground and blew into hisnostrils the breath of life, and the man becamea living being.*8 The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, inthe east,† and placed there the man whom hehad formed.* 9 † Out of the ground the Lordgarden was not intended as a paradise for the human race, but as aplea sure park for God; the man tended it for God. The story is notabout “paradise lost.”The garden in the precincts of Sol o mon’s Temple in Je ru sa lemseems to symbolize the garden of God (like gardens in other temples);it is apparently alluded to in Ps 1:3; 80:10; 92:14; Ez 47:7–12;Rev 22:1–2.2:9 The second tree, the tree of life, is mentioned here and at theend of the story (3:22, 24). It is identified with Wisdom in Prv 3:18;11:30; 13:12; 15:4, where the pursuit of wisdom gives back to humanbeings the life that is made inaccessible to them in Gn 3:24. In*2:7 Gn 3:19; 18:27; Tb 8:6;Jb 34:15; Ps 103:14;104:29; Eccl 3:20; 12:7;ray It!The SabbathWis 7:1; Sir 33:10;1 Cor 15:45.2:8 Is 51:3; Ez 31:9.Even God needed to take a rest. The writerof Genesis makes this point to remind readersto set aside a day for rest and prayer, whichJewish people call the Sabbath. Honoring theSabbath is an act of trust in God. It means webelieve that the world will not fall apart if we stopour activity. The world is in God’s hands. We canhear this truth echoed in Jesus’ words:Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toilor spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in allhis splendor was dressed like one of them.If God so clothes the grass in the field thatgrows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,will he not much more provide foryou, O you of little faith? (Lk 12:27–28)Traditionally, Christians rest and pray on Sundaybecause it is the day on which Jesus wasresurrected. In our culture today, it seems thatmany people are losing this practice.• What could we gain if we recommitted ourselvesto a day of rest, celebration, andprayer?• What can you do personally to morefully honor the concept of Sabbathrest?AAGn 2:1–3GN

26GNCatholic ConnectionOriginal SinBefore the Fall, Adam and Eve hadit all. God gave them freedomand established a close friendship withthem. They could simply walk aboutthe garden tending to it alongside ofGod. They lived in perfect harmonywith each other and all of creationwithout fear, suffering, or death. Yet,Adam and Eve wanted more. By believingthe serpent’s lie, Adam and Evesought to make themselves equal toGod. They distrusted God’s goodness,directly disobeyed God, and abusedthe freedom God had given them. Theresults were tragic. Adam and Eve’sfriendship with God turned into fearas they hid in the garden. After beingexpelled from the garden, tensionand strife entered Adam and Eve’sonce harmonious relationship. Thecreation they once helped tend withGod became hazardous and difficult tomanage. Ultimately, through their sin,death became a reality for Adam andEve. Though this account in chapterthree of Genesis uses figurative language,it points to the reality that allof humanity has been affected by thesin our first parents freely chose tocommit.This original sin and its consequenceshave been handed down to everygeneration throughout all of history,with the exception of Jesus and hismother, Mary. Although we are notpersonally responsible for it, our naturealso has been wounded by thissin. As a result, we do not have theoriginal holiness and justice God intendedfor us, but are inclined to sin andsubject to death. Fortunately, JesusChrist, unlike Adam and Eve, came intotal obedience to the will of God. As aresult, the sin brought into the worldby Adam and Eve has been overcomeby the Passion, death, and Resurrectionof Jesus Christ. (Read Romans5:12–21 to learn more about the relationshipbetween Adam and Jesus.)Through the grace of the sacramentof Baptism, we are freed from originalsin and turned back toward God. Andthe graces we receive through Christwill surpass those that Adam and Eveever knew before the Fall!AAGn 3:1–24Catechism, nos. 369–421

27Genesis 3:6God made grow every tree that was delightful tolook at and good for food, with the tree of lifein the middle of the garden and the tree of theknowledge of good and evil.*10 A river rises in Eden† to water the garden;beyond there it divides and becomes fourbranches. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon;it is the one that winds through the whole landof Havilah, where there is gold. 12 The gold ofthat land is good; bdellium and lapis lazuli arealso there. 13 The name of the second river is theGihon; it is the one that winds all through theland of Cush.* 14 The name of the third river isthe Tigris; it is the one that flows east of Asshur.The fourth river is the Euphrates.15 The Lord God then took the man and settledhim in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and carefor it.* 16 The Lord God gave the man this order:You are free to eat from any of the trees of thegarden* 17 except the tree of knowledge of goodand evil. From that tree you shall not eat; whenyou eat from it you shall die.† *18 The Lord God said: It is not good for the manto be alone. I will make a helper suited to him.† *19 So the Lord God formed out of the groundall the wild animals and all the birds of the air,and he brought them to the man to see what hewould call them; whatever the man called eachliving creature was then its name. 20 The mangave names to all the tame animals, all the birdsof the air, and all the wild animals; but noneproved to be a helper suited to the man.21 So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on theman, and while he was asleep, he took out one of†the new creation described in the Book of Revelation, the tree of lifeis once again made available to human beings (Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14,19). Knowledge of good and evil: the meaning is disputed. Accordingto some, it signifies moral autonomy, control over morality (symbolizedby “good and evil”), which would be inappropriate for merehuman beings; the phrase would thus mean refusal to accept thehuman condition and finite freedom that God gives them. Accordingto others, it is more broadly the knowledge of what is helpful andharmful to humankind, suggesting that the attainment of adult experienceand responsibility inevitably means the loss of a life of simplesubordination to God.2:10–14 A river rises in Eden: the stream of water mentioned inv. 6, the source of all water upon earth, comes to the surface in thegarden of God and from there flows out over the entire earth. Incomparable religious literature, the dwelling of god is the sourceof fertilizing waters. The four rivers represent universality, as in thephrase “the four quarters of the earth.” In Ez 47:1–12; Zec 14:8; Rev22:1–2, the waters that irrigate the earth arise in the temple or city ofGod. The place names in vv. 11–14 are mainly from southern Mesopotamia(modern Iraq), where Mesopotamian literature placed theoriginal garden of God. The Tigris and the Euphrates, the two greatrivers in that part of the world, both emptied into the Persian Gulf.Gihon is the modest stream issuing from Je ru sa lem (2 Sm 5:8; 1 Kgs1:9–10; 2 Chr 32:4), but is here regarded as one of the four greatworld rivers and linked to Mesopotamia, for Cush here seems to bethe territory of the Kassites (a people of Mesopotamia) as in Gn 10:8.The word Pishon is otherwise unknown but is probably formed inimitation of Gihon. Havilah seems, according to Gn 10:7 and 1 Chr1:9, to be in Cush in southern Mesopotamia though other locationshave been suggested.his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.* 22 TheLord God then built the rib that he had takenfrom the man into a woman. When he broughther to the man, 23 the man said:2:17 You shall die: since they do not die as soon as they eat fromthe forbidden tree, the meaning seems to be that human beings havebecome mortal, destined to die by virtue of being human.2:18 Helper suited to him: lit., “a helper in accord with him.”“Helper” need not imply subordination, for God is called a helper(Dt 33:7; Ps 46:2). The language suggests a profound affinity betweenthe man and the woman and a relationship that is supportiveand nurturing.2:23 The man recognizes an affinity with the woman God hasbrought him. Unlike the animals who were made from the ground, sheis made from his very self. There is a play on the similar-sounding Hebrewwords ’ishsha (“woman,” “wife”) and ’ish (“man,” “husband”).2:24 One body: lit., “one flesh.” The covenant of marriage establisheskinship bonds of the first rank between the partners.2:25 They felt no shame: marks a new stage in the drama, for thereader knows that only young children know no shame. This drawsthe reader into the next episode, where the couple’s disobedienceresults in their loss of innocence.3:1 Cunning: there is a play on the words for “naked” (2:25) and“cunning/wise” (Heb. ‘arum). The couple seek to be “wise” but endup knowing that they are “naked.”3:5 Like gods, who know: or “like God who knows.”*“This one, at last, is bone of my bonesand flesh of my flesh;This one shall be called ‘woman,’for out of man this one has been taken.”†24 * That is why a man leaves his father andmother and clings to his wife, and the two ofthem become one body.†25 The man and his wife were both naked, yetthey felt no shame.†Expulsion from Eden1 Now the snake was the most cunning† of3 all the wild animals that the Lord God hadmade. He asked the woman, “Did God really say,‘You shall not eat from any of the trees in thegarden’?” 2 The woman answered the snake: “Wemay eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;3 * it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middleof the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eatit or even touch it, or else you will die.’ ” 4 Butthe snake said to the woman: “You certainly willnot die!* 5 God knows well that when you eat ofit your eyes will be opened and you will be likegods, who know† good and evil.” 6 The womansaw that the tree was good for food and pleasingto the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gainingwisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it;and she also gave some to her husband, who was2:9 Gn 3:22; Prv 3:18; Rev2:7; 22:2, 14.2:13 Sir 24:25.2:15 Sir 7:15.2:16 Ps 104:14–15.2:17 Gn 3:2–3; Rom 6:23.2:18 Tb 8:6; Sir 36:24; 1 Cor11:9; 1 Tm 2:13.2:21 Sir 17:1; 1 Cor 11:8–9;1 Tm 2:13.2:24 Mt 19:5; Mk 10:7; 1 Cor7:10–11; Eph 5:31.3:3 Gn 2:17; Rom 6:23.3:4–5 Wis 2:24; Sir 25:14; Is14:14; Jn 8:44; 2 Cor11:3.GN

Genesis 3:728GNwith her, and he ate it.* 7 Then the eyes of bothof them were opened, and they knew that theywere naked; so they sewed fig leaves together andmade loincloths for themselves.8 When they heard the sound of the Lord Godwalking about in the garden at the breezy timeof the day,† the man and his wife hid themselvesfrom the Lord God among the trees of the garden.*9 The Lord God then called to the man andasked him: Where are you? 10 He answered, “Iheard you in the garden; but I was afraid, becauseI was naked, so I hid.” 11 Then God asked: Whotold you that you were naked? Have you eatenfrom the tree of which I had forbidden you toeat? 12 The man replied, “The woman whom youput here with me—she gave me fruit from thetree, so I ate it.” 13 The Lord God then asked thewoman: What is this you have done? The womananswered, “The snake tricked me, so I ate it.”*14 Then the Lord God said to the snake:Because you have done this,cursed are youamong all the animals, tame or wild;On your belly you shall crawl,and dust you shall eatall the days of your life.† *15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,and between your offspring and hers;They will strike at your head,while you strike at their heel.† *16 To the woman he said:I will intensify your toil in childbearing;in pain† you shall bring forth children.Yet your urge shall be for your husband,and he shall rule over you.17 To the man he said: Because you listened toyour wife and ate from the tree about which Icommanded you, You shall not eat from it,Cursed is the ground† because of you!In toil you shall eat its yieldall the days of your life.*18 Thorns and thistles it shall bear for you,and you shall eat the grass of thefield.19 By the sweat of your browyou shall eat bread,Until you return to the ground,from which you were taken;For you are dust,and to dust you shall return.*20 The man gave his wife the name “Eve,” becauseshe was the mother of all the living.†21 The Lord God made for the man and hiswife garments of skin, with which he clothedthem. 22 Then the Lord God said: See! The manhas become like one of us, knowing good andevil! Now, what if he also reaches out his handto take fruit from the tree of life, and eats of itand lives forever?* 23 The Lord God thereforebanished him from the garden of Eden, to till theground from which he had been taken. 24 He expelledthe man, stationing the cherubim and thefiery revolving sword east of the garden of Eden,to guard the way to the tree of life.Cain and Abel1 The man had intercourse with his wife Eve,4 and she conceived and gave birth to Cain,saying, “I have produced a male child with thehelp of the Lord.”† 2 Next she gave birth to hisbrother Abel. Abel became a herder of flocks,†3:8 The breezy time of the day: lit., “the wind of the day.” Probablyshortly before sunset.3:14 Each of the three punishments (the snake, the woman, theman) has a double aspect, one affecting the individual and the otheraffecting a basic relationship. The snake previously stood upright,enjoyed a reputation for being shrewder than other creatures, andcould converse with human beings as in vv. 1–5. It must now moveon its belly, is more cursed than any creature, and inspires revulsionin human beings (v. 15).3:15 They will strike . . . at their heel: the antecedent for “they”and “their” is the collective noun “offspring,” i.e., all the descendantsof the woman. Christian tradition has seen in this passage, however,more than unending hostility between snakes and human beings. Thesnake was identified with the devil (Wis 2:24; Jn 8:44; Rev 12:9; 20:2),whose eventual defeat seemed implied in the verse. Because “the Sonof God was revealed to destroy the works of the devil” (1 Jn 3:8), thepassage was understood as the first promise of a redeemer for fallenhumankind, the protoevangelium. Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. a.d. 130–200), in his Against Heresies 5.21.1, followed by several other Fathersof the Church, interpreted the verse as referring to Christ, and cited Gal3:19 and 4:4 to support the reference. Another interpretive translationis ipsa, “she,” and is reflected in Jerome’s Vulgate. “She” was thoughtto refer to Mary, the mother of the messiah. In Christian art Mary issometimes depicted with her foot on the head of the serpent.3:16 Toil . . . pain: the punishment affects the woman directly byincreasing the toil and pain of having children. He shall rule overyou: the punishment also affects the woman’s relationship with herhusband. A tension is set up in which her urge (either sexual urge or,more generally, dependence for sustenance) is for her husband buthe rules over her. But see Sg 7:11.3:17–19 Cursed is the ground: the punishment affects the man’srelationship to the ground (’adam and ’adamah). You are dust: thepunishment also affects the man directly insofar as he is now mortal.3:20 The man gives his wife a more specific name than “woman”(2:23). The Hebrew name hawwa (“Eve”) is related to the Hebrewword hay (“living”); “mother of all the living” points forward to thenext episode involving her sons Cain and Abel.4:1 The Hebrew name qayin (“Cain”) and the term qaniti (“I haveproduced”) present a wordplay that refers to metalworking; suchwordplays are frequent in Genesis.*3:6 Gn 3:22; 1 Tm 2:14.3:8 Jer 23:24.3:13 2 Cor 11:3.3:14 Is 65:25; Mi 7:17; Rev12:9.3:15 Rom 16:20; 1 Jn 3:8;Rev 12:17.3:17 Gn 5:29; Rom 5:12;8:20; Heb 6:8.3:19 Gn 2:7; Jb 10:9; 34:15;Ps 90:3; 103:14; Eccl3:20; 12:7; Wis 15:8;Sir 10:9; 17:2; Rom5:12; 1 Cor 15:21; Heb9:27.3:22 Gn 2:9; Rev 22:2, 14.

29Genesis 4:22and Cain a tiller of the ground.† 3 In the course oftime Cain brought an offering to the Lord fromthe fruit of the ground, 4 while Abel, for his part,brought the fatty portion† of the firstlings of hisflock.* The Lord looked with favor on Abel andhis offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering hedid not look with favor. So Cain was very angryand dejected. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain: Whyare you angry? Why are you dejected? 7 If you actrightly, you will be accepted;† but if not, sin liesin wait at the door: its urge is for you, yet youcan rule over it.*8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go outin the field.”† When they were in the field, Cainattacked his brother Abel and killed him.* 9 Thenthe Lord asked Cain, Where is your brotherAbel? He answered, “I do not know. Am I mybrother’s keeper?” 10 God then said: What haveyou done? Your brother’s blood cries out to mefrom the ground! 11 Now you are banned fromthe ground† that opened its mouth to receiveyour brother’s blood from your hand.* 12 If youtill the ground, it shall no longer give you its produce.You shall become a constant wanderer onthe earth. 13 Cain said to the Lord: “My punishmentis too great to bear. 14 Look, you have nowbanished me from the ground. I must avoid youand be a constant wanderer on the earth. Anyonemay kill me at sight.” 15 Not so! the Lord said tohim. If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avengedseven times. So the Lord put a mark† on Cain, sothat no one would kill him at sight. 16 Cain thenleft the Lord’s presence and settled in the land ofNod,† east of Eden.Descendants of Cain and Seth17 † Cain had intercourse with his wife, andshe conceived and bore Enoch. Cain also became†4:2 Some suggest the story reflects traditional strife between thefarmer (Cain) and the nomad (Abel), with preference for the latterreflecting the alleged nomadic ideal of the Bible. But there is no disparagementof farming here, for Adam was created to till the soil. Thestory is about two brothers (the word “brother” occurs seven times) andGod’s unexplained preference for one, which provokes the first murder.The motif of the preferred younger brother will occur time and again inthe Bible, e.g., Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and David (1 Sm 16:1–13).4:4 Fatty portion: it was standard practice to offer the fat portionsof animals. Others render, less satisfactorily, “the choicest of the firstlings.”The point is not that Abel gave a more valuable gift than Cain,but that God, for reasons not given in the text, accepts the offering ofAbel and rejects that of Cain.4:7 You will be accepted: the text is extraordinarily condensedand unclear. “You will be accepted” is a paraphrase of one Hebrewword, “lifting.” God gives a friendly warning to Cain that his rightconduct will bring “lifting,” which could refer to acceptance (lifting)of his future offerings or of himself (as in the Hebrew idiom “liftingof the face”) or lifting up of his head in honor (cf. note on 40:13),whereas wicked conduct will make him vulnerable to sin, which ispersonified as a force ready to attack. In any case, Cain has the abilityto do the right thing. Lies in wait: sin is personified as a power that“lies in wait” (Heb. robes) at a place. In Mesopotamian religion, arelated word (rabisu) refers to a malevolent god who attacks humanthe founder of a city, which he named after hisson Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Iradbecame the father of Mehujael; Mehujael becamethe father of Methusael, and Methusael becamethe father of Lamech. 19 Lamech took twowives; the name of the first was Adah, and thename of the second Zillah. 20 Adah gave birthto Jabal, who became the ancestor of those whodwell in tents and keep livestock. 21 His brother’sname was Jubal, who became the ancestor of allwho play the lyre and the reed pipe. 22 Zillah, onbeings in particular places like roofs or canals.4:8 Let us go out in the field: to avoid detection. The verse presumesa sizeable population which Genesis does not otherwiseexplain.4:11 Banned from the ground: lit., “cursed.” The verse refers backto 3:17 where the ground was cursed so that it yields its produce onlywith great effort. Cain has polluted the soil with his brother’s bloodand it will no longer yield any of its produce to him.4:15 A mark: probably a tattoo to mark Cain as protected by God.The use of tattooing for tribal marks has always been common amongthe Bedouin of the Near Eastern deserts.4:16 The land of Nod: a symbolic name (derived from the verbnûd, to wander) rather than a definite geographic region.4:17–24 Cain is the first in a seven-member linear genealogyending in three individuals who initiate action (Jabal, Jubal, andTubalcain). Other Genesis genealogies also end in three individualsinitiating action (5:32 and 11:26). The purpose of this genealogy isto explain the origin of culture and crafts among human beings. Thenames in this genealogy are the same (some with different spellings)as those in the ten-member genealogy (ending with Noah), which hasa slightly different function. See note on 5:1–32.*ive It!Brothers and Sistersm I my brother’s keeper?” (Gn 4:9).“A With that famous question, Cain pretendshe does not know where his brother is.God does not answer Cain’s question directly,but each of us knows the response. We are—each of us and all of us—responsible for oneanother: family, friends, and strangers. We arebrothers and sisters because God has createdus that way. We cannot avoid our obligation towatch out for one another.• Are there people in your life who need you tobe a brother or sister to them? How can youreach out to them?AAGn 4:94:4 Ex 34:19; Heb 11:4.4:7 Sir 7:1; Jude 11.4:8 Wis 10:3; Mt 23:35; Lk11:51; 1 Jn 3:12; Jude11.4:11 Dt 27:24.GN

Genesis 4:2330GNCatholicSocial TeachingCain was a murderer. Somemight say that he deservedthe death penalty. But in Genesis4:15, God marks Cain so that heis protected from being killed. Godseeks to stop the cycle of violence.Why kill someone to show that itis wrong to kill someone?Catholic social teaching echoesthis sentiment, asserting that alllife—even the life of a violent criminal—hasa God-given sense ofdignity that must be protected atall times. This can sometimes bea difficult teaching to understand.It’s easy to see why we shouldwork to protect the dignity of thepoor, the dying, and the unborn—but murderers too? Why shouldwe respect someone whose actionshave not shown any concernfor life?The Scriptures have taught usto believe that justice cannot beachieved through vengeance andthat forgiveness, reconciliation,and conversion are always possible,even for the greatest ofsinners. Capital punishment hasproven to be unnecessary, ineffective,and unacceptable in today’sworld, given the alternative optionsthat are available for achievingretribution. When we chooseThe Cycle of Violenceto support capital punishment,we feed the cycle of violence andrisk becoming less sensitive tothe preciousness of every humanlife; we forget that all of us—evengrave sinners—have been createdin the image and likeness of God.AAGn 4:15Life and Dignity of the HumanPersonher part, gave birth to Tubalcain, the ancestor ofall who forge instruments of bronze and iron.The sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. 23 † Lamechsaid to his wives:“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;wives of Lamech, listen to my utterance:I have killed a man for wounding me,a young man for bruising me.24 If Cain is avenged seven times,then Lamech seventy-seven times.”25 † Adam again had intercourse with his wife,and she gave birth to a son whom she called†4:23–24 Lamech’s boast shows that the violence of Cain continueswith his son and has actually increased. The question is posed tothe reader: how will God’s creation be renewed?4:25–26 The third and climactic birth story in the chapter, showingthat this birth, unlike the other two, will have good results. Thename Seth (from the Hebrew verb shat, “to place, replace”) showsthat God has replaced Abel with a worthy successor. From this favoredline Enosh (“human being/humankind”), a synonym of Adam,authentic religion began with the worship of Yhwh; this divine nameis rendered as “the Lord” in this translation. The Yahwist source employsthe name Yhwh long before the time of Moses. Another ancientsource, the Elohist (from its use of the term Elohim, “God,” instead ofYhwh, “Lord,” for the pre-Mosaic period), makes Moses the first touse Yhwh as the proper name of Israel’s God, previously known byother names as well; cf. Ex 3:13–15.5:1–32 The second of the five Priestly formulas in Part I (“This is therecord of the descendants . . .”; see 2:4a; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10) introducesthe second of the three linear genealogies in Gn 1–11 (4:17–24 and11:10–26). In each, a list of individuals (six in 4:17–24, ten in 5:1–32,or nine in 11:10–26) ends in three people who initiate action. LinearSeth. “God has granted me another offspringin place of Abel,” she said, “because Cain killedhim.” 26 To Seth, in turn, a son was born, and henamed him Enosh.At that time people began to invoke the Lordby name.*Generations: Adam to Noah†1 * This is the record of the descendants of5 Adam. When God created human beings, hemade them in the likeness of God; 2 he createdthem male and female. When they were created,he blessed them and named them humankind.3 * Adam was one hundred and thirty yearsgenealogies (father to son) in ancient societies had a communicativefunction, grounding the authority or claim of the last-named individualin the first-named. Here, the genealogy has a literary function as well,advancing the story by showing the expansion of the human race afterAdam, as well as the transmission to his descendant Noah of the divineimage given to Adam. Correcting the impression one might get from thegenealogy in 4:17–24, this genealogy traces the line through Seth ratherthan through Cain. Most of the names in the series are the same as thenames in Cain’s line in 4:17–19 (Enosh, Enoch, Lamech) or spelledwith variant spellings (Mahalalel, Jared, Methuselah). The genealogyitself and its placement before the flood shows the influence of ancientMesopotamian literature, which contains lists of cities and kings beforeand after the flood. Before the flood, the ages of the kings ranged from18,600 to 36,000 years, but after it were reduced to between 140 and1,200 years. The biblical numbers are much smaller. There are somedifferences in the numbers in the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.*4:26 1 Chr 1:1; Lk 3:38.5:1 Gn 1:27; Wis 2:23; Sir17:1; Jas 3:9.5:3–32 1 Chr 1:1–4; Lk3:36–38.

old when he begot a son in his likeness, after hisimage; and he named him Seth.* 4 Adam livedeight hundred years after he begot Seth, and hehad other sons and daughters. 5 The whole lifetimeof Adam was nine hundred and thirty years;then he died.6 When Seth was one hundred and five yearsold, he begot Enosh. 7 Seth lived eight hundredand seven years after he begot Enosh, and hehad other sons and daughters. 8 The whole lifetimeof Seth was nine hundred and twelve years;then he died.9 When Enosh was ninety years old, he begotKenan. 10 Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteenyears after he begot Kenan, and he had othersons and daughters. 11 The whole lifetime ofEnosh was nine hundred and five years; thenhe died.12 When Kenan was seventy years old, he begotMahalalel. 13 Kenan lived eight hundred andforty years after he begot Mahalalel, and he hadother sons and daughters. 14 The whole lifetimeof Kenan was nine hundred and ten years; thenhe died.15 When Mahalalel was sixty-five years old, hebegot Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived eight hundred andthirty years after he begot Jared, and he had othersons and daughters. 17 The whole lifetime of Mahalalelwas eight hundred and ninety-five years;then he died.18 When Jared was one hundred and sixty-twoyears old, he begot Enoch. 19 Jared lived eighthundred years after he begot Enoch, and he hadother sons and daughters. 20 The whole lifetimeof Jared was nine hundred and sixty-two years;then he died.21 When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he begotMethuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God afterhe begot Methuselah for three hundred years,31 Genesis 6:4and he had other sons and daughters. 23 Thewhole lifetime of Enoch was three hundred andsixty-five years. 24 Enoch walked with God,† andhe was no longer here, for God took him.*25 When Methuselah was one hundred andeighty-seven years old, he begot Lamech. 26 Methuselahlived seven hundred and eighty-twoyears after he begot Lamech, and he had othersons and daughters. 27 The whole lifetime of Methuselahwas nine hundred and sixty-nine years;then he died.28 When Lamech was one hundred and eightytwoyears old, he begot a son 29 * and namedhim Noah, saying, “This one shall bring us relieffrom our work and the toil of our hands, outof the very ground that the Lord has put undera curse.”† 30 Lamech lived five hundred andninety-five years after he begot Noah, and he hadother sons and daughters. 31 The whole lifetimeof Lamech was seven hundred and seventy-sevenyears; then he died.32 When Noah was five hundred years old, hebegot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.† *Origin of the Nephilim†1 When human beings began to grow numerouson the earth and daughters were born to6them, 2 the sons of God† saw how beautiful thedaughters of human beings were, and so theytook for their wives whomever they pleased.*3 Then the Lord said: My spirit shall not remainin human beings forever, because they are onlyflesh. Their days shall comprise one hundred andtwenty years.4 The Nephilim appeared on earth in thosedays, as well as later,† after the sons of God hadintercourse with the daughters of human beings,who bore them sons. They were the heroes ofold, the men of renown.*GN†5:24 Enoch is in the important seventh position in the tenmembergenealogy. In place of the usual formula “then he died,”the change to “Enoch walked with God” implies that he did not die,but like Elijah (2 Kgs 2:11–12) was taken alive to God’s abode. Thismysterious narrative spurred much speculation and writing (beginningas early as the third century b.c.) about Enoch the sage whoknew the secrets of heaven and who could communicate them tohuman beings (see Sir 44:16; 49:14; Heb 11:5; Jude 14–15 and theapocryphal work 1 Enoch).5:29 The sound of the Hebrew word noah, “Noah,” is echoedin the word yenahamenu, “he will bring us relief”; the latter refersboth to the curse put on the soil because of human disobedience(3:17–19) and to Noah’s success in agriculture, especially in raisinggrapes for wine (9:20–21).5:32 Shem, Ham, and Japheth: like the genealogies in 4:17–24and 11:10–26, the genealogy ends in three individuals who engagein important activity. Their descendants will be detailed in chap.10, where it will be seen that the lineage is political-geographicalas well as “ethnic.”6:1–4 These enigmatic verses are a transition between the expansionof the human race illustrated in the genealogy of chap. 5 and theflood depicted in chaps. 6–9. The text, apparently alluding to an oldlegend, shares a common ancient view that the heavenly world waspopulated by a multitude of beings, some of whom were wicked andrebellious. It is incorporated here, not only in order to account forthe prehistoric giants, whom the Israelites called the Nephilim, butalso to introduce the story of the flood with a moral orientation—theconstantly increasing wickedness of humanity. This increasing wickednessleads God to reduce the human life span imposed on the firstcouple. As the ages in the preceding genealogy show, life spans hadbeen exceptionally long in the early period, but God further reducesthem to something near the ordinary life span.6:2 The sons of God: other heavenly beings. See note on 1:26.6:4 As well as later: the belief was common that human beingsof gigantic stature once lived on earth. In some cultures, such heroescould make positive contributions, but the Bible generally regardsthem in a negative light (cf. Nm 13:33; Ez 32:27). The point here isthat even these heroes, filled with vitality from their semi-divine origin,come under God’s decree in v. 3.*5:3 Gn 4:25.5:24 Wis 4:10–11; Sir 44:16;49:14; Heb 11:5.5:29 Gn 3:17–19.5:32 Gn 6:10; 10:1.6:2 Mt 24:38; Lk 17:26–27.6:4 Wis 14:6; Bar 3:26.

