Genesis 26 – Wells, A Woman, A Vow QA Supplied

Wells, A Woman, A Vow

With Questions and Proposed Answers Supplied

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 26:1-33

Genesis 26:1 And there was a famine in the land beside the first famine that was in the days of Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham). And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) went unto My-Father-The-King (Avimelech) king of the Palestinians—unto Sojourning (Gerar).

²And Yehovah appeared unto him. And He said, “Do not descend to Egypt. Abide in the land that I will say unto thee— ³sojourn in this land. And I was with thee. And I blessed thee. For I will give all these lands unto thee and unto thy seed. And I will stand the oath that I swore to Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham) thy father. ⁴And I will multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens. And I will give all these lands to thy seed. And all races of the land will bless-themselves via thy seed ⁵[on the] heel that Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham) hearkened-to my voice, and he guarded my guarding, my commandments, my statutes and my teachings.” ⁶And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) dwelt in Sojourning (Gerar).

⁷And the men of the place asked to his woman. And he said, “He is my sister,” for he feared to say “my woman” lest “the men of the place shall kill me concerning Multiple-Pouring because he is of beautiful appearance.”

⁸And he was because the days lengthened to him there. And My-Father-The-King (Avimelech) king of Palestinians leaned-out in-unto the window. And he saw. And behold, He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) is laugh-making Multiple-Pouring his woman. ⁹And My-Father-The-King (Avimelech) called to He-Will-Laugh (Isaac). And he said, “But behold, he is thy woman! And how said thou, ‘He is my sister’?” And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) said unto him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I will die concerning her.” ¹⁰And My-Father-The-King (Avimelech) said, “What is this thou did to us? As a little, one of the people laid with thy woman! And thou wilt bring transgression upon us!” ¹¹And My-Father-The-King (Avimelech) commanded all the people, saying, “The toucher in this man and in his woman—dying he shall die!”

¹²And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) sowed in that land. And he found in that year a hundred of barley! And Yehovah blessed him. ¹³And the man ‘biggened.’ And he walked, walking and ‘bigging’ until he ‘biggened’ very-much. ¹⁴And an acquisition of a flock was to him, and an acquisition of a herd, and much slavery.

And Palestinians envied him. ¹⁵And all the wells that his father’s slaves dug in the days of Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham) his father—Palestinians stopped them and filled them dust. ¹⁶And My-Father-The-King (Avimelech) said unto He-Will-Laugh (Isaac), “Walk-thou from with us. For thou strengthened much more-than us! ¹⁷And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) walked from there. And he camped in Wadi of Sojourning (Gerar). And he dwelt there.

¹⁸And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) dwelt. And he dug wells of the water that they dug in the days of Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham) his father. And Palestinians stopped them after the death of Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham). And he called to them names as names that his father called to them. ¹⁹And He-Will-Laugh’s (Isaac’s) slaves dug in the wadi. And they found there a well of waters of lives. ²⁰And the shepherds of Sojourning (Gerar) fought with He-Will-Laugh’s (Isaac’s) shepherds, saying, “The water is to us!” And he called the name of the well Contention because they Contended-themselves via him. ²¹And they dug another well. And they fought also concerning her. And he called her name Adversary {fem}. ²²And he advanced from there. And he dug another well. And they didn’t fight concerning her. And he called her name Broadways. And he said, “For now Yehovah broadened to us. And we shall be fruitful in the land.”

²³And he ascended Beersheba from there. ²⁴And Yehovah appeared unto him in that night. And He said, “I am the Gods of Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham) thy father. Fear not. For I am with thee. And I will bless thee. And I will multiply thy seed for the sake of my slave Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham).” ²⁵And he built an altar there. And he called via Name Yehovah. And he inclined his tent there. And He-Will-Laugh’s (Isaac’s) slaves excavated a well there.

²⁶And My-Father-The-King (Avimelech) walked unto him from Sojourning (Gerar), and Gripper (Akhuzat) his neighbour and Mouth-Of-All (Phicol) prince of his host. ²⁷And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) said unto them, “Why have ye come unto me? And ye, ye hated me! And ye sent me from with you!” ²⁸And they said, “Seeing, we saw that Yehovah was with thee. And we said, ‘An Oath shall be, na, betweens us—between us and between thee. And we shall cut a covenant with thee ²⁹if thou wilt do bad with us just-as we didn’t touch thee and just-as we did only good with thee! And we sent thee in peace! Thou art now Yehovah’s blessed!” ³⁰And he made to them a drinking-party. And they ate and drank. ³¹And they early-rose in the morning. And they swore, a man to his brothers. And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) sent them. And they walked from with him in peace.

³²And he was in that day. And He-Will-Laugh’s (Isaac’s) servants came. And they told to him concerning firebrands of the well that they dug. And they said to him, “We found water!” ³³And he called her Oath. Therefore the name of the city is Well-of-Oath unto this day.

³⁴And Hairy is the son of 40 year. And he took a woman, Yehovah’s-Ruling daughter of My-Well the Hotty and Spices daughter of Oak the Hotty. ³⁵And they were bitternesses of spirit to He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) and to Multiple-Pouring.

I. Rerun (verse 1)

This land occasionally had famine. (This is still true today because of uncertain rainfall.) Isaac went unto Avimelech as his father had done. Avimelech was king of the Palestinians (the same group that is in the news about the Land of Israel, and is trying to set up a Palestinian state).

Questions

1. Why did Isaac go to the same place where his father had had such a strange and almost devastating experience (to Gerar and to its king)? It was the only nearby place to obtain food and grazing when famines occurred.

2. Why did famines occur? Rainfall could be uncertain. Famines (when there is not enough food for animals and humans) occur in lands where rainfall amounts are either are too low or are too high, or where some other disaster has kept crops from being good.

3. Does Yehovah cause famines to occur? He will cause them on rare occasions. He caused one to occur in Israel (much later in the Bible) when the Israelis were sinning on His land. Famines usually occur in cycles, however, meaning that they are part of normal weather patterns in many parts of the world. Yehovah is not causing these.

4. Was this the same Avimelech that Avraham had met? If this had been the same person, he would have remembered Avraham. I have concluded that this Avimelech wasn’t the same person.

The word avimelech means my father the king. It is therefore a title, not a name.

5. Who are these Palestinians? They are the same group that is present with the modern Israelis. They behave the very same way (as do the Israelis). While many centuries have passed, nothing is new regarding the behavior of the Israelis and the Palestinians. They still are fighting, and they will be fighting for many more centuries.

II. The Intervention (verses 2-6)

Yehovah appeared to Isaac. He told him to not descend to Egypt, but instead to abide where he was (in Gerar, the Palestinian kingdom). Isaac did as he was told (verse 6).

Yehovah then stated that He was with Isaac, and He blessed him.

Yehovah promised that He will give all these lands unto Isaac and unto his seed. He stated that He will ‘stand’ the oath that He swore to Avraham his father—He will cause it to be upheld and fulfilled.

He vowed more: that He will multiply Isaac’s seed as stars of the heavens. He will then give all these lands to Isaac’s seed.

Yehovah explained how all races of the land will respond: they will bless themselves via Isaac’s seed. Why? This is because Avraham:

hearkened to His voice
guarded His guarding
guarded His commandments
guarded His statutes
guarded His teachings.

Isaac did as he was told; he dwelt in Sojourning.

Questions

1. Why did Yehovah appear unto him (instead of just speaking to him)? Whenever Yehovah appears, it is for a very reasonable purpose. Yehovah had appeared to Avraham when He gave the Covenant to him. He now did the same for and with Isaac. Vows like this must be made face to face.

2. Why did Yehovah command Isaac to not descend to Egypt? Yehovah knew what would happen if Isaac did. Yehovah could have protected him in Egypt, but obedience to the commands of Yehovah are vital for life. Isaac was about to run into problems even in the land that Yehovah commanded him to remain. (I will later ask questions about Yehovah’s protection in this document.)

3. Why did Yehovah first say, “Abide in the land that I will say unto thee,” then after say, “sojourn in this land”? Texts like this are always for two periods of time: for the event occurring and for an event or events far into the future (specifically during the Tribulation, the period of seven years when Israel and the world will go through the worst trouble both have ever encountered). If Yehovah told Isaac where to abide many centuries ago, He will also tell Israelis (and others) in the future where to abide and where not to go. Those who hearken (listen and obey) to Him will live; the others will die.

4. Why is “And I was with thee” in the past tense? A command followed by a statement in the past tense in Biblical Hebrew tells the reader what had to be done, and what the results would be. The results were written in the past tense because they are certain to occur. It is like saying, “If you will ask me to do it, it is as good as done!” The first part, “If you will ask me to do it,” is in the future tense. The word “done” is in the past tense. If English were like Hebrew, one might hear something like this: “Get into the car, and we went for ice cream!” Languages have different ways of expressing things that are certain.

5. What happens if God is with someone? That person will have success. That doesn’t mean that the person won’t suffer, and it doesn’t mean that the person won’t have great difficulties. The person might suffer and have great difficulties, but the person will have success in the way that Yehovah will desire the person to succeed.

6. How can someone (who knows a little about the Bible) tell if a person has been blessed by Yehovah (in the same way that the Bible means by blessing)? A person who has been blessed by Yehovah will be equiped to benefit others. Every blessing that Yehovah gives is always given so that the person (who is given the blessing) will use it to benefit others.

Many will claim to be blessed by God. Some will look at their wealth, and they will say that they have been blessed by God. Yet, if their wealth is only used to give them a feeling of greater security, a nicer house, a better neighborhood in which to live, a higher status (rank) among their friends, their wealth isn’t benefiting others. They may be more like a cow who is now being given very tasty feed and very great care, not knowing that she is being fattened to bring more money when she is slaughtered! Only those who use what they have for the benefit of others may have the right to claim that they have been blessed by God.

(That doesn’t mean that they have to give away what they have; giving away wealth is only necessary if wealth controls the person rather than the person wisely using wealth. Those who have much wealth and who use it to give good and generous employment to others may be blessed by God.)

Being blessed always has responsibility with it. That responsibility is to benefit others. (I didn’t say, “That responsibility includes entertaining others;” entertainment is rarely a way to benefit others unless it is part of education.)

Some who can sing very well and very beautifully, who learned to sing in churches, have made careers out of singing. What some sing has a very bad effect on those who listen, teaching them to do what is wrong (since it feels good). Were their voices blessings from Yehovah? Their voices will be used to teach others to sin, thus making their damnation (their being thrust into the Lake of Fire and Sulfur, where it is always dark and painful) and the damnation of others much greater. Yehovah gave them the ability to beautifully sing. He didn’t bless them with singing, since the blessing of Yehovah always makes a person very rich in the ability to benefit others, and Yehovah never adds sorrow to the blessing. Those who will not benefit others are hardly blessed; they are just “fattened for slaughter.”

7. Yehovah said, “I will give all these lands unto thee and unto thy seed.” Identify the seed. The seed is Yeshua (Jesus):

Galatians 3:16 Now, the promises were made to Abraham and his seed. He doesn’t say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but, “And to thy seed,” as of one, who is Messiah.

8. What does “stand the oath” mean? That means to cause the oath to occur just as it was stated.

9. What is the oath that Yehovah swore to Avraham? Different pieces of the oath are found in the following locations:

Genesis 12:1-3
Genesis 13:14-17
Genesis 15:18-21
Genesis 17:1-22
Genesis 18:9-15
Genesis 22:15-18

Put them all together to see the total oath!

10. If Yehovah multiplies Avraham’s seed as stars of the heavens, what will happen? (Keep in mind that there are billions of stars in some galaxies, and there are a huge number of galaxies. The planet can only hold and support a number of humans in the billions.) This text told me the following:

Yehovah will start multiplying the stars. Right now, it is very rare to see a star born in the heavens, but it is common to see children born. In the future, stars will be born at the same rate that Israelis are born.
Because I learned that this seed is Messiah, and this seed will multiply, I concluded that every time a person is truly born of God, being saved from sin and sinning and being saved to do righteousness, the seed of Avraham increased by one. Thus, the stars will multiply at the same rate that persons are born of God, saved from sin and saved to righteousness. This will occur during the Millennium, the thousand-year period when Messiah Yeshua will be King over all the kings and lords (rulers) of the earth.
This population increase will not cause overcrowding, and the number of new stars in the sky will not cause the heavens to be overcrowded.

11. Identify all these lands. The text that describes them is Genesis 15:18-21. Use the following maps to see what these lands include. I have given you clues for all, including when I could not find some. Then, once you have found as many as you can, draw a border around the area promised on Map 33.

The river of Egypt (Nile: Map 18)

The Euphrates River (Map 18)

Kenites (Map 33: also known as Midianites: find near the Red Sea)

Kenizzites (I couldn’t find them)

Kadmonites (I couldn’t find them)

Hittites (Map 18: you will find HITTITES. They lived between Carchemish, which is on the map, and the Orontes River area labeled in blue on the same map).

Perizzites (Map 18a: they lived around Mt. Carmel; you will find it by The Great Sea, known today as the Mediterranean Sea)

Rephaim (Map 21)

Amorites (Map 21)

Canaanites (Map 21)

Girgashites (I couldn’t find them; find Sea of Chinnereth on Map 18a, and look to the right, which is east. They may have lived there, but there is no label.)

Jebusites (They lived in Jerusalem, also called Salem: Maps 18 and 21)

12. Why wouldn’t all locations in the Bible be present on Bible maps? Some races, civilizations and cities disappeared centuries ago, and their remains haven’t been found by anyone who can prove whose they were, or their remains just haven’t been found. There have been many civilizations that have disappeared from this planet! Those civilizations had parents and children, toys, chores and things to learn, they had childhood sicknesses, they had fun and friends, they had cruelties and mistreatment of some of their citizens, they had hopes and dreams, they had marriages and parties, they had homes and clothing. Yet, for different reasons, those civilizations were totally destroyed, and all in other civilizations who had memories of them died. Now, we can’t even find them on maps.

13. What can cause a civilization, a people and cities to be completely destroyed so that there is no trace left? The following are each reasons why a civilization might totally disappear:

Another civilization might come, attack, and take them over, destroying and abandoning the cities and taking the civilization captive. Then, after a time, marriages within the conquering civilization might erase traces of the civilization that was taken over.
Another civilization might come, attack, and totally kill everyone in the attacked civilzation.
A natural disaster might cause an entire civilization to abandon its homes, fields and wells, and the civilization might join itself to another civilization.
An ‘unnatural’ disaster, one caused by Yehovah, might destroy an entire civilization. He did this to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim. Yehovah did this because those civilizations became so bad, so uncaring, so cruel, that Yehovah destroyed them.
A civilization might move and join itself to another civilization, becoming part of it and leaving no traces of itself when it was separate.

