Genesis verse by verse- another perspective

[VioletReigns]

God created everything. Genesis 1–2 | 0
Adam became the father of Seth at 130. Genesis 5:3 | 0 + 130 = 130
Seth became the father of Enosh at 105. Genesis 5:6 | 130 + 105 = 235
Enosh became the father of Kenan at 90. Genesis 5:9 | 235 + 90 = 325
Cainan became the father of Mahalalel at 70. Genesis 5:12 | 325 + 70 = 395
Mahalalel became the father of Jared at 65. Genesis 5:15 | 395 + 65 = 460
Jared became the father of Enoch at 162. Genesis 5:18 | 460 + 162 = 622
Enoch became the father of Methuselah at 65. Genesis 5:21 | 622 + 65 = 687
Methuselah became the father of Lamech at 187. Genesis 5:25 | 687 + 187 = 874
Lamech became the father of Noah at 182. Genesis 5:28 | 874 + 182 = 1056
The Flood started when Noah was 600. Genesis 7:6 | 1056 + 600 = 1656

 

[Tintin]

MarcR, actually, it's far more likely the area of Shinar, where the tower of Babel was built, was located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (around the Eber or Peleg section of the map).

 

[MarcR]

Seems my arithmetic is off or something, maybe you or someone reading this might be able to see where I am getting a different count.

Adam [130] begat Seth
Year 130 Seth was born who @ [105] begat Enos
Year 235 Enos was born who @ [90] begat Cainan
Year 325 Cainan was born who @ [70] begat Mahalaleel
Year 395 Mahalaleel was born who @ [65] begat Jared
Year 460 Jared was born who @ [162] begat Enoch
Year 622 Enoch was born who @ [65] Methuselah
Year 687 Methuselah was born who @ [187] begat Lamech
Year 874 Lamech was born who @ [182] begat Noah
Year 1056 Noah was born who @ [500] Shem, Ham, and Japheth
Year 1556 Shem, Ham, and Japheth would have been born.

“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” Genesis 7:11

Year 1656 The time of the flood.

Zemouth Thank you for catching my typo! 1056 is correct; but there is still a 2 year disparity.

 

[MarcR]

MarcR, actually, it's far more likely the area of Shinar, where the tower of Babel was built, was located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (around the Eber or Peleg section of the map).

That is apparently true based on demographics; but my comment was based on the description of the four rivers.

 

[MarcR]

God created everything. Genesis 1–2 | 0
Adam became the father of Seth at 130. Genesis 5:3 | 0 + 130 = 130
Seth became the father of Enosh at 105. Genesis 5:6 | 130 + 105 = 235
Enosh became the father of Kenan at 90. Genesis 5:9 | 235 + 90 = 325
Cainan became the father of Mahalalel at 70. Genesis 5:12 | 325 + 70 = 395
Mahalalel became the father of Jared at 65. Genesis 5:15 | 395 + 65 = 460
Jared became the father of Enoch at 162. Genesis 5:18 | 460 + 162 = 622
Enoch became the father of Methuselah at 65. Genesis 5:21 | 622 + 65 = 687
Methuselah became the father of Lamech at 187. Genesis 5:25 | 687 + 187 = 874
Lamech became the father of Noah at 182. Genesis 5:28 | 874 + 182 = 1056
The Flood started when Noah was 600. Genesis 7:6 | 1056 + 600 = 1656

Thank you for catching my typo, 1056 is correct but there is still a 2 year discreppency.

2 years after the flood is 1658

 

[MarcR]

Seems my arithmetic is off or something, maybe you or someone reading this might be able to see where I am getting a different count.

Adam [130] begat Seth
Year 130 Seth was born who @ [105] begat Enos
Year 235 Enos was born who @ [90] begat Cainan
Year 325 Cainan was born who @ [70] begat Mahalaleel
Year 395 Mahalaleel was born who @ [65] begat Jared
Year 460 Jared was born who @ [162] begat Enoch
Year 622 Enoch was born who @ [65] Methuselah
Year 687 Methuselah was born who @ [187] begat Lamech
Year 874 Lamech was born who @ [182] begat Noah
Year 1056 Noah was born who @ [500] Shem, Ham, and Japheth
Year 1556 Shem, Ham, and Japheth would have been born.

“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” Genesis 7:11

Year 1656 The time of the flood.

Thank you fpor catching my typo. You are correct 1656 is correct; but there is still a two year discrepency. 2 years after the flood is still 1658.