GNGenesis 6:5 32The FloodDid You Know?The sin of Adam and Eve in the garden startsa disastrous trend in which each generationadds to sin in the world. This sin leads tothe corruption of the world and the destructionof human beings. The Great Flood illustrates theancient belief that God washed the world cleanof this sinfulness and gave another chance tothose who were faithful to God.Other ancient cultures had stories aboutgreat floods. But in those stories, vindictive godscaused the floods for petty reasons. These godshad no real love for humanity. The Bible’s Floodstory is unique because it insists that God actedout of justice and in response to great evil.God takes great care to save Noah and hisfamily because they are faithful to God. After theFlood, God makes a covenant with Noah, promisingnever to destroy the earth by flood again—another unique element not found in the storiesof other cultures.AAGn 6:1—9:17Warning of the Flood5 † When the Lord saw how great the wickednessof human beings was on earth, and howevery desire that their heart conceived was alwaysnothing but evil,* 6 the Lord regretted makinghuman beings on the earth, and his heart wasgrieved.†7 So the Lord said: I will wipe out from theearth the human beings I have created, and notonly the human beings, but also the animals andthe crawling things and the birds of the air, for Iregret that I made them.† 8 But Noah found favorwith the Lord.9 These are the descendants of Noah. Noahwas a righteous man and blameless in his generation;*Noah walked with God. 10 Noah begotthree sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.11 But the earth was corrupt† in the view of Godand full of lawlessness.* 12 When God saw howcorrupt the earth had become, since all mortalshad corrupted their ways on earth,* 13 God said toNoah: I see that the end of all mortals has come,for the earth is full of lawlessness because of them.So I am going to destroy them with the earth.*Preparation for the Flood14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood,† equipthe ark with various compartments, and cover itinside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you shallbuild it: the length of the ark will be three hundredcubits, its width fifty cubits, and its heightthirty cubits.† 16 Make an opening for daylight†and finish the ark a cubit above it. Put the ark’sentrance on its side; you will make it with bottom,second and third decks. 17 I, on my part, amabout to bring the flood waters on the earth, todestroy all creatures under the sky in which thereis the breath of life; everything on earth shallperish.* 18 I will establish my covenant with you.You shall go into the ark, you and your sons,†6:5–8:22 The story of the great flood is commonly regarded as acomposite narrative based on separate sources woven together. Tothe Yahwist source, with some later editorial additions, are usuallyassigned 6:5–8; 7:1–5, 7–10, 12, 16b, 17b, 22–23; 8:2b–3a, 6–12,13b, 20–22. The other sections are usually attributed to the Priestlywriter. There are differences between the two sources: the Priestlysource has two pairs of every animal, whereas the Yahwist source hasseven pairs of clean animals and two pairs of unclean; the floodwaterin the Priestly source is the waters under and over the earth that burstforth, whereas in the Yahwist source the floodwater is the rain lastingforty days and nights. In spite of many obvious discrepancies inthese two sources, one should read the story as a coherent narrative.The biblical story ultimately draws upon an ancient Mesopotamiantradition of a great flood, preserved in the Sumerian flood story, theeleventh tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic, and (embedded in a longercreation story) the Atrahasis Epic.6:6 His heart was grieved: the expression can be misleading inEnglish, for “heart” in Hebrew is the seat of memory and judgmentrather than emotion. The phrase is actually parallel to the first half ofthe sentence (“the Lord regretted . . .”).6:7 Human beings are an essential part of their environment,which includes all living things. In the new beginning after the flood,God makes a covenant with human beings and every living creature(9:9–10). The same close link between human beings and nature isfound elsewhere in the Bible; e.g., in Is 35, God’s healing transformshuman beings along with their physical environment, and in Rom8:19–23, all creation, not merely human beings, groans in laborpains awaiting the salvation of God.6:11 Corrupt: God does not punish arbitrarily but simply brings toits completion the corruption initiated by human beings.6:14 Gopherwood: an unidentified wood mentioned only inconnection with the ark. It may be the wood of the cypress, whichin Hebrew sounds like “gopher” and was widely used in antiquityfor shipbuilding.6:15 Hebrew “cubit,” lit., “forearm,” is the distance from the elbowto the tip of the middle finger, about eighteen inches (a foot anda half). The dimensions of Noah’s ark were approximately 440 × 73× 44 feet. The ark of the Bab ylo nian flood story was an exact cube,120 cubits (180 feet) in length, width, and height.6:16 Opening for daylight: a conjectural rendering of the Hebrewword sohar, occurring only here. The reference is probably to anopen space on all sides near the top of the ark to admit light andair. The ark also had a window or hatch, which could be openedand closed (8:6).*6:5 Ps 14:2–3.6:9 Wis 10:4; Sir 44:17.6:11 Jb 22:15–17.6:12 Ps 14:2.6:13 Sir 40:9–10; 44:17; Mt24:37–39.6:17 Gn 7:4, 21; 2 Pt 2:5.

33Genesis 7:15your wife and your sons’ wives with you.* 19 Ofall living creatures you shall bring two of everykind into the ark, one male and one female,† tokeep them alive along with you. 20 Of every kindof bird, of every kind of animal, and of everykind of thing that crawls on the ground, two ofeach will come to you, that you may keep themalive. 21 Moreover, you are to provide yourselfwith all the food that is to be eaten, and store itaway, that it may serve as provisions for you andfor them. 22 Noah complied; he did just as Godhad commanded him.†1 Then the Lord said to Noah: Go into the ark,7 you and all your household, for you alonein this generation have I found to be righteousbefore me.* 2 Of every clean animal, take withyou seven pairs, a male and its mate; and of theunclean animals, one pair, a male and its mate;3 likewise, of every bird of the air, seven pairs, amale and a female, to keep their progeny aliveover all the earth. 4 For seven days from now I willbring rain down on the earth for forty days andforty nights, and so I will wipe out from the faceof the earth every being that I have made.* 5 Noahcomplied, just as the Lord had commanded.The Great Flood6 Noah was six hundred years old when theflood came upon the earth. 7 Together with hissons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, Noah wentinto the ark because of the waters of the flood.*8 Of the clean animals and the unclean, of thebirds, and of everything that crawls on theground, 9 two by two, male and female came toNoah into the ark, just as God had commandedhim.* 10 When the seven days were over, the watersof the flood came upon the earth.11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, inthe second month, on the seventeenth day of themonth: on that dayAll the fountains of the great abyss† burstforth,and the floodgates of the sky were opened.ive It!Sin Has Social ConsequencesAt the beginning of the Noah story, sin hascontinued to spread so that it has becomean accepted part of society. The Great Flood,which wipes out a whole civilization, symbolizesthe consequences of widespread sin. Later inGenesis, the story of the tower of Babel (11:1–9) symbolizes another consequence of the institutionalizedsin of disobedience and pride.When sin becomes part of our social systemsand our institutions, the Church calls it socialsin. Social sin is a result of personal sin, but itis bigger than any one person’s choice. Examplesof social sin are the unequal distribution ofthe world’s wealth, the exploitation of workers bycorporations, and discrimination based on raceor gender. The good news is that God’s savingpower is greater than social sin!• What are the effects of social sin in your community?in your country? in the world?• How are Christians in your church or communityorganizing to stand against social sin?AAGn 6:1—9:1712 For forty days and forty nights heavy rainpoured down on the earth.13 On the very same day, Noah and his sonsShem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife, andthe three wives of Noah’s sons had entered theark, 14 together with every kind of wild animal,every kind of tame animal, every kind of crawlingthing that crawls on the earth, and every kindof bird. 15 Pairs of all creatures in which thereGN†6:19–21 You shall bring two of every kind . . . , one male and onefemale: For the Priestly source (P), there is no distinction betweenclean and unclean animals until Sinai (Lv 11), no altars or sacrificeuntil Sinai, and all diet is vegetarian (Gn 1:29–30); even after theflood P has no distinction between clean and unclean, since “anyliving creature that moves about” may be eaten (9:3). Thus P hasNoah take the minimum to preserve all species, one pair of each,without distinction between clean and unclean, but he must also takeon provisions for food (6:21). The Yahwist source (J), which assumesthe clean-unclean distinction always existed but knows no other restrictionon eating meat (Abel was a shepherd and offered meat as asacrifice), requires additional clean animals (“seven pairs”) for foodand sacrifice (7:2–3; 8:20).6:22 Just as God had commanded him: as in the creation of theworld in chap. 1 and in the building of the tabernacle in Ex 25–31,35–40 (all from the Priestly source), everything takes place by thecommand of God. In this passage and in Exodus, the commands ofGod are carried out to the letter by human agents, Noah and Moses.Divine speech is important. God speaks to Noah seven times in theflood story.7:11 Abyss: the subterranean ocean; see note on 1:2.*6:18 Gn 9:9; Wis 14:6; Heb11:7; 1 Pt 3:20.7:1 Wis 10:4; Sir 44:17;2 Pt 2:5.7:4 Gn 6:17; 2 Pt 2:5.7:7 Wis 14:6; 1 Pt 3:20;2 Pt 2:5.7:9 Gn 6:19.

GNGenesis 7:16 34Did You Know?Water in the BibleFor the ancient Hebrews, although wateroften represented a source of life, it alsorepresented forces of destruction over whichGod triumphs. In the story of Creation, God isportrayed as mastering the waters that representchaos (see Gn 1:1–2)—God constructs theupper and lower firmaments to hold back thewaters. At the time of the Great Flood, God releasesthe waters, and they destroy life on theearth. At the time of the Exodus, God will onceagain display the divine mastery of the waters,as will Jesus Christ later on.was the breath of life came to Noah into the ark.16 Those that entered were male and female; ofall creatures they came, as God had commandedNoah. Then the Lord shut him in.17 The flood continued upon the earth forforty days. As the waters increased, they liftedthe ark, so that it rose above the earth. 18 Thewaters swelled and increased greatly on theearth, but the ark floated on the surface ofthe waters. 19 Higher and higher on the earth thewaters swelled, until all the highest mountainsunder the heavens were submerged. 20 The watersswelled fifteen cubits higher than the submergedmountains. 21 All creatures that moved on earthperished: birds, tame animals, wild animals,and all that teemed on the earth, as well as allhumankind.* 22 Everything on dry land withthe breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 The Lordwiped out every being on earth: human beingsand animals, the crawling things and the birds ofthe air; all were wiped out from the earth. OnlyNoah and those with him in the ark were left.24 And when the waters had swelled on the8earth for one hundred and fifty days, 1 Godremembered Noah and all the animals, wildand tame, that were with him in the ark. SoGod made a wind sweep over the earth, and the†8:4 The mountains of Ararat: the mountain country of ancientArartu in northwest Iraq, which was the highest part of the world tothe biblical writer. There is no Mount Ararat in the Bible.8:7–12 In the eleventh tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic, Utnapishtim(the equivalent of Noah) released in succession a dove, a swallow,and a raven. When the raven did not return, Utnapishtim knew it wassafe to leave the ark. The first century a.d. Roman author Pliny tells ofwaters began to subside. 2 The fountains of theabyss and the floodgates of the sky were closed,and the downpour from the sky was held back.3 Gradually the waters receded from the earth. Atthe end of one hundred and fifty days, the watershad so diminished 4 that, in the seventh month,on the seventeenth day of the month, the arkcame to rest on the mountains of Ararat.† 5 Thewaters continued to diminish until the tenthmonth, and on the first day of the tenth monththe tops of the mountains appeared.6 At the end of forty days Noah opened thehatch of the ark that he had made, 7 † and hereleased a raven. It flew back and forth until thewaters dried off from the earth. 8 Then he releaseda dove, to see if the waters had lessenedon the earth. 9 But the dove could find no placeto perch, and it returned to him in the ark, forthere was water over all the earth. Putting outhis hand, he caught the dove and drew it backto him inside the ark. 10 He waited yet seven daysmore and again released the dove from the ark.11 In the evening the dove came back to him, andthere in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf! SoNoah knew that the waters had diminished onthe earth. 12 He waited yet another seven daysand then released the dove; but this time it didnot come back.13 † In the six hundred and first year, in thefirst month, on the first day of the month, thewater began to dry up on the earth. Noah thenremoved the covering of the ark and saw that thesurface of the ground had dried. 14 In the secondmonth, on the twenty-seventh day of the month,the earth was dry.15 Then God said to Noah: 16 Go out of theark, together with your wife and your sons andyour sons’ wives. 17 Bring out with you every livingthing that is with you—all creatures, be theybirds or animals or crawling things that crawl onthe earth—and let them abound on the earth,and be fertile and multiply on it.* 18 So Noahcame out, together with his sons and his wifeand his sons’ wives; 19 and all the animals, all thebirds, and all the crawling creatures that crawl onthe earth went out of the ark by families.20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, andchoosing from every clean animal and everyclean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.21 When the Lord smelled the sweet odor, theIndian sailors who release birds in order to follow them toward land.8:13–14 On the first day of the first month, the world was in thestate it had been on the day of creation in chap. 1. Noah had to waitanother month until the earth was properly dry as in 1:9.* 7:21–23 Jb 22:16; Mt 24:39; Lk17:27; 2 Pt 3:6.8:17 Gn 1:22, 28.

35Genesis 9:17Lord said to himself: Never again will I curse theground because of human beings, since the desiresof the human heart are evil from youth; norwill I ever again strike down every living being,as I have done.*GN22 All the days of the earth,seedtime and harvest,cold and heat,Summer and winter,and day and nightshall not cease.*Covenant with Noah1 † God blessed Noah and his sons and said9 to them: Be fertile and multiply and fill theearth.* 2 † Fear and dread of you shall comeupon all the animals of the earth and all thebirds of the air, upon all the creatures that moveabout on the ground and all the fishes of the sea;into your power they are delivered. 3 * Any livingcreature that moves about shall be yours to eat;I give them all to you as I did the green plants.4 * Only meat with its lifeblood still in it youshall not eat.† 5 Indeed for your own lifeblood Iwill demand an accounting: from every animal Iwill demand it, and from a human being, eachone for the blood of another, I will demand anaccounting for human life.*6 † Anyone who sheds the blood of a humanbeing,by a human being shall that one’s blood beshed;For in the image of Godhave human beings been made.*7 Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earthand subdue it.*8 † God said to Noah and to his sons with him:9 See, I am now establishing my covenant withyou and your descendants after you* 10 and withevery living creature that was with you: the birds,†9:1 God reaffirms without change the original blessing andmandate of 1:28. In the Mesopotamian epic Atrahasis, on whichthe Genesis story is partly modeled, the gods changed their originalplan by restricting human population through such means as childhooddiseases, birth demons, and mandating celibacy among certaingroups of women.9:2–3 Pre-flood creatures, including human beings, are depictedas vegetarians (1:29–30). In view of the human propensity to violence,God changes the original prohibition against eating meat.9:4 Because a living being dies when it loses most of its blood,the ancients regarded blood as the seat of life, and therefore as sacred.Jewish tradition considered the prohibition against eating meatwith blood to be binding on all, because it was given by God toNoah, the new ancestor of all humankind; therefore the early ChristianChurch retained it for a time (Acts 15:20, 29).9:6 The image of God, given to the first man and woman andtransmitted to every human being, is the reason that no violent atthetame animals, and all the wild animals thatwere with you—all that came out of the ark. 11 Iwill establish my covenant with you, that neveragain shall all creatures be destroyed by the watersof a flood; there shall not be another flood todevastate the earth.* 12 God said: This is the signof the covenant that I am making between meand you and every living creature with you for allages to come: 13 * I set my bow in the clouds toserve as a sign of the covenant between me andthe earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth,and the bow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remembermy covenant between me and you andevery living creature—every mortal being—sothat the waters will never again become a floodto destroy every mortal being.* 16 When the bowappears in the clouds, I will see it and rememberthe everlasting covenant between God and everyliving creature—every mortal being that is onearth. 17 God told Noah: This is the sign of thetacks can be made upon human beings. That image is the basis ofthe dignity of every individual who, in some sense, “represents” Godin the world.9:8–17 God makes a covenant with Noah and his descendantsand, remarkably, with all the animals who come out of the ark: neveragain shall the world be destroyed by flood. The sign of this solemnpromise is the appearance of a rainbow.*8:118:21 Sir 44:18; Is 54:9; Rom7:18.8:22 Jer 33:20, 25.9:1 Gn 1:22, 28; 8:17.9:3 Gn 1:29–30; Dt 12:15.9:4 Lv 7:26–27; 17:4; Dt12:16, 23; 1 Sm 14:33;Acts 15:20.9:5 Gn 4:10–11; Ex 21:12.9:6 Gn 1:26–27; Lv 24:17;Nm 35:33; Jas 3:9.9:7 Gn 1:28; 8:17; 9:2; Jas3:7.9:9 Gn 6:18.9:11 Sir 44:18; Is 54:9.9:13 Sir 43:12.9:15 Is 54:9.

Genesis 9:1836GNray It!The RainbowWhat do you see when you see a rainbow?Do you see a multicolored arc causedby the refraction of sunlight through droplets ofwater? or do you see a wonder of nature thatcauses you to stop and stare in awe? Somethingas remarkable as a rainbow is more than justscience. It’s no wonder the writer of Genesisused it as a symbol of God’s covenant promise—a sign of God’s faithfulness and love. When Godand Israel see the rainbow in the clouds, they willrecall their covenant together.God of imagination and color, only you couldcome up with the idea of a rainbow! Rainstormand sunshine, harmony and diversity, mercy andhope, promise and joy, wonder and awe,faithfulness and love. Are these insideme, the wondrous creation you delight in?Guide me to the rainbows inmy life!AAGn 9:8–17covenant I have established between me and everymortal being that is on earth.Noah and His Sons18 † The sons of Noah who came out of theark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. Ham was thefather of Canaan.* 19 These three were the sonsof Noah, and from them the whole earth waspopulated.20 Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to planta vineyard. 21 He drank some of the wine, becamedrunk, and lay naked inside his tent.* 22 Ham,the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness,and he told his two brothers outside. 23 Shemand Japheth, however, took a robe, and holdingit on their shoulders, they walked backward andcovered their father’s nakedness; since their faceswere turned the other way, they did not see theirfather’s nakedness. 24 When Noah woke up fromhis wine and learned what his youngest son haddone to him, 25 he said:“Cursed be Caanan!The lowest of slavesshall he be to his brothers.”*26 He also said:“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem!Let Canaan be his slave.27 May God expand Japheth,†and may he dwell among the tents ofShem;and let Canaan be his slave.”28 Noah lived three hundred and fifty years afterthe flood. 29 The whole lifetime of Noah wasnine hundred and fifty years; then he died.Table of the Nations†1 These are the descendants of Noah’s10 sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, to whomchildren were born after the flood.2 * The descendants of Japheth: Gomer,††9:18–27 The character of the three sons is sketched here. Thefault is not Noah’s (for he could not be expected to know about theintoxicating effect of wine) but Ham’s, who shames his father bylooking on his nakedness, and then tells the other sons. Ham’s conductis meant to prefigure the later shameful sexual practices of theCanaanites, which are alleged in numerous biblical passages. Thepoint of the story is revealed in Noah’s curse of Ham’s son Canaanand his blessing of Shem and Japheth.9:27 In the Hebrew text there is a play on the words yapt (“expand”)and yepet (“Japheth”).10:1–32 Verse 1 is the fourth of the Priestly formulas (2:4; 5:1;6:9; 11:10) that structure Part I of Genesis; it introduces 10:2–11:9,the populating of the world and the building of the city. In a sense,chaps. 4–9 are concerned with the first of the two great commandsgiven to the human race in 1:28, “Be fertile and multiply!” whereaschaps. 10–11 are concerned with the second command, “Fill theearth and subdue it!” (“Subdue it” refers to each nation’s taking theland assigned to it by God.) Gn 9:19 already noted that all nationsare descended from the three sons of Noah; the same sentiment is repeatedin 10:5, 18, 25, 32; 11:8. The presupposition of the chapter isthat every nation has a land assigned to it by God (cf. Dt 32:8–9). Thenumber of the nations is seventy (if one does not count Noah and hissons, and counts Sidon [vv. 15, 19] only once), which is a traditionalbiblical number (Jgs 8:30; Lk 10:1, 17). According to Gn 46:27 andEx 1:5, Israel also numbered seventy persons, which shows that it insome sense represents the nations of the earth.This chapter classifies the various peoples known to the ancientIsraelites; it is theologically important as stressing the basic familyunity of all peoples on earth. It is sometimes called the Table of theNations. The relationship between the various peoples is based onlinguistic, geographic, or political grounds (v. 31). In general, the descendantsof Japheth (vv. 2–5) are the peoples of the Indo-Europeanlanguages to the north and west of Mesopotamia and Syria; thedescendants of Ham (vv. 6–20) are the Hamitic-speaking peoplesof northern Africa; and the descendants of Shem (vv. 21–31) are theSemitic-speaking peoples of Mesopotamia, Syria and Arabia. Butthere are many exceptions to this rule; the Semitic-speaking peoplesof Canaan are considered descendants of Ham, because at one timethey were subject to Hamitic Egypt (vv. 6, 15–19). This chapter isgenerally considered to be a composite from the Yahwist source (vv.8–19, 21, 24–30) and the Priestly source (vv. 1–7, 20, 22–23, 31–32).Presumably that is why certain tribes of Arabia are listed under bothHam (v. 7) and Shem (vv. 26–28).10:2 Gomer: the Cimmerians; Madai: the Medes; Javan: theGreeks.*9:18 Gn 5:32; 10:1.9:21 Lam 4:21; Hb 2:15.9:25 Dt 27:16; Wis 12:11.10:2–8 1 Chr 1:5–10.

37Genesis 11:8Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras.*3 The descendants of Gomer: Ashkenaz,†Diphath and Togarmah. 4 The descendants ofJavan: Elishah,† Tarshish, the Kittim and theRodanim. 5 From these branched out the maritimenations.These are the descendants of Japheth by theirlands, each with its own language, according totheir clans, by their nations.6 The descendants of Ham: Cush,† Mizraim,Put and Canaan. 7 The descendants of Cush:Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. Thedescendants of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.8 Cush† became the father of Nimrod, whowas the first to become a mighty warrior onearth. 9 He was a mighty hunter in the eyes of theLord; hence the saying, “Like Nimrod, a mightyhunter in the eyes of the Lord.” 10 His kingdomoriginated in Bab ylon, Erech and Accad, all ofthem in the land of Shinar.† 11 From that land hewent forth to Assyria, where he built Nineveh,Rehoboth-Ir† and Calah, 12 as well as Resen, betweenNineveh and Calah,† the latter being theprincipal city.13 * Mizraim became the father of the Ludim,the Anamim, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhim,14 the Pathrusim,† the Casluhim, and the Caphtorimfrom whom the Phi lis tines came.15 Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn,and of Heth;† 16 also of the Jeb u sites, theAmorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites,the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites,and the Hamathites. Afterward, the clans of theCanaanites spread out, 19 so that the Canaaniteborders extended from Sidon all the way to Gerar,near Gaza, and all the way to Sodom, Gomorrah,Admah and Zeboiim, near Lasha.20 These are the descendants of Ham, accordingto their clans, according to their languages,by their lands, by their nations.21 To Shem also, Japheth’s oldest brother andthe ancestor of all the children of Eber,† children†10:3 Ashkenaz: an Indo-European people, which later becamethe medieval rabbinic name for Germany. It now designates one ofthe great divisions of Judaism, Eastern European Yiddish-speakingJews.10:4 Elishah: Cyprus; the Kittim: certain in hab i tants of Cyprus; theRodanim: the in hab i tants of Rhodes.10:6 Cush: biblical Ethiopia, modern Nubia. Mizraim: Lower (i.e.,northern) Egypt; Put: either Punt in East Africa or Libya.10:8 Cush: here seems to be Cossea, the country of the Kassites;see note on 2:10–14. Nimrod: possibly Tukulti-Ninurta I (thirteenthcentury b.c.), the first Assyrian conqueror of Bab ylo nia and a famouscity-builder at home.10:10 Shinar: the land of ancient Bab ylo nia, embracing Sumerand Akkad, present-day southern Iraq, mentioned also in 11:2;14:1.10:11 Rehoboth-Ir: lit., “wide-streets city,” was probably not thename of another city, but an epithet of Nineveh; cf. Jon 3:3.10:12 Calah: Assyrian Kalhu, the capital of Assyria in the ninthcentury b.c.were born. 22 * The descendants of Shem: Elam,Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram. 23 The descendantsof Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Mash.24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah,and Shelah became the father of Eber. 25 To Ebertwo sons were born: the name of the first was Peleg,for in his time the world was divided;† andthe name of his brother was Joktan.26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph,Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal,Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilahand Jobab. All these were descendants ofJoktan. 30 Their settlements extended all the wayfrom Mesha to Sephar, the eastern hill country.31 These are the descendants of Shem, accordingto their clans, according to their languages,by their lands, by their nations.32 These are the clans of Noah’s sons, accordingto their origins and by their nations. Fromthese the nations of the earth branched out afterthe flood.Tower of Babel†1 The whole world had the same language11 and the same words. 2 When they weremigrating from the east, they came to a valleyin the land of Shinar† and settled there. 3 Theysaid to one another, “Come, let us mold bricksand harden them with fire.” They used bricks forstone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said,“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a towerwith its top in the sky,† and so make a name forourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all overthe earth.”5 The Lord came down to see the city and thetower that the people had built. 6 Then the Lordsaid: If now, while they are one people and allhave the same language, they have started to dothis, nothing they presume to do will be out oftheir reach. 7 Come, let us go down and thereconfuse their language, so that no one will understandthe speech of another. 8 So the Lord10:14 The Pathrusim: the people of Upper (southern) Egypt; cf. Is11:11; Jer 44:1; Ez 29:14; 30:13. Caphtorim: Crete; for Caphtor as theplace of origin of the Phi lis tines, cf. Dt 2:23; Am 9:7; Jer 47:4.10:15 Heth: the biblical Hittites; see note on 23:3.10:21 Eber: the eponymous ancestor of the Hebrews, that is, theone to whom they traced their name.10:25 In the Hebrew text there is a play on the name Peleg andthe word niplega, “was divided.”11:1–9 This story illustrates increasing human wickedness, shownhere in the sinful pride that human beings take in their own achievementsapart from God. Secondarily, the story explains the diversityof languages among the peoples of the earth.11:2 Shinar: see note on 10:10.11:4 Tower with its top in the sky: possibly a reference to thechief ziggurat of Bab ylon, E-sag-ila, lit., “the house that raises highits head.”*10:2 Ez 38:2.10:13–18 1 Chr 1:11–16.10:22–29 1 Chr 1:17–23.GN

Genesis 11:938GNive It!A Barrier or a Bridge?Language can be either a barrier or a bridge.Through our speech, we connect with otherpeople. And we often hear that love, music, anda smile are universal languages. Yet, languagesalso separate, symbolizing differences betweencultures and nations, which can cause wars andother atrocities to erupt.The story of the tower of Babel is an ancientexplanation of why the separation between people,symbolized by different languages, occurs.The people ignore God’s command to “fill theearth” (Gn 1:28). Instead, they gather in oneplace to try to build a tower reaching to heaven,a sin of pride and arrogance. God confuses theirlanguage to foil their plan. It is not language butpride that separates us.In the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2, languageserves as a bridge. The Holy Spirit enablesthe people from many different lands to hear theApostles speaking in their own languages. TheSpirit serves to unify us, no matter what earthlylanguage we speak. Anyone who has attended aWorld Youth Day knows that when we live by theSpirit, we can rise above the differences of languageand culture. The Good News is universaland unites us!AAGn 11:1–9scattered them from there over all the earth, andthey stopped building the city. 9 That is why itwas called Babel,† because there the Lord confusedthe speech of all the world. From there theLord scattered them over all the earth.†11:9 Babel: the Hebrew form of the name “Bab ylon”; the Bab yloniansinterpreted their name for the city, Bab-ili, as “gate of god.” TheHebrew word balal, “he confused,” has a similar sound.11:10–26 The second Priestly genealogy goes from Shem toTerah and his three sons Abram, Nahor, and Haran, just as the genealogyin 5:3–32 went from Adam to Noah and his three sons Shem,Ham, and Japheth. This genealogy marks the important transition inGenesis between the story of the nations in 1:1–11:26 and the storyof Israel in the person of its ancestors (11:27–50:26). As chaps. 1–11showed the increase and spread of the nations, so chaps. 12–50 willshow the increase and spread of Israel. The contrast between Israeland the nations is a persistent biblical theme. The ages given here arefrom the Hebrew text; the Samaritan and Greek texts have divergentsets of numbers in most cases. In comparable accounts of the pre-Descendants from Shem to Abraham†10 * These are the descendants of Shem. WhenShem was one hundred years old, he begot Arpachshad,two years after the flood. 11 Shem livedfive hundred years after he begot Arpachshad,and he had other sons and daughters. 12 WhenArpachshad was thirty-five years old, he begotShelah.† 13 Arpachshad lived four hundred andthree years after he begot Shelah, and he hadother sons and daughters.14 When Shelah was thirty years old, he begotEber. 15 Shelah lived four hundred and threeyears after he begot Eber, and he had other sonsand daughters.16 When Eber† was thirty-four years old, hebegot Peleg. 17 Eber lived four hundred and thirtyyears after he begot Peleg, and he had other sonsand daughters.18 When Peleg was thirty years old, he begotReu. 19 Peleg lived two hundred and nine yearsafter he begot Reu, and he had other sons anddaughters.20 When Reu was thirty-two years old, he begotSerug. 21 Reu lived two hundred and seven yearsafter he begot Serug, and he had other sons anddaughters.22 When Serug was thirty years old, he begotNahor. 23 Serug lived two hundred years after hebegot Nahor, and he had other sons and daughters.24 When Nahor was twenty-nine years old, hebegot Terah. 25 Nahor lived one hundred andnineteen years after he begot Terah, and he hadother sons and daughters.26 When Terah was seventy years old, he begotAbram,† Nahor and Haran.*flood period, enormous life spans are attributed to human beings. Itmay be an attempt to show that the pre-flood generations were extraordinaryand more vital than post-flood human beings.11:12 The Greek text adds Kenan (cf. 5:9–10) between Arpachshadand Shelah. The Greek listing is followed in Lk 3:36.11:16 Eber: the eponymous ancestor of the Hebrews, “descendantsof Eber” (10:21, 24–30); see note on 14:13.11:26 Abram is a dialectal variant of Abraham. God will changehis name in view of his new task in 17:4.11:27 Descendants of Terah: elsewhere in Genesis the story of theson is introduced by the name of the father (25:12, 19; 36:1; 37:2).*II. The Story of the Ancestors .of IsraelTerah27 These are the descendants of Terah.† Terahbegot Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haranbegot Lot. 28 Haran died before Terah his father,11:10–26 1 Chr 1:24–27; Lk3:34–36.11:26 Jos 24:2; 1 Chr 1:26–27.

