11:27-25:11. The Generations Of Terah.

Introduction (11:27-30).

(Repeated Alternation.)

A¹ 11:31-22:19. Abram's history: From His Call,
     to his Trial. (Isaac's birth.)
 B¹ 22:20-24. The Posterity of Nahor.
A² 23, 24. Abraham's history. His old age.      
     (Isaac's marriage.)
 B² 25:1-4. The Posterity of Keturah.
A³ 25:5-11. Abraham's history. Death. 
     (Isaac's inheritance.)

2056 B.C.

27: Now thse are THE GENERATIONS OF TERAH (The "generations of Terah" is the 6th of the 11 "generations" divisions of the Book of Genesis, and stands midway between the generations relating to mankind in general and those of the chosen people): Terah begat Abram (The youngest comes first [born 1996 B.C.] Cp. Shem [10:21], Jacob [25:23], Ephraim [48:20]), Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot (Heb.=a pebble).
28: And Haran died before his father Terah (the first death so recorded) in the land of his nativity, in Ur (=fire, light. West bank of the Euphrates) of the Chaldees (Magicians, astrologers).
29: And Abram and Nahor took them wives: The name of Abram's wife was Sarai (= my princes); and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah (= queen) the daughter of Haran (his brother's daughter), the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah (= one who looks forth).
30: But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

11:31-22:19. Abram's History.

(Call to Trial).

(Introversion and Alternations).

A¹ C 11:31-12:3. Abram's Call. Promise of Seed.
    D 12:4-9. Sojourn in Canaan.
     E a 12:10-20. Sojourn in Egypt. Denial of Sarai.
        b c 13:1-13. Seperation of Lot.
           d 13:14-18. Manifestation of the Land.
            F 14:1-24. War on Sodom. Rescue of Lot by Abram.
             G e¹ 15. Covenant made.
                f¹ 16. Sarai's Policy.
               e² 17:1-14. Covenant repeated.
                f² 17:15-27. Sarah's blessing.
               e³ 18:1-15. Covenant renewed.
            F 18:16-19:38. Destruction of Sodom. Rescue of Lot by angels.
      E a 20:1-18. Sojourn in Gerar. Denial of Sarah.
           b   d 21:1-8. Manifestation of the Seed.
            c 21:9-21. Seperation of Ishmael.
    D 21:22-34. Sojourn in Gerar.
   C 22:1-19. Abraham's Trial. Blessing of Seed.

31: And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter by another wife, his son's Abram's wife: They (others beside those listed) went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldee (a city of great pretentions. Recent excavation shows luxury and attainment. Abraham no nomad), to go into the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran (not Haran but Charran, the frontier town of Babalonian Empire, devoted to worship of the Moon-god), and dwelt there till he died.
32: And the days of Terah were 205 years: and Terah died in Charran.

1921 B.C.

12)