 

[MarcR]

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1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

Hagar means Flight or Escape (Haw gawr) {Return to: Ge 16:6 }

2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

Sarai gave up on waiting for the Lord’s promise; and in the process brought herself needless unhappiness.

3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My injustice be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

Sarai blamed Abram for Hagar’s bad attitude even though it was her idea for Abram to have children with her.

6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

Hagar was wrong to despise Sarai; but Sarai should have taken some responsibility and tempered her response.
Hagar’s name must have been prophetic or at least predictive of her behavior
See: verse 1.

7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

{Return to: Zc 1:8 }

8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

Ishmael means God Has Heard located in the wilderness of Paran on the Sinai peninsula.
also father of Zebedaiah (2 Chr 19:11); also son of Jehohanan (2Chr 23:1);
also son of Azel (1Chr 8:38,); also son of Nethaniah (2Ki 25:23) also son of Pashur (Ezr 10:22) {Return to: Zc 3:1 }

12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

14 Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Beer-lahai-roi means Well of the Living One Who Seeth Me ( Capitalization used because it is a name)
Kadesh means Sanctuary Located in the mountains SW of the Dead Sea
Bered means Hail Location unknown {Return To: Nu 34:4 }

15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

Ishmael (Yeeshmael) means God will hear. This is prophetic of Gen 21:17.

16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

{Return to: Ge 21:14 }

 

[MarcR]

Genesis 17
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1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

We know from John 1:18 that “No man hath seen God (the father) at any time;..”; so this must have been Christ.

‘Perfect’ in this sense DOES NOT mean faultless! It means complete or mature. In this context it means be ‘all you are capable of being with God’s help’. It has the same sense in Matthew 5:48 & 19:21; Lk 6:28, Lk 6:38.
{Return to: Ex 20:26, Mt 19:21, Jn 6:46 }

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

Abraham means Father Of A Multitude

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

{Return to: Ex 19:5, Is 2:6, Zc 11:10, Ro 4:17, Ro 4:18 }

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

Paul, in Galatians and elsewhere struggles with those who insisted that Gentile believers be circumcised. His discussion in Romans chapter four links circumcision with the law. Likely that link was also in the minds of his audience. We see here that the covenant of circumcision preceded the Law by about 580 years. (Isaac is not born yet. He lived 147 years and died before Israel entered Egypt. Israel remained in Egypt 430 years before the Law was given to Moses). So we see that the Law is not really the issue! Circumcision was an emblem of separation and obedience. The Church’s emblem of obedience and separation is baptism. The Church has a superior covenant and to practice circumcision of Gentiles is to deny the superiority of our new covenant. Paul had Timothy circumcised because he was Jewish; and to Jewish people circumcision had become, by the first century, and still is an emblem of ethnic identity as much as an emblem of the Abrahamic covenant. For a Jewish believer, there is no issue of one covenant being superior because he may partake of both. For both Jewish and Gentile believers, salvation is by grace through faith; and any Jewish ritual the Jewish believer may elect to observe has value only in terms of ethnic and cultural identity, NOT in his relationship with God. This is why Paul considered observance of days and of dietary restrictions a matter of conscience. It is the imposing of Jewish ritual on others (especially Gentiles) that troubled Paul.

11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

{Return to: Is 52:1, Zc 11:10 }

14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

cut off from his people banished

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

See: note 11:29.

16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

fell upon his face worshiped and laughed in joy and astonishment; but not in disbelief. In context with the worship above, no other reading can be supported.
Shall a child be born While this can be read as a question, there is NOTHING inherently interrogative here and this probably should be read as a restatement of God’s proclamation. (A child SHALL be born). In any case, the interrogative particle ‘ה’ is absent; and the cantillation demands a falling inflection
[cantillation Long before Hebrew had any physical representation of its vowels, it had cantillation marks to indicate how it was to be sung.]



























Images of text [Hebrew & English] excerpted from (Rabbi J. H. Hertz commentary on this verse Pentateuch and Haftorahs p.59 Soncino Press London 1937)
Image of cantillation excerpted from (Rabbi J. H. Hertz commentary on cantillation Pentateuch and Haftorahs p.972 Soncino Press London 1937)
See: Gen 18:12. {Return to: Ge 12:11, Ge 18:12, Gen 21:6, Ro 4:19 }

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

Though Ishmael is excluded from the spiritual inheritance, Abraham still seeks God’s blessing on him.