39Genesis 12:13in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.†29 Abram and Nahor took wives; the name ofAbram’s wife was Sarai,† and the name of Nahor’swife was Milcah, daughter of Haran, thefather of Milcah and Iscah.* 30 Sarai was barren;she had no child.31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot,son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, thewife of his son Abram, and brought them outof Ur of the Chal de ans, to go to the land of Canaan.But when they reached Haran, they settledthere.* 32 The lifetime of Terah was two hundredand five years; then Terah died in Haran.†Abram’s Call and Migration1 The Lord said to Abram: Go forth† from12 your land, your relatives, and from yourfather’s house to a land that I will show you.*2 † I will make of you a great nation, and I willbless you; I will make your name great, so thatyou will be a blessing.* 3 * I will bless those whobless you and curse those who curse you. All thefamilies of the earth will find blessing in you.†4 * Abram went as the Lord directed him, andLot went with him. Abram was seventy-five yearsold when he left Haran. 5 † Abram took his wife†The Abraham-Sarah stories begin (11:27–32) and end with genealogicalnotices (25:1–18), which concern, respectively, the families ofTerah and of Abraham. Most of the traditions in the cycle are from theYahwist source. The so-called Elohist source (E) is somewhat shadowy,denied by some scholars but recognized by others in passages thatduplicate other narratives (20:1–18 and 21:22–34). The Priestly sourceconsists mostly of brief editorial notices, except for chaps. 17 and 23.11:28 Ur of the Chal de ans: Ur was an extremely ancient city ofthe Sumerians (later, of the Bab ylo nians) in southern Mesopotamia.The Greek text has “the land of the Chal de ans.” After a millennium ofrelative unimportance, Ur underwent a revival during the Neo-Babylonian/Chal de an empire (625–539 b.c.). The sixth-century authorhere identified the place by its contemporary name. As chap. 24shows, Haran in northern Mesopotamia is in fact the native placeof Abraham. In the Genesis perspective, the human race originatedin the East (3:24; 4:16) and migrated from there to their homelands(11:2). Terah’s family moved from the East (Ur) and Abraham willcomplete the journey to the family’s true homeland in the followingchapters.11:29 Sarai: like Abram, a dialectal variant of the more usualform of the name Sarah. In 17:15, God will change it to Sarah inview of her new task.11:32 Since Terah was seventy years old when his son Abrahamwas born (v. 26), and Abraham was seventy-five when he left Haran(12:4), Terah lived in Haran for sixty years after Abraham’s departure.According to the tradition in the Samaritan text, Terah died when hewas one hundred and forty-five years old, therefore, in the same yearin which Abraham left Haran. This is the tradition followed in Stephen’sspeech: Abraham left Haran “after his father died” (Acts 7:4).12:1–3 Go forth . . . find blessing in you: the syntax of the Hebrewsuggests that the blessings promised to Abraham are contingent onhis going to Canaan.12:2 The call of Abraham begins a new history of blessing (18:18;22:15–18), which is passed on in each instance to the chosen successor(26:2–4; 28:14). This call evokes the last story in the primeval history(11:1–9) by reversing its themes: Abraham goes forth rather thansettle down; it is God rather than Abraham who will make a name forhim; the families of the earth will find blessing in him.12:3 Will find blessing in you: the Hebrew conjugation of theverb here and in 18:18 and 28:14 can be either reflexive (“shall blessthemselves by you” = people will invoke Abraham as an exampleof someone blessed by God) or passive (“by you all the families ofSarai, his brother’s son Lot, all the possessionsthat they had accumulated, and the persons theyhad acquired in Haran, and they set out for theland of Canaan. When they came to the land ofCanaan, 6 † Abram passed through the land as faras the sacred place at Shechem, by the oak of Moreh.The Canaanites were then in the land.7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said: Toyour descendants I will give this land. So Abrambuilt an altar there to the Lord who had appearedto him.* 8 From there he moved on to the hillcountry east of Bethel, pitching his tent withBethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built analtar there to the Lord and invoked the Lord byname. 9 Then Abram journeyed on by stages tothe Negeb.†Abram and Sarai in Egypt†10 There was famine in the land; so Abramwent down to Egypt to sojourn there, since thefamine in the land was severe.* 11 When he wasabout to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai: “Iknow that you are a beautiful woman. 12 Whenthe Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is hiswife’; then they will kill me, but let you live.13 Please say, therefore, that you are my sister,† soearth will be blessed” = the religious privileges of Abraham and hisdescendants ultimately will be extended to the nations). In 22:18and 26:4, another conjugation of the same verb is used in a similarcontext that is undoubtedly reflexive (“bless themselves”). Manyscholars suggest that the two passages in which the sense is clearshould determine the interpretation of the three ambiguous passages:the privileged blessing enjoyed by Abraham and his descendants willawaken in all peoples the desire to enjoy those same blessings. Sincethe term is understood in a passive sense in the New Testament (Acts3:25; Gal 3:8), it is rendered here by a neutral expression that admitsof both meanings.12:5 The ancestors appear in Genesis as pastoral nomads livingat the edge of settled society, and having occasional dealings withthe in hab i tants, sometimes even moving into towns for brief periods.Unlike modern nomads such as the Bedouin, however, ancient pastoralistsfluctuated between following the herds and sedentary life,depending on circumstances. Pastoralists could settle down and farmand later resume a pastoral way of life. Indeed, there was a symbioticrelationship between pastoralists and villagers, each providing goodsto the other. Persons: servants and others who formed the largerhousehold under the leadership of Abraham; cf. 14:14.12:6 Abraham’s journey to the center of the land, Shechem, then toBethel, and then to the Negeb, is duplicated in Jacob’s journeys (33:18;35:1, 6, 27; 46:1) and in the general route of the conquest underJoshua (Jos 7:2; 8:9, 30). Abraham’s journey is a symbolic “conquest”of the land he has been promised. In building altars here (vv. 7, 8) andelsewhere, Abraham acknowledges his God as Lord of the land.12:9 The Negeb: the semidesert land south of Judah.12:10–13:1 Abraham and Sarah’s sojourn in Egypt and encounterwith Phar aoh foreshadow their descendants’ experience, suggestinga divine design in which they must learn to trust. The story of Sarah,the ancestor in danger, is told again in chap. 20, and also in 26:1–11with Rebekah instead of Sarah. Repetition of similar events is notunusual in literature that has been orally shaped.12:13 You are my sister: the text does not try to excuse Abraham’sdeception, though in 20:12 a similar deception is somewhat excused.*11:29 Gn 17:15.11:31 Jos 24:3; Neh 9:7; Jdt5:6–9; Acts 7:4.12:1 Acts 7:3; Heb 11:8.12:2 Gn 17:6; Sir 44:20–21;Rom 4:17–22.12:3 Gn 18:18; 22:18; Acts3:25; Gal 3:8.12:4–5 Gn 11:31; Jos 24:3; Acts7:4.12:7 Ex 33:1; Dt 34:4; Acts 7:5.12:10 Gn 26:1.GN

Genesis 12:1440GNntroducing...Abraham and SarahAbraham, whose name was originallyAbram, is an important figure for threemajor world religions: Judaism, Christianity, andIslam. Abraham is regarded as the great exampleof faith in God. He first appears in Genesis11:26. For many years, Abram lives in Haran innorthern Mesopotamia (see map 1, “The Worldof the Patriarchs”) with his wife, Sarai. God callsAbram and Sarai to leave their home, seals acovenant with them, and changes their namesto Abraham and Sarah. God’s covenant promisesthat they will be the parents “of a multitudeof nations” (17:5) and their descendants will beas numerous as the “stars of the sky” (22:17).Later, God requests that Abraham sacrificehis son Isaac. God stops him from going throughwith it, but Abraham’s willingness to cooperatewith God and his complete trust in God becomethe foundation for Israel’s faith. Not surprisingly,in the Old Testament, when a prophet or teacherneeded an example of someone with unwaveringtrust in God, Abraham was often cited.In the New Testament, Abraham is revered asthe first patriarch to enter into a covenant withGod (see Mt 1:1, Lk 16:19–31) and the greatpioneer of Israel’s faith (see Acts 7:2–50, Rom4:1–25, Heb 7:1–10).AAGn 12:1—25:11that I may fare well on your account and my lifemay be spared for your sake.”* 14 When Abramarrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw that thewoman was very beautiful. 15 When Pharaoh’sofficials saw her they praised her to Pharaoh,and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.16 Abram fared well on her account, and heacquired sheep, oxen, male and female servants,male and female donkeys, and camels.†17 But the Lord struck Phar aoh and hishousehold with severe plagues because of Sarai,Abram’s wife.* 18 Then Phar aoh summonedAbram and said to him: “How could you do thisto me! Why did you not tell me she was yourwife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ sothat I took her for my wife? Now, here is yourwife. Take her and leave!”20 Then Phar aoh gave his men orders concerningAbram, and they sent him away, with his wifeand all that belonged to him.Abram and Lot Part1 From Egypt Abram went up to the Negeb13 with his wife and all that belonged to him,and Lot went with him.* 2 † Now Abram wasvery rich in livestock, silver, and gold.* 3 Fromthe Negeb he traveled by stages toward Bethel,to the place between Bethel and Ai where histent had formerly stood, 4 the site where he hadfirst built the altar; and there Abram invoked theLord by name.*5 Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocksand herds and tents, 6 so that the land couldnot support them if they stayed together; theirpossessions were so great that they could notlive together. 7 There were quarrels between theherders of Abram’s livestock and the herders ofLot’s livestock. At this time the Canaanites andthe Perizzites were living in the land.8 So Abram said to Lot: “Let there be no strifebetween you and me, or between your herdersand my herders, for we are kindred. 9 Is not thewhole land available? Please separate from me.If you prefer the left, I will go to the right; ifyou prefer the right, I will go to the left.” 10 Lotlooked about and saw how abundantly wateredthe whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar, like theLord’s own garden, or like Egypt. This was beforethe Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.11 Lot, therefore, chose for himself the wholeJordan Plain and set out eastward. Thus theyseparated from each other. 12 Abram settled inthe land of Canaan, while Lot settled among thecities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom.†12:16 Camels: domesticated camels did not come into commonuse in the ancient Near East until the end of the second millenniumb.c. Thus the mention of camels here (24:11–64; 30:43; 31:17, 34;32:8, 16; 37:25) is seemingly an anachronism.13:2–18 In this story of Abraham and Lot going their separateways, Abraham resolves a family dispute by an act that shows bothtrust in God and generosity toward his nephew. The story suggestsLot rather than Abraham is the natural choice to be the ancestor of agreat family; he is young and he takes the most fertile land (outsidethe land of Canaan). In contrast to Lot, who lifts his eyes to choosefor himself (vv. 10–11), Abraham waits for God to tell him to lift hiseyes and see the land he will receive (v. 14). Chaps. 18–19 continuethe story of Abraham and Lot. Abraham’s visionary possession of theland foreshadows that of Moses (Dt 3:27; 34:4).*12:13 Gn 20:12–13; 26:7.12:17 Ps 105:14.13:1 Gn 12:9.13:2 Ps 112:1–3; Prv 10:22.13:4 Gn 12:8.

41Genesis 14:2013 Now the in hab i tants of Sodom were wicked,great sinners against the Lord.*14 After Lot had parted from him, the Lord saidto Abram: Look about you, and from where youare, gaze to the north and south, east and west;*15 all the land that you see I will give to you andyour descendants forever.* 16 I will make yourdescendants like the dust of the earth; if anyonecould count the dust of the earth, your descendantstoo might be counted.* 17 Get up and walkthrough the land, across its length and breadth,for I give it to you. 18 Abram moved his tents andwent on to settle near the oak of Mamre, which isat Hebron. There he built an altar to the Lord.*The Four Kings1 † When Amraphel king of Shinar, Ariochking of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king14of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim 2 made waron Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah,Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king ofZeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar),3 all the latter kings joined forces in the Valleyof Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea†). 4 For twelveyears they had served Chedorlaomer, but in thethirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenthyear Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with himcame and defeated the Rephaim in Ashterothkarnaim,the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim inShaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in the hillcountry of Seir, as far as El-paran, close by thewilderness.* 7 They then turned back and cameto En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they subduedthe whole country of both the Amalekitesand the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.8 Thereupon the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah,the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim,and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marchedout, and in the Valley of Siddim they went into†14:1 Abraham plays a role with other world leaders. He defeatsa coalition of five kings from the east (where, later, Israel’s enemieslived) and is recognized by a Canaanite king as blessed by God MostHigh. The historicity of the events is controverted; apart from Shinar(Bab ylon), Tidal (Hittite Tudhaliya), and Elam, the names and placescannot be identified with certainty. The five cities were apparently atthe southern end of the Dead Sea, and all but Bela (i.e., Zoar) weredestined for destruction (19:20–24; Hos 11:8). The passage belongs tonone of the traditional Genesis sources; it has some resemblance to reportsof military campaigns in Bab ylo nian and Assyrian royal annals.14:3 The Salt Sea: the Dead Sea.14:13 Abram the Hebrew: “Hebrew” was used by biblical writersfor the pre-Israelite ancestors. Linguistically, it is an ethnic term;it may be built on the root Eber, who is the eponymous ancestor ofthe Israelites, that is, the one to whom they traced their name (10:21,24–25; 11:14–17), or it may reflect the tradition that the ancestorscame from beyond (eber) the Euphrates. It is used only by non-Israelites, or by Israelites speaking to foreigners.14:14 Retainers: the Hebrew word hanik is used only here in theOld Testament. Cognate words appear in Egyptian and Akkadiantexts, signifying armed soldiers belonging to the household of alocal leader.14:18 Melchizedek, king of Salem (Je ru sa lem, cf. Ps 76:3), apbattleagainst them: 9 against Chedorlaomer kingof Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king ofShinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kingsagainst five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was fullof bitumen pits; and as the king of Sodom andthe king of Gomorrah fled, they fell into these,while the rest fled to the mountains. 11 The victorsseized all the possessions and food suppliesof Sodom and Gomorrah and then went theirway. 12 They took with them Abram’s nephewLot, who had been living in Sodom, as well ashis possessions, and departed.*13 A survivor came and brought the news toAbram the Hebrew,† who was camping at theoak of Mamre the Amorite, a kinsman of Eshcoland Aner; these were allies of Abram. 14 WhenAbram heard that his kinsman had been captured,he mustered three hundred and eighteenof his retainers,† born in his house, and wentin pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He and his servantsdeployed against them at night, defeated them,and pursued them as far as Hobah, which isnorth of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the possessions.He also recovered his kinsman Lot andhis possessions, along with the women and theother people.17 When Abram returned from his defeat ofChedorlaomer and the kings who were alliedwith him, the king of Sodom went out to greethim in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’sValley).18 Melchizedek, king of Salem,† brought outbread and wine. He was a priest of God MostHigh. 19 He blessed Abram with these words:*“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,the creator of heaven and earth;20 And blessed be God Most High,who delivered your foes into your hand.”pears with majestic suddenness to recognize Abraham’s great victory,which the five local kings were unable to achieve. He preparesa feast in his honor and declares him blessed or made powerfulby God Most High, evidently the highest God in the Canaanitepantheon. Abraham acknowledges the blessing by giving a tenth ofthe recaptured spoils as a tithe to Melchizedek. The episode is oneof several allusions to David, king at Je ru sa lem, who also exercisedpriestly functions (2 Sm 6:17). Heb 7 interprets Melchizedek as aprefiguration of Christ. God Most High: in Heb. El Elyon, one ofseveral “El names” for God in Genesis, others being El Olam (21:33),El the God of Israel (33:20), El Roi (16:13), El Bethel (35:7), and ElShaddai (the usual P designation for God in Genesis). All the sourcesexcept the Yahwist use El as the proper name for God used by theancestors. The god El was well-known across the ancient Near Eastand in comparable religious literature. The ancestors recognized thisGod as their own when they encountered him in their journeys andin the shrines they found in Canaan.*13:13 Gn 18:20; Ez 16:49;2 Pt 2:6–8; Jude 7.13:14 Gn 28:14.13:15 Gn 12:7; Mt 5:5; Lk1:55, 73; Acts 7:5; Rom4:13; Gal 3:16.13:16 Gn 22:17; Nm 23:10.13:18 Gn 14:13.14:6 Dt 2:12.14:12 Gn 13:10–12.14:19 Ps 110:4; Heb 5:6, 10;7:1.GN

42GNCatholic ConnectionSacramental SymbolsSometimes words alone are notenough. Consider the inexpressiblejoy and relief of Abram in Genesis14:17–20. Abram’s nephew Lot hasbeen captured by foreign invaders andAbram takes his men to battle andreturns Lot safely. Upon Abram’s return,Melchizedek, a king and priest,meets with Abram to rejoice in theirgreat victory. As part of their celebration,Melchizedek uses not only wordsbut the everyday objects of bread andwine in a ritual to offer a blessing onAbram and to give praise to God.The use of symbols, like bread andwine, even today enable us to expressand deepen our relationship with God.In the Catholic Church, this is mostevident when we celebrate the sacraments.The symbols used in thesacraments find their roots in threeareas.The first area is from Creation. BecauseGod created the world, it isnatural that we can find and expressmeaning through symbols like fire andwater. For example, during the sacramentof Baptism, we use water as asign of purification and new birth anda lit candle as a sign of our desire towalk in the light of Christ.The second area from which sacramentalsymbols come is everydayhuman life. These are things we commonlydo, like rubbing oils or lotionon our bodies or placing a reassuringhand on a friend. For example, inthe sacrament of the Anointing of theSick, the priest uses oil to bless andstrengthen the sick and places or laysa hand upon them as a sign of blessing.The third source of sacramentalsymbols is from events in the historyof God’s people, especially the Passover.We see this most clearly whenwe celebrate the Eucharist; we usethe symbols of bread and wine alongwith words and gestures that Jesusused when he celebrated the Passoverwith his disciples on the eve ofhis Crucifixion.When the Church celebrates thesacraments, it combines words withsymbols; through faith and the powerof the Holy Spirit, the sacramentsexpress and make present to us thegraces offered by Christ.AAGn 14:17–20Catechism, nos. 1145–1152

43Genesis 15:17Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Giveme the captives; the goods you may keep.” 22 ButAbram replied to the king of Sodom: “I havesworn to the Lord, God Most High,† the creatorof heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take somuch as a thread or a sandal strap from anythingthat is yours, so that you cannot say, ‘I madeAbram rich.’ 24 Nothing for me except what myservants have consumed and the share that is dueto the men who went with me—Aner, Eshcol andMamre; let them take their share.”The Covenant with Abram†1 Some time afterward, the word of the15 Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do notfear, Abram! I am your shield; I will make yourreward very great.2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what can yougive me, if I die childless and have only a servantof my household, Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Abramcontinued, “Look, you have given me no offspring,so a servant of my household will be myheir.” 4 Then the word of the Lord came to him:No, that one will not be your heir; your own offspringwill be your heir.* 5 He took him outsideand said: Look up at the sky and count the stars, ifyou can. Just so, he added, will your descendantsbe.* 6 * Abram put his faith in the Lord, who attributedit to him as an act of righteousness.†7 He then said to him: I am the Lord whobrought you from Ur of the Chal de ans to give youthis land as a possession.* 8 “Lord God,” he asked,“how will I know that I will possess it?” 9 † Heanswered him: Bring me a three-year-old heifer, athree-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram,a turtledove, and a young pigeon.* 10 He broughthim all these, split them in two, and placed eachhalf opposite the other; but the birds he did notcut up. 11 Birds of prey swooped down on theFire in the BibleFire appears frequently throughout the OldTestament, symbolizing two aspects of God:presence and holiness. Fire symbolizes a specialpresence of God in the sealing of the covenantwith Abraham (see Gn 15:17), in the burningbush (see Ex 3:2), and in the pillar of fire leadingIsrael through the desert (see Ex 13:21).Fire also symbolizes God’s holiness appearingto purge and purify those who deviate fromGod’s ways, as in Sodom and Gomorrah (seeGn 19:24) and the seventh plague against Egypt(see Ex 9:23).AAGn 15:17Did You Know?carcasses, but Abram scared them away. 12 As thesun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon Abram,and a great, dark dread descended upon him.13 † Then the Lord said to Abram: Know forcertain that your descendants will reside as aliensin a land not their own, where they shall be enslavedand oppressed for four hundred years.*14 But I will bring judgment on the nation theymust serve, and after this they will go out withgreat wealth.* 15 You, however, will go to yourancestors in peace; you will be buried at a ripeold age. 16 In the fourth generation† your descendantswill return here, for the wickedness of theAmorites is not yet complete.*17 When the sun had set and it was dark, thereGN†14:22 In vv. 22–24, Abraham refuses to let anyone but God enrichhim. Portrayed with the traits of a later Israelite judge or tribalhero, Abraham acknowledges that his victory is from God alone.15:1–21 In the first section (vv. 1–6), Abraham is promised a sonand heir, and in the second (vv. 7–21), he is promised a land. Thestructure is similar in both: each of the two promises is not immediatelyaccepted; the first is met with a complaint (vv. 2–3) and thesecond with a request for a sign (v. 8). God’s answer differs in eachsection—a sign in v. 5 and an oath in vv. 9–21. Some scholars believethat the Genesis promises of progeny and land were originallyseparate and only later combined, but progeny and land are persistentconcerns especially of ancient peoples and it is hard to imagineone without the other.15:6 Abraham’s act of faith in God’s promises was regarded asan act of righteousness, i.e., as fully expressive of his relationshipwith God. St. Paul (Rom 4:1–25; Gal 3:6–9) makes Abraham’s faitha model for Christians.15:9–17 Cutting up animals was a well-attested way of makinga treaty in antiquity. Jer 34:17–20 shows the rite is a form of selfimprecationin which violators invoke the fate of the animals uponthemselves. The eighth-century b.c. Sefire treaty from Syria reads, “Asthis calf is cut up, thus Matti’el shall be cut up.” The smoking fire potand the flaming torch (v. 17), which represent God, pass between thepieces, making God a signatory to the covenant.15:13–16 The verses clarify the promise of the land by providinga timetable of its possession: after four hundred years of servitude,your descendants will actually possess the land in the fourth generation(a patriarchal generation seems to be one hundred years). The iniquityof the current in hab i tants (called here the Amorites) has not yetreached the point where God must intervene in punishment. Anothertable is given in Ex 12:40, which is not compatible with this one.15:16 Generation: the Hebrew term dor is commonly renderedas “generation,” but it may signify a period of varying length. A“generation” is the period between the birth of children and the*15:4 Gn 17:16.15:5 Gn 22:17; 28:14; Ex32:13; Dt 1:10; Sir44:21; Rom 4:18; Heb11:12.15:6 1 Mc 2:52; Rom 4:3, 9,22; Gal 3:6–7; Jas 2:23.15:7 Gn 11:31; 12:1; Ex32:13; Neh 9:7–8;Acts 7:2–3.15:9 Lv 1:14.15:13 Ex 12:40; Nm 20:15;Jdt 5:9–10; Is 52:4; Acts13:20; Gal 3:17.15:14 Ex 3:8, 21–22.15:16 1 Kgs 21:26.

Genesis 15:1844GNive It!Love and JealousyAlove triangle in the Bible! The relationshipbetween Abram, Sarai, and Hagar isshocking by Christian moral standards but wouldnot have been unusual in their time. A patriarchlike Abram would often have children by severalwives, slaves, and concubines (something likemistresses who lived with the household). It’s notsurprising that such relationships would havefostered jealousy and tension. The conflict betweenHagar and Sarai must have been fierce,to cause Hagar to leave the security of Abram’shousehold.Today, we encourage victims of abuse and harassmentto speak out and take action, so it mayseem strange to us that God’s angel seeks outHagar and asks her to return to a place whereshe is likely to be mistreated. When we encounterpeople who have been abused or harassed,we need to help them seek justice and set thingsright. Remember the larger message in Genesis—thatevery person is created in God’s imageand is to be treated with the utmost dignityand respect. Carrying out this message is ourresponsibility as brothers and sisters to one another.AAGn 16:1–16appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,which passed between those pieces. 18 † On thatday the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying:To your descendants I give this land, fromthe Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates,*19 * the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites,the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, theRephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, theGirgashites, and the Jeb u sites.Birth of Ishmael†1 Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no16 children. Now she had an Egyptian maidservantnamed Hagar.* 2 Sarai said to Abram:“The Lord has kept me from bearing children.Have intercourse with my maid; perhaps I willhave sons through her.” Abram obeyed Sarai.† *3 Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in theland of Canaan, his wife Sarai took her maid,Hagar the Egyptian, and gave her to her husbandAbram to be his wife. 4 He had intercourse withher, and she became pregnant. As soon as Hagarknew she was pregnant, her mistress lost staturein her eyes.† * 5 * So Sarai said to Abram: “Thisoutrage against me is your fault. I myself gavemy maid to your embrace; but ever since sheknew she was pregnant, I have lost stature inher eyes. May the Lord decide between you andme!” 6 Abram told Sarai: “Your maid is in yourpower. Do to her what you regard as right.” Saraithen mistreated her so much that Hagar ranaway from her.7 The Lord’s angel† found her by a spring inthe wil der ness, the spring on the road to Shur,*8 and he asked, “Hagar, maid of Sarai, where haveyou come from and where are you going?” Sheanswered, “I am running away from my mistress,Sarai.” 9 But the Lord’s angel told her: “Go backto your mistress and submit to her authority.10 I will make your descendants so numerous,”†birth of their parents, normally about twenty to twenty-five years.The actual length of a generation can vary, however; in Jb 42:16 itis thirty-five and in Nm 32:13 it is forty. The meaning may be lifespans, which in Gn 6:3 is one hundred twenty years and in Is 65:20is one hundred years.15:18–21 The Wadi, i.e., a gully or ravine, of Egypt is the Wadiel-‘Arish,which is the boundary between the settled land and theSinai desert. Some scholars suggest that the boundaries are those ofa Davidic empire at its greatest extent; others that they are idealizedboundaries. Most lists of the ancient in hab i tants of the promisedland give three, six, or seven peoples, but vv. 19–21 give a grandtotal of ten.16:1–16 In the previous chapter Abraham was given a timetableof possession of the land, but nothing was said about when the childwas to be born. In this chapter, Sarah takes matters into her ownhands, for she has been childless ten years since the promise (cf. 12:4with 16:16). The story is about the two women, Sarah the infertilemistress and Hagar the fertile slave; Abraham has only a single sentence.In the course of the story, God intervenes directly on the sideof Hagar, for she is otherwise without resources.16:2 The custom of an infertile wife providing her husband witha concubine to produce children is widely attested in ancient NearEastern law; e.g., an Old Assyrian marriage contract states that thewife must provide her husband with a concubine if she does not bearchildren within two years.16:4 Because barrenness was at that time normally blamed onthe woman and regarded as a disgrace, it is not surprising that Hagarlooks down on Sarah. Ancient Near Eastern legal practice addressessuch cases of insolent slaves and allows disciplining of them. Prv30:23 uses as an example of intolerable behavior “a maidservantwhen she ousts her mistress.”16:7 The Lord’s angel: a manifestation of God in human form; inv. 13 the messenger is identified with God. See note on Ex 3:2.*15:18 Ex 32:13; Neh 9:8; Ps105:11; Sir 44:21.15:19–20 Dt 7:1.16:1 Gn 11:30.16:2 Gn 21:8–9; Gal 4:22.16:4 1 Sm 1:6; Prv 30:23.16:5–16 Gn 21:10–19.16:7 Ex 15:22.