1: Now the Lord (Yehovah) ("The God of Glory" of Acts 7:2. Fig. of Speech, Enallage = The Glorious God, in contast with idols [Josh. 24:2]) had said to Abram, "Go for yourself out of your country (i.e. whatever others may do. Death had broken the link of nature's tie, which hindered Abram's obedience), and from your kindred (leaving Nahor and his family [except Lot]), and from your fathers house, to a land I will show you:
2: And I will make of you a great nation (note 7-fold promise with 7-fold blessing. Ex.6:4-8), and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing;
3: And I will bless them that bless you, and curse them that curse you: and in you (to Abraham personally. See 50:24) shall all the families of the earth be blessed."
4: So Abram took Sarai his wife, as Yahaveh had spoken to him; and Lot went with him: And Abram was 75 years old when he departed out of Charran.
5: And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all the souls that they had gottten in Charran; and they went forth with all their substance that they had gathered into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. (This time: not when they started from Chaldea.)
6: And Abram passed through the land to the place of Sichem (Shechem = back or shoulder. The place of Abram's first altar, Jacob's altar, and the Saviour's first mission), to the land of Moreh (=teacher). {And the Canaanite being already in the land}. (It is evident that from Terah's and Abraham's Call, Satan knew the line by which "the Seed of woman" [3:15] was coming into the world. In Chapter 6 he aimed at the whole human race. Now he aims at Abraham and his land. Here is the second explanation of the words "after that" in 6:4. He pre-occupies the territory ready to dispute the advance. The Canaanite "was then" = being already there [cp. 13:7]. The progeny of the latter attempt to corrupt the race had to be destroyed by the sword of Israel, as those "in the days of Noah" had been by the Flood.)
7: And the Lord (Yehovah) appeared to Abram, and said, "To your seed will I give this land:" and there he built an altar to the Lord (Yehovah), Who appeared to him.
8: And he removed from there to a mountain on the east of Beth-el (=the house of Elohim, an ancient Canaanite sacred pillar, doubtless from previous time, called Luz [=almond tree]. When Moses wrote he used the latter name.), and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west and Hai (=Ai=heap of ruins) on the east: and there he built an altar to Yahaveh (betwen Beth-el and Ai would probably be Gerizim [=cutters] and Ebal [=stone, bare mountain], which were already or thus became sacred places), and called upon the name of Yehovah.
9: And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. (The Negeb or hill country south of Judah. The Egyptian text mentions Negeb. Town taken by Shishak are mentioned as being there, e.g., Jerameel, Gerar, Kadesh, and Gaza.)
10: And there was a famine in the land (Satan's attempt [thus early] to destroy Abraham's seed, through Sarah. 13 famines mentioned in Scripture. 13 in biblical numerics=rebelion.): and Abram went down into Egpyt to sojourn there (always "down" to Egypt. Egypt always being a base nation): for the famine was grievous in the land.
11: And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter in Egypt, that he said to his wife Sarai, "Behold now, I know that you are a fair woman to look upon.
12: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see you (in Egypt the women went unvieled), that they shall say, 'This is his wife:' and they will kill me (Satan's next assault, working on Abraham's fear. If Elohim had not interfered, v.17, where would His promise have been?), but they will save you alive.
13: Say, I pray to you, you are my sister: that it may be well for me for your sake: and I, myself, shall live because of you."
14: And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was fair.
15: The princes also of Pharaoh saw her (the official title of all kings of Egypt, like Kaiser, Czar, &c. Pharaoh = "the sun" or "the great house"), and commnded her before Pharaoh: and the women was taken into Pharaoh's house.
16: And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and (Fig. of Speech, Polysyndeton, emphasizing each class of property. All these pictured on the Monuments in Egypt) he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. (no horses in Egypt till 18th Dynasty)
17: And the Lord (Yahaveh) plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues (Divine intervention) because of Sarai Abram's wife.
18: And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, "What is this that you have done to me? why didn't you tell me that she was your wife?
19: Why did you said, 'She is my sister' so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold your wife, take her and go your way."
20: And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had. (notice this thing Abram did will come back to him in Jacob. You reap what you sow!)

13)