19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Isaac means Laughter (Yeets cach’) {Return to: Zc 11:10 }

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

The sons of Ishmael are listed in Ge 25:13-16.


21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

Isaac is to be the heir of the covenant. {Return to: Ro 9:4 }

22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

This for an adult man and a teenage boy must have been very painful; but this does not deter Abraham’s obedience. God would have the Church be equally ready to obey the difficult things he asks of us. {Return to: Ro 4:10 }

24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

{Return to: Eze 39:11 } 26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

Abraham did NOT procrastinate; he acted immediately.
{Return to: Ge 11:26 }

27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

 

[MarcR]

Genesis 18
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1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

the plains of Mamre are in the vicinity of Hebron {Return to: Ge 23:17, Is 18:4 }

2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

{Return to: Gen 19:1, Da 10:15, Jn 6:46 }

3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

Another parallel between Abraham’s behavior and the behavior Jesus (Yeshua) expects from the Church is seen in his showing hospitality to strangers. (He 13:2)

4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

{Return to: Eze 4:9 }

7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10 And He said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
10 And He said, I will certainly return unto thee this time next year (or in about 38 weeks); and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Literally according to the time of life; but the intent is either this time next year (or in about 38 weeks the normal term of pregnancy).

The ‘He’ here must certainly be the Lord (Jesus) appearing as one of the three men in His pre-incarnate form. This type of pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord is known as a “Theophany”. (See: verse 13)

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and advanced in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

Abraham (Ge 17:17 )& Sarah both laughed; but only Sarah is criticized. Sarah performs NO act of worship, and gives no evidence of belief. Abraham laughs openly, rejoicing; while Sarah laughs within herself and later denies laughing, trying to conceal her disbelief. See: verse 15 of this chapter.
See Ge 17:17 and accompanying note. {Return to: Ge 17:17 }

13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

{Return to: Ge 21:6 }

14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Is any thing too hard for the LORD? This is not intended as a question but as a statement that nothing is too hard for him. This is a truth that the Church understands doctrinally but struggles with in practice.

15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

{Return to: Ge 21:6 }

16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

Here the Lord speaks in the first person singular because the speaker is Jesus (Yeshua) Christ present.
{Return to: Jn 15:15 }

18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Through Abraham’s descendants, Christ would come incarnate, and bless all nations with salvation.

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

The Lord knows our actions and our thoughts before we ourselves are aware of them; yet he refrains from interfering with our exercise of free will.

20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

{Return to: Is 6:5 }

28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.

30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

verses 23-32 Here Abraham boldly intercedes for those about to perish; and the Lord does not become annoyed, but honors his prayer.

33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

{Return to: Ge 19:1 }

 

[MarcR]

Genesis 19
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1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

These are likely the two ‘men’ who were with the Lord in the preceding chapter .
See: Gen 18:2, Da 10:15, Heb 13:2.

2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

Like his uncle, Abraham, Lot offers hospitality. (1Peter 4:9)

3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

This is the same sense of the word ‘know’ as in Genesis 4:1; and is a suggestion of homosexual perversion!

6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,

7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

{Return to: Ro 5:13 }

8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.

Perhaps Lot’s willingness to compromise his daughters carries hospitality too far. Here is a good example of the fact that not every behavior recorded in the Bible is intended to be emulated. 9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.

People will often respond with resentment when we take a stand against evil behavior; and their bad response is no reason not to take the stand. If we stand for righteousness, when the Lord urges us to do so, we can expect him to protect us. See the next two verses.

10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.

11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.

14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

Lot’s warning was ignored, just as Noah’s warning was ignored; but it was important for Lot to deliver the warning. In the same way it is important for us to warn our neighbors and family of the wrath to come and to show the way to salvation. (Matt 28:19-20)

15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

It appears that Abraham’s influence on his nephew has preserved Lot’s Life.
(Prov 22:6)

16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

How patient the Lord is with those who seek to please Him.

17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:

19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, which (is) little: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

The Hebrew word מִצְעָר (meetsar) is literally equivalent to the English clause ‘who is little’ used as an adjective; however, in English the pronoun ‘who’ only refers to a person so we substitute ‘which.’ In Hebrew, the present tense of the verb ‘to be’ is the name of God and is implied but not used.

21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.

22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

The Hebrew word צוֺעַר (Tsowar) is the English equivalent of ‘Little’ used as a proper noun.