45Genesis 17:7†16:11 Ishmael: in Hebrew the name means “God has heard.”It is the same Hebrew verb that is translated “heeded” in the nextclause. In other ancient Near Eastern texts, the name commemoratedthe divine answer to the parents’ prayer to have a child, but here itis broadened to mean that God has “heard” Hagar’s plight. In vv.13–14, the verb “to see” is similarly broadened to describe God’sspecial care for those in need.16:12 Alongside: lit., “against the face of”; the same phrase isused of the lands of Ishmael’s descendants in 25:18. It can be translated“in opposition to” (Dt 21:16; Jb 1:11; 6:28; 21:31), but heremore likely means that Ishmael’s settlement was near but not in thepromised land.16:13 God who sees me: Hebrew el-ro’i is multivalent, meaningeither “God of seeing,” i.e., extends his protection to me, or “Godsees,” which can imply seeing human suffering (29:32; Ex 2:25; Is57:18; 58:3). It is probable that Hagar means to express both of theseaspects. Remained alive: for the ancient notion that a person died onseeing God, see Gn 32:31; Ex 20:19; Dt 4:33; Jgs 13:22.16:14 Beer-lahai-roi: possible translations of the name of the wellinclude: “spring of the living one who sees me”; “the well of the livaddedthe Lord’s angel, “that they will be toomany to count.”* 11 Then the Lord’s angel saidto her:“You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;you shall name him Ishmael,†For the Lord has heeded your affliction.12 He shall be a wild ass of a man,his hand against everyone,and everyone’s hand against him;Alongside† all his kindredshall he encamp.”*13 To the Lord who spoke to her she gave aname, saying, “You are God who sees me”;† shemeant, “Have I really seen God and remainedalive after he saw me?”* 14 That is why the wellis called Beer-lahai-roi.† It is between Kadeshand Bered.15 Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram namedthe son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.*16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagarbore him Ishmael.Covenant of Circumcision†1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old,17 the Lord appeared to Abram and said:I am God the Almighty. Walk in my presenceand be blameless.* 2 Between you and me I willestablish my covenant, and I will multiply youexceedingly.*3 Abram fell face down and God said to him:4 For my part, here is my covenant with you:you are to become the father of a multitude ofnations.* 5 No longer will you be called Abram;your name will be Abraham,† for I am makingyou the father of a multitude of nations.* 6 Iwill make you exceedingly fertile; I will makenations of you; kings will stem from you. 7 I willmaintain my covenant between me and you andyour descendants after you throughout the agesing sight”; or “the one who sees me lives.” See note on v. 13.17:1–27 The Priestly source gathers the major motifs of the storyso far and sets them firmly within a covenant context; the word“covenant” occurs thirteen times. There are links to the covenantwith Noah (v. 1 = 6:9; v. 7 = 9:9; v. 11 = 9:12–17). In this chapter,vv. 1–8 promise progeny and land; vv. 9–14 are instructions aboutcircumcision; vv. 15–21 repeat the promise of a son to Sarah anddistinguish this promise from that to Hagar; vv. 22–27 describeAbraham’s carrying out the commands. The Almighty: traditionalrendering of Hebrew El Shaddai, which is P’s favorite designation ofGod in the period of the ancestors. Its etymology is uncertain, but itsroot meaning is probably “God, the One of the Mountains.”17:5 Abram and Abraham are merely two forms of the samename, both meaning, “the father is exalted”; another variant form is*ive It!CovenantCovenant is a powerful word in the Bible,with deep religious significance becauseit expresses the intimate relationship betweenGod and God’s people. At its most basic level,a covenant is a promise, made by both partiesinvolved, to do certain things. In the covenantGod makes with Noah, God promises never todestroy the earth again, and Noah’s family promisesto fill the earth and subdue it (see Gn 9:1–17). In the covenant with Abraham, God promisesthat Abram’s descendants will be numerousand become a great nation. In return, Abramand all the male members of his household andtheir male descendants are circumcised as asign that they belong to God (see 17:1–27). Inthe covenant made at Mount Sinai with Moses(see Ex 19:1–9) and the Hebrew people, Godpromises to give them the Promised Land. Inreturn, they promise to follow the laws God givesto them.We are, each of us, part of these ancientpromises. Like the many faithful people who havegone before us, we too are the descendants ofAbraham and Sarah, believers in the one Godand members of God’s family. We too are heirsto a special, intimate relationship with the HolyOne through Jesus.AAGn 17:1–2716:10 Gn 17:20; 21:13, 18;25:12–18.16:12 Gn 21:20; 25:18.16:13 Gn 24:62.16:15 Gn 16:2; Gal 4:22.17:1 Gn 35:11; Ex 6:3.17:2 Gn 12:2; 13:16; Ex32:13.17:4 Sir 44:21; Rom 4:17.17:5 Neh 9:7.GN

Genesis 17:846GNCircumcisionDid You Know?Circumcision, the removal of the foreskin ofthe penis, was practiced by many peoplesin the ancient world. In Israel circumcision wasperformed shortly after birth. It symbolized thatthis person belonged to the people of God, andwas required by the Covenant that God madefirst with Abraham and then with Moses and allof Israel. Today most Jews continue circumcisionas a religious practice, and other peoplemay be circumcised for personal reasons.In the early Church, circumcision became thecenter of a controversy about whether Gentileswho wanted to become Christians had to firstbecome Jews (see Acts of the Apostles, chapter15; Phil 3:2–9).AAGn 17:9–14as an everlasting covenant, to be your God andthe God of your descendants after you.* 8 I willgive to you and to your descendants after you theland in which you are now residing as aliens, thewhole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;and I will be their God.* 9 God said to Abraham:For your part, you and your descendantsafter you must keep my covenant throughout theages. 10 This is the covenant between me and youand your descendants after you that you mustkeep: every male among you shall be circumcised.†* 11 Circumcise the flesh of your foreskin.That will be the sign of the covenant betweenme and you.* 12 Throughout the ages, every maleamong you, when he is eight days old, shall becircumcised, including houseborn slaves andthose acquired with money from any foreignerwho is not of your descendants.* 13 Yes, boththe houseborn slaves and those acquired with†Abiram (Nm 16:1; 1 Kgs 16:34). The additional -ha- in the form Abrahamis explained by popular etymology as coming from ab-hamongoyim, “father of a multitude of nations.”17:10 Circumcised: circumcision was widely practiced in the ancientworld, usually as an initiation rite for males at puberty. By shiftingthe time of circumcision to the eighth day after birth, biblical religionmade it no longer a “rite of passage” but the sign of the eternal covenantbetween God and the community descending from Abraham.17:15 Sarai and Sarah are variant forms of the same name, bothmeaning “princess.”17:17 Laughed: yishaq, which is also the Hebrew form of thename “Isaac”; similar explanations of the name are given in Gn18:12 and 21:6.money must be circumcised. Thus my covenantwill be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant.14 If a male is uncircumcised, that is, if the fleshof his foreskin has not been cut away, such a onewill be cut off from his people; he has brokenmy covenant.15 God further said to Abraham: As for Saraiyour wife, do not call her Sarai; her name will beSarah.† 16 I will bless her, and I will give you ason by her. Her also will I bless; she will give riseto nations, and rulers of peoples will issue fromher.* 17 Abraham fell face down and laughed† ashe said to himself, “Can a child be born to a manwho is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birthat ninety?”* 18 So Abraham said to God, “If onlyIshmael could live in your favor!” 19 God replied:Even so, your wife Sarah is to bear you a son, andyou shall call him Isaac. It is with him that I willmaintain my covenant as an everlasting covenantand with his descendants after him.* 20 Nowas for Ishmael, I will heed you: I hereby blesshim. I will make him fertile and will multiplyhim exceedingly. He will become the father oftwelve chieftains, and I will make of him a greatnation.* 21 But my covenant I will maintain withIsaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you by this timenext year.* 22 When he had finished speakingwith Abraham, God departed from him.23 Then Abraham took his son Ishmael and allhis slaves, whether born in his house or acquiredwith his money—every male among the membersof Abraham’s household—and he circumcisedthe flesh of their foreskins on that same day, asGod had told him to do. 24 Abraham was ninetynineyears old when the flesh of his foreskin wascircumcised,* 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteenyears old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised.26 Thus, on that same day Abrahamand his son Ishmael were circumcised; 27 and allthe males of his household, including the slavesborn in his house or acquired with his moneyfrom foreigners, were circumcised with him.1818:1 Chapters 18 and 19 combined form a continuous narrative,concluding the story of Abraham and his nephew Lot that began in13:2–18. The mysterious men visit Abraham in Mamre to promisehim and Sarah a child the following year (18:1–15) and then visit Lot*Abraham’s Visitors1 † The Lord appeared to Abraham by theoak of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance17:7 Ps 105:42; Lk 1:72–73;Gal 3:16.17:8 Ex 32:13; Dt 1:8; 14:2;Lk 1:55; Acts 7:5.17:10 Jn 7:22; Acts 7:8; Rom4:11.17:11 Sir 44:20.17:12 Lv 12:3; Lk 1:59; 2:21.17:16 Gn 18:10; Gal 4:23.17:17 Rom 4:19; Heb11:11–12.17:19 Gn 11:30; 21:2; Ex32:13; Sir 44:22.17:20 Gn 16:10; 21:13, 18;25:12–16.17:21 Gn 18:14; 21:2; 26:2–5;Rom 9:7.17:24 Gn 17:10; Rom 4:11.

47Genesis 18:21of his tent, while the day was growing hot.2 Looking up, he saw three men standing nearhim. When he saw them, he ran from the entranceof the tent to greet them; and bowing tothe ground,* 3 he said: “Sir,† if it please you, donot go on past your servant. 4 Let some water bebrought, that you may bathe your feet, and thenrest under the tree. 5 Now that you have come toyour servant, let me bring you a little food, thatyou may refresh yourselves; and afterward youmay go on your way.” “Very well,” they replied,“do as you have said.”6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah andsaid, “Quick, three mea sures† of bran flour!Knead it and make bread.” 7 He ran to the herd,picked out a tender, choice calf, and gave it to aservant, who quickly prepared it. 8 Then he gotsome curds† and milk, as well as the calf that hadbeen prepared, and set these before them, waitingon them under the tree while they ate.9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.“There in the tent,” he replied. 10 One of them†said, “I will return to you about this time nextyear, and Sarah will then have a son.” Sarah waslistening at the entrance of the tent, just behindhim.* 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advancedin years, and Sarah had stopped havingher menstrual periods.* 12 So Sarah laughed† toherself and said, “Now that I am worn out andmy husband is old, am I still to have sexual pleasure?”13 But the Lord said to Abraham: “Why didSarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really bear a child, oldas I am?’ 14 Is anything too marvelous for the Lordto do? At the appointed time, about this time nextyear, I will return to you, and Sarah will have ason.”* 15 Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” becauseshe was afraid. But he said, “Yes, you did.”Abraham Intercedes for Sodom16 With Abraham walking with them to seethem on their way, the men set out from thereand looked down toward Sodom. 17 The Lordconsidered: Shall I hide from Abraham what Iam about to do, 18 now that he is to become agreat and mighty nation, and all the nations of†in Sodom to investigate and then to punish the corrupt city (19:1–29).Between the two visits, Abraham questions God about the justice ofpunishing Sodom (18:16–33). At the end of the destruction of Sodom,there is a short narrative about Lot as the ancestor of Moab and theAmmonites (19:30–38).18:3 Abraham addresses the leader of the group, whom he doesnot yet recognize as the Lord; in the next two verses he speaks to allthree men. The other two are later (Gn 19:1) identified as angels. Theshifting numbers and identification of the visitors are a narrative wayof expressing the mysterious presence of God.18:6 Three mea sures: Hebrew seah; three seahs equal one ephah,about half a bushel.18:8 Curds: a type of soft cheese or yogurt.18:10 One of them: i.e., the Lord.18:12 Sarah laughed: a play on the verb “laugh,” which prefiguresthe name of Isaac; see note on 17:17.18:20 The immorality of the cities was already hinted at in 13:13,when Lot made his choice to live there. The “outcry” comes fromthe victims of the injustice and violence rampant in the city, whichwill shortly be illustrated in the treatment of the visitors. The outcryof the Hebrews under the harsh treatment of Phar aoh (Ex 3:7)came up to God who reacts in anger at mistreatment of the poor*ive It!What’s So Funny?Laughter is not a word we usually associatewith the Bible, and certainly not with the OldTestament. Most of the stories are serious, filledwith accounts of sacrifice, battles, and the Covenant.But here is Sarah, an old woman, longpast childbearing age. She overhears one ofAbraham’s mysterious guests tell him that in ayear he and Sarah will have a son (see Gn 18:10).How can she help but laugh? She and Abrahamdo produce, of course, a son called Isaac, whoseHebrew name, Yishaq, means “laughed.” Sarah’scynical chuckles must have turned to joyfullaughs at the birth of her beloved son. Laughteris a wonderful response to the gift of life and is anatural and often spontaneous response to God’spresence within us and around us.“Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do?”(verse 14). We are all tempted to laugh at thenotion that miracles can happen to us. As wegrow in faith and open ourselves to God’s goodness,our laughter will change from skepticallaughter to joyful laughter.AAGn 18:9–15the earth are to find blessing in him?* 19 Indeed, Ihave singled him out that he may direct his childrenand his household in the future to keep theway of the Lord by doing what is right and just,so that the Lord may put into effect for Abrahamthe promises he made about him. 20 * Sothe Lord said: The outcry against Sodom andGomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave,†21 that I must go down to see whether or not their18:2 Heb 13:1–2.18:10 Gn 17:19; 21:1; 2 Kgs4:16; Rom 9:9.18:11 Gn 17:17; Rom 4:19;Heb 11:11–12.18:14 Mt 19:26; Mk 10:27; Lk1:37; 18:27; Rom 4:21.18:18 Lk 1:55.18:20 Gn 19:13; Is 3:9; Lk17:28; Jude 7.GN

Genesis 18:2248GNray It!Get Close to GodOur prayers reveal what we believe aboutGod and what we value. Abraham’s bargainingfor the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrahshows his faith, his care for others, and hiscloseness with God. Although he is humble, hedeals with God as a friend whom he is not afraidto be honest with.We too must be honest with God in our prayer.Many Christians simply do not trust God enoughto be completely themselves with God. They areafraid to share their doubts, anger, grief, andfrustrations. But God is big enough to handle itall. Find a way in your prayer time to share yourinnermost thoughts and feelings with God. Forsome people, journaling helps; others yell andshout aloud at the Lord. Remember thatlove requires freedom and God wants tobe invited in. Tell God what ison your mind right now. Don’thold back.AAGn 18:22–33actions are as bad as the cry against them thatcomes to me. I mean to find out.22 As the men turned and walked on towardSodom, Abraham remained standing before theLord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said: “Willyou really sweep away the righteous with thewicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteouspeople in the city; would you really sweep awayand not spare the place for the sake of the fiftyrighteous people within it? 25 Far be it from youto do such a thing, to kill the righteous with thewicked, so that the righteous and the wicked aretreated alike! Far be it from you! Should not thejudge of all the world do what is just?”* 26 TheLord replied: If I find fifty righteous people inthe city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place fortheir sake. 27 Abraham spoke up again: “See how†(cf. Ex 22:21–23; Is 5:7). Sodom and Gomorrah became types of sinfulcities in biblical literature. Is 1:9–10; 3:9 sees their sin as lack ofsocial justice, Ez 16:46–51, as disregard for the poor, and Jer 23:14,as general immorality. In the Genesis story, the sin is violation of thesacred duty of hospitality by the threatened rape of Lot’s guests.19:1–29 The story takes place in one day (counting a day fromthe previous evening): evening (v. 1), dawn (v. 15), and sunrise (v.23). The passage resembles Jgs 19:15–25, which suggests depen-I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though Iam only dust and ashes!* 28 What if there are fiveless than fifty righteous people? Will you destroythe whole city because of those five?” I will notdestroy it, he answered, if I find forty-five there.29 But Abraham persisted, saying, “What if onlyforty are found there?” He replied: I will refrainfrom doing it for the sake of the forty. 30 Thenhe said, “Do not let my Lord be angry if I go on.What if only thirty are found there?” He replied:I will refrain from doing it if I can find thirtythere. 31 Abraham went on, “Since I have thuspresumed to speak to my Lord, what if there areno more than twenty?” I will not destroy it, heanswered, for the sake of the twenty. 32 But hepersisted: “Please, do not let my Lord be angry ifI speak up this last time. What if ten are foundthere?” For the sake of the ten, he replied, I willnot destroy it.*33 The Lord departed as soon as he had finishedspeaking with Abraham, and Abraham returnedhome.Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah†1 The two angels reached Sodom in the19 evening, as Lot was sitting at the gate ofSodom. When Lot saw them, he got up to greetthem; and bowing down with his face to theground, 2 he said, “Please, my lords,† come asideinto your servant’s house for the night, and batheyour feet; you can get up early to continue yourjourney.” But they replied, “No, we will pass thenight in the town square.”* 3 He urged them sostrongly, however, that they turned aside to hisplace and entered his house. He prepared a banquetfor them, baking unleavened bread, andthey dined.4 * Before they went to bed, the townsmenof Sodom, both young and old—all the peopleto the last man—surrounded the house. 5 Theycalled to Lot and said to him, “Where are themen who came to your house tonight? Bringthem out to us that we may have sexual relationswith them.” 6 Lot went out to meet them at theentrance. When he had shut the door behindhim, 7 he said, “I beg you, my brothers, do notdo this wicked thing! 8 I have two daughters whohave never had sexual relations with men. Letme bring them out to you,† and you may do todence of one story on the other.19:2 My lords: Lot does not yet know that the men are God’smessengers; cf. 18:3.19:8 Let me bring them out to you: the authority of a patriarch*18:25 Dt 32:4; Jb 8:3, 20; Wis12:15.18:27 Sir 10:9; 17:27.18:32 Jer 5:1; Ez 22:30.19:2 Heb 13:1–2.19:4–9 Jgs 19:22–25; Jude 7.

49Genesis 19:28them as you please. But do not do anything tothese men, for they have come under the shelterof my roof.” 9 They replied, “Stand back! Thisman,” they said, “came here as a resident alien,and now he dares to give orders! We will treatyou worse than them!” With that, they pressedhard against Lot, moving in closer to break downthe door.* 10 But his guests put out their hands,pulled Lot inside with them, and closed thedoor; 11 they struck the men at the entrance ofthe house, small and great, with such a blindinglight† that they were utterly unable to find thedoorway.12 Then the guests said to Lot: “Who else belongsto you here? Sons-in-law, your sons, yourdaughters, all who belong to you in the city—take them away from this place!* 13 We are aboutto destroy this place, for the outcry reaching theLord against those here is so great that the Lordhas sent us to destroy it.”* 14 So Lot went out andspoke to his sons-in-law, who had contractedmarriage with his daughters.† “Come on, leavethis place,” he told them; “the Lord is about todestroy the city.” But his sons-in-law thought hewas joking.15 As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Loton, saying, “Come on! Take your wife with youand your two daughters who are here, or you willbe swept away in the punishment of the city.”16 When he hesitated, the men, because of theLord’s compassion for him, seized his hand andthe hands of his wife and his two daughters andled them to safety outside the city. 17 As soon asthey had brought them outside, they said: “Fleefor your life! Do not look back or stop anywhereon the Plain. Flee to the hills at once, or you willbe swept away.”* 18 “Oh, no, my lords!” Lot repliedto them. 19 “You have already shown favorto your servant, doing me the great kindness ofsaving my life. But I cannot flee to the hills, orthe disaster will overtake and kill me. 20 Look,this town ahead is near enough to escape to. It isonly a small place.† Let me flee there—is it nota small place?—to save my life.” 21 “Well, then,”he replied, “I grant you this favor too. I willnot overthrow the town you have mentioned.†within his house was virtually absolute. Lot’s extreme response ofoffering his daughters to a violent mob seems to be motivated by theobligation of hospitality.19:11 Blinding light: an extraordinary flash that temporarily dazedthe wicked men and revealed to Lot the true nature of his guests.19:14 It is uncertain whether Lot’s sons-in-law were fully marriedto his daughters or only “engaged” to them (Israelite “engagement”was the first part of the marriage ceremony), or even whether thedaughters involved were the same as, or different from, the twodaughters who were still in their father’s house.19:20 A small place: the Hebrew word misar, lit., “a little thing,”has the same root consonants as the name of the town Zoar in v. 22.19:25 Overthrew: this term, lit., “turned upside down,” is usedconsistently to describe the destruction of the cities of the Plain.The imagery of earthquake and subsequent fire fits the geology ofthis region.19:28–29 In a deft narrative detail, Abraham looks down from theheight east of Hebron, from which he could easily see the region at*ive It!Be Kind to StrangersIf our first gesture to outsiders were one ofrespect, kindness, and gracious hospitality,what might our world be like? The story ofSodom and Gomorrah shows us the results ofdisrespect, inhospitality, and the attempted sexualabuse of strangers. Like Abraham, Lot is awonderful host. But the people of Sodom wantLot’s visitors for their own sexual pleasure; beingwelcoming and hospitable is clearly the last thingon their minds.As children of God, we have a responsibility toextend our kindness to stranger and friend alike.So how are visitors or new students treated inyour school? How are guests treated in yourhome?AAGn 19:1–1122 Hurry, escape there! I cannot do anything untilyou arrive there.” That is why the town is calledZoar.*23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lotarrived in Zoar, 24 and the Lord rained down sulfurupon Sodom and Gomorrah, fire from theLord out of heaven.* 25 He overthrew† those citiesand the whole Plain, together with the in habitants of the cities and the produce of the soil.*26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she was turnedinto a pillar of salt.*27 The next morning Abraham hurried to theplace where he had stood before the Lord. 28 Ashe looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrahand the whole region of the Plain,† he sawsmoke over the land rising like the smoke froma kiln.*19:9 Gn 13:12; 2 Pt 2:7–8.19:12 2 Pt 2:7–9.19:13 Is 1:7, 9; Ez 16:49–50;Zep 2:9.19:17 Wis 10:6.19:22 Wis 10:6.19:24 Ps 9:6; 11:6; 107:34;Wis 10:7; Sir 16:8; Is1:9; Lk 17:29; 2 Pt 2:6.19:25 Dt 29:22; Is 13:19; Jer50:40; Lam 4:6; Am4:11.19:26 Wis 10:7; Lk 17:32.19:28 Rev 9:2; 14:10–11.GN

Genesis 19:2950GN29 When God destroyed the cities of the Plain,he remembered Abraham and sent Lot awayfrom the upheaval that occurred when God overthrewthe cities where Lot had been living.Moabites and Ammonites†30 Since Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar, he andhis two daughters went up from Zoar and settledin the hill country, where he lived with his twodaughters in a cave. 31 The firstborn said to theyounger: “Our father is getting old, and there isnot a man in the land to have intercourse with usas is the custom everywhere. 32 Come, let us plyour father with wine and then lie with him, thatwe may ensure posterity by our father.” 33 So thatnight they plied their father with wine, and thefirstborn went in and lay with her father; but hewas not aware of her lying down or getting up.34 The next day the firstborn said to the younger:“Last night I lay with my father. Let us ply himwith wine again tonight, and then you go in andlie with him, that we may ensure posterity byour father.” 35 So that night, too, they plied theirfather with wine, and then the younger one wentin and lay with him; but he was not aware of herlying down or getting up.36 Thus the two daughters of Lot became pregnantby their father. 37 The firstborn gave birthto a son whom she named Moab, saying, “Frommy father.”† He is the ancestor of the Moabitesof today.* 38 The younger one, too, gave birth toa son, and she named him Ammon, saying, “Theson of my kin.”† He is the ancestor of the Ammonitesof today.*Abraham at Gerar†1 From there Abraham journeyed on to20 the region of the Negeb, where he settledbetween Kadesh and Shur.† While he residedin Gerar as an alien, 2 Abraham said of his wifeSarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king†the southern end of the Dead Sea, where the cities of the Plain wereprobably located.19:30–38 This Israelite tale about the origin of Israel’s neighborseast of the Jordan and the Dead Sea was told partly to ridicule these ethnicallyrelated but rival nations and partly to give popular etymologiesfor their names. The stylized nature of the story is seen in the names ofthe daughters (“the firstborn” and “the younger”), the ease with whichthey fool their father, and the identical descriptions of the encounters.19:37 From my father: in Hebrew, me’abi, similar in sound tothe name “Moab.”19:38 The son of my kin: in Hebrew, ben-ammi, similar in soundto the name “Ammonites.”20:1–18 Abraham again passes off his wife Sarah as his sister toescape trouble in a foreign land (cf. 12:10–13:1, the J source). Thestory appears to be from a different source (according to some, E) anddeals with the ethical questions of the incident. Gn 26:6–11 is yet anotherretelling of the story, but with Isaac and Rebekah as charactersinstead of Abraham and Sarah.20:1 Kadesh and Shur: Kadesh-barnea was a major oasis on thesouthernmost border of Canaan, and Shur was probably the “way toof Gerar, sent and took Sarah. 3 But God cameto Abimelech in a dream one night and said tohim: You are about to die because of the womanyou have taken, for she has a husband. 4 Abimelech,who had not approached her, said: “OLord, would you kill an innocent man? 5 Washe not the one who told me, ‘She is my sister’?She herself also stated, ‘He is my brother.’ I actedwith pure heart and with clean hands.” 6 † Godanswered him in the dream: Yes, I know you didit with a pure heart. In fact, it was I who keptyou from sinning against me; that is why I didnot let you touch her. 7 So now, return the man’swife so that he may intercede for you, since heis a prophet,† that you may live. If you do notreturn her, you can be sure that you and all whoare yours will die.8 Early the next morning Abimelech called allhis servants and informed them of everythingthat had happened, and the men were filledwith fear. 9 Then Abimelech summoned Abrahamand said to him: “What have you done tous! What wrong did I do to you that you wouldhave brought such great guilt on me and mykingdom? You have treated me in an intolerableway. 10 What did you have in mind,” Abimelechasked him, “that you would do such a thing?”11 Abraham answered, “I thought there would beno fear of God† in this place, and so they wouldkill me on account of my wife. 12 Besides, shereally is my sister,† but only my father’s daughter,not my mother’s; and so she became mywife. 13 When God sent me wandering from myfather’s house, I asked her: ‘Would you do methis favor? In whatever place we come to, say: Heis my brother.’ ”*14 Then Abimelech took flocks and herds andmale and female slaves and gave them to Abraham;and he restored his wife Sarah to him.15 Then Abimelech said, “Here, my land is at yourdisposal; settle wherever you please.” 16 To SarahShur,” the road to Egypt. Gerar was a royal city in the area, but hasnot been identified with certainty.20:6 Abimelech is exonerated of blame, but by that fact notcleared of the consequences of his act. He is still under the sentenceof death for abducting another man’s wife; the consequences resultfrom the deed not the intention.20:7 Prophet: only here is Abraham explicitly called “prophet,”Hebrew nabi (cf. Ps 105:15).20:11 Fear of God is the traditional though unsatisfactory renderingof Hebrew yir’at YHWH, literally, “revering Yahweh.” Thephrase refers neither to the emotion of fear nor to religious reverenceof a general kind. Rather it refers to adherence to a single deity (ina polytheistic culture), honoring that deity with prayers, rituals, andobedience. The phrase occurs again in 26:24; 43:23; and 50:19. It isvery common in the wisdom literature of the Bible.20:12 My sister: marrying one’s half sister was prohibited laterin Israel’s history.*19:37 Dt 2:9.19:38 Dt 2:19.20:13 Gn 12:13.