Perhaps you can think of other reasons!

14. Verse 4 states, “All races of the land will bless themselves via thy seed…” What land is this? When Yehovah created the heavens and the land, there was only one continent. It was one land. Since all races are mentioned, this will be the entire land of the planet!

15. How will all races of the land bless themselves via Isaac’s seed? Isaac’s seed is Yeshua. Yeshua will give all races the abilities to do very well with the lands (and waters) they govern. This will occur in the Millennium, the thousand-year period when Yeshua will reign over all kings and rulers. (Yeshua’s Name will be God-Is-With-Us at that time, which will be Immanuel.) He will teach all races and peoples how to do very well on all pieces of soil and waters they govern. Thus, they will bless themselves! They will learn how to benefit others, and they will teach their children how to benefit others using those lands and waters.

16. Verses 4 and 5 tell who is responsible for all races being able to bless themselves (besides Isaac’s and Avraham’s seed). Who is responsible for this great ability to bless themselves? Avraham is responsible! He did the following:

He hearkened to Yehovah’s voice.
He guarded Yehovah’s guarding, making sure to safely keep all instructions that Yehovah said to keep and to do all that Yehovah said to do. (Yehovah didn’t tell him to do very much, and it wasn’t hard.)
He guarded Yehovah’s commandments. There are not many, and you can find them! See if you can find them!
He guarded Yehovah’s statutes, His rules. There are not many. See if you can find these rules. They will not be the same as the commandments.
He guarded Yehovah’s teachings. Again, there are not many. See if you can find these teachings. If you find these, you will know more than many trained teachers of the Bible!

17. Was Gerar a safe place for Isaac to dwell? No, it wasn’t a safe place. It was a very dangerous place. That is why he was wise to wait for Yehovah to tell him to go there. If Yehovah told him to go there, it was the right thing to do.

III. Danger! (verse 7)

Isaac’s wife was beautiful. The men in Gerar asked ‘to’ her. Isaac did what his father had successfully done: he said, “He is my sister.” He feared to say that she was his woman. He stated that the men of the place will kill him for Rebekah.

Questions

1. Yehovah appeared (verse 2) and blessed Isaac. Isaac lied regarding his wife Rebecca (verse 7). Did Yehovah ignore Isaac’s lying right after Yehovah had promised him blessing and safety? Yehovah didn’t ignore his lying; He justified it (He recognized it as a righteous act to save lives). This was the same situation in which Avraham was placed. The inhabitants were violent; they would murder for a beautiful woman. Lying to them saved the lives of Isaac, Isaac’s men, and the men of Gerar since attempting to murder Isaac would cause much bloodshed. Yehovah would destroy Gerar. Isaac saved his enemies’ lives!

2. Why did Isaac say, “He is my sister,” when his sister is a woman? Biblical Hebrew uses the masculine gender (‘he’) when referring to a human as a species. Since Rivka (Rebecca, Rebekah) was of the human species, referring to her as ‘he’ is right.

3. Was Isaac certain that the men of the place would kill him? He was. Even if he had not been certain, the risk was too high to take a chance.

IV. The Truth Comes Out (verses 8-11)

Isaac stayed there for a while. Avimelech leaned out of a window (the Hebrew wording is “in-unto” the window). And he saw Isaac making Rebekah laugh. He may have been tickling her—he was doing something that showed that he was more than a brother to her.

Avimelech called Isaac and confronted him: “He is thy woman!” The king desired to know why Isaac had said that ‘he’ was his sister. Isaac replied, “Because I said, ‘Lest I will die concerning her.” Avimelech was upset: “What is this thou did to us? As a little, one of the people laid (had sexual intercourse) with thy woman! And thou wilt bring transgression upon us!”

Avimelech then commanded all the people with a threat: “The toucher in this man and in his woman—dying he shall die!”

Questions

1. What was “because the days lengthened to him there”? The Bible introduces events this way. The text is about to explain what occurred.

2. Why did the king lean out ‘in-unto’ the window? The text doesn’t say. He may have heard them; it may have been a warm day, and he wanted to see the beauty of it; readers don’t know. He did this, and that’s when he saw them.

3. Why does the Hebrew language use such strange wording as “in-unto”? Every language, every accent and every variety of a language have expressions and ways of saying things that specifically describe what is important to those using the language forms. In this case, the king leaned into the window (opening), and he also leaned unto the window—extending himself through the opening to see out.

4. What was so unusual about a brother tickling a sister? There would have been nothing unusual had they been children. Adult brothers and sisters don’t touch each other in the places where they would tickle, since they usually learn to be reserved and modest as they grow into adults.

5. Avimelech said, “What is this thou did to us?” Had Isaac done anything to them? As far as Avimelech was concerned, Isaac had put them all into great danger by claiming that Rivka was his sister when she was his woman (wife).

6. Was Avimelech that afraid of bringing transgression upon his people? He seemed to be afraid of this. The text doesn’t explain why.

7. Why might Avimelech been afraid of transgression like this? He may have heard the details of what happened with Avraham and a former Avimelech, since the entire race had been unable to have children due to the same events. Had that Avimelech not returned Sarah to Avraham, that race would have gone extinct.

8. What does transgression mean? The first part, trans, means to cross over, go over. The second part, gress, means to go. Together, transgress means to go over, cross over a stated boundary.

Suppose a child is told to play in a fenced yard, and not to go out of the yard. If the child goes out of the yard, he or she has transgressed the commandment of the parent or guardian. If the child was told to make the bed, and the child didn’t do this, the child also transgressed.

9. How serious was Avimelech about keeping all his people from touching either Isaac or Isaac’s woman? He was so serious that he pronounced a death penalty on anyone who did this. He must have known something to make him that afraid.

V. Isaac’s Prosperity (verses 12-14)

Isaac was temporarily safe. He planted in Gerar, the land of the Palestinians. He reaped one hundred times the amount of barley he planted—a huge harvest. Yehovah blessed him. He became very great. He moved the herds and flocks that he had to various pasture lands in the area, and they only increased. He also had a large number of slaves.

Questions

1. Does Yehovah always bless His favorites as He did Isaac (verses 12-14)? The Bible describes a beggar who had open sores. Dogs licked the open sores. (Dog saliva is very good for many types of sores, and dogs are sometimes attracted to the smell of such sores.) This man finally died in terrible poverty and terrible health. The Bible records that he went to the good side of Sheol, showing that he was born of God. Avraham told the rich man who easily could have helped him, but who gave him very little, “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things. But he is now comsoled, and thou art tormented.” That beggar wasn’t blessed. Yet, he was a favorite of Yehovah since Yehovah featured him in the Bible. Yehovah doesn’t always bless his favorites in this life.

2. Does Yehovah have favorites? Yes! He certainly does! Anyone who desires to be one of His favorites can volunteer to be by doing the following:

Hate bad
Love good
Love Grace
Do justice
Selflessly walk with the God of Israel

That doesn’t seem so hard, does it?

3. The text states that Yehovah blessed him. What is the purpose that Yehovah has for blessing someone? He blesses a person so that the person can use the blessing to benefit others. (That doesn’t mean that the person gives the blessing away; Yehovah’s blessings are always tools by which the person who has been blessed can benefit (do good to) others. Giving a blessing away is sometimes wise, but it is usually unwise. Others who obtain that blessing might keep it for themselves and refuse to benefit others.

Blessings from Yehovah are always responsibilities. Yehovah never gives one of His blessings with sorrow; He never gives one of His blessings in such a way that it hurts the one being blessed.

4. What does ‘bigging’ mean? I made up this word, since I didn’t know of an English word that fits. It means that he got bigger (more powerful and wealthy, as if he became more important). The same is true with the other made-up word, ‘biggened.’

5. Didn’t Isaac inherit all that his father Avraham had? Wasn’t Avraham very wealthy? Why did Isaac need to acquire more to become ‘big’? Isaac did inherit from Avraham; Isaac started out wealthy. Yet, Isaac increased even more in ownership of flocks, herds and slaves.

6. Didn’t Isaac become big ‘on the backs of’ all the slaves who worked for him without pay? How could Isaac be a humble man when he owned humble slaves who had no chance for freedom? Slaves who are chained cannot do very much work. Slaves who are not chained can run away if they desire. Isaac feared Yehovah. He did not mistreat his slaves; mistreating anyone made in the image of God is mistreating Yehovah. If Avraham’s chief slave was a good example, that man loved Avraham, and Avraham loved and trusted him to acquire a woman for Isaac. Slaves in those cultures were not necessarily poor. Some became very great and important. Joseph was a slave, and he ran the entire economy of the Middle East. Slaves sometimes did bring their masters great wealth, as Joseph did for Pharaoh. That doesn’t mean that slave owners weren’t humble. Some were very humble, and some slaves were arrogant. (Being a slave doesn’t mean that a person is humble.)

Yehovah is not against slavery. Consider the following:

Every human is a slave from birth.
Some are slaves to sin; some become slaves to righteousness.
Some become slaves to drugs and pushers.
Some become slaves to cruel religions.
All humans are always slaves all the days of their lives; they are always owned by someone or something.
Some folks are owned by two masters.
Children are born slaves to their parents and to other adults. (Who owns you?)
Marriage is a form of slavery, since both own each other.

Isaac was humble. Those who became his slaves were treated well; he risked his life to save his slaves from bloodshed. He came to Gerar because the herds and flocks needed a place to graze. The slaves were benefited by this decision since they also lived from those flocks and herds.

If Isaac had mistreated slaves, there were far more slaves than there were ‘Isaacs’! They could have killed him and taken his possessions. If instead they loved him, and he loved them, they were very loyal to each other. There were other slavemasters who were very cruel to their slaves. Being owned by a very caring slavemaster who would give his life for one of his slaves was better than being ‘free’ and alone in a very dangerous part of the world.

VI. Envy (verses 14-17)

The Palestinians envied him. They tried to make life impossible for Isaac by stopping and filling in the wells that Avraham’s slaves had dug. Pressure finally reached Avimelech. He personally told Isaac to leave them. Isaac was now stronger than Avimelech’s people. Isaac was wise; he left.

There was a wadi (a valley formed by streams during the rainy season) in Gerar. He made camp there.

Questions

1. Did Isaac cause the envy of the Palestinians? Should he have been kinder to them, and show them the love of God? Should he have witnessed to them about Yehovah? Envy isn’t caused. It is voluntary.

There are two kinds of envy. One kind occurs when a person thinks he or she deserves what another person has, and doesn’t feel the other person should have it. Another kind occurs when a person sees the good situation or property of another person, and wishes to have something like that (without feeling that the other person shouldn’t have it). The first kind of envy is very bad, and can even lead to murder. The second kind can help a person achieve a good goal.

The Palestinians had the bad kind of envy. Isaac didn’t do them any wrong. He didn’t owe them anything since he wasn’t involved in their lives. Isaac was the sojourner, not the Palestinians. The sojourner is always at some disadvantage.

Isaac had no business ‘witnessing’ to them. Yehovah didn’t assign him to do that. They were quite satisfied with their gods; their idols were all they desired. Had he become religious with them, they would have probably killed him for that reason alone.

2. Why did the Palestinians plug up the wells (when water was so valuable, and they also could have used it)? They were mean. Even if stopping the wells hurt them, they would do whatever meanness they could to harm Isaac.

The very same people (the Palestinians) hold the very same view today. They will fire missiles at the Israelis knowing that these will harm them as much as or more than the Israelis, but they would rather be harmed while doing the Israelis harm than make peace with the Israelis so that they both could gain. That is hatred and bitterness.

3. Why did Avimelech tell Isaac to leave the area (“Walk-thou from with us”)? He must have feared what his own people would do if he didn’t get Isaac to leave. He was a king, but a king doesn’t want to lose the loyalty of his people. Avimelech figured that he could reason with Isaac. He knew he couldn’t reason with his own people.

4. Should Isaac have stayed in the area (instead of leaving) because he had as much right to the land as the Palestinians (and even more because of Yehovah’s promise)? When folks begin insisting on their own rights, they often remove the rights of others. Those who are wise stand upon responsibilities rather than rights. (Folks sometimes have responsibilities to stand against wrongdoing. While some call this “standing for one’s rights,” it is really “standing against wrongdoing against others.”) Standing for one’s own rights is often selfish and damaging; determining to act responsibly on behalf of others who are oppressed can be heroic.

Of all the ‘rights’ that we are told we have, we only have one ‘right’ in this life: the ‘right’ to live righteously. That is a God-given right.

Isaac had responsibilities for his cowboys and shepherds. He therefore wisely left. Staying wasn’t worth bloodshed.

5. Could Isaac have used passive resistance (refusing to obey commands from good authorities or from bad authorities) to protest the wrongs that the Palestinians were doing? He could have used this, but it would have led to violence. The Palestinians determined to get rid of Isaac. Passive resistance on his part would have led to bloodshed.

Non-violent resistance may work if popular support increases enough. Saints in the Bible could not afford to use passive resistance. They had to use active responsibility. They were willing to fight with swords, if necessary, but they were not about to start a fight. They belonged to Yehovah; He alone could command them to take action (unless they were attacked).

Saints are determined to save lives, not attack enemies. Enemies are mean. Yehovah is far stronger than enemies, and He will take vengeance on them. He also will give Wisdom to anyone who desires His Wisdom.

See how Yehovah stopped the meanness of the Palestinians toward Isaac; read on.

6. Were the Palestinians racists? Those who were stopping the wells were racists. All racists have one thing in common: they are afraid of the races against whom they fight, mistreat, insult, and make laws. Racism is an admission of superiority of the other race. It is also an insult to Yehovah for making that race. No racist is born of God.

7. Should the modern Israelis leave and go settle somewhere else in order to seek peace with the Palestinians? Consider the following:

Isaac was innocent before Yehovah. The text doesn’t indicate that his cowboys/shepherds were doing anything wrong. Modern Israelis are a mixture. Some are innocent, and others are quite guilty before Yehovah. Since Yehovah sees the entire group as if it is one person, that means that the group isn’t innocent. The group is mistreating Yehovah’s land by sinning on it.
Isaac had places he could go. The modern Israelis have no place to go. Their enemies desire that they will be destroyed.
Yehovah often used the Palestinians to give the Israelis a terrible time whenever the Israelis were sinning on the land. He still is.