23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

{Return to: Jer 49:18 }

26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Lot’s wife was saved for Lot’s sake, not for her own virtue; but she couldn’t even follow instructions.{Return to: Lk 9:62}

27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:

the word gat is the 17th century spelling of got; the past tense of get.

28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

This verse suggests that Lot may have been spared more for Abraham’s sake than for his own merit.

30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

Lot is now driven by fear to the exact place that the Lord wanted him to go when he left Sodom.

31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

Lot here appears to have done such a poor job with his daughters spiritual training that they have no concept of sexual morality. This view is reenforced by verse eight.

33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our Father.

35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

I can’t imagine any man having intercourse in his sleep! Lot must have willingly drank to the point of alcoholic stupor.

36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

{Return to: Eze 22:10 }

37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

Moab means Of His Father A nation E of the Dead Sea

38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

Benammi: means Son Of My People The Ammonites lived E and N of Moab

Both the Moabites and the Ammonites were wicked nations at enmity with Israel; yet Ruth, a Moabite, was David’s great grandmother; thus in the line of Christ as an ancestor of both Mary and Joseph. Here is an example of how God is able to turn even our worst behavior to his own purpose; but it is NOT an excuse for doing wrong.
{Return to: Ge 14:13, Nu 21:24 }

 

[MarcR]

Genesis 20
​

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1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

Kadesh means Sanctuary
Shur, which means Wall, is a wilderness area between Israel and Egypt.





















Adapted from Holman Christian Standard Bible® Maps The Route of the Exodus

2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

Even Abraham, who showed such great faith had times of fear. Even truth told in a way which creates a deception can cause great harm to both the deceiver and the one deceived. How extraordinary it is that Sarah at age 90 is so beautiful that she would be taken into a harem. {Return to: Ge 26:7}

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.

Abimelech means My Father (is) King and refers to the king of Gerar
Also the son of Abimelech (above) Gen 26:1-11; Also a priest during the time of David 2Sam 8:17, 1Chron 18:16 . Also son of Jerub-Baal and Gideon
Judg 9:1-56; Also The king of Gath to whom David fled from Saul Ps 34:1.

The Strong’s Concordance definition is “ Father of the King” While I would not flatter myself to compare my scholarship with that of James Strong, who I greatly respect; Dr. Strong on occasion shows a surprising lack of awareness of Hebrew grammar and idiom! Ab means father. The yod ‘y’ (I in the English) is a contraction of the pronoun י (anee), which means I or me; and when embedded in a compound word after a noun or at the end of a noun ALWAYS signals the genitive case in the first person singular (MY). Melech means king.
As with Abimelech, when we seek to honor the Lord, He will help keep us on track.
(Ps 119:105; Jn 16:13) {Return to: Ge 26:1 }

4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

While God does not usually intrude on our exercise of free will, He will sometimes intervene to prevent our sinning in ignorance of the nature of what we are about to do. 7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

This is the first use of the word ‘prophet’ (naahvee). As used here it means one who is under special divine guidance and protection.

8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

The Bible is far more than a history; yet it is a history and is the only history ever to record even handedly both the faults and the virtues of its heros.

10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

Abraham’s conduct is severely condemned by Nachmanides in his commentary. A truth told with the intent of deception or misdirection is the same as a lie. Scripture impartially relates both the failings and virtues of its heroes.
{Return to: Ge 4:17, Ge 9:24, Ge 11:29}

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. 16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

The thousand pieces of silver are not mentioned in verse 14 and are probably an additional personal gift.
a covering of the eyes is figurative for a justification to make them blind to the wrong which had been done her
(from Rabbi J. H. Hertz commentary on this verse Pentateuch and Haftorahs p 71 Soncino Press London 1937)

17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

 

[MarcR]

Genesis 21
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{Return to: Table of Contents }

1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

The Lord visited Sarah. The phrase, "the Lord visited," when used in Scripture with reference to a person or a people, indicates some signal token of favour-some remarkable blessing
(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary in Public Domain via E-Sword)

2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

Isaac (Yeetschach) means Laughter

4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

{Return to: Ge 21:14 }

6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

The Hebrew language delights in paronomasia, or playing upon a word; and this alliterative tendency appears in this case on three occasions-namely, Abraham's smile of gratification (Ge 17:17); Sarah's sneer of
incredulity (Ge 18:12-13,15); and, lastly, her laugh of realized satisfaction and joy. 'Sarah's laugh was immortalized in the name of her son
(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary in Public Domain via E-Sword)
{Return to: Ge 24:1}

7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. 8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

Usually children were weaned in the third year; and this was an occasion for a feast.
from (Rabbi J. H. Hertz commentary on this verse Pentateuch and Haftorahs p 71 Soncino Press London 1937)

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, disparaging .