51Genesis 21:17he said: “I hereby give your brother a thousandshekels of silver. This will preserve your honorbefore all who are with you and will exonerateyou before everyone.” 17 Abraham then intercededwith God, and God restored health toAbimelech, to his wife, and his maidservants,so that they bore children; 18 for the Lord hadclosed every womb in Abimelech’s household onaccount of Abraham’s wife Sarah.Birth of Isaac†1 The Lord took note of Sarah as he had21 said he would; the Lord did for her as hehad promised.* 2 Sarah became pregnant andbore Abraham a son in his old age, at the settime that God had stated.* 3 Abraham gave thename Isaac to this son of his whom Sarah borehim.* 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old,Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded.*5 Abraham was a hundred years oldwhen his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah thensaid, “God has given me cause to laugh,† and allwho hear of it will laugh with me.* 7 Who wouldever have told Abraham,” she added, “that Sarahwould nurse children! Yet I have borne him ason in his old age.” 8 The child grew and wasweaned, and Abraham held a great banquet onthe day of the child’s weaning.9 Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptianhad borne to Abraham playing with her sonIsaac; 10 so she demanded of Abraham: “Driveout that slave and her son! No son of that slaveis going to share the inheritance with my sonIsaac!”* 11 Abraham was greatly distressed becauseit concerned a son of his.† 12 But God saidto Abraham: Do not be distressed about the boyor about your slave woman. Obey Sarah, no matterwhat she asks of you; for it is through Isaacthat descendants will bear your name.* 13 As forthe son of the slave woman, I will make a nationof him also,† since he too is your offspring.14 Early the next morning Abraham got somebread and a skin of water and gave them toray It!Hagar’s RescueGenesis 21:9–21 is part two of the Hagarand Ishmael story begun in 16:1–16. Onceagain, Hagar is the victim of Sarah’s jealousy. Butthis time God does not send her back. Seeminglyfacing certain death, Hagar receives from Godthe ability to see the opportunity for life in frontof her. This time the writer of Genesis makes thepoint that God rescues the oppressed and abandoned.Hagar and Ishmael survive, and fromtheir descendants, a great people emerges.Hagar’s story reminds us that God wants torescue us from oppression and injustice. Oftenwe want to ask God to magically take these thingsaway. But because God has given human beingsfree will, we cannot always be spared from theinjustice of others. In your prayer, you can alwaysask God to rescue you, to give you the vision tosee the healthy choices you can make to improveyour situation. Do that right now if you arein an unjust situation. God’s grace can befound in all things, even duringour darkest times.AAGn 21:9–21Hagar. Then, placing the child on her back,† hesent her away. As she roamed aimlessly in thewil der ness of Beer-sheba, 15 the water in the skinwas used up. So she put the child down underone of the bushes, 16 and then went and sat downopposite him, about a bowshot away; for shesaid to herself, “I cannot watch the child die.”As she sat opposite him, she wept aloud. 17 GodGN†21:1–21 The long-awaited birth of Isaac parallels the birth ofIshmael in chap. 16, precipitating a rivalry and expulsion as in thatchapter. Though this chapter is unified, the focus of vv. 1–7 is exclusivelyon Sarah and Isaac, and the focus of vv. 8–21 is exclusivelyon Hagar and Ishmael. The promise of a son to the barren Sarah andelderly Abraham has been central to the previous chapters and nowthat promise comes true with the birth of Isaac. The other great promise,that of land, will be resolved, at least in an anticipatory way, inAbraham’s purchase of the cave at Machpelah in chap. 23. The parallelbirths of the two boys has influenced the Lucan birth narrativesof John the Baptist and Jesus (Lk 1–2).21:6 Laugh: for the third time (cf. 17:17 and 18:12) there is laughter,playing on the similarity in Hebrew between the pronunciation ofthe name Isaac and words associated with laughter.21:11 A son of his: Abraham is the father of both boys, butSarah is the mother only of Isaac. Abraham is very concerned thatIshmael have a sufficient inheritance.21:13 I will make a nation of him also: Ishmael’s descendants arenamed in 25:12–18.21:14 Placing the child on her back: a reading based on an emendationof the traditional Hebrew text. In the traditional Hebrew text,Abraham put the bread and the waterskin on Hagar’s back, while herson apparently walked beside her. In this way the traditional Hebrewtext harmonizes the data of the Priestly source, in which Ishmael wouldhave been at least fourteen years old when Isaac was born; compare16:16 with 21:5; cf. 17:25. But in the present Elohist (?) story, Ishmaelis obviously a little boy, not much older than Isaac; cf. vv. 15, 18.*21:1 Gn 17:19; 18:10.21:2 Gal 4:23; Heb 11:11.21:3 Mt 1:2; Lk 3:34.21:4 Gn 17:10–14; Acts 7:8.21:6 Gn 17:17.21:10 Jgs 11:2; Gal 4:30.21:12 Rom 9:7; Heb 11:18.

Genesis 21:1852GNray It!Ultimate Trust in God!To us it seems horrible that God would askAbraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. But thisstory is meant to be a sign of Abraham’s completetrust in God. Ultimately, God prevented thesacrifice because God wanted not Isaac’s deathbut Abraham’s faith. Because of his willingnessto respond to God’s demand, Abraham is recognizedas the father of our faith. Our trust in Godshould be as total as Abraham’s trust was.We probably won’t ever be faced with the testof Abraham, but perhaps we will be faced withdifferent, though equally difficult, tests of faith inour own lives. The story of Abraham shows usthe power of faith. Because of Abraham’s faithin God’s promise, Isaac lived and became thefather of Jacob, whose twelve sons became thetwelve Tribes of Israel. In your prayer time, reflector journal on the following questions:• Because of your beliefs, have you ever hadto give up someone or something thatwas precious to you?• How has your life been enriched as aresult of your trust in Godin a difficult situation?AAGn 22:1–19heard the boy’s voice, and God’s angel called toHagar from heaven: “What is the matter, Hagar?Do not fear; God has heard the boy’s voice in thisplight of his.* 18 Get up, lift up the boy and holdhim by the hand; for I will make of him a greatnation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and shesaw a well of water. She went and filled the skinwith water, and then let the boy drink.20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He livedin the wil der ness and became an expert bowman.†21:22 Of the two related promises of progeny and land, that ofprogeny has been fulfilled in the previous chapter. Now the claim onthe land begins to be solidified by Abimelech’s recognition of Abraham’sclaim on the well at Beer-sheba; it will be furthered by Abraham’spurchase of the cave at Machpelah in chap. 23. Two levels ofediting are visible in the story: (1) vv. 22–24, 27, 32, the general covenantwith Abimelech; (2) vv. 25–26, 28–30, 31, Abraham’s claim onthe well. Both versions play on the root of the Hebrew word sheba‘,which means “seven” and “swear,” and the place name Beer-sheba.21:23 This place: Beer-sheba (v. 31). Abimelech had come fromGerar (20:2), about thirty miles west of Beer-sheba.21:32 Phi lis tines: one of the Sea Peoples, who migrated fromMycenaean Greece around 1200 b.c. and settled on the coastland of21 He lived in the wil der ness of Paran. His mothergot a wife for him from the land of Egypt.The Covenant at Beer-sheba22 † At that time Abimelech, accompanied byPhicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham:“God is with you in everything you do. 23 Sonow, swear to me by God at this place† that youwill not deal falsely with me or with my progenyand posterity, but will act as loyally toward meand the land in which you reside as I have actedtoward you.” 24 Abraham replied, “I so swear.”25 Abraham, however, reproached Abimelechabout a well that Abimelech’s servants had seizedby force. 26 “I have no idea who did that,” Abimelechreplied. “In fact, you never told me about it,nor did I ever hear of it until now.”27 Then Abraham took sheep and cattle andgave them to Abimelech and the two made acovenant. 28 Abraham also set apart seven ewelambs of the flock, 29 and Abimelech asked him,“What is the purpose of these seven ewe lambsthat you have set apart?” 30 Abraham answered,“The seven ewe lambs you shall accept from methat you may be my witness that I dug this well.”31 This is why the place is called Beer-sheba; thetwo of them took an oath there. 32 When theyhad thus made the covenant in Beer-sheba,Abimelech, along with Phicol, the com mand erof his army, left to return to the land of the Philistines.†33 Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beer-sheba,and there he invoked by name the Lord, God theEternal.† 34 Abraham resided in the land of thePhi lis tines for a long time.The Testing of Abraham†1 Some time afterward, God put Abraham22 to the test and said to him: Abraham!“Here I am!” he replied.* 2 Then God said: Takeyour son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,and go to the land of Moriah. There offer him upas a burnt offering on one of the heights that Iwill point out to you.* 3 Early the next morningAbraham saddled his donkey, took with him twoof his servants and his son Isaac, and after cuttingCanaan, becoming a principal rival of Israel. Non-biblical texts donot use the term “Phi lis tine” before ca. 1200 b.c.; it is probable thatthis usage and those in chap. 26 are anachronistic, perhaps applyinga later ethnic term for an earlier, less-known one.21:33 God the Eternal: in Hebrew, ’el ‘olam, perhaps the nameof the deity of the pre-Israelite sanctuary at Beer-sheba, but used byAbraham as a title of God; cf. Is 40:28.22:1–19 The divine demand that Abraham sacrifice to God the sonof promise is the greatest of his trials; after the successful completionof the test, he has only to buy a burial site for Sarah and find a wife for*21:17 Gn 16:7.22:1 Sir 44:20.22:2 2 Chr 3:1; 1 Mc 2:52;Heb 11:17.

53Genesis 23:4the wood for the burnt offering, set out for theplace of which God had told him.4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of theplace from a distance. 5 Abraham said to his servants:“Stay here with the donkey, while the boyand I go on over there. We will worship and thencome back to you.” 6 So Abraham took the woodfor the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac,while he himself carried the fire and the knife.As the two walked on together, 7 Isaac spoke tohis father Abraham. “Father!” he said. “Here Iam,” he replied. Isaac continued, “Here are thefire and the wood, but where is the sheep for theburnt offering?” 8 “My son,” Abraham answered,“God will provide the sheep for the burnt offering.”Then the two walked on together.9 When they came to the place of which Godhad told him, Abraham built an altar there andarranged the wood on it. Next he bound† his sonIsaac, and put him on top of the wood on the altar.*10 Then Abraham reached out and took theknife to slaughter his son.* 11 But the angel ofthe Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham,Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. 12 “Do notlay your hand on the boy,” said the angel. “Donot do the least thing to him. For now I knowthat you fear God, since you did not withholdfrom me your son, your only one.”* 13 Abrahamlooked up and saw a single ram caught by itshorns in the thicket. So Abraham went and tookthe ram and offered it up as a burnt offering inplace of his son.† 14 Abraham named that placeYahweh-yireh;† hence people today say, “On themountain the Lord will provide.”†Isaac. The story is widely recognized as a literary masterpiece, depictingin a few lines God as the absolute Lord, inscrutable yet ultimatelygracious, and Abraham, acting in moral grandeur as the great ancestorof Israel. Abraham speaks simply, with none of the wordy evasions ofchaps. 13 and 21. The style is laconic; motivations and thoughts arenot explained, and the reader cannot but wonder at the scene. In vv.15–18, the angel repeats the seventh and climactic promise. Moriah:the mountain is not given a precise geographical location here, though2 Chr 3:1 identifies Moriah as the mountain of Je ru sa lem where Solomon built the Temple; Abraham is thus the first to worship there.The word “Moriah” is a play on the verb “to see” (Heb. ra’ah); thewordplay is continued in v. 8, “God will provide (lit., “see”)” and inv. 14, Yahweh-yireh, meaning “the Lord will see/provide.”22:9 Bound: the Hebrew verb is ‘aqad, from which is derived thenoun Akedah, “the binding (of Isaac),” the traditional Jewish namefor this incident.22:13 While the Bible recognizes that firstborn males belong toGod (Ex 13:11–16; 34:19–20), and provides an alternate sacrifice toredeem firstborn sons, the focus here is on Abraham’s being tested byGod (v. 1). But the widely attested practice of child sacrifice underscores,for all its horror today, the realism of the test.22:14 Yahweh-yireh: a Hebrew expression meaning “the Lordwill see/provide.” See note on vv. 1–19.22:15–19 The seventh and climactic statement of the blessings toAbraham. Unlike the other statements, which were purely promissory,this one is presented as a reward for Abraham’s extraordinary trust.22:20–24 The descendants to the second generation of Nahor,Abraham’s brother, who married Milcah. Of Terah’s three sons(11:27), the oldest, Abraham, fathered Isaac (21:1–7), and the youngest,Haran (who died in Ur), fathered Lot. Abraham is now told that15 † A second time the angel of the Lord calledto Abraham from heaven 16 * and said: “I swearby my very self—oracle of the Lord—that becauseyou acted as you did in not withholding from meyour son, your only one, 17 I will bless you andmake your descendants as countless as the starsof the sky and the sands of the seashore; yourdescendants will take possession of the gates oftheir enemies,* 18 and in your descendants all thenations of the earth will find blessing, becauseyou obeyed my command.”*19 Abraham then returned to his servants, andthey set out together for Beer-sheba, where Abrahamlived.Nahor’s Descendants†20 Some time afterward, the news came toAbraham: “Milcah too has borne sons to yourbrother Nahor: 21 Uz, his firstborn, his brotherBuz, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo,Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel becamethe father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah boreto Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine,whose name was Reumah, also bore children:Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.Purchase of a Burial Plot†1 The span of Sarah’s life was one hundredand twenty-seven years. 2 She died23in Kiriath-arba—now Hebron—in the land ofCanaan, and Abraham proceeded to mournand weep for her. 3 Then he left the side of hisdeceased wife and addressed the Hittites:† 4 “AlthoughI am a resident alien† among you, sellNahor had eight children by Milcah and four by his concubine Reumah.Apart from the notice about the children born to Abraham byhis second wife, Keturah (25:1–6), all the information about Terah’sfamily to the second generation is now complete. It is noteworthythat Jacob will, like Nahor, have eight children by his wives and fourby his concubines.23:1–20 The occasion for purchasing the land is the need for aburial site for Sarah, for it would be unthinkable to bury Sarah outsideof the promised land. One of the two great promises to Abraham,that of progeny, has been fulfilled (21:1–7). And now the promise ofland is to be fulfilled, through a kind of down payment on the fullpossession that will take place only with the conquest under Joshuaand during the reign of David. This purchase has been prepared forby Abimelech’s recognition of Abraham’s claim to the well at Beersheba(21:22–34). Among the ancestral stories this narrative is one oftwo that are entirely from the P source (chap. 17 being the other). ThePriestly writers may have intended to encourage the generation of theexile to a renewed hope of repossessing their land.23:3 The Hittites: in the Bible the term is applied to several differentgroups—in hab i tants of the second-millennium Hittite empire inAsia Minor and northern Syria, residents of the Neo-Hittite kingdomsin northern Syria in the first part of the first millennium, and (followingAssyrian terminology) the in hab i tants of Syria and Palestine. Thethird group is meant here.23:4 A resident alien: such a one would normally not have the*22:9 Jas 2:21.22:10 Wis 10:5.22:12 Rom 8:32; 1 Jn 4:9.22:16–17 Gn 15:5; Ex 32:13; Lk1:73; Rom 4:13; Heb6:13–14; 11:12.22:17 Gn 24:60.22:18 Gn 12:3; 18:18; 26:4;Sir 44:21; Acts 3:25;Gal 3:16.GN

Genesis 23:554GNme from your holdings a burial place, that Imay bury my deceased wife.”* 5 The Hittites answeredAbraham: “Please, 6 sir, listen to us! Youare a mighty leader among us. Bury your deadin the choicest of our burial sites. None of uswould deny you his burial ground for the burialof your dead.” 7 Abraham, however, proceededto bow low before the people of the land, theHittites, 8 and said to them: “If you will allowme room for burial of my dead, listen to me!Intercede for me with Ephron, son of Zohar, 9 sothat he will sell me the cave of Machpelah thathe owns; it is at the edge of his field. Let himsell it to me in your presence at its full price fora burial place.”10 Now Ephron was sitting with the Hittites.So Ephron the Hittite replied to Abraham in thehearing of the Hittites, all who entered the gateof his city: 11 “Please, sir, listen to me! I give youboth the field and the cave in it; in the presenceof my people I give it to you. Bury your dead!”12 But Abraham, after bowing low before thepeople of the land, 13 addressed Ephron in thehearing of these men: “If only you would pleaselisten to me! I will pay you the price of the field.Accept it from me, that I may bury my deadthere.” 14 Ephron replied to Abraham, “Please,15 sir, listen to me! A piece of land worth fourhundred shekels† of silver—what is that betweenyou and me? Bury your dead!” 16 * Abraham acceptedEphron’s terms; he weighed out to himthe silver that Ephron had stipulated in the hearingof the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silverat the current market value.†17 * Thus Ephron’s field in Machpelah, facingMamre, together with its cave and all the treesanywhere within its limits, was conveyed 18 toAbraham by purchase in the presence of theHittites, all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city.19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah inthe cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre—nowHebron—in the land of Canaan. 20 Thusthe field with its cave was transferred from theHittites to Abraham as a burial place.Isaac and Rebekah†1 Abraham was old, having seen many24 days, and the Lord had blessed him inevery way. 2 * Abraham said to the senior servantof his household, who had charge of all his possessions:“Put your hand under my thigh,† 3 andI will make you swear by the Lord, the God ofheaven and the God of earth, that you will nottake a wife for my son from the daughters of theCanaanites among whom I live,* 4 but that youwill go to my own land and to my relatives to geta wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant asked him:“What if the woman is unwilling to follow meto this land? Should I then take your son backto the land from which you came?” 6 Abrahamtold him, “Never take my son back there for anyreason! 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who tookme from my father’s house and the land of myrelatives, and who confirmed by oath the promisehe made to me, ‘I will give this land to yourdescendants’—he will send his angel before you,and you will get a wife for my son there.* 8 If thewoman is unwilling to follow you, you will bereleased from this oath to me. But never take myson back there!” 9 So the servant put his hand underthe thigh of his master Abraham and sworeto him concerning this matter.10 The servant then took ten of his master’scamels, and bearing all kinds of gifts from hismaster, he made his way to the city of Nahor†in Aram Naharaim. 11 Near evening, at the time† 24:2 Put your hand under my thigh: the symbolism of this act wasapparently connected with the Hebrew concept of children issuingfrom their father’s “thigh” (the literal meaning of “direct descendants”in 46:26; Ex 1:5). Perhaps the man who took such an oath wasthought to bring the curse of sterility on himself if he did not fulfillhis sworn promise. Jacob made Joseph swear in the same way (Gn47:29). In both these instances, the oath was taken to carry out thelast request of a man upon his death.24:10 Nahor: it is uncertain whether this is the place where Abraham’sbrother Nahor (11:27) had lived or whether it is the city Nahur,named in the Mari documents (nineteenth and eighteenth centuriesb.c.), near the confluence of the Balikh and Middle Euphrates rivers.Aram Naharaim: lit., “Aram between the two rivers,” is the Yahwistdesignation for Terah’s homeland. The two rivers are the Habur andthe Euphrates. The Priestly designation for the area is Paddan-aram,which is from the Assyrian padana, “road or garden,” and Aram,which refers to the people or land of the Arameans.right to own property. The importance of Abraham’s purchase of thefield in Machpelah, which is worded in technical legal terms, liesin the fact that it gave his descendants their first, though small, landrights in the country that God had promised the patriarch they wouldone day inherit as their own. Abraham therefore insists on purchasingthe field and not receiving it as a gift.23:15 Four hundred shekels: probably an exorbitant sum; Jeremiah(32:9) paid only seventeen shekels for his field in Anathoth,though the Bab ylo nian invasion no doubt helped to reduce theprice.23:16 The current market value: the standard weight called ashekel varied according to time and place.24:1–67 The story of Abraham and Sarah is drawing to a close.The promises of progeny (21:1–7) and land (chap. 23) have been fulfilledand Sarah has died (23:1–2). Abraham’s last duty is to ensurethat his son Isaac shares in the promises. Isaac must take a wife fromhis own people (vv. 3–7), so the promises may be fulfilled. The extraordinarylength of this story and its development of a single themecontrast strikingly with the spare style of the preceding Abraham andSarah stories. It points ahead to the Jacob and Joseph stories.The length of the story is partly caused by its meticulous attentionto the sign (vv. 12–14), its fulfillment (vv. 15–20), and the servant’sretelling of sign and fulfillment to Rebekah’s family to win their consent(vv. 34–49).*23:4 Gn 33:19; Acts 7:16;Heb 11:9.23:16 Acts 7:16.23:17–18 Gn 49:29–30.24:2–3 Gn 47:29.24:3 Gn 24:37; 28:1–2; Jgs14:3; Tb 4:12.24:7 Gn 12:7; Ex 6:8; Tb5:17; Gal 3:16.

55Genesis 24:46when women go out to draw water, he made thecamels kneel by the well outside the city. 12 Thenhe said: “Lord, God of my master Abraham, let itturn out favorably for me† today and thus dealgraciously with my master Abraham. 13 While Istand here at the spring and the daughters of thetownspeople are coming out to draw water, 14 ifI say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jug,that I may drink,’ and she answers, ‘Drink, and Iwill water your camels, too,’ then she is the onewhom you have decided upon for your servantIsaac. In this way I will know that you have dealtgraciously with my master.”15 * He had scarcely finished speaking whenRebekah—who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah,the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor—cameout with a jug on her shoulder. 16 The youngwoman was very beautiful, a virgin, untouchedby man. She went down to the spring and filledher jug. As she came up, 17 the servant ran towardher and said, “Please give me a sip of waterfrom your jug.” 18 “Drink, sir,” she replied, andquickly lowering the jug into her hand, she gavehim a drink. 19 When she had finished givinghim a drink, she said, “I will draw water for yourcamels, too, until they have finished drinking.”20 With that, she quickly emptied her jug into thedrinking trough and ran back to the well to drawmore water, until she had drawn enough for allthe camels. 21 The man watched her the wholetime, silently waiting to learn whether or not theLord had made his journey successful. 22 Whenthe camels had finished drinking, the man tookout a gold nose-ring weighing half a shekel, andtwo gold bracelets weighing ten shekels for herwrists. 23 Then he asked her: “Whose daughter areyou? Tell me, please. And is there a place in yourfather’s house for us to spend the night?” 24 Sheanswered: “I am the daughter of Bethuel the sonof Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. 25 We haveplenty of straw and fodder,” she added, “and alsoa place to spend the night.” 26 The man then kneltand bowed down to the Lord, 27 saying: “Blessedbe the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,who has not let his kindness and fidelity towardmy master fail. As for me, the Lord has led mestraight to the house of my master’s brother.”28 Then the young woman ran off and toldher mother’s household what had happened.29 * Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.Laban rushed outside to the man at the spring.30 † When he saw the nose-ring and the braceletson his sister’s arms and when he heard Rebekahrepeating what the man had said to her, he wentto him while he was standing by the camels atthe spring. 31 He said: “Come, blessed of theLord! Why are you standing outside when I havemade the house ready, as well as a place for thecamels?” 32 The man then went inside; and whilethe camels were being unloaded and providedwith straw and fodder, water was brought tobathe his feet and the feet of the men who werewith him. 33 But when food was set before him,he said, “I will not eat until I have told my story.”“Go ahead,” they replied.34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he began. 35 “TheLord has blessed my master so abundantly thathe has become wealthy; he has given him flocksand herds, silver and gold, male and femaleslaves, and camels and donkeys. 36 My master’swife Sarah bore a son to my master in her oldage, and he has given him everything he owns.37 My master put me under oath, saying: ‘Youshall not take a wife for my son from the daughtersof the Canaanites in whose land I live; 38 instead,you must go to my father’s house, to myown family, to get a wife for my son.’ 39 When Iasked my master, ‘What if the woman will notfollow me?’ 40 he replied: ‘The Lord, in whosepresence I have always walked, will send his angelwith you and make your journey successful,and so you will get a wife for my son from myown family and my father’s house.* 41 Then youwill be freed from my curse. If you go to my familyand they refuse you, then, too, you will be freefrom my curse.’†42 “When I came to the spring today, I said:‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, please makesuccessful the journey I am on. 43 While I standhere at the spring, if I say to a young woman whocomes out to draw water, ‘Please give me a littlewater from your jug,’ 44 and she answers, ‘Drink,and I will draw water for your camels, too—thenshe is the woman whom the Lord has decidedupon for my master’s son.’45 “I had scarcely finished saying this to myselfwhen Rebekah came out with a jug on her shoulder.After she went down to the spring and drewwater, I said to her, ‘Please let me have a drink.’46 She quickly lowered the jug she was carryingGN†24:12 Let it turn out favorably for me: let me have a favorablesign; cf. end of v. 14.24:30 Laban becomes hospitable only when he sees the servant’srich gifts, which is in humorous contrast to his sister’s spontaneousgenerosity toward the servant. Laban’s opportunism points forward tohis behavior in the Jacob stories (31:14–16).24:41 Curse: this would be the consequence of failing to carryout the oath referred to in v. 3.*24:15 Gn 22:23.24:29 Gn 27:43.24:40 Tb 5:17; 10:13.

Genesis 24:4756GNand said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels,too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camelsalso. 47 When I asked her, ‘Whose daughter areyou?’ she answered, ‘The daughter of Bethuel,son of Nahor, borne to Nahor by Milcah.’ So Iput the ring on her nose and the bracelets on herwrists. 48 Then I knelt and bowed down to theLord, blessing the Lord, the God of my masterAbraham, who had led me on the right road toobtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman forhis son. 49 Now, if you will act with kindness andfidelity toward my master, let me know; but ifnot, let me know that too. I can then proceedaccordingly.”50 * Laban and Bethuel said in reply: “Thisthing comes from the Lord; we can say nothingto you either for or against it. 51 Here is Rebekah,right in front of you; take her and go, that shemay become the wife of your master’s son, as theLord has said.” 52 When Abraham’s servant heardtheir answer, he bowed to the ground before theLord. 53 Then he brought out objects of silverand gold and clothing and presented them to Rebekah;he also gave costly presents to her brotherand mother. 54 After he and the men with himhad eaten and drunk, they spent the night there.When they got up the next morning, he said,“Allow me to return to my master.”* 55 Herbrother and mother replied, “Let the youngwoman stay with us a short while, say ten days;after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them,“Do not detain me, now that the Lord has mademy journey successful; let me go back to mymaster.” 57 They answered, “Let us call the youngwoman and see what she herself has to say aboutit.” 58 So they called Rebekah and asked her,“Will you go with this man?” She answered, “Iwill.”† 59 At this they sent off their sister Rebekahand her nurse with Abraham’s servant and hismen. 60 They blessed Rebekah and said:“Sister, may you growinto thousands of myriads;And may your descendants gain possessionof the gates of their enemies!”*†24:58 Marriages arranged by the woman’s father did not requirethe woman’s consent, but marriages arranged by the woman’sbrother did. Laban is the brother and Rebekah is therefore free togive her consent or not.25:1–11 As with the story of Terah in 11:27–32, this section listsall the descendants of Abraham as a means of concluding the story.The Jacob story ends similarly with the listing of the twelve sons(35:22–26), the death of Isaac (35:27–29), and the descendants ofEsau (chap. 36). Abraham took another wife: though mentioned here,Abraham’s marriage to a “concubine,” or wife of secondary rank, isnot to be understood as happening chronologically after the eventsnarrated in the preceding chapter.25:2 Three of the six names can be identified: the Midianites area trading people, mentioned in the Bible as dwelling east of the Gulf61 Then Rebekah and her attendants started out;they mounted the camels and followed the man.So the servant took Rebekah and went on hisway.62 Meanwhile Isaac had gone from Beer-lahairoiand was living in the region of the Negeb.*63 One day toward evening he went out to walkin the field, and caught sight of camels approaching.64 Rebekah, too, caught sight of Isaac,and got down from her camel. 65 She asked theservant, “Who is the man over there, walkingthrough the fields toward us?” “That is my master,”replied the servant. Then she took her veiland covered herself.66 The servant recounted to Isaac all the thingshe had done. 67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah intothe tent of his mother Sarah. He took Rebekah ashis wife. Isaac loved her and found solace afterthe death of his mother.Abraham’s Sons by Keturah1 †* Abraham took another wife, whose25 name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran,Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, andShuah.† 3 Jokshan became the father of Shebaand Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were theAsshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim.*4 The descendants of Midian were Ephah, Epher,Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these weredescendants of Keturah.5 Abraham gave everything that he owned tohis son Isaac.† 6 To the sons of his concubines,however, he gave gifts while he was still living,as he sent them away eastward, to the land ofKedem,† away from his son Isaac.Death of Abraham7 The whole span of Abraham’s life was onehundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then hebreathed his last, dying at a ripe old age, grownold after a full life; and he was gathered to hispeople. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried himin the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron,son of Zohar the Hittite, which faces Mamre,*10 the field that Abraham had bought from theof Aqaba in northwest Arabia; Ishbak is a north Syrian tribe; Shuah isa city on the right bank of the Middle Euphrates. The other names areprobably towns or peoples on the international trade routes.25:5 Amid so many descendants, Abraham takes steps that Isaacwill be his favored heir.25:6 The land of Kedem: or “the country of the East,” the regioninhabited by the Kedemites or Easterners (29:1; Jgs 6:3, 33; Jb 1:3; Is11:14). The names mentioned in vv. 2–4, as far as they can be identified,are those of tribes in the Arabian desert.*24:50–51 Tb 7:11–12.24:54 Tb 7:14; 8:20.24:60 Gn 22:17.24:62 Gn 16:13–14; 25:11.25:1–4 1 Chr 1:32–33.25:3 Is 21:13.25:9–10 Gn 23:3–20.