1:  And Abram went up out of Egypt (Palestine an ascent up from Egypt), he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. (The Negeb South of Judea, North from Egypt)
2:  And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold (scarse in Palistine, but plentiful in Egypt).
3:  And He went on his journey from the south even to Beth-el, to the place where his tent (shows him to be a stranger) had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Ai; (Very significant. No altar for Abram in Egypt)
4:  To the place of the altar (shows him to be a worshipper), which he had made there at the first (no worship in Egypt): and there Abram called on the name of the Lord (Yehovah).
5:  And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents (tents put for dwellers therein).
6:  And the land was not able to bear them (=those two, implies opposition, biblical numerics), that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7:  And there was strife (the first step in Lot's downward course. Note Lot's 6 downward steps "strife", "beheld", "chose", "pitched toward", "dwelt in", "sat in its gate", as a ruler and citizen) between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle: {and the Canaanite and the Perizite were dwelling already in the land}. (Occupying it in advance, and spreading later to the giant cities of Bashan. These were the Nephilim [abominations].)
8:  And Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife, I pray you, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we be brethren (=relatives).
9:  Is not the whole land before you? seperate yourself, I pray you, from me: if you will go to the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left."
10:  And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where (great contrast with Palastine after the famine; and likeness to the fertility of Egypt), before the Lord (Yehovah) destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord (Yehovah), like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar.
11:  Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan (Lot lifted up his own eyes, and made his own choice); and Lot journeyed east (=to the left. Could it be left evil, right good?); and they seperated themselves the one from the other.
12:  Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in among the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13:  {But the men of Sodom were very wicked sinners before the Lord (Yehovah) exceedingly.}
14:  And the Lord (Yahaveh) said to Abram, after Lot was seperated from him. "Lift up now your eyes (God chose for Abraham: strictly topographical) and look from the place where you are northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: (Note Abraham's 4 looks, 13:14 [earth]; 15:15 [heaven]; 18:2 [Yahaveh]; 22:13 [a substitute].)
15:  For all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed for ever. (Hence Israel is "the everlasting nation". "To you" ensures resurrection)
16:  And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth (in 15:5, as "stars", marking the two parties in Israel: the earthly and the heavenly: partakers of "the heavenly calling" Heb.3:1); so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall your seed also be numbered.
17:  Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it to you."
18:  Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain (=among the oaks belonging to Mamre [=strength, fatness], brother of Eschol and Abner), which is in Hebron (=alliance), and built there an altar to Yahaveh.

14)

1:  And it came to pass (always marks a period of trouble ending in blessing) in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar (=keeper of the gods, dated in reign of a king of Babylon: the united forces led by a king of Elam. The Assyrian Tablets show that Elam had conquered and overran Babylonia. Amraphel riegned in N. [Shinar]: Eri-Aku [arioch], an Elamite prince, in the S. at Larsa [Ellasar]. All the names are found on one tablet), Arioch king of Ellasar (=venerable, his mother was sister to Chedorlaomer), Chedorlaomer king of Elam (=servant of Loamer), and Tidal king of nations (=great son. The Assyrian Tablet says "he assembled the barbarian tribes" of the Kurdish mountains, and that he "did evil" to the land of Bel. The Tablets are therefore shown to be correct by their agreement with Genesis).
2:  That these made war with Bera king of Sodom (=son of evil), with Birsha king of Gomorrah (=son of godlesness), Shinab king of Admah (=splendor of the father) and Shemeber king of Zeboiim (=lofty flight), and the king of Beba (=destruction), which is Zoar (=smallness):
3:  All these were joined together in the vail of the Siddim. (Afterward, the Salt [or Dead Sea], when Moses wrote.)
4:  Twelve (=the number of goverment in Biblical numerics) years they had served Chedorlaomer (v.4 goes back to the events leading up to the war with Sodom), and in the 13th year they rebelled. (In Biblical numerics 13=rebellion)
5:  And in the 14th year came Chedorloamer,and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim (A branch of the Nephilim, superhuman beings, so called after one Rapha: as Anakim after Anak.) in Ashteroth Karnaim (=a star of the two horns, or peaks), and the Zuzims (also as Rephaims) in Ham, and the Enims (=terrors, same as above) in Shaveh Kiriathaim (=plain of the double city),
6:  And the Horites (=descendants of cave dwellers, aboriginies of same order as Rephaim) in their mount Seir (=hairy, shaggy), to El-paran (=God his deliverance), which is by the wilderness.
7:  And they returned, and came to En-mishpat (=the spring of judgement. Not yet Kadesh=the Sanctuary), which is Kadesh, and smote the whole field of the Amalikites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar (=pruning of palm trees).
8:  And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela {the same is Zoar}; and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim.
9:  With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellaser; four kings with five (= the #9 = the number of judgement).
10:  And the vail Siddim was full of pits of bitumen (still a feature of the Dead Sea to this day); and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountains.
11:  And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
12:  And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
13:  And there came one that escaped, an told Abram the Hebrew; for he (in contrast to Lot) dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eschol, and brother of Aner: and these also having a covenant with Abram were confederates with Abram.
14:  And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his initiated servants (or instructed, prob. in the worship of Yahaveh), and persued them into Dan. (Not the Dan of Judg. 18:29)
15:  And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them to Hobah (=hiding place), which is on the left hand of Damascus.
16:  And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
17:  And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the kings dale (=the king of Salem).
{18 And Melchizedek (=righteous king, might be Shem, in type, Christ in antitype) king of Salem (called, on the bricks of the ruins of an ancient city S. of Palastine. The Assyrian Tablets show that Palastine was at this time in possession of Egypt, and the Tablets are letters to the Pharaohs Amenophis III and IV. One is from El-Tob, the successor of Melchizedek. Three times he says "not my father, not my mother installed me in this place but the "Mighty King", i.e. he did not inherit by succession, but by gift and the "arm of the Mighty King", the Deity) brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest (yet no sacrifice, hence a type of Him to Whom all shall bow, and pay their tithes and bring their gifts) of El Elyon (=Most High GOD).
19:  And he blessed him, and said, "Blessed be Abram of El Elyon, possessor of heaven and earth:
20:  And blessed be El Elyon, Which has delivered your enemies into your hand." and Abram gave Melchizedek tithes of all}
21:  And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons (nephesh, souls), and take the goods to yourself."
22:  And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lift up my hand (=I swear an oath), to the Lord (Yehovah), the MOST HIGH GOD (El Elyon), the possessor of heaven and earth,
23:  That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and will not take any thing that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.' (The blessing of Melchizedek, and the bread and wine, prepared him for this great renunciation).
24:  Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."