The modern Israelis should not leave and go settle somewhere else; they should determine to treat the Land of Israel according to the Torah (first six books of the Bible). Yehovah would then give the Israelis victory over the Palestinians (and over all enemies).

VII. Did They Dig! (verses 18-22)

Isaac began ‘redigging’ the wells of water that the slaves had dug for Avraham. He called the wells by the same names they previously had.

While digging in the wadi, Isaac’s servants found a well of the waters of lives.

The fighting now began. Palestinian herdsmen fought with Isaac’s herdsmen, claiming that the water was theirs. Isaac called the well Contention because they contended ‘via him,’ over the well.

Isaac’s men dug another well. The Palestinians also claimed that one. Isaac called her name Sitnah (Adversary), the feminine word for Satan.

Isaac and his men moved on to another location. They dug another well. The Palestinians didn’t pursue a fight. Isaac called the well Broadways. Isaac stated, “For now Yehovah broadened to us. And we shall be fruitful in the land.”

Questions

1. Why did they name wells? Names in the Bible describe important events and characteristics. They are like memorials, but before someone or something dies. We have an example of a well being named in another text and in another event:

Genesis 16:13 And she called Name Yehovah the Speaker unto her, “Thou art El my Seer!” For she said, “Also to-this-point I saw after my Seer!” ¹⁴Therefore he called to the well, “Well to my lives, my Seer.”

Intentionally stopping up a well is therefore a way to destroy a memorial, like kicking down a tombstone.

2. What is a wadi? It is a valley through which water rushes during rains. It is not a safe place to set up camp if rain might occur.

3. Why did they dig in a wadi? Because water does flow over that ground during rainy times, it will be more likely to have water stored underground. It also is a place where the Palestinians will be less likely to look for or contend over a well, or to claim the land.

4. What are waters of lives? This expression is used in a number of places in the Bible. It is sometimes translated living water or flowing water, and sometimes translated water of life. I propose that they are waters that save lives (of humans, cattle and sheep), and therefore must be in sufficient quantity to give drink to all.

The Waters of Lives mentioned in some texts are what a person must drink in order to obtain everlasting life. The following text is an example:

Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the Fountain of the Waters of Lives, and hewed them out cisterns—broken cisterns—that can hold no water!”

(This is why some folks looked for ‘the fountain of youth’—a mythical fountain that would keep a person young. They didn’t understand this Fountain of the Waters of Lives. They didn’t know that this Fountain is Yeshua Himself.)

These Biblical Waters of Lives that give everlasting life are really made of water; anyone born of God will really drink from them!

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And he who hears will say, “Come!” And he who is thirsty will come. And whosoever will, he will take the Water of Lives freely!

Therefore, the same wording, ‘waters of lives,’ can refer to what gives everlasting life and what gives a really good drink of water from the ground.

Yeshua showed Himself as a Rock in Moshe’s day. That Rock gave much water day and night for forty years. Many persons and animals drank from that water. That water was truly the Waters of Lives. It didn’t give the Israelis everlasting life, however, because they didn’t believe in Yehovah and His Word. Had they believed, they would have been drinking from the very waters that the Bible has promised!

5. Why did the Gerar shepherds fight with Isaac’s shepherds? They claimed the water! They didn’t claim the land or the wells, but the water!

6. Did Isaac’s shepherds fight back? They didn’t kill each other, but they did fight.

7. Was fighting with the Gerar shepherds right? Yes; this was in self-defense. Isaac’s shepherds needed to fight hard enough and long enough to be able to go to the next location. (Sometimes, refusing to fight will lead to bloodshed!)

8. Why would they name a well Adversary? That was what they experienced; they left a memorial reminding of this. (The name Adversary in the feminine form is Sitnah; the masculine form is Satan.)

9. Why did the Gerar shepherds stop fighting? The text gives the answer by telling the name of the next well: Broadways. Isaac’s shepherds now could spread out; the Palestinian shepherds had too many different groups to pursue to find which one would dig a well, so they quit.

10. Who was naming these wells? The text implies that Isaac named them. He prophesies in verse 22: “For now Yehovah broadened to us. And we shall be fruitful in the land.” (This also shows that Isaac was a prophet.)

11. What does “Yehovah broadened to us” mean? When one group is chasing another group to capture it, the chase continues if the way is narrow and escape routes are few. If those being chased come to a broad location where they can spread out, however, those chasing them will usually become disheartened with the chase and will quit. If Yehovah broadens to (for) any group, He is providing an escape, and He is disheartening those who are chasing.

12. What does “we shall be fruitful in the land” mean? This means that they will be able to have calves, lambs and babies in the land without being chased by enemies. (Being chased tends to make such fruitfulness unlikely.)

VIII. Another Appearance (verses 23-25)

Then Isaac ascended (went up) to Beersheva from there. Beersheva is located in a hot and dry part of the desert, but it has good wells of water.

Yehovah appeared to him that very night. He identified Himself as “the Gods of Avraham thy father.” He told him not to fear, again confirming that He is with Isaac. “I will bless thee. And I will multiply thy seed for the sake of my slave Avraham.” Isaac’s response was like that of Avraham: he built an altar there. He called via Name Yehovah.

Isaac inclined (put up) his tent there. His servants excavated a well in that location.

Questions

1. What did Yehovah look like when He appeared to Isaac? The Bible doesn’t describe what He looked like in this text. He appeared to another man named Gideon, and He apparently looked like other Israelis when He appeared then. If He had appeared looking very strange, He would have caused fear. He did not desire to do that.

2. What important five things did Yehovah tell or command Isaac?

He identified Himself as the Gods of Avraham his father.
He commanded him to not fear.
He told him that He, Yehovah, is with him.
He said that He will bless him.
He said that He will multiply his seed.

3. Why did Yehovah start by identifying Himself? Isaac needed to know who was speaking. There are many voices in this world, and there are many who claim to be voices of God! Readers of the Bible must learn how to tell the real from the fakes so that folks who claim to speak for God, for the Spirit of God, or for Jesus won’t fool them later. Can you tell, now, how Yehovah would speak if He were to speak to you in this way?

4. Why did He next command him to not fear? Yehovah had important information to tell him. If Isaac became full of fear, he might not hear what Yehovah told him. Yehovah didn’t appear to do him harm, but to benefit him. Yet, the sudden appearance of any man could easily cause fear, especially since the Palestinians had been so hostile!

5. What does Yehovah being with him mean? What will happen or won’t happen to him? If Yehovah is with someone, that person won’t die or be stopped until the assigned task has been completed. That doesn’t mean that the person won’t be mistreated; Yehovah was with Joseph, and he was kidnapped and forced to work among other slaves. Yehovah gave Joseph success as a slave, and even his slavemaster knew that the gods were with Joseph!

6. What will occur if He blesses him? He will do well in life and in his business, and he will be able to benefit others with whom he works, lives, and does business.

7. What will occur if He multiplies his seed? Since his Seed is Yeshua, several things will occur:

The number of Israelis who believe in Yeshua will greatly multiply. (This will not happen for a long time, but it will happen. Later, many centuries from now, all Israelis living will believe in Yeshua, being born of God and living only righteously.) Thus, the number of Israelis will greatly multiply. All who are born of God have the seed of Yeshua in them:

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doesn’t do sin (for His seed remains in him, and He cannot sin) because he is born of God.
The number of non-Israelis who believe in Yeshua will also multiply; they will always be true friends of the Israelis, being willing even to die for them, if necessary.

8. If Yehovah was with Isaac (verse 24), why did Isaac have so much trouble with the Palestinians? Yeshua later told His students,

John 16:33 “I have spoken these things unto you sothat ye will have peace in me. Ye will have tribulation in the world, but be courageous! I have overcome the world.”

Trouble doesn’t mean that God is absent or hiding. Sometimes, folks get into trouble by doing right.

9. Why will Yehovah do these things “for the sake of my slave Avraham” instead of for Isaac’s sake? This looks like Yehovah favours Avraham far more than Isaac, at first. If Yehovah will do this for the sake of Avraham, however, this is far more certain. It doesn’t depend on what Isaac does, or what Isaac’s offspring will do; the promises are certain because it is for the sake of Avraham. Nothing will stop these promises from occurring!

10. Why did Isaac call via (by means of) Name Yehovah after all the trouble, and not during the trouble? Isaac knew how to be a man. He wasn’t afraid of life or of trouble. He dealt with it. Real Godliness doesn’t make wimps and cowards; it makes folks who are bold and brave to do right and to consider others. Had Isaac been in a position where he and his cowhands were about to be slaughtered, he would have called for Yehovah’s help. He knew what to do, however, in the case of the Palestinians. When he finally did call via Name Yehovah, it was in response to Yehovah’s appearing and His words; he feared Yehovah far more than the Palestinians.

11. What does “excavated a well” mean? This means that they dug a hole that was like a cave to find water. The Middle East isn’t like much of the United States where water is abundant. Water is so abundant in the United States, that folks have treated the water with contempt, throwing their waste and garbage into it. Water is far more scarce in the Middle East, and sometimes folks have to dig deep into the ground to find it. (There are places where wells are 2,000 feet deep just to find water!)

IX. The Guests (verses 26-31)

Avimelech walked unto Isaac with two companions: Akhuzat and Phicol. Phicol was the prince of Avimelech’s army!

Isaac was startled— “Why have ye come unto me?” “Ye hated me!” and “Ye sent me from [being] with you!”

They answered, “Seeing, we saw that Yehovah was with thee.” They continued, “An Oath shall be, na, ‘betweens’ us—between us and between thee.” (That really is the way they spoke.) “And we shall cut a covenant with thee if thou wilt do bad with us just-as we didn’t touch thee and just-as we did only good with thee! And we sent thee in peace! Thou art now Yehovah’s blessed!”

Consider the wisdom of Isaac: He made them a drinking-party! They ate and drank, and finally went to sleep. Then they rose early in the morning. That is when they vowed, a man to his brothers.

Isaac then sent them. They walked away from being with him in peace.

Questions

1. Why did Avimelech, Akhuzat and Phicol come? Why did Phicol accompany Avimelech? The rest of the text explains why they came. They wanted Isaac to vow to them that he wouldn’t harm them!

Phicol accompanied the king for several reasons:

The king didn’t need to be journeying alone; he could be harmed or kidnapped. (The king is one of the most important assets, valuable properties, of a kingdom!)
Phicol would normally be a threatening figure; he was the king’s enforcer. If anyone crossed the king, that person would have to deal with Phicol.

2. Isaac said, “And ye, ye hated me!” Did Avimelech and his people really hate Isaac? I don’t know if Avimelech hated him, but a number of the Palestinians did! Stopping up wells is an act of hatred.

3. Isaac seemed hurt when he said, “And ye sent me from with you!” Did he have hurt feelings? He didn’t have hurt feelings. He was expressing what had occurred. Why come as friends when Avimelech had sent them away as enemies?

4. If the Palestinians saw that Yehovah was with Isaac, why did they send him away? That is how some forms of jealousy and envy work! Some folks don’t like being around others who are favored. It is part of the meanness of folks. If they don’t get attention, they hate those who do. Yet, they could also get favor by being kind and doing right, but instead they angrily seek attention by ‘being the baddest and meanest.’ These folks think that being kind and doing right means that they are soft, weak, patsies, suckers, gutless. The greatest heroes and heroines in the Bible were kind and did right, and were among the toughest, bravest, most gutsy folks found on earth. They didn’t envy doers of bad, however.

5. What does “We shall cut a covenant with thee if thou wilt do bad with us” mean? The word if in Hebrew can be used in two ways. It can describe something that might be (“I will bring it if I come”) or it can be a very strong expression of the reverse of something. The English language has something like this in some expressions: “See if I will bring it to you!” That means, “I certainly won’t bring it to you!” Another expression is, “See if I care!” That means, “I certainly don’t care!” “We shall cut a covenant with thee if thou wilt do bad with us” means, “We shall cut a covenant with thee so that thou wilt not do bad with us!”

6. Avimelech and his men continued by saying, “just-as we didn’t touch thee and just-as we did only good with thee!” Was that true? It wasn’t true!

7. If the above answer is that it wasn’t true, why didn’t Isaac argue with them and correct them? Isaac was a valiant person. Valiant folks don’t have to use words to defend themselves or to correct others if they know that it won’t do any good, and will even do harm. They instead look for peace if peace can occur. (Folks who always defend themselves and correct others show great weakness. There are times for defending oneself, and there are times for correcting others who are mistaken, but there are also times when leaving it alone and letting it go are much wiser and require greater strength.)

8. Did the Palestinians send them away in peace? No!

9. Why did they say, “Thou art now Yehovah’s blessed!”? Either they knew this was true, or they were trying to ‘butter up’ Isaac. In either case, this was true.

10. Did Avimelech and his people fear Isaac? They did now! Something changed. They were quite afraid of Isaac.

11. What might have changed to cause the Palestinians to fear Isaac? Others who remembered what happened because of Isaac’s father Avraham might have spoken to the king. I don’t think they knew who Isaac was, at first. It seems that they later realized. This would have brought great terror, since they sent Isaac away as an outcast from them.

12. What might have happened if Isaac had refused to make this vow of peace? Phicol may have been ordered to kill Isaac in order to stop Isaac’s Gods from hurting the Palestinians.

13. How can the reader tell who the he is in “And he made them a drinking-party”? Avimelech and his companions didn’t come with the equipment to make a drinking party! That required food and drink, including animals to cook.

14. Is a drinking party wrong before Yehovah? No. Being a drunkard (one who is hooked on alcohol, and whose life is dedicated to it) is sin before Yehovah.

Many of today’s drinking parties are designed to lower inhibitions (things that keep folks from doing what they think is wrong), and are therefore setups for sin (drugs, sexual intercourse with those who are not spouses, etc.). The drinking party described in this text was for the sake of peace, not for the sake of immorality (doing what is wrong according to a god or God). Yehovah never commanded against drinking parties. He even commanded the Israelis to participate in one every year or every three years! It is the tithe! (Read Deuteronomy 14:22 to the end of the chapter.) A party is the only legitimate way that the Israelis were commanded to tithe.

15. Why did they wait until the morning to make vows to each other? They needed to remember their vows. They all became drunk the night before, and probably would not have remembered the vows.

16. Did Isaac’s ways please Yehovah? Prove it.

Proverbs 16:7 When a man‘s ways please Yehovah, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

X. A New Well (verses 32-33)

Isaac’s servants came on the very same day with good news. They told to him about firebrands of the well that they dug. And they said to him, “We found water!”

Isaac called the well by the name Oath. The name Beersheva means Well-of-Oath, and that is its name to this very day!

