The Four Kings Carried Off Abram’s Nephew Lot
since He was Living in Sodom
14: 1-12

The four kings carried off Abram’s nephew Lot since he was living in Sodom DIG: How did Lot’s progressive movement toward Sodom dangerously affect his life? What is the point of Abram’s victory over the four kings?

REFLECT: What alliances do you make? Do you make them readily or reluctantly? Have you ever been burned by a partnership that went bad? Or blessed beyond belief by an unexpected ally?

First of all, let me say the Bible is a historical document. In the first eleven verses, it is recorded that the kings of the east defeated the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. For quite a few years, the critical radical scholars rejected this, saying that these men’s names did not appear in secular history at all and this was a rather ridiculous story. But did you know that the names of these kings have been found on monuments and tablets, showing that they did exist? In fact, Amraphel is now known to be the Hammurabi of secular history. The record that we have here is tremendously significant.²⁴⁷

This is the first recorded military campaign that took place about 2088 BC. At this time four kings of the east, Amraphel, king of Shinar of Babylonia, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal the Hittite, king of Goiim, invaded the southwest (14:1). These are all non-Hebrew names. Up to the dispersion at the Tower of Babel, all names were Hebrew names and they had meaning in Hebrew. In Chapters 12 and 13 most of the names are Hebrew names. But for the first time in the Bible, we have a large number of names that are not Hebrew and have no meaning in Hebrew. This is more evidence that Hebrew was the original language of mankind.

They went to war against five kings of the plain: Bera, king of Sodom, Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela or Zoar. All these kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim near the southern end of the Salt Sea (14:2-3). The rabbis teach that the rocks surrounding the Salt Sea burst; therefore, streams of water poured into the plain.

Rebellion is what brought the kings of the east against Sodom and Gomorrah. These kings had evidently fought before, because the kings of the east had subjugated these cities of the plain, but cities like Sodom and Gomorrah had reached the place of rebellion.²⁴⁸ For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled because they did not want to pay tribute anymore (14:4). The result of their rebellion was a destructive invasion led by King Kedorlaomer.

In the fourteenth year the four kings of the east invaded by way of the famous kings highway (Numbers 20:17 and21:22), which was one of the three major trading routes of the ancient Middle East. They went down the eastern side of the Jordan, turned around in the Arabah (the right valley south of the Dead Sea), went up to Kadesh (see 14:7), over to Tamar, and then to the region of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Valley of Siddim (14:8 and 10).²⁴⁹ Kedorlaomer, and the kings allied with him, went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim (or in modern day Golan Heights), the Zuzites (the same as the Zamzummites of Deuteronomy 2:20) in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert (14:5-6). The defeat of these four kings would have far reaching effects. Eventually the descendants of Lot, the Ammonites and Moabites, and the descendants of Isaac, the Edomites through Esau, would later occupy this territory.

The five cities of the plain apparently were close together at the southern end of the valley. Then the four kings turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory that the Amalekites would eventually possess since at this point they did not exist, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar (14:7). By taking this circular motion, they were able to flank the five kings from the southwest and surround them.

Then the five kings of the east, the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim against the four kings, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar – four kings against five (14:8-9). They prepared for battle, but it was no use. After routing all who might stand in their way, the four dominant kings swooped down to capture the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, carrying them and their possessions away.²⁵⁰

Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled (two of the five), some of their men fell into the tar pits and the other three kings fled to the hills (14:10). The rabbis teach that it was only by a miracle that they were able to get out of it.

The four kings looted Sodom and Gomorrah and captured Lot. The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. Unfortunately for them; however, they also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom (14:11-12). The rabbis teach that the reason they carried off Lot was the hope of being paid a large ransom for him, as they knew of Abram’s wealth. As Lot traveled with his captors, we wonder what his feelings were, and whether he thought of his uncle Abram, in perfect safety only a few miles off. Little did he know that ADONAI would continue to bless those who blessed Abram and curse those who would curse him (12:3). It was this capturing of Lot that would set the stage for Abram’s actions.

Abram Goes to War With the Kings of the East
14: 1-24

After separating from Lot, Abram apparently lived quietly in Mamre for several years. Canaan and all the lands through Syria and Sinai were at peace. But that peace was suddenly broken when a northeastern confederation of kings swept through Canaan devastating everything in their path. Abram was caught up in this war and, humanly speaking, could have easily been killed and left ADONAI’s promise unfulfilled. But the LORD is a promise keeper. He had said: I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse (12:3a). What we see here is the working out of God’s promise to bless all the peoples on earth through him (12:3b). In addition, rather than panic and show a lack of faith as he did in Egypt, this time Abram demonstrates great faith and gains a great victory. A life free from suffering would be a life in which faith in ADONAI would be a mere frill. A human life, on the other hand, is one in which faith is a necessity. Only a fool tries to do without it.²⁴⁶

So Abram Went to Live
Near the Great Trees of Mamre at Hebron
13: 18

So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron DIG: Why did Abram continue to build altars wherever he went in the Land? What plot of land was near the great trees of Mamre? How was it significant to his immediate family and to his descendants (see 23:17-19)?

REFLECT: Can God call you His friend? Why or why not? What does it mean to be a friend? There is a give and take relationship among friends. As a friend, what can you give to the LORD? What could ADONAI give to you?

Still living a nomadic lifestyle, Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron (14:13, 18:1, 23:17 and 19, 25:9), twenty-two miles south of Jerusalem. These trees grow to about twenty to twenty-five feet high, have a thick trunk, heavy branches and are among the best shade trees in Canaan. Like the great tree of Moreh at Schechem (12:6), this was also a center of pagan worship, this time outside the city of Hebron. The place was named Mamre after its original owner, Mamre the Ammorite, who we will meet in 14:13. Later, from this very place, Abraham will plead for God to spare Sodom (18:1). In addition, Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre, both the field and the cave in it, would eventually become the burying place for all the patriarchs (23:17-19).

Mamre signifies fatness. The original name of Hebron was Kiryat Arba, which means the town of the four. But it was later renamed Hebron for Abraham, which means friend or fellowship, because he was the friend of God (Second Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23). It was not until Lot had left him, when Abram was fully in the will of ADONAI, that Hebron, which means communion, fellowship or fully following the Lord, is mentioned for the first time. Disobedience hinders fully following the Lord.

When Joshua conquered the Land after forty years of wilderness wanderings, God singled out Caleb as being worthy to enter in. But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the Land he went to and his descendants will inherit it (Numbers 14:24). Therefore, when Joshua was dividing up the Land he blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron. So Hebron belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since because he followed ADONAI, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly (Joshua 14:13-14). Caleb fully followed the Lord; therefore, he had Hebron, or fellowship with the Lord.

Then Abram continued his custom as he built an altar to ADONAI near the great trees of Mamre. He built a true altar in a pagan place of worship. This is how Abram took possession of the Land both physically and spiritually. He would build altars to the LORD in pagan places of worship. Hebron would be his home for some time now, and he wanted a place where his family and servants could meet to worship God. Here also was where ADONAI had spoken to him and the place where he would be buried. It was especially dear to him.²⁴⁵

In Chapter 13 Abram is a man of peace, but in Chapter 14 Abram is a man of war. Both actions are a result of Abram’s responsibility to his nephew Lot.

Go, Walk Through the Length and Breadth of the Land,
for I am Giving it to You
13: 14-17

Go, walk through the length and breadth of the Land, for I am giving it to you DIG: In response to Abram’s faith, what new promise does ADONAI give? Why wasn’t Abram concerned about which land Lot took to settle in? When will Abraham physically possess all the Land that the LORD promised to him? What did God confirm in this promise? Why does this verse disturb Amillennialists?

REFLECT: About what one thing might ADONAI be asking you to “lift up your eyes… look… see…go, walk?” Is there a separation in your life that needs to take place before God can talk to you? Are you enjoying what the LORD has promised you?

Abram was now alone and it was at that time that the LORD of mercy spoke to him. The Lord did not talk to Abram until after Lot had parted from him. This is the second of seven times that Abram receives direct revelation from ADONAI (12:1-7, here, 15:1-21, 17:1-21, 18:1-33, 21:12-13 and 22:1-18). Then He said to him, “Lift up your eyes (18:2 and 22:13) from where you are and look north and south, east and west” (13:14). This is the same place from which Lot had looked. So all that Abram sees, Lot already saw. This included the Land that Lot chose for himself.

Because Abram was now alone, the purpose of the Lord was finally realized. ADONAI called him alone (Isaiah 51:2 NKJ). He had said: Leave your country and your people and go to the Land I will show you (Acts 7:3). But Abram went to Haran with his father (11:31-32), and came to Canaan with Lot. But finally, Lot was gone and Abram was left alone with Elohim. It was not a coincidence that it was not until this point that the LORD would say: All the Land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever (13:15). So Abram had not lost the best land, because God was giving him the whole land of Canaan. All of it would be his, including that well-watered pasture in the plain.

Previously, the LORD said that Abram’s offspring would inherit the Land. Now He promised that Abram himself would have it forever. Abram never actually owned the Land during his lifetime. Nor, for most of human history, have his offspring actually possessed the land. The nation of Isra’el has currently regained partial possession of it. The word forever, literally means for an age, because it is during the messianic Age that the Jewish people will enjoy all of the Promised Land (see my commentary on Revelation, to see link click Fj – My Chosen People Will Inherit My Mountains). Once again the difference between Abram and Lot are dramatic. Abram waited for God to give it to him, while Lot took it for himself.

Previously, ADONAI had said that Abram would have offspring. Now He said that Abram would have an uncountable number of them. Therefore, Abram had not lost family by being obedient to His calling and leaving Haran. The LORD said: I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted (13:16).

We have three different idioms for Zera Avraham, or the seed of Abraham: the sand on the seashore (22:17 and 32:12), the dust of the earth and the stars in the sky. Abraham would be the spiritual father of all who believe (Romans 4:11) and from him came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore (Hebrews 11:12). God’s perfect plan was accomplished through Zera Avraha, the seed of Abraham. The seed is Messiah Yeshua, who came so that those of every tribe and tongue and nation could find life through Him (Galatians 3:16).

ADONAI told him, “Go, walk through the length, north and south, and breadth of the Land, east and west.” This is the first Holy Land tour. Abraham is to prophetically take physical possession of the Land because he would not own it during his lifetime, only during the messianic Kingdom. He would own it then because God said: I AM giving it to you (13:17). This is the second confirmation of God’s covenant with Abraham (12:1-3, here, 15:7-21, 17:1-8 and 22:15-18). It was as though the LORD had said to Abram: I have called you into this Land, I have given it to you and your descendants; now enjoy it. He was to travel through the Promised Land and look upon it as already his, his by faith because he had God’s word on it. Abram was to act as if it were already his absolute possession. And is this not what God invites His people to do today? We, too, have received a call to separate ourselves from the world. We too have been called into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven (First Peter 1:4). In other words, we are called to exercise of faith; not to look at the things that are seen, but at the things above, and not upon things below. In short, we are to enjoy what God has promised us.²⁴⁴

Verses like this make the amillennial view indefensible. Amillennialists believe that the Land is nothing but a symbol of heaven. But is ADONAI asking Abram to come up to heaven to take a look around to see if he likes it because someday he will be able to possess it? This is hardly the meaning of the text. This verse is talking about the Land that Abram was standing on, and he is told to walk all over it because some day he is going to possess it. We cannot spiritualize these verses away to fit a preconceived theology. There is no doubt that the New Covenant teaches that Abraham longed for a better country, a heavenly one (Hebrews 11:16), but one does not contradict the other. We cannot relegate this verse to a mere promise of heaven because it would make the entire passage meaningless.

Therefore, what started out as a negative situation of discontent, quarreling, and friction turned out to be a positive one of divine promise and blessing.

Abram Lived in the Land of Canaan,
While Lot Pitched His Tents Near Sodom
13: 1-13

Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot pitched his tents near Sodom DIG: In forsaking rich cities and choosing less fertile land, what does this reveal about Abram (see Hebrews 11:8-16)? What subtle, but slippery, slope of sin do you see in the lifestyle of Lot? What was the difference between Abram and Lot concerning wealth? How different is their testimony?

REFLECT: If faced with a similar choice, would you have followed Abram or Lot? Why? Have you ever had the same five-step progression in your life? What are you looking at? What are you choosing to do? Where have you pitched your tent? Does the LORD want you to separate from something or someone?

So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him even though he was not mentioned in the previous chapter (13:1).

Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold (13:2). This is the first mention of wealth in the Bible. A careful study of the Scriptures shows that there is no sin in being wealthy as long as the wealth was gained honorably, regarded as belonging to the LORD, and used with a sense of stewardship. But as so often happens, human nature gets in the way, and relatives quarrel about money. This will be the case here.

From the Negev desert he went from place to place until he came to the more productive hill country of Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier (13:3). He returned to the very place he had left. Evidently he felt the need to return, confess his sins and seek full restoration from the LORD, where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of ADONAI (13:4). This is where he had begun public worship and here he renews his commitment to Elohim after his failure in Egypt. Because God promises to forgive us our sins when we confess them (First John 1:9), Abram was restored and once again enjoyed full fellowship with God.

Lot, on the other hand, is seen as slowly drifting away from the LORD. Some people always seem to take the path of least resistance. It is not that Lot was evil; he simply seemed to be adrift without a moral anchor. He lived life on the edge, and like so many of us, he eventually lost his way. When faced with hard decisions, he acted selfishly and, in some cases, indecisively (19:6-10).²⁴⁰

Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram also had flocks and herds and tents (13:5). He was not as wealthy as Abram, but he did have his own possessions. Lot was being blessed because of his relationship to Abram. But this led to conflict in the midst of the LORD’s blessings.

But the Land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions gained in Egypt were so great that they were not able to stay together (13:6). The land of Canaan had a limited number of water sources as well as limited grazing areas. It is not surprising, then, that the needs of Abram and Lot soon outgrew the available resources. As always, competing needs led to conflict.²⁴¹

And quarreling arose between Abram’s herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The rabbis teach that the quarrel arose because Lot’s herdsmen led their flocks into pastures belonging to Abram. On being confronted by Abram’s herdsmen, they answered that God had promised the land to Abram, and since he had no children, Lot was his heir. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time (13:7). This was the key reason for the crowded conditions. But the saddest thing about this, of course, was that this was a bad testimony to the Canaanites and Perizzites around them, just as they had already compromised their testimony to the Egyptians.²⁴²

Abram had learned that ADONAI would take care of his needs no matter where he was, so he took the initiative to bring peace to the situation. So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers” (13:8). Lot was his nephew, the son of Abram’s brother Haran, but it was time to separate.

Being the oldest Abram should have had the first choice, but he graciously said to Lot, “Is not the whole land before you?” It is a rhetorical question, with the obvious answer of yes. “Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left” (13:9). Abram was indifferent to what Lot would choose because Abram was well aware of the LORD’s promises to him (12:2-3). But this was not an empty gesture on his part, nor is it an empty gesture on our part when we are generous to those in the world because we know the promises of God on our behalf! Both men were wealthy and had material possessions, but there was a difference between the two of them. On the one hand, Abram had wealth, but the wealth did not have Abram. On the other hand, Lot had wealth, but the wealth had Lot.

Lot looked up and saw the plain that would become his ruin. The apostle John tells us that the lust of the eyes comes not from the Father but from the world; therefore, we should not love the world or anything in the world (First John 2:15-16). When Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it (3:6). It was through the eyes that Achan sinned. He said: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them (Joshua 7:20-21). Far too often what our eyes see gets us into trouble. But the LORD wants us to listen to Him. So, trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah (Romans 10:17 CJB).

Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of Eden, or the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward the delta region of Zoar. The garden of Eden had four rivers running through it. Today this land is not well watered. It is a dry thirsty, salty desert. But Lot was looking at it before ADONAI destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (13:10). This is a foreshadowing of what is to come.

So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. Abram was looking forward to the city with foundations whose architect and builder is God (see the commentary on Hebrews, to see link click Cp – The Faith of Abraham), while Lot chose for himself a city built by man, that would be destroyed by God (19:24). Abram was thinking about what was best for Lot, but Lot was thinking about what was best for himself and his love for worldly things (First John 2:15-17). From there, the two men parted company (13:11).

Abram lived in the land of Canaan where his opportunities for grazing his flocks and herds was limited, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom (13:12). Lot’s material blessing became a moral decay. This was the great mistake of Lot’s life, from which he would continually suffer. He walked away from the blessings he had enjoyed while he associated with Abram (12:3).

This section closes with the divine evaluation of Sodom. Now Lot did not know that the men of Sodom were wicked and probably would not have chosen the territory if he had known.²⁴³ But he would soon find out. The Hebrew word for wicked here is raim and describes external wickedness. This is similar to the time of Noah. The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time (6:5). Just as their wickedness would have to be destroyed by the Flood, the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah would also have to be wiped out because they were sinning greatly against ADONAI (13:13). They knew that He was God but deliberately rebelled against Him. As in the Flood account, one person, Noah, and one family was spared; here also, one person, Lot, and one family will be spared as well. At this point, there is no indication that Lot is aware of how wicked the men of Sodom were. This sets the stage for the events of Chapter 14, and the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah will set the stage for Chapters 18 and 19.

When any of us sin, we sin greatly against ADONAI. When King David stole the virtue of Bathsheba, the life of Uriah, and the lives of many soldiers; he destroyed the honor of the country and the dignity of his throne (Second Samuel 11:1-27). Yet when he repents in Psalm 51:1 and 4 he says: Have mercy on me, O God; for against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. Although David obviously had sinned against others, ultimately, he had sinned greatly against the LORD. You and I cannot sin any other way. When we sin, we all sin greatly against Him. But that doesn’t mean that when we sin against God, we don’t sin against others also. We can cause great emotional pain to others in the wake of our sin against the Holy One. We need to think about that.

But before leaving this section, let us look at Lot’s five-step progression into ruin. First, he looked toward Sodom (13:10). Secondly, he chose the area of Sodom (13:11). Thirdly, he pitched his tents near Sodom (13:12). Fourthly, he lived in Sodom (14:11-12). Lastly, he sat in the gateway of the city (19:1), meaning he became a citizen and elder of the city. Lot was a righteous man (Second Peter 2:7), but once he began to understand the sinful ways of Sodom, he thought it would not affect him. He thought he could swim in the toilet and come up smelling like a rose. But sin always takes you further than you want to go, and costs you more than you want to pay, and he paid dearly. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death (James 1:13-15).

Abram and Lot Separate
13: 1-18

Faced with the problem of survival because of their many belongings and ensuing conflict, Abram and Lot separated. Because of ADONAI’s promise to bless him, one might have expected Abram to choose first. But he offered the first choice to Lot, who chose the very best land available. Abram had learned his lesson from his journey to Egypt. The LORD of mercy would provide for him no matter where he lived. Therefore, he was not looking on temporal things, but on things spiritual; this was His promise. This chapter shows how faith solves conflict. You could say that generosity is a sign of faith in the promises of God. For faith does not selfishly seek one’s own desires, but is giving, generous, and self-denying.²³⁹

Now There Was a Famine in the Land, 
and Abram Went Down to Egypt to Live
12: 10-20

Now there was a famine in the Land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live DIG: When Abram comes to the Promised Land, only to find no food there, how might he feel about God’s promise? Why? Sarai was Abram’s half-sister; does that justify Abram’s half-truth? Or does the end (Abram’s safety) justify the means (a lie)? What if the end he had in mind was fulfilling ADONAI’s promise? Or is such lying never justified? Why? Either way, could Abram’s sin thwart God’s plan? How does the LORD remove Abram from the mess he created?

REFLECT: What sure promise of ADONAI are you questioning? Where is it tough to be totally truthful with Him? Where might you be tempted to assist the LORD to fulfill His plan? What is your testimony to the world?

At this time, a particularly severe trial took place in Abram’s life.

Now there was famine in the land of Canaan, and Abram, without calling on the LORD for guidance, went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe (12:10). This is the first mention of Egypt in the Scriptures and it symbolizes alliance with the world and reliance upon the flesh. Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and their great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Isra’el, or seek help from ADONAI (Isaiah 31:1). After wasting time and being stuck in Haran (11:31b), Abram experienced the second failure in his life. Here was a man who traveled from Ur of the Chaldeans to Canaan on the bare word of God, but now was afraid to trust Him in the time of famine. He was operating in the flesh (Romans 8:8; Galatians 5:17).

He left the Promised Land because it seemed that the Land could no longer sustain him, his family and his herds. At this point Abram’s faith had not matured to the point where he knew he could trust the LORD under any circumstances, and hearing that the famine did not affect Egypt, he chose to go there until the famine in Canaan had passed. So he temporarily took things into his own hands and left the Promised Land to which God had led him. This lack of faith led Abram to lie, and this lie would lead to tragic consequences in his life.

This is the second of four tests where Abram fell flat on his face. First, he stayed in Haran when he should have gone to the Promised Land (11:31b). Secondly, here, he left the land of Canaan and went to Egypt. Thirdly, he listened to his wife instead of waiting on the LORD, which resulted in the birth of Ishm’ael and untold problems (16:1-16). And fourthly, his lapse of faith continued as he refused to trust ADONAI for his and his wife’s safekeeping when he lied again to Abimelech (20:1-18).

Compromise with the world often seems harmless, but in the end it is very damaging. And one of the most damaging results, at least to those who truly love God and desire to witness effectively for Him, is to discover that their compromise has destroyed their testimony. Worldly people, rather than being drawn to God through His holy ones (Psalms 16:3 and 34:9), are used by God to rebuke them. This is what happened to Abram.²³⁶

The Egyptians, like the Canaanites, were descendants of Ham. They were cruel, immoral, and they were notorious for their low standard of morality. He knew they wouldn’t hesitate to kill him and his servants in order to get Sarai for themselves. Therefore, as he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are” (12:11). This is amazing to us today, because she was 65 years old at that time!

“When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live” (12:12). Egyptians during this period were famous for wife abduction. His reasoning was that if Sarai were recognized as his sister, they both would be treated with some respect and he would not be killed. While it was true that the Egyptians might approach her for sex, Abram reasoned that it would certainly be true if he were killed. Consequently, his idea seemed the best solution in a bad situation. Abraham had some shinning moments, but this wasn’t one of them.

“Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you” (12:13). The fact was that Sarai was his half-sister (20:12). This was still in the early centuries after the Flood, and close marriages were still common and often necessary.²³⁷ But it was still a lie because the intent was to hide the fact that they were married. However, if he were perceived as her brother, he would be the one to negotiate for her in any marriage proposal. Like Abram, our fear can lead us to start living a lie and one sin leads to another. We’ve all been there.

Indeed Abram’s fears were eventually realized. When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman (12:14). The rabbis teach that Abram hid Sarai in a chest, but she was discovered at the border. But God was behind the scenes protecting the line of blessing (to see link click Bl – The Line of Seth).

Instead of dealing with regular Egyptians, Sarai came to the attention of Pharaoh himself. And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised (hallal which means praise) her to Pharaoh, and she was taken to his palace and ended up in Pharaoh’s harem (12:15). Rather than taking her for themselves, they merely praised her to Pharaoh. This shows that Abram’s fear was reasonable. But by going to Egypt and having his wife end up in Pharaoh’s harem, Abram put the promise of the Seed of the Woman (3:15) in danger because that Seed would come through her and no other.

Pharaoh followed the custom of the day and paid the bride price. The ancient laws said that if the father had died, the brother became the legal guardian of an unmarried sister. Because Abram was the supposed brother, he was paid the bride price. He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels (12:16). These new acquisitions would lead to the conflict with Abram’s nephew Lot in the next chapter. In addition, he acquired maidservants and one of them was an Egyptian woman named Hagar(16:1). This in turn would set the stage for the conflict between Sarai and Hagar (16:1-15), between Isaac and Ishmael (21:8-21), and between the Jews and Arabs to this very day.

Abram’s plan seemed to be working out quite well. Sarai was safe and was not only alive but being lavished with gifts. But what would happen if Pharaoh actually had sex with Sarai? Their own best thinking had put them in a predicament. They were helpless – but God was not. By taking Sarai away, Pharaoh had cursed Abram. The LORD had said the one who treats you lightly I must curse (12:3). So here ADONAI inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai (12:17). The rabbis teach that it was leprosy. But whatever it was, Sarai remained untouched by it.

On the one hand, what was Sari to think of all this? What part did she play in God’s will with her husband? She agreed to Abram’s plan because she loved him, but was she merely to be the object of her husband’s protection? Was this her purpose in life? Or did ADONAI have something else in mind for her? Whatever it was, His silence toward her was deafening. On the other hand, Abram needed to learn that neither he nor his wife could survive by human strategy, but only by protection from the LORD; He is the one who intervenes to save Abram even though he had sinned. God’s promises are unconditional.

Perhaps through the serious diseases, Pharaoh was able to discern the problem. Or maybe it was divine revelation as will be the case with Abimelech in a similar situation with Abraham (20:3-7). Either way, Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked him three questions. First he asked: What have you done to me? Pharaoh had suffered greatly because of Abram’s lie. Secondly, he asked: Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife (12:18)? This was the truth that was hidden. Thirdly, he asked: Why did you say, “She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife” (12:19a)? Pharaoh’s intent was to make her a real wife, but through the providence of the LORD, the serious diseases struck before any sexual union actually took place.

Pharaoh now feared to harm either Sarai or Abram; but he did sharply rebuke Abram. ADONAI held Abram accountable for what went on between he and his wife (see Bf – Your Desire Will Be For Your Husband and He Will Rule Over You). Pharaoh had lost all respect for them, and of course was not attracted to their God. Because of their fearfulness and compromise, they had caused the house of Pharaoh to suffer greatly and the Egyptians had finally come to despise them. The only thing he could do was to tell them to leave his country, which they did, taking all the possessions they had acquired in Egypt.²³⁸

Pharaoh said: Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go (12:19b)! Under normal circumstances, Pharaoh could have executed Abram. But after experiencing the power behind Abram, he went no further than he already had. Abram was escorted and banished from Egypt. Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had (12:20). So Abram left Egypt a richer man than when he came. But the riches would prove to be very costly. They should have never gone to Egypt in the first place. But once there, they should have maintained their testimony at all costs. ADONAI would have protected them, indeed, He did protect them despite their compromise. While in Egypt, Abram never built an altar or called upon the name of the LORD.

The rabbis teach that this whole incident foreshadowed the future: Abram went down to Egypt because of the famine, the Egyptians robbed him of his wife for which they were punished with great plagues; Abram was then loaded with gifts, and Pharaoh charged men to see that he left the country. Similarly, the Israelites will go down to Egypt because of famine; there they will be oppressed and their wives taken from them; this being the purpose of Pharaoh’s edict to spare the daughters. The Egyptians will be punished by great plagues (Exodus 7:14 to 11:10), and subsequently the Israelites departed with great wealth and were also hastened out of the country.

It is easy for us to criticize Abram for his actions. But given the same circumstances, we would probably have done the same thing. How many times do we take the easy way out in our lives? We compromise and then rationalize our actions. We also need to learn the same lesson he did and often we have to learn it in the same way, by being rebuked by the very unbelievers we would like to win to Christ. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (Second Corinthians 10:12-13).

Abram Left Haran,
He Took His Wife Sari and His Nephew Lot
12: 4-9

Abram left Haran, he took his wife Sari and his nephew Lot DIG: Why did Lot go with him? Why didn’t ADONAI speak to Abram in Haran, but spoke to him in the Promised Land? What were the Canaanites like? Who was supposed to influence whom? What did he do once he got there? What was the purpose?

REFLECT: Have you ever been disobedient to God and felt that He was silent in your life? Who moved away from whom? Have you left your Ur of the Chaldeans? Have you left your place of unbelief? What is your testimony to the Lord?

In this section, God speaks and Moses, the narrator, speaks, but Abram is silent.

So Abram left Haran, as ADONAI had told him (12:4a). The LORD called and Abram responded. Though he could see nothing that would encourage him to obey, he trusted God and stepped out in faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going  (see the commentary on Hebrews, to see link click Cp – The Faith of Abraham). The word know here, from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the TaNaKh, is epistamai and means to fix one’s attention on, or to put one’s thoughts on. But it wasn’t that he did not know where he was going because ADONAI had already called him to go to Canaan and the next verse tells us that is exactly where he was going, but willing to live once he got there. He was totally surrendered to the will of God. And we can see the wisdom of that approach later in the next chapter when the LORD would say to him, “Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you” (13:17).

The life of faith begins with the willingness to leave one’s Ur, one’s own place of sin and unbelief – to leave the system of the world. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12:2; Second Corinthians 6:14; Galatians 1:4). Giving up the old life is one of the greatest obstacles to coming to Messiah, and is also one of the greatest obstacles to faith once we become a believer.²³⁰ We must leave that old life as Abram did.

And Lot, Abram’s nephew, went with him because his own father, Haran, had died. When his father died, Lot came under the authority of his uncle. Therefore, Lot became very attached to his uncle Abram, and Abram became his guardian. So Lot went with him.

Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran (12:4b). Abram was the youngest son of his father Terah, born sixty years after Haran, the eldest. But he is placed first in this list because of his importance (11:26). Thus, Terah was 70 years old when he started having children and 130 years old when Abram was born.²³¹ As we proceed in this study, Abraham’s age is always given at the turning points of his life.

He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran. The rabbis say that Abram influenced some of the people of Haran to believe in ADONAI, so that they are regarded as though he had acquired them for Him. And they set out for the four hundred mile trip to the land of Canaan, and they arrived there (12:5). Leaving Ur of the Chaldeans was a sacrifice for Abram and Sarai; it was a great and prosperous city. But Abram left all that and came to the land of Canaan. The Canaanites were not civilized; they were barbarians and heathens, if there ever was any. Abram’s purpose in coming to Canaan was certainly not to better his lot in life. He came in obedience to the LORD’s command.²³²

Abram traveled through the Land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at the pagan city of Shechem, which was the center of Canaanite idolatry and occult practices. The Canaanites had shrines in groves of oak trees, and Moreh may have been one of their cult centers.²³³ Palestine had been promised to Abram, but at the time the Canaanites were in the Land (12:6). Abram had not come to be influenced by the Canaanites, nor did he come to worship their gods. It is only as we separate ourselves from the world and walk in obedience to Christ that we can enter into fellowship with Him.

The entire narrative of the patriarchs is an anticipation of what happened to their descendants. This emphasizes the incidents in their lives, such as the digging of wells and their various journeys, which are otherwise unimportant. Thus, Abram’s first stop was at Shechem, an indication that this would be the first place to be taken by his descendants, even before the time came for them to conquer the Land. Therefore, the narrative states at the time the Canaanites were in the Land, which means that the time had not yet come for them to be ousted. And in fact, it was Jacob’s sons who conquered Shechem (34:27).

Living in disobedience to God’s Word hurts our relationship with Him. He does not separate Himself from us, but our sin separates us from Him! We are not living up to the light that He has already given to us. If we would obey Him, then more blessing would come. Our fellowship would be restored. We see in Abram’s experience that ADONAI did not appear again to him until after he had moved out of Haran and had begun to obey the LORD at the revelation that he had been given.

Now ADONAI appeared to Abram again and said: To your offspring I will give this land (12:7a). Abram went to the Promised Land and the LORD showed it to him, but it would be given to his offspring, not to him. God gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he would possess the Land, even though at the time Abraham had no children (Acts 7:5). When he died the only plot of land he owned was Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre (23:17-20). After the LORD confirmed His promise, then Abram lived in the Land. God appeared to Abraham six other times in Genesis (13:14-17, 15:1-21, 17:1-21, 18:1-33 and 22:1-2, 11-18).

In gratitude for God’s promise of children and the possession of the Land, he built an altar at Shechem to the LORD who had appeared to him (12:7b). So in contrast to pagan worship, Abram built an altar to ADONAI. The reason he built it there was because that was the place God appeared to him. After this, the building of altars became a habit of the patriarchs (12:8, 13:18, 22:9, 26:25, 33:20, 35:7). That was his witness to the LORD, and everywhere Abram went he left a witness to ADONAI. It is fascinating that Genesis devotes two chapters to the creation, and one to the Fall, but over thirteen chapters to the account of Abraham. It seems that the Ruach ha-Kodesh was much more interested in how we relate to God than to how the world was created.²³⁴

From Shechem he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel, which means the house of God, on the west and Ai, which means a heap of ruin, on the east. In this life we all pitch our tent between the house of God and a heap of ruin. What we do with it is our choice. In Abram’s case, he built an altar to the LORD as an act of worship, to sacrifice burnt offerings on, and he called on ADONAI (12:8). To call upon the LORD means that he participated in public worship. Abram didn’t pass out any tracts to the Canaanites, or have a “Jesus Saves” sticker on his camel. But the way he lived his life soon convinced the Canaanites that he was a man who worshiped God and lived by faith.

Living by faith is not unique to Abram; it is common to all who live in obedience to Christ. The promise often seems long and delayed, and the believer must simply continue following day-by-day, trusting God and knowing that His timing is always right. In the meantime, until the opening of the larger door and the accomplishment of His specific and ultimate will in our lives, there are daily opportunities for service and witness wherever we are, and whatever we are doing. There is still a time of testing, when Yeshua must teach us patience and submission; and such training is often long and slow. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much (Luke 16:10).²³⁵

After the LORD confirmed His promise, Abram lived in the Land. But the Canaanites had all the good, fertile land. So he had to travel south toward Egypt. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev desert in the southern part of the Promised Land where his faith would be greatly tested (12:9). The rabbis teach that he journeyed southward and did not turn to the east or west so as to remain on the direct road between Bethel and Ai, because its inhabitants had already shown some tendency to follow ADONAI in His call to true worship.

I Will Bless Those Who Bless You
and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse
12: 1-3

I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse DIG: To what extent had Abram been faithful? Disobedient? What needed to happen before he obeyed ADONAI? Does the New Covenant talk about his disobedience or his faithfulness? Why? Abram kept a light touch on this world. What was the only thing that he built? What is the difference between a top line blessing and a bottom line responsibility? Who would receive spiritual blessings through him?

REFLECT: Have you merely moved up the river a bit? Have you entered the land He has prepared for you? Are you stuck? Does there need to be a death of something in your life before you can move on to where the Lord wants you to go? Are you looking to build a city or an altar?

Parashah 3: Lech l’Cha (Get yourself out) 12:1-17:27
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key People include Abram, Sarai, Lot, Pharaoh, the king of Shin’ar, the king of Sodom, Melchizedek, Eli’ezer, Hagar, and Ishmael. There are an abundance of people to familiarize ourselves with in this portion. But the main person is Abram. Just as there were ten generations from Adam to Noah, so there were ten generations from Noah to Abram. And just as Noah became the father of 70 nations, so Abram would become the father of the Jewish people, through whom the Promised Seed – the Messiah and Savior of the world – would eventually come.

The Scenes include Haran, Canaan, Shechem, Bethel, Ai, Zoar, the Plain of the Jordan, Sodom, Gomorrah, Hebron, and Dan.

The Main Events include God’s promises to Abram, the big trip to a new Land, the Egyptian detour, Lot’s split-off, four kings against five, the Ishma’el episode, name changes, and the promise of Isaac’s birth. Unlike the two previous portions, whose contents spanned the centuries from Eden to Babel, Lech l’Cha (Get yourself out) focuses on the life of a single individual and his family, and covers perhaps two centuries at the most. However, even though the subject is limited to a few related people, the events are as far reaching as the Fall and the Flood.

After five years in Haran, ADONAI reminded Abram of what He originally had said to Abram back in the land of the Chaldeans: Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to (Hebrew: lech l’cha meaning get yourself going) the land I will show you (Genesis 12:1). Abram will hear those words again, when ADONAI tells him to go to the land of Moriah and offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering (Genesis 22: 2). It is hard to leave one’s country where one has all their associations. It is harder to leave one’s people, and still more to leave one’s father’s household. But that is what the LORD asked of Abram. From these words we discover a two-fold failure on Abram’s part. Three things were commanded him by God. First, he was to leave his country and the people living there. Abram obeyed the first command, but failed to obey the last two.

Sarai was sixty-five and Abram seventy-five when God first spoke to her husband. Whatever Abram thought about his call, it posed serious problems for her. The LORD had spoken to Abram about his calling and future, but He hadn’t said a word to her. ADONAI’s silence concerning Sarai must have chilled her to the bone. There was a nagging uncertainty that tugged at her heart all her life. Was there a place in God’s plan for her, or did He only care about her husband? Was there a blessing for Sarai also?

In her book, Lost Women of the Bible, Carolyn James reasons that God’s silence is one of the most discouraging experiences any believer can experience. She goes on to say, “We can persevere through just about anything as long as we sense the warmth of His presence and the reassuring comfort of His love. But courage melts and we are taken hostage by fear and hopelessness when the LORD seems far away. Those long stretches of unanswered prayer, the problems that only seem to get worse, the sleepless nights and anxious days, the endless waiting for God to show up can drive us to despair.” The psalmist lamented: For if You are silent, I might as well give up and die (Psalm 28:1 NLT).

Sarai suffered ADONAI’s stony silence for twenty-four years when we first meet up with her here, and who knows how many years of waiting and monthly disappointments before that. Deafening silence to her tears and pleas for a child. Only silence in the beautiful promises that never seemed to include her. Silence that only strengthened Sarai’s fears that God remembered Abram, but had forgotten her.

Secondly, he was to separate himself from his father and his father’s household. But why would the LORD ask Abram to separate himself from his father and his father’s household? It seems kind of mean-spirited. Joshua gives us the answer: Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods (Joshua 24:3). Terah was an idolater who worshiped the moon god sin. Both Haran and Ur of the Chaldeans were centers of moon worship. The names of the family actually show the influence of moon god worship. For example, the name Sari comes from the word sharratu, and means queen. This was the Akkadian manifestation of the Sumerian name of ningal, who was the wife of the moon god named sin. Milcah is from the Akkadian name milkatu, and means princess. In the mystery religions, milkatu had the title of Ishtar, who was the daughter of the moon god sin. Laben means white and it is also the poetic form for the full moon. So these various names like Sari, Milcah and Laben all show the influence of the worship of the moon god, reaffirming that Terah was an idolater.

And thirdly, he was to go to Canaan (11:31). But there had to be a death before Abram moved on to where ADONAI wanted him to go. So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. In this he was not obedient. Haran had been Terah’s original home and I am sure it was comforting to go back home. But there would be a time in the future when a follower of Jesus said to Him: I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family. Messiah told him: No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:61-62). By going back to Haran, both Terah and Abram were looking back! After the death of his father, God sent him to Canaan (Acts 7:4). The LORD doesn’t want anything to get between Him, His will for our lives, and us. Once when a follower of Christ said to Him: Lord, first let me go and bury my father, Yeshua told him: Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead (Matthew 8:21-22). But instead of leaving his father and family, he brought Terah and his nephew Lot with him. In this he was not obedient. Terah means delay, and Abram was stuck in Haran.²²⁶

One of the reasons that we find ourselves drawn to Abraham and his faith is the fact that he was every bit a human as we are. He did not have advanced theological degrees from a seminary, nor did he have holy, God-fearing parents to guide him and teach him. Yet, the Torah singles him our distinctly from his family as one of the remnant of his generation who would carry the godly line of humanity from Seth through to Noah. So, even though Abraham is known as the father of the faithful, he was still a sinner. He had shortcomings, and when called by ADONAI to go to Canaan, all he did was move up the river a bit and settled in Haran. But before we get too critical of Abram, we need to realize that is exactly what you and I do! We move up the river a bit. Maybe quite a bit. We are going to the Promised Land, but we still have one foot in the world. Abram would not allow God to deal with him until there was a funeral in his life. When his father died (11:32), then he was obedient. Is there a thing, an idea, a trapping, or an entanglement that needs to die before you can follow God completely? Do you need a funeral?

The writer to the Hebrews tells us: By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going (Hebrews 11:8a). It is beautiful to note that when we come to the New Covenant Abram’s disobedience at Haran is not even mentioned. It is his entering into the Promised Land that is emphasized. That is what Messiah does for those who, like Abraham, believe in Him by faith (John 5:24). He blots out their transgressions and remembers their sins no more (Isaiah 43:25).

By faith Abraham made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. Nahor built a city (24:10), but Abraham lived in tents. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:9b). He knew that this world was not his home, and he lived as an alien and a stranger in the world (First Peter 2:11). Even though he was wealthy, he kept a light touch on the things of this world. The only things Abraham built were altars (12:7-8, 13:18, 22:9). Are you looking to build a city or an altar?

So ADONAI had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the Land I will show you” (12:1). The Lord’s commands are rarely accompanied with reasons but they are always accompanied with promises. And so it was in Abram’s case.²²⁷

This is the first of seven times that Abraham receives direct revelation from ADONAI (here, 13:14-17, 15:1-21, 17:1-21, 18:1-33, 21:12-13 and 22:1-18). These three verses are the beginning of Abraham’s friendship with God. This is his unique title and he is referred to as the friend of the LORD three times in Scripture (Second Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23). He is the only one who has it and to this day the Arabs call Abraham El Khalil, the friend of God.

What we have next is the Great Commission. Most believers think Jesus gave the Great Commission first. Actually, He reviewed the Great Commission. The Great Commission is the story of the Bible. It starts in Genesis, runs through the TaNaKh and flows into the B’rit Chadashah. It’s a cohesive theme, unifying all sixty-six books of the Bible to form one story: The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob desires to see all the peoples of the earth reached through the message of redemption.²²⁸

The LORD said: I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you (12:2a). The nation of Isra’el would someday bless all other nations. ADONAI would bless Abraham both materially and spiritually. The implication here is that Abram would have a son. It was an unconditional promise. He said: I will make your name great, and Abraham’s name is great to this day. Three of the world’s great religions honor him: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. So what the builders of the Tower of Babel wanted for themselves, to make a name for ourselves (11:4), The LORD now promised individually to Abraham. This is the first of five times that God confirms His covenant with Abraham (here, 13:14-17, 15:7-21, 17:1-8 and 22:15-18).

But more importantly Abram must be more than a recipient; ADONAI said that Abraham would be a blessing (12:2b). Therefore, with every top line blessing comes a bottom line responsibility. As he was blessed, he would become a blessing to others. This promise has justifiably been regarded as one of the first promises of the coming Savior, who would bring salvation to all nations. The LORD had long ago made it clear that the Savior would be born into the human family as the Seed of the woman (3:15), and now it became clear to Abram that this would be accomplished through his own family.²²⁹

God also promised protection, saying: I will bless those who bless you (12:3). Those who blessed Abraham would be blessed and those who blessed the Jews will be blessed (Numbers 24:9). And whoever curses you I will curse (12:3a). Those who cursed Abraham would be cursed, and later those who cursed Israel would be cursed (Numbers 24:9). The phrase whoever curses you is a Hebrew word kalal that means to treat lightly, to hold in contempt, or to curse. So one who curses you in this concept holds you in contempt by treating you lightly. And ADONAI says if people curse Abraham and his descendants like that, I will curse them. In English curses and curse mean the same thing. But in Hebrew they do not. When the LORD says I will curse, the word is aor, from the Hebrew arah, which means to impose a barrier or to ban. This is a much stronger word than whoever curses you. It literally means the one who treats you lightly I must curse. So even a slight curse against Abraham or the Jews will bring a strong curse from God. The Jewish nation has certainly been blessed and protected in a marvelous way through the centuries (see my commentary on the book of Esther, to see link click Bg – The Jews Were Delivered from Haman’s Evil Plot).

The climax is this: And all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3b and Acts 3:25). Abraham was to become a channel of blessing to the whole world. This will extend to the Gentiles (Romans 11:11-24). The Scriptures foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you” (Galatians 3:8). They are the ones to whom Abraham will be a blessing. This is the one promise that goes beyond Isra’el. This will be reaffirmed to all the patriarchs, later it is reaffirmed to Abraham in 22:15 and 18,it is reaffirmed to Isaac in 26:3-4, and to Jacob in 28:14. This blessing would be accomplished through the seed of Abraham, the Messiah. As the prophets pointed out, it is through Him that the Gentiles will receive spiritual blessings (Isaiah 42:1, 6, 49:5-6 and Amos 9:11).

ADONAI would reach out to all the other nations of the earth by establishing a reputation for Himself through His chosen people, Isra’el. They would have special commandments to live by that would make them different from all the nations around them. They were supposed to be different, holy, set apart for the LORD, just like us, believers in the Messiah, are to live holy lives, set apart for Him. But like Isra’el, when we live like the rest of the world lives, we make others stumble and drag God’s name through the mud. We have a bottom line responsibility to let others see Jesus Christ through our lives.

Abram was not a visionary, not a sage immersed within mystical contemplation, not a learned philosopher, not a fanatic or exalted prophet. He was, quite simply, a man, a seeker after truth with a generous heart and a fervent soul. Abram’s religion was not limited to prayers, beliefs, rituals, or mortifications. It was first and foremost made up of devotion, ceaseless devotion despite all obstacles. Abram’s faith demanded the complete self.

The Dispensation of Promise
Genesis 12:1 to Exodus 18:27

The fourth dispensation is given two names: the Dispensation of Promise or the Dispensation of Patriarchal Rule. The first name emphasizes that God was revealing Himself by making a specific series of promises. This dispensation gets its name from four Renewed Covenant passages: Romans 4:1-26, Galatians 3:15-19. Hebrews 6:13-15 and 11:9. All four passages emphasize a promise to Abraham. The second name emphasizes the fact that the LORD is ruling by means of His patriarchs, primarily Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

There are seven dispensations described in the Bible: (1) the Dispensation of Innocence or Freedom (Genesis 1:28 to 3:5); (2) the Dispensation of Conscience or Self-Determination (Genesis 3:6 to 8:14), (3) the Dispensation of Civil Government (Genesis 8:15 to 11:32), (4) the Dispensation of Promise or Patriarchal Rule (Genesis 12:1 to Exodus 18:27), (5) the Dispensation of Torah (Exodus 19:1 to Acts 1:26), (6) the Dispensation of Grace (Acts 2:1 to Revelation 19:21), and (7) the Dispensation of the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom (Isaiah 4:2-6, 11:1 to 12:6, 54:11-17, 60:1-22).

The chief person in this dispensation is Abraham. He stands as the head of this new age and he was given new divine revelation that became the basis of a new dispensation.

Mankind’s responsibility was to believe in the promises of God. Although they may not be seen now, they were to believe in, trust in, and have faith in His promises. Abraham, of course, is our example. We are told in 15:6 that Abram believed the LORD, he had faith in the promises of ADONAI, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

The test during that dispensation was to stay in the Land that God had brought them.

The failure is seen in the tendency to leave the Land. For example, Abraham left the land in Genesis 12 and got himself into trouble. Later Jacob also left the Land and got his descendants into trouble. Isaac was contemplating leaving the Land in Genesis 26 when God warned him against doing so. Failure was also seen on the part of the Israelites because of their consistent tendency to leave the land. The brothers of Joseph sold him to someone who would make him a slave in Egypt.

Ultimately the judgment for their failure to stay in the land was slavery in Egypt.

Grace was seen in the fact that the nation of Isra’el was preserved whether they were in the land or outside of the land. God continued to guard the Seed of the Woman (3:15), who would come through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.²²⁵

The Purpose of the First Eleven Chapters of Genesis
1:1 to 11:29

The first eleven chapters in the book of Genesis record those events and circumstances that were necessary for the call of Abraham, the patriarchs and the nation of Isra’el in the first place. Human sin had become so severe that it threatened to undo God’s good creation. There were several examples of this. After the Fall (3:1-24), Cain murdered his brother Abel (4:1-15). The Flood came because every inclination of the thoughts of mankind’s heart was only evil all the time (6:5). But no matter how widespread sin becomes, God’s grace preserves a means of saving mankind from the full consequences of sin. The primeval history reached its climax as man prepared to build a monument to Himself. This led the LORD to say: nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them (11:6). The combination of the Babel story with the genealogy of Shem, culminating in Abram, emphatically makes the point that the call of Abraham constitutes the divine response to the human condition, a response of grace channeled through the Hebrew people, an Israelite nation, and a Jewish Savior, the Seed of the woman (3:15), Yeshua the Messiah.²²³

There is a sequence of blessing-sin-grace that is clearly seen throughout the book of Genesis. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are blessed with promises from God, and in spite of their failures, Elohim guards His promises until they find their fulfillment in the nation of Isra’el. Nevertheless, the sin problem in Genesis 1-11 is shown to be worldwide, so that all of us may understand our own personal problem with sin. None of us are exempt. But God’s grace runs like an undercurrent throughout the whole eleven chapters. He always maintains a means of escape. The promise to Adam and Eve that their offspring would confront and ultimately conquer the offspring of the serpent is still a reality today. As we travel through the book of Genesis, we will learn the means of escape. Through the line of Shem and Terah, He prepared, at long last, for the Messiah and His triumph over sin and evil. And just as the sin problem is both universal and personal, so is the solution. The LORD will pay the price and buy us back through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is not only the solution for the world; it is also the solution for you and me.²²⁴

Terah Became the Father of Abram, Nahor and Haran
11: 27-32

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran DIG: Why do you think Abram and Terah settled in Haran instead of Canaan? What kind of a turn does the book take at this point?

REFLECT: Is there a delay in your spiritual life? How so? Does there need to be a funeral in your life before you can move on to what the Lord wants you to do?

ADONAI puts the spotlight on one particular family. Terah kept the patriarchal records received from Shem, and he completed his family record when he wrote: This is the account of Terah (11:27a). The next writer, presumably Isaac (25:19), continued the family tree with information he received from his father Abraham.

Terah was a descendant of Shem and the father of Abram (whose name will later be changed to Abraham in 17:5), Nahor and Haran. Abram was the youngest son, born sixty years after Haran, the eldest. But he is placed first in this list because of his importance (like Ephraim before Manasseh), since Abram was the LORD’s chosen instrument. The analogy of ADONAI’s choice of the younger of the sons of Adam, Isaac, Joseph, and Jesse suggests the probability that Abram was Terah’s youngest son.²¹⁹ And Haran became the father of Lot (11:27b). Lot is mentioned here because of the role that he will play later in Genesis.

While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died prematurely in Ur of the Chaldeans, or the capital of Sumer, in the land of his birth (11:28). This is mentioned because it emphasizes the relationship that developed between Abram and Lot. When his father died, Lot came under the authority of his uncle. Therefore, Lot became very attached to his Uncle Abram, and Abram became his guardian.

Abram and his brother Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai (whose name will later be changed to Sarah). She was the daughter of Terah by another woman, so she was Abram’s half sister (20:12). She was named after Sharratu, the Queen wife of the moon god named sin. And the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. She was his niece, the daughter of his brother Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah (11:29).

Sarai makes her first appearance near the end of one of those long genealogies we tend to skip over when reading through the Bible. We see that her name drops early clues that Sarai was overlooked when we read them (art by Sarah Beth Baca: see more information on Links and Resources).

With the words: This is the account of Terah (11:27a), the focus of the biblical history narrows to a single family in Ur of the Chaldeans, in Mesopotamia, which is somewhere in southern Iraq. From there, the story fans out in three directions through Terah’s sons, Abram, Nahor and Haran, and their descendants. This is a genealogy of hope because, through Abraham, God began his plan of redemption that would eventually culminate in the birth of the Messiah. The sons separated and went their separate ways only to be reunited generations later when Abraham’s male descendants (Isaac, Jacob and Boaz) married female descendants of his brothers (Rebekah, Leah, Rachel and Ruth).

You would think Terah would have something positive to say about what appears to be his only daughter, his princess, or Sarai. Instead, she is only identified as Abram’s wife, not her higher ranking position as Terah’s daughter, implying that her only connection to the family was by marriage. This reflected the patriarchal culture, where daughters had less value than sons and a woman’s identity was tied to her husband. Sarah’s true place in the family wasn’t revealed until some twenty-four years later when her husband got into a tight spot and spread the word that she was his sister (which was a half lie because they were half siblings with different mothers).

Then in words that send a dagger right through her heart, the Holy Spirit inspired the human author Moses to write: Now Sarai was barren; she had no children (11:30). This statement defined Sarai. It exposed an open wound and at the same time fundamentally eliminating her from the big things the LORD was doing in her family. As we learned from Mrs. Noah (6:18b), in the ancient world the value of a woman was measured merely by counting her sons. By this measurement, Sarai scored a big zero. According to the family genealogy Sarai had two strikes against her. She was a woman in a man’s world, and she was barren. Everyone seemed to have a role in ADONAI’s plan except Sarai. She seemed to have no direction.

Sarai’s barrenness is noted at this time, so it can be shown that Abram, unlike Haran and Nahor (22:20-24), had no children in either Ur or Mesopotamia. The child of promise, Isaac, must be born in the Land of Promise.²²⁰

Probably after Haran’s death and the marriage of Abram, Terah took his son Abram, his grandson, Lot, son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. Nahor apparently stayed behind in Ur with Milcah. Later Nahor founded a city near Haran (22:20-24, 24:10 and 15, 27:43, 28:2, and 29:4). This was the first crisis in the life of Abraham. There can be no doubt that the LORD had called Abram to go to Canaan and leave Ur of the Chaldeans (12:1). But he obeyed only in part because he settled in the city of Haran instead of going to the Promised Land (11:31). Terah means delay, and his accompanying Abram resulted in a delay of at least five years in Haran, which means parched. This is the first of four failures by Abram. The time he spent in Haran was time wasted. ADONAI never appeared to him again until he had moved into the Promised Land of Palestine.

Islam teaches that the first Muslim on earth was not Muhammad but Abraham, who was totally submitted to Allah. They also teach that Islam, as a way of life, had also been revealed to Adam and Noah. They teach that Abraham was born in Ur of the Chaldeans and could not be a Jew. First, because Ur of the Chaldeans was in Mesopotamia, which is now part of Iraq. Secondly, they say the name Jew came after the existence of Judah, the great-grandson of Abraham. For these reasons, they say that Abraham was more of an Arab than he was a Jew. In Surah 3:67 it says, “Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim and he worshiped none other but Allah alone.”

Haran was apparently a settlement that had been established by Terah’s son Haran, or to which at least his name had become attached. The family was originally from there before they moved to Ur of the Chaldeans. Ur was in the lower reaches of the Euphrates, on the Persian Gulf. Originally, before the centuries of delta deposits that have since formed downstream, it was actually a great seaport. Haran was perhaps six hundred miles northwest, whereas Canaan was about six hundred miles due west.²²¹ Ur means flame and Chaldeans means destruction. Abram was called from the flame of destruction to the Land of Promise. But he delayed and moved to Haran where it was spiritually parched.

When the family got to Haran, Terah didn’t want to leave it again and he chose to go no further. The family stayed there until his death. Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran (11:32). It is not unusual for Moses to phase out someone who is no longer relevant to the story before proceeding to the main character. This bit of history is given to let us know that we are now going to follow Abram, who is now the main character.

It is at this point that the book of Genesis, and for that matter the entire Bible, takes a turn. There is a great Grand Canyon that goes right down through the book of Genesis. The first eleven chapters are on one side, and the last thirty-nine chapters are on the other side. The first eleven chapters cover over 2,000 years and are extremely condensed. They are the foundation on which the rest of the book is built. The last thirty-nine chapters cover only about 350 years. Now Moses puts the spotlight on the origin of one nation, the Jewish nation of Isra’el.²²²

Haftarah Noach: Yesha’yaku (Isaiah) 54:1-55:5 (A); 54:1-10 (S)
[Messianic adaptation: commence the reading at 52:13]
(see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

Great joy and jubilation are destined for Zion! No more will she be exiled, reduced in numbers, and forsaken by ADONAI (Isaiah 54:1). The Holy One of Isra’el is still married, and He would never disown Isra’el, whom He compares to the wife of His youth (Isaiah 54:6). Briefly I abandoned you (Isaiah 54:7), but just like Noah’s Flood would never again cover the earth, so now I swear that never again will I be angry with you or rebuke you (Isaiah 54:9). YHVH envisions a glorious Jerusalem, with foundations, windows, gates and walls of precious stones (Isaiah 54:11-12; Revelation 21:9-27). He Himself will personally teach all the children of Zion (Isaiah 54:13; John 6:45). The Covenant of a dynasty and Kingdom among the nations now becomes the sacred heritage of Isra’el among the nations (Isaiah 55:4-5).

B’rit Chadashah suggested readings for Parashah Noach:
Mattityahu (Matthew) 24:36-44; Like 17:26-37; Acts 2:1-16;
First Kefa (First Peter) 3:18-22; Second Kefa (Second Peter) 2:5

The unexpectedness of the coming Messiah is stated most clearly! But when that day and hour will come, no one knows – not the angels in heaven, not the Son, only the Father (Matthew 24:36). Those who dismiss Yeshua’s return by saying He delays are listening to an evil heart (Matthew 24:48). Be warned! If you decide to eat and drink with drunkards, you will be cut in two – as an animal sacrificed to start a covenant (Exodus 29:17-18). With weeping and gnashing of teeth, you will sorrow for all eternity (Matthew 24:51). Remember . . . the Flood came unexpectedly and caught many by surprise, except the vigilant Noah (Matthew 24:37-42). So also, the Second Coming will catch many by surprise. Therefore, be ready all the time. ADONAI will set the faithful and sensible servant in charge of all of his property – blessed be that servant (Matthew 24:43-47).

The Written Account of the Generations of Terah
11:27 to 25:11

Moses edited and compiled eleven family documents in the book of Genesis. The major structural word for Genesis is toldot, which means the written account of, or this is what became of these men and their descendants. The noun is often translated generations, histories or descendants. After the section on the written account of the generations of Shem from 11:10 to 11:26, we have the seventh toldot, the written account of the generations of Terah. The previous toldot went from the curse of the Tower of Babel to the blessing of the beginning of God’s program. Therefore, what this seventh family document tells us is what became of Terah. And what became of Terah was Abraham: God’s covenant with Abraham and God’s plan for blessing.

Abraham would become the father of the faithful. But beforehand, God would bring him through four very definite crises, each of which was designed to build his faith. First, he was called to leave his homeland, Ur of the Chaldeans. He was to leave his family. That would be a real test for him and he didn’t do very well at first, but, nevertheless, he eventually left. Second, he was asked to separate from his nephew Lot. Abraham loved Lot, but the time would come when they would have to separate, and Lot would go down to Sodom. Third, he will be tested by being asked to separate from his boy, the son of Hagar, Ishmael. He would love that boy and would hate to be separated from him, but out of obedience, Abraham would send him away. Finally, Abraham would come to his supreme test, the fourth great crisis in his life. He would be asked to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise, as a sin offering. He wouldn’t understand it, but he would be willing to go through with it. And Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son as a sin offering on Mount Moriah would become a picture of God the Father’s willingness to sacrifice His only Son as a sin offering on Mount Calvary.

The Written Account of the Generations of Shem
11: 10-26

Moses edited and compiled eleven family documents in the book of Genesis. The major structural word for Genesis is toldot, which means the written account of, or this is what became of these men and their descendants. The noun is often translated generations, histories or descendants. After the section on the written account of the sons of Noah from 10:1 to 11:9, we have the sixth toldot, the written account of the generations of Shem. The previous toldot went from the blessing of saving Noah and his family to the curse of the Tower of Babel. Therefore, what this sixth family document tells us is what became of the descendants of Shem. And what became of the descendants of Shem was they went from the curse of the Tower of Babel to the blessing of the beginning of God’s program. This toldot begins the second division of the book of Genesis and focuses on the development of the nation of Isra’el through four men: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

Shem had apparently kept the record from 10:1 through 11:9, covering the descendants of Ham and Japheth through the third generation after the Flood and some of his own descendants through the sixth. This included the Tower of Babel and the dispersion of languages, which apparently occurred in the fourth generation after the Flood, shortly before the birth of Peleg.²¹⁶

This toldot is really an introduction to the story of Abraham. This is the preface to the history of Isra’el. At this point mankind has been tested three times. He has been tested in the garden of Eden, tested by the Flood and tested at the Tower of Babel. So man was ready for a new start. Therefore, we now move from a universal history, to a national history. A transition from many families and lands, as mentioned in 10:5, 20, 31-32, to one family 11:20-26, 27-32, and one Land 12:1-3.

The meaning of the name Shem is name. And two years after the Flood he became the father of Arphaxad. Shem lived 600 years and Arphaxad lived 438 years. Each of the patriarchs presumably had as many daughters as sons, even though their names are not given. (It is at this point in his genealogy that the account in Luke adds the name Cainan. Luke did not come up with this on his own. It was also mentioned in the Septuagint and the Book of Jubilee. But more importantly, he was under the influence of the Holy Spirit as he wrote his gospel. So, evidently, there was another line). Then Shelah, or the sent one, was born. He lived 433 years. Eber, which means to cross over, lived 464 years. Then Peleg was born. His name means division, and it was at his birth that the dispersion at the Tower of Babel took place. He lived 239 years. Reu, meaning friend or neighbor, was next and he also lived 239 years. Then Serug was born and lived 230 years. After him, Nahor was born and his name means river. He lived 148 years. Then Terah was born, and his name means moon. He lived 205 years. And finally, Abraham was born; his name means exalted father, and he lived 175 years. Therefore, there are ten generations in this account.

It is clear, in comparing Chapters 5 and 11 that patriarchal longevity began to decline immediately after the Flood. Noah lived 950 years (about the same as his antediluvian forbears), but Shem lived 600 years, Arphaxad 438 years, Peleg 239 years, Terah, Abraham’s father, lived 205 years, and by the time we get to Abraham himself, he lived “only” 175 years.

It seems evident that the Flood must have triggered this decline. The radiation–filtering vapor canopy had been destroyed, and both genetic (DNA) and somatic (body cell) mutations must have increased significantly. Though it would no doubt take a number of generations before the effect of mutations in the genetic system would have caused a significant impact on hereditary longevity, the increase in body cell mutations would have caused an immediate acceleration of the aging process. Other factors might have included the more rugged environment, inadequate nourishment in the food, inbreeding, or greater stress of living.²¹⁷

In addition, Chapter 5 lists the line of Adam to Noah, or ten generations and then concludes with three sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Chapter 11:10-16 traces the line from Shem to Abram, or ten generations, and then concludes with three sons of Terah: Abram, Nahor and Haran. It is not said of any of the following generations in this chapter that they died, as it does of the first ten generations from Adam to Noah. The reason is that all those generations had died by the time of the Flood, which is the culmination of that section of Scripture. All these generations, on the other hand, were still alive when Abraham sought to lead man to the worship of the God of love, the account of which is the central feature of this section.

There are only three generations from Adam to Isaac and Jacob. The first generation was Adam to Lamech because Adam was living when Lamech was born. Then from Lamech to Shem because Lamech was living when Shem was born, and then from Shem to Isaac and Jacob because Shem was living when Isaac and Jacob were born. So, it is interesting to note that there were no gaps to account for “dinosaur years.” The language simply does not allow for gaps and the billions of years needed for evolution.

We are about to enter a new section of Genesis in which we will read of individual patriarchs and their continuation of the divine promise. The call of Abraham was not by chance. He stood in a long line of those who received the blessing and promises of the LORD: Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah and Shem. If you come from a line of faithful and devoted believers, you should pause right now to give thanks for their influence on your life. If that is not your background, pray that you will some day pass the torch of faith to others, who will also serve and please ADONAI.²¹⁸

Let Us Go Down and Confuse Their Language
11: 5-9

Let us go down and confuse their language DIG: What does the LORD do in this passage? Why? How would confusing their language aid in fulfilling the first Great Commission (12:1-3)? What do you learn about judgment and mercy from these verses?

REFLECT: How is unity in the Messiah (see Ephesians Chapters 1 and 2) different from the unity at the Tower of Babel? Where are you feeling scattered or confused? Why might that be?

Normally the LORD allows men and nations to pursue their own ways without supernatural interference on His part. In other words, we can say no to God and make it stick. Man is free and responsible; and though he will eventually suffer the consequences of his evil deeds, Elohim is long-suffering. Therefore, ungodliness often seems to thrive without His interference in the affairs of men. But there have been a few occasions on which the accomplishment of ADONAI’s very purposes for the world became so endangered that divine intervention was required. The antediluvian corruption was one such example (6:1-8), and the rebellion at Babel was another.²⁰⁹

Just as 8:1 is the hinge of the Flood story, so this is the hinge of the Babel account: But Elohim came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building (11:5). This is anthropomorphism. God did not need to do this, but the purpose is to teach us that a judge must not condemn the accused until he has seen for Himself. No matter how high man built his tower, Ha’Shem still had to come down to see it. This shows that He is interested in the affairs of man. But the LORD is so high and man is so small by comparison that He has to come down to get a better look. This section deals totally with the judgment of God in response to the rebellion of man in the previous four verses. Before this verse, there was only human activity and after this verse there is only divine activity. As always, ADONAI has the final word.²¹⁰

The Tower that they built was a religious symbol called a ziggurat. It had a square base and sloping, stepped sides with a small shrine on top. They were often painted with blue enamel in order to make them blend in, in their minds, with the heavenly home of one or more of their gods. They believed that the gods would briefly live in the shrine when they came down to meet with the people. The people would climb up the side of the ziggurat all the way to the top in the hope that the gods would condescend to meet with them.

The story of Jacob’s dream at Bethel (28:12) refers to a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven. In the same way, here they built a tower that reached to the heavens (11:4). Other towers in Mesopotamia had similar names and served the same purpose. The one at Asshur was called the House of the Mountain of the Universe, Borsippa’s tower was called the House of the Seven Guides of Heaven and Earth, and Larsa’s people knew theirs as the House of the Link Between Heaven and Earth. The tower at Babel was referred to by the Babylonians themselves as the House of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth.²¹¹

The LORD said: It is as one people speaking the same Hebrew language they have begun to do this (11:6a). The rabbis teach that all their advantages, which they were using ungratefully, arose from the fact that they were one people and spoke one language. But this was only the beginning, only the first act of rebellion. More rebellion would follow and they would sin in many other ways as well. Then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them (11:6b). Two uncommon words are used here, both of which are found only where Job is responding to the LORD. He says: No plan of yours can be thwarted (Job 42:2). The first word is batzar, which means to thwart and is translated as ‘be impossible’ here. The second word is zamah, which means to purpose and is translated, ‘they plan to do.‘ Both of these verses make the same point. In Job, nothing or nobody can restrain or thwart the workings of God. And here, He states that nothing will be able to restrain or thwart the workings of mankind unless their initial building project, a threat to the divine will and rule, is halted.²¹² The rabbis interpret this verse to mean with such unity they will enthrone idolatry for all time, so that no man will ever be able to turn to the worship or the true God. Basic to everything was their ability to communicate with each other.

Therefore, Elohim said: Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other (11:7). The LORD takes their scheme quite seriously. God cannot ignore this rebellion, for it is rebellion against Him.²¹³ This is the second time He comes down, but this time He comes down to thwart man’s purpose. By using the word us, it implies a plurality in the Godhead. Because Jews do not believe in the Trinity, so the rabbis interpret this to mean the LORD was talking to the angels. But the purpose of their coming down was to confuse their language. Literally, the Hebrew reads: they will not hear a man, the language of his friend. In 11:3 they said to each other, “Come let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” But here they will not hear a man, the language of his friend. The point is that what they could do before, they will no longer be able to do. Knowing the evil in their hearts, the LORD of mercy moved to protect them from even more evil schemes.

But why not simply topple the tower? Because that would solve the problem only temporarily. Towers are replaceable. Even if the people did not build another tower, they could choose another equally arrogant project. The answer must be deeper than that. It is not the tower that must be done away with, but what makes possible the building of the tower – an international language that provides communication among them. If this ability to communicate is removed, it is unlikely that the individuals will continue with their work.²¹⁴ The next two verses show us the results.

Not content to confuse their language, the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth. It seems that much more than egotism on the part of mankind was involved. God decided that as good as unity and harmony were, division and separation were better than collective sin and apostasy. This is how the dispersion of 10:5, 20, 31 and 32 was accomplished. What they feared actually happened. The tower was probably finished, but they stopped building the city because they could not understand each other (11:8).

That is why it is called Babel – because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world (11:9a). What we have here is a play on words. The Akkadian word translated as Babel literally means gateway to a god, and this was a fitting description of what the ziggurat was intended to do. But the word Babel sounds enough like the Hebrew word balal, which means confused, to provide an opportunity for a play on words by Moses, the human writer. Despite the fact that the people called it babel, the gateway to god; God made a balal of it.

From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth (11:9b). The rabbis teach that this indicates that they have no portion in the world to come. For whose sin was greater, theirs or that of the generation of the Flood? The latter did not plan a rebellion against God, whereas these did; and yet the former were drowned while these were saved! The generation of the Flood, however, robbed and quarreled with each other, while these were united and acted with brotherly love toward each other. This demonstrates how hateful dissension is and how desirable peace is.

Babel was the reverse of the feast of Weeks (Acts 2). On that day the Holy Spirit restored order to the languages so that everyone together in one place understood each other. Today the Bible has gone out in more languages than any other book. It is still being translated into tongues and dialects and is being brought to literally hundreds of tribes throughout the world. The Gospel is for all mankind and the purpose for speaking in tongues at the feast of Weeks was to let the human race know that the LORD had answered the Tower of Babel problem. He had a plan of redemption for mankind now! The mission had been accomplished. It is no longer necessary for humans to try to work out their salvation on their own. They can listen to God’s message and turn to Him. The gospel is for you, whoever you are and whatever language you speak. It’s for you. It’s for all the nations of the world. We are told in the final book of the Bible that there will be gathered into His presence a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language (Revelation 7:9).²¹⁵ At that time the LORD says that He will restore to the nations a pure language, that they all may call on the name of ADONAI for redemption and mercy and serve Him with one accord (Zephaniah 3:9).

Let Us Build a City and Make a Name for Ourselves
11: 1-4

Let us build a city and make a name for ourselves DIG: Why did the people of Shinar build that tower? What was their real motivation? Why is such unity wrong? What is Humanism? Who was Nimrod and what did he start? What is the inevitable fate of all such man made schemes?

REFLECT: What is the lesson here for empire-building? For human ambition? For who to follow? Is that also true for pastors or messianic rabbis?

As might be expected, the survivors of the Flood spoke only one language. Now the whole world had one language, the Hebrew literally means of one lip, a common speech and vocabulary (11:1). As we have already seen, that language was Hebrew, as all names were Hebrew names prior to this chapter. In addition, all the word plays have only made sense in Hebrew. This chapter explains why the dispersion of Chapter 10 took place.

As men moved eastward from Ararat and the Armenia-Turkish area, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there (11:2). Their descendants eventually moved to Shinar (an ancient name for Babylonia) and settled there. It was there they decided to rebel against Elohim. Led by Nimrod, his fellow rebels decided to build a city and a tower in order to make a name for themselves as well as to demonstrate their sense of unity. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar (11:3). If they had been living in Palestine, they would have used stone and mortar as building materials, but since they were in Babylonia they used brick and tar. There was very little stone available for use in building in ancient Mesopotamia, as the brick structures routinely excavated by archaeologists in that part of the world so vividly illustrate.²⁰⁴

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city.” This was the counsel of the princes, to make Nimrod king over the whole human race. This desire to build a city existed even before the Flood. Cain was building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch (4:17b). Here again we have the building of a city connected with those who were evidently apathetic toward God. At first it was not so much wickedness as it was indifference. He was not in their life. But, as is always the case, from indifference soon came rebellion. Whenever a religious system glorifies humanity, it takes the focus off of ADONAI and turns their focus inward. It is not long before they minimize the LORD and make Him nothing. Culture, civilization, intellect and progress are all gifts from God to us. And when people are yielded to ADONAI they become a blessing. But when they are not handed over to Elohim who gave them in the first place, but are kept for mankind’s own power and authority, they lead people further and further away from Him and become a curse.²⁰⁵ A self-reliant society, under the power of a gifted leader, would be a society no longer dependent upon God. This was Nimrod’s aim.

In addition, the people of Shinar wanted to build a tower that reaches to the heavens (11:4a). The great tower would dominate the city, both architecturally and culturally. It would serve as the focal point of the political and religious life of the population, and would be a symbol of their unity and strength.²⁰⁶ The Hebrew name Babylon is Babel, which means the gate of God. The Tower of Babel was not a monument to the one true God, but to prideful mankind. It reveals man’s arrogant, defiant, rebellious attitude against ADONAI. And because they wanted to shut God out, His name is appropriately absent from this section. Therefore, the Babel of the earth is set against the Jerusalem in heaven; the city of man opposed to the city of God. True unity is based upon the LORD and upon spiritual life in Him. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6).

What was their real motivation? So that we may make a name for ourselves. This was nothing more than open rebellion against Elohim. Humility is often equated with trust and obedience, and conversely pride, as seen here, is related to independence and disobedience.²⁰⁷ The desire to make a name for oneself also existed before the Flood. The Nephilim were heroes of old, men of renown (6:4). At its most basic element, this is humanism and comes from the wrong motivation. Humanism starts with mankind putting self in the place of the LORD and eliminating Him from the center of our lives. Humanists do not believe in God. They become a god unto themselves. They believe that everyone has the right to determine their own destiny. They believe in situational ethics and have no concept of absolute authority. Their desire is to force God to bend to their will and are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight (see the commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Bi – Woe to Those who are Wise in Their Own Eyes).²⁰⁸

This prideful human achievement was nothing more than a return to Adam and Eve’s effort to be like God (3:5). Their ultimate desire, led by the Adversary, was to ascend above the tops of the clouds and make themselves like the Most High (Isaiah 14:14). In the pride of their hearts they wanted to say: I am a god (Ezeki’el 28:2). And by doing so they would be emulating their father the devil, who will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up on ADONAI’s Temple, proclaiming himself to be God (Second Thessalonians 2:4).

But their goal was thwarted and they were scattered over the whole face of the earth (11:4b). This was, of course, an act of rebellion against God in opposition with His Covenant with Noah (9:1 and 7). Confusion is always the inevitable fate of all such man made schemes.

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin quoted the King James Version of Psalm 127:1 when he said:Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it. He then continued, “I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.”

The Tower of Babel
11: 1-9

In this section, primeval history reaches its fruitless climax as man, conscious of his new abilities, prepares to glorify himself by his collective effort to build a monument to himself. The elements of the story are timelessly characteristic of the spirit of the world (First John 2:15-17).²⁰¹ This is a flashback narrative that gives us the reason for the scattering of the nations just described, and these two chapters link the time of Noah to the days of Abraham. The Flood had a worldwide impact on humanity, and so would the confusion of languages here at the Tower of Babel. Although the curtain had now been drawn, as it were, on his activities, there can be little doubt that the Adversary was still energetically working behind the scenes. He pressed his advantage, gained when he capitalized so well on the fatal weakness in Ham’s character, and soon gained the allegiance of his family in general and of Nimrod in particular (to see a video about Nimrod click here).²⁰²

Romans 1:18-32 graphically relates the resulting moral and spiritual decay of Nimrod and his followers. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). The result was the beginning of pantheism, or the belief that God is everything and everything is God; polytheism, or the belief in many gods; and idolatry, or the worshiping of idols. How much of this new religious system came by direct communication with Satan himself we do not know, but there is plentiful evidence that all forms of paganism have come initially from the Tower of Babel. The basic identity of the various gods and goddesses of Rome, Greece, India, Egypt, and other nations originated from the ancient Babylonian religion. Nimrod would be worshiped as a god. His wife Semiramis was worshiped as the Queen of Heaven (Jeremiah 17-19). Their son, Tammuz, was worshiped as the sun god (Ezeki’el 8:14-17). This religious system would later become MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ei – The Woman Who Sits on the Beast). These pagan deities were also identified with the stars and the planets.

Like everything else, the Destroyer of souls corrupts everything that is good and righteous on the earth. He takes the truth and turns it into lies. Indeed, Jesus calls him the father of lies (John 8:44). He has done this from the beginning (Chapter 3). And one of the greatest ancient counterfeit mythologies that he has unleashed on mankind is the study of the stars today. After the Tower of Babel the counterfeit religions of the world would be practiced continually and the LORD’s true message of salvation was distorted (see Lw – The Witness of the Stars).

The entire account of the Tower of Babel follows an antithetical structure. There is a parallelism, where the first letter is antithetical to the second letter, and so on, with the letter E being the turning point.

A The whole world had one language (11:1)

B They settled on the plain in Shinar (11:2)

C Man said: Come let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly (11:3)

D Man said: Let us build ourselves a city and make a name for ourselves (11:4)

E But the Lord came down to see (11:5)

D The Lord said: If they do this, nothing will be impossible for them (11:6)

C The Lord said: Come let us confuse their language (11:7)

B They were scattered from the plain of Shinar (11:8)

A The Lord confused the language of the whole world (11:9)

This section provides a fitting climax to primeval history. It describes the families of the earth hopelessly scattered throughout the then-known world. There was then no record of a mark for the fugitive (4:15), no rainbow in the clouds (9:13), and no ray of hope or token of grace. This leaves the reader looking for a solution. And after a connecting genealogy (11:10-26), that solution is provided. Out of the scattered nations of the world, ADONAI formed one nation that would become His channel of blessing. Consequently, God was not done with the human race. This chapter simply prepares the reader for the next step of the LORD’s plan, the calling of Abraham (12:1-9).²⁰³

These are the Clans of Noah’s Sons,
Who Spread Out Over the Earth
10: 32

These are the clans of Noah’s sons, who spread out over the earth REFLECT: What can you do about the division in the world today? It seems so out of control. What can you do on a personal level?

These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these, the nations spread out over the earth after the Flood. The total number of nations by all three brothers is seventy. Therefore, a common ancestor, Noah, through his three sons, Shem, Japheth and Ham, unites the human race. On the other hand, the human race is divided hopelessly by language, race, territory, and politics. The origin of this division is to be made known to us in the next chapter.

The Line of Shem
10: 21-31

The line of Shem DIG: What was significant about the descendants of Shem in relation to the Jewish people? Who was the key person to come through the line of Shem? Why was he so important? What is fundamental about the number seventy?

REFLECT: How could it be possible that the line of Shem has affected your life? If you had a son or a daughter, which line would you want them to be a part of spiritually? Japheth? Ham? Or Shem? Why? What can you do to make that a possibility? What is beyond your control?

Shem is the last brother discussed because he is the most crucial. Although his offspring included the Arabs, the line of faith in the LORD came through Shem and his descendants, the Hebrews. Shem lived 502 years after the Flood, and that means he lived until after Tara, Abraham’s father died. In fact, Noah lived until Tara was 128 years old. Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth. Although Eber occurs as a name far down the list among the Shemites (Semites), his importance is called to our attention early in the passage: Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber (10:21).¹⁹⁵ Eber in Hebrew is Ever and is the source of the word for Hebrew. So what this means is that Shem was the father of the Hebrews. And this is the main significance of his line. So, it is not just Shem that is crucial, but also Eber.

The five sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram (10:22). The first son was Elam. His descendants settled east of Babylon and later became part of Persia. Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, was the apparent leader of the confederacy that invaded Canaan during the days of Abram (14:4-5). The ancient city of Susa, or Shushan, east of Mesoptamia, was their capital. The Elamites apparently later merged with others, especially the Medes (descendants of Madai and therefore of Japheth), to form the Persian Empire.¹⁹⁶ The second son was Asshur. His descendants settled in the land of Assyria along the Tigris River and the capital of Asshur was Nineveh. These are the Semitic Assyrians who supplanted the Hamitic Assyrians in 10:11. The third son was Arphaxad. The Jewish historian Josephus refers to him and the Chaldeans, northeast of Nineveh. This is line that the Seed of the woman (3:15), or the Messiah, comes through, so this is the Seed son. The fourth son was Lud and his descendants settled in Lydia, in what is now western Turkey. And the fifth son was Aram. His descendants settled in Aramia between Damascus and the Euphrates River, better known today as Syria. By the time of Christ, Aramaic would be the common language for the leading nations of the ancient world, including Assyria and Babylonia. Some of the TaNaKh (portions of Dani’el and Ezra) were written in Aramaic, and it was the common spoken language among the Jews at the time of Christ.¹⁹⁷

The four sons of Aram (and the four grandsons of Shem) were Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech (10:23). Little is known about these four, but they are all Syrian tribes between Armenia and Mesopotamia. The first son was Uz. His descendants located in northwest Mesopotamia (22:21), and perhaps the same was the home of Job since Uz is mentioned as Job’s home in Job 1:1. It may also be the same as the land of Uz in Jeremiah 25:20. The second son was Hul. Josephus locates him in Armenia, but more likely he was located in the region of Leja. The third son was Gether. His specific location is unknown, but Josephus put him in Bactria, in northeast Afghanistan. The fourth son was Meshech. Again the specific location is again unknown, but puts his descendants, the Mesena, at the mouth of the Euphrates. The rest of this section focuses on the line of Arphaxad because he was the Seed son.

Shem’s third son Arphaxad, was the father of Shelah. Where he settled is unknown, but he is mentioned in the Septuagint and the book of Jubilee as being the father of Cainan. They both say that Arphaxad was the father of Cainan, and Cainan was the father of Shelah. So in both of these extra-biblical books Cainan was between Arphaxad and Shelah. And indeed this was the order written by Luke. He writes that Shelah was the son of Cainan, and Cainan was the son of Arphaxad (Luke 35-36). Luke knew of Cainan from these other records at that time.

Then the Bible tells us that Shelah, or Shem’s grandson, was the father of Eber, Shem’s great-grandson (10:24). The descendants of Eber settled in Ur of the Chaldeans (11:31), Haran (11:27) and Paddan Aram (25:20) – for he is the father of the Hebrews.

Two of Shem’s great, great grand sons were born to Eber; one was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided. This was an extremely important event and Eber named his son in commemoration of it. The word peleg means division because the language division at the Tower of Babel occurred during the time of his birth. Therefore, the division of languages at Babel happened five generations after the Flood. His brother was named Joktan (10:25), which means the younger son, and he lived in southern Arabia.

Joktan was the father of thirteen sons and eventually thirteen nations. The fact that all of Joktan’s sons are listed, and none of Peleg’s may suggest that Shem (the probable author of this section) was living near Joktan at the time and so was more familiar with the names of his sons than of those of his other descendants. In any case, these names were more prominent in the day in which this was written than they have been in later times.¹⁹⁸

His first four sons were Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, and Jerah (10:26), all of which also became Arabian tribes. The first son was Almodad. His descendants were a south Arabian people of the tribe of Al-Mudad. The second son was Sheleph. His descendants were also a south Arabian people of the tribe of Sulaf in Yeman. The third son was Hazarmaveth and his descendants located in Saudi Arabia. His name is preserved in the term Hadhramautic, which is one of the most important dialects of the South Arabic language. And the fourth son was Jerah.

The fifth son was Hadoram. His descendants located in the Adramitae in South Arabia. The sixth son was Uzal; this was the old name for modern Sanqa, which is the capital of Yemen. The seventh son was Diklah, which means date-palm grove. His descendants also settled in the area of the Yemen (10:27).

The eighth son was Obal; his descendants also settled in south Arabia or Yemen (10:28). The ninth son was Abimael, but nothing about him is known. The tenth son was Sheba. His descendants became the Sabians (from Seba) of southwest Arabia, and were also listed as part of Ham’s line in 10:7.

The eleventh son was Ophir. His descendants settled in Somalia, which was famous for its gold (First Chronicles 29:4; Second Chronicles 8:18; Job 22:24, 28:16; and Psalm 45:9). The twelfth son was Havilah and he settled on the west coast of Arabia, north of Yemen. He was also mentioned in Ham’s line in 10:7. The thirteenth son was Jobab, who settled in southwest Saudi Arabia. It is also the town of Juhaibab in the area of Mecca. All were sons of Joktan (10:29).

The borders of the region where they lived stretched from Mesha, the western border, toward Sephar, the eastern border, in the eastern hill country (10:30).

These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations (10:31). There are a total of twenty-six nations that cover six generations.

In Chapter 10, the Hebrew word eretz, or land is used fourteen times (2X7). The Hebrew word bnei, or the sons of is used 14 times (2X7). The Hebrew words avi, or the father of, banim, or son, toldot, or the generations of, and yalad, or the offspring of are used 28 times (4X7). In addition, when we add up the nations that came from Shem, Ham and Japheth, we discover a very intriguing fact: The total number is seventy (fourteen from Japheth, thirty from Ham and twenty-six from Shem). This is a further example of the significance of the number seven that we have observed so often up to this point in Genesis (to see link click Ae – The Number Seven). But it is more. It would also seem to be an anticipation of the number of the members of Jacob’s family in Egypt, who were seventy in all (Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5). The seventy nations of Chapter 10 are conveniently summarized in First Chronicles 1:5-23, where they are listed in the same exact order.¹⁹⁹

From this point on, the number seventy will be particularly associated with the nation of Isra’el. Thus the angel Gabriel would say: seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people (Dani’el 9:24), and Isra’el’s history can be understood within a framework of successive cycles of seventy ‘sevens.’ Isra’el was led by seventy elders (Numbers 11:16 and 25) and later there were seventy members of the Jewish Supreme Court (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). Seventy scholars translated the TaNaKh into Greek to produce the Septuagint, or the Hebrew version of the Scriptures. Moses wrote that man’s allotted life span was seventy years (Psalm 90:10). The Babylonian captivity lasted seventy years; and the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and Herod’s Temple seventy years after Herod’s attempt to murder Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, in His infancy.²⁰⁰

The Line of Ham
10: 6-20

The line of Ham DIG: Why do the Jewish people have a legitimate right to the Promised Land? What was significant about the descendants of Ham in relation to the Tower of Babel?  Who was the key person to come through the line of Ham? Why so? How did his descendants affect the Jewish people? What does it say about his descendants that they were the Canaanites?

REFLECT: Is there a part of your life that identifies with the line of Ham? Do you have a friend, family member or relative that seems like he or she came from the line of Ham? How have they been ensnared with his words and incited to rebel against God. What can you do? What is beyond your control?

The descendants of Ham migrated for the most part to northeast Africa, especially Egypt, the eastern Mediterranean region, and southern Arabia. Eventually, they formed the eastern and southern people of Mesopotamia. The descendants of Canaan settled in the area that the LORD later promised to give to the descendants of Shem.¹⁸⁷  It was even called the Land of Canaan. But because of Ham (Canaan’s father) and the continual moral degradation of the Canaanites, they forfeited the land and actually were enslaved by Isra’el, Shem’s descendants.

Therefore, Genesis opens with a bit of history in order to explain to the world the origin of the Jewish people’s legitimate right to the Promised Land. The story of Noah’s sons teaches us that Canaan, whose offspring inhabited the Land after the Flood were condemned to slavery and this was their own fault. Accordingly, the land of Canaan was promised to Abraham. For the original inhabitants continued in their depraved ways and were not worthy of possessing the jewel of lands.

The four sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan (10:6). The sons enumerated all became heads of clans whose land was promised to Abraham. The first son is Cush; the Cushites settled in the land of the upper Nile south of Egypt in Nubia and Ethiopia. Therefore, Cush and Ethiopia are interchangeable in the Bible. They intermarried with Semitic tribes living in the same region, so there is some repetition of the names in other lines. The second son is Mizraim; this is the well-known name for Egypt. In fact, Egypt is called the land of Ham in Psalm 105:23. The third son is Put (Jeremiah 46:9; Ezeki’el 30:5, 38:5); he located in North Africa in modern day Libya. The famous Jewish historian Josephus confirmed this. This is the only son of Ham whose genealogy is not given. The fourth son is Canaan, the father of the Canaanites. They were Hamitic in origin, but they adopted a Semitic language and culture, as we know from both the Bible and archaeology.

The five sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca (10:7a). They ended up being nations in southern Arabia. The first son was Seba; he migrated from southwestern Arabia across the Red Sea, into the region now known as the Sudan. His descendants became known as the Sabeans (Isaiah 45:14). The second son was Havilah meaning sand land; he settled along the Arabian coast at the proverbial source of gold (2:11). This is the place where Ishmael (25:18) and the Amalekites lived (First Samuel 15:7). The third son was Sabtah; he settled on the west coast of the Persian Gulf and is sometimes identified with Sabaka who ruled Ethiopia between 712 and 700 BC. He conquered Egypt and set up the twenty-fifth dynasty. The fourth son was Raamah; he settled in the extreme southwest of Saudi Arabia. The fifth son was Sabteca, connected with the land of Nubia or Ethiopia. The sixth son was Nimrod. The five other brothers each became the founder of a people; but Nimrod did not and is, therefore, not included in this verse.

The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan (10:7b). Two of Abraham’s grandchildren were named Sheba and Dedan (25:3). The first son was Sheba; he settled in southwest Arabia and is famous as the homeland of the queen that visited Solomon in the tenth century B. C. (First Kings 10:1-13). The second son is Dedan; he settled in the oases of El Ela in northwestern Saudi Arabia (Isaiah 21:13; Jeremiah 25:23, 49:8; Ezeki’el 25:13). Inserted in this section of the birth of nations is the story of Nimrod. He was the rebel, the founder of Babel, and the hunter of the souls of men. He was the lawless one and the first world ruler – a shadow of the last world ruler, the antichrist who is yet to appear.¹⁸⁸

Cush was the father of Nimrod (10:8a). He was the youngest son of Cush, who apparently resented the curse of Canaan (9:25) more and more as the years went on. By the time Nimrod was born, the resentment had become so strong that he gave his son a name that means the Rebel, or literally, let us rebel. The implication is that from childhood Cush trained Nimrod to be a leader in a planned and organized rebellion against God. During the Great Tribulation, the antichrist, or the lawless one (see my commentary on Revelation, to see link click Bt – The Rise of the Man of Lawlessness), will also lead a planned and organized rebellion against ADONAI. The LORD had destined Nimrod to serve his brothers. But Nimrod would not allow it! He would rule them instead! And so, Cush began to train Nimrod to rule his brothers and plan against God.¹⁸⁹

Nimrod is obviously intended as a historical figure in this passage, but attempts to identify him have been unsuccessful. Nevertheless, attempts have been made to identify him with others such as Sargon the Great, Naramsim, who was the war-like grandson of Sargon, Marduk, a god of Babylon (Jeremiah 50:2), and Ninurta, the Babylonian god of war. He was the god of the hunt, and was called the arrow or the mighty hero, Gilgamesh, the great hunter of Sumerian literature, Numarad, meaning a man from the city of Marad, Tukulti Ninurta I, the Assyrian king who captured Babylon and carried off the idol of Marduk in 1246-1206 BC. He was the first one to rule Babylonia and Assyria, was called Amenophis, also known as Amenhotep III who ruled Egypt from 1460 to 1379, and finally, Orion, the hunter of Greek mythology. Elsewhere in Scripture he is mentioned only in Micah 5:6.

Nimrod grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth (10:8b). This verse focuses on his relationship with the earth. He was a hunter of animals, but he was also a hunter of men. The rabbis teach that he began to display man’s power over the wild animals by hunting them, and then capturing them. Then he began to stir up the revolt against God, which resulted in the Tower of Babel.

He was a mighty hunter before the LORD (10:9a). This verse focuses on his relationship with ADONAI. The phrase before the LORD implies antagonism against and opposition to God Himself. The Jerusalem Targum says that he was powerful in hunting and wicked before the LORD, for he was a hunter of the souls of the sons of men. As he said to them, “Depart from the judgment of God, and hear the judgment of Nimrod.” Therefore, it is said, “As Nimrod the strong one, strong in hunting and wickedness before ADONAI.” The same will be true of the antichrist: The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath, or the Great Tribulation, is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all (Dani’el 11:36-37).

The Rabbis teach that the phrase, a mighty hunter, means he ensnared men with his words and incited them to rebel against God. And the phrase before the LORD means that his intention was to provoke God. Therefore, because of his actions, there was a proverbial saying that developed during his time: That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD” (10:9b). The word mighty is used to describe Nimrod. Here again we are reminded of the lawless one of whom it is said: The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders (Second Thessalonians 2:9).¹⁹⁰

Nimrod was the first to establish kingdoms. This happened in two stages. The first stage took place in the plain of Shinar where the Tower of Babel would eventually be built. The first city of his kingdom was in Babylon. Therefore, Nimrod laid the seeds of the Babylon captivity (Jeremiah 52:1-34; Dani’el 1:1-2) and Mystery Babylon (Revelation 17:1-18), and was the fountainhead of all false worship. The second city was Erech. This is the Babylonian Uruk, and is one hundred miles southeast of Babylon. In Babylonian mythology this was the home of Gilgamesh. Today it is known as Warka. The third city is Akaad and was located north of Babylon on the Euphrates River. The fourth city, whose location is unknown to us today, is Calneh (10:10).

Then there was a second stage. As a result of the confusion of languages in 11:1-9, he went from the land of Shinar to Assyria (which is called the land of Nimrod in Micah 5:6). There he built several cities, the first of which was Nineveh, on the Tigris River, two hundred miles north of the city of Babylon. This became the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Therefore, Nimrod also laid the seeds of the Assyrian captivity of the northern Kingdom. The second city he built was Rehoboth Ir. This is known today as Rebit, which is a suburb of Nineveh. The third city is Calah, known today as Kalhu, which is eighteen miles south of Nineveh on the Tigris (10:11) and the fourth city is Resen, which is located between Nineveh and Calah. Calah has been excavated on the Tigris River about twenty miles south of Nineveh. It is still called Nimrud after its founder.¹⁹¹ All four parts actually made up Nineveh; that is the great city (10:12). At first, all these cities were Hamitic cities, but in the course of time they became Semitic cities. Nimrod would war against the northern Kingdom and the southern Kingdom, just as the antichrist will war against the Jews during the last three years of the Great Tribulation.

The second son of Ham was Mizraim. Mizraim is the Hebrew word for Egypt. It literally means two Egypts and referred historically to Upper and Lower Egypt. He had seven sons and was the father of the Ludites, located in North Africa, west of the Delta (Jeremiah 46:9; Ezeki’el 30:5). Secondly, he was the father of the Anamites, who were the Anami in the writings of Sargon II. Thirdly, he was the father of the Lehabites, located in the vicinity of Egypt and Libya. Fourthly, he was the father of the Naphtuhites, located in Lower Egypt in the Delta region, or the people of Memphis (10:13). Fifthly, he was the father of the Pathrusites; he and his family located in Middle Egypt. Sixthly, he was the father of the Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came, not that they were his descendants, but they merely came from the same territory); they located east of the Delta between Egypt and Canaan. Lastly, he was the father of the Caphtor (10:14). Caphtor is another name for Crete and was the original homeland of other Philistine groups (Jeremiah 47:4; Amos 9:7).

The third son of Ham was Put, but his genealogy is not given.

The fourth son of Ham was Canaan. The area that he settled in was later called Palestine after the Philistines. The Canaanites are of interest to us because these were seven of the prominent nations at the time when Joshua conquers the Land. Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and was the forbearer of the Phoenicians. They became a great maritime nation based first in Sidon and later in Tyre. His second son was Het, which later became the Hittites (10:15), a very powerful nation, as a result of their monopoly in the smelting of iron. Their empire lasted for eight hundred years from the time of Abraham all the way through to Solomon (Numbers 13:29). Hence, the Hittites were, in reality, a Canaanite group, although they mainly lived north of what is usually referred to as the land of Canaan, and did not speak the language of the Canaanites.

The fourth son’s descendants were the Jebusites. They were the original inhabitants of Yerushalayim and lived in the hill country (Numbers 13:29; Joshua 11:3, 15:8, 18:28; Judges 1:21, 19:10; Second Samuel 5:6-9). The fourth son’s descendants were also the Amorites, whose name comes from a Babylonian word meaning westerner, lived in other parts of the hill country of Jerusalem and on the east side of the Jordan (Numbers 13:29, 21:13; Deuteronomy 1:4 and 7, 1:44; Judges 10:5 and 8, 11:22; Joshua 2:10, 9:0, 11:3, 24:8). They were one of the most prominent tribes, and sometimes their name is used to represent all the Canaanites (15:16).

Most of the lesser-known groups lived in small city-states. The fifth son’s descendants were the Girgashites (10:16). They were related to the Gergesenes (Luke 8:26 and 37) and lived in the area of the Sea of Galilee. The sixth son’s descendants were the Hivites and they occupied the center hill country of Judah, north of Yerushalayim, including the city of Gibeon (Joshua 9:3-7 and 17, 11:19). They also occupied the city of Shechem in the hill country east of Ephraim (34:2). The seventh son’s descendants were the Arkites, they occupied Tell Arkah, a town in Phoenician territory about eleven miles north of Sidon, or modern-day Tripoli, Lebanon. The eighth son’s descendants were the Sinites, and they were another northern Canaanite people. Their home of origin may be identified with the northern Phoenician city state of Siyannu. They were seldom self-governing, being controlled in turn by Ugarit, the Hittites and the Assyrians (10:17).¹⁹²

The ninth son’s descendants were the Arvadites. They were an island city in Phoenicia, associated with Tyre (Ezeki’el 28:8 and 11), and about twenty-five miles north of Tel Arkah and about ninety-five miles north of Beruit. The tenth son’s descendants were the Zemarites, and they were the northern most Egyptian stronghold in the land of Canaan. Today this is modern Sumra. The eleventh and last son’s descendants were the Hamathites. They are the inhabitants of the city of Hamath, which is approximately one hundred and thirty miles north of Damascus and inland on the Orontes River. It was ruled in succession by the Egyptians, the Hittites and the Assyrians(10:18).

Later the Canaanite clans scattered (10:19). The Hittites spread to Asia Minor and perhaps the Sinites to China. The others may well have spread out as well. It is only of the Canaanites that this statement is made, suggesting thereby that these tribes eventually spread out more than any of the others. Perhaps this is seen best in their spread north and east into Asia and then ultimately (via the Bering Sea land bridge which existed during the Ice Age) into North America.¹⁹³

And the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon, or the northwestern border; toward Gerar as far as Gaza, this is Philistia and the southwestern border; and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, or the southeastern border; as far as Lasha, or the northeastern border (10:19). The western border is understood to be the Mediterranean Sea. These are the approximate borders of the Promised Land.

These are the three generations of the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations (10:20). There are a total of thirty nations that cover four generations. Although divided by language and country, they were all Ham’s children.

After listing the main nations descended from his older brother Japheth and his other brother Ham, Shem then proceeds to his own family, which he knew from Noah’s prophecy (9:26) would be the one chosen to transmit the knowledge of the true God and His promises to later generations.¹⁹⁴