57Genesis 25:26Hittites; there he was buried next to his wifeSarah. 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessedhis son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi.Descendants of Ishmael12 † These are the descendants of Abraham’sson Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’sslave, bore to Abraham. 13 * These are thenames of Ishmael’s sons, listed in the order oftheir birth: Ishmael’s firstborn Nebaioth, Kedar,Adbeel, Mibsam,* 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.16 These are the sons of Ishmael, their names bytheir villages and encampments; twelve chieftainsof as many tribal groups.*17 The span of Ishmael’s life was one hundredand thirty-seven years. After he had breathedhis last and died, he was gathered to his people.18 The Ishmaelites ranged from Havilah, by Shur,which is on the border of Egypt, all the way toAsshur; and they pitched camp† alongside theirvarious kindred.*Birth of Esau and Jacob19 † These are the descendants of Isaac, son ofAbraham; Abraham begot Isaac. 20 Isaac was fortyyears old when he married Rebekah, the daughterof Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram† and thesister of Laban the Aramean.* 21 Isaac entreated theLord on behalf of his wife, since she was sterile.The Lord heard his entreaty, and his wife Rebekahbecame pregnant. 22 But the children jostled eachother in the womb so much that she exclaimed, “Ifit is like this,† why go on living!” She went to consultthe Lord, 23 and the Lord answered her:Two nations are in your womb,two peoples are separating while stillwithin you;†25:12 Like the conclusion of the Jacob story (chap. 36), wherethe numerous descendants of the rejected Esau are listed, the descendantsof the rejected Ishmael conclude the story.25:18 Pitched camp: lit., “fell”; the same Hebrew verb is used in Jgs7:12 in regard to the hostile encampment of desert tribes. The presentpassage shows the fulfillment of the prediction contained in Gn 16:12.25:19–36:43 The Jacob cycle is introduced as the family historyof Isaac (Jacob’s father), just as the Abraham stories were introducedas the record of the descendants of Terah (Abraham’s father, 11:27).The cycle, made up of varied stories, is given unity by several recurringthemes: birth, blessing and inheritance, which are developedthrough the basic contrasts of barrenness/fertility, non-blessing/blessing,and inheritance/exile/homeland. The large story has an envelopestructure in which Jacob’s youth is spent in Canaan striving with hisolder brother Esau (25:19–28:22), his early adulthood in Paddanarambuilding a family and striving with his brother-in-law Laban(chaps. 29–31), and his later years back in Canaan (chaps. 32–36).25:20 Paddan-aram: the name used by the Priestly tradition for thenorthwest region of Mesopotamia, between the Habur and the Euphratesrivers. In Assyrian, padana is a road or a garden, and Aram refers to thepeople or the land of the Arameans. The equivalent geographical term inthe Yahwist source is Aram Naharaim, “Aram between two rivers.”25:22 If it is like this: in Hebrew, the phrase lamah zeh is capableBut one will be stronger than the other,and the older will serve the younger.† *24 When the time of her delivery came, there weretwins in her womb.* 25 The first to emerge was reddish,†and his whole body was like a hairy mantle;so they named him Esau. 26 Next his brother cameout, gripping Esau’s heel;† so he was named Jacob.Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.*of several meanings; it occurs again in v. 32 (“What good . . . ?”),32:30 (“Why do you want . . . ?”), and 33:15 (“For what reason?”). Itis one of several words and motifs that run through the story, suggestingthat a divine pattern (unknown to the actors) is at work.25:23 The older will serve the younger: Rebekah now knowssomething that no one else knows, that God favors Jacob over Esau.The text does not say if she shared this knowledge with anyone orkept it to herself, but, from their actions, it seems unlikely that eitherIsaac or Esau knew. That fact must be borne in mind in assessingRebekah’s role in chap. 27, the theft of Esau’s blessing.25:25 Reddish: in Hebrew, ’admoni, a reference to Edom, anothername for Esau (v. 30; 36:1). Edom was also the name of thecountry south of Moab (southeast of the Dead Sea) where the descendantsof Esau lived. It was called the “red” country because of itsreddish sandstone. Moreover, “red” points ahead to the red stew inthe next scene. Hairy: in Hebrew, se‘ar, a reference to Seir, anothername for Edom (36:8).25:26 Heel: in Hebrew ‘aqeb, a wordplay on the name Jacob;* 25:13–16 1 Chr 1:29–31.25:13 Is 60:7.25:16 Gn 17:20.25:18 Gn 16:12.25:20 Gn 24:67.Did You Know?Abraham’s DescendantsGod promised Hagar that her son Ishmaelwould be made “a great nation” (Gn21:18). The Old Testament lists twelve princelytribes that descended from Abraham’s older son(see 25:13–16), tribes traditionally associatedwith the people of ancient Edom. A much laterIslamic tradition identifies Muhammad and hisdescendants—the Muslims—as “children of Ishmael.”Abraham’s younger son, Isaac, was the fatherof Jacob. The Jewish people trace their lineageto Jacob and his twelve sons. Because Jesuswas a Jew, Christians ultimately trace their ancestrythrough Jacob to Abraham as well.Thus, three major world religions—Judaism,Christianity, and Islam—all see Abraham as their“father in faith.”AAGn 25:12–1825:23 Gn 27:29; Nm 24:18;Mal 1:2–5; Rom9:10–13.25:24 Hos 12:4.25:26 Mt 1:2.GN

Genesis 25:2758GNray It!Sibling RivalryIt is common for siblings to have conflict intheir relationship, but with Jacob and Esau,the conflict becomes extreme. Follow their storyin Genesis, chapters 27–28, 33.For another story of extreme sibling rivalry,see Genesis 37:12–36. Joseph’s brothers (allsons of Jacob) are so jealous of him that theyplot to kill him. But instead, he gets sold as aslave—and that turns out to be a great careermove for him.The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11–32 is yet another example of sibling rivalry.Do you have any brothers or sisters? If so,how do you treat them? Do you ever pray forthem? Do you ever tell them that you care aboutthem—even if they drive you crazy at times?If you don’t have any brothers or sisters, howabout cousins, neighbors, or friends? Allrelationships get better with prayer andcare. Take a moment to pray for yoursiblings, a close cousin, orfriend by name.AAGn 25:19–3427 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillfulhunter, a man of the open country; whereasJacob was a simple† man, who stayed amongthe tents.* 28 Isaac preferred Esau, because hewas fond of game; but Rebekah preferred Jacob.29 Once, when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esaucame in from the open country, famished. 30 Hesaid to Jacob, “Let me gulp down some of thatred stuff;† I am famished.” That is why he wascalled Edom. 31 But Jacob replied, “First sell meyour right as firstborn.”† * 32 “Look,” said Esau, “Iam on the point of dying. What good is the rightas firstborn to me?” 33 But Jacob said, “Swear tome first!” So he sold Jacob his right as firstbornunder oath.* 34 Jacob then gave him some breadand the lentil stew; and Esau ate, drank, got up,and went his way. So Esau treated his right asfirstborn with disdain.Isaac and Abimelech1 †* There was a famine in the land,26 distinct from the earlier one that had occurredin the days of Abraham, and Isaac wentdown to Abimelech, king of the Philistines inGerar.* 2 The Lord appeared to him and said:Do not go down to Egypt, but camp in this landwherever I tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land, and Iwill be with you and bless you; for to you andyour descendants I will give all these lands, infulfillment of the oath that I swore to your fatherAbraham.* 4 I will make your descendants asnumerous as the stars in the sky, and I will givethem all these lands, and in your descendantsall the nations of the earth will find blessing—*5 this because Abraham obeyed me, keeping mymandate, my commandments, my ordinances,and my instructions.6 † So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the menof the place asked questions about his wife, heanswered, “She is my sister.” He was afraid that,if he called her his wife, the men of the placewould kill him on account of Rebekah, since shewas beautiful. 8 But when they had been there fora long time, Abimelech, king of the Phi lis tines,looked out of a window and saw Isaac fondlinghis wife Rebekah. 9 He called for Isaac and said:“She must certainly be your wife! How couldyou have said, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied,“I thought I might lose my life on her account.”10 “How could you have done this to us!” exclaimedAbimelech. “It would have taken verylittle for one of the people to lie with your wife,and so you would have brought guilt upon us!”11 Abimelech then commanded all the people:†cf. 27:36. The first of three scenes of striving with Esau. The second isvv. 27–34, and the third, chap. 27. In all the scenes, Jacob values theblessing more than his ardent but unreflective brother Esau does.25:27 Simple: the Hebrew word denotes soundness, integrity,health, none of which fit here. Whatever its precise meaning, it mustbe opposite to the qualities of Esau.25:30 Red stuff: in Hebrew, ’adom; another play on the wordEdom, the “red” land.25:31 Right as firstborn: the privilege that entitled the firstbornson to a position of honor in the family and to a double share in thepossessions inherited from the father. There is a persistent wordplaybetween bekorah, “right of the firstborn,” and berakah, “the blessing.”Contrary to custom, the preference here is for the younger son,as it was in the choice of Isaac over Ishmael.26:1 The promise of land and numerous descendants given toAbraham (12:1–3; 15; 17; 22:17–18) is renewed for his son Isaac. Thedivine blessing to Isaac is mentioned also in vv. 12, 24, and 29.26:6–11 This scene is the third version of the wife-in-danger story(cf. chaps. 12 and 20). The mention of the famine in 26:1 recallsthe famine in 12:10; the name Abimelech, king of the Phi lis tines inGerar, recalls 20:2. The deception, according to all the stories, is theclaim that the wife is a sister. This story (from the Yahwist source)departs from the two previous accounts in that the wife is not takeninto the harem of the foreign king.*25:27 Gn 27:6–7.25:31 Dt 21:17.25:33 Heb 12:16.26:1–14 Gn 12:10–20.26:1 Gn 12:10.26:3 Gn 12:7; 15:18; Ex32:13; Ps 105:9; Sir44:22; Heb 11:9.26:4 Gn 12:3; 22:17–18;28:14; Ex 32:13.

59Genesis 26:33“Anyone who maltreats this man or his wife shallbe put to death.”12 † Isaac sowed a crop in that region andreaped a hundredfold the same year. Since theLord blessed him, 13 * he became richer andricher all the time, until he was very wealthy.14 He acquired flocks and herds, and a great workforce, and so the Phi lis tines became envious ofhim. 15 * The Phi lis tines had stopped up andfilled with dirt all the wells that his father’s servantshad dug back in the days of his father Abraham.16 So Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go awayfrom us; you have become far too numerous forus.” 17 Isaac left there and camped in the WadiGerar where he stayed. 18 Isaac reopened thewells which his father’s servants had dug backin the days of his father Abraham and whichthe Phi lis tines had stopped up after Abraham’sdeath; he gave them names like those that his fatherhad given them. 19 But when Isaac’s servantsdug in the wadi and reached spring water intheir well, 20 the shepherds of Gerar argued withIsaac’s shepherds, saying, “The water belongs tous!” So he named the well Esek,† because theyhad quarreled there. 21 Then they dug anotherwell, and they argued over that one too; so henamed it Sitnah.† 22 So he moved on from thereand dug still another well, but over this one theydid not argue. He named it Rehoboth,† and said,“Because the Lord has now given us ample room,we shall flourish in the land.”23 From there Isaac went up to Beer-sheba.24 The same night the Lord appeared to him andsaid: I am the God of Abraham, your father. Donot fear, for I am with you. I will bless you andmultiply your descendants for the sake of Abraham,my servant.* 25 So Isaac built an altar thereand invoked the Lord by name. After he hadpitched his tent there, Isaac’s servants began todig a well nearby.26 * Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar,with Ahuzzath, his councilor, and Phicol, thegeneral of his army. 27 Isaac asked them, “Whyhave you come to me, since you hate me andhave driven me away from you?” 28 They answered:“We clearly see that the Lord has beenwith you, so we thought: let there be a swornagreement between our two sides—between youJacobntroducing...According to the Bible, Abraham was the fatherof Isaac, and Isaac was the father ofJacob, and Jacob was the father of twelve sonswho became the leaders of the twelve Tribes ofIsrael. Jacob, like his ancestors, participated inthe covenant with God that promised a greatland and many descendants. He is portrayed asa very human character with a wide range ofemotions and actions, both good and bad. Jacobis a repentant brother, a kind father, anda successful herder, but he is also a tricksterwho steals his brother Esau’s birthright and hisfather’s blessing (see Gn 25:29–34, 27:1–29).It is no wonder that Jacob’s name means “supplanter”or “heel grabber.”In a dream, God renews the covenant promisesto Jacob (see Gn 28:10–17), and in anotherdream (see 35:9–15), God changes Jacob’sname to Israel (see 32:22–32). Jacob’s descendantsbecome known as the Israelites. His storyreveals that God’s blessing continues to workeven through flawed human beings.AAGn 25:19—50:14and us. Let us make a covenant with you: 29 youshall do no harm to us, just as we have not maltreatedyou, but have always acted kindly towardyou and have let you depart in peace. So now,may you be blessed by the Lord!” 30 Isaac thenmade a feast for them, and they ate and drank.31 Early the next morning they exchanged oaths.Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they departedfrom him in peace.32 That same day Isaac’s servants came andinformed him about the well they had been digging;they told him, “We have reached water!”33 He called it Shibah;† hence the name of theGN†26:12–33 The dispute is over water rights. In a sparsely wateredland, wells were precious and claims on water could function as akind of claim on the land. Scholars generally judge the account ofthe dispute over water rights and its settlement by a legal agreementbetween Isaac and Abimelech to be a Yahwist version of the similarstory about Abraham in 21:22–34. Here, Abimelech realizes thatIsaac has brought blessing to his people and thus desires a covenantwith him. The feast in v. 30 is part of the covenant ceremony.26:20 Esek: “quarrel.”26:21 Sitnah: “opposition.”26:22 Rehoboth: “wide spaces,” i.e., ample room to live; site isprobably SW of modern day Beer-sheba.26:33 Shibah: the place name Shibah is a play on two Hebrewwords, shebu‘ah, “oath,” and shwebaa‘, “seven.” In v. 31, they exchangedoaths.*26:13–14 Jb 1:3.26:15–24 Gn 21:25–31.26:24 Gn 46:3.26:26–33 Gn 21:22–31; Prv 16:7.

Genesis 26:3460GNDid You Know?God’s Surprising ChoiceIn most ancient cultures, including Israel’s,the oldest son of the family was expected toinherit his father’s property (the birthright) andauthority (the blessing). In the story of Esau andJacob, Jacob tricks Esau (the oldest son) out ofhis birthright (see Gn 25:29–34) and deceiveshis blind father into giving him the blessing (see27:1–29).It is surprising that Genesis makes no commenton Jacob’s actions. Ultimately, the story isnot a commentary on Jacob’s morality but aboutGod’s justice. God is not bound by cultural expectations.Again and again in the Old Testament,God defies human norms by choosing the “littleones” for big responsibilities: Jacob, Joseph,Ruth, David, and Esther, for example. Even theIsraelites themselves were an unlikely choice onGod’s part. Why didn’t God choose a nation ofgreat wealth and power instead of a group thatwas enslaved?The story of Jacob and Esau reminds us thatGod does not bow to human expectations orplans. God’s ways are often surprising!AAGn 27:1–40city is Beer-sheba to this day. 34 † When Esauwas forty years old, he married Judith, daughterof Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, daughter ofElon the Hivite.* 35 But they became a source ofbitterness to Isaac and Rebekah.Jacob’s Deception†1 When Isaac was so old that his eyesight27 had failed him, he called his older sonEsau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” he†26:34–35 These verses from the Priestly source introduce thenext section on Esau’s loss of his right as firstborn by suggesting amotivation for this in Isaac’s and Rebekah’s dislike for Esau’s Canaanitewives.27:1–45 The chapter, a literary masterpiece, is the third and climacticwresting away of the blessing of Esau. Rebekah manages theentire affair, using perhaps her privileged information about Jacob’sstatus (25:23); Jacob’s only qualm is that if his father discovers theruse, he will receive a curse instead of a blessing (vv. 11–12). Isaacis passive as he was in chaps. 22 and 24. The deception is effectedthrough clothing (Jacob wears Esau’s clothing), which points aheadto a similar deception of a patriarch by means of clothing in the Josephstory (37:21–33). Such recurrent acts and scenes let the readerreplied. 2 Isaac then said, “Now I have grown old.I do not know when I might die. 3 So now takeyour hunting gear—your quiver and bow—andgo out into the open country to hunt some gamefor me. 4 Then prepare for me a dish in the way Ilike, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may blessyou† before I die.”5 Rebekah had been listening while Isaac wasspeaking to his son Esau. So when Esau went outinto the open country to hunt some game for hisfather,* 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Listen!I heard your father tell your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bringme some game and prepare a dish for me to eat,that I may bless you with the Lord’s approval beforeI die.’ 8 Now, my son, obey me in what I amabout to order you. 9 Go to the flock and get metwo choice young goats so that with these I mightprepare a dish for your father in the way he likes.10 Then bring it to your father to eat, that he maybless you before he dies.” 11 But Jacob said to hismother Rebekah, “But my brother Esau is a hairyman and I am smooth-skinned!* 12 Suppose myfather feels me? He will think I am making fun ofhim, and I will bring on myself a curse instead ofa blessing.” 13 His mother, however, replied: “Letany curse against you, my son, fall on me! Justobey me. Go and get me the young goats.”14 So Jacob went and got them and broughtthem to his mother, and she prepared a dish inthe way his father liked. 15 Rebekah then tookthe best clothes of her older son Esau that shehad in the house, and gave them to her youngerson Jacob to wear; 16 and with the goatskins shecovered up his hands and the hairless part of hisneck. 17 Then she gave her son Jacob the dish andthe bread she had prepared.18 Going to his father, Jacob said, “Father!”“Yes?” replied Isaac. “Which of my sons areyou?” 19 Jacob answered his father: “I am Esau,your firstborn. I did as you told me. Please sit upand eat some of my game, so that you may blessme.” 20 But Isaac said to his son, “How did youget it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “TheLord, your God, directed me.” 21 Isaac then saidto Jacob, “Come closer, my son, that I may feelyou, to learn whether you really are my son Esauknow a divine purpose is moving the story forward even though thehuman characters are unaware of it.27:4 I may bless you: Isaac’s blessing confers fertility (vv. 27–28)and dominion (v. 29). The “dew of heaven” is rain that producesgrain and wine, two of the principal foodstuffs of the ancient NearEast. The “fertility of the earth” may allude to oil, the third basicfoodstuff. The full agricultural year may be implied here: the fallrains are followed by the grain harvests of the spring and the grapeharvest of late summer, and then the olive harvest of the fall (cf. Dt11:14; Ps 104:13–15).*26:34–35 Gn 27:46.27:5 Gn 25:28.27:11 Gn 25:25.

61Genesis 28:2or not.” 22 So Jacob moved up closer to his father.When Isaac felt him, he said, “Although the voiceis Jacob’s, the hands are Esau’s.” 23 (He failed toidentify him because his hands were hairy, likethose of his brother Esau; so he blessed him.)24 Again Isaac said, “Are you really my son Esau?”And Jacob said, “I am.” 25 Then Isaac said, “Serveme, my son, and let me eat of the game so that Imay bless you.” Jacob served it to him, and Isaacate; he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Finallyhis father Isaac said to him, “Come closer,my son, and kiss me.” 27 As Jacob went up to kisshim, Isaac smelled the fragrance of his clothes.With that, he blessed him, saying,“Ah, the fragrance of my sonis like the fragrance of a fieldthat the Lord has blessed!*28 May God give to youof the dew of the heavensAnd of the fertility of the earthabundance of grain and wine.29 *May peoples serve you,and nations bow down to you;Be master of your brothers,and may your mother’s sons bow down toyou.Cursed be those who curse you,and blessed be those who bless you.”30 Jacob had scarcely left his father after Isaachad finished blessing him, when his brother Esaucame back from his hunt. 31 Then he too prepareda dish, and bringing it to his father, he said, “Letmy father sit up and eat some of his son’s game,that you may then give me your blessing.” 32 Hisfather Isaac asked him, “Who are you?” He said,“I am your son, your firstborn son, Esau.” 33 Isaactrembled greatly. “Who was it, then,” he asked,“that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it alljust before you came, and I blessed him. Now heis blessed!” 34 As he heard his father’s words, Esauburst into loud, bitter sobbing and said, “Father,bless me too!” 35 When Isaac said, “Your brothercame here by a ruse and carried off your blessing,”36 Esau exclaimed, “He is well named Jacob,is he not! He has supplanted me† twice! First hetook away my right as firstborn, and now he hastaken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have younot saved a blessing for me?”* 37 Isaac replied toEsau: “I have already appointed him your master,and I have assigned to him all his kindred as hisservants; besides, I have sustained him with grainand wine. What then can I do for you, my son?”38 But Esau said to his father, “Have you only oneblessing, father? Bless me too, father!” and Esauwept aloud.* 39 His father Isaac said in response:“See, far from the fertile earthwill be your dwelling;far from the dew of the heavens above!*40 By your sword you will live,and your brother you will serve;But when you become restless,you will throw off his yoke from yourneck.”*41 Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because ofthe blessing his father had given him. Esau saidto himself, “Let the time of mourning for my fathercome, so that I may kill my brother Jacob.”*42 When Rebekah got news of what her older sonEsau had in mind, she summoned her youngerson Jacob and said to him: “Listen! Your brotherEsau intends to get his revenge by killing you.43 So now, my son, obey me: flee at once to mybrother Laban in Haran, 44 and stay with him awhile until your brother’s fury subsides— 45 untilyour brother’s anger against you subsides and heforgets what you did to him. Then I will send foryou and bring you back. Why should I lose bothof you in a single day?”Jacob Sent to Laban46 Rebekah said to Isaac: “I am disgusted withlife because of the Hittite women. If Jacob alsoshould marry a Hittite woman, a native of theland, like these women, why should I live?”*1 † Isaac therefore summoned Jacob and28 blessed him, charging him: “You shallnot marry a Canaanite woman!* 2 Go now toGN†27:36 He has supplanted me: in Hebrew, wayyaqebeni, a wordplayon the name Jacob, ya‘aqob; see Jer 9:3 and Gn 25:26. Thereis also a play between the Hebrew words bekorah (“right of the firstborn”)and berakah (“blessing”).28:1–9 A glimpse of Rebekah’s shrewdness is provided by27:42–28:2. She is aware of Esau’s murderous plot against Jacob(27:42–45) but realizes the episode of the stolen blessing is still painfulto Isaac; she therefore uses another motive to persuade Isaac tosend Jacob away—he must marry within the family (endogamy), unlikeEsau. Esau, unreflective as usual, realizes too late he also shouldmarry within the family but, significantly, marries from Abraham’srejected line. At this point in the story, Jacob (and his mother) havetaken the blessing for themselves. Their actions have put Jacob in aprecarious position: he must flee the land because of his brother’smurderous intent and find a wife in a far country. One might ask howGod’s blessing can be given to such an unworthy schemer. Thereis a biblical pattern of preferring the younger brother or sister over*27:27 Gn 22:17–18; Heb11:20.27:29 Gn 25:23; 49:8; Nm24:9.27:36 Gn 25:26, 29–34; Hos12:4.27:38 Heb 12:17.27:39 Heb 11:20.27:40 2 Kgs 8:20, 22; 2 Chr21:8.27:41 Wis 10:10; Ob 10.27:46 Gn 26:34–35.28:1 Gn 24:3–4; 26:35.

GNGenesis 28:3 62ray It!Friendship with GodJust as Jacob is leaving his home and everythinghe knows, God establishes a personalrelationship with him through a dream. In thisrelationship, God and Jacob interact personally,are accountable to each other, and trust eachother. Jacob will need this relationship to helphim through the tough times ahead. See Genesis32:23–33 for further developments in Jacob’srelationship with God.God, I want to know your presence. Use mydreams and my waking thoughts; use my family,friends, and neighbors; use your holy word.Use them all to reach me. For I know yourpresence will sustain me on my most difficultjourneys, as it did Jacob.AAGn 28:10–22Paddan-aram, to the home of your mother’sfather Bethuel, and there choose a wife for yourselffrom among the daughters of Laban, yourmother’s brother.* 3 May God Almighty blessyou and make you fertile, multiply you that youmay become an assembly of peoples. 4 May Godextend to you and your descendants the blessingof Abraham, so that you may gain possession ofthe land where you are residing, which he assignedto Abraham.”* 5 Then Isaac sent Jacob onhis way; he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, sonof Bethuel the Aramean, and brother of Rebekah,the mother of Jacob and Esau.*6 Esau noted that Isaac had blessed Jacob whenhe sent him to Paddan-aram to get himself a wifethere, and that, as he gave him his blessing, hecharged him, “You shall not marry a Canaanitewoman,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his fatherand mother and gone to Paddan-aram. 8 Esaurealized how displeasing the Canaanite womenwere to his father Isaac, 9 so Esau went to Ishmael,and in addition to the wives he had, marriedMahalath, the daughter of Abraham’s sonIshmael and sister of Nebaioth.*Jacob’s Dream at Bethel†10 Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceededtoward Haran. 11 When he came upona certain place,† he stopped there for the night,since the sun had already set. Taking one of thestones at the place, he put it under his head andlay down in that place. 12 Then he had a dream:a stairway† rested on the ground, with its topreaching to the heavens; and God’s angels weregoing up and down on it.* 13 And there was theLord standing beside him and saying: I am theLord, the God of Abraham your father andthe God of Isaac; the land on which you are lyingI will give to you and your descendants.* 14 Yourdescendants will be like the dust of the earth, andthrough them you will spread to the west andthe east, to the north and the south. In youand your descendants all the families of the earthwill find blessing.* 15 I am with you and will protectyou wherever you go, and bring you back tothis land. I will never leave you until I have donewhat I promised you.*16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said,“Truly, the Lord is in this place and I did notknow it!” 17 He was afraid and said: “How awesomethis place is! This is nothing else but thehouse of God, the gateway to heaven!” 18 Earlythe next morning Jacob took the stone that hehad put under his head, set it up as a sacred pillar,†and poured oil on top of it.* 19 He named†the older—Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Rachel over Leah,Joseph over his older brothers, Ephraim over Manasseh (Gn 48:14),David over his older brothers.28:10–22 As Jacob is leaving the land on his way to an uncertainfuture in Paddan-aram, God appears to him at a sacred place thatJacob had visited only to take a night’s rest. Jacob’s unawareness ofthe holiness of the place underscores the graciousness of the gift. Onhis return to Canaan, he will again encounter a divine visitor in theform of the mysterious attacker (32:23–33) and, after his return andreconciliation with Esau, he will again go to Bethel (35:1–15).28:11 Place: the Hebrew word is often used specifically of asacred site. The ambiguous word “place” is used here, for the textemphasizes that Jacob has no idea the place he has come upon issacred; only when he wakes up does he realize it is sacred. Theplace was Bethel (v. 19), a sacred site as early as the time of Abraham(12:8).28:12 Stairway: in Hebrew, sullam, traditionally but inaccuratelytranslated as “ladder.” The corresponding verb, salal, means “to heapup” something, such as dirt for a highway or a ramp. The imageryin Jacob’s dream may be derived from the Bab ylo nian ziggurat ortemple tower, “with its top in the sky” (11:4), and with brick stepsleading up to a small temple at the top.28:18 Sacred pillar: in Hebrew, masseba, a stone which mightvary in shape and size, set upright and usually intended for somereligious purpose. The custom of erecting such sacred pillars in Palestinewent back to its pre-Israelite period; but since their polytheisticassociations were often retained, later Israelite religion forbade theirerection (Lv 26:1; Dt 16:22) and ordered the destruction of those thatwere associated with other religions (Ex 34:13; Dt 12:3).*28:2 Gn 22:22.28:4 Ex 32:13.28:5 Jdt 8:26.28:9 Gn 36:2–3.28:12 Jn 1:51.28:13 Dt 1:8; Mi 7:20.28:14 Gn 12:3; 13:14–15;15:5–6; 18:18;22:17–18; 26:4; Dt19:8; Sir 44:21.28:15 Gn 31:3.28:18 Gn 31:13; 35:14–15.