15:1-21. The Covenant Made.

The Seed and The Land.

(Repeated Alternation.)

e¹ g¹  1. The Covenant Maker. (The Word of Yahaveh.)
     h¹  2,3. Enquiry. "What will You give?"
   g²  4,5. The Covenant. Announced. (The Seed.)
     h²  6. Belief.
   g³  7. The Covenant Maker. (Yahaveh.)
     h³  8. Enquiry. "How shall I know?"
   g4  9-11. The Covenant. Prepared.
     h4  12-16. Answer. "Know of a surety."
   g5  17-21. The Covenant. Solemnized.

15)

1: After these things, the word of the Lord (Yahaveh) (First occ. of this expression is with the prep. 'el, unto, implying action of a person; or at least, articulate speech) came to Abram in the vision, saying, "Fear not Abram, I am your shield (The Incarnate Christ is Faith's shield), and your exceeding great reward."

2: And Abram said, " the Lord GOD (Adonai Yahaveh) (First occ. relating to blessing in the earth), what will You give me, seeing I am going on childless, and the stewart of my house is this Elizar (=God is his help) of Damascus?"
3: And Abram said, "Behold, to me You have given no seed: and lo, one born in my house is my heir." (There was "man's" Law in the land, i.e. the Code of Khummarabi, some of which were unfair and unequal).

Laws Before Sinai.

   The existance of Laws in the book of Genesis and Exodus is evident, though there is no formal record of their delivery. Cp. Ex.18:16.
   Doubtless some were made known to mankind, as such, by God, example:- I) The Law of the Sabbath (Gen.2:3). II) The days noted in connection with the Flood are all Sabbath's except one, Gen.8:5 Tuesday. See note on Gen.8:10,12,14. III) The Law of the place of worship (Gen.4:3,4,16). IV) The Law of offerings (Gen.4:4), &c. But, side by side with these special Divine communications, the Babylonian Laws were codified in the age of Abraham.
   In 1901 A.D., the Code of Amraphel (Khummarabi), Gen.14:1, was discovered in Susa by M.J. de Morgan. The latest date for this Code is 2139 B.C.
   800 years before Moses, these laws governed the people from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea, and from persia to the Mediterranean, and were in force throughout Canaan.
   This discovery overthrew the two main pillars of the "higher critics", one of which was that such writing was unknown before Moses; the other, that a legal code was imposible before Israeli kings.
   Hence, we now have before us both codes; and are in a position to answer Yahaveh's question in Deut. 4:8, "What nation is there so great, that has statutes and judgements so righteous as all this Law, which I set before you this day?"
   Khummurabi calls his law the "judgements of righteousness", but some of them, at least, are both unrighteous and unequal, as the following brief contrast shows at a glance.