Questions

1. What does “firebrands of the well” mean? A firebrand is a torch (made of wood or of other burnable substances) that is not in full flame, but has hot coals that can be used to start a full flame. Firebrands can transport fire over long distances without using up the wood (like a full flame would do). Firebrands can also easily go out. Keeping a firebrand in the coals stage requires alertness and some work.

Firebrands of the well indicates that they have found a very small amount of fresh water, but not enough to use yet, until the well is dug much deeper and the source uncovered. If they were to leave the well at this stage, the water might stop (‘go out’). Finding this is very good news, but they have more work to do.

2. The city had already been named Well-of-the-Oath in Avraham’s day. Why does the text record this as if it were the first time that it had been named this? Giving the previously abandoned and newly rediscovered well the same name as it had before is part of keeping the memorial name of the well. He should call the well by the same name unless a new reason for renaming the well occurred.

3. What day is “this day” in “Therefore the name of the city is Well-of-Oath unto this day”? (I always wondered about this. I knew that it referred to the time of the writing of this text, but I also saw how it could be prophetic, looking far into the future.) The city is presently called Well-of-Oath (Beersheva) today! It is a thriving city. Thus, this text is describing something that is even true in our day, and will continue to be true through the Millennium thousands of years from now!

XI. A New Set of Wives (verses 34-35)

Esau was now 40 years old. He took a woman: ‘Yehovah’s-Ruling’. She is the daughter of a man named ‘My-Well’. They were Hittites (from the word for hot, and therefore they were Hotties). He took another woman (a second wife) whose name was ‘Spices’. She was the daughter of a man named Oak; again, they were Hittites.

These women were bitternesses of spirit to Isaac and to Rivka (Rebecca, Rebekah, Multiple-Pouring).

Questions

1. Was there a problem with Esau having a Hittite wife? Yes! Avraham and Isaac knew never to take women from the locals in the land where they were living. Avraham had said to his slave, “Put, na, thine hand under my thigh. And I will make-thee-swear via Yehovah Gods of the heavens and Gods of the land that thou wilt not take a woman to my son from the daughters of the Canaanites that I am dwelling in their midst!” Now, the race of Canaanites isn’t the same as the race of Hittites. Avraham remembered another promise, however: “Yehovah made a covenant with Avram, saying, ‘I gave this land unto thy seed from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaims and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites.’” Now, there were only a few ways that Yehovah could give this land to Avram’s seed.

Avram’s seed could purchase the land, and those races could agree to move. (This is unreasonable, and it won’t happen.)
All the races could be taken over by other races and taken as slaves. (This won’t happen, because those races would soon return to the land once their time of slavery ended.)
All the races could kill each other. (This won’t happen; some group would be left.)
All the races could be annihilated. This is what Yehovah later commanded the Israelis to do!

Since Avraham knew this, he knew that taking women for wives from them would be exactly what Yehovah didn’t desire; that would keep the practices of these vile races alive. Thus, Avraham insisted that Isaac’s woman must come from some race or group that had not become vile. The Syrians had not become vile.

Esau didn’t care about these things. Hittite women were cute, good-looking, foxy women. Esau therefore took My-Well and Spices, two Hittite women, two ‘Hotties’. This was a great problem.

2. What does “they were bitternesses of spirit to Isaac and Rivka” mean? This means that these women and their son did and said wrong things to Isaac, Rivka, and others. They both watched their son become like the races that Yehovah would later seek to destroy.

Bitternesses are caused by anger and terrible disappointments with life and with others. Isaac and Rivka would have loved their daughters-in-law had they been gracious, kind and sensible women.

December 23, 2009April 3, 2017

Genesis 34 – Vengeance

Vengeance

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 34

Genesis 34:1 And Her-Adjudicator (Dinah), the daughter of Weary (Leah) that she bore unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob), went out to see with the daughters of the land. ²And Shoulder (Shechem) the son of Ass (Hamor) the Hivite the prince of the land saw her. And he took her. And he lay with her. And he humiliated her. ³And his being clung unto Her-Adjudicator (Dinah) the daughter of He-Will-Heel (Jacob). And he loved the youth [masc.]. And he spoke upon the heart of the youth [masc.].

⁴And Shoulder (Shechem) spoke unto his father Ass (Hamor) to say, “Take this child to me for a woman.” ⁵And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) heard that he had made Her-Adjudicator (Dinah) his daughter unclean. And his sons were with his cattle in the field. And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) made himself silent until their coming.

⁶And Ass (Hamor) the father of Shoulder (Shechem) went out unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob) to speak with him. ⁷And the sons of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) came out of the field when they heard. And the men were labour-pained. And they were very hot because he had wrought folly against Israel to lie with the daughter of He-Will-Heel (Jacob). And established, he shall not be done!

⁸And Ass (Hamor) spoke with them, saying, “My son Shoulder (Shechem)—his being cleaves into your daughter. Give-ye, na, her to him for a woman. ⁹And make ye marriages with us. Give your daughters to us and take our daughters to you. ¹⁰And ye shall dwell with us. And the land shall be before you. Dwell. And trade ye her, and possess ye in her.”

¹¹And Shoulder (Shechem) said unto her father and unto her brethren, “I will find favour in your eyes. And I will give what ye shall say unto me. ¹²Multiply upon me very much a dowry and a gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me. And give the youth to me for a woman.”

¹³And the sons of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) deceitfully answered Shoulder (Shechem) and Ass (Hamor) his father. And they spoke—Who had made Her-Adjudicator (Dinah) their sister unclean? ¹⁴And they said unto them, “We cannot do this thing—to give our sister to one who has a foreskin, for it is a reproach to us. ¹⁵But we will consent unto you via this: If ye will be like us to be circumcised for yourselves—every male. ¹⁶And we will give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us. And we will dwell with you. And we will become one people. ¹⁷And if ye will not hearken unto us to be circumcised— And will we take our daughter, and we will go.” ¹⁸And their words were good in the eyes of Ass (Hamor) and in the eyes of Shoulder (Shechem) Ass’s (Hamor’s) son. ¹⁹And the young man did not procrastinate to do the thing. For he delighted in He-Will-Heel’s (Jacob’s) daughter. And he is more important than all the house of his father.

²⁰And Ass (Hamor) came, and Shoulder (Shechem) his son, unto the gate of their city. And they spoke with the men of their city to say, ²¹“These men—they are peaceable with us. They have dwelt in the land and have traded her. For the land—behold—is large enough before them. We shall take their daughters to us for women, and we shall give them our daughters. ²²The men will only consent to us to dwell with us to be one people via this: by our being circumcised—every male—as they are circumcised. ²³Their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs, are they not ours? Only we shall consent unto them. And they will dwell with us.” ²⁴And they hearkened unto Ass (Hamor) and unto Shoulder (Shechem)—all going out of the gate of his city. And every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

²⁵And he was in the third day, via their being pained-[ones]. And two of the sons of He-Will-Heel (Jacob), Hearkener (Shimon) and My-Near-One (Levi), Her-Adjudicator’s (Dinah’s) brethren, took each man his sword. And they confidently came upon the city. And they slew every male! ²⁶And they slew Ass (Hamor) and Shoulder (Shechem) his son with the edge of the sword. And they took Her-Adjudicator (Dinah) out of Shoulder’s (Shechem’s) house. And they went out. ²⁷The sons of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) came upon the slain. And they spoiled the city because they had defiled their sister. ²⁸They took their sheep and their oxen and their asses and that which is in the city and that which is in the field. ²⁹And they took captive all their wealth and all their little ones and their women. And they spoiled, and all that is in the house.

³⁰And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said unto Hearkener (Shimon) and unto My-Near-One (Levi), “Ye have troubled me to make me stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and among the Perizzites. And I am dead-[ones] of a number. And they shall gather themselves upon me. And they shall slay me. And I shall be destroyed—I and my house!” ³¹And they said, “Will he make our sister a whore?”

I. The Rape-like Event (verses 1-3)

Dinah (pronounced DEE NUH) was a young girl, probably a middle teenager. She wanted to go out to see the daughters of the land—girls her own age.

While Dinah was going around with her girlfriends, the prince of the land (Shechem, pronounced Shkhem in Hebrew) was watching. He took her and he had sexual intercourse with her.

Shechem’s entire being, his body, his soul and his spirit, clung to Dinah. He loved the youth. And he spoke “upon the heart of the youth,” which means that he spoke to her about what had happened, and what was on her mind. It was an intimate conversation.

Questions

1. Did Dinah do wrong by going out to see with the daughters of the land?

2. What did they go out to see?

3. Was Shechem’s actions in seeing her wrong?

4. What was involved in the statement, “He took her”?

5. Did Shechem rape her?

6. Did Shechem do wrong?

7. What does “he lay with her” mean, and why is this wording used?

8. The next sentence states, “And he humiliated her.” Did he mistreat her? What does this mean?

9. What does “his being clung unto Dinah” mean?

10. Did Shechem love her?

11. Why is the word youth masculine when describing Dinah?

12. What is love?

13. Was Shechem’s love for Dinah good, or was it bad?

14. What does speaking upon the heart of someone mean?

15. What did he discuss with her as he spoke upon her heart?

16. Will Shechem make a good husband?

II. The Two Fathers (verses 4-5)

Shechem gave his father a request: “Take this child to me for a woman.” Shechem called the girl a child. He wanted the child bride.

Jacob heard that Shechem had made his daughter unclean. Jacob’s sons were in the field. Jacob made himself silent until they came from the field and from the cattle.

Questions

1. Is taking a child for a woman (wife) wrong?

2. Was the way that Shechem requested this wrong? Wasn’t he being demanding with, “Take this child to me for a woman”?

3. How did Jacob hear that Shechem had made his daughter unclean?

4. What is involved with being made unclean in the Bible?

5. What does their being in the field tell the reader?

6. What does “Jacob made himself silent” mean?

7. Was Jacob’s making himself silent wise?

8. Whose coming did Jacob await?

III. The Rage (verses 6-7)

Hamor came to speak with Jacob. In the meantime, Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, and they came from the field. They were “labour-pained,” meaning that they suffered terribly like a woman giving birth.

They were very furious because Shechem had wrought (worked) folly (foolishness of a terrible nature) against their father, Israel, by lying with Jacob’s daughter. They determined that this kind of behaviour will not be done!

Questions

1. Was Hamor coming in a friendly way?

2. How did the sons of Jacob hear?

3. Why were the sons of Jacob so pained?

4. Did they have the right to be hot against Shechem?

5. What is folly in the Bible?

6. Why didn’t they call it rape?

7. Why did the brothers state that the folly was wrought (worked) against Israel, and not against Dinah?

8. When they said, “established, he shall not be done,” what did they intend to do about it?

IV. The Offer (verses 8-10)

Hamor explained that his son’s being clung into their daughter. He requested that they would give their daughter to his son for a woman. (The expression for a woman means to deal with as a wife, including having children with her, and including taking full responsibility for her safety and health.)

Hamor offered even more: “make ye marriages with us. Give your daughters to us and take our daughters to you.” (Notice how he worded it to not be demanding.)

He also proposed, “Ye shall dwell with us. And the land shall be before you. Dwell. And trade ye her, and possess ye in her.”

Questions

1. What is having one’s being cleaving (clinging) into another like?

2. Why did Hamor say, “his being cleaves into your daughter”?

3. When Hamor said, “Give-ye, na, her to him for a woman,” was he being demanding?

4. Was the offer, “make ye marriages with us,” a kind offer?

5. Why wasn’t Jacob eager to make this alliance with Hamor and his son, Shechem?

6. Is dwelling with Hamor’s people bad?

7. Was this offer of the land being before Jacob so that he could dwell and trader her (the land) and possess in her a bad offer?

V. Shechem Speaks (verses 11-12)

Shechem desired to find favour in the eyes of the family of Dinah. He wanted to turn what had occurred into something beneficial. He was willing to pay a very high price for the child bride. Whatever it was, he wanted Dinah for his woman.

Questions

1. Why didn’t Shechem confess that he had done wrong, and apologize for it?

2. Why did Shechem offer to give whatever they put upon him to acquire Dinah?

3. Did Jacob have a similar experience?

VI. The Feigned Deal (verses 13-19)

Jacob’s sons deceitfully answered Shechem and Hamor. They wanted to know: who had made Dinah their sister unclean?

They then became religious. “We cannot do this thing—to give our sister to one who has a foreskin, for it is a reproach to us.” They then agreed that there was one condition that would solve the problem: “If ye will be like us to be circumcised for yourselves——every male.” The brothers promised, “we will give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us. And we will dwell with you. And we will become one people.” If they will not do this, Jacob’s sons will take Dinah, and Jacob and his family will go.

Hamor and Shechem liked this plan. Shechem quickly got to work convincing his group of the benefits, because he delighted in Dinah.

Shechem was more important in his village than all the house of his father.

Questions

1. Why did Jacob’s sons deceitfully answer Shechem and Hamor?

2. Why did they ask, “Who had made Dinah their sister unclean?”

3. What is a foreskin?

4. What does circumcise mean?

5. Dinah’s brothers said, “We cannot do this thing—to give our sister to one who has a foreskin, for it is a reproach to us.” Was this true?

6. They then said, “But we will consent unto you via this: If ye will be like us to be circumcised for yourselves—every male.” Were they speaking the truth?

7. Were Dinah’s brothers Godly men who were interested and invested in Spiritual things of Yehovah the God of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob?

10. The brothers also said, “And if ye will not hearken unto us to be circumcised— And will we take our daughter, and we will go.” Where would they go?

11. Why did the brothers call Dinah “our daughter”?

12. Why didn’t Jacob speak up when he heard his sons speaking what isn’t true to these Hivites?

13. What does delighted in mean in, “For he delighted in Jacob’s daughter”?

14. What does “he is more important than all the house of his father” mean?

VII. The Agreement (verses 20-24)

Hamor came with Shechem to the gate of their city to present the offer to their people. They started by declaring that Jacob and his group are peaceful toward them. They have dwelt in the land, and have traded her. There is plenty of land for them.

They then explained that the Hivites can take Jacob’s daughters to them for women, and the Hivites will give Jacob’s people their daughters.

They do require one action that the Hivites must do in order to dwell with the Hivites and to become one people with them: every male must be circumcised as they are circumcised.

These two then said, “Their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs, are they not ours?” They then urged the men to consent to Jacob’s men’s requirements. “And they will dwell with us.”

The Hivites, all going out of the gate of his city, hearkened unto Hamor and Shechem. Every male was circumcised—every male that went out of the gate of his city.