63Genesis 29:26that place Bethel,† whereas the former name ofthe town had been Luz.*20 Jacob then made this vow:† “If God will bewith me and protect me on this journey I ammaking and give me food to eat and clothes towear, 21 and I come back safely to my father’shouse, the Lord will be my God. 22 This stonethat I have set up as a sacred pillar will be thehouse of God. Of everything you give me, I willreturn a tenth part to you without fail.”Arrival in Haran†1 *After Jacob resumed his journey,29 he came to the land of the Kedemites.2 Looking about, he saw a well in the open country,with three flocks of sheep huddled near it,for flocks were watered from that well. A largestone covered the mouth of the well.* 3 When allthe shepherds were assembled there they wouldroll the stone away from the mouth of the welland water the sheep. Then they would put thestone back again in its place over the mouth ofthe well.4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where areyou from?” “We are from Haran,” they replied.5 Then he asked them, “Do you know Laban,son of Nahor?” “We do,” they answered.* 6 Heinquired further, “Is he well?” “He is,” they answered;“and here comes his daughter Rachelwith the sheep.” 7 Then he said: “There is stillmuch daylight left; it is hardly the time to bringthe animals home. Water the sheep, and thencontinue pasturing them.” 8 They replied, “Wecannot until all the shepherds are here to roll thestone away from the mouth of the well; then canwe water the flocks.”9 While he was still talking with them, Rachelarrived with her father’s sheep, for she was theone who tended them. 10 As soon as Jacob sawRachel, the daughter of his mother’s brotherLaban, and the sheep of Laban, he went up,rolled the stone away from the mouth of thewell, and watered Laban’s sheep. 11 Then Jacobkissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 Jacob told Rachelthat he was her father’s relative, Rebekah’sson. So she ran to tell her father. 13 When Labanheard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, heran to meet him. After embracing and kissinghim, he brought him to his house. Jacob thenrepeated to Laban all these things, 14 and Labansaid to him, “You are indeed my bone and myflesh.”†Marriage to Leah and RachelAfter Jacob had stayed with him a full month,15 † Laban said to him: “Should you serve me fornothing just because you are a relative of mine?Tell me what your wages should be.” 16 NowLaban had two daughters; the older was calledLeah, the younger Rachel. 17 Leah had dull eyes,†but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. 18 BecauseJacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serveyou seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”†19 Laban replied, “It is better to give herto you than to another man. Stay with me.” 20 SoJacob served seven years for Rachel, yet theyseemed to him like a few days because of hislove for her.*21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me mywife, that I may consummate my marriage withher, for my term is now completed.” 22 So Labaninvited all the local in hab i tants and gave a banquet.23 At nightfall he took his daughter Leahand brought her to Jacob, and he consummatedthe marriage with her. 24 Laban assigned hismaidservant Zilpah to his daughter Leah as hermaidservant. 25 In the morning, there was Leah!So Jacob said to Laban: “How could you do thisto me! Was it not for Rachel that I served you?Why did you deceive me?” 26 Laban replied, “It isGN†28:19 Bethel: i.e., “house of God”; the reference is to the houseof God in v. 17.28:20 This vow: knowing well that Esau’s murderous wrathstands between him and the possession of the land promised him,Jacob makes his vow very precise. He vows to make the God whoappeared to him his own if the God guides him safely to Paddanaramand back to this land.29:1–14 Jacob’s arrival in Haran. The sight of Rachel inspiresJacob to the superhuman feat of rolling back the enormous stone byhimself. The scene evokes the meeting of Abraham’s steward andJacob’s mother Rebekah at a well (24:11–27).The verse begins the story of Jacob’s time in Mesopotamia(29:1–31:54), which is framed on either side by Jacob’s time in Canaan,25:19–28:22 and 32:1–36:43. In these chapters, Jacob suffersLaban’s duplicity as Esau had to suffer his, though eventually Jacoboutwits Laban and leaves Mesopotamia a wealthy man. An elaboratechiastic (or envelope) structure shapes the diverse material:(A) Jacob’s arrival in Haran in 29:1–4; (B) contract with Laban in29:15–20; (C) Laban’s deception of Jacob in 29:21–30; (D) thecenter, the birth of Jacob’s children in 29:31–30:24; (C’) Jacob’s deceptionof Laban in 30:25–43; (B’) dispute with Laban in 31:17–42;(A’) departure from Laban in 31:43–54. As the chiasm reverses, so dothe fortunes of Laban and Jacob. Kedemites: see note on 25:6.29:14 Bone and . . . flesh: the Hebrew idiom for English “fleshand blood” (cf. 2:23; Jgs 9:2; 2 Sm 5:1 = 1 Chr 11:1).29:15–30 Laban’s deception and Jacob’s marriages. There aremany ironies in the passage. Jacob’s protest to Laban, “How couldyou do this to me?” echoes the question put to Abraham (20:9) andIsaac (26:10) when their deceptions about their wives were discovered.The major irony is that Jacob, the deceiver of his father andbrother about the blessing (chap. 27), is deceived by his uncle (standingin for the father) about his wife.29:17 Dull eyes: in the language of beauty used here, “dull” probablymeans lacking in the luster that was the sign of beautiful eyes, asin 1 Sm 16:12 and Sg 4:1.29:18 Jacob offers to render service (Jos 15:16–17; 1 Sm 17:25;18:17) to pay off the customary bridal price (Ex 22:15–16; Dt22:29).*28:19 Gn 35:6; 48:3; Jos 18:13;Jgs 1:23; Hos 12:5.29:1 Wis 10:10.29:2 Gn 24:11–12.29:5 Tb 7:4.29:20 Hos 12:13.

Genesis 29:2764GNive It!When Lies BoomerangPredictably, Jacob becomes upset when hefinds out he has been deceived by Laban(see Gn 29:25). Yet, the very reason Jacob isworking for his uncle Laban is because he hasfled from his brother Esau, whom he deceivedseveral years earlier (see 27:1–40). Jacob’s liesand deceit have boomeranged, so now he is thevictim.Just as the good deeds we do often comeback to us, sometimes in surprising ways, soit is with the bad deeds. Think about your baddeeds as slow-moving boomerangs. Sooner orlater, they will come back to you and the situationprobably won’t be too pleasant. Is that what youwant? Reflect on a lie you told that has comeback to haunt you.AAGn 29:15–30not the custom in our country to give the youngerdaughter before the firstborn. 27 Finish thebridal week† for this one, and then the other willalso be given to you in return for another sevenyears of service with me.”*28 Jacob did so. He finished the bridal week forthe one, and then Laban gave him his daughterRachel as a wife. 29 Laban assigned his maidservantBilhah to his daughter Rachel as her†29:27 The bridal week: an ancient wedding lasted for seven days;cf. Jgs 14:12, 17.29:31–30:24 The note of strife, first sounded between Jacob andEsau in chaps. 25–27, continues between the two wives, since Jacobloved Rachel more than Leah (29:30). Jacob’s neglect of Leahmoves God to make her fruitful (29:31). Leah’s fertility provokesRachel. Leah bears Jacob four sons (Reuben, Levi, Simeon, andJudah) and her maidservant Zilpah, two (Gad and Asher). Rachel’smaidservant Bilhah bears two (Dan and Naphtali). After the mandrakes(30:14–17), Leah bears Issachar and Zebulun and a daughterDinah. Rachel then bears Joseph and, later in the land of Canaan,Benjamin (35:18).29:32 Reuben: the literal meaning of the Hebrew name is disputed.One interpretation is re’u ben, “look, a son!”, but here inGenesis (as also with the names of all the other sons of Jacob), it isgiven a symbolic rather than an etymological interpretation. Nameand person were regarded as closely interrelated. The symbolic interpretationof Reuben’s name, according to the Yahwist source, isbased on the similar-sounding ra’a be‘onyi, “he saw my misery.” Inthe Elohist source, the name is explained by the similar-soundingye’ehabani, “he will love me.”maidservant. 30 Jacob then consummated hismarriage with Rachel also, and he loved hermore than Leah. Thus he served Laban anotherseven years.*Jacob’s Children†31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved,he made her fruitful, while Rachel was barren.32 Leah conceived and bore a son, and she namedhim Reuben;† for she said, “It means, ‘The Lordsaw my misery; surely now my husband will loveme.’ ”* 33 She conceived again and bore a son,and said, “It means, ‘The Lord heard that I wasunloved,’ and therefore he has given me this onealso”; so she named him Simeon.† 34 Again sheconceived and bore a son, and she said, “Nowat last my husband will become attached to me,since I have now borne him three sons”; thatis why she named him Levi.† 35 Once more sheconceived and bore a son, and she said, “Thistime I will give thanks to the Lord”; thereforeshe named him Judah.† Then she stopped bearingchildren.*1 When Rachel saw that she had not borne30 children to Jacob, she became envious ofher sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me childrenor I shall die!”* 2 Jacob became angry with Racheland said, “Can I take the place of God, whohas denied you the fruit of the womb?”* 3 Shereplied, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Haveintercourse with her, and let her give birth on myknees,† so that I too may have children throughher.”* 4 So she gave him her maidservant Bilhahas wife,† and Jacob had intercourse with her.5 When Bilhah conceived and bore a son forJacob, 6 Rachel said, “God has vindicated me;indeed he has heeded my plea and given me ason.” Therefore she named him Dan.† 7 Rachel’smaidservant Bilhah conceived again and bore a29:33 Simeon: in popular etymology, related to shama‘, “heheard.”29:34 Levi: related to yillaweh, “he will become attached.”29:35 Judah: related to ’odeh, “I will give thanks, praise.”30:3 On my knees: in the ancient Near East, a father would takea newborn child in his lap to signify that he acknowledged it as hisown; Rachel uses the ceremony in order to adopt the child and establishher legal rights to it.30:4 As wife: in 35:22 Bilhah is called a “concubine” (Heb. pilegesh).In v. 9, Zilpah is called “wife,” and in 37:2 both women arecalled wives. The basic difference between a wife and a concubinewas that no bride price was paid for the latter. The interchange ofterminology shows that there was some blurring in social status betweenthe wife and the concubine.30:6 Dan: explained by the term dannanni, “he has vindicatedme.”*29:27 Hos 12:13.29:30 Dt 21:15–17.29:32 Gn 49:3.29:35 Mt 1:2; Lk 3:33.30:1 Prv 30:16.30:2 2 Kgs 5:7.30:3 Gn 16:2–4.

65Genesis 30:37second son for Jacob, 8 and Rachel said, “I havewrestled strenuously with my sister, and I haveprevailed.” So she named him Naphtali.†9 When Leah saw that she had ceased to bearchildren, she took her maidservant Zilpah andgave her to Jacob as wife. 10 So Leah’s maidservantZilpah bore a son for Jacob. 11 Leah thensaid, “What good luck!” So she named himGad.† 12 Then Leah’s maidservant Zilpah borea second son to Jacob; 13 and Leah said, “Whatgood fortune, because women will call me fortunate!”So she named him Asher.†14 One day, during the wheat harvest, Reubenwent out and came upon some mandrakes† inthe field which he brought home to his motherLeah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me someof your son’s mandrakes.” 15 Leah replied, “Wasit not enough for you to take away my husband,that you must now take my son’s mandrakestoo?” Rachel answered, “In that case Jacob maylie with you tonight in exchange for your son’smandrakes.” 16 That evening, when Jacob camein from the field, Leah went out to meet him.She said, “You must have intercourse with me,because I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.”So that night he lay with her, 17 and Godlistened to Leah; she conceived and bore a fifthson to Jacob. 18 Leah then said, “God has givenme my wages for giving my maidservant to myhusband”; so she named him Issachar.† 19 Leahconceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob;20 and Leah said, “God has brought me a preciousgift. This time my husband will honor me, becauseI have borne him six sons”; so she namedhim Zebulun.† 21 Afterwards she gave birth to adaughter, and she named her Dinah.22 Then God remembered Rachel. God listenedto her and made her fruitful. 23 She conceivedand bore a son, and she said, “God has removedmy disgrace.”* 24 She named him Joseph,† saying,“May the Lord add another son for me!”Jacob Outwits Laban†25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob saidto Laban: “Allow me to go to my own region andland. 26 Give me my wives and my children forwhom I served you and let me go, for you knowthe service that I rendered you.” 27 Laban answeredhim: “If you will please! I have learned throughdivination that the Lord has blessed me becauseof you.” 28 He continued, “State the wages I oweyou, and I will pay them.” 29 Jacob replied: “Youknow what work I did for you and how well yourlivestock fared under my care; 30 the little you hadbefore I came has grown into an abundance, sincethe Lord has blessed you in my company. Now,when can I do something for my own householdas well?” 31 Laban asked, “What should I giveyou?” Jacob answered: “You do not have to giveme anything. If you do this thing for me, I willagain pasture and tend your sheep. 32 Let me gothrough your whole flock today and remove fromit every dark animal among the lambs and everyspotted or speckled one among the goats.† Thesewill be my wages. 33 In the future, whenever youcheck on my wages, my honesty will testify forme: any animal that is not speckled or spottedamong the goats, or dark among the lambs, gotinto my possession by theft!” 34 Laban said, “Verywell. Let it be as you say.”35 That same day Laban removed the streakedand spotted he-goats and all the speckled andspotted she-goats, all those with some white onthem, as well as every dark lamb, and he put themin the care of his sons.† 36 Then he put a threedays’ journey between himself and Jacob, whileJacob was pasturing the rest of Laban’s flock.37 Jacob, however, got some fresh shoots ofGN†the Lord’s promise of numerous progeny; the birth of Joseph to his30:8 Naphtali: explained by the Hebrew term naftulim, lit., “contest”or “struggle.”beloved Rachel signals the fulfillment in a special way. To enter intothe Lord’s second promise, the land, he must now return to Canaan.30:11 Gad: explained by the Hebrew term begad, lit., “in luck,”30:32 Dark . . . lambs . . . spotted or speckled . . . goats: in thei.e., “what good luck!”Near East the normal color of sheep is light gray, whereas that of30:13 Asher: explained by the term be’oshri, lit., “in my goodgoats is dark brown or black. A minority of sheep in that part of thefortune,” i.e., “what good fortune,” and by the term ye’ashsheruni,world have dark patches, and a minority of goats, white markings.“they call me fortunate.”Laban is quick to agree to the offer, for Jacob would have received30:14 Mandrakes: an herb whose root was thought to promoteonly a few animals. But Jacob gets the better of him, using twoconception. The Hebrew word for mandrakes, duda’im, has eroticdifferent means: (1) he separates out the weaker animals and thenconnotations, since it sounds like the words daddayim (“breasts”)provides visual impressions to the stronger animals at mating time (aand dodim (“sexual plea sure”).folkloric belief); (2) in 31:8–12, he transmits the preferred characteristicsthrough controlled propagation. It should be noted that Jacob30:18 Issachar: explained by the terms, sekari, “my reward,” andin v. 16, sakor sekartika, “I have hired you.”has been told what to do in a dream (31:10) and that God is behind30:20 Zebulun: explained by the terms, zebadani . . .zebedthe increase in his flocks.tob, “he has brought me a precious gift,” and yizbeleni, “he will30:35 By giving the abnormally colored animals to his sons,honor me.”Laban not only deprived Jacob of his first small wages, but he also30:24 Joseph: explained by the words yosep, “may he add,” andschemed to prevent the future breeding of such animals in the flockin v. 23, ’asap, “he has removed.”entrusted to Jacob.30:25–43 Jacob’s deception of Laban. Jacob has been living inLaban’s household as an indentured worker paying off the brideprice. Having paid off all his obligations, he wants to settle his accountswith Laban. His many children attest to the fulfillment of 30:23 Lk*1:25.

Genesis 30:3866GNpoplar, almond and plane† trees, and he peeledwhite stripes in them by laying bare the whitecore of the shoots. 38 The shoots that he hadpeeled he then set upright in the wateringtroughs where the animals came to drink, sothat they would be in front of them. When theanimals were in heat as they came to drink, 39 thegoats mated by the shoots, and so they gave birthto streaked, speckled and spotted young. 40 Thesheep, on the other hand, Jacob kept apart, andhe made these animals face the streaked or completelydark animals of Laban. Thus he producedflocks of his own, which he did not put withLaban’s flock. 41 Whenever the hardier animalswere in heat, Jacob would set the shoots in thetroughs in full view of these animals, so that theymated by the shoots; 42 but with the weaker animalshe would not put the shoots there. So thefeeble animals would go to Laban, but the hardyones to Jacob. 43 So the man grew exceedinglyprosperous, and he owned large flocks, male andfemale servants, camels, and donkeys.Flight from Laban1 † Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were31 saying, “Jacob has taken everything thatbelonged to our father, and he has produced allthis wealth from our father’s property.” 2 Jacobperceived, too, that Laban’s attitude toward himwas not what it had previously been. 3 Then theLord said to Jacob: Return to the land of yourancestors, where you were born, and I will bewith you.*4 So Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to meet himin the field where his flock was. 5 There he said tothem: “I have noticed that your father’s attitudetoward me is not as it was in the past; but the Godof my father has been with me. 6 You know wellthat with all my strength I served your father; 7 yetyour father cheated me and changed my wagesten times. God, however, did not let him do meany harm.* 8 Whenever your father said, ‘Thespeckled animals will be your wages,’ the entireflock would bear speckled young; whenever hesaid, ‘The streaked animals will be your wages,’the entire flock would bear streaked young. 9 SoGod took away your father’s livestock and gave itto me. 10 Once, during the flock’s mating season,I had a dream in which I saw he-goats matingthat were streaked, speckled and mottled. 11 Inthe dream God’s angel said to me, ‘Jacob!’ and Ireplied, ‘Here I am!’ 12 Then he said: ‘Look up andsee. All the he-goats that are mating are streaked,speckled and mottled, for I have seen all thethings that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I amthe God of Bethel, where you anointed a sacredpillar and made a vow to me. Get up now! Leavethis land and return to the land of your birth.’ ”*14 Rachel and Leah answered him: “Do westill have an heir’s portion in our father’s house?15 Are we not regarded by him as outsiders?† Henot only sold us; he has even used up the moneythat he got for us! 16 All the wealth that Godtook away from our father really belongs to usand our children. So do whatever God has toldyou.”* 17 Jacob proceeded to put his childrenand wives on camels, 18 and he drove off all hislivestock and all the property he had acquiredin Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in theland of Canaan.19 Now Laban was away shearing his sheep,and Rachel had stolen her father’s householdimages.† * 20 Jacob had hoodwinked† Laban theAramean by not telling him that he was going toflee. 21 Thus he fled with all that he had. Once hewas across the Euphrates, he headed for the hillcountry of Gilead.22 On the third day, word came to Laban thatJacob had fled. 23 Taking his kinsmen with him,he pursued him for seven days† until he caughtup with him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 Butthat night God appeared to Laban the Arameanin a dream and said to him: Take care not to sayanything to Jacob.*†30:37 Plane: also called the Oriental Plane, a deciduous treefound in riverine forests and marshes.31:1–54 Jacob flees with his family from Laban. The strife thathas always accompanied Jacob continues as Laban’s sons complain,“he has taken everything that belonged to our father”; the brothers’complaint echoes Esau’s in 27:36. Rachel and Leah overcome theirmutual hostility and are able to leave together, a harbinger of thereconciliation with Esau in chap. 33.31:15 Outsiders: lit., “foreign women”; they lacked the favoredlegal status of native women. Used up: lit., “eaten, consumed”; thebridal price that a man received for giving his daughter in marriagewas legally reserved as her inalienable dowry. Perhaps this is the reasonthat Rachel took the household images belonging to Laban.31:19 Household images: in Hebrew, teraphim, figurines used indivination (Ez 21:26; Zec 10:2). Laban calls them his “gods” (v. 30). Thetraditional translation “idols” is avoided because it suggests false gods,whereas Genesis seems to accept the fact that the ancestors did not alwayslive according to later biblical religious standards and laws.31:20 Hoodwinked: lit., “stolen the heart of,” i.e., lulled the mindof. Aramean: the earliest extra-biblical references to the Arameansdate later than the time of Jacob, if Jacob is dated to the mid-secondmillennium; to call Laban an Aramean and to have him speak Aramaic(Jegar-sahadutha, v. 47) is an apparent anachronism. The wordmay have been chosen to underscore the growing estrangementbetween the two men and the fact that their descendants will be twodifferent peoples.31:23 For seven days: lit., “a way of seven days,” a general termto designate a long distance; it would actually have taken a camelcaravan many more days to travel from Haran to Gilead, the regioneast of the northern half of the Jordan. The mention of camels in thispassage is apparently anachronistic since camels were not domesticateduntil the late second millennium.*31:3 Gn 26:3; 28:15; 32:10.31:7 Jdt 8:26.31:13 Gn 28:18.31:16 Wis 10:10–11.31:19 Gn 31:34; 1 Sm 19:13.31:24 Wis 10:12.

67Genesis 31:52Jacob and Laban in Gilead25 When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob’s tentswere pitched in the hill country; Laban alsopitched his tents in the hill country of Gilead.26 Laban said to Jacob, “How could you hoodwinkme and carry off my daughters like prisonersof war?† 27 Why did you dupe me by stealingaway secretly? You did not tell me! I would havesent you off with joyful singing to the soundof tambourines and harps. 28 You did not evenallow me a parting kiss to my daughters andgrandchildren! Now what you have done makesno sense. 29 I have it in my power to harm all ofyou; but last night the God of your father saidto me, ‘Take care not to say anything to Jacob!’30 Granted that you had to leave because youwere longing for your father’s house, why didyou steal my gods?” 31 Jacob replied to Laban,“I was frightened at the thought that you mighttake your daughters away from me by force. 32 Asfor your gods, the one you find them with shallnot remain alive! If, with our kinsmen lookingon, you identify anything here as belonging toyou, take it.” Jacob had no idea that Rachel hadstolen the household images.33 Laban then went in and searched Jacob’s tentand Leah’s tent, as well as the tents of the twomaidservants; but he did not find them. LeavingLeah’s tent, he went into Rachel’s. 34 † MeanwhileRachel had taken the household images,put them inside the camel’s saddlebag, andseated herself upon them. When Laban had rummagedthrough her whole tent without findingthem,* 35 she said to her father, “Do not let mylord be angry that I cannot rise in your presence;I am having my period.” So, despite his search,he did not find the household images.36 Jacob, now angered, confronted Laban anddemanded, “What crime or offense have I committedthat you should hound me? 37 Now thatyou have rummaged through all my things,what have you found from your household belongings?Produce it here before your kinsmenand mine, and let them decide between the twoof us.38 “In the twenty years that I was under you,no ewe or she-goat of yours ever miscarried, andI have never eaten rams of your flock. 39 * I neverbrought you an animal torn by wild beasts; Imade good the loss myself. You held me responsiblefor anything stolen by day or night.† 40 Oftenthe scorching heat devoured me by day, andthe frost by night, while sleep fled from my eyes!41 Of the twenty years that I have now spent inyour household, I served you fourteen years foryour two daughters and six years for your flock,while you changed my wages ten times. 42 If theGod of my father, the God of Abraham and theFear of Isaac, had not been on my side, youwould now have sent me away empty-handed.But God saw my plight and the fruits of my toil,and last night he reproached you.”*43 † Laban replied to Jacob: “The daughters aremine, their children are mine, and the flocks aremine; everything you see belongs to me. Whatcan I do now for my own daughters and for thechildren they have borne? 44 † Come, now, letus make a covenant, you and I; and it will be atreaty between you and me.”45 Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a sacredpillar.* 46 Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gatherstones.” So they got stones and made a mound;and they ate there at the mound. 47 Laban calledit Jegar-sahadutha,† but Jacob called it Galeed.48 Laban said, “This mound will be a witnessfrom now on between you and me.” That is whyit was named Galeed— 49 and also Mizpah,† forhe said: “May the Lord keep watch between youand me when we are out of each other’s sight.50 If you mistreat my daughters, or take otherwives besides my daughters, know that eventhough no one else is there, God will be a witnessbetween you and me.”51 Laban said further to Jacob: “Here is thismound, and here is the sacred pillar that I haveset up between you and me. 52 This mound willbe a witness, and this sacred pillar will be aGN†31:26 Prisoners of war: lit., “women captured by the sword”; thewomen of a conquered people were treated as part of the victor’sspoil; cf. 1 Sm 30:2; 2 Kgs 5:2.31:34 As in chap. 27, a younger child (Rachel) deceives her fatherto gain what belongs to him.31:39 Jacob’s actions are more generous than the customs suggestedin the Code of Hammurabi: “If in a sheepfold an act of god hasoccurred, or a lion has made a kill, the shepherd shall clear himselfbefore the deity, and the owner of the fold must accept the loss” (par.266); cf. Ex 22:12.31:43–54 In this account of the non-aggression treaty betweenLaban and Jacob, the different objects that serve as witness (sacredpillar in v. 45, cairn of stones in v. 46), their different names (Jegarsahaduthain v. 47, Mizpah in v. 49), and the two references to thecovenant meal (vv. 46, 54) suggest that two versions have beenfused. One version is the Yahwist source, and another source hasbeen used to supplement it.31:44–54 The treaty is a typical covenant between two parties:Jacob was bound to treat his wives (Laban’s daughters) well, and Labanwas bound not to cross Jacob’s boundaries with hostile intent.31:47–48 Jegar-sahadutha: an Aramaic term meaning “mound ofwitness.” Galeed: in Hebrew, “the mound of witness.”31:49 Mizpah: a town in Gilead; cf. Jgs 10:17; 11:11, 34; Hos5:1. The Hebrew name mispa (“lookout”) is allied to yisep yhwh(“may the Lord keep watch”), and also echoes the word masseba(“sacred pillar”).*31:34 Gn 31:19.31:39 Ex 22:12.31:42 Gn 31:24, 29.31:45 Gn 28:18; 35:14.

Genesis 31:5368GNwitness, that, with hostile intent, I may not passbeyond this mound into your territory, nor mayyou pass beyond it into mine. 53 May the God ofAbraham and the God of Nahor, the God of theirfather, judge between us!” Jacob took the oath bythe Fear of his father Isaac.† 54 He then offered asacrifice on the mountain and invited his kinsmento share in the meal. When they had eaten,they passed the night on the mountain.1 † Early the next morning, Laban kissed32 his grandchildren and his daughters andblessed them; then he set out on his journey backhome. 2 Meanwhile Jacob continued on his ownway, and God’s angels encountered him. 3 WhenJacob saw them he said, “This is God’s encampment.”So he named that place Mahanaim.†Envoys to Esau4 Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brotherEsau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,*5 ordering them: “Thus you shall say to my lordEsau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob: I have beenresiding with Laban and have been delayed untilnow. 6 I own oxen, donkeys and sheep, as wellas male and female servants. I have sent my lordthis message in the hope of gaining your favor.’ ”7 When the messengers returned to Jacob, theysaid, “We found your brother Esau. He is nowcoming to meet you, and four hundred men arewith him.”8 Jacob was very much frightened. In his anxiety,he divided the people who were with him, as wellas his flocks, herds and camels, into two camps.9 “If Esau should come and attack one camp,” hereasoned, “the remaining camp may still escape.”10 Then Jacob prayed: “God of my father Abrahamand God of my father Isaac! You, Lord, who saidto me, ‘Go back to your land and your relatives,and I will be good to you.’* 11 I am unworthy of allthe acts of kindness and faithfulness that you haveperformed for your servant: although I crossed theJordan here with nothing but my staff, I have nowgrown into two camps. 12 Save me from the hand†31:53 Fear of . . . Isaac: an archaic title for Jacob’s God of theFather.32:1–22 Jacob’s negotiations with Esau. Laban kisses his daughtersand grandchildren good-bye but not Jacob. On leaving Mesopotamia,Jacob has an encounter with angels of God (vv. 2–3), whichprovokes him to exclaim, “This is God’s encampment,” just as heexclaimed upon leaving Canaan, “This is the house of God, the gatewayto heaven” (28:11–17).32:3 Mahanaim: a town in Gilead (Jos 13:26, 30; 21:38; 2 Sm2:8; etc.). The Hebrew name means “two camps.” There are otherallusions to the name in vv. 8, 11.32:23–33 As Jacob crosses over to the land promised him,worried about the impending meeting with Esau, he encounters amysterious adversary in the night with whom he wrestles until morning.The cunning Jacob manages to wrest a blessing from the nightstranger before he departs. There are folkloric elements in the tale—of my brother, from the hand of Esau! Otherwise Ifear that he will come and strike me down and themothers with the children. 13 You yourself said, ‘Iwill be very good to you, and I will make your descendantslike the sands of the sea, which are toonumerous to count.’ ”*14 After passing the night there, Jacob selectedfrom what he had with him a present forhis brother Esau: 15 two hundred she-goats andtwenty he-goats; two hundred ewes and twentyrams; 16 thirty female camels and their young;forty cows and ten bulls; twenty female donkeysand ten male donkeys. 17 He put these animals inthe care of his servants, in separate herds, and hetold the servants, “Go on ahead of me, but keepsome space between the herds.” 18 He orderedthe servant in the lead, “When my brother Esaumeets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong?Where are you going? To whom do these animalsahead of you belong?’ 19 tell him, ‘To yourservant Jacob, but they have been sent as a gift tomy lord Esau. Jacob himself is right behind us.’ ”20 He also ordered the second servant and thethird and all the others who followed behind theherds: “Thus and so you shall say to Esau, whenyou reach him; 21 and also tell him, ‘Your servantJacob is right behind us.’ ” For Jacob reasoned,“If I first appease him with a gift that precedesme, then later, when I face him, perhaps he willforgive me.” 22 So the gifts went on ahead of him,while he stayed that night in the camp.Jacob’s New Name†23 That night, however, Jacob arose, took histwo wives, with the two maidservants and hiseleven children, and crossed the ford of theJabbok. 24 After he got them and brought themacross the wadi and brought over what belongedto him, 25 Jacob was left there alone. Then aman† wrestled with him until the break of dawn.26 When the man saw that he could not prevailover him, he struck Jacob’s hip at its socket, sothat Jacob’s socket was dislocated as he wrestledwith him.* 27 The man then said, “Let me go, fore.g., the trial of the hero before he can return home, the nocturnaldemon’s loss of strength at sunrise, the demon protecting its river, thepower gained by knowledge of an opponent’s name—but these havebeen worked into a coherent though elliptical narrative. The point ofthe tale seems to be that the ever-striving, ever-grasping Jacob musteventually strive with God to attain full possession of the blessing.32:25 A man: as with Abraham’s three visitors in chap. 18, whoappear sometimes as three, two, and one (the latter being God), thisfigure is fluid; he loses the match but changes Jacob’s name (v. 29),an act elsewhere done only by God (17:5, 15). A few deft narrativetouches manage to express intimate contact with Jacob while preservingthe transcendence proper to divinity.*32:4 Gn 36:6.32:10 Gn 31:3.32:13 Gn 28:14; 48:16;Ex 32:13; Heb 11:12.32:26 Hos 12:5.