Offence Yahaveh's Law Khummurabi's Law

Stealing Restoring double Death (Code 4) (Ex.22:9)

Burglary Restoring double Death (Code21) (Ex.22:7)

Harboring a No offence Death (Code16) fugitive slave (Deut.23:15)

Injuring a slave Freedom given to Master compensated slave (Deut.23:15) (Code 199)

Injuring a Same injury inflict- Same injury infl- rich man ed on injurer icted (196,197)

Injuring a " Fine of 1 mina of poor man (Ex.21:23-25) silver (Code198)

Injury followed by Each case judged on Death of injurer's death to a rich its own merits daughter (209) man's daughter

Injury followed by " fine of 5 sheckels death to a poor of silver (211,213) man's daughter

4: And, behold, the word of the Lord (Yahaveh) came to him saying, "This shall not be your heir; but he that shall come forth out of your own bowels shall be your heir."
5: And He brought him forth abroad, and said, "Look steadfastly toward heaven (God chose for Abram), and tell the stars (the heavenly calling in Israel), if you are able to number them," (hence Joab's objection in 2 Sam.24:3), an He said to him, "So shall your seed be."

6: And he believed in the Lord (Yahaveh) (i.e. believed what he "heard" [Rom.10:17].); and He imputed it to him for as righteousness. (This positive imputed righteousness because he believed concerning Christ. It was more than forensic righteousness, which was negative or non-imputation of sin. This was the consequence of the Gospel preaced to Abram [cp. Gal.3:8, and read Rom. 4, and Gal. 3].)

7: And He said to him, "I am the Lord (Yahaveh), That brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it."

8: And he said, " the Lord GOD (Adonai Yehovah), how shall I know that I shall inherit it?" (It is o.k. to ask God how, but don't ask him why because that would be like doubting Him.)

9:  And He said to him, "Take an offering for Me an hefer of 3 years old, and a she goat of 3 years old, and a ram of 3 years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
10:  And he took to Him all these (5 items, the #5 = Grace, because Coveant was unconditional), and divided it in half, and laid each peace one against another: but the birds he divided not.
11:  And when the fowls came upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. (another attempt by Satan to prevent the Covenant?)

12:  And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram (Put to sleep so that he should have no part in it, and that the Covenant should be unconditional, in which "God was the One" and only contracting party); and, lo, a short great darkness fell upon him.
13:  And He said to Abram, "Knowing you shall know your seed (i.e. Isaac) shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, {and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them} 400 years;
14:  And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge (i.e. punish): and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15:  And you shall go to your fathers in peace (=die and be burried. Abraham's fathers were idolaters. See Josh.24:2); you shall be burried in a good old age.
16:  But in the fourth generation they shall come here again (i.e. Levi, Kohath, Amram, Moses, Jochebed [born in Egypt].): or the iniquity (=idolatry) of the Amorites is yet not full." (Another mark of the corruption of the Caaaite nations through the Nephelim and Rephaim)

17:  And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace (symbolic of the affliction of Israel), and a burning lamp (symbolic of Israel's deliverence) that passed between those pieces.
18:  In the same day the Lord (Yahaveh) made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your seed have I given this land (Before this it was "I will". From now on it is "I have"), from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: (Never yet even to this day possessed with these boundries)
19:  The Kenites (=the sons of Cain), and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20:  And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims (another link in the chain from 6:4),
21:  And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Gergashites, and the Jebusites."

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