This word (mahtsahcheech) usually signifies idolatry or impurity or persecution.

Several authors are of opinion that the Egyptian bondage of four hundred years, mentioned in Gen 15:13, commenced with this persecution of the righteous seed by the son of an Egyptian woman.
(from Adam Clarke's Commentary, in Public Domain via E-Sword.) {Return to: Eze 4:13 }

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

Abraham loved both of his sons.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the young man, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

the young man (הַיֶּלֶ֖ד) can mean either the child, the young man or several other things. In this case, Ge 16:16 tells us that Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. Ge 21:5 tells us that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Therefore, Ishmael is 14 years old at this time; and would have been considered a man since his 13th birthday. {Return to: verse 17, verse 18, verse 20 }

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she gently caused the young man to be placed under one of the shrubs.

and she gently caused to be placed (וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ ) would usually mean ‘and she caused to be thrown; but here it means ‘and she gently caused to be placed’ the same word is used in this sense in 2Ki2:16.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat near him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
16 And she went, and sat her down opposite him a good way off, within hearing: for she said, Let me not see the death of the young man. And she sat near him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

opposite מֹנֶּגֶד) means opposite
within hearing (כִּמְטַחֲוֵ֣י קֶ֔שֶׁת)literally means as a bowshot; but idiom demands ‘within hearing’.
the young man (See note at verse 14.)

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
17 And God heard the voice of the young man; and the angel of God called Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the young man where he is.

the young man Like (הַיֶּלֶ֖ד) used in verses 14-16, (הַנַּעַר֒) used here has the same range of meaning.
(See note at verse 14.)

Because of Abraham’s love and concern for Ishmael, God intervenes to preserve and bless Ishmael.
{Return to: note 16:15 }

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
18 Arise, lift up the young man, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

the young man Like (הַיֶּלֶ֖ד) used in verses 14-16, (הַנַּעַר֒) used here has the same range of meaning.
(See note at verse 14.)

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

“The Hebrew phrase to open the eyes is always used in the figurative sense of receiving new sources of information not in that of regaining sight” (Maimonides) She now perceived a well quite near her, which in her anguish of mind she had overlooked.
from (Rabbi J. H. Hertz commentary on this verse Pentateuch and Haftorahs pp 72-73 Soncino Press London 1937)

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
20 And God was with the young man; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

the young ma Like (הַיֶּלֶ֖ד) used in verses 14-16, (הַנַּעַר֒)n used here has the same range of meaning.
(See note at verse 14.)

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

24 And Abraham said, I will swear.

25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

While agreeing to the suggested alliance, Abraham stated a grievance.
See: Le 19:17.

26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

I wot not means I did not know English, like other Germanic (and Romance) languages, includes a familiar address, in which verb tense endings are modified to indicate intimacy. The familiar is used when addressing friends and family. In English, the familiar fell into disuse in the early 19th or late 18th century except among the Mennonite, Amish, and Quaker communities.

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.

Beer-sheba means Well of Swearing (an oath)
{Return to: Ge 26:23, Ge 26:28 }

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

 

[thecreationtutor]

Why must we wrangle about words creating further ungodliness? The text says what the text says.

I can trust a God who created in 6 days, I am sorry I don't want to cower to a worldly fortress mindset set up by satan against the knowledge of God - why would a Christian support it, when it deceives the masses.

 

[MarcR]

Why must we wrangle about words creating further ungodliness? The text says what the text says.

I can trust a God who created in 6 days, I am sorry I don't want to cower to a worldly fortress mindset set up by satan against the knowledge of God - why would a Christian support it, when it deceives the masses.

Whether or not we accept a gap theory, a double gap theory or a straightforward reading of the KJV (or other translation),
The world, as we see it in the present order of creation was created by God in Six days.

The value, if any, of a gap theory, is that BOTH a 'Young Earth' and an OLD Earth are consistent with a literal interpretation of Scripture.

From the standpoint of faith, a 'Gap Theory' has absolutely NO Value.

From the standpoint of Christian Apologetics it is valuable.