69Genesis 33:14it is daybreak.” But Jacob said, “I will not let yougo until you bless me.” 28 “What is your name?”the man asked. He answered, “Jacob.”* 29 Thenthe man said, “You shall no longer be namedJacob, but Israel,† because you have contendedwith divine and human beings and have prevailed.”30 Jacob then asked him, “Please tell meyour name.” He answered, “Why do you ask formy name?” With that, he blessed him. 31 Jacobnamed the place Peniel,† “because I have seenGod face to face,” he said, “yet my life has beenspared.”*32 At sunrise, as he left Penuel, Jacob limpedalong because of his hip. 33 That is why, to thisday, the Israelites do not eat the sciatic musclethat is on the hip socket, because he had struckJacob’s hip socket at the sciatic muscle.Jacob and Esau Meet†1 Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming,33 and with him four hundred men. So hedivided his children among Leah, Rachel, andthe two maidservants, 2 putting the maidservantsand their children first, Leah and her childrennext, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 He himselfwent on ahead of them, bowing to the groundseven times, until he reached his brother. 4 Esauran to meet him, embraced him, and flinginghimself on his neck, kissed him as he wept.5 Then Esau looked up and saw the womenand children and asked, “Who are these withyou?” Jacob answered, “They are the childrenwith whom God has graciously favored yourservant.” 6 Then the maidservants and their childrencame forward and bowed low; 7 next, Leahand her children came forward and bowed low;lastly, Joseph and Rachel came forward andbowed low. 8 Then Esau asked, “What did youintend with all those herds that I encountered?”Jacob answered, “It was to gain my lord’s favor.”9 Esau replied, “I have plenty; my brother, youshould keep what is yours.” 10 “No, I beg you!”said Jacob. “If you will do me the favor, acceptthis gift from me, since to see your face is forme like seeing the face of God—and you havereceived me so kindly. 11 Accept the gift I havebrought you. For God has been generous toward†32:29 Israel: the first part of the Hebrew name Yisrael is given apopular explanation in the word saritha, “you contended”; the secondpart is the first syllable of ’elohim, “divine beings.” The present incident,with a similar allusion to the name Israel, is referred to in Hos12:5, where the mysterious wrestler is explicitly called an angel.32:31 Peniel: a variant of the word Penuel (v. 32), the name of atown on the north bank of the Jabbok in Gilead (Jgs 8:8–9, 17; 1 Kgs12:25). The name is explained as meaning “the face of God,” peni-’el. Yet my life has been spared: see note on 16:13.33:1–20 The truly frightening confrontation seems to have alreadyoccurred in Jacob’s meeting the divine stranger in the pre-me, and I have an abundance.” Since he urgedhim strongly, Esau accepted.12 Then Esau said, “Let us break camp and beon our way; I will travel in front of you.” 13 ButJacob replied: “As my lord knows, the childrenare too young. And the flocks and herds thatare nursing are a concern to me; if overdrivenfor even a single day, the whole flock will die.14 Let my lord, then, go before his servant, whilevious chapter. In contrast, this meeting brings reconciliation. Esau,impulsive but largehearted, kisses the cunning Jacob and calls himbrother (v. 9). Jacob in return asks Esau to accept his blessing (berakah,translated “gift,” v. 11), giving back at least symbolically whathe had taken many years before and responding to Esau’s erstwhilecomplaint (“he has taken away my blessing,” 27:36). Verses 12–17show that the reconciliation is not total and, further, that Jacob doesnot intend to share the ancestral land with his brother.*ray It!Wrestling with GodEven after twenty years, Jacob is anxiousabout meeting Esau again. This time Jacobuses his craftiness not to deceive Esau but togain Esau’s good graces. Then, while on the wayhome, he has an amazing religious experience.Many Scripture scholars believe the strangewrestling encounter is a symbol that Jacob hasbecome a changed person. He finally realizesthat in all his troubles, God was his true opponent.Perhaps at times you have wrestled with yourselfor with God. It is not so much that God isyour opponent or that you are in a contest. It isthe wrestling itself that matters. When you facechallenges, especially the big ones, you wrestlebetween the person you are now and the personGod is calling you to be.In your prayer time, reflect or journal on thefollowing questions:• When does it seem like God is trying to wrestlewith you? What does it feel like?• Is God challenging you about somethingin your life right now?• What blessings might you gain inaccepting God’s challengeand changing your life?AAGn 32:23–3332:28 Gn 35:10; 1 Kgs 18:31;2 Kgs 17:34.32:31 Jgs 13:22.GN

Genesis 33:1570GNive It!Letting Go of the PastJacob is understandably apprehensive as heapproaches his long-estranged twin brother.How will Esau react? But Esau, who was wrongedby Jacob, runs to meet him and gives him a hug.All is forgiven, and the two are reconciled at last.This story is like the parable of the prodigal sonin Luke 15:11–32.All of us have wronged others, especially thepeople we care about most. All of us have alsoexperienced forgiveness. Nothing is quite likethe freedom that comes with genuine forgivenessand reconciliation. A burden is lifted. Aheavy heart is made lighter. A vengeful attitudeis transformed into a feeling of inner peace andharmony. This is the work of God’s grace. Forgivenessand reconciliation are powerful signs ofthe presence of God. We can almost feel theenormous sense of relief Jacob experiences ashe realizes that his brother holds no grudge.• Does a relationship in your life need forgivenessand reconciliation? If so, what can you doto bring about healing in this relationship?AAGn 33:1–17I proceed more slowly at the pace of the livestockbefore me and at the pace of my children, untilI join my lord in Seir.” 15 Esau replied, “Let meat least put at your disposal some of the peoplewho are with me.” But Jacob said, “Why is thisthat I am treated so kindly, my lord?” 16 So onthat day Esau went on his way back to Seir, 17 andJacob broke camp for Succoth.† There Jacob builta home for himself and made booths for his livestock.That is why the place was named Succoth.18 Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem,which is in the land of Canaan, when he camefrom Paddan-aram. He encamped in sight ofthe city.* 19 The plot of ground on which he hadpitched his tent he bought for a hundred piecesof money† from the descendants of Hamor, thefather of Shechem.* 20 He set up an altar thereand invoked “El, the God of Israel.”*The Rape of Dinah1 † Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had34 borne to Jacob, went out to visit some ofthe women of the land. 2 When Shechem, sonof Hamor the Hivite,† the leader of the region,saw her, he seized her and lay with her by force.3 He was strongly attracted to Dinah, daughter ofJacob, and was in love with the young woman.So he spoke affectionately to her. 4 Shechem saidto his father Hamor, “Get me this young womanfor a wife.”5 Meanwhile, Jacob heard that Shechem had defiledhis daughter Dinah; but since his sons wereout in the field with his livestock, Jacob kept quietuntil they came home. 6 Now Hamor, the fatherof Shechem, went out to discuss the matter withJacob, 7 just as Jacob’s sons were coming in fromthe field. When they heard the news, the menwere indignant and extremely angry. Shechemhad committed an outrage in Israel by lying withJacob’s daughter; such a thing is not done.* 8 Hamorappealed to them, saying: “My son Shechemhas his heart set on your daughter. Please give herto him as a wife. 9 Intermarry with us; give yourdaughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.10 Thus you can live among us. The land isopen before you. Settle and move about freely init and acquire holdings here.”† 11 Then Shechemappealed to Dinah’s father and brothers: “Do methis favor, and whatever you ask from me, I willgive. 12 No matter how high you set the bridal priceand gift, I will give you whatever you ask from me;only give me the young woman as a wife.”Revenge of Jacob’s Sons13 Jacob’s sons replied to Shechem and hisfather Hamor with guile, speaking as they did† 30–31 leave the situation unresolved, with Jacob concerned aboutthe welfare of the whole family, and Simeon and Levi concernedonly about the honor of their full sister. The danger to the family fromnarrow self-interest will continue in the Joseph story.34:2 Hivite: the Greek text has “Horite”; the terms were apparentlyused indiscriminately to designate the Hurrian or other non-Semitic elements in Palestine.34:10 Hamor seems to be making concessions to Jacob’s familyin the hope of avoiding warfare between the two families.33:17 Succoth: an important town near the confluence of theJabbok and the Jordan (Jos 13:27; Jgs 8:5–16; 1 Kgs 7:46). Booths: inHebrew, sukkot, of the same sound as the name of the town.33:19 Pieces of money: in Hebrew, qesita, a monetary unit ofwhich the value is unknown. Descendants of Hamor: Hamorites,“the people of Hamor”; cf. Jgs 9:28. Hamor was regarded as theeponymous ancestor of the pre-Israelite in hab i tants of Shechem.34:1–31 The story of the rape of Dinah and the revenge of Jacob’ssons on the men of the city of Shechem may reflect the relations ofthe tribes of Simeon and Levi to their Canaanite neighbors aroundShechem; the tribes are represented by their eponymous ancestors.Jacob’s farewell testament (49:5–7) cites this incident as the reasonfor the decline of the tribes of Simeon and Levi. Ominously, vv.*33:18 Gn 12:6; Jn 4:5.33:19 Jos 24:32; Jn 4:5; Acts7:16.33:20 Jgs 6:24.34:7 2 Sm 13:12.

71Genesis 35:2because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14 Theysaid to them, “We are not able to do this thing: togive our sister to an uncircumcised man. For thatwould be a disgrace for us. 15 Only on this conditionwill we agree to that: that you become likeus by having every male among you circumcised.16 Then we will give you our daughters and takeyour daughters in marriage; we will settle amongyou and become one people. 17 But if you do notlisten to us and be circumcised, we will take ourdaughter and go.”18 Their proposal pleased Hamor and his sonShechem. 19 The young man lost no time in actingon the proposal, since he wanted Jacob’sdaughter. Now he was more highly regardedthan anyone else in his father’s house. 20 SoHamor and his son Shechem went to the gateof their city and said to the men of their city:21 “These men are friendly toward us. Let themsettle in the land and move about in it freely;there is ample room in the land for them. Wecan take their daughters in marriage and give ourdaughters to them. 22 But only on this conditionwill the men agree to live with us and form onepeople with us: that every male among us becircumcised as they themselves are. 23 Would nottheir livestock, their property, and all their animalsthen be ours? Let us just agree with them,so that they will settle among us.”24 All who went out of the gate of the city listenedto Hamor and his son Shechem, and allthe males, all those who went out of the gate ofthe city,† were circumcised. 25 On the third day,while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons,Simeon and Levi, brothers of Dinah, each tookhis sword, advanced against the unsuspectingcity and massacred all the males.* 26 After theyhad killed Hamor and his son Shechem with thesword, they took Dinah from Shechem’s houseand left.* 27 Then the other sons of Jacob followedup the slaughter and sacked the city because theirsister had been defiled. 28 They took their sheep,cattle and donkeys, whatever was in the city andin the surrounding country. 29 They carried off alltheir wealth, their children, and their women,and looted whatever was in the houses.*30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: “You havebrought trouble upon me by making me repugnantto the in hab i tants of the land, the†34:24 All those who went out of the gate of the city: apparentlymeaning all the residents. By temporarily crippling the men throughcircumcision, Jacob’s sons deprived the city of its defenders.35:1–7 Jacob returns to Bethel and founds the sanctuary, anevent that forms a “bookend” to the first visit to Bethel in 28:10–22.To enter the Lord’s sanctuary, one must purify oneself and get ridof all signs of allegiance to other gods (Jos 24:23; Jgs 10:16). Jacobalso seems to initiate the custom of making a pilgrimage to BethelCanaanites and the Perizzites. I have so few menthat, if these people unite against me and attackme, I and my household will be wiped out.”31 But they retorted, “Should our sister be treatedlike a prostitute?”Bethel Revisited1 † God said to Jacob: Go up now to35 Bethel. Settle there and build an altarthere to the God who appeared to you whenyou were fleeing from your brother Esau.* 2 SoJacob told his household and all who were withhim: “Get rid of the foreign gods† among you;then purify yourselves and change your clothes.(see Ps 122:1 and Is 2:3, 5).35:2 Foreign gods: divine images, including those of householddeities (see note on 31:19), that Jacob’s people brought with themfrom Paddan-aram.*ive It!No Way, Shechem!Every now and then there will be a news storyabout someone being attacked by anotherperson or one ethnic group attacking anothergroup, and sometimes part of their dominationand victory includes rape. This is an especiallyevil act because it combines brutal violence withsex. Any time a woman is raped, she is violatedagainst her will, and she can never be the same.Males can also be victims of rape.The story in Genesis, chapter 34, tells us ofShechem, a local prince, who rapes Dinah. Becauseof his power, Shechem figures he can dowhat he wants to her. But in the end, his life istaken.Rape is a violent and sinful act, no matterwhat the context. We are to respect one another,no matter what. Position or power doesnot give us the right to commit sexual violence.Rape and any other sexual abuse are an outrageto God.AAGn 34:1–3134:25 Gn 49:6.34:26 Jdt 9:2.34:29 Jdt 9:3–4.35:1 Gn 28:12–13.GN

Genesis 35:372GN3 Let us now go up to Bethel so that I mightbuild an altar there to the God who answeredme in the day of my distress and who has beenwith me wherever I have gone.” 4 They gave Jacoball the foreign gods in their possession andalso the rings they had in their ears† and Jacobburied them under the oak that is near Shechem.5 Then, as they set out, a great terror fell upon thesurrounding towns, so that no one pursued thesons of Jacob.6 Thus Jacob and all the people who were withhim arrived in Luz (now Bethel) in the land ofCanaan.* 7 There he built an altar and called theplace El-Bethel,† for it was there that God had revealedhimself to him when he was fleeing fromhis brother.*8 Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died. She wasburied under the oak below Bethel, and so it wasnamed Allon-bacuth.†9 On Jacob’s arrival from Paddan-aram, Godappeared to him again and blessed him. 10 Godsaid to him:Your name is Jacob.You will no longer be named Jacob,but Israel will be your name.*So he was named Israel. 11 Then God said tohim: I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply.A nation, indeed an assembly of nations,will stem from you, and kings will issue fromyour loins. 12 The land I gave to Abraham andIsaac I will give to you; and to your descendantsafter you I will give the land.*13 Then God departed from him. 14 In the placewhere God had spoken with him, Jacob set up asacred pillar, a stone pillar, and upon it he madea libation and poured out oil.* 15 Jacob namedthe place where God spoke to him Bethel.Jacob’s Family16 Then they departed from Bethel; but whilethey still had some distance to go to Ephrath,Rachel went into labor and suffered great distress.17 When her labor was most intense, themidwife said to her, “Do not fear, for now youhave another son.” 18 With her last breath—forshe was at the point of death—she named himBen-oni;† but his father named him Benjamin.19 Thus Rachel died; and she was buried on theroad to Ephrath (now Bethlehem).† * 20 Jacobset up a sacred pillar on her grave, and the samepillar marks Rachel’s grave to this day.21 Israel moved on and pitched his tent beyondMigdal-eder. 22 While Israel was encamped inthat region, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah,his father’s concubine. When Israel heard of it,he was greatly offended.† *The sons of Jacob were now twelve. 23 Thesons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, Simeon,Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 † the sonsof Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; 25 the sons ofRachel’s maidservant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali;26 the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah: Gadand Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who wereborn to him in Paddan-aram.27 Jacob went home to his father Isaac atMamre, in Kiriath-arba (now Hebron), whereAbraham and Isaac had resided. 28 The length ofIsaac’s life was one hundred and eighty years;29 then he breathed his last. He died as an oldman and was gathered to his people. After a fulllife, his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.Edomite Lists†1 These are the descendants of Esau (that36 is, Edom). 2 † Esau took his wives fromamong the Canaanite women: Adah, daughter†35:4 Rings . . . their ears: the earrings may have belonged to thegods because earrings were often placed on statues.35:7 El-Bethel: probably to be translated “the god of Bethel.” Thisis one of several titles of God in Genesis that begin with El (= God),e.g., El Olam (21:33), El Elyon (14:18), El the God of Israel (33:20),El Roi (16:13), and El Shaddai. Most of these (except El Shaddai) aretied to specific Israelite shrines.35:8 Allon-bacuth: the Hebrew name means “oak of weeping.”35:18 Ben-oni: means either “son of my vigor” or, more likely inthe context, “son of affliction.” Benjamin: “son of the right hand,”meaning a son who is his father’s help and support.35:19 Bethlehem: the gloss comes from a later tradition thatidentified the site with Bethlehem, also called Ephrath or Ephratha(Jos 15:59; Ru 4:11; Mi 5:1). But Rachel’s grave was actually nearRamah (Jer 31:15), a few miles north of Je ru sa lem, in the territory ofBenjamin (1 Sm 10:2).35:22 The genealogy in vv. 23–29 is prefaced by a notice aboutReuben’s sleeping with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. Such an actis a serious challenge to the authority of the father (cf. 2 Sm 3:7and 16:21). In his final testament in chap. 49, Jacob cites this act ofReuben as the reason for Reuben’s loss of the authority he had asfirstborn son (49:4). Reuben’s act is one more instance of strife in thefamily and of discord between father and son.35:24–26 Benjamin is here said to have been born in Paddanaram,apparently because all twelve sons of Jacob are consideredas a unit.36:1–43 The line of Esau. In the preceding chapter (35:22–26),the list of Jacob’s children completes the narrative of Jacob; in thischapter, the narrative of Esau is complete when his descendants arelisted. The notice of Abraham’s death and burial in 25:7–10 wasfollowed by a list of the line of his elder son Ishmael (25:12–18) andhere Isaac’s death and burial are followed by the line of Esau. Thelines of both Ishmael and Esau are introduced by the same doubleformula, “These are the descendants of . . .” (25:12; 36:9) and “Theseare the names of the sons of . . .” (25:13; 36:10). The chapter consistsof diverse material: vv. 1–3, Esau’s wives; vv. 9–14, Esau’s descendants;vv. 15–19, the clans of Esau; vv. 20–30, the Horites of Seir; vv.31–39, the Edomite kings; vv. 40–43, the Edomites.36:2–14 The names of Esau’s wives and of their fathers given here*35:6 Gn 28:19; Jos 18:13; Jgs1:22–23.35:7 Gn 28:12–13.35:10 1 Kgs 18:31; 2 Kgs17:34.35:12 Ex 32:13; Heb 11:9.35:14 Gn 28:18; 31:45.35:19 Gn 48:7; 1 Sm 10:2; Mi5:1.35:22 Gn 49:4; 1 Chr 5:1.

73Genesis 36:43of Elon the Hittite; Oholibamah, the daughter ofAnah the son of Zibeon the Hivite;* 3 and Basemath,daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau; Basemath boreReuel;* 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam andKorah. These are the sons of Esau who were bornto him in the land of Canaan.*6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters,and all the members of his household, as wellas his livestock, all his cattle, and all the propertyhe had acquired in the land of Canaan, andwent to the land of Seir, away from his brotherJacob.* 7 Their possessions had become too greatfor them to dwell together, and the land in whichthey were residing could not support them becauseof their livestock. 8 So Esau settled in thehighlands of Seir. (Esau is Edom.)* 9 These arethe descendants of Esau,† ancestor of the Edomites,in the highlands of Seir.10 These are the names of the sons of Esau:Eliphaz, son of Adah, wife of Esau, and Reuel,son of Basemath, wife of Esau. 11 * The sons ofEliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, andKenaz. 12 Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, theson of Esau, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.Those were the sons of Adah, the wife of Esau.13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah,Shammah, and Mizzah. Those were the sons ofBasemath, the wife of Esau.* 14 These were thesons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah—the daughterof Anah, son of Zibeon—whom she bore toEsau: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.*15 These are the clans of the sons of Esau. Thesons of Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn: the clans of Teman,Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16 Korah, Gatam, andAmalek. These are the clans of Eliphaz in theland of Edom; they are the sons of Adah. 17 Theseare the sons of Reuel, son of Esau: the clans ofNahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. Theseare the clans of Reuel in the land of Edom; theyare the sons of Basemath, wife of Esau. 18 Thesewere the sons of Oholibamah, wife of Esau:the clans of Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These arethe clans of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, daughterof Anah. 19 These are the sons of Esau—that is,Edom—according to their clans.20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite,† the†differ considerably from their names cited from other old sources in26:34 and 28:9. Zibeon the Hivite: in v. 20 he is called a “Horite”;see note on 34:2.36:9 These are the descendants of Esau: the original heading ofthe genealogy is preserved in v. 10 (“These are the names of the sonsof Esau”). This use of the Priestly formula is secondary and should notbe counted in the list of ten such formulas in Genesis.36:20 Seir the Horite: according to Dt 2:12, the highlands of Seirwere inhabited by Horites before they were occupied by the Edomites.36:31 Before any king reigned over the Israelites: obviously thisstatement was written after the time of Saul, Israel’s first king. Accordinhab i tants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon,Anah,* 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; those are theclans of the Horites, sons of Seir in the land ofEdom. 22 * The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam,and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23 These arethe sons of Shobal: Alvan, Mahanath, Ebal, Shepho,and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon:Aiah and Anah. He is the Anah who found waterin the desert while he was pasturing the donkeysof his father Zibeon. 25 These are the childrenof Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, daughter ofAnah. 26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan,Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These are the sonsof Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These arethe sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are theclans of the Horites: the clans of Lotan, Shobal,Zibeon, Anah, 30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; thoseare the clans of the Horites, clan by clan, in theland of Seir.31 * These are the kings who reigned in theland of Edom before any king reigned over theIsraelites.† 32 Bela, son of Beor, became kingin Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah.33 When Bela died, Jobab, son of Zerah, fromBozrah, succeeded him as king. 34 When Jobabdied, Husham, from the land of the Temanites,succeeded him as king. 35 When Husham died,Hadad, son of Bedad, succeeded him as king. Heis the one who defeated Midian in the country ofMoab; the name of his city was Avith. 36 WhenHadad died, Samlah, from Masrekah, succeededhim as king. 37 When Samlah died, Shaul, fromRehoboth-on-the-River, succeeded him as king.38 When Shaul died, Baal-hanan, son of Achbor,succeeded him as king. 39 When Baal-hanan, sonof Achbor, died, Hadad succeeded him as king;the name of his city was Pau. His wife’s namewas Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, son ofMezahab.40 These are the names of the clans of Esauidentified according to their families and localities:the clans of Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholibamah,Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,43 Magdiel, and Iram. Those are the clans of theEdomites, according to their settlements in theirterritorial holdings—that is, of Esau, the ancestorof the Edomites.ing to 1 Sm 14:47, Saul waged war against the Edomites; accordingto 2 Sm 8:2, 13–14 and 1 Kgs 11:14–17, David made Edom a vassalstate and nearly wiped out the royal line. These events reflect thewords of the Lord to Rebekah at the birth of the boys, “the older shallserve the younger” (25:23).*36:2 Gn 26:34.36:4 1 Chr 1:35.36:5 1 Chr 1:35.36:6 Gn 32:4.36:8 Dt 2:4–5; Jos 24:4.36:11–12 1 Chr 1:36.36:13 1 Chr 1:37.36:14 1 Chr 1:35.36:20–21 1 Chr 1:38.36:22–28 1 Chr 1:39–42.36:31–43 1 Chr 1:43–54.GN

Genesis 37:174GNJoseph37ntroducing...The timeless power of Joseph’s story is reaffirmedby the long and successful runof the Broadway play Joseph and the AmazingTechnicolor Dreamcoat. (In other Bible versions,the “long ornamented tunic” in Genesis 37:3 istranslated as a “coat of many colors.”) The playis based on chapters 37–50 of Genesis, whichcontain one of the world’s greatest stories offamily, jealousy, betrayal, and forgiveness.A son of Jacob and Rachel, Joseph carriesto Egypt the divine promises of land and descendants,and eventually becomes the link with thestory of Moses and the Exodus. As Jacob’s favoriteson, Joseph experiences the jealousyof his brothers, who sell him to Egyptian merchants.In Egypt, Joseph rises to power, becomingsecond in command to the pharaoh. Later,when Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt lookingfor food, he forgives them and becomes reconciledwith them.Joseph’s story encourages us to forgive others,even when we have been unjustly treated bythem. Whenever we have been greatly wronged,remembering Joseph will offer us hope andcourage.AAGn 37:1—50:26Joseph Sold into Egypt1 Jacob settled in the land where his fatherhad sojourned, the land of Canaan.††37:1 The statement points ahead to 47:27, “Thus Israel settled inthe land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen.” These two statementsframe the Joseph narrative; the later material (47:28–49:33) is aboutJacob; chap. 50 brings to a conclusion themes remaining from theearlier story. One aim of the Joseph story is to explain how Israelcame to Egypt after sojourning so long in Canaan.37:2 The Joseph story is great literature not only in its themes but inits art. The stories show an interest in the psychology of the characters;everyone acts “in character” yet there is never a doubt that a divinepurpose is bringing events to their conclusion. According to a literaryanalysis, vv. 1–4 set the scene; vv. 5–36 introduce the dramatic tensionin the form of a conflict within the family; chaps. 38–41 describe thejourneys away from their family of the eponymous ancestors of the twogreat tribes of later times, Judah (chap. 38) and Joseph (chaps. 39–41)and their preliminary conclusions; chaps. 42–44 detail the famine andjourneys for food (chaps. 42, 43) that bring the brothers and (indirectly)the father into fresh contact with a mature Joseph who now has the2 This is the story of the family of Jacob.† WhenJoseph was seventeen years old, he was tendingthe flocks with his brothers; he was an assistantto the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah,and Joseph brought their father bad reportsabout them. 3 Israel loved Joseph best of all hissons, for he was the child of his old age; and hehad made him a long ornamented tunic.† 4 Whenhis brothers saw that their father loved him bestof all his brothers, they hated him so much thatthey could not say a kind word to him.5 † Once Joseph had a dream, and when hetold his brothers, they hated him even more.*6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had.7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field,when suddenly my sheaf rose to an upright position,and your sheaves formed a ring aroundmy sheaf and bowed down to it.” 8 His brotherssaid to him, “Are you really going to make yourselfking over us? Will you rule over us?” So theyhated him all the more because of his dreamsand his reports.*9 Then he had another dream, and told it to hisbrothers. “Look, I had another dream,” he said;“this time, the sun and the moon and elevenstars were bowing down to me.” 10 When hetold it to his father and his brothers, his fatherreproved him and asked, “What is the meaningof this dream of yours? Can it be that I and yourmother and your brothers are to come and bowto the ground before you?” 11 So his brotherswere furious at him but his father kept the matterin mind.12 One day, when his brothers had gone topasture their father’s flocks at Shechem, 13 Israelsaid to Joseph, “Are your brothers not tendingour flocks at Shechem? Come and I will sendyou to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph answered.14 “Go then,” he replied; “see if all is well withyour brothers and the flocks, and bring backword.” So he sent him off from the valley of Hebron.When Joseph reached Shechem, 15 a mancame upon him as he was wandering about inpower of life and death over them; 45:1–47:27 is the resolution (reconciliationof Joseph to his brothers) and the salvation of the family.37:3 Jacob’s favoring Joseph over his other sons is a cause of thebrothers’ attempt on his life. Throughout the story, Jacob is unawareof the impact of his favoritism on his other sons (cf. vv. 33–35;42:36). Long ornamented tunic: the meaning of the Hebrew phraseis unclear. In 2 Sm 13:18–19, it is the distinctive dress of unmarriedroyal daughters. The “coat of many colors” in the Septuagint becamethe traditional translation. Ancient depictions of Semites in formaldress show them with long, ornamented robes and that is the mostlikely meaning here. Possibly, the young Joseph is given a coat thatsymbolizes honor beyond his years. Later, Phar aoh will clothe Josephin a robe that symbolizes honor (41:42).37:5–10 Joseph’s dreams of ruling his brothers appear at firstglance to be merely adolescent grandiosity, and they bring him*37:5 Gn 42:9. 37:8 Gn 50:17–18.