Questions

1. Who is her in “They have dwelt in the land and have traded her”?

2. What did they trade, according to the text, and was this true?

3. The text says, “For the land—behold—is large enough before them.” For what was the land large enough?

4. They also said, “We shall take their daughters to us for women, and we shall give them our daughters.” How many daughters were there to be taken?

5. Did Jacob’s sons agree to be one people with the Hivites as Hamor and Shechemstated?

6. What did they mean by, “Their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs, are they not ours?”

7. What does “all going out of the gate of his city” tell readers?

VIII. The Attack (verses 25-29)

On the third day, the men who had been circumcised were very sore and in much pain. Shimon and Levi, two of the sons of Jacob who were Dinah’s full brothers, having the same mother (Leah), took their swords. They confidently came upon the city, determined to attack it. They slew every male! That included Hamor and Shechem. They then took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and they left.

The sons of Jacob came upon the slain. They spoiled the city (they took all its valuables) because they had defiled their sister. Among the spoils, they took their sheep, their oxen and their asses. They also took all the valuables from the field. They took all their wealth captive, all their little ones, and their women. They stripped the place.

Questions

1. Why did Shimon and Levi wait until the third day to make an attack?

2. Was killing every male right?

3. How did Dinah feel about what her two brothers had done?

4. What is vengeance, and is it right?

5. The text says, “The sons of Jacob came upon the slain.” What does this tell readers?

6. What does spoil mean in this text?

7. Why did they spoil the city?

8. Why did they take captive all their little ones and their women?

9. In what condition would these women and children who were captured be?

10. Did the women and children who were captured know why this violence occurred?

11. Was taking the women and children and all their stuff right?

IX. Jacob’s Frustration (verses 30-31)

Jacob stated, “Ye have troubled me to make me stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and among the Perizzites.” His concern also was because of the smallness of his group’s number. “They shall gather themselves upon me. And they shall slay me. And I shall be destroyed—I and my house!”

His two sons responded, “Will he make our sister a whore?”

Questions

1. Why wasn’t Jacob’s first concern for the slaughtered men, the women who now had no husbands, and the children who now had no fathers?

2. What does “ye have troubled me to make me stink” mean?

3. Why does the Hebrew language of the Bible use dead ones of a number to describe a group that is small?

4. Jacob said, “And they shall gather themselves upon me.” Was he right?

5. He also said, “And they shall slay me.” Was this also true?

6. Jacob then expressed, “And I shall be destroyed—I and my house!” What type of reaction is this?

7. The two sons responded, “Will he make our sister a whore?” What were they saying about what happened, and why did they word it this way?

8. Jacob’s sons got away with the slaughter. Why did Yehovah allow them to get away with this murderous act?

December 23, 2009April 3, 2017

Genesis 34 – Vengeance QA Supplied

Vengeance

With Questions and Proposed Answers Supplied

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 34

I. The Rape-like Event (verses 1-3)

Dinah (pronounced DEE NUH) was a young girl, probably a middle teenager. She wanted to go out to see the daughters of the land—girls her own age.

While Dinah was going around with her girlfriends, the prince of the land (Shechem, pronounced Shkhem in Hebrew) was watching. He took her and he had sexual intercourse with her.

Questions

1. Did Dinah do wrong by going out to see with the daughters of the land? She did not do wrong. What she did was risky, but it was not wrong. Her being friends with idolatrous girlfriends was not wrong. It is risky; but then, friendships are risky. She did put herself in danger, however.

2. What did they go out to see? They went to walk together, to explore the area and the various inhabitants; they went to see what life was like for each other.

3. Was Shechem’s actions in seeing her wrong? This also wasn’t wrong. What he next did was wrong, but seeing her and being attracted to her was not wrong.

4. What was involved in the statement, “He took her”? He physically took her from her companions, and he took her to another place where he had sexual intercourse with her. The text does not automatically imply force, but it does indicate some type of strong action. The text did not say, “She went with him.”

5. Did Shechem rape her? I have not been able to tell if she was raped. I suspect that it was a form of rape, but not of the most violent types. She may have been willing, or more likely, she may have been taken by such surprise, that she didn’t know how to react.

The text does not indicate how long and how many times she went with the daughters of the land. This action may have been after weeks of seeing her.

6. Did Shechem do wrong? He took advantage of her; that was wrong and selfish according to the culture of Jacob (and therefore Dinah). A man taking a woman to be his wife is not Biblically wrong; it can be quite right to do. One must consider the culture and the relationship before doing this. Shechem did not consider what would happen to her. What he did may have been proper in his culture! Again, there are cultures where men literally take women. In other cultures, however, families will meet, arrangements will be made, and delays will occur. Every culture is different.

7. What does “he lay with her” mean, and why is this wording used? The idea of of laying with someone is because a bed or bed-like area is normally used when sexual intercourse occurs. This expression is not used for sleep; it is used to describe sexual intercourse.

8. The next sentence states, “And he humiliated her.” Did he mistreat her? What does this mean? In the Hebrew language, humbling and humiliating are the same word with the same meaning! A person who is humiliated is forced into being humble: that is, being humbled. What Shechem did was put Dinah in a humiliated position. She now had had sexual intercourse before and outside of marriage. Her responsibilities and her position in society changed—it became greatly lowered. While she was a youth and a virgin, she was viewed not as an adult with adult responsibilities, but as one who should be protected and treated very well until she could take on adult responsibilities. Had she married, her status might have gone up. Being unmarried and having had sexual intercourse greatly lowered her position in society so that some would pity her and others would view her in ways that were not as good as they had been. She, also, did not know what to do, now. Thus, Shechem had humiliated her; he life was now totally changed.

The text doesn’t state that he mistreated her; yet what he did is either rape, or so close to rape, that we can’t tell; these actions are a form of mistreatment even if she had consented. He had no business dealing with her in that way. She was a guest in his neighbourhood.

9. What does “his being clung unto Dinah” mean? Shechem was ‘stuck on her!’ He greatly desired her to become his woman. This involved every part of him—not the physical part.

10. Did Shechem love her? Yes, he did. He greatly loved her.

11. Why is the word youth masculine when describing Dinah? When the Bible refers to any person generically, that is, in a way that is not specific, but a description as if the person (male or female) is a being from Adam, the masculine form is used.

12. What is love? It is seeking the highest, best interest of and for another without regard to self. It is also greatly desiring another even to the point of being addicted to another to serve that other person without regard to self. Love is usually good; it can also be twisted into something bad.

13. Was Shechem’s love for Dinah good, or was it bad? His love was good, but it had expressed itself as something else. He hadn’t shown her highest been interested without regard to himself by doing something that either was rape or that close to rape. It started out as lust with a selfish thrust.

14. What does speaking upon the heart of someone mean? This means to discuss whatever is on the heart (mind) of a person with that person. It is a conversation that involves fears, desires, disappointments, hopes, etc.

15. What did he discuss with her as he spoke upon her heart? She now needed to know what she should do. She knew the trouble that this would bring to her father, and she may have realized that her brothers would also be very angry. I propose that Shechem and she would have discussed their futures together, and what he would do next.

16. Will Shechem make a good husband? This is difficult to predict. If he is always willing to speak with his woman regarding those things on her heart, he will probably make a good husband. The issues of culture and gods don’t have to interfere in a good relationship. On the other hand, the violence done in that part of the world could make being a good husband much more difficult.

II. The Two Fathers (verses 4-5)

Shechem gave his father a request: “Take this child to me for a woman.” Shechem called the girl a child. He wanted the child bride.

Jacob heard that Shechem had made his daughter unclean. Jacob’s sons were in the field. Jacob made himself silent until they came from the field and from the cattle.

Questions

1. Is taking a child for a woman (wife) wrong? One must know how old the child is. Arranged marriages often include child brides, but they normally are protected from sexual intercourse until they are physically ready and mature enough to not be endangered. Again, what Shechem requested wasn’t wrong.

2. Was the way that Shechem requested this wrong? Wasn’t he being demanding with, “Take this child to me for a woman”? This would be very demanding according to many of our cultures. It was not demanding in Shechem’s culture. It was a request that was given with respect.

3. How did Jacob hear that Shechem had made his daughter unclean? The text never states how he knew. His sons didn’t know. I propose that Jacob’s source was the Spirit of Yehovah; if this is true, Yehovah told him that in order for him to keep composure when they came to tell him.

If, instead, Jacob heard by word of mouth, the text does not tell us this means, or why Jacob would know, and his sons did not yet know.

4. What is involved with being made unclean in the Bible? Anyone becomes unclean in the Bible by eating unclean creatures (including some animals, like dogs, pigs, rabbits, squirrels, shark, etc.), by having an oozing sore that won’t heal, by touching a dead person or an animal that was killed by animals, by disease or by accident, or by touching another person who is unclean.

Semen (sperm from a male) renders a person who touches it unclean once it comes out of the body. It is as if Yehovah is teaching that humans are unclean from conception, since sperm are needed to fertilize a woman’s egg in order to produce pregnancy.

5. What does their being in the field tell the reader? It tells the reader that they probably had not heard of what happened to their sister; otherwise, they would have come together with their father to see what they needed to do.

6. What does “Jacob made himself silent” mean? This means that Jacob intentionally didn’t say anything about this (or anything else) to anyone.

7. Was Jacob’s making himself silent wise? It was very wise! Saying anything about this gives others reasons to talk, to twist things, to make gossip, to get riled up and angry, and to do very stupid things. Jacob knew not to do that.

8. Whose coming did Jacob await? He awaited the coming of his sons.

III. The Rage (verses 6-7)

Questions

1. Was Hamor coming in a friendly way? Yes; he was not coming as an enemy. He hoped to make peace from this situation.

2. How did the sons of Jacob hear? The text does not say how they heard. They all lived in tents; anyone near a tent could hear conversations within the tent.

3. Why were the sons of Jacob so pained? The text doesn’t say why. I suspect that they loved their sister.

4. Did they have the right to be hot against Shechem? They did nothing wrong by being angry. They would have been doing wrong if they hadn’t cared! Being angry is fine. What one does with anger is another issue!

5. What is folly in the Bible? lbn, nabal means foolish, senseless, coming from the root meaning to be senseless, be foolish; to sink or drop down, languish, wither and fall, fade; to droop. Yehovah uses this word for a carcass, a corpse of humans, as well as idols, animals. Thus, fools of this type show the same amount of sense as a corpse. This isn’t an innocent type of foolishness; it easily leads to death!

6. Why didn’t they call it rape? They didn’t know whether it was rape. As far as the brothers knew, Dinah may had consented. That didn’t stop them from being furious at Shechem (rather than at Dinah), since the event took place in Shechem’s culture and village.

7. Why did the brothers state that the folly was wrought (worked) against Israel, and not against Dinah? Dinah was still under Jacob’s care. Anything done against Dinah was an attack on Jacob.

Some folks read texts like this, and then they conclude that women were worth less than men in Israel. This is not the case.

8. When they said, “established, he shall not be done,” what did they intend to do about it? The main way to keep this type of occurrence from again happening is to put fear into others who might try the same thing.

IV. The Offer (verses 8-10)

Hamor offered even more: “make ye marriages with us. Give your daughters to us and take our daughters to you.” (Notice how he worded it to not be demanding.)

He also proposed, “Ye shall dwell with us. And the land shall be before you. Dwell. And trade ye her, and possess ye in her.”

Questions

1. What is having one’s being cleaving (clinging) into another like? That person desires to be with the other person all the time, taking a very strong interest in everything about that person and wanting to please that person. This also happens when someone ‘has a crush’ on someone else. While ‘being clinging’ can be love, it might not be long-lasting.

2. Why did Hamor say, “his being cleaves into your daughter”? Hamor recognized the mother and the father, but also that Dinah was the daughter of her people! This is the proper way to view any member of one’s cultural group. The group is always responsible for each of its members.

3. When Hamor said, “Give-ye, na, her to him for a woman,” was he being demanding? No. See the Hebrew word, na? It is a softener in Hebrew, telling those who hear or read that the words were not demanding.

4. Was the offer, “make ye marriages with us,” a kind offer? It was a kind offer.

5. Why wasn’t Jacob eager to make this alliance with Hamor and his son, Shechem? Jacob had been taught how his grandfather (Avraham) and his father (Isaac) specifically sent to Syria for wives. Yehovah had taught them to not obtain wives from the races that are in the land that would much later become the land of Israel. These men knew that Yehovah would eventually destroy these races. Jacob was not eager for his daughter to be the wife of one of these races, and he was certainly not eager for an alliance that would make void what Yehovah had taught.

These folks were willing to make peace, but they were also producing one of the very sinful and evil races. This decision to make peace with them by marriage alliances (agreements) would have destroyed the people of Israel.

6. Is dwelling with Hamor’s people bad? It isn’t bad, but intermarrying with a group that Yehovah will later destroy isn’t too smart.

7. Was this offer of the land being before Jacob so that he could dwell and trader her (the land) and possess in her a bad offer? It wasn’t a bad offer, but was like another offer in another part of the Bible:

Matthew 4:8 The devil takes [Yeshua] up into an exceedingly high mountain. And he shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹And he says to him, “I will give thee all these things if thou wilt fall down and worship me!” ¹⁰Then Yeshua says to him, “Get thee hence, Satan! For it is written, ‘Thou shalt worship Yehovah thy God, and thou shalt serve only Him.’”

Both this text and the text we are considering make offers to give land or lands for compromise. These are tempting. Both Jacob and Yeshua determined to not compromise in order to gain something prematurely.

V. Shechem Speaks (verses 11-12)

Questions

1. Why didn’t Shechem confess that he had done wrong, and apologize for it? He knew that would do little good, and would focus on loss. He determined to focus on what could be gained by the relationship.

2. Why did Shechem offer to give whatever they put upon him to acquire Dinah? He loved the girl.

3. Did Jacob have a similar experience? Jacob loved Raquel. He understood about being willing to work hard for a woman.

VI. The Feigned Deal (verses 13-19)

Jacob’s sons deceitfully answered Shechem and Hamor. They wanted to know: who had made Dinah their sister unclean?

Hamor and Shechem liked this plan. Shechem quickly got to work convincing his group of the benefits, because he delighted in Dinah.

Shechem was more important in his village than all the house of his father.

Questions

1. Why did Jacob’s sons deceitfully answer Shechem and Hamor? They had made plans. Their plans required them to deceive these men and to effectively disarm them.

2. Why did they ask, “Who had made Dinah their sister unclean?” I propose that they desired an admission from Shechem, and they desired to weaken Shechem’s and Hamor’s position in the bargain. They also desired to cause Shechem to really feel guilty in order for the deception of their very kind and good offer to take hold.

3. What is a foreskin? It is a small covering of skin over the head of the penis. Removal of the foreskin is painful in an adult male and an older youth, but it involves very little pain for a child who is eight days old. The foreskin isn’t necessary for any function.

4. What does circumcise mean? The word circumcise means to cut around. It refers to cutting off the foreskin.

5. Dinah’s brothers said, “We cannot do this thing—to give our sister to one who has a foreskin, for it is a reproach to us.” Was this true? This was not true. I have seen no text indicating that non-Israeli males who take Israeli women for wives must be circumcised. If they will join the Israelis, well, they must be circumcised. But if they will not join and do not desire to be part of the culture of their wives, I have found no command that they must be circumcised. I propose that Dinah’s brothers were making this up.

6. They then said, “But we will consent unto you via this: If ye will be like us to be circumcised for yourselves—every male.” Were they speaking the truth? The text will indicate whether they spoke the truth shortly. They didn’t speak the truth.

7. Were Dinah’s brothers Godly men who were interested and invested in Spiritual things of Yehovah the God of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob? They were not Godly men. They are the same brothers who will plot to murder Joseph, and who lie to their father about his supposed death. They learned to lie with much practice.

8. The brothers also said, “And we will give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us. And we will dwell with you. And we will become one people.” Was this offer a gracious and kind offer? Was it a good offer? It was not a gracious and kind offer since it was a lie. It also wasn’t a good offer, since Jacob and his sons had no business becoming one people with a group that Yehovah would later command to be annihilated.

9. What was so wrong about these Hivites (that included Shechem and Hamor), that Yehovah would later (that is, in 400 years) command the Israelis to totally annihilate them, including their babies and their cattle and sheep? It wasn’t their idolatry, since the sons of Israel also kept secret idols. They became so sinful in their vile sexual practices and in their human sacrifices and delight in seeing the blood of others, that Yehovah finally determined that they must be killed.

If the Israelis became one people with them, they would quickly learn to do the very same things, except worse.

10. The brothers also said, “And if ye will not hearken unto us to be circumcised— And will we take our daughter, and we will go.” Where would they go? They would travel to other pastures, and take Dinah with them. The grass was not so thick that one could keep cattle and sheep in one area; they had to travel because the grass was sparse (that is, not many plants in any location).

11. Why did the brothers call Dinah “our daughter”? Their use of our was not only referring to them, the brothers of Dinah, but also to Jacob, his wives, his concubines, all the slaves—everyone who was part of the people of Jacob. Thus, the brothers were speaking for Jacob, in the place of Jacob (as if Jacob had nothing to say).

12. Why didn’t Jacob speak up when he heard his sons speaking what isn’t true to these Hivites? Jacob recognized his sons as men, not as children. He demonstrated respect for them by not arguing with them in front of others, especially in front of others who might become hostile. He therefore said nothing.

13. What does delighted in mean in, “For he delighted in Jacob’s daughter”? This means to greatly desire, have pleasure in, long for, greatly enjoy the company of. He liked everything about her.

14. What does “he is more important than all the house of his father” mean? This means that he has greater status (and perhaps wealth) than all the rest of his immediate family put together. He is a community leader.

VII. The Agreement (verses 20-24)

They then explained that the Hivites can take Jacob’s daughters to them for women, and the Hivites will give Jacob’s people their daughters.

They do require one action that the Hivites must do in order to dwell with the Hivites and to become one people with them: every male must be circumcised as they are circumcised.

The Hivites, all going out of the gate of his city, hearkened unto Hamor and Shechem. Every male was circumcised—every male that went out of the gate of his city.

Questions

1. Who is her in “They have dwelt in the land and have traded her”? She is the land. The word for land is feminine in gender in Hebrew.

2. What did they trade, according to the text, and was this true? They traded land, indicating that the bought and sold land. They had bought land for a grave site, but I don’t know a text that declares that they had sold land.

3. The text says, “For the land—behold—is large enough before them.” For what was the land large enough? It was large enough for Jacob and his group to live, and large enough for their cattle and sheep to have good pasture without interfering with the Hivites.

4. They also said, “We shall take their daughters to us for women, and we shall give them our daughters.” How many daughters were there to be taken? I only know of one at this time: Dinah. That doesn’t mean that there weren’t other daughters, including daughters of slaves, etc. in Jacob’s household.

5. Did Jacob’s sons agree to be one people with the Hivites as Hamor and Shechemstated? Yes, they did in verse 16.

6. What did they mean by, “Their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs, are they not ours?” If Jacob and his sons become one people with the Hivites, all Jacob’s cattle, substance and animals will become almost as common property through working arrangements, property purchases, and other dealings. The Hivites wanted to obtain what Jacob had; they all could become wealthy.

7. What does “all going out of the gate of his city” tell readers? Those who could hearken were old enough to go outside of the gates of their cities. The very young children didn’t hearken; they were circumcized by their parents. Those going outside the gates went to work in the fields or to trade with traveling merchants.

This also tells the reader that all the males participated in this very painful operation—painful to adults. (It doesn’t hurt children who are about eight days old.)

VIII. The Attack (verses 25-29)

Questions

1. Why did Shimon and Levi wait until the third day to make an attack? That was when the men would be the most sore. A man who is sore after circumcision will not be able to do battle or even defend well; the pain is too great and too distracting to put up resistance.

2. Was killing every male right? No, it was not right. Had Shechem murdered Dinah, killing Shechem would have been right. Had Shechem murdered Dinah, and had the entire city protected Shechem, killing the males of the city would have been right; all protecting a murderer are likewise murderers. Shechem didn’t kill Dinah; he loved her. Shechem did wrong; what he did is not a capital punishment (death penalty) offense. Thus, Shimon and Levi committed murder!

3. How did Dinah feel about what her two brothers had done? The Bible is very silent on this issue. I cannot tell whether she loved Shechem, or whether she felt humiliated and raped.

In cases that happen that are like this, where brothers do violence for the sake of their sisters, the sisters sometimes feel very responsible and guilty for what their brothers did and for the harm done to others. Jacob intended to wait to hear an explanation before he did anything. Foolish men quickly decide to commit violence and vengeance for a relative who has been mistreated, and they usually do something worse because they are so angry. They don’t consider the desires of the original victims, their sisters.

4. What is vengeance, and is it right? Vengeance is intentionally doing harm to another as payment for a crime (or a supposed crime).

Vengeance is right if it is done by Yehovah.
Vengeance is right if Yehovah has given someone the responsibility of taking vengeance. He did this in several places in the Bible. One example is the following:

Numbers 31:1 And Yehovah spoke unto Moshe saying, ² “Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites. Afterward, thou shalt be gathered unto thy people.”

If Yehovah hasn’t given the responsibility of vengeance, taking it is wrong.
Yehovah has given the responsibility of vegeance to high-ranking leaders around the world.

Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. ⁴For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do what is evil, be afraid! For he doesn’t bear the sword in vain! For he is the minister of God, a revenger to wrath upon him who does evil.

Personal vengeance (your doing something bad to another person or group for what the person or group did to you) is usually wrong. Self-defense is usually right. The problem with personal vengeance is that the one taking vengeance usually does more harm than what was done in the first place, and can harm or kill others who were not involved. It also can cause a cycle of violence (meaning that the person takes vengeance, then others take vengeance on that person, then others take vengeance on that person…). Yehovah commanded the Israelis to not take personal vengeance. He did command the Israelis to have judges who would command vengeance for certain crimes.
If the Israelis live under the full rule of the Torah (Teaching) of Yehovah, and if someone kills an Israeli, anyone who is near kin to the killed Israeli who knows (with proof) who killed the Israeli may chase the killer to kill the killer unless the killer goes to a city of refuge (a city in Israel where judges are located, and where this type of vengeance cannot be done without the judges commanding it). If the killer arrives in the city of refuge, the killer is tried. If the killer is found guilty, he or she is taken to the border of the city and is turned over to the near kin person to kill. If the killer accidentally killed, the accidental killer (‘manslayer’) must remain in the city of refuge until the death of the Israeli High Priest. If the accidental killer leaves the city before the death of the High Priest, the near kin can kill him/her without doing wrong. The Israelis are not living under the rule of the Torah at this time.
Taking vengeance where there are laws and authorities who will deal properly with the crime is wrong. If the laws and authorities are corrupt, and violence occurs against the innocent without anyone being permitted to do anything about it, folks begin taking vengeance, which will often lead to more and more violence, and finally to a civil war and much slaughter. Many countries are torn apart by violence and acts of vengeance that follow.
Taking vengeance during war is sometimes right. (Ask your instructress about when vengeance is and is not right by giving cases. See if you can determine when it is justified and when it is wrong.)
These sons of Jacob had no right taking vengeance.

5. The text says, “The sons of Jacob came upon the slain.” What does this tell readers? It told me that the other sons of Jacob who didn’t take part in the slaughter came a little later, and found the dead men.

6. What does spoil mean in this text? It means to take all the valuables. It isn’t the same as robbing a place, since spoiling is usually done during war or a war action.

7. Why did they spoil the city? They used the excuse that they (the now dead men) had defiled their sister. In their minds, all of the men of the city had participated in the action. This is the type of thinking that is used in the violence of racism. Folks refer to them and they, as if they are all alike. If one person in that group does what is viewed as wrong, they did it. This type of thinking is evil.

8. Why did they take captive all their little ones and their women? Jacob’s sons saw what they were doing as an act of war. Capturing slaves during war is right (in the Bible, and in many cultures).

9. In what condition would these women and children who were captured be? They were in shock and mourning over the slaughters of their fathers, husbands, brothers, cousins, uncles, grandfathers, great grandfathers, etc. This was a terrible and very unexpected act of violence.

10. Did the women and children who were captured know why this violence occurred? All likely heard what happened to Dinah. All were certainly aware of the circumcision plan. That doesn’t mean that they knew why this happened.

11. Was taking the women and children and all their stuff right? Had this been war, it would have been right. Instead, it was kidnapping after murder.

IX. Jacob’s Frustration (verses 30-31)

His two sons responded, “Will he make our sister a whore?”

Questions

1. Why wasn’t Jacob’s first concern for the slaughtered men, the women who now had no husbands, and the children who now had no fathers? His first concern was for the terrible violence that this would bring on his group. He could do nothing about the slaughter that they did, but he had to be concerned for the existence of his family.

2. What does “ye have troubled me to make me stink” mean? The actions of persons and groups produce a social ‘smell.’ If persons do well, the smell is good; if persons don’t do well, the smell is a stink. The same is true of groups. Some groups think that they do very well when they don’t; they stink as far as others are concerned. Groups that do violence against the innocent stink as far as families of the victims, friends of the victims, and individuals who are pleased with justice are concerned.

3. Why does the Hebrew language of the Bible use dead ones of a number to describe a group that is small? When a group has a very small number, members of that group can become part of other groups so that the name of that group is lost; it becomes dead. A small group can also easily be killed by an attacking larger group, and thus can become dead. Any group of persons (or animals) that becomes small can also become extinct, having no living members.

4. Jacob said, “And they shall gather themselves upon me.” Was he right? He was right. Yehovah will command Jacob to travel in the next chapter.

5. He also said, “And they shall slay me.” Was this also true? They probably would have tried. Yehovah made the Covenant with Avraham. I suspect that Yehovah would have protected him.

6. Jacob then expressed, “And I shall be destroyed—I and my house!” What type of reaction is this? Jacob was quite afraid. He was also very angry. His sons had brought a terrible reputation on his entire household. Jacob did not assume that death and much harm would not come upon him. He believed Yehovah and His promises in the Covenant made with Avraham, but he knew better than to assume that life would be without sorrow and great danger.

7. The two sons responded, “Will he make our sister a whore?” What were they saying about what happened, and why did they word it this way? They were claiming that Shechem was turning their sister into a whore—into a woman who earns money or benefits from various male clients by sexual means. Thus, they were almost accusing Shechem of pimping her.

I propose that they worded it this way so that Jacob would become outraged and furious toward Shechem instead of being fearful of the other groups.
They were justifying the slaughter they did by showing how evil Shechem was.
They were asking Jacob a rhetorical question (a question that already has an obvious answer, and that is used to make a point). Their question, “Will he make our sister a whore?” carries the obvious answer, “No way!” They desired Jacob to be indignant (furious and insulted) over what was done to their sister.
They also asked the question so that they could present it to any Canaanites and Perizzites who might ask why they did what they did. I propose that they figured that the Canaanites and Perizzites would also be outraged at what happened to Dinah, and would see their reasons for the slaughter.

8. Jacob’s sons got away with the slaughter. Why did Yehovah allow them to get away with this murderous act? If the Bible is true, no one gets away with anything for long. Justice is often not done during the lifetimes of those who did the injustice, but life is very short. Folks who have done murder will everlastingly pay for it (or Messiah will pay for it).

Later in Genesis 49, the Spirit of Yehovah will give Jacob prophecies over the tribes that come from these two sons. These two tribes will be forever affected because of what these two sons did:

Genesis 49:5 Shimon and Levi are brothers. Utensils of violence are their cutters! ⁶Come thou not via their secret, my being! Join not in their assembly, my glory! For they slew a man in their nose [anger] and they houghed [ripped up] an ox in their will! ⁷Cursed is their nose [anger] because-of strength, and their crossing-over because-of hardness! I will divide them in Jacob, and I have dispersed them in Israel!

The last part states, “I will divide them in Jacob, and I have dispersed them in Israel.” This has already occurred with Levi. The Levites became the tribe that had the priests and those who taught the Scriptures in Israel. They didn’t have their own lands, but instead lived scattered throughout Israel to teach Israel. Shimon has not experienced this yet. Both tribes will perfectly prove the prophecy at a future time, and Yehovah will turn that prophecy to benefit for all Israel and all the other races. How strange it is for the tribe of Levi to become the very priests and ministers of Israel!

In the meantime, Shimon and Levi will be judged for what they did. I have found no evidence that they turned to Truth and turned to Yehovah.

December 23, 2009April 3, 2017

Avraham’s and Ishmael’s Deaths QA Supplied

Avraham’s and Ishmael’s Deaths

With Questions and Proposed Answers

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 25:1-18

Genesis 25:1 And Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham) gathered. And he took a woman. And her name is Incensed (Keturah). ²And she childed to him Their-Ballad (Zimran) and He-Will-Lure-Them (Jokshan) and Their-Measure (Medan) and From-Their-Sufficiency (Midian) and He-Will-Leave-Alone (Ishbak) and He-Sank (Shuah). ³And He-Will-Lure-Them (Jokshan) childed Who-Came (Sheba) and Move-Deliberately (Dedan). And sons of Move-Deliberately (Dedan) were Their-Happiness (Asshurim) and Their-Sharpener (Letushim) and Folks (Leummim). ⁴And the sons of From-Their-Sufficiency (Midian) are Her-Tired-One (Ephah) and Dust (Epher) and Dedicated (Hanoch) and Father-Knew (Abida) and Mighty-One-Of-Knowledge (Eldaah). All these are sons of Incensed (Keturah).

⁵And Avraham gave all that is to him to Isaac. ⁶And Avraham gave gifts to the children of the concubines who are to Avraham. And he sent them from upon Isaac his son while he yet lives, eastward unto East Land.

⁷And these are the days of years of the lives of Avraham that he lived, 100 year and 70 year and five years. ⁸And he expired. And Avraham died in good hoariness, old and full. And he was gathered unto his peoples. ⁹And Isaac and Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) his sons entombed him unto cave of the Smiter-Distinguished (Machpelah) unto a field of Their-Dust (Ephron) son of He-Dazzled (Zohar) the Hot-One-ite (Hittite) who is upon the faces of Bitter-Causer (Mamre), ¹⁰the field that Avraham purchased from with the sons of Hot (Heth). He entombed Avraham there, and Princess his woman.

¹¹And he was after Avraham died. And Elohim blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac dwelt with Well To-The-Lives Of-My-Seer.

¹²And these are the birthings of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) son of Avraham whom The-Sojourner (HaGar) the Egyptian, slave-woman of Princess, birthed to Avraham. ¹³And these are the names of the sons of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) in their names to their birthings. Firstborn of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) is Fruitfulnesses (Nebajoth) and Dark (Kedar) and Mighty-One-Grieved (Adbeel) and From-Spice (Mibsam) ¹⁴and Proclaimer (Mishma) and Her-Silence (Dumah) and Burden (Massa), ¹⁵He-Sharpened (Hadar) and Desert (Tema), He-Will-Tour (Jetur), Re-Beinged (Naphish) and Eastward (Kedemah). ¹⁶These are the they: sons of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael). And these are their names in their courtyards and in their tiers, twelve Carriers to their folk. ¹⁷And these are years of the lives of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael): 100 year and 30 year and 7 years. And he expired. And he died. And he gathered unto his peoples. ¹⁸And they abode from Whirling (Havilah) unto Wall (Shur) that is upon the faces of Double-Adversity (Egypt), thy coming Wallward. He fell upon faces of all his brothers.

I. Avraham’s New Wife (verses 1-4)

Avraham desired a new wife. His choice was Keturah. She bore him six sons (daughters are not mentioned).

The Bible names many names. Those names are important.

One of the sons was named Midian. He is the father of the Midianites who later are a real problem to Israel.

Another son, Jokshan, will have two sons, Sheba and Dedan. This Sheba will become an important race and a location named after the race. The citizens of Sheba will have a queen who will be famous.

Dedan will also play a role in events later in history.

Questions

1. Why aren’t daughters always mentioned in the Bible when sons are being listed? Lineages come through the male line. If a woman is important in the plan of Yehovah, she will be mentioned. Though many men are named, few of them are important beyond their names and their lineages. All women who are mentioned in the Bible are very important.

2. Why are names important in the Bible?

They show experiences and faiths of those who named the children.
If they are listed in order, they give information about the plan of God. Those strings of names are prophetic.

3. What information appears if the names from verse 1 through verse 4 are listed in order?

Father-Of-A-Crowd
Incensed
Their-Ballad
He-Will-Lure-Them
Their-Measure
From-Their-Sufficiency
He-Will-Leave-Alone
He-Sank
He-Will-Lure-Them
Who-Came
Move-Deliberately
Their-Happiness
Their-Sharpener
Folks
Her-Tired-One
Dust
Dedicated
Father-Knew
Mighty-One-Of-Knowledge

Those joined become:

Father-Of-A-Crowd Incensed Their-Ballad He-Will-Lure-Them Their-Measure From-Their-Sufficiency He-Will-Leave-Alone He-Sank He-Will-Lure-Them Who-Came Move-Deliberately Their-Happiness Their-Sharpener Folks Her-Tired-One Dust Dedicated Father-Knew Mighty-One-Of-Knowledge.

Next, add any forms of the verb to be (in other words, add is or am or are where needed to make sentences). Separate this paragraph that results into sentences using punctuation marks (like ‘.’ or ‘,’ or ‘!’ or ‘?’, etc.).

Father-Of-A-Crowd Incensed Their-Ballad. He-Will-Lure-Them. Their-Measure is From-Their-Sufficiency. He-Will-Leave-Alone. He-Sank. He-Will-Lure-Them. Who-Came, Moving-Deliberately? Their-Happiness! Their-Sharpener—Folks! Her-Tired-One is Dust, Dedicated. Father-Knew, Mighty-One-Of-Knowledge!

Now, remove the dashes that were part of the individual names, and change the capitalization:

Father of a crowd incensed [that is, to make something into incense, usually referring to prayer] their Ballad. He will lure them. Their measure is from their sufficiency. He will leave alone. He sank. He will lure them. Who came, moving deliberately? Their happiness! Their sharpener—folks! Her tired one is dust, dedicated. Father knew, Mighty One of knowledge!

This describes events that will occur in the End Times!

II. Avraham’s Favoritism (verses 5-6)

Avraham gave all that he had to Isaac (with the exception of gifts that he gave to children of the concubines).

Abraham also had concubines. (They are women to whom he is married, but who, by agreement, will not receive the highest status of a wife, and whose sons will not receive an inheritance with the wife’s or wives’ sons.) Avraham gave the concubines’ sons gifts, but that is all that they received from Avraham (besides training, love and rearing). When they were old enough, Avraham sent them away from Isaac. They journeyed eastward to East Land.

Questions

1. Was Avraham’s favoritism toward Isaac right? Was it fair? His favoritism was right! He had the right to favor his original son. He didn’t owe the children born later; they owed him! (Your parents don’t owe you; you are in a great debt to them!) Was it fair? It was not fair, and most things in life are not fair. Fairness would be terrible. If Yehovah did all things fairly, no person could be saved from damnation! He made all persons individually. That isn’t fair; it is excellent!

Do not look for fairness in life. Look for things that are far greater than fair. A person who looks for fairness is looking for the very least, and often something that is very bad. You have opportunities that the children in your neighborhood do not have! You can learn the Bible in a way they will never be able to learn it. That isn’t fair; it is far to your benefit!

2. Why would a woman desire to become a concubine? If she thought that she might not obtain a husband, or if she thought that a husband she would obtain would be cruel or would work her in a cruel manner, and she could become a concubine to a gracious man who would treat her and her children well, that would be far better. All had to work (if they could), and a woman who is a concubine can earn her own living and do very well for herself. Her husband (if he is kind) would be very willing to help her in her business, since he would also prosper from her success. If she became sick or incapacitated (unable to work), he would take care of her. His only requirement is that she and her children would not inherit from him.

3. Were those gifts that Avraham gave to the children of the concubines before he sent them away supposed to replace his love and affection? Avraham was a kind and gracious man. The gifts would give them what they needed to become independent in life. (The same is true of all gifts that Yehovah gives: they are designed to benefit those who receive them in such a way that they can then benefit others. If Yehovah gives a gift to anyone, and that person only keeps the gift for himself or herself, never benefiting others, that gift has been terribly misused, and Yehovah will remember that. If the person instead uses that gift to benefit others, that will be considered very good in the judgments.

Avraham loved his children. That is why he sent the new set away from Isaac. He knew that jealousy and hatred could easily result if they stayed, seeing what Isaac obtained. He sent them away to make good in life. They could later return to their father after they had done well, if he was still alive. Avraham knew that Isaac was the son of the promise, and Isaac didn’t need enemies within his own family.

4. What was in East Land? It was a land that was very populated. There would be many opportunities to earn livings and to do well.

5. Wasn’t Avraham concerned that they might become pagans, like so many in other locations, and forget the God of Avraham? Avraham knew the truth regarding them. They were not fearers of His Gods (Yehovah). If they would later become fearers, they would do that wherever they were. Avraham himself had come from the east, and Yehovah had commanded him to come to the land of Canaan. Yehovah easily could do the same for any of them who would respond and would believe Yehovah.

Most folks are pagans (even if they are very religious). A pagan is a person who believes in idols, trusts in idols, and lives rituals that are connected with idols. Most who claim to believe in Jesus believe in a ‘Jesus’ that the Bible doesn’t describe. Thus, they believe in an idol that they have called ‘Jesus’. They will live their lives thinking that they believed in the right ‘Jesus’ when they never took the time or trouble to see what the Bible describes as ‘Jesus’.

III. Avraham’s Age and Death (verses 7-10)

Avraham lived to be 175 years old. (That was not very old, considering how long Noah lived.) Yet it was a good old age for those times.

He expired (he breathed out his last breath). He had much gray hair, he was old, and full (of years).

After his death, he was gathered unto his peoples (those awaiting him in Sheol).

Both Isaac and Ishmael worked together to bury him in the same cave (Machpelah) where Princess (Sarah) was already placed. (Yehovah made sure that the text again explained that Avraham was the legitimate holder of that land by purchase.)

Questions

1. What does hoariness mean? It means that he had much grayness or whiteness of hair. (Do you know anyone whose hair is all gray or white?)

2. The text says that Avraham died “old and full.” Does that mean that he died after eating a good meal? No; full refers to his years. He was full of years.

3. What does “gathered unto his peoples” mean? This means that he joined relatives who had already died and were in Sheol.

4. Where is Sheol? It is in the very heart (core) of planet earth! That means that it is about 3,500 miles down!

5. What is Sheol? Sheol is a very large chamber where folks who died went to await judgment. (That judgment is many centuries away from now.) Sheol is also an angel who is responsible for taking care of all humans who are in Sheol.

6. Is being in Sheol boring? There were two chambers in Sheol, and those chambers were separated by a huge gulf—an open area where there is no bottom, in this case, so that no person could go from one chamber to the other.

One chamber was Paradise where Saints came after death. Paradise is a beautiful garden with the waters of life flowing in a beautiful river. The Garden of Eden was Paradise, and that garden was transferred to Sheol after humans were blocked from entering it. All in Paradise are free from pain, suffering, boredom, and all other bad things like this. Yet, they will be judged for what they did (their works); many will rightly have fear regarding this judgment.

The other chamber is described as torments. It is a place where there is no water, and there is a flame that causes great torment of thirst for everyone in this chamber. The great majority of humans who die go to this chamber. They will await their judgments, and they will then be cast into outer darkness, the Lake of Fire and Sulfur. (Yes, it is very scary. No horror movie could correctly describe it.)

Folks in both of these chambers could speak with each other. No one has rank or power over anyone else. Murderers and those they murdered went to Sheol—most to the Torments side. (Just because a person is murdered doesn’t mean that the person has everlasting life.)

No one was bored in Sheol; they were all waiting for others to come join them.

When Yeshua died and rose from the dead, He took Paradise out of Sheol and transferred it to the heavens where it is now located. Thus, all Saints are now in the heavens waiting their judgments. Those who are not born of God and who died are still in the Torments of Sheol, waiting their judgments while they thirst continuously in the heat of the flame. They are not bored. They are suffering.

7. When Avraham was gathered unto his peoples, was he gathered on the Paradise side of Sheol or on the Torments side? He was gathered on the Paradise side. He could see and hear his relatives on the Torments side, and they could speak to each other. He also could interact with his relatives on the Paradise side. Now that Paradise has been moved into the heavens, Avraham can no longer communicate with his relatives on the Torments side. All of Sheol is now Torments.

8. Why does the text use the word peoples instead of people? This is because Avraham was related to a number of peoples just as you are. A people is a group of individuals with a common culture. You are related to others with a common culture, and you are related to others who have cultures that are not like yours, but they are still your relatives.

9. Do all Black people have the same culture, and are they from one race? Skin tones have little or nothing to do with a race. There are many different races that have folks with very dark skin tones and folks with light skin tones. No race can be distinguished by skin color. The same is true of cultures. There are very great differences between cultures among folks who happen to have very dark skin.

Adam was red in color, like the red found in soils in some places. He had offspring who had various skin colors. The same is true of Noah, since all humans on earth today came from Noah, Noah’s wife, and Noah’s three daughters-in-law. His three sons and their wives had various skin tones and colors, and all races came from them. Yehovah built all the skin colors into the genetic material of humans (the part of humans that grows into eye colors, hair colors and types of hair, skin tones, height, male or female, etc.) All folks of every skin tone came from both Adam and Eve and from Noah and Noah’s wife and one of Noah’s three daughters in law.

10. Which two sons put Avraham in a tomb? Isaac and Ishmael worked together to take care of their father’s body. Thus, they were not strangers to each other.

IV. Isaac (verse 11)

The next event was after Avraham died. Yehovah specially wrote that Elohim blessed Isaac. The well that Hagar named was his place of residence.

Questions

1. 1. What happens when Elohim blesses someone? That person is benefited even more than what would occur naturally. The blessing can be in the form of becoming quite wealthy, but wealth is not a blessing to some. There are some folks who do much better in life when they have very little, and who would become very cruel and mean if they were to become wealthy. Others become owned by their wealth, and thus become slaves of their money. They are not blessed by wealth; it is a curse to them. There are some, however, who can become wealthy and who do very well in life, being kind and gracious. Others who are very poor can also be blessed in other ways besides wealth.

In this case, Elohim’s blessing included wealth in his herds and flocks.

2. Why did Isaac choose to live by the well that HaGar named? Cattlemen and shepherds chose where they would live by the availability of grass for their herds and flocks. If Isaac chose a location, it would be for the benefit of the herds and flocks. Where there is water, the herds and flocks can be watered.

V. Ishmael’s Greatness (verses 12-18)

Yehovah now switches over to a description of Ishmael and his greatness. His firstborn is Nebajoth (the “j” is always pronounced like a “y” in the King James Bible). He then has eleven other sons, forming twelve tribes (like Jacob will later do).

At that time, a man moving into a new area would build a house. He might have slaves and cattle. Then, if he prospered, others would come to live around him, working for him, and a town would be born. If he greatly prospered, large buildings would be built. The town would be named after this man. This happened to Ishmael’s sons. Thus, Ishmael had no monetary disadvantage by living away from his father. Yehovah blessed him.

Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. He also breathed his last and died. He was gathered unto his peoples in Sheol.

Ishmael’s sons lived in locations from Havilah (the place of the gold in the Garden of Eden) to a city (called Shur, or Wall) facing Egypt.

When Ishmael died, he fell upon faces of all his brothers (meaning that his entire family was present). He apparently dropped dead.

Questions

1. Why does the Bible give all this information about Ishmael, since he is not in the main line that the Bible will continue to describe? I know of two reasons. This shows that Yehovah really did bless this man who was close to death in the desert. He did become a race. It also lists the names of his offspring so that Bible readers can identify them later if they are mentioned in texts. A third reason is so that readers of Hebrew can put the names together to see what they mean.

2. Was Ishmael a Believer at his death? The Bible never indicates that he was. It also doesn’t say that he wasn’t. The Bible will usually tell readers if a person feared Yehovah.

3. Why did Yehovah bless Ishmael if he wasn’t a believer in Yehovah? Yehovah did it for Avraham’s sake; He promised that He would. Also, Yehovah does bless some folks who are not believers in Him and who will never become believers in Him. Yehovah has His reasons. I can think of one reason. Perhaps a distant offspring of that unbelieving and blessed person will be a believer in Yehovah, and Yehovah determined that good would come into that person’s line (lineage). Also, Yehovah will bless some folks so that their judgment will be much worse because they refused to confess Him. (A cattleman will fatten a cow with the best feed before he takes the cow to be slaughtered. The cow will feel very blessed!)

4. Why would a city be named Wall? That was a very reasonable name for a city in those days. The great difficulty with having cities at that time was in gathering and storing food for the cities. Raiders loved to attack and take stored foods that others worked so hard to grow and reap. The raiders could live lives of leisure while others worked hard, then they could attack and take the produce. Humans began to build walled and fortified cities in order to bring their produce into them and protect them from the raiders. This worked very well in many cases. Jericho was a famous walled city. It had homes built into the wall and a wide area on top where even horses and carriages could go.

5. What is so important about this city facing Egypt? The Egyptians were good at trade, and they also produced raiders! This city had to be fortified.

6. What does “he fell upon faces of all his brothers” mean? To fall means to drop as in to drop dead. This expression is used in wars that the Bible describes. The expression, “upon faces of” means that it occurred directly in the sight of and in front of the ones describes (his brothers). All his brothers were present when this occurred.

December 23, 2009April 3, 2017

Genesis 21a – Isaac and Ishmael

Isaac and Ishmael

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 21:1-21

Genesis 21:1 And Yehovah visited Princess just as He said. And Yehovah did to Princess just as He spoke. ²And she conceived. And Princess childed a son to Avraham to his elderlinesses to the appointment that Elohim spoke him.

³And Avraham called the name of his son childed to him, whom Princess childed to him, Isaac.

⁴And Avraham circumcised Isaac his son, a son of eight days just as Elohim commanded him. ⁵And Avraham is a son of 100 year(s) via Isaac his son being childed to him.

⁶And Princess said, “Elohim did a laugh to me! Every hearkener will laugh to me!” ⁷And she said, “Who is wording to Avraham, ‘Princess is breastfeeding sons’? For I childed a son to his elderlinesses!”

⁸And the child got-big. And he was weaned. And Avraham made a big drinking-party in the day of the weaning with Isaac. ⁹And Princess saw the son of HaGar the Egyptian, who childed to Avraham, laughing. ¹⁰And she said to Avraham, “Expel this slave-woman and her son! For the son of this slave-woman will not inherit with my son—with Isaac!” ¹¹And the saying was-very-bad in the eyes of Avraham concerning fire-brands of his son.

¹²And Elohim said unto Avraham, “He will not be bad in thine eyes concerning the youth and concerning thy slavewoman. All that Princess will say unto thee, hearken into her voice. For He will call seed to thee via Isaac. ¹³And I will also put him with the son of the slavewoman to a race. For he is thy seed.”

¹⁴And Avraham early-rose in the morning. And he took bread and heat of water [hot-water-bottle]. And he gave unto HaGar. He put upon her shoulder and with the child. And he sent her.

And she walked. And she wandered in the desert Well-Of-Oath. ¹⁵And the waters finished from the hot [-water-bottle]. And she cast the child under one of their meditation. ¹⁶And she walked. And she sat to her from straight-in-front of the distance as from shots of a bow. For she said, “I will not see during dying of the child.” And she sat straight-in-front. And she lifted her voice. And she wept.

¹⁷And Elohim hearkened-to the voice of the youth. And Messenger Elohim called unto HaGar from the heavens. And He said to her, “What is to thee, HaGar? Fear-thou not, for Elohim hearkened unto the voice of the youth via where he is there! ¹⁸Arise-thou! Lift-thou the youth! And grasp-thou thine hand into him! For I will put him to a big race!”

¹⁹And Elohim perspicated her eyes. And she saw a well of water. And she walked. And she filled the hot of water. And she watered the youth.

²⁰And Elohim was with the youth. And he got-big. And he dwelt in the desert. And he was a great-one of bow. ²¹And he dwelt in the Paran desert. And his mother took a woman for him from the land of Egypt.

I. The Birth and Circumcision of Isaac (verses 1-7)

Yehovah kept His word. Everything happened just as He said. Princess (Sarah) became pregnant. This was impossible.

She childed a son to Avraham and to all the various forms of elderlinesses that he now had. This occurred exactly when Elohim had spoken.

The son was named He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) as Yehovah had commanded.

Avraham did what Yehovah commanded, and circumcised Isaac on the eighth day. Avraham is 100 years old!

Sarah rejoiced and laughed. She said, “Elohim did a laugh to me! Every hearkener will laugh to me!” It was humorous to all who heard. She also said, “Who is wording to Avraham, ‘Princess is breastfeeding sons’? For I childed a son to his elderlinesses!” This aged lady is breastfeeding a child! And Avraham has a son in his old age.

Questions

1. Why was Sarah’s pregnancy impossible?

2. What does “Princess childed a son to Avraham to his elderlinesses” mean?

3. What does Isaac mean?

4. What was this appointment?

5. What does circumcise mean?

6. What does circumcision picture?

7. Does circumcision hurt?

8. When Sarah said, “Elohim did a laugh to me! Every hearkener will laugh to me,” was she concerned that God had done a joke on her and that others would laugh at her?

9. Explain what Sarah is saying by, “Who is wording to Avraham, ‘Princess is breastfeeding sons’?”

II. The Last Straw (verses 8-13)

Avraham celebrated the weaning of Isaac. The child could now eat without requiring breast milk. It was a time of great joy.

The other child (Ishmael, not named in this text), made fun of young Isaac. Sarah saw this. Her joy was gone. She responded, “Expel this slave-woman and her son! For the son of this slave-woman will not inherit with my son—with Isaac!”

Avraham was upset.

Elohim corrected Avraham’s perspective: “He will not be bad in thine eyes concerning the youth and concerning thy slavewoman. All that Princess will say unto thee, hearken into her voice. For He will call seed to thee via Isaac.”

Then Elohim told Avraham what he needed to hear in order for him to be at some peace: “And I will also put him with the son of the slavewoman to a race. For he is thy seed.”

Questions

1. What does HaGar mean, and who is she?

2. What was wrong with HaGar’s son Ishmael laughing?

3. How old was Ishmael, HaGar’s son at this time?

4. What does Ishmael’s behaviour (verse 9) show about HaGar’s rearing of the youth?

5. Was Sarah right to insist that the slavewoman, HaGar and her son be thrown out? Is it right that both suffer for the silly behaviour of the child?

6. Does God show favoritism?

7. Why was the expelling of Ishmael so bad in the eyes of Avraham, and what does that mean?

8. Explain “The saying was-very-bad in the eyes of Avraham concerning fire-brands of his son”:

III. The Departure (verse 14)

Hagar could not carry much provision. Avraham took bread and a bottle skin, and he gave them to HaGar and Ishmael to carry. He then sent her.

Questions

1. Avraham fathered Ishmael. Did Avraham do right by sending this teenager away with his mother, leaving him to be reared in a broken home without a father, and abdicating (giving up his rightful place) his (Avraham’s) responsibility as a father, and abandoning his sons’ mother—all over a nasty comment of an immature youth?

2. Why didn’t Avraham send them both on a pack animal so that they could go where they needed to go with transportation?

3. Was HaGar a weak woman?

IV. The Wandering and the Hopelessness (verses 14-16)

The wilderness of Beersheba is no friendly place. Water is rare, and the wells often must be very deep. Their water ran out, and soon their energy was drained. The teenager became faint, and she put him under a meditation (which I take to be a shade tree).

She walked on for a distance, about the distance of a bow shot. That way, the teenager was in sight, but not close enough to see the details of his dying. She sat straight in front of him. (A bowshot is probably in the range of 400 feet, or one city block.)

Her own death was not what brought her sorrow, but watching her son die was too much. She began to weep.

Questions

1. Why did the teenager’s strength fail before his mother’s strength?

2. If meditation refers to a shade tree, why would it be called that?

3. Why did she cast Ishmael there?

4. Why did she sit at a distance, but straight in front of him?

5. Why did she weep only after she went from the child?

V. Yehovah’s Rescue and Promise (verses 17-19)

Elohim hearkened to the voice of Ishmael. Messenger Elohim called unto HaGar from the heavens. He asked, “What is to thee, HaGar?”

He told her to not fear, telling her that Elohim hearkened unto the voice of Ishmael by means of his own location.

He then commanded her to do three things: “Arise!” “Lift the youth!” “Grasp- thine hand into him!” He made her a promise: “I will put him to a big race!”

At this point, Yehovah perspicated her eyes so that she saw the well. (This very rare word means to cause eyes to see what would otherwise be hidden.)

She walked over to it and filled the skin bottle. She ‘watered’ Ishmael.

Questions

1. Why did Elohim hearken to the voice of the youth (Ishmael) instead of the weeping of his mother?

2. Who is Messenger Elohim?

3. Why did Messenger Elohim call unto HaGar instead of the youth to whom He hearkened?

4. Why did Messenger Elohim ask, “What is to thee, HaGar,” when He already knew?

5. What do “Arise-thou! Lift-thou the youth! And grasp-thou thine hand into him!” imply?

6. Why did Messenger Elohim tell her, “I will put him to a big race,” at this time?

7. Had that well been there all the time?

8. What is a “hot of water”?

9. Why is the text worded, “she watered the youth”?

VI. The Rest of the Story (verses 20-21)

Elohim was with Ishmael. He grew. He lived in the very environment that nearly killed his mother and him.

He became a great archer, and therefore was very good at obtaining animals for food.

He lived in the Paran desert.

His mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt, HaGar’s native land.

Questions

1. What occurs if Elohim is with someone?

2. Why would anyone want to live in a desert?

3. What advantage could there be for a mother to obtain a wife for her son?

December 23, 2009March 21, 2017

Avraham’s and Ishmael’s Deaths QA Supplied

Avraham’s and Ishmael’s Deaths

With Questions and Proposed Answers

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 25:1-18

¹¹And he was after Avraham died. And Elohim blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac dwelt with Well To-The-Lives Of-My-Seer.

I. Avraham’s New Wife (verses 1-4)

Avraham desired a new wife. His choice was Keturah. She bore him six sons (daughters are not mentioned).

The Bible names many names. Those names are important.

One of the sons was named Midian. He is the father of the Midianites who later are a real problem to Israel.

Another son, Jokshan, will have two sons, Sheba and Dedan. This Sheba will become an important race and a location named after the race. The citizens of Sheba will have a queen who will be famous.

Dedan will also play a role in events later in history.

Questions

2. Why are names important in the Bible?

They show experiences and faiths of those who named the children.
If they are listed in order, they give information about the plan of God. Those strings of names are prophetic.

3. What information appears if the names from verse 1 through verse 4 are listed in order?

Father-Of-A-Crowd
Incensed
Their-Ballad
He-Will-Lure-Them
Their-Measure
From-Their-Sufficiency
He-Will-Leave-Alone
He-Sank
He-Will-Lure-Them
Who-Came
Move-Deliberately
Their-Happiness
Their-Sharpener
Folks
Her-Tired-One
Dust
Dedicated
Father-Knew
Mighty-One-Of-Knowledge

Those joined become:

Now, remove the dashes that were part of the individual names, and change the capitalization:

This describes events that will occur in the End Times!

II. Avraham’s Favoritism (verses 5-6)

Avraham gave all that he had to Isaac (with the exception of gifts that he gave to children of the concubines).

Questions

4. What was in East Land? It was a land that was very populated. There would be many opportunities to earn livings and to do well.

III. Avraham’s Age and Death (verses 7-10)

Avraham lived to be 175 years old. (That was not very old, considering how long Noah lived.) Yet it was a good old age for those times.

He expired (he breathed out his last breath). He had much gray hair, he was old, and full (of years).

After his death, he was gathered unto his peoples (those awaiting him in Sheol).

Questions

1. What does hoariness mean? It means that he had much grayness or whiteness of hair. (Do you know anyone whose hair is all gray or white?)

2. The text says that Avraham died “old and full.” Does that mean that he died after eating a good meal? No; full refers to his years. He was full of years.

3. What does “gathered unto his peoples” mean? This means that he joined relatives who had already died and were in Sheol.

4. Where is Sheol? It is in the very heart (core) of planet earth! That means that it is about 3,500 miles down!

No one was bored in Sheol; they were all waiting for others to come join them.

10. Which two sons put Avraham in a tomb? Isaac and Ishmael worked together to take care of their father’s body. Thus, they were not strangers to each other.

IV. Isaac (verse 11)

The next event was after Avraham died. Yehovah specially wrote that Elohim blessed Isaac. The well that Hagar named was his place of residence.

Questions

In this case, Elohim’s blessing included wealth in his herds and flocks.

V. Ishmael’s Greatness (verses 12-18)

Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. He also breathed his last and died. He was gathered unto his peoples in Sheol.

Ishmael’s sons lived in locations from Havilah (the place of the gold in the Garden of Eden) to a city (called Shur, or Wall) facing Egypt.

When Ishmael died, he fell upon faces of all his brothers (meaning that his entire family was present). He apparently dropped dead.

Questions

2. Was Ishmael a Believer at his death? The Bible never indicates that he was. It also doesn’t say that he wasn’t. The Bible will usually tell readers if a person feared Yehovah.

5. What is so important about this city facing Egypt? The Egyptians were good at trade, and they also produced raiders! This city had to be